IFA 2011: LG introduces the PenTouch Plasma Series of HDTVs

The stylus seems to be the rage at this year’s IFA. First it was Samsung who introduced the Series 7 slate and the Galaxy Note tablets. Hot on the heels of these stylus compatible tablets, LG has done one better and taken the stylus’ ability to a whole new form factor – an HDTV. With the introduction of the LG PenTouch plasma TV series, the company aims to take HDTV interaction to a whole new level. Included in this series are a 50-inch and 60-inch variety and each of these televisions come bundled up with a couple of Touch Pens.

Speaking about the PenTouch Plasma televisions, senior vice president of home entertainment, LG Electronics USA, Jay Vandenbree said, "Touch displays have become the norm in mobile phones and tablets, but remain almost unheard of in TVs. The PenTouch TV brings all the excitement of touch displays, computers and the Internet to the world of television, with functions and programs that are great fun and really educational. Families, in particular, will have more than ever to enjoy on LG PenTouch TV plasma screens."When connected to a personal computer, the LG PenTouch TV lets viewers use a special touch-sensitive stylus pen to interact with the Internet and to create, modify and control a variety of content directly on the screen. LG claims that the interface of these HDTV’s is intuitive and easy to navigate; by a single click, users can activate the PenTouch mode. Bundled up with the television, is a software which allows artists to draw pictures directly on the screen and save them for further editing or adding effects. This television comes with a scratch resistant glass screen and also features auto sharpness control and color materialization technology enhancing the viewing of the PenTouch TV. The 60-inch variant is 3D capable and also has the ability to convert 2D content into 3D. We have seen this feature on LG’s Cinema 3D TVs. Another feature of this television is that both the 50-inch variant as well as the 60-inch model offer full HD 1080p display capabilities. The LG 60PV490 and 50PV490 have suggested retail prices of Rs. 77,900 ($1,699) and Rs. 50,400 ($1,099) respectively. Availability in the Indian market is yet unknown. For more information on these HDTVs, click here.