IFA 2011: Close Look at 8K4K Sharp Super LCD

Sharp definitely decided to make a big showing at this year's IFA trade show, having actually put up a display that easily qualifies as one of, really the largest Super Hi-Vision LCD in the world.

People might think Full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) is already a high enough image quality, but they might change their views once they lay eyes on what Sharp created.

Apparently seeking to put Full HD to shame, the company made good on its name and made a liquid crystal display with images so sharp that viewers might be left underwhelmed by any other panel they see afterwards.

One of the reasons for this is the sheer size of the thing, namely 85 inches (1.9 x 1.05 meters) in diagonal, much more than Toshiba's Glasses-Free 3D TV orPhilips' Gold and Platinum Smart Led TVs.

The area Sharp really outdid itself in, however, is that of the resolution, as the product actually has a native one of 7,680 x 4,320 pixels.

This specification has the name of Super Hi-Vision and implies that 33 million pixels are crammed onto the same panel, to superb effect.

For the sake of comparison, that number is 16 times greater than what Full HD panels can brag about.

The other specifications, for those that want more numbers, are in no way underwhelming either. The brightness, for one, is of 300 cd/m2, while the gradation is of 10 bits for each RGB.

Finally, the LCD panel is of the UV2A (Ultra Violet induced multi-domain Vertical Alignment) variety.

Users that don't really have a thing for all the technical details will simply need to know that the images displayed on the 8K4K, as it is called, at the IFA 2011 show were almost beyond compare.

Right now, Full HD seems to be saturating the market, but Sharp definitely gave a taste of just how outclassed the current high-end resolution will be in several year's time.



Note: Fellow editors Cosmin Vasile and Sorin Nita are on the floor at the 2011 IFA Show and are keeping us posted with pictures and live reports on the latest product previews and launches.