Audio Video News

Sharp is celebrating its 90th anniversary with a wide array of new upscale home entertainment products, unveiled at a dealer conference and media event in late August at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines resort north of San Diego. Sharp's US sales division is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, making 2002 doubly important for the Japanese manufacturing giant.

In La Jolla, Sharp debuted two new lines of its "Aquos" LCD TVs, one in widescreen proportions, and the other in traditional 4:3 aspect ratio. Both lines feature sets with the same diagonal measurements---13", 15" and 20"---and the same suggested prices: $1195, $1496, and $2295. Aquos TVs are flat and stylish, with "E" series cabinets in off-white, silver, and black. These flat screens are capable of tabletop or wall mounting; with improved sound thanks to revamped cabinet design that places the speakers on the bottom rather than on the sides of the screen. Color and contrast have been improved, too, thanks to Sharp’s "Advanced Super View" technology. The 20" model is available now; the smaller ones will be available in September.

The new Aquos C-series, in silver, also features bottom-mounted speakers with center-mounted mini subwoofer that can be turned on or off with the set's remote control. The 20" set arrives at dealers in November, the 13" and 15" models ship in December, likely in time for the holiday shopping season. Sharp also announced a 22" LCD widescreen with a 16:9, the LC22SV2U, with a resolution of 854x480 pixels, and a 500:1 contrast ratio. The LC22SV2U ships in September with a $3,499.95 price tag.

Joining Sharp's acclaimed $10,000 DLP projector, the XV-Z9000U, is a far more affordable one based on the same .55-inch dual-model DMD chip. The XV-Z90U features a 1.2x long-throw lens, and what Sharp calls "2D Keystoning" that allows the display of a properly proportioned picture even if the projector is as much as 22 degrees off axis in either the vertical or horizontal planes. Available in October, the XV-Z90U will sell for approximately $3,999.95.

Also new this season is the SD-AT50, Sharp's "1-bit Theater-in-a-Box" system. The sleek, elegant surround sound system is extremely compact and energy conservative, thanks to Sharp's 1-bit amplification technology. The company claims that the SD-AT50 is the first multichannel 1-bit audio system available under $800. Delivery is slated for October.