Toshiba has been announcing LCD TVs based on the Cell processor (which is a key element in the PS3, for instance) for quite some time now, but now we finally have an official press release [JP] revealing a date and price for the first model. The TV is called Cell REGZA 55X1, it’s going to be released this Thursday (in Japan) and it will cost a lot: $11,230.
What you get for your money is pretty impressive though:
- 55 inch screen size (full HD)
- “super resolution technology” and superior picture quality thanks to the CELL processor
- LED backlight
- massive 3TB HDD (built into the tuner pictured below)
- 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio
- 1250cd/m2 (the highest in any TV and 2.5 times higher than in conventional models – according to Toshiba)
- DLNA support
- YouTube connectivity via Opera browser
The only problem (apart from the steep price) is that Toshiba hasn’t made any announcements yet regarding sales outside Japan. Customers over here can access several online video distribution services (domestic ones) directly through the TV, meaning Toshiba might need to modify the hardware to some extent before bringing it outside the country.