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Sharp is Cutting Osaka Plant's LCD Production in Half

Wed Feb 01, 2012 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: Sharp, Industry Trends (all tags)

The LCD panel industry hasn't been doing well as of late and that's resulted in quite a few companies having to scale back production in their plants, switch to something else, or shut down entirely. Sharp is no stranger to this, and is cutting LCD production in its Sakai, Osaka plant in half.

The cut is expected to be temporary, though no timeline is given for a return to full production. This will be the second time Sharp has altered production in the last year, though not quite as severe as April's production stoppage.

Sharp's plant has been running at between 80 and 90 percent of capacity, but even then is producing too many panels to sell.

Source: Reuters

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Sharp Announces a 1080p 3D Home Theater Projector

Thu Jan 19, 2012 at 01:45 PM ET
Tags: Sharp, Projectors, 3D Projectors (all tags)

The DLP projector provides a 50,000:1 contrast ratio and 1600 lumens brightness.

Sharp's latest projector, the XV-Z30000, is capable of giving you a 1080p picture and plays nice with all your 3D devices to boot. It's a DLP front projector that Sharp says uses light more effectively than competitors and produces a better 3D picture.

The XV-Z30000 offers a center-mounted lens with both vertical and horizontal shift functionality and 2x optical zoom so installation is fairly flexible. It comes equipped with V-Stretch as well, which lets you switch to a 2.35:1 aspect ratio at the touch of a button.

Sharp's XV-Z30000 will be available in March at the price of $4,999. Two sets of 3D glasses will be included with it as well as an IR emitter and a remote.

Source: eCoustics

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Sharp Shows an 85" 8K Resolution TV at CES

Mon Jan 16, 2012 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: Sharp, CES 2012 (all tags)

Now we just need something to watch on it. And the crazy amount of money it would take to buy it.

CES is a time for companies to show off all their new products, getting consumers and businesses excited for the upcoming year. It's also a time to show off really exciting prototypes like Sharp's 85" 8k resolution TV.

8k, for those that don't feel like Googling or mathing it out, is a resolution of 7,680 x 4,320. That's 16 times higher than 1080p and, according to folks at the show it sure makes a difference. "No matter how close we got," writes Engadget's Richard Lawler, "we couldn't see the pixels."

This is, of course, a prototype with no plans for release or mass production. Still, it's a nice glimpse of the potential of upcoming hardware.

Source: Engadget

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Sharp is Launching an 80 Inch TV in October

Fri Sep 30, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: Sharp, LED TVs, Droolworthy, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

You're gonna need a bigger living room.

Sometimes a piece of gear comes along that we can't help but drool over. The new Sharp LC-80LE632U is one of those. At 80 inches, it's an absolute monster, and the specs on it ain't too shabby either!

To start with, the Sharp LC-80LE632U offers full array LED backlighting, 120Hz Fine Motion Enhanced and a dynamic contrast ratio of 6,000,000:1. It's a smart TV so you can get your streaming fix if you've got the internet hooked up. Even cooler - the folks at Sharp can log into your TV to troubleshoot, set up and adjust the picture quality.

Next month, if you've got $5,499 and a big enough room to justify it, you'll be able to pick up Sharp's new 80 inch TV for yourself. If you don't have the room, start knocking down walls.

Source: eCoustics

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LG, Sharp, and Philips Working on a Smart TV App Standard

Thu Sep 08, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET
Tags: LG, Sharp, Philips, Smart TVs, High-Def Retailing, Industry Trends (all tags)

The set makers have released a universal SDK that will play nice with TVs from all three companies.

Just as computers have two main operating systems, less powerful devices like TVs, smartphones and set-top boxes have the choice between Android and, well, Android. Of course, they could always make their own proprietary OS, but trying to attract developers to such a limited market is a hard sell.

That's why LG, Sharp, and Philips have decided to work together on a standard that would work across all their platforms. By sharing one standard, they'll have a much easier time wooing developers. After all, making an app for three brands is a lot more attractive than making one for a single brand.

"This cooperation is nothing less than a watershed in the brief history of Smart TVs," says LG president Havis Kwon. "By working in partnership with two innovators in TVs, we've taken a major step towards creating an app market every bit as inventive and dynamic as the one that exists for smartphones."

Source: Engadget

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Pioneer Elite LCD TVs are Back!

Fri Aug 05, 2011 at 02:00 PM ET
Tags: Pioneer, Kuro, Sharp (all tags)

There's no plasma in sight, but Sharp and Pioneer hail their new LED backlit LCD as providing the best picture quality on the market today.

