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Sharp has expanded its Professional LCD Monitors with the launch of the TL Professional LCD Monitor Line. LCD’s in this product line will have a full 1920 x 1080 2-megapixel high-definition resolution display. To kick off the launch the product line, Sharp has released the 52-inch TL-M5200 and the 46-inch TL-M4600.

Both of these LCD’s give out a high image quality, features and performance which are perfect for teleconferencing, CAD/Simulation, digital signage, corporate, educational, training, hospitality, sports arenas, entertainment and house-of worship. In addition these LCD’s are also easy to install with their lightweight cabinet design, and even come equipped with RJ-45 LAN Control for network connectivity. Other features of these two new LCD’s include Advanced Super View panel, 1500:1 (TL-M4600) and 2000:1 (TL-M5200) contrast ratios, advanced signal processing, an HDCP compatible HDMI input, and a built-in web browser.

The Sharp TL-M4600 and TL-M5200 LCD’s retail for $4,995 and $3,995 at all Sharp retail outlets.

Via [Akihabara News]

Following in the path of Samsung, LG has officially announced they will be discontinuing their production of the HD DVD/Blu-ray combo players. The end of line from LG will come this fall with the LG BH200 that will retail for $587.

“Surely, it is a very tough decision for us to halt the production of the combos, however, we will stop manufacturing the Super Blu series from the second half of this year,” said a spokesman from LG Electronics.

Via [DVD Town]

Sony is offering to help brighten up your home by adding a splash of fruity colors to its most recent Bravia HDTV models, as part of their “Draw the Line” concept for kitchens and brightening up the home. You’ll see this in the 20-inch KLV-20S400A, which is available in fruity pink, green, and orange, as well as the classics - white or black. This would be perfect for the kids’ room, but unfortunately, it will only start appearing in Asia by June.

The Bravia V4-series, meanwhile, is a new lineup announced alongside the fruity variants, likewise featuring a 2008 Bravia Engine 2 video processor and 1080p24 input capability. The only difference the V4-series has over the former is that it has an extra “Digital Media Port” for iPods and other MP3 players, as well as Sony Ericsson Bluetooth-enabled handsets.

The S4 and V4 series also come in 40- and 46-inch sizes, in case that’s your thing. And as earlier mentioned, won’t hit stores until June. No word on pricing has been made available yet.

Via [Crave]

Aigo is coming up with a new PMP dubbed the Patriot MV5920 MP5 player. This latest PMP is being touted as a breakthrough device for its dual-core technology that allows HDTV playback at 720p (1280 x 720 pixels). The device also has Wi-Fi and mobile TV support aside from its 160GB hard drive capacity. It’s also categorized as an MP5 player, which is what PMPs are typically called in China.

For around $429 you’ll have this uber-cool looking piece of hardware that comes with other powerful features including a 2.0-megapixel camera, 4.3-inch color display at 16:9 (480x272 pixel) resolution, MP3 player that supports various digital music formats and an integrated DVR recording function. And yes, it’s still portable at 6.14 x 3.23 x 0.78-inches, despite its many features.

The only question left for all of us now is when will it be available in the international market?

Via PMP Today

Sharp and Amimon, an emerging leader in semiconductor technology for wireless high-definition video, have combined their technology to bring wireless HDTV experience to users of Sharp’s LCD display units. Slated for a release in Japan soon, Sharp’s super-thin X-series LCD displays will be equipped with Amimon’s Wireless High Definition Interface (HDMI) 1080p wireless technology. For us users, this simply means that we would no longer have to connect any cables to our TVs since all the necessary wires and cables of the Sharp LCD displays will be tucked in a separate set-top box. 

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HANNSpree has just released another unique looking product called the Starlight Blue. The novelty google-box maker, HANNSpree is offering this unusual LCD television that comes in a really nice starry night design.

