Sharp's four-primary-color LCD TVs go 3D

Anyone who has had a chance to experience 3D, whether it be at the cinema or on one of the multitude of 3D TVs hitting the market, will be aware that image brightness takes a hit thanks to the eyewear required for the 3D effect, be they passive or active shutter. Now Sharp has given its four-primary-color TVs we first saw at CES earlier this year the 3D treatment. The company says the sets not only boast the industry’s highest brightness, but also feature extremely low "crosstalk" – the undesirable double “ghost” images evident with many 3D TVs.

Sharp’s four-primary-color TVs uses four pixel colors, (red, green, blue and yellow), to produce images instead of the standard three, (red, blue and green). Sharp says adding yellow to the mix contributes to brighter, more vivid colors thanks to higher light transmission efficiency through the panel and a wider range of colors that can be reproduced.

The four-primary-color technology, in conjunction with other Sharp technologies including Ultraviolet-induced multi-domain Vertical Alignment (UVA), Frame Rate Enhanced Driving (FRED) signal processing, and side-mount scrolling LED backlight technology, combine to produce display 3D images that are claimed to be 1.8 times brighter than that of conventional displays. The 3D TVs will use active shutter glasses.

Unlike other 3D TV manufacturers, such as Samsung who are determined to make its 3D sets available to as many people as possible, Sharp is initially only releasing its new 3D LCD TV in Japan at “sometime before summer”, with a global rollout later in the year. Prices are yet to be announced.