Sharp LC-65D90U 65-inch LCD HDTV
May

When the history of HDTV is finally written, 2006 will surely be seen as the year LCD flat-panels came of age. From the beginning of the year to the end, manufacturers steadily pushed the state of the LCD art. Along the way, they improved LCD's black levels and largely eliminated image smearing on fast motion, allowing us to finally take the technology seriously as an alternative to plasmas and projection HDTV for home theater movie-watching. At the same time, they drove LCD screen sizes larger and larger ... and larger.

But back in May, when we were first to review it, none even came close to the 65-inch Sharp LC-65D90U ($21,000). I remember uncrating the 175-pound beast for the first time in our test lab: Sleek, sexy, svelte, and simply massive, it commanded attention well before it was turned on. The fact that it had 1080p resolution when few other 1080p LCDs yet existed was one more feather in its cap.

In such a banner year for LCD, the spotlight on the LC-65D90U naturally faded as LCD makers — including Sharp itself — introduced new-generation sets whose performances eclipsed it. But for Sharp's bold and ongoing commitment to advancing LCD technology, and the sheer guts to introduce the biggest, baddest, and most expensive LCD anyone had ever seen, we offer this salute.
sharpusa.com
— Rob Sabin