CES 2009: Sharp Intros LCD With Built-in Blu-ray
Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 
At its pre-CES press conference today, Sharp introduced a slew of new home theater products, including the world’s first LCD with a built-in Blu-ray player, the company’s first soundbars, and two new Blu-ray players.
First up was the Aquos BD, the world’s first high-def LCD TV series with a built-in Blu-ray player. The series features HD 1080p and comes in 52- (LC-52BD80U), 46- (LC-46BD80U), 42- (LC-42BD80U), 37- (LC-37BD60U), and 32-inch (LC-32BD60U) sizes. The TVs all feature a side-loading multi-slot for Blu-ray, DVD, and CD. They Also feature Sharp’s Advanced Super View (ASV) Superlucent panel for a crisper picture and reduced reflection. The AQUOS Pure Mode is optimized for watching Blu-ray titles. The LC-52BD80U and LC-46BD80U will be available in February. The LC-42BD80U, LC-37BD60U, and LC-32BD60U will be available this month.
Sharp also introduced the new U series featuring a slim design and improved picture quality. The line includes the 52-inch LC-52U, the 46-inch LC-46U, and the 42-inch LC-42U. All of the sizes are Energy Star compliant, featuring low power consumption and a new Power Saving mode. All three TVs are available now for $2,399, $1,899, and $1,499, respectively.
The company’s new Aquos U series, meanwhile, feature aesthetic improvements, including new designs with angled edges to “reflect the surrounding décor, allowing it to blend fluidly into the ambiance of any room.” They also offer 120-Hz Fine Motion Enhanced technology and full HD 1080p. Like the U, the U is entirely Energy Star-compliant.The series comes in 52, 46, and 42-inch versions, for $2,599, $2,199, and $1,799, respectively. All are available now.
The HT-SB300 and HT-SB200, meanwhile, mark the company’s first foray into soundbars. Both 2.1-channel units simulate surround sound, incorporating a right and left speaker and a subwoofer. The HT-SB300 features DTS, Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro logic II decoder, and Dolby Virtual Speaker to simulate 5.1. It will be available in April for $299. The HT-SB200 is available this month for $249.
Also new are the BD-HP22U and BD-HP16U Blue-ray players. Both feature HD 1080p, HDMI 1.3 digital output with x.v. color, and 1920-by-1080 video at 24 frames per second output, and Ethernet ports for BD-Live support. The BD-HP22U features 2GB of USB memory and will be available in May for $299. The BD-HP16U will be available in March for $279.99.
For PCMag’s full CES coverage, go to http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,2806,2235882,00.asp.
Original post by Brian Heater
According to some not-quite-official but probably-relatively-accurate numbers from VG Chartz, Nintendo moved 1.7 million Wii units last week. That’s a staggering number in its own right, and compared to the now-cheaper Xbox 360 (535,806) and the “hey guys, I’m still here, and I play Blu-ray discs” PlayStation 3 (239,576) it’s a pretty commanding lead for Nintendo. The fact that most people in most areas can finally track down a Wii at a retail store for a non-inflated price probably isn′t hurting things — not to mention that really cool bowling game they’ve heard so much about. We’re curious what console you might’ve picked up for a friend, loved one, family member, or that good looking person in the mirror this holiday season, so hit up the poll below. Then, after you’ve taken a particularly long sip of egg nog, hit up the video after the break and weep for humanity.
