Sharp go high end with 52'' and 65'' TVs

Normally, we'd report the arrival of a new product by telling you what it is first and then telling you how much it costs second. The price tag on the new range of XS1 TVs from Sharp, however, is so hefty that we’re going to give it here, and quite a few of you might want to give up reading this now. The 52" Aquos LC-52XS1E will be a snip at 9 000 euros, while the even bigger Aquos LC-65XS1E will bring you 65" of viewing pleasure for 12 000 euros.

If you're curious, optimistic or rich enough to read on, then you'll want to know that these screens are very high quality Full HD TVs, described by the manufacturer as luxury products.  This is explained by the touch-sensitive brushed aluminum case that wraps around a 12 bit panel.

The whole thing is only 2.3 cm thick, thanks to LED backlighting, which also allows these reasons to achieve dynamic contrast levels of 1000000:1 with a 4 ms response time.  The on board speakers have been carefully developed with the help of engineers from Pioneer, and, of course, the built in digital tuner is compatible with HD.

Both models will be available from October 2008, and come with a 2 year on site guarantee.

If you’re in the market for a seriously large television, you might like to check out our ongoing survey of screens larger than 50”.