Panels made in Japan: Sharp’s 2020 4K TVs are now available in Singapore
Panels made in Japan: Sharp’s 2020 4K TVs are now available in Singapore
Note: Updated on 27th July 2021 to point out that all the TV models use the new processing engine.
Sharp has announced that its latest 4K UHD TVs are now for sale in Singapore at a starting price of S$1,899.
Available in 50-, 60-, 70- and 80-inch screen sizes, there are many similarities between the new TVs. For one, all four use panels made in Japan and tout Sharp’s renowned Aquos picture-processing technology.
They also run Android TV, giving you access to more apps and games through the Google Play store. A remote control with built-in Google Assistant for voice control is also included. Casting to the big screen can also be easily done thanks to the TVs’ built-in Chromecast functionality.
While the 50-inch C50BK1X is priced at just S$1,899, the price increase isn’t linear as you go up the sizes. To be more specific, you’re looking at S$2,899 for the 60-inch 4T-C60CK1X, S$7,899 for the 70-inch C70BK1X and S$9,999 for the 80-inch 4T-C80CL1X.
One reason is that the higher-end models pack more advanced technologies. For instance, the 80-inch model is the only one with a Deep Chroma Display, which Sharp says uses a ‘six-axis colour management’ system to better produce subtle tones and achieve 123% wider colour gamut.
With the exception of the 70-inch C70BK1X that’s edge-lit, the TVs feature a direct LED backlight system. Driving all the screens is Sharp's X4 Master Engine Pro II, which is a newer version of Sharp’s 4K upscaler. Nonetheless, it should be clear that the 80-inch 4T-C80CL1X offers (on paper) the best picture quality as it has the aforementioned Deep Chroma Display for wider colours and higher brightness (others are listed as ‘standard’ brightness).
Connectivity-wise, not much separate the four TVs: they all have three HDMI ports, two USB ports and a LAN jack. And of course, with a built-in DVB-T2 tuner, they’re all ready for local digital TV.
Finally, to boost customers’ confidence, Sharp has also announced that all Sharp 4K TVs purchased from Aug 2020 will get complimentary 1-to-1 panel exchange within 3 years from the purchase date if there's any panel defect. As far as I know, Sharp is the only TV brand that includes this in the warranty.
The new Sharp 4K TVs are now available through Sharp’s official online stores and authorised dealers’ stores.
Source: Sharp.