August 28 - 10:20am EDT   Sharp today opened up its launches for IFA with updates targeted at HD video. The AQUOS XS1 is both the company's thinnest-ever TV at 0.9 inches -- half as much as before -- but is also its most vivid, using LED backlighting to boost the contrast ratio up to 1,000,000:1, besting plasma TVs and rivaling CRTs. The lighting also helps the set reach an extreme color accuracy of 150 percent of the NTSC color gamut, preventing the color banding that has sometimes affected past HDTVs. [full story]

August 5 - 3:10pm EDT   Sharp on Tuesday grew its AQUOS TV range slightly by launching a larger version of the SB series. Competing against VIZIO and other budget TV producers, all the sets push a true 1080p image but shed 120Hz panels and other extras that often inflate the price. Despite this, they still manage an average pixel response time between 6ms and 6.5ms and have between two and four HDMI inputs on each model. Dual component inputs and a lone VGA port are also present to attach other HD sources. [full story]

June 13 - 12:35pm EDT   Sharp today fulfilled promises made last year with news that it will begin selling what's believed to be the world's largest single-panel HDTV. At 108 inches diagonal, the LB-1085's screen is designed with public view in mind and produce a relatively rich picture for a large screen likely to be seen outdoors. While the contrast ratio is limited to 1,200:!, the 1080p image displays with as many as 76 million colors, or far more than the 16.7 million of most LCDs. [full story]

May 19 - 1:45pm EDT   Sharp on Monday announced it will debut 22 new models in all for its AQUOS RX5-, GX5- and DS5-series HD LCD TVs. The flagship RX5 series will be available in 65-, 52- and 46-inch sizes and will allow users to surf the Internet. Either model features Sharp's backlight control technology which endows the sets with a high 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Without it, the panels feature a 3,300:1 static contrast ratio. [full story]

May 14 - 1:40pm EDT   Pioneer is likely to release mid-size LCD TVs, the company said late yesterday when discussing its latest financial results. Breaking with its tradition of selling plasma TVs almost exclusively, the Japanese electronics maker says it will start offering LCDs larger than 40 inches starting from August. This will most likely include a 46-inch set, the company adds. Sharp is producing the actual display panels while Pioneer handles much of the design. [full story]

April 30 - 10:00am EDT   Sharp has revealed itself as one of the first TV makers to officially embrace wireless video linkups for its TVs, according to news from DVICE. Upcoming versions of the company's AQUOS X-series HDTVs will include a slot for an Amimon-made WHDI (Wireless High Definition Interface) adapter that accepts both audio and video wirelessly from a matching transmitter; any HDMI devices plugged into the transmitter can broadcast at up to 100 feet away without a sacrifice in quality, including the native 1080p resolution and surround sound. [full story]

January 24 - 3:15pm EST   Having announced its E94U and D74U sets at this year's CES expo, Sharp today revealed yet more AQUOS LCDs at a press conference in Japan. The new X series will be comprised of 37-, 42- and 46-inch sets, each just under 1.4 inches thick. The sets will all be 1080p-capable moreover, and use 12-bit BDE color-rendering. A 120Hz refresh rate should permit fast response to motion, and their contrast ratio is said to be 15,000:1 -- making the sets mid-range within the AQUOS line, but still above-average for LCDs in general. [full story]

January 16 - 10:30am EST   Sharp on Wednesday took the unusual direction of building a compact home theater in its AQUOS Audio lineup that doubles as a complete stand. While larger models exist, the AN-ACD2 is designed not only as a 150-watt, 2.1-channel receiver and stereo but also as a stand for an HDTV set; with at least AQUOS HDTVs, any 37- to 42-inch set can be supported by the entire device. It also includes a deliberate gap that allows at least two devices such as a Blu-ray player or a cable set-top box, according to Sharp. [full story]

January 6 - 10:00pm EST   Sharp has upgraded its AQUOS sets for CES with a top-to-bottom replacement of most models. The E94U series is Sharp's first connected HDTV line and will pin its hopes on AQUOS Advantage, a new support system: users needing help adjusting the TV or troubleshooting it can pop up a menu that contacts Sharp directly. It also upgrades contrast ratios to a brighter 27,000:1 with a fast 120Hz refresh rate and a thinner backlight. These specs carry across 46-inch ($3,199), 52-inch ($4,199), and 65-inch ($10,999) editions that will start shipping as early as this month for the largest two sets and February for the 46-inch system. [full story]

December 21 - 8:15am EST   Sharp and Toshiba today vowed to change the TV business with a new alliance that will play off of each other's strengths. Under the deal, Sharp will receive semiconductors from Toshiba to handle the image processing in its AQUOS sets; Toshiba in turn will receive LCD panels for all of its HDTVs from 32 inches and larger. This expansion will be necessary to keep up with the sheer demand for LCDs, the companies say: as much as half of Sharp's circuit needs will be filled by Toshiba by 2010, while 40 percent of Toshiba's screens will come from Sharp at the same time. [full story]