Blu-ray integrated HDTV’s on the way
According to Crunchgear, budget electronics manufacturer Funai plans to start offering Blu-ray integrated LCD HDTV’s in 2009.
Funai is a major supplier to the US electronics market, manufacturing products for prevalent brand names such as Sylvania, Symphonic, Emerson, Magnavox, Insignia (Bestbuy’s in house brand) and others.
Exact pricing and release dates on the new Funai devices are currently unknown, but a 42″ LCD HDTV Blu-ray combo could hit the streets at approximately $1,200, according to Crunchgear.
Personally, I don’t know why people would buy players integrated into their HDTV’s, as I prefer to keep the TV and player components separated. Nevertheless, a flood of Funai manufactured Blu-ray HDTV combos into the US market could appeal to budget minded consumers if the bundle offers some savings. The average Joe might also find an all-in-one HDTV and Blu-ray system to be more convenient, rather than shopping around for each component separately.
Earlier this year, Funai was responsible for introducing the lowest priced Blu-ray players available on the market; the Magnavox NB500MG9 at Walmart, the Sylvania NB500SL9 at Amazon.com (currently $279.99) and the Insignia NS-BRDVD at Bestbuy.
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