CES 2009: Liveblogging the SHARP conference

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It’s a murky Wednesday morning here in Vegas and I’m caffeined up to the nines to prevent an onset of jet lag. I’m sitting in the Sharp press conference, awaiting news of their lineup for 2009- will I be wowed or left wanting? Read on to find out…

20:33 Two new Blu-ray players are announced. They incorporate several features to improve the home experience, with lower power consumption and advanced audio clarity. They’ll cost from $229-$269, and have incorporate 2GB USB sticks to easily upload content. That’s all for now folks!

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…

Sharp, LG and Chunghwa get fined $585 million for price-fixing

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Wow. Wondered why your electronic devices cost so much? It’s because Sharp, LG and Chunghwa have been fixing the prices, but have no fear – they’ve just been hit with a $585 million fine for having done so. LG gets the biggest chunk – $400 million, Sharp are paying $120 for fixing the prices of iPod screens, RAZR screens and Dell laptop screens. Lastly, Chunghwa will pay a $65 million fine for participating with LG.

Only these three corporations have been charged, but Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust at the Justice Department in Washington, Thomas Barnett, has said that the investigation is still ongoing and they aren’t ruling out charges against individuals or against other companies. Tough talk. Still, hopefully it’ll see screen-based device prices go down over the next few years.

(via CNN Money)

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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…

Sharp claims world first: HDTVs with integrated Blu-ray recorders

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Sharp will launch a range of high definition LCD TVs with integrated Blu-ray recorders in the Japanese market next month, claiming a world first.

While it’s not uncommon to see flat panel TVs with built in DVD and Blu-ray players, this is the first time a Blu-ray recorder has been added to a production TV.

The AQUOS DX range will come in a range of screen sizes from 26- right up to 52-inch, all full 1080p high definition, and ranging in price from around £1,100 to £2,900 (at current Yen to UK pound exchange rate). Though the integrated drive will allow playback of Blu-ray, and recording TV programmes directly to disc, there won’t be a built-in hard drive — so no DVR functionality…

IFA 2008: Sharp launches super-thin AQUOS XS1 and premium AQUOS D65E HDTVs

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It’s not just Sony playing the thin TV game, with Sharp announcing its latest AQUOS LCD TV boasting 2.3cms thick body.

Available in 52 and 65-inch screen sizes, the XS1 series features advanced contrast ratio of 10,000:1, 6ms response time, detachable speaker system, five 2.1-channel speakers, and 100Hz picture enhancement technology, plus gallery mode for displaying photos from a USB stick…

Sharp's 108" LCD actually out to buy – should you have 11 million yen knocking about

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11 million Japanese yen is about £52,000. Plus the shipping for a 108″ LCD TV from Japan is likely to be another £52,000, so it’s probably best to stick with that 28″ CRT of yours for a little while longer yet.

The Sharp LB-1085 – which we first revealed back in our coverage of CES 2007 – will be buyable in Japan this July. Theoretically buyable, should you be in Japan and have a van big enough…