News

John Lewis Launches Humax 17" LCD TV with Integrated Freeview Receiver (8/4/2004)

John Lewis this week launches the first in Humax's new range of LCD Integrated Digital TVs (IDTV). The 17" widescreen, dual-tuner LCD TV with integrated Freeview from Humax, one of the world's biggest TV set-top box manufacturers, offers consumers a stylish flat screen television complete with access to over 30 digital TV and radio stations. The Humax LB-17E is the first 17" widescreen LCD TV with dual tuners, allowing the viewer freedom to choose between digital and analogue for the best reception. The LB-17E is being launched at John Lewis stores around the country this week at a price of £649.

A common interface (CI) slot on the back of Humax's LCD IDTV gives viewers the opportunity to add even more premium TV channels to their viewing repertoire through the new Top-Up TV service. For a monthly fee, Top-Up TV offers Freeview viewers with compatible digital terrestrial TV (DTT) receivers access to popular channels such as E4, Discovery, UK Style and TCM.

With the LB-17E, Humax also offers consumers the best in DTT adaptor technology, modelled on the functionality of Humax's leading DTT set-top box, the F2-FOX T - also available at John Lewis. It offers automatic installation, three-dimensional on-screen display, the Humax easy-to-use, menu-driven interface, an EPG, a range of innovative features, four games, an MHEG-5 engine allowing digital text and interactive services and high quality Dolby Digital Audio output. New channels are added automatically when available and it also offers a user-friendly over the air software upgrade capability to ensure maximum product life. Some of the DTT product features are unique to Humax such as picture freeze.

"Our customers are increasingly demanding more from their home entertainment products - they want quality brands that offer stylish, space-saving designs, but don't compromise choice or functionality, all at competitive prices," commented John Kempner, central buyer audio & TV at John Lewis. "Despite being a relative newcomer to the UK market, Humax has quickly proven itself to be a worthy contender in the Freeview market with a range of quality combination products and we are pleased to be able to offer these to our customers."

"The LB-17T is the first in an innovative range of combination LCD IDTV products that we will be launching in the UK," commented Dale Heathcote, UK commercial director for Humax. "Humax has an enviable position as an established leader in the high-end set top box market throughout the world and we are quickly building the same reputation in the UK with both retailers and consumers."

Recent research* into how Britons would like to receive digital TV once the Government eventually turns off analogue signals and switches all TV broadcasting to digital TV showed that three-quarters of men and two-thirds of women said they would prefer an integrated digital TV set with no extra box. According to research from www.idtv.co.uk and New Media Markets magazine, there will be one million IDTV homes by the end of 2004.

*The Consumer Analysis Group carried out the research for Sony, questioning 1,000 UK adults.

www.humaxdigital.co.uk