LG's new screens super-thin and "borderless"

Lgflat

LG announced two new LCD HDTVs during its summer line show today at Lincoln Center. The LS80 and LS90 screens are two completely flat-fronted, "borderless" LCDs that measure less than 2 inches deep.

Instead of a visible seam between the screens and bezels, both models use a single sheet of glass across their entire front, rendering them utterly smooth. LG's Invisible Speaker design maintains the surface, removing any visible speaker grill in favor of the HDTV's sleek aesthetic. LG calls these models "borderless," and while you can still make out a definite edge defining the display against the rest of the device, they indeed have no physical border on the front marking the edge like most HDTVs' bezels.

The SL80 uses CCFL backlighting and measure 1.8 inches deep, impressively thin for a screen with a conventional backlight. It incorporates LG's 240 Hz TrueMotion technology, bumping up the screen's refresh rate for content with a lot of movement. While the SL90 only has a 120 Hz refresh rate, it features edge-lit LED backlighting for energy efficiency and an even thinner (1.15 inches) profile.

Neither screen will have LG's NetCast Entertainment Access suite of streaming media content, and won't be among the models we mentioned earlier that will feature Vudu video-on-demand.

LG's SL80 HDTVs will ship in August, and will be available in 42-, 47-, and 55-inch models retailing for $1,599.95, $1,899.95, and $2,799.95, respectively. The SL90 screens will be available in 47- and 55-inch versions when they ship later this year; LG hasn't yet announced their pricing.

Will Greenwald

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