JVC on Sunday unveiled an LCD TV less than 3 inches thick, calling it the world's thinnest flat-screen television, as the Consumer Electronics Show began.
Also at the show, JVC said it would unveil four new LCD models that each sport a built-in dock for the iPod, Apple Inc's market leading portable digital media players.
JVC said its new slim TV, which includes a TV tuner, measures 1.5 inches, or 39 millimeters (mm) at its narrowest, with a maximum depth of 2.9 inches (74 mm) at the center.
Rival Sharp Corp in August revealed prototype 52-inch LCD TVs, which were 20 mm thick. Its conventional 52-inch TV measures 81 mm in thickness.
TV makers are scrambling to develop thinner models to pre-empt rivals, which are eyeing mass production of organic light-emitting diode TVs, known for thinness and crisp images.
JVC said its new slim design televisions would be available in 42-inch and 46-inch diagonal screen sizes in early summer and that it planned to announce pricing at that time.
JVC said its new P-Series TVs, which range in size from 32 inches to 52 inches, can be used to play videos or music or view photographs stored on an iPod placed in a dock on the TV.
The TV's remote control, which has a circular keypad that mimics the iPod's control wheel, can be used to find and select content on the iPod, JVC said.
The Consumer Electronics Show runs this week in Las Vegas.