HP Debuts Digital Entertainment Products

By Ian Bell April 28, 2005

From the press release:

Introduced at the Home Entertainment Expo, all of the TVs include new HP Visual Fidelity technologies, which provide enhanced image quality and brilliant color by, depending on the model, gauging a room’s ambient lighting and doubling pixel resolution among other innovations.

HP’s microdisplay TVs also feature a lighted front-connection panel designed with a special slot under the TV so audio/visual cables can easily be connected from the front and then hidden from view. The microdisplay TVs additionally enable viewers to quickly and easily select an input source, such as a DVD player, by touching a button on the remote control to view on screen how all input sources are being used.

The company also announced the availability of three new models of standard and high-definition HP Digital Entertainment Centers – devices that allow consumers to personalize and manage their TV viewing, movies, music, photos and videos, all from one remote control. New functionality on certain models includes the ability to record over-the-air high-definition programming and store up to 55 hours of HD content.

Consumers have more choice across the breadth of HP’s TV product line

— HP Pavilion microdisplay televisions, the company’s first line of microdisplay rear-projection TVs, are designed for consumers who want to enjoy HDTV programs in full HD-resolution and DVD movies on a large screen. These televisions are equipped with HP Visual Fidelity technologies that help ensure top picture performance from virtually any video source. All models – including the 65- and 58-inch 1080P and 58- and 50-inch 720P – are expected to be available for purchase in North America in late summer.

— HP Pavilion plasma TVs feature 50- and 42-inch models with ultra-long life panels built on next-generation phosphors that create an image 10 percent brighter than conventional panels. Created with the latest video processing technology that delivers up to 3.62 billion colors and 2,048 levels of gradation, these TVs ensure that even the subtlest details are rendered with uncompromising clarity. The plasma TV line also includes a 42-inch enhanced definition TV. All models are expected to be available for purchase in North America in late summer.

— HP Pavilion LCD TVs are available in 37-, 32- or 26-inch models and deliver exceptional image accuracy due to a sophisticated video engine that combines scene-by-scene contrast adaptation with information about the room’s ambient lighting. All models are expected to be available for purchase in North America in late summer.

All of HP’s new digital TVs are CableCARD ready and, with HP’s additional features and accessories, consumers can easily integrate any HP TV into their existing home theater system. HP also offers consumers a variety of TV stands to showcase their home theater centerpiece for an outstanding high-definition viewing experience.

HD Digital Entertainment Center z550 series

The new HP z555 and z557 High-definition Digital Entertainment Center series include three tuners: One ATSC OTA high-definition TV tuner for the ability to pause, play and record HD over-the-air programming and two NTSC tuners for recording two standard definition shows simultaneously. The z555 model comes with a 250 GB 7,200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive, and the z557 model comes with two 300 GB hard drives, one being a personal media drive to deliver over half a terabyte of combined storage.

Both units offer high-performance TV quality with the Nvidia GeForce 6600 PCI-Express graphics card. This product enables digital entertainment enthusiasts to combine entertainment features with the ability to surf the web or instant message friends, all in the convenience of their living rooms by fusing the best of PC and audio-video elements. All HP Digital Entertainment Center models are available for purchase now in North America, Sweden and France.

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