Sharp splashes into high-end TVs with curves, HDR and quantum dots

Sharp's newest flagship TVs deliver all of the cutting-edge features found on competitors' flagships, commanding a high price and promising better picture quality than ever.

David Katzmaier Editorial Director -- Personal Tech

David reviews TVs and leads the Personal Tech team at CNET, covering mobile, software, computing, streaming and home entertainment. We provide helpful, expert reviews, advice and videos on what gadget or service to buy and how to get the most out of it.

Expertise A 20-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. Prior to CNET he worked at Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. He is known to two people on Twitter as the Cormac McCarthy of consumer electronics. Credentials

Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.

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David Katzmaier

Jan. 5, 2016 1:00 p.m. PT

Remember Sharp? Once among the most respected TV names, it underwent a transformation last year when rights to the brand in the Americas, and one of its factories in Mexico, were bought by Hisense, a TV maker based in China.

Sharp doesn't even have a booth on the CES show floor anymore, but that won't stop TVs with the brand from appearing on store shelves in 2016. And judging from the specs of models like the flagship N9100 series, they should deliver better picture quality than ever.

The 70-inch LC-70N9100 ($3,300) has a spec sheet that can keep up with the best of the Samsung, LG and Sony TVs on the market now, and includes full-array local dimming for improved contrast and quantum dots for expanded color.

The step-down Sharp TVs, including the 65-inch curved LC-65N9000 ($3,000; above, and in the video at the top) and sets in the N8000 and N7000 series, mostly offer local dimming too, in large screen sizes, 4K resolution and HDR compatibility. Here's the rundown.

Sharp N9100 through N71000 big-screen TVs

Model	Size	Price	Quantum Dot	Local dimming
LC-70N9100U	70-inch	$3,300	Yes	Full-array
LC-65N9000U	65-inch curved	$3,000	Yes	Full-array
LC-75N8000U	75-inch	$3,000	No	Edge-lit
LC-70N8100U	70-inch	$2,300	No	Full-array
LC-70N7100U	70-inch	$2,000	No	Full-array

In addition to these higher-end sets, Sharp also announced a number of mid- to lower-end models with 4K and 1080p resolution, and a full lineup of 1080p resolution Roku TVs. The Roku sets are the most interesting to us, based on past experience, so here's their details. Unlike previous Sharp Roku TVs, these will be available across all channels, not exclusive to Best Buy.

Sharp Roku TVs

Model	Size	Price
LC-32N4000U	32-inch	$250
LC-43N4000U	43-inch	$380
LC-50N4000U	50-inch	$500
LC-55N4000U	55-inch	$600

See CNET's complete CES 2016 coverage here.