Sharp Announces Price Reduction for AQUOS Liquid Crystal Televisions

Significant Reduction Available to Consumers In Time For Holiday Season
October 4, 2001 - Sharp Electronics Corporation, a global leader in LCD technology, has aggressively lowered prices on its line of 10-, 13-, 15- and 20-inch AQUOS(tm) Liquid Crystal Televisions, achieving 10-18 percent price reductions since the line was introduced this summer. The AQUOS line offers a slim design at just more than two inches thin; bright, clear picture quality and 160-degree viewing angles. The price reductions are a direct result of enhanced worldwide consumer sales of the high-style, high-performance televisions, and improved production efficiencies at the new LCD manufacturing facility in Mie, Japan. The price break comes just in time for consumers to purchase an AQUOS for the 2001 holiday season.

The new pricing for Sharp's AQUOS line of Liquid Crystal Televisions is as follows. The 10-inch Liquid Crystal Television is the first Sharp model to break the $1,000 price barrier.

Model	Original MSRP	New MSRP
10-inch (LC-10A3U)	$1,099.95	$ 999.95
13-inch (LC-13B2U)	1,599.95	1,299.95
15-inch (LC-15B2U)	2,299.95	1,999.95
20-inch (LC-20B2U)	3,999.95	3299.95

"Sharp is extremely proud to be able to bring AQUOS prices down so dramatically through efficiencies in the Mie, Japan facility which has recently tripled its production capacity," said Tony Favia, senior product manager, Liquid Crystal Television, Sharp Electronics Corporation. "It is our highest priority to deliver high-style and high-performance televisions that have top-of-the-line picture quality at a consumer-friendly price."

The AQUOS series combines the bright, clear picture quality of Sharp's original Liquid Crystal Televisions with a sleek design, brighter picture and the new Black TFT technology that provides reduced glare in strong light for "TV where you want it." This proprietary Black TFT technology combines an anti-glare treatment with a low-reflection coating that allows a clear picture even in strong-light conditions.

Also notable about the AQUOS is its sleek and stylish design. Two speakers frame the unit on either side and produce high-quality stereo audio. The AQUOS features a redesigned stand and carrying handle that make transportation and setup easy. Its ultra-thin design, creating a television only slightly more than two-inches thick, along with its 160-degree viewing angle, makes the AQUOS line a truly unique product. With the included stand or optional mounting brackets, the televisions can be placed on a wall, on a bookshelf, or anywhere else consumers can imagine.

The AQUOS brand invokes images of the fluidity of liquid crystal and serves to emphasize the elegant design and superior performance of Sharp products. The AQUOS line, which includes all of Sharp's newest flat-panel consumer LCD products, incorporates the latest innovations in design and technology and also boasts the same quality features consumers have come to expect from Sharp - such as a long life backlight (60,000 hours), multiple video signal inputs (S-Video, Composite and Component*), built-in cable TV tuner, remote control, V-Chip and high brightness for more vibrant colors in darker environments. These AQUOS televisions are efficient in that they consume 60 percent less power than comparably-sized CRT direct-view televisions.

* component not available on 10-inch models.

Sharp currently distributes Liquid Crystal Televisions through regional audio/video specialty stores, high-end catalogs and at Best Buy stores nationwide.

For more information on Sharp's full line of Liquid Crystal Televisions, contact Sharp Electronics Corporation, Sharp Plaza, Mahwah, New Jersey 07430 or call 1-877-388-SHARP. For online product information, visit Sharp's Web site at www.sharp-usa.com.

SOURCE Sharp