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Sharp's AQUOS BD-HDW20 Blu-ray recorder with 1TB disk: zero-to-numb in just 0.8 seconds
TV junkies rejoice, Sharp just announced their new 1TB, Blu-ray recording slickster. The ¥300,000 (about $2,611) AQUOS BD-HDW20 ships December 1st packing a 127-hour slab of silicon heroin to sooth your full HD television jones. Sharp's high-ender brings gold-plated HDMI output supporting 1080/24p video and DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD HRA, and high-def bitstream audio. We're also looking at IrSS infrared, 2x Firewire, recordings to 50GB dual-layer BD-RE/-R discs, and a lickity quick TV recording fix in just under a second. A 500GB model BD-HDW15 is also available for a bit less but really, why would you? [Via Impress]
FujiFilm's trendy tot cam: the 7.2 megapixel FinePix Z10fd
In an excruciatingly uncomfortable press release, FujiFilm promises to "hook up" generation Z's "fashion-conscious digital natives" with the launch of their new Z10fd digital camera. Besides sporting the five colors of Zebra Stripped gum, this 7.2 megapixel cam packs face recognition, auto-red eye correction, a dual-shot mode, xD/SD/SDHC support, and an over-inflated "blog mode" which quickly resizes any image into VGA or QVGA sizes. It also allows the kids to instantly share their snaps with any IrSimple capable infrared device -- a seriously short list outside of Japan. Perhaps the most troubling bit is FujiFilm's new "offzhook" website which will celebrate the "Z-lifestyle" when the camera launches in October. Thing is, generation Z is typically defined as being born after 2001. So why the hell is FujiFilm marketing a $200 camera to 6 year olds?%Gallery-5227%[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
FujiFilm's FinePix F50fd 12 megapixel compact powerhouse with IrSimple
Step aside Mary Lou Retton, there's a new pint-sized powerhouse loose in the US. Meet the $300 F50fd from FujiFilm which stuffs that ridiculous 12 megapixel, 1/1.6-inch CCD into this FinePix's slim chassis with 3x optical zoom and 2.7-inch LCD in tow. The cam sports a dual-shot mode (one with and one without flash taken in rapid succession), xD/SD/SDHC expansion, and FujiFilm's v2.0 Face Detection tech, a mechanically stabilized CCD sensor and the ability to shoot at ISO 1600 at full resolution. It will also be one of the first domestic shooters to support IrSimpleShot (IrSS) high speed data transfer when it enters the US market in September. And here you thought infrared was dead you silly, silly boy.%Gallery-5225%
Sharp's 65 and 52-inch AQUOS T-Series: world's first THX certified LCDs
Even though Runco announced their development plans first, Sharp appears to be the first to market with a THX certified television. In fact, they've got two: a 65-inch and 52-inch LCD for Sharp's new AQUOS T-series. That THX logo is meant to ensure the best match of brightness and contrast with video processing for a home theater level of video reproduction. Interestingly though, the rated 350cd/m2 brightness and 2,500:1 contrast is step down from the AQUOS R-series' 450cd/m2 and 3,000:1. Sharp's explanation? They expect these panels to be used exclusively in the darkest of home theaters. Er, ok. As to the rest, you'll get a 1,920 x 1,080 120Hz ASV panel with 3x 1080p HDMI (plus 3x Japanese D5), 1x DVI, 2x Firewire, IrSS, and Ethernet. Both will be ready in Japan come September when you'll need ¥1,417,500 (about $11,599) for the LV-65TH1 or ¥840,000 (about $6,873) for the LV-52TH1. While we have a sneaking suspicion they'll be worth it, we'll be waiting for the reviews before dropping that kind of dough. [Via Impress]
Sharp's AQUOS HD recorders: 5 more with less
In addition to all those LCDs, Sharp just loosed five new hi-def AQUOS recorders onto the Japanese market. The top-end, DV-ACW80 is a fast startin' (0.8 seconds) recorder with 1TB of storage, a trio of tuners (2x digital, 1x analog), high speed IrSS infrared photo transfer, and a bevy of features including USB hosting we've already seen in their other recorders. By all appearances, however, the DV-ACW60 introduced in February still trumps its new little brother by offering a 12-bit/297MHz DAC (compared to the ACW80's 10-bit/148.5MHz) while sporting an extra Firewire jack to boot. Still, you'll save a few Yen at ¥190,000 or about $1,547 if you decide to take this little guy home. [Via Impress]
Sharp HN-IR1 beams cameraphone pics on your HDTV via IrSS
Sure, there's already a way to beam high-definition content onto your TV if you keep all of your media stored on your iPod, but for whimsical shooters that wield their cameraphone or IrSS-enabled digital camera most of the time, Sharp's kicking out a bantam liaison just for you. Designed to ideally operate with high-speed infrared devices, the HN-IR1 enables cellphones and other IrSS gizmos to transmit high-quality photos wirelessly, where it's then channeled onto your set at resolutions up to 1,920 x 1080. Of course, it'll automatically downscale if you aren't plugged into an HDTV, and interestingly enough, it purportedly interfaces with a few of Sharp's AQUOS HD recorders in order to burn your photos to HDD / DVD. The wee device checks in at just 3.1- x 2.8- x 1.1-inches, handles photos up to eight-megapixels, and boasts a maximum transmission rate of 4Mbps, and while no exhaustive list of compatible devices was noted, a good deal of NTT DoCoMo handsets should fit the bill. So if you never seem to have time to transfer your photos over to entertain the family with a big screen slideshow, those in Japan can snag the HN-IR1 in late April for ¥14,000 ($116).[Via Impress]
