Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for. Pricing for Sharp's sexiest, freshest and altogether loveliest HDTVs has arrived. As stated at CEATEC in Japan, the 65-inch LC-65XS1U-S will sell for a whopping ¥1.28 million ($12,225), while the 52-inch LC-52XS1U-S goes for ¥980,000 ($9,243). We'd expect those figures to be a touch lower whenever they come stateside, but rest assured, you'll be breaking into the piggy bank if either of these is to be your next set.

Hitachi drug its oh-so-sexy 1.5-inch plasma to Japan after showing it off in Denver earlier this month, but what we didn't see at CEDIA was this: a 15-millimeter thin 37-inch LCD TV. The "reference" set packed a 1,920 x 1,080 panel and a fittingly designed stand, though it won't see mass production until "2009 or later." Ugh, even 1-inch just seems so bloated now.

Sure, sure, the format war is over, but we never expected HD DVD to just disappear overnight, and it looks like the combination of deeply-discounted hardware, cheap media, and a weak economy are keeping Red alive even as Toshiba pretends no one really wants true HD anyway. Players are going for as little as $60 with movies available for $10, and retailers like Buy.com say that "sales are still very strong." Of course, eventually all this stock has to run out, so we doubt this'll be a long-lasting phenomenon, but hey -- stranger things have happened.

While we knew these new Sharp Aquos HDTVs were coming, we had no idea how thin and bright they were in person. Today at CEATEC 2008 Sharp officially announced its LC-65XS1U-S (65-inch) and LC-52XS1U-S (52-inch) AQUOS LCD HDTVs right at CEATEC Japan's opening bell. The displays' 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 1080P panel are nice and all, but we now know they measure in at a super gaunt 2.28-cm (0.9-inch) depth and are outfitted with a 2.1-channel, three-way five-speaker system that Sharp jointly developed with Pioneer. Meanwhile, Sharp boasts some serious energy savings with the new displays, promising a 26% reduction in power consumption. Expect them to hit stores in Japan October 15 in limited numbers for an undisclosed (read: 'spensive) price. Check the emaciated photos in the gallery if you're so inclined.

We've seen dynamic contrast ratios on HDTVs climb as high as 2,000,000:1, but an in-house design from the famed Carl Zeiss blows that right out of the water. The powerdomeVELVET planetarium projector was obviously not designed with home cinema in mind, though the specifications are no less impressive. We've got a 2,500,000:1 contrast ratio, DLP / BrilliantColor technologies, a 1,200p native resolution and a DVI input. Not like you're actually considering one for your own domed theater, but it'll be available for a small fortune in Q1 2009.

[Via DVICE]

You're probably wondering if adding in a fourth panel to an LCD projector is really worthwhile. Actually, you're probably willing to bet your bottom dollar that it's a gimmick. Sound & Vision took the time to actually critique Sanyo's latest with an open mind, and believe it or not, it found the all new QuaDrive technology to be everything it was hyped up to be. To be fair, the PLC-XP200L isn't tailored for the home theater; the lowly 1,024 x 768 resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio sound downright appalling. However, reviewers focused more on the actual technology / image quality given that Sanyo already has a compact, quieter, 16:9 QuaDrive beamer slated for 2009. During a demonstration, critics found the new tech to be visibly better than 3LCD rivals, with the picture appearing "dramatically more vivid." Should you rush out and buy the XP200L? Probably not. But you may just want to delay your impending PJ purchase until that HT version hits next year.

It was under two years ago when we initially caught wind of Alienware's Hangar 18, and while the outfit seemed pretty bullish about the thing just 12 months ago at CEDIA, things have apparently went south. As of right now, the Hangar 18 website simply redirects back to the company's homepage, and CSRs are now informing inquiring consumers that the HTPC is simply no longer available for purchase. We know, this thing was overkill in every sense of the word, but it's not like that's stopping Niveus, Exceptional Innovation and all those other guys from making headway. So long, Hangar 18 -- we barely knew ya.

[Thanks, Aaron]

Look out, tweens -- Philips has a new line of LCD TVs aimed squarely at your wall / bedroom pedestal. Introduced over in Italy, the Flavors family will initially consist of a 22-, 32- and 42-inch set, the latter of which packs a 1080p panel, 30,000:1 contrast ratio, 5-millisecond response time, 500 cd/m2 brightness and a pair of HDMI ports. The concept here is pretty easy to grasp -- each set comes bundled with two interchangeable frames which are reportedly held up by good ole magnetism, and if two just aren't enough, more can certainly be ordered. Currently, Philips simply has a placeholder page up for the new crew, so we'll just let you simmer on the prices for now: they'll be €549 ($803), €799 ($1,168) and €1,199 ($1,754) in order of mention.

