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Sharp Aquos LC-46LE821E 46in quad-pixel TV
Do yellow sub-pixels really make for a better picture?
Sharp claims that gold is a particularly difficult colour for conventional RGB sets to reproduce and, as luck would have it, there was a scene in a recent episode of Doctor Who on BBC HD that was set in a cave with strong golden-yellow backlighting. The colour reproduction on this scene really was striking, suggesting that Sharp might indeed be on to something with its yellow-pixel technology.
Looks like a big iPad?
Even so, there’s still some room for improvement in a couple of areas. The contrast could have been a little better on deep blacks, and the audio quality was little more than average. The 20W stereo speakers are quite loud but the bass output sound rather thin, despite the inclusion of a built-in 15W sub-woofer.
Power consumption also seemed a bit steep – peaking as high as 120W, and only dropping to Sharp’s quoted 85W when the brightness-dimming "Eco" mode was turned on. Standby mode was more in line with Sharp’s estimate at a modest 0.2W.
Verdict
Sharp’s Quattron technology really does produce excellent colour reproduction, and it’s good to see Sharp doing something genuinely innovative at a time when all its rivals are following the 3D bandwagon like a herd of sheep.
However, £2000 is quite steep for a 46in screen these days, so you are paying a big premium for those extra yellow pixels. As a result, the 46LE821E will probably appeal mainly to Sky HD subscribers or Blu-ray buffs who will appreciate the richness that the 46LE821E brings to HD content. ®
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