Since the iPod is pretty much everywhere and anywhere these days, it's actually not that much of a surprise the fact that HDTV manufacturers are also rolling out certain products that deliver a higher level of interactivity and compatibility with the tiny portable player from Apple. That's also the case with Panasonic, who has introduced at the CES 2009 show in Las Vegas its new line of VIERA X1 LCD televisions featuring a fully-integrated iPod entertainment kit.

According to Panasonic, this initiative is just another step forward in the company's overall policy, namely that of pushing the “connected home” concept. As Bob Perry, Executive Vice President, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company, declares, “From Panasonic’s standard television components such as the VIERA Image Viewer with SD Memory Card slot and Game Mode to our more distinctive features such as our internet-enabled VIERA CAST feature and the new iPod functions, Panasonic continues to provide its customers with the latest technological advances to enable all parts of a home entertainment system to seamlessly work together and create a connected home.”

The X1 line includes four new models, namely the 19-inch class TC-L19X1, 26-inch class TC-L26X1, 32-inch class TC-L32X1 and 37-inch TC-L37X1. Curiously enough, all the iPod – enabled LCD television sets are not full HD units, but rather HD-ready models, since they only support maximum resolutions of up to 720p. However, that's quite enough for those users who want to use them for watching the videos stored on their iPod's memory, especially since these things also provide a 12,000:1 contrast ratio.

Beside the iPod-related features, the X1 devices also come equipped with the VIERA Image Viewer with an SD Memory Card slot for sharing photos with friends and family, a PC input and Game Mode. The X1 series includes three HDMI inputs, which can be controlled by the VIERA Link button on the remote control.

As expected, no pricing or availability details have been provided for the time being, but chances are that the devices from the VIERA X1 series will arrive in stores over the first half of 2009.


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