In fact, it's not so very different, general telly spec-wise, from Sony's Freeview HD set, the Bravia KDL-EX703, reviewed here. Unlike the Sony, the Sharp lacks 24p playback for Blu-ray Discs.
Sharp's boffins explain Quattron technology
The set supports DLNA networking, so you can connect it to a home network and stream photos and music from a networked media server – although you can’t stream video for some reason. There’s no internet connectivity or any kind of web-based service either.
The unit I tested only had a standard Freeview tuner on board, but Sharp confirmed that it will be fitting Freeview HD tuners once the model starts shipping in the UK.
One interesting feature here is that the 46LE821E has a small amount of internal storage that allows it to pause and timeshift the programme you’re watching for up to 150 minutes for SD broadcasts, or 60 minutes for HD. That’ll come in handy given the somewhat tardy arrival of the Freeview HD DVRs that Reg Hardware has been chasing recently.
COMMENTS
Sound
Why does every review ALWAYS comment on the built in speakers?? No one in their right mind would actually use them. If you're blowing the better part of £2k on a TV you're going to have/be getting a proper sound system too... or so one would hope! But interesting article and tech none the less, but I'll stick to my projector and substantially bigger screen for far less than a weeny 42" TV and that's WITH the sound system.
Errm...
> Maybe we should start thinking about cyan and magenta pixels as well.
> It worked for the photoprinter market.
To complete your idea, you'd want black pixels as well.
They missed the basics.
"The set supports DLNA networking, so you can connect it to a home network and stream photos and music from a networked media server – although you can’t stream video for some reason. There’s no internet connectivity or any kind of web-based service either."
(quoted from article)
What use is a TV that can't stream video?
I swear, I will not be buying another TV until someone comes out with one that has a built-in capability to stream DVD subdirectories from a NAS device (i.e. I can ditch my DVD player.) That will be either official support, or a modified firmware. I own a lot of DVDs, and I am beginning to view a DVD player in the same fashion as a floppy disk drive - yet another type of media to swap whenever I want to watch something new.
I basically want the lot on my NAS, my media in the basement, and my shelf space reclaimed.
more black thoughts
Fly in ointment "The contrast could have been a little better on deep blacks".
Next time they could add black pixels (although SONY might have patents), it helps to spot the black helicopters.
Not the first time
I remember when Sharp actually tried this early in the last decade with 4-color CRTs as well, with the fourth color being, surprise, surprise, yellow. They shelved it after a while for no reason. I'm surprised that it took them that long to reintroduce the technology to LCD.
As for why they're not interested in the 3D race, well, they already won it, in 2003.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/117303/sharp_ships_3d_monitor.html
And the technology has been improved since and will make it's first consumer appearance outside Japan on the upcoming Nintendo 3DS.
Black helicopter. Because 3D displays that don't need glasses are truly ahead of it's time.
