Sony unveils world's first slider HDTV

Sony's new designer Esprit range is coming! And first up is this slickedy-wick Hi-Def telly.

The upcoming TAV-L1 television is no ordinary goggle box. See, Sony's latest HD set has one hell of a swish party trick up its sleeve that's guaranteed to leave your house guests gawping with tech envy. In audio mode the unit looks like a stylish single-stand speaker, but tap the touch-sensitive front panel and the speaker grill seductively slides down to the floor to reveal a plush 32-inch HD-ready Bravia LCD display! We've seen it in action and frankly it's agonisingly cool.

Plus, the speaker grille is interchangeable so you can customise it to suit your surroundings. Adding an extra sprinkle of chic to the proceedings is the smooth slot-loading CD/DVD player situated in the top of the telly. As for sounds, it's discreetly equipped with 2.1 stereo, outputting 50w per channel, and is smuggling a hefty 100w subwoofer onboard.

The Esprit TAV-L1 comes in white or black. And if 32 inches of smooth minimalism isn't enough to woo the arse off you, look out for the 40-inch version that's slated to launch soon after.

The 32-incher is expected to cost around £4000 and slinks into shops in May.