Sharp Readies 70-Inch Ultra HD LCD TV For August Shipment

Sharp’s THX-certified 70-inch set will be the centerpiece of its Ultra HD strategy in the U.S. as it focuses on the strongest selling screen size above 65 inches, said Jim Sanduski, senior vice president-strategic product marketing. In Japan, Sharp is already selling the 70-inch set at yen-dollar equivalent of $8,290 and also has a 60-inch version that will be available in August at $6,335. Sharp demonstrated both the 60-inch and 70-inch sets at CES with plans to ship the first models in March (CED Jan 8 p2).

As for the moth-eye technology that the U.S. Ultra HD set will do without for pricing considerations, it’s built into the set’s filter and comes in the form of anti-reflective film that can be applied to the front of an LCD panel to reduce glare. Sharp has demonstrated the technology in 60-, 70- and 80-inch panels. With the moth eye, LCDs achieve 0.1 percent or less reflectance with nanostructures on anti-reflective film, Sharp executives have said.

The 70-inch set for the U.S. will feature Sharp’s Smart TV Internet-connected TV platform and a six-speaker configuration, including a 35-watt subwoofer built into the base. It also has a 2D/3D upscaler, four HDMI 1.4 connectors, SD card slot and a “wallpaper” function that enables the set to display a small sampling of fine art when it’s idle, using a fraction of full power, the company said. The upscaler is powered by a dual-core processor, Sanduski said. The new model also will contain active-matrix 3D, a technology that provides a better image than the passive version, Sanduski said. The 4K sets will ship with two pairs of Bluetooth-equipped 3D glasses, a Sharp spokesman said.

The set will be sold through “premium” retailers, likely including Prosource members and Best Buy’s Magnolia Home Theater, Sanduski said. Hon Hai Precision, which makes TVs as part of its OEM business, will likely also have access to the 70-inch 4K panel, given its investment in Sharp’s 10th-generation panel plant in Sakai, Japan, Sanduski said.

The 70-inch set is the first THX-certified 4K TV, but THX expects to have 4-5 other brands on board by year-end, representing “just shy” of 20 models globally, said Matthew Dever, THX senior director of sales. THX has been applying its stamp to TVs since 2006, but moved into 4K only in the last year, Dever said. It took only a week of testing for the 70-inch to land THX certification, THX Senior Video Engineer Eric Gemmer said. THX also certified Sharp’s 60-inch 4K set, Gemmer said.

In other Ultra HD developments, Chinese supplier Seiki Digital is readying a 39-inch 4K set at $699 that will be available for pre-order this week at the Sears online store, with shipments to begin mid-July, said Frank Kendzora, Seiki executive vice president-brand. Sears and Kmart stores will carry the set in their brick-and-mortar locations, he said. Amazon has been selling Seiki’s 50-inch 4K set since late April at $1,401, down from its $1,499 suggested list, Kendzora said. Seiki also plans a 65-inch 4K set by late fall, a delay from its original mid-year schedule, he said. The company also is considering adding a 55-inch set, he said. Seiki also will test sales later this summer of 50-inch and 39-inch 4K sets through Kroger’s Fred Meyer chain, starting with locations in the Seattle and Anchorage, Alaska, markets, Kendzora said. Sales of the 50-inch have exceeded Amazon’s expectations, Kendzora said, though we were unable by deadline to verify that with Amazon representatives.

Elsewhere in 4K, Westinghouse Digital hasn’t yet secured distribution for its 55-, 58-, 65- and 84-inch Ultra HD sets priced from $4,000 to $12,000 and delayed delivery to Q3 from Q2, said Rey Roque, senior vice president-marketing. Westinghouse also postponed shipment of its build-to-order 98-inch 4K LCD TV -- it had been 110 inches at one point -- to 20145’s Q1 from this fall, Roque said. A price hasn’t been set for the 98-inch TV yet, but the 110-inch was at $300,000 in small volumes.