The next generation home video format war is still going strong, but the Blu-ray camp may have just shifted the balance a bit more in their favor with Sharp's introduction of the first Blu-ray recorder. This week the company unveiled the BD-HP1 for the Japanese market. And while no North American release has been mentioned, there have been rumors circulating that the recorder could be stateside by the fall. The price would likely be hefty however, as a Blu-ray players are still hovering around $1,000 or more.

The BD-HP1 is also notable in that it is designed to offer special functionality with Sharp's AQUOS LCD TV iLink connection. This allows the transfer of content from the AQUOS digital tuner, or AQUOS HD Recorder to the Blu-ray Disc without losing the HD quality. I thought it was this sort of thing that made Hollywood lawyers and studio executives all nervous - but it gets TV junkies (like me) all excited, even if we have to think about buying yet another TV.