Apparently size continues to matter when it comes to TVs, as one of the underlying themes at CES 2012 is that bigger is better. Sharp’s new 80-inch AQUOS 3D LED TV is basically a step up from the existing 60 and 70-inch models, only the extra 10 inches is actually more screen space than you might think.
If you have a 55-inch TV already, you might care to know that an 80-inch gives you double the viewing space of a 55. That’s pretty significant when you think of how noticeable anything above a 50-inch TV actually is. To put it in perspective, you can fit nine 32-inch TVs in an 80-inch panel. The LC-80LE844U is the model showcased at CES, and it will be coming to Canada this year. Pricing and exact availability haven’t been confirmed just yet.
For the most part, the new 80-inch is an extension of the 60 and 70-inch models that are currently out now. A size that used to be way out of reach on price has now dropped enough that those with $3,000 to spend on a TV can get a huge size at that cost.
As you might expect, the new 80-inch is a Smart TV (a constant buzzword at CES this year), so it will include SmartCentral, Sharp’s new connected TV platform that will offer a web browser, apps, Facebook, YouTube, Netflix and more. There is also an iOS app called Beamzit that will allow for throwing content from an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch over to the 80-inch.
While being innovative, Sharp has also proven to be cautious and methodical in how they present and show TVs at CES. When everyone was talking 3D and OLED in years past, Sharp was pushing its four-colour pixel Quattron technology.
Sharp’s message at this year’s CES is that the best screen size doesn’t really have that much to do with the size of the room you want to put the TV in. There are calculators for this sort of thing, but Sharp is suggesting that an 80-inch screen could be just fine from a distance as low as 12 feet. They even played a video at their press conference with testimonials of people who discovered this in small rooms with big TVs.
They do have a point, since LED TVs aren’t as tiring on the eyes as older CRTs used to be. But the 80-inch isn’t small, and hauling that into a basement or underground man cave isn’t going to be easy. But if you can imagine watching anything from a hockey game to a movie with that much screen real estate, then you’re not likely to be disappointed.
