Hitachi launches company's slimmest LCD TV to date

Tokyo (Japan) - Hitachi announced today that it is ready to launch a new line of LCD TV sets that are thinner than any of their predecessors.

The "Wooo UT" series of TVs measure 3.5 centimeters thick. That is less than half of what is currently the thinnest model available, according to Hitachi. The electronics maker claims the slimmest sets on the market today have screens at 8.1 cm thick.

Hitachi says it was able to achieve such a slim model by detaching the tuner from the actual body of the TV. It is part of the company’s push to increase its market share to 15% of flat-panel TV sales.

The first TV to use the new screen will be the Wooo UT 32-inch set, set for release in Japan for the holiday season. It is expected to retail for around 230,000 yen ($2,000).

Two other models, a 37-inch and a 42-inch, will be available next year for approximately the equivalent of $2,870 and $3,750, respectively.