Hiroshi Sasaoka, Sharp CEO Europe, opened Sharp's press conference at IFA talking about Sharp?s European strategy, focusing on LED technology and the new AQUOS LE Series with LED backlight.

Sharp's new AQUOS LE700/LE600 series will be the company's first LED LCD TVs. Sharp plans to release 32"/40"/46" and 52" models.

The AQUOS screen incorporates the X-Gen Panel with advance pixel control and Ultra Brilliant LEDs; this combined with an impressive 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio together with a "constant screen illumination" of over 90 per cent and the "Fine Motion Advanced Technology" that delivers a truly dynamic picture.

The firm?s LE700E and LE600E Aquos TVs feature "white full LED backlighting", the firm said, allowing both 46" models to consume just 89W of power. The 52in models use "less than" 100W.

However, the new AQUOS models only sport a 100Hz refresh rate, which is quite slow considering that Sony?s MotionFlow Bravia TVs already operate at 200Hz.

Prices for the LE700 series will be €1,099 Euro (32"), €1,499 (42"), /€1,899 (46"), €2,299(52"). The LE600 series will be more affordable, at €899 (32"), €1,299 (42") and €1,699 (46").

Sharp expects a stable growth in the LED LCD TVs for the following years, with over 80 million units to be sold in 2013 worldwide.