We know, you're still digesting the whole Nero LiquidTV / TiVo PC introduction, but once you get through your head that said product brings TiVo functionality to your PC, we'd like you to have a look at something only mildly related. In the best form possible (that'd be video, for those curious), a walkthrough of a potential new user interface for TiVo as a whole has been hosted up. According to the lucky soul who was able to grab this information from a recent survey, there's no telling if it'll ever actually be released. 'Course, we highly doubt TiVo pays its engineers to cook up new software for nothing, but we've heard of zanier scenarios. Check out three UI vids after the break, and be sure to look carefully for the oh-so-subtle differences.

[Thanks, Dave]

Rejoice, HTPC fans -- that partnership between Nero and TiVo has finally borne fruit in the form of Nero's new LiquidTV / TiVo PC DVR package, which brings the TiVo interface and featureset to Windows. The $199 package comes with a year of TiVo service, a Hauppage USB ATSC tuner, an IR receiver, and a Nero-branded TiVo remote, and does exactly as you'd expect -- it's TiVo on your PC. There are some interesting PC-specific features bolted on the usual kit -- you can navigate using the keyboard and mouse (there are even some nifty contextual menus) and you can export directly to iPod and PSP-compatible .mp4 from within the interface -- but for the most part it's the same TiVo experience you're used to, including streaming shows to and from other TiVos and TiVo PCs. If you're already running an HTPC setup, you can get the TiVo PC software and a year of service for $99, but your Media Center remote might be a little wonky without a remap, and Nero reps didn't make any promises about CableCARD compatibility apart from "it should work if Windows recognizes it." Obviously we'd like to see that firmed up a bit -- and maybe get some tru2way support in the deal -- but it's definitely a start. Should be available now.

Just a day after rolling out its smallest SVGA projector of all time, Dell has quietly slid a new home cinema beamer into its accessories lineup. The 7609WU features a native 1,920 x 1,200 (WUXGA) resolution, DLP / BrilliantColor technology, 3,850 ANSI lumens, a 2,700:1 contrast ratio, twin stereo speakers, a lamp good for around 2,500 hours and a whole slew of ports including VGA (x2), component, S-Video, USB, RJ-45 and HDMI (x2). It'll set you back a stiff $4,999, but just think, you'll never have to spend another cent at the local Cineplex.

[Via Electronista]

Of late, there has been quite a bit of press circulating which suggests that Blu-ray isn't faring too well. At that head of those sentiments was a Samsung UK director named Andy Griffiths, who casually predicted that BD only had about five good years of life remaining. Unsurprisingly, senior VP of corporate communications at Sony Rick Clancy has hit back with an epic tale of why the format is actually not nearing its end. In fact, he suggests that Blu-ray will eventually live harmoniously with digital downloads, and he forecast that BD has "perhaps a decade" of growth to come. He also snuck in a few plugs for his PS3 and BRAVIA HDTVs, but more on the point, he essentially stated that not enough of the world had broadband (yet) for downloadable content to pose a real threat. Right, because the vast majority of the globe definitely has a few C-notes to lay on a BD player. We're only kidding (kind of).

[Via SonyInsider]

JVC has pushed out a release today clarifying some of the claims it made back at CEDIA 2008, and by and large, it's things that prospective buyers will want to hear. The company introduced an HD foursome of projectors in Denver earlier this month, but apparently, some of the specifications it included weren't, shall we say, final. Looking specifically at contrast ratio, we see the DLA-HD750 and DLA-HD20 jumping from 30,000:1 to 50,000:1, the DLA-RS10 going from 17,000:1 to 32,000:1 and the DLA-HD350 doubling up from 15,000:1 to 30,000:1. Also of note, JVC is now highlighting the 16-step fixed aperture in the DLA-HD750 and DLA-RS20 that "helps eliminate extraneous light that can reduce contrast levels and allows adjustment of brightness to suit user preferences." As for updated prices, you can expect to pay around $6,000 for the DLA-HD350, while the DLA-HD750, DLA-RS10 and DLA-RS20 come in at $8,000, $6,000 and $8,000 in order of mention.

It's one thing to hear 3.46- x 4.12- x 1.46-inches. It's another thing to see how giant someone's hand looks beside Dell's absolutely minuscule M109S pocket projector. Based on a hands-on session with a near-final prototype of the pico-PJ, the cats over at Popular Mechanics were mighty impressed with what they saw. They noted that "colors were a little more washed-out than a top-end home theater projector," but given the size and the manageable $499 price tag, it still managed to wow. Peep the in-action video in the read link.

You already witnessed our unboxing and hands-on with Sling Media's Slingbox PRO-HD, and if you're anxious to know when you can grab one of your own, how's about right now? Sling has revealed that its $299.99 high-def box can be purchased this very instant from its website and other B&M retailers, and for Canadians feeling a touch left out, take heart -- you all will be able to purchase the unit "in the coming weeks" for $329.99.