"Over the past 25 years the Elite brand has developed a loyal and avid fan base of audiophiles and videophiles," says Sharp marketing manager Tom Evans. He's right of course - Pioneer Elite is a well respected brand, especially when it comes to TVs like the legendary Kuro.

Fans of Pioneer Elite sets may be a bit disappointed that there's no plasma, but Sharp is confident that you'll be blown away by what their LCD set has to offer. It boasts full LED backlighting, local dimming, a yellow sub-pixel, video streaming and everything else you'd expect to find in one of Sharp's high-end sets.

The new Elite is THX certified and can be adjusted via Elite Pure Mode to replicate the look of an older Pioneer Elite set. It also offers Elite Advantage LiveSM which lets you connect directly to a personal advisor who can help you with calibration, picture adjustment or just basic setups.

The true test of the displays will be what they look like when you sit down in front of them though. You'll be able to get a look at the $5,999, 60 inch model when it hits high-end retailers next week. By the end of the month, those same shops will have the 70 inch, $8,499 model for your consideration.

Source: Engadget

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Sharp and Foxconn Team Up to Beat Korean LCD Makers

Mon Jul 25, 2011 at 02:00 PM ET
Tags: Sharp, Foxconn, Industry Trends (all tags)

Samsung and LG are strong rivals to have, but the two companies have high hopes for a new partnership.

Sharp has big plans and it's not about to let anyone get in the way if it can help it. One of those plans includes beating out Korean manufacturers Samsung and LG. To do that they've enlisted the help of Taiwanese manufacturer Hon Hai, better known as Foxconn.

The way it's going to work going forward is that Foxconn is going to produce smaller LCD panels - anything between 20 and 40 inches. They're set up to do it better, cheaper and more efficiently according to Sharp.

Sharp in turn will provide Foxconn with panels 60 inches and larger - a specialty of Sharp's. A new joint venture company will make other things like components, glass and the other essentials for LCD televisions.

Source: TWICE

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Sharp Announces New Wi-Fi Enabled Portable TVs for Japan

Fri Apr 22, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
Tags: Sharp (all tags)

This 20 inch set includes a handle for carrying and a kickstand so you can set it anywhere.

Your TV may be planted firmly in your living room, but what about when you're in your kitchen, bedroom, bathroom or even outside and you want to watch television? You might take a laptop for some Netflix or turn your TV so you can see it at an angle, but Sharp has a different idea.

The new Freestyle Aquos is a portable 20 inch television that's made to move all over your house. It has a built-in handle and a kickstand so you can stand it up wherever you need. Not a bad setup for staying entertained while doing the dishes.

Sharp's Freestyle comes packed with a wireless DTV tuner, Wi-Fi connectivity and DNLA compliance so you can even stream media from your home PC.

The set comes in at around $1,220 when it releases in Japan this June. There's no word on whether we'll see it stateside.

Source: Engadget

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Sharp Launches a 70 Inch LCD

Fri Apr 15, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET
Tags: Sharp, LCD, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

Over 1,000 retail stores will carry the set, which comes in at right around $3,800.

When it comes to massive LCDs, Sharp is right on top of things. Their latest set, the LC-70LE732U, measures in at 70 inches. It's the first of its size for Sharp, and it's shipping to stores now.

The LC-70LE732U features an LED backlit screen, internet connectivity, and a 120Hz refresh rate. As you might expect, it also boasts the Quattron quad-pixel technology that Sharp is known for.

U.S. consumers are clearly voting for large screen television. It is the fastest growing segment," says Sharp's John Herrington. "Consumers are demanding big, they are looking forward to big and they want bigger."

This summer, Sharp will launch more sets in the 70 inch class size, including one that does 3D with active shutter glasses.

Source: TWICE

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Sharp Suspends LCD Production at Two Plants

Wed Apr 13, 2011 at 02:00 PM ET
Tags: Sharp, Industry Trends (all tags)

The company doesn't expect to open them back up until May at the earliest.

The recent disaster in Japan has resulted in the closure of many businesses due to damage and infrastructure concerns, but another problem has come up for Sharp. They've temporarily shut down two plants due to a lack of materials.

Sharp says that materials and natural gas are scarce at the moment, and are utilizing them only for the products that are most in demand, like smaller LCD sets. Sharp also says that they currently have enough televisions in stock to last them around a month.

The company hopes to resume production as early as May 6th, but has not set a date in stone. Analysts say the shutdown could cost Sharp up to 50 billion yen in revenue.

Source: Business Week (via Engadget

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