Funai aims to bring LCD HDTV / Blu-ray combo units to North America

[HDTV News Poster]

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.engadget.com/category/displays/" rel="tag">Displays</a>, <a href="http://www.engadget.com/category/hdtv/" rel="tag">HDTV</a>, <a href="http://www.engadget.com/category/homeentertainment/" rel="tag">Home Entertainment</a></p><a href="http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/AC/TNKS/Nni20080812D12JFA14.htm"><img vspace="16" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/2008/08/8-13-08-emerson-combo.jpg" alt="" /></a>When Westinghouse launched its <a href="http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/05/25/westinghouse-vk-40f580d-lcd-embodies-hds-divided-state/">40-inch LCD HDTV / DVD combo</a> unit earlier <a href="http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/07/14/westinghouses-40-inch-vk-40f580d-lcd-hdtv-dvd-combo-gets-revi/">this year</a>, we really began to think of just how nice it'd be to broaden Blu-ray's <a href="http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/01/consumers-delaying-blu-ray-purchases-cant-find-value-propositi/">appeal</a> by shoving a drive into a new set for those looking for simplicity. Enter Funai -- the company currently responsible for the <a href="http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/05/12/funais-nb500-blu-ray-player-sliding-into-wal-mart-for-298/">lowest priced standalone BD deck</a> on the market -- which is reportedly aiming to loose an LCD HDTV with built-in Blu-ray player on the North American market next summer. The company typically brands its wares with names like Sylvania, Symphonic and Emerson, so we wouldn't expect the highest-end stuff here. That said, we're glad to see <em>someone</em> taking this very necessary step, even though you won't catch us recommending 'em to anyone but the technologically challenged. [Warning: read link requires subscription]<br /><br />[Via <a href="http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/08/13/funai-to-sell-lcd-tvs-with-built-in-blu-ray-players-in-the-us/">CrunchGear</a>]<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/AC/TNKS/Nni20080812D12JFA14.htm>Read</a>*|*<a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/13/funai-aims-to-bring-lcd-hdtv-blu-ray-combo-units-to-north-amer/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>*|*<a href="http://www.engadget.com/forward/1283856/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>*|*<a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/13/funai-aims-to-bring-lcd-hdtv-blu-ray-combo-units-to-north-amer/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

Link To Original Article (http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/13/funai-aims-to-bring-lcd-hdtv-blu-ray-combo-units-to-north-amer/)