Sharp announces 32-in. 4K monitors

IDG News Service - Sharp has announced two new 4K LCD monitors, which will display images at close to four times the overall resolution of traditional 1080p high-definition monitors available today.

The new 32-inch LCD monitor series will display images at a 3840 by 2160-pixel resolution, Sharp announced at the International CES show in Las Vegas on Monday. The monitors will be available in touch and non-touch models, and pricing was not immediately available.

Sharp refers to the new class of ultra-high resolution displays as UltraHD, which is the standard name being adopted for the next generation of high-definition TVs and displays. Sharp also said it is will show off a prototype UltraHD TV set at CES.

UltraHD TVs are also referred to as 4K TVs and made a splash at last year's IFA trade show in Berlin with companies such as Sony and LG announcing TV sets with ultra-high resolutions. More UltraHD announcements are expected at CES with companies like Toshiba, LG and Samsung set to announce new TVs.

Sharp's new monitors will have two HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) and one DisplayPort port. The monitors will use IGZO (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide) technology, which improve the responsiveness and brightness of displays, according to the company. The 4K monitors will be particularly useful for specific applications requiring high-definition graphics, such as video editing and computer-aided design.

The first UltraHD non-touch monitor will be available in February, and the 10-point touch model will be available shortly after.

As part of its new 2013 TV lineup, Sharp also announced close to 20 Aquos high-definition TVs, with a standard feature being the ability to browse the Web and watch movies from Internet streaming services like Netflix. The 6-, 7-, 8-Series Aquos TVs will have Wi-Fi, and support Flash and HTML5 web content.

The new TV sets are between 60 inches and 90 inches, and 11 TVs have 3D capabilities.

The high-end Quattron 8-series 3D LED TVs will be priced between $2,999.99 for a 60-inch class TV and $6,499.99 for a 80-inch class TV. The Aquos 7-Series 3D TVs are priced at up to $5,999.99, while the 6-Series TVs are priced at up to $4,999.99. The TVs will become available starting in February.

Agam Shah covers PCs, tablets, servers, chips and semiconductors for IDG News Service. Follow Agam on Twitter at @agamsh. Agam's e-mail address is agam_shah@idg.com

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