Customers looking to buy a new TV are more often than not looking for a larger screen and Sharp has come to the party with 60-inch, 70-inch and 80-inch models.
Tech Guide took a look at the 70-inch model – the LC70LE960X Quattron Pro 3D LED TV
It’s a lot of TV to look at especially if you’re upgrading from a smaller 42-inch or 50-inch screen.
On the design side the Sharp 70-inch is sleek with narrow, almost invisible bezels framing the picture along with a stylish curved silver stand.
This TV is part of Sharp’s new Quattron Pro range and delivers added detail and colour through a fourth sub-pixel.
Traditionally a TV has red, green and blue pixels and these combine to create all the colours we see on the screen.
But Sharp has added a fourth yellow sub-pixel (hence the name Quattron) to add even more richness to the screen colour reproduction.
And you can see on the screen the accurate colours and a nice warmth to the picture.
4K resolution – also called Ultra High Definition by other manufacturers – has become the next big selling point in the crowded and competitive market but Sharp has taken a different view with this TV.
The Sharp 70-inch Quattron LED TV is a full high definition panel which means it has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 but it has been marketed as being 4K-ready.
4K and UHD TVs have four times the resolution of this Sharp TV at 3840 x 2160.
But the problem at the moment is there’s not much content that will utilise all of those extra pixels. But one day there will be.
So Sharp’s approach with this impressive 70-inch TV is that it can handle 4K content just fine and that extra yellow pixel will do some of the heavy lifting.
While we didn’t have any 4K content to test this, we were still able to enjoy brilliant full high definition content while watching movies on Blu-ray Discs.
Colour reproduction was very impressive – that extra yellow pixel coming in to play again here – with natural tones across the board.
Previous Sharp LCD panels used to pump up the brightness and colours to the point where the picture looked almost animated. But the company has since got the formula right.
Black levels were also solid – not the blackest we’ve seen but not far off it.
It also has AquoMotion on board at 200Hz so the picture was very smooth as well even when watching sports and action movies.
This screen is also THX certified for a cinema-like experience and it is also capable of displaying 3D.
Also on board is an upscaler to improve lower resolution content you might be watching on the screen.
The Sharp 70-inch is also a smart TV with built-in wi-fi as well and can offer access to online content and apps.
Overall the Sharp 70-inch Quattron TV is an excellent television but the question I’m asking is why didn’t they company go all the way and add that 4K resolution.
Many would argue that there is no content to fully appreciate it and won’t be for years. That might be the case.
But when it comes to spending $4,999 – many would feel better about parting with that amount of money if they knew the purchase was future proof.
The Sharp 70-inch will still display 4K content if and when it is available and it will look great.
But it just won’t have the same number of pixels to play with as some of its competitors like Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic and TCL which have all embraced either 4K or UHD with their flagship TVs.
Sharp 70-inch LC70LE960X 3D Quattron Pro LED TV
Price: $4,999
3.5 stars
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