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LG plasmas offer wireless option

LG introduced two plasma HDTVs with optional wireless connectivity at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show.

David Katzmaier Editorial Director -- Personal Tech
David reviews TVs and leads the Personal Tech team at CNET, covering mobile, software, computing, streaming and home entertainment. We provide helpful, expert reviews, advice and videos on what gadget or service to buy and how to get the most out of it.
Expertise A 20-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. Prior to CNET he worked at Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. He is known to two people on Twitter as the Cormac McCarthy of consumer electronics. Credentials
  • Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
David Katzmaier
LG's PG70 plasmas allow optional wireless connectivity. LG

Following the footsteps of last year's Best of CES winner in the TV category, Samsung's FP-T94W series, LG this year is introducing its own wireless plasma TVs. The series is called PG70, and it includes the 50-inch 50PG70 and the 60-inch 60PG70. Yes, you'll still need to connect the power cord, but all those pesky audio-video connections can be moved to a separate AV transceiver box that networks with the panel over the 802.11n wireless standard. Judging from LG's claims regarding its similar wireless LCDs, the box can be set up to 50 feet from the panel and going wireless doesn't impact picture or sound quality. Unlike those LCDs and Samsung's units, however, the box on the PG70 series is optional (price TBD), so you can wait to invest in wireless.

These sets will carry THX Display certification, for what that's worth, when they ship in the third quarter of 2008--pricing was not disclosed at press time. Other notable improvements include an ISF mode that has a user-accessible color temperature adjustment with 10 separate grayscale points, which should help calibrators improve color accuracy.

PG70 key features (direct from the press release)

  • Compatible with optional wireless tranceiver
  • 802.11n Wireless System
  • 1080p native resolution
  • Invisible Speaker System
  • 100,000-hour panel (approximately 30 years)
  • Dual XD engine
  • ISFccc Calibration Ready
  • Four HDMI with 1.3 Deep Color, USB 2.0, and AV inputs