Tokyo (Japan) – The Sharp DX series is the first LCD TV family with an integrated Blu-ray player. Set to go on sale November 20 in Japan, the sets are planned to become available in the U.S. by the end of the year.

The new TVs will be available in sizes ranging from 26” to 52” and prices (in Japan) that will begin at just under $1700 and top out at about $5000.  Sharp believes that the DX-series may be an advantage in the upcoming, most likely difficult, Christmas shopping season. "By launching them in the year-end shopping season, we are aiming to do our best in fighting sluggish consumption, a slowing economy, an adverse business environment and fierce competition,” Sharp president Mikio Katayama said.

The TVs will allow consumers to watch one channel while simultaneously recording another. The Blu-ray burner also supports the more efficient MPEG4 H.264/AVC format, which can squeeze up to 11 hours of HD video on one 25 GB Blu-ray disc, Sharp said.

While the TVs are not exactly cheap, they could be considered bargains in Japan. Compared to similar TVs without a Blu-ray drive, the premium for the integrated Blu-ray player is somewhere between $100 and $200, depending on the model, according to media reports.