Sharp has showed off its new range of 'full HD' screens offering 1080p resolution, which exceeds the quality of current HD broadcasts and should prepare the way for forthcoming hi-res disc formats such as Blu-ray and HD-DVD. The four-strong range begins with the 37in Aquos LC-37XD1E and includes 42in and 46in models plus the 52in LC-52XD1E.
Each of the LCD TVs offers 1,920x1,080 resolution rather than the 1,366x768 standard found on many HD-ready TVs as well as two HDMI plugs - many early HD fans quickly found that one just wasn't enough when they needed to connect several HD devices.
All the screens have a particularly fast response time to enhance moving images. The 46 and 52inchers can keep it right down to four milliseconds, which offered an impressive lack of blurring on action sequences when we saw them on display. The 37 and 42in models meanwhile offer a very decent six millisecond option (the feature can be turned off to avoid distortion on static images such as text).
Much of the technology is derived from Sharp's existing 65in LC-65GD1E screen, the largest commercial LCD TV currently available. But since you're unlikely to find that available for less than £10K, the new models are much more attractive.
Prices range from around £1,700 for the 37in up to around £3,300 for the 52in model. All should be available in October except the 37in, which will follow in early November.
In theory, these screens should be more or less peerless, but we were a bit disappointed by some of the effects visible on the show reel, including jaggy edges and blockiness, though we were assured that this could have been a problem with a pre-production model. We'll be checking them out properly on AVReview as soon as they become available in October.
Sharp's new 160GB PVR, the TU-R160H, was also on display and will include twin tuners and an eight-day EPG. It should go on sale for around £230.
Sharp also showed off a dummy of its upcoming Blu-ray player, the DV-BP1H, which isn't likely to be available before May 2007. With models already announced from Panasonic, Samsung and others, this seems a little late in the day, though its perhaps better to make sure they get it right rather than jump the gun with a flawed product in what is sure to be a highly competitive market.
More information: Sharp website | Sharp products
Robert Williamson
