Sharp says ITC ban on LCD imports won't affect US consumers
By Nilay Patel 
posted Jun 25th 2009 4:01PM
posted Jun 25th 2009 4:01PM
We just spent some time talking to Sharp's reps about that ITC ban on its LCD panels, and while they certainly didn't sound happy about the ruling, they made it clear that it shouldn't have too much of an effect on US consumers -- Aquos TVs and Sharp professional LCD displays currently on shelves are fine to be sold, and updated models have been hitting the channel as of last month. As you'd expect, the new displays have been re-engineered to workaround the Samsung patent in question, but here's where it gets confusing: the basic model numbers haven't changed. Instead, the new units have an "N" at the end, so a TV like the Aquos LC52-E77U will now be labeled LC52-E77UN. Sharp says the updated models have exactly the same specs as the outgoing ones, but we're waiting on a detailed list of spec changes -- or better, a side-by-side comparison -- so we can decide whether or not the HDTV equivalents of a pre-CBS Fender are floating around out there.Update: Sharp hit us back with some revised information, so we've changed the post slightly.
Good news
"Sharp says the updated models have exactly the same specs as the outgoing ones"
So they are selling last year's model under a different name? WTF?
They're selling TVs that use slightly different technology under model names that are slightly different. Basically, you shouldn't notice the difference between the 'N' version and the non-'N' version unless you took the thing apart and compared components.
At least that's Sharp's story.
Sorry, but the patent doesn't work that way. The patent filing was over the way the Liquid Crystal formed inside the substrate, not about the electronics on the back. So Sharp can't sell a TV with the exact same optical specs as before, because the patent was ABOUT the optical specs.
If you go from using Samsung's patented PVA technologies, to another form, like and MVA or IPS or AFFS, all of which are very similar, you're going to affect contrast, brightness or viewing angles in some way.
They might not be large noticeable differences, but there will be differences. I'm sure what Sharp meant, was exactly that, you won't notice the optical difference.
Well, there you go. I guess I'd better stick to what I know.
F'ckin' tiny cars and f'ckin' flyin' around.
Does the N stand for Not-as-awesome-as-the-model-without-the-N-because-N-stands-for-not-Samsung's?
Naggers!
:D Thank god someone got it before someone cried racism.
oooo... naggers.....
thats how its pronounced in the deep deep south, you know because of the hick accent.
"but here's where it gets confusing: the basic model numbers haven't changed. Instead, the new units have an "N" at the end"
how is that confusing? this easily allows sharp and retails to identify which tvs are banned while not confusing the customer by having a whole new model number for the same tv. makes sense to me.
Actually those models with the "E" in the middle are this year's models.
Test
Interesting. I wonder how they explain that, for all practical purposes, Sharp's Commercial line has shut down? My company has been unable to get Sharp commercial-line LCDs for a few months now, and we were told we *won't* be able to get them.