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Mobile Magazine: Although we don’t normally see these kinds of phones around these parts, the concept of high-end mobile television watching is nothing foreign to the people of Japan. Sony has a BRAVIA line of phones, Sharp does its AQUOS thing, and now Panasonic is bringing their VIERA technology to the new 920P mobile phone.

To be available through Softbank Japan, the Panasonic VIERA 920p features a substantial 3-inch color display with a wide VGA resolution. As appears to be the norm with Japan-only releases, the 920P also features a simple rectangular design, but the hinge can flip the display either horizontally or vertically, depending on your needs.

But it’s not all about mobile video. The Panasonic VIERA 920p — available in gold, white, black, blue, and pink — also comes equipped with Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and a 5.1 megapixel camera.

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Engadget: In an odd yet titillating contest to offer the world’s thinnest TV, Sharp just took gold. Their 34.4-mm (1.35-inch) thin LCDs comes in 46-, 42-, and 37-inch (117cm, 107cm, 94cm) models. These lookers aren’t just skinny though, they’re dense as a product waif too. Each comes stuffed with a 120MHz panel offering a 15,000:1 dynamic contrast, 450 cd/m2 brightness, and 12-bit BDE color value rendering for smooth image quality.

Add to it a 1-bit digital amplifier, 3-way 8-speaker system, and a vast suite of jacks including 3x 1080p HDMI 1.3a inputs, DVI for your PC, Ethernet, and Firewire and you’ll seriously consider setting aside the dough for a new set when these hit Japan in March.

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Electronista: Sharp on Wednesday took the unusual direction of building a compact home theater in its AQUOS Audio lineup that doubles as a complete stand. While larger models exist, the AN-ACD2 is designed not only as a 150-watt, 2.1-channel receiver and stereo but also as a stand for an HDTV set; with at least AQUOS HDTVs, any 37- to 42-inch set can be supported by the entire device. It also includes a deliberate gap that allows at least two devices such as a Blu-ray player or a cable set-top box, according to Sharp.

The ACS2 pipes content directly to the TV through HDMI and also includes 11 different presets to fine-tune the audio response to different formats, such as pure music, movies, or sports. It should be available in Sharp’s home of Japan by February 1st for a flexible price.

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PC World: Sharp is wiring its HDTVs to the Internet in 2008. On Sharp Aquos model LCD TVs debuted on Sunday at press conference each sported ethernet ports for accessing Internet content such as weather, NBC news, hi-rez artwork and other Web content. Part of the plan to wire its LCD TVs also includes a new service which allows Sharp tech support to remotely access new Aquos 42-inch (107 cm) or larger LCD TVs so staff can help you troubleshoot problems with your TV and optimize settings.

The tech support program is called Aquos Advantage and will be free to those who own or purchase a 42-inch or larger Sharp Aquos LCD TV. In conjunction with the wired option Sharp will sell power line adaptor kits called Sharp PLC Adaptors for linking LCD TVs to the Net.

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AV zombie: Sharp has revealed a spectacular 108-inch AQUOS LCD TV TV, claimed to be the world’s largest, at the Las Vegas CES. The model, still at prototype stage, measures 93.9-inches high by 52.9-inches wide and features a Black Advanced Super View Full HD LCD panel manufactured at Sharp’s Kameyama Plant No. 2.

No price or on-sale date has been announced.

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AVZombie: Sharp has previewed its Aquos Full HD LCD screens for the UK market. Four models are featured in the brand’s LC-XD1E range, ranging from 37-inch models, to 42-, 46- and 52-inch. The sets use 1920 x 1080 glass and can accept a 1080p native signal.
All the models have a high-gloss black finish and a variety of new picture improvement technologies. The LC-46XD1E and LC-52XD1E (pictured below) promise 4 millisecond response times and 2,000:1 contrast (10,000:1 if you use the Dynamic Contrast Enhancement mode). The smaller LC-42XD1E and LC-37XDE1E models have a 6 millisecond response time and 1,200:1 contrast.

For greater colour fidelity, the screens include Sharp’s four-wavelength backlight system, which includes an additional crimson red as well as the standard RGB colours. This is said to make for more vibrant reds and better skin tones.
All the models have Freeview tuners and two HDMI inputs.

All the screens originate from Sharp’s new 8th generation manufacturing plant in Kameyama, Japan.

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