Humax LD2060: Flat-panel LCD TV with built-in DirecTV receiver

Humax has begun shipping the LD2060, the first flat-panel LCD TV to include a built-in DirecTV satellite receiver. The non-HD, non-wide-screen 20.1-inch TV isn't designed to anchor a home-theater system; rather, it's intended for the kitchens, bedrooms, and dens of DirecTV households. Unlike an old tube set, this flat-panel model is thin enough to fit anywhere--it's wall-mountable as well. Furthermore, it sports an attractive modern look, and because it doesn't require an outboard satellite box, the only two necessary wires are the power cord and an RF coaxial satellite feed, though you'll also need a phone line for pay-per-view orders, if you're so inclined. The LD2060 also includes multiple A/V inputs--one component, two composite--so you can connect as many as three other devices if you so choose--say, a DVD player, a VCR, and a game system. There's no built-in DVR--Humax ended up killing off the LT2650 TiVo/DVD-enabled flat-screen TV it showed off at CES 2005--but a composite A/V output is included so that you can record your favorite shows to a VCR or DVD recorder. Rounding out the package is a unified remote that controls the TV and DirecTV satellite functions. The LD2060 will retail for $700--somewhat pricey considering the lack of high-def, but as the only DirecTV-ready TV on the market, Humax can certainly justify the premium.

If you like the idea of an all-in-one satellite flat-screen TV but are holding out for high-def, you'll need to sit tight. Humax is planning to release a 32-inch wide-screen LCD flat-panel HDTV with a built-in high-def DirecTV tuner in the fall; pricing has yet to be set.