Las Vegas — The Polaroid brand returns to the TV category at the 2014 International CES, with line of affordably priced LCD TVs, including a 50-inch Ultra HD LCD TV model and a Polaroid-branded tablet.
The brand has been licensed to Empire Electronics by PLR Holdings for TV category. Under the brand’s prior stewardship, Polaroid TVs had grown into a powerful volume mover for the mass market.
“Not many people realize that Edwin Land was a pioneer in developing the polarizing technology used in modern televisions,” said Scott W. Hardy, Polaroid president and CEO. “We are excited to bring consumers a state-of-the-art product at an affordable price point. Families can share more movie nights together with our new home entertainment options.”
The Polaroid 50-inch 4K Ultra HD model 50GSR9000 ($999 suggested retail) offers 3,840 by 2,160 resolution and includes three HDMI ports.
The company will also show a line of Polaroid smart TVs powered by an add-on Roku-ready Streaming Stick. The LED smart televisions offer a contemporary, modern look and will come equipped with an updated bezel and TV stand.
Screen sizes will range from 32 to 69 inches. The highlighted Polaroid 50-inch Roku-ready 50GSR7100 ($599) will enable streaming more than 1,000 entertainment channels using a Roku Streaming Stick that connects to the set’s MHL-compliant HDMI port and is controllable by the TV’s remote or a smartphone app.
The 50-inch smart TV comes equipped with three HDMI inputs and offers a contemporary styling design.
Meanwhile, PLR Holdings licensed the Polaroid brand to Southern Telecom for a Q-series line of tablets with suggested retails ranging from $129 to $179 and due to ship in the spring.
The Polaroid Q-series models include the 7-inch Q7, the 8-inch Q8 and the 10.1-inch Q10. All three sizes are Wi-Fi-enabled and feature quad-core processors and the new Android 4.4 operating system.
Each tablet has an extended battery life, HDMI, Bluetooth and front-mounted speakers. Front and rear cameras allow users to capture images and share them via email and social-media channels through built-in Wi-Fi. Users also have access to a range of apps, games, movies, music and more through the Google Play Store.
PLR Holdings also said that the Polaroid Fotobar has entered a partnership with the Andy Warhol Museum at its new Polaroid Museum, which features the “Capturing Celebrity” exhibition set to open in March 2014 at the Linq in Las Vegas as part of Fotobar’s flagship retail location.
“Capturing Celebrity” is organized by the Andy Warhol Museum of Pittsburgh and features fun, interactive and educational pieces conveying the rich history of the Polaroid brand.
The museum will also showcase how its founder, Edwin Land, impacted not just the modern imaging industry, but set the course for the future of instant and collaborative sharing, which ultimately led to social media. The museum will trace Polaroid from the early years through current day. The main attraction will be the Andy Warhol “Capturing Celebrity” exhibition, which will feature a collection of 50 of Warhol’s most famous Polaroid photographs, including a number of self-portraits.
