Sharp Aquos LCD with Built-in Blu-ray, Shipping January

Not long ago, the ultimate bottom-of-the-line system was a TV with a built-in VCR. Remember those abominations? Not really what you would call high-end.

Sharp is getting ready to ship two products that are gonna make you think twice about that stereotype. Sharp is getting ready to debut two 1080p Aquos LCD TVs with built-in Blu-ray players. In fact, they'll play Blu-ray, DVD, or CD. Nice.

Two sizes will be available. The first . . .

is a 32-inch LCD.  The second is a feature-packed 42-inch LCD with 1080p Full HD resolution and 120Hz frame-rate processing.

Sharpblu-raycombo Mike Troetti, Sharp Electronics Marketing Company of America (SEMCA) president said, "The products will be targeted at consumers looking for wall-mounting applications and those who need less clutter on tabletop placements and in secondary rooms such as bedrooms and dorms."

The prices haven't been released yet, but expect the 42-inch model to retail for under two grand. Not bad for a built-in combo player. It might be time to toss your combo-VHS set. Really. It is. —Leslie Shapiro

Sharp

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