One of a huge range of announcements from Sony at this year's IFA exhibition is that of their latest BRAVIA LCD TV.
Sony claims its 40-inch BRAVIA ZX1 is the world's thinnest LCD currently available, with the screen measuring just 9.9mm (under one centimetre) at its thinnest part.
It also includes BRAVIA 1080 Wireless technology, something that Sony are really pushing hard this year because it's "what consumers want".
Sony's existing display and audio technology is also present, of course, including BRAVIA Engine 2 and Motionflow 100Hz. However, it's this "BRAVIA 1080 Wireless" that helps to keep the screen so thin.
Much like Sharp's AQUOS X Series TVs which keep the tuner unit separate from the display, the ZX1's Media Receiver unit is separate, but instead of being wired in, the system wirelessly streams the audiovisual signal to the screen in real time.
The advantage of this, presuming that the wireless signal itself is strong and interference-free, is that all other equipment can be attached (by wires or wirelessly) to the Media Receiver rather than to the TV, keeping clutter around the display to an absolute minimum.
In addition, it's controlled via a RF remote control, rather than an infra-red one, meaning the unit can be tucked out of sight as it doesn't require line-of-sight to be controlled.
Another notable advance is that the screen is illuminated from the sides by LED arrays, rather than from behind. Combined with Sony's other display technology, this should lead to more realistic, brighter pictures with deeper blacks.
The ZX1 also features four HDMI inputs (one on the display, for easily attaching portable devices, and three on the Media Receiver), and BRAVIA Sync.
Pricing and exact availability to be confirmed.
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