Korean electronics firm LG has launched a range of Full HD televisions in the UK for the first time. 

LG's LCD ranges include the LY95 and LF66 series, which are both available in 37in, 42in and 47in, with a 52in model coming in September.

The plasma ranges include two models - the 60in 1080p Full HD PF95 and 50in HD Ready PB65 - which have the same glossy black finish and glowing red touch-sensitive buttons as LG's Chocolate range of phones. 

"Launching our first 1080p Full HD TVs in the UK cements our leadership as the world's largest flat-panel producer and advanced developer of flat-panel display and digital HDTV technologies," said James Atkins, marketing manager for LG brown goods.

The LF66 range of LCD televisions includes TruV technology to provide smooth picture contrast at angles up to 178 degrees.

It also offers SimpLink to allow all LG-compatible equipment to be controlled through a single remote control. LG's Eye Intelligent System will automatically adjust the picture quality to match the light conditions in a room.

The LY95 LCD series includes all of the features of the LF66 TVs, as well as adding Wide Colour Gamut technology that adds up to 120 per cent more colours than standard PAL TV for lifelike skin tones. It also features discretely hidden dimple speakers.

The plasma TVs offer a high contrast ratio of 15,000:1, giving crisper images against darker backgrounds, as well as Clear Filter Pro, which replaces the traditional thick glass filter with a single thin film filter that eliminates reflection and glare while improving brightness by 30 per cent.

The plasma models also feature LG SimpLink for easier control and two HDMI connections.

"The growing availability of high definition video disc players and games consoles will stimulate consumer interest in taking advantage of the breathtaking picture quality possible with 1080p Full HD displays," said Ben Keen, chief analyst at Screen Digest.

"We are forecasting that more than 81 million Western European households will have purchased an HD flat TV by 2010, which is almost 50 per cent of all TV households in the region."

Full HD TVs have a resolution of 1980 x 1020, otherwise known as 1080p, with televisions falling below this specification being labelled HD Ready.