Sharp aims to triple LCD output

Sharp Corp., Japan's largest maker of liquid-crystal displays and mobile phones, will spend 200 billion yen (US$1.66 billion) to triple output of the panels as rivals raise investment and pare unit costs.

Monthly production at the company's Kameyama factory in central Japan will surge to 90,000 glass substrates in 2008, the Osaka-based company said in a release Friday. Output will double to 60,000 by July this year, and the company expects LCD TV sales to jump 50 percent next fiscal year to 9 million units.

"In the current market environment, the investment is necessary," said Mitsuhiro Osawa, a Tokyo-based analyst at Mizuho Investors Securities Co. who rates the company "neutral plus." Declines in LCD TV prices are "a worry," he said.

President Katsuhiko Machida is speeding up production of larger, high-definition screens to outpace falling prices and keep up with rivals such as Sony Corp.

HDTV guru offers tips to newcomers

This industry analyst, reviewer and HD freak tested at least 150 HDTVs last year, presides over the trade publication HDTV Insider Newsletter and is launching a Web site for consumers called HDTVguru.com.A few questions for the high-def guru:What do most people not know about HDTV that they should?That there is a vast amount of free, high-definition programming available via a roof or indoor antenna, though one’s ability to receive it depends upon proximity to the broadcast antenna.Many stations multicast, turning a single digital channel into two or more.The extra channels can be more news or around-the-clock weather services, music videos or whatever the stations wants.What advice do you give people before they go out to a store to buy their first HDTV?Be aware of the distance you sit from the screen, the amount of ambient light in the room and if you plan to get your HD programming from the cable or phone company, satellite, over the air (with an antenna) or a combination.