Live coverage from Sharp's CES press conference
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Jan 6th 2008 2:51PM
posted Jan 6th 2008 2:51PM
12:00am - Toshihiko Fujimoto, Chairman and CEO takes the stage. Running down the increased demand of LCDs. Fiscal year 2008, Sharp expects worldwide LCD TV demand to reach 96 million units for a 32% increase over 2007.
12:03am - Sharp's 108-inch LCD will be commercially available this year. World's first 10th gen LCD plant coming on line as well. The first in the world. CEO now discussing the tech details of their LCD panel facilities which incidentally, produce solar cells due to the similarity in materials. Sharp is the world's largest producer of solar cells. Hey, is that a cookie?
12:07am - The 65-inch diagonal, 1-inch thin TV at the front of the room features a 100,000:1 contrast. We believe it, that picture is absolutely stunning. No immediate plans to productize.
12:13am - 30 million units expected to ship in 2008 in the US alone. Sharp is exploring OLED technology, however, "OLED will not replace LCD anytime soon." This is due to two reasons. First, OLED has a 3 to 4 year lifespan when a 10 year lifespan is required from a TV. Second, OLED is too expensive to manufacture in large panel sizes. As such, Sharp will not produce OLED sets until this situation changes. So far, this feels like an analyst meeting, not a consumer electronics focused press event.
12:15am - Sharp will focus on bigger panels and the gaming community in the new year. They are also expanding the AQUOS Advantage member services program to ease setup and troubleshooting. Among other benefits, it moves first level service questions to Sharp, not dealers. They're getting more environmental too by reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions and entering into a Manufacturing Recycling Management (MRM) agreement with the likes of Toshiba and Panasonic. Make no doubt about it, being green is going to be a hot topic at this year's CES.
12:21am - Bob Scaglione, senior VP marketing jumps on stage. AQUOS Net features a "net" button for customized, web-based content accessible via the Ethernet jack on your AQUOS television. User configurable sidebar widgets from the likes of Weatherbug, NASDAQ, AQOUS gallery (1080p images) and more will be available in the next month with more to come in the future. AQUOS Advantage Live allows a networked advisor to provide interactive support including assisting in the connectivity of a Blu-ray player, FAQs, and access tp user manuals. HomePlug AV-based PLC adapters will connect the TVs to home wiring for those without Ethernet. Of course, you can always get a WiFi to Ethernet adapter for the back of your set but we won't tell Sharp that and spoil the fun.
Also new are a pair of 37- and 32-inch D64-series sets and two 720p D44-series tubes in 37- and 32-inch sizes.
Also announced, are a few audio products including an iPod dock, shelf system, and theater rack system.
12:35 - And that's all she wrote.
I'd rather see cheaper TVs, than thinner TVs.
Amen to that! Who cares that the TV is thinner then a phone, what matters is COST!
Amen, fat tvs and fat wallets!
I do see someone munching on a baloney sandwich.
In addition, I'd rather see full on/off contrast ratio specs instead of the useless "Dynamic" one. Average users have no idea what that spec means anyway so you could tell them it has a contrast ratio of Cheese:Nipple and they'd be impressed. That number is for tech heads. Give us the realz!
So now that we've got flat panel HDTVs thinner than phones, can we actually get some decent HD content instead of the hideously over-compressed SD MPEG-2 garbage the cable companies are shoveling?
the 108 inch will be? Me thinks someone is trying to eat and type:D
So I guess the ports and the power brick the size of a pack of beers is hidden under the black floor.
12 am?
Dang, early conference!
OK, now I am typing blind since I just stabbed my eyes with a pen. Am SO sick and tired of those damn fruit pictures.
The key selling point for my next FPD will be a microbezel. The Sharp D64 series has a fairly thin bezel but I couldn't give a damn about the thickness of the overall panel, just get rid of the yucky frame which is a waste of space and looks like crap. Gimme a 46" with a 0.25" bezel and it'll be the same size as 42" with a 2 inch bezel. What's with some of the Bravia sets with 4 inch borders????
The thin-bezel fad happened years ago with LCD computer screens, but it doesn't seem to have caught on yet with TVs.
I admit that thin is cool, and if the panel is sitting open on a table, a thin depth looks better. It would give an improved look for wall mounting also.
However, for mounting inside an existing cabinet, bezel width is key, while panel depth has no sinificance. I've got a $10,000 custom cabinet with a circa 2000 36" 4:3 XBR and only 4 out of 20 current and upcoming 42" models can fit in the 40" width cabinet opening.
(The four models that fit are Sharp LC42D64U, Toshiba 42RV530U, JVC 42X788, and JVC 42X898, with the Sharp having the smallest overall width)
I might want a technologically superior LG 70, but looks like it'll be the Sharp, thanks to its slender bezel.