Nine is enough: LG pours on the plasmas

LG announced nine new flat-panel plasmas at CES, from 42 inches all the way up to 71 inches (although a 71-incher was actually announced at CES 2005). New models include a trio of 42-inch panels, but the most interesting sets comprise the four models with built-in DVRs, capable of storing as much as 15 hours of HD content or 60 hours of standard-def. The flagship 60-inch 60PB2DR and the 50-inch 50PB2DR each offer a pair of ATSC tuners as well as Digital Cable Ready CableCard compatibility, enabling viewers to watch one show while recording another without having to hook up an external cable box. Unfortunately, these plasmas still don't have the ability to record one show while you watch a second--that functionality is still restricted to cable boxes. All of the DVR-equipped models use TV Guide's historically unreliable program guide, which should be improved somewhat by the time the sets hit the market in the third quarter of 2006.