Sharp Aquos Quattron LC-40LE810UN

Update May 6, 2010: Pricing and further details added and modified. For a closer look at the Quad Pixel technology, which Sharp is calling Quattron, check out the slideshow. Also, according to Sharp, the 68-inch version will not be available until 2011.

LAS VEGAS--As Sharp heads into 2010, it isn't talking much about 3D, but it is touting some technology and design updates to its line of UltraBrilliant edge-lit Aquos LED LCD TVs, and a larger screen size: a 68-inch model it says is an industry first.

Sharp delivered a lot of information at a press conference announcing the new 2010 sets, but the quick rundown of the news can be condensed into six bullet points:

• Sharp has developed a new four-primary-color technology (Quattron) with a four-color filter that, for the first time in the industry, adds the color Y (yellow) to the three colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue). Sharp says this combination enables more than one trillion colors and expands the color gamut, "faithfully rendering nearly all colors that can be discerned with the unaided human eye." According to Sharp, it allows for "more sparkling golds, Caribbean blues, and sunflower yellows."
• There are three new UltraBrilliant edge-lit Aquos LED LCD TV series, with sizes ranging from 40-inches (diagonal) to 68-inches (diagonal). These are 1080p X-Gen LCD panels.
• The company says it's developed a "dramatic, contemporary design that sets the standard" for LCD TVs. (At only 1.6-inches thin, the full-front panel glass on the new LE920 and LE820 series extends to meet the slim border for an elegantly "subtle edge.")
• The flagship LE920 Series offers AquoMotion 240 (240Hz) for clearer fast-moving video.
• All the new Aquos LED LCD TVs include Sharp's newest version of Aquos Net, which delivers streaming video with Netflix. The 920 models will also incorporate Vudu apps and video.
• The new sets are all compliant with Energy Star Version 4.0 standards, which became effective in May 2010. They're also the first we've heard of to be compliant with Energy Star 5.0, an even stricter standard coming in 2012.

The new lines are broken down into the line-topping LE920 Series, which features AquoMotion 240 (240Hz), and the LE820 and LE810 series, which feature 120Hz technology instead of 240Hz. The LE810 doesn't offer the snazzier design of its step-up siblings.

As for connectivity, here are the specs:

• Four HDMI with Instaport quick switching to avoid delay when switching between sources
• 1080p component video input
• RS-232C input for custom installations
• PC input so the TV serves a dual purpose as a PC monitor
• Ethernet jack for high-speed Internet
• Free wi-fi dongle (920 series only)
• USB input for music/photos (for video on 920 as well)

Pricing and availability:

• LC-68LE920UN (available in 2011, pricing TBD)
• LC-60LE920UN (available in June 2010, pricing TBD)
• LC-52LE920UN (available in June 2010, pricing TBD)
• LC-60LE820UN (available now, $3,099.99)
• LC-52LE820UN (available now, $2,699.99)
• LC-46LE820UN (available now, $2,099.99)
• LC-40LE820UN (available now, $1,699.99)
• LC-60LE810UN (available now, $2,499.99)
• LC-52LE810UN (available now, $2,299.99)
• LC-46LE810UN (available now, $1,899.99)
• LC-40LE810UN (available now, $1,599.99)