Along with grabbing the title for most ginourmous TV, Sharp also announced four new lines of relatively giant mainstream LCDs aimed right at where plasma lives.
https://gizmodo.com/sharp-rolls-out-gigantic-108-inch-lcd-226761
The D92 series features 1080p screens in 42-, 46-, and 52-inch sizes, priced from $3500 to $5200. All are available in January, except the 42-inch, which is coming in April. They boast hot technologies including 4-millisecond pixel response and 120-Hertz refresh rates (up from 60-Hz on most TVs) that Sharp claims eliminates ghosting. (Hitachi also makes 120-Hz LCDs.) And they brag an insane-sounding contrast ratio of 15,000 to one. You can hook plenty up to this screen: it ahs 3HDMI inputs, plus a DVI port for computers.
If you want a really big screen, wait until March, when Sharp upgrades its 65-inch TV, re-naming it the D93. It boasts all the killer features of the D92 line and sells for $11,000.
The other lines are lower-end variations on the D92 theme.
The D82 models, due in March, come in 46-inch ($3700) and 56-inch ($3700) sizes. Aside from a lower-contrast ratio of “just” 10,000:1, it matches the D92 line.
The D43 line features lowly 720P screens available in June in sizes from 26 to 43 inches ($1100 to $4000).
Does Sharp’s salvo mark the beginning of the end of Plasma? Stephen Manes of Forbes and PC World was all gloating smiles when I saw him after the press conference, as reminded me how he’d foretold the end of plasma when we were talking about this time last year. Steve, I have two words for you: black level.
