Sharp Readies 65-Inch LCD Monitor

Sharp plans to begin selling in Japan, in March, a computer monitor with a 65-inch wide-screen LCD display, it said this week.

The PN-655 monitor is closely based on one of Sharp's Aquos LCD televisions and offers several features typically found in television sets, although there is no tuner.

The monitor has a DVI and a Mini D-Sub socket for hooking up to a computer, as well as a composite video and D4 analog HDTV input. Sharp's TV also has the DVI-D socket, but the Mini D-Sub connector is found only on the monitor.

There are also several connectors missing from the monitor that are on the TV, such as an S-Video socket and HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) for digital HDTV. The monitor has a stereo audio input.

Higher Definition

The screen offers 1920-pixel-by-1080-pixel resolution, which is the same as high-definition television and less than that offered by some competing, but smaller, monitors. Another feature from Sharp's TVs that is available on the monitor is a picture-in-picture function that can mix the computer input with a video signal.

The unit measures 62 inches by 5 inches by 36 inches and weighs 143 pounds, which makes its slightly thinner and lighter than the equivalent television.

The monitor will go on sale in Japan on March 24 and will cost around $16,963, the company said.

Sharp is considering offering it overseas but has yet to make any definite plans.