In the wake of Vizio’s stunning sales performance, snatching away the coveted top selling LCD brand in the US from Sony last month, top tier flat panel brands are scrambling, looking for ways to differentiate their products from the pack of low priced ODM units flooding the market. To that end, Sharp announced two new THX certified LCD-TVs, passing the display certification program from THX (San Rafael, CA; www.thx.com).

Steve Sechrist
Senior Analyst and Editor
Projection Monthly

THX became a consumer name when they brought authenticity to cinema audio (remember the first time you heard the loud crescendo along with the THX logo with the sign: "The audience is listening?"). Recently, it has remade itself into a quality digital convergence clearinghouse seeking to support the accurate presentation of the artists’ true intent in the home cinema experience.

To its credit, Sharp, always a bit ahead of the curve, set in motion the THX logo certification process long before Visio appeared on the radar screen. The company "earned" (this word is not used lightly) the THX logo for two larger (52- and 65-inch) LCD-TVs fresh off the new Sharp Gen8 line. The units had to meet both device performance and video signal processing standards set by the THX display team. THX said other tier-one flat panel brands are also in the "certification pipe," but could not comment beyond that.

Robert Hewitt, vice president of sales at THX announced the THX certification of Sharp’s LV-65TH1 and LV-52TH1 LCD displays. "Our program sets the bar high for HDTV picture quality. We are confident that THX certification will become a key differentiator and help further communicate Sharp’s commitment to superior performance." This was also echoed as a major theme at the Sharp Press conference at CEDIA this year.

For Sharp (or any other display company) THX certification is no small feat. THX said displays must meet static benchmark standards including Color, Gama, Contrast, Black level, and Gray Scale and dynamic standards in scaling, de-interlacing and over-scan capabilities, plus, demonstrate SMPTE, VESA and HDMI compatibility.

During the certification process, THX worked with Sharp engineers from early design concept to product rollout. THX engineers put the displays under rigorous testing methods and analyzed the products in both laboratory and home theater environments. The company produced the two units using a different set of electronics than standard models, but even with all this up front preparation, Sharp needed to send a display engineer from Japan to "tweak" the models using internal "factory level menu’s" not accessible to dealers or installers. For Sharp, this process went on for about a week before the new sets met the rigorous THX display spec.

At the user level, Sharp said the LCD’s offer a "THX Movie Mode" so consumers can recreate the cinema experience on their display. The video setting calibrates the display for the best possible playback of streamed or recorded content. Sharp will first introduce the "T Series" LCDs through premium audio-video retailers in Japan-but no word on the price delta THX Certified sets will fetch in the market.

The Q2 Vizio sales results were a broadside to all tier-one flat panel manufacturers, now in ramp up mode for the holiday buying season. These companies always knew they could not sustain a 30% / year price drop and perhaps now is the time to rethink the strategy of buying market share to one of earning the respect of customers with superior features, functionality and benefits worthy of the tier-one product status. Most consumers will pay the price delta if they see the long-term benefits in doing so. The THX certification program can go a long way in communicating that "benefits" message. Runco, now part of Planar, received the first THX certification of projectors at last years’ CEDIA. Now, Sharp is blazing the trail with LCD TVs.

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