Sharp intros 'industry firsts' four-color filter, 68-inch LED TV

Sharp has developed a new four-primary-color technology (Quad Pixel) with a four-color filter that, for the first time in the industry, adds the color Y (yellow) to the three colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue).

David Carnoy Executive Editor / Reviews

Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.

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David Carnoy

Jan. 6, 2010 1:22 p.m. PT

2 min read

Sharp's flagship 68-inch LC92068 will be released in May. No word on pricing yet. Sharp

LAS VEGAS--As Sharp heads into 2010, it isn't talking much about 3D, but it is touting some technology and design updates to its line of UltraBrilliant edge-lit Aquos LED LCD TVs, and a larger screen size: a 68-inch model it says is an industry first.

Sharp delivered a lot of information at a press conference announcing the new 2010 sets, but the quick rundown of the news can be condensed into six bullet points:

Sharp has developed a new four-primary-color technology (Quad Pixel) with a four-color filter that, for the first time in the industry, adds the color Y (yellow) to the three colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue). Sharp says this combination enables more than one trillion colors and expands the color gamut, "faithfully rendering nearly all colors that can be discerned with the unaided human eye." According to Sharp, it allows for "more sparkling golds, Caribbean blues, and sunflower yellows."
There are three new UltraBrilliant edge-lit Aquos LED LCD TV series, with sizes ranging from 40-inches (diagonal) to 68-inches (diagonal). These are 1080p X-Gen LCD panels.
The company says it's developed a "dramatic, contemporary design that sets the standard" for LCD TVs. (At only 1.6-inches thin, the full-front panel glass on the new LE920 and LE820 series extends to meet the slim border for an elegantly "subtle edge.")
The flagship LE920 Series offers AquoMotion 240 (240Hz) for clearer fast-moving video.
All the new Aquos LED LCD TVs include Sharp's newest version of Aquos Net, which delivers streaming video with Netflix.
The new sets are all compliant with Energy Star Version 4.0 standards, which become effective in May 2010 and are equipped with Sharp's OPC function that automatically adjusts the unit's brightness based on the lighting of the room.

The new lines are broken down into the line-topping LE920 Series, which features AquoMotion 240 (240Hz), and the LE820 and LE810 series, which feature 120Hz technology instead of 240Hz. The LE810 doesn't offer the snazzier design of its step-up siblings.

As for connectivity, here are the specs:

Four HDMI with Instaport quick switching to avoid delay when switching between sources
1080p component video input
RS-232C input for custom installations
PC input so the TV serves a dual purpose as a PC monitor
Ethernet jack for high-speed Internet
USB input for music/photos(LE820/810)

Pricing and availability:

LC-68LE920UN (available in May, pricing TBD)
LC-60LE920UN (available in May, pricing TBD)
LC-52LE920UN (available in May, pricing TBD)
LC-60LE820UN (available in March, $3,999.99)
LC-52LE820UN (available in March, $2,999.99)
LC-46LE820UN (available in March, $2,399.99)
LC-40LE820UN (available in March, $2,199.99)
LC-60LE810UN (available in March, $3,499.99)
LC-52LE810UN (available in March, $2,599.99)
LC-46LE810UN (available in March, $2,099.99)
LC-40LE810UN (available in March, $1,799.99)

All prices are list. You can expect street prices to be lower.