The Starlight Blue features include a 150-degree viewing angle, 500:1 contrast ratio, 500 cdm2, 1024 x 768 XGA resolution, and 2 x 2 watt speakers. Like on a clear starry night, the 3D design of the Starlight Blue mimics the sky full of stars and crescent moons. The futuristic and orbital theme makes it a class of its own even the young ones would like.

The TV specs may not compare with the funky design but if you simply want a nice addition to your media room, at least in terms of design, then the Starlight Blue won’t disappoint. For a little less than $200, would you buy this one? Well..yes, maybe.

Via [Pocket-Lint]

Even though Microsoft has “officially” stated that a Blu-ray drive would be sold for the Xbox 360, this rumor just does not want to die. The latest information is coming courtesy of the Chinese newspaper, Economic Daily News, and it seems to indicate that Microsoft is still interested in utilizing the apparent winner of the HD disc war for their game console.

The Economic Daily News is reporting that Pegatron Technology, a subsidiary of Asus, has orders, from Microsoft, to assemble Xbox 360 consoles that are equipped with a Blu-ray drive. This purported assembly is set to begin in the Q3 of this year. Microsoft has yet to comment on this latest chapter in the Blu-ray/Xbox rumor, so more as it happens.

Read [Digitimes]

Internet TV is cool and is starting to redefine the way consumers watch TV programs. But what would be even cooler is if you can watch your Internet TV programs in high definition, right? Actually you can soon do that with the newly launched and uber-cool device called the ZVBox. ZeeVee, the manufacturers of the ZVBox call this technology localcasting, whereby anything that you have on your PC will be streamed by way of the ZVBox into your HDTV display.

How is this possible? Actually, it works as simple as hooking your ZVBox to your monitor and your HDTV. The ZVBox will stream everything that you do on your PC and localcast this to your HDTV via channel ZV that goes through your cable. What makes ZVBox even better is the fact that it is not limited to localcasting Internet TV programs. Like we said, it can broadcast everything from your PC. So, you can view your own video, view high resolution photos, do your internet activities and many other things. What’s more, you can connect the ZVBox to multiple HDTVs. So, while you and your wife are watching in the comfort of your living room, the kids can watch on their own TV in the comfort of their bedroom.

But of course, all cool devices come with a price, and for the ZVBox it doesn’t come cheap. You can snag one ZVBox by pre-ordering at Amazon for $499. However, you’ll have to wait until June to find out if the price is worth it as that is when they are estimated to begin shipping..

Product [ZeeVee] Via [Gear Live]

Hitachi has announced the US availability of their UltraThin 1.5 displays. The UltraThin line-up will be available in 32, 37, 42 and 47-inch sizes and are available in two product lines. The Director X Series which will range in price from $1,999 up to $4,699 and comes with a 2-year warranty or the UltraVision V Series which ranges in price from $1,799 to $4,499 and comes with just a 1-year warranty. On both series the smaller 32-inch displays will offer a 1366 x 768 resolution, while the larger 37, 42 and 47-inch displays are offering a 1920 x 1080 resolution. Availability seems to range from April up till September of 2008.

Product [Hitachi] Via [Akihabara News]

JVC is having a hard time keeping up with what the consumer wants these days and so they have been posting some pretty big losses. Year after year, JVC losses increase by a lot, they have risen from $75 million to a whopping $455 million. The main culprit for the loss is their failing HDTV department. In an effort to gain more some profit, the are being forced to make some changes.

First, they will move their chief production areas to less expensive places. This means that the factory in Scotland and Japan will be moved to Poland and Thailand. By doing this, they hope to save some money with reduced operating expenses. Also, they plan to focus most of their efforts on the profitable big screen TV area, like 42-inches and up. These changes will be limited to the Japanese market for the time being, no word on what they plan to do in the American market and how to gain more profits in America.

JVC blames the losses partly on getting rid of unprofitable business firms, and they say that their TV department needs to go back to the drawing board because people aren’t interested in rear-projection and tube TV’s, but rather LCD’s and flat panel screens.

Via [Electronista]