Sharp first in line for 4K THX certification with Aquos Ultra

Sharp has unveiled the Aquos Ultra, its own ultra-high-end 70-inch 4K TV which the company claims to be the only THX-certified 4K set available. Gaining THX certification isn't easy, with Sharp claiming a total of "400 rigorous performance tests" in order to make the grade.

The television uses a dual-core signal processor to allow you to upscale HD content to 4K and ships with pre-calibrated THX Movie viewing modes. From our experience, the latter is what is really exciting. THX pre-calibration usually results in a television looking very good indeed, especially when viewing movies. 

Irritating then that there just isn't any proper 4K content out there, with most being stuck enjoying upscaled footage in all its THX goodness. The price for all this technology? Some $8,000, with a mid August release date. Expect UK pricing to follow soon, if it does end up being launched in the UK.

Sound comes in the form of a dual subwoofer system managing 35 watts of output. Then you have Sharp's own Smart TV offering, which comes with internet connectivity and plenty of other apps, including Beam, which allows you to send video from your smartphone.

All we need now is some good 4K content as it looks like Sharp has the set to watch it on.