The Consumer Electronics Show is traditionally where we get to see the latest and greatest television displays coming our way in the coming year, and this year's CES was no different. Although some display makers were light on details, Sharp came prepared with complete details, availability dates, and pricing information on most of their 2012 LED HDTV line-up.
We've already talked about Sharp's car-sized, 80-inch 3D LED, cousin to the also-new, 80-inch AQUOS Board touchscreen/whiteboard display. And we've also discussed Sharp's much improved graphical user interface and smart TV platform, SmartCentral - a feature you'll find, in one form or another, on all of Sharp's 2012 models listed below. Taken together, these two concepts - big pictures and smarter, networked displays - represent the TV maker's focus for the new year.
For 2012, Sharp is bringing a total of five AQUOS LED TV series to market. Refreshingly, the names are are pretty simply and intuively named. From flagship down to entry level, we're talking about the Series 9, 8, 7, 6, and 5. The Quattron 9 and Quattron 8 Series both feature 3D capability and feature Sharp's Quattron Quad Pixel Plus II technology. These two top-tier series also feature 240Hz panels, whereas series 7-5 incorporate a slower and arguably inferior 120Hz refresh rate. Sharp's full screen SmartCentral platform and integrated Wi-Fi can be found on all models in the 7 Series on up, though the 5 and 6 Series displays do feature a limited subset of SmartCentral applications presented in a low-profile, "dock" -style interface.
In summary, here are Sharp's new LED HDTVs for 2012:
Sharp AQUOS Quattron 9 Series 3D LED TVs
60- and 70-inches (LC-60LE945U and LC-70LE945U) - Summer, prices coming soon
Sharp AQUOS Quattron 8 Series 3D LED TVs
60-, 70- and 80-inches (LC-60LE847U, LC-70LE847U and LC-80LE844U) - April
MSRP: LC-60LE847U, $3,199; LC-70LE847U, $4,199; LC-80LE844U, $6,499
Sharp AQUOS 7 Series 3D LED TVs
60- and 70-inches (LC-60LE745U and LC-70LE745U) - March
MSRP: LC-60LE745U, $2,699; LC-70LE745U, $3,599
Sharp AQUOS 6/5 Series LED TVs
42-, 46-, 52-, 60- and 70-inches (LC-42LE540U, LC-46LE540U, LC-52LE640U, LC-60LE640U, LC-70LE640U) - LE640 February; LE540 March
MSRP: LC-52LE640U, $1,699; LC-60LE640U, $2,699; LC-70LE640U, $3,299
Where to Buy:
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