The Sharp LCD flat panel was tempting and I wanted to give the Samsung a chance.

ENGADGET: HD Beat Reader Review: Sony's 50-inch SXRD HD

Sharp has temporarily suspended operations at its 8G and 10G flat panel production lines in respond to slowing LCD TV sales following the March 11 earthquake in Japan, according to DigiTimes.

FORBES: Sharp Suspends Some Flat Panel Lines; TV Sales Slow In Japan

At 138 feet she's a navy-blue missile with a nearly flat deck, huge winches and an almost impossibly sharp bow that overhangs the water like a scimitar.

FORBES: Magazine Article

In my research I looked at 1080p systems from Sharp (LCD Flat panel), Sony SXRD (non-DLP rear projection) and DLP sets from Mitsubishi, Toshiba and Samsung.

ENGADGET: HD Beat Reader Review: Sony's 50-inch SXRD HD

Then a silence, and into that silence, a sharp sigh or a sound like a whistle through a keyhole: the body exsanguinates, and its flat little presence becomes a puddle of gore.

NEWYORKER: Invitation to a Beheading

Dell shut down its effort to sell flat-screen televisions last year, unable to compete against offerings from Sony and Sharp in the U.S. Worse yet, while Apple is just now likely to launch its first handset that will take advantage of high-speed, third-generation networks, Japanese companies have been building handsets tailored to such networks for years.

FORBES: IPhone Invades Sony Territory

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Apple is working with Sharp (OTC: SHCAY) and Hon Hai Precision (better known as Foxconn) to produce a prototype, flat-screen HD TV, but it is unclear how far along Apple is in the process.

FORBES: Is Apple Finally Going To Announce The Apple TV In 2013