Sharp intros new 46-inch AQUOS HDTV and Blu-ray player

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Sharp has added another size to its range of D65 high definition LCD TVs. The 46 inch version, the largest yet released, features a full 1080p panel, 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 450cd/m2 brightness, and a reasonable 6ms response time.

Three HDMI inputs will enable you to connect up all your high-def gear, and there’s a built-in Freeview digital tuner plus two SCART ports for connecting other equipment and a USB slot for memory sticks or cameras.

Featuring two 10W speakers, the set shouldn’t embarrass itself if you don’t plan on hooking it up to an audio system. Sound features include automatic volume control and clear voice technology…

Bad eyes or missing equipment? One in five Americans can't tell HD from SD

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One in five Americans can’t tell the difference between high definition and standard definition TV according to a recent piece of research.

In fact, that’s probably a little misleading. More people probably would be able to tell the difference if they were shown a standard definition broadcast and a high definition broadcast (or, better yet, a Blu-ray film) side-by-side. What’s actually happening is that viewers aren’t sure when they’re watching normal TV and when they’re viewing higher resolution TV.

There are likely many reasons for this problem…

Allio's 42" Blu-ray-playing all-in-one media HDTV with BONUS PC in the case

Ladies and gentlemen! Roll up! Roll up! The gadget freak show is in town! Here, behind a wall of steel for your safely, is the Silicon Mountain Allio – a 32″ or 42″ HDTV that also squeezes a Core 2 Duo PC and Blu-ray player into its case.

It even manages PVR-like recording features thanks to its PC bit’s hard drive. Plus you can split the screen if your brain’s capable of multitasking and you want to watch TV, browse the internet and play video games simultaneously because you’re THAT CONNECTED. Here’s a look at the beast…

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Careful, she’s hungry! The 42″ model does the full 1080p spec, with the…

Toshiba launches REGZA ZV Series upscaling TV

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Despite the fact that most people have HDTVs, very few actually view HD content on them, with 99% of TV programs still broadcast in standard definition. What’s the solution? Well, according to Toshiba, it’s “buy another TV!”. Buy the ZV, to be precise. It’s an upscaling television.

It uses a “powerful cell processor algorithm” to turn standard definition TV into something a little closer to full HD, mainly by finding edges and sharpening them. It also tries to improve depth and texture, and even though the result won’t be as good as full-HD signal, it’s better than nothing.

JVC rolls out PVR-integrated LCD TVs

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JVC has announced its new DE9 series of LCD TVs featuring built-in 160GB hard disc based PVR and Freeview tuners.

Available in 26- and 32-inch screen sizes, these are HD Ready sets with a screen resolution of 1,366 x 768, so won’t display full 1080p content without scaling it…

Sharp's 108-inch LCD TV finally launched

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At CES last year (2007), Sharp unveiled its 108-inch LCD TV. As far as I’m aware, despite it being nearly two years since the show, it’s still the largest LCD TV in production (yes, there are larger plasmas) — and now it’s been launched.

This monster comes with eco-friendly features, according to reports, though I bet it burns a helluva lot more fossil fuels up per hour than your piddly little flat-panel TV…

Runco to launch 95-inch CineWall HD projection display

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Runco, probably not a name that’s hugely familiar to the mainstream consumer in the UK, has announced that it has produced the world’s first 95-inch widescreen in-wall front-projection display.

Given that it’s based on projection technology, we’re not talking super-thin “mount on your wall” LCD or plasma here. This is beefy “mount in your wall” technology, and while Runco thinks that a 33 inch depth requirement is but a “tight space”, I’m a little concerned that I’d be halfway into my neighbour’s front room if I tried to install this in my house.

So, not for the modest-sized terraced home, I feel…