Google's lone Android TV box is getting some company, but not in the form of a more capable over-the-top box. Sharp has announced three new 4K TV series at CES 2015, and two of them have Android TV built-in. It'll cost you, though.
Sharp's new 4K UHD TVs come in three versions—UB30, UE30, and UH30. The UB30 is a budget option that starts well under $1000 and doesn't have Android TV, so we'll just ignore that one in this context. The UE30 is a premium tier option with Android TV and a ton of other features.
UE30
- 4K Ultra HD: 4X the pixel resolution of Full HD
- Revelation™ Upscaler
- 4K Ultra HD Streaming (HEVC/h.265; VP9)
- AquoMotion™ 480
- AquoDimming™
- SmartCentral™ 4.0
- Android TV platform
- 4K Ultra HD Specs (HDMI 2.0; HDCP 2.2)
- Modern Design – ultra slim bezel, sleek stand
- Dual Stand Placement Options (70” diag./80” diag.)
- Wallpaper Mode
- Quad-core processor
- 4 HDMI, 3 USB, Wi-Fi
- MSRP 60” Class LC60UE30: $1,999.99
- MSRP 70” Class LC70UE30: $2,799.99
- MSRP 80” Class LC80UE30: $5,399.99
The UH30 is Sharp's top-of-the-line series with better post-processing, more ports, and a "touchpad" remote. It, of course, has Android TV too.
UH30
- THX 4K-Certified Picture Quality (THX certification pending 70” (69.5” diag.) only
- SPECTROS™ Rich Color Display
- Revelation™ Upscaler
- 4K Ultra HD Streaming (HEVC/h.265; VP9)
- 4K Ultra HD Specs (HDMI 2.0, HDCP 2.2)
- AquoMotion™ 960
- AquoDimming™
- SmartCentral™ 4.0
- Android TV platform
- Modern Design – ultra slim bezel, sleek stand
- Dual Stand Placement Options
- Wallpaper Mode
- Quad-core processor
- Touchpad Remote
- 4 HDMI, 3 USB, Wi-Fi
- MSRP 70” Class LC70UH30: $3,199.99
- MSRP 80” Class LC80UH30: $5,999.99
These are all really expensive TVs—Android TV isn't exactly a selling point in these circumstances. It's more of a nice extra. There's no reason to jump from the budget tier UB30 to the UE30 just for Android TV when there are $99 add-on boxes. Still, if you want a TV with all the bells and whistles, Sharp's new sets will be available this spring.