Sharp to introduce LCD HDTV/Blu-ray combo units in the U.S.

LCD TVs with built-in DVD players generally come in smaller screen sizes and are often budget-priced. That may change if you add Blu-ray to the equation, which Sharp is apparently planning to do this December with the U.S. release of HDTVs that sport Blu-ray drives.

Sharp has just released the Aquos DX series in Japan, which consists of LCDs in a wide range of sizes that come with built-in Blu-ray recorders. The good news is that Sharp is planning to jump-start that trend in the States, but the bad news is that most of the sets released here will just have Blu-ray players instead of recorders.

No doubt copyright issues have something to do with that decision, but you can imagine that HD addicts would love to dump hours of high-def content onto disc. Even so, if the price of the Blu-ray drive is mixed in with the cost of the TV, it could entice customers who aren't willing to pay $300 for a standalone player. I'll keep you posted when Sharp decides to officially announce more details about the U.S. release.

[Via Reuters]