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JVC reveals flagship BlackSapphire SL series

The JVC SL is a series of edge-lit LCDs, boasting a slimline look and some unique features. Unusually it peaks at just 47 inches.

Ty Pendlebury Editor
Ty Pendlebury is a journalism graduate of RMIT Melbourne, and has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.
Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He majored in Cinema Studies when studying at RMIT. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast. Credentials
  • Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
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Ty Pendlebury
Amtran

While mostly known for its camcorders, JVC made a comeback in 2011 with a new range of televisions with the help of Taiwanese company Amtran. Its newest SL series looks suitably up-to-the-minute with a slimline look, impossibly thin bezels, and a unique half-pipe stand.

Apart from the stand, another unusual thing is that JVC's flagship stops at a 47-inch size, but Amtran representatives said larger models will be available at a future date.

The TV features an edge-lit LED arrangement with an "adaptive backlight" and is backed by a 120Hz processing engine.

The company went to great pains to emphasize the audio quality of these sets at our hands-on demonstration, but given that the fake-surround system XinemaSound 3D was enabled, it was hard to gauge audio quality.

Unlike the cheaper SP (Sapphire) series, the SL (BlackSapphire) features 3D (passive) with four pairs of glasses in the box.

The JVC comes with onboard wireless; apps include Netflix, Vudu, Pandora, and a Slingbox client. The television comes with a flippable QWERTY remote, which comes with a dedicated Netflix shortcut.

Further connectivity comes in the form of three HDMI inputs, a USB media port, and component and composite video inputs. Uniquely, the SL series features a 3.5mm "music port" as well as an Audio Only mode to conserve energy while you’re just listening to music.

The JVC SL42B-C ($799) and the JVC SL47B-C ($899) will be available in summer 2013. Look out for a review soon.