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Sharp slashes prices on its new Quattron LED-backlit LCD HDTVs

By | May 16, 2010, 9:47am PDT

Summary: With much fanfare—including an advertising campaign built around former Star Trek star George Takei—Sharp looked to regain some market share with the introduction of its new Quattron HDTVs at CES in January. The LED-backlit LCDs were the first using the company’s “quad-pixel” technology, which adds yellow sub-pixels to the usual RGB primary colors. As is the [...]

With much fanfare—including an advertising campaign built around former Star Trek star George Takei—Sharp looked to regain some market share with the introduction of its new Quattron HDTVs at CES in January. The LED-backlit LCDs were the first using the company’s “quad-pixel” technology, which adds yellow sub-pixels to the usual RGB primary colors.

As is the case with such innovative models, Sharp priced the new sets at a premium, with the lowest-priced one being a 40-incher for $1,799.99. But in my Sunday paper today, I received an ad touting big price cuts on the just-released Quattrons, including $500 off the two 60-inch sets in the lineup. Sure enough, the Best Buy circular also included in the paper showed the TVs at prices several hundred dollars less than their announced price at CES. For instance, the 60-inch LC-60LE810UN (pictured above), originally announced at $3,499.99, is now available at Best Buy for $2,229.99. Its 40-inch sibling is selling for just $1,099.99, only $100 more than a similarly sized LED-backlit set from Best Buy house brand Insignia.

Sharp’s ad says that the instant savings will be valid through next Saturday, though it may be hard to put that genie back in the bottle once people see these prices. It’s also unclear how much the Quattron technology improves image quality, as online reviewers such as our sister site CNET and HDGuru haven’t had a chance to put one of these sets through some rigorous testing. But if nothing else, Sharp is making it clear that it will be pricing these sets aggressively to battle with the ever-cheaper LED-backlit competition.

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Sean Portnoy is a freelance technology journalist.

Disclosure

Sean Portnoy

Sean Portnoy is a freelance technology journalist; currently, all work that Sean does is on a contractural basis. Sean has also written corporate communications documents for CA.

Sean does not accept gifts from companies he covers. All hardware products he writes about are purchased with his own funds or are review units covered under formal loan agreements and are returned after the review is complete.

Biography

Sean Portnoy

Sean Portnoy started his tech writing career at ZDNet nearly a decade ago. He then spent several years as an editor at Computer Shopper magazine, most recently serving as online executive editor. He received a B.A. from Brown University and an M.A. from the University of Southern California.
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RE: Sharp slashes prices on its new Quattron LED-backlit LCD HDTVs
Jerome Noll 14th Jun 2010
You may not have received your promised Instant Savings from Sharp if you purchased a Quattron in May. Contact Jerome Noll at jnoll@mdpcelaw.com or at 914-517-5000 for free assistance in obtaining Sharp's Instant Savings on all Quattron sets.
0 Votes
+ -
givfing the wrong idea, why?
not of this world 16th May 2010
the Insignia is an absolute cheap
piece of crap of low to medium
quality.

Its not fare of you to make such
a comparison to sharp brands.

However. i have not seen the
Quattron picture quality because
Best Buy uses native signal
sources to promote their crap,
and even makes the Insignia
looks good in the store at VGA
colors!

- Sticking up for sharp, but they
need to find a better re seller.
0 Votes
+ -
And even worse....
Rick S._z 17th May 2010
BstrdBuy cranks the brightness and contrast WAY UP on all the TVs being displayed in the "regular" part of the store; it's nearly impossible to make any judgments about picture quality in such conditions. Their "Magnolia" high-end room has proper lighting, but never includes the TVs which I want to see. (And anyway, technology is moving so fast the these new, CHEAP sharp TV's are probably better than the $8000 Pioneers which they still display at my store.)

In my town, your only chance to learn of picture quality differences is to read Internet reviews first- the stores are all useless.
You may not have received your promised Instant Savings from Sharp if you purchased a Quattron in May. Contact Jerome Noll at jnoll@mdpcelaw.com or at 914-517-5000 for free assistance in obtaining Sharp's Instant Savings on all Quattron sets.

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