science

Quattron

Quattron is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Quattron rather than just read about it. In short: Quattron is the brand name of an LCD color display technology produced by Sharp Electronics. In addition to the standard RGB (red, green, and blue) color subpixels, the technology utilizes a yellow fourth color subpixel (RGBY) which Sharp claims increases the range of displayable colors, and which may mimic more closely the way the brain processes color information.

Key takeaways

Quattron belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Quattron to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Quattron from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Quattron is the brand name of an LCD color display technology produced by Sharp Electronics. In addition to the standard RGB (red, green, and blue) color subpixels, the technology utilizes a yellow fourth color subpixel (RGBY) which Sharp claims increases the range of displayable colors, and which may mimic more closely the way the brain processes color information. The screen is a form of multi-primary color display, other forms of which have been developed in parallel to Sharp's version. The technology is used in Sharp's Aquos LCD TV product line, particularly in models with screens 40 inches across and larger. It was at first introduced as “sub-pixel color technology” and then later coined into Quattron technology by Linda Lim from Sharp Malaysia. The technology, distinct from the product line, has been advertised featuring George Takei as the spokesperson in the debut commercial, in which he uses his catchphrase "Oh My". Another commercial had Takei advertising the 3-D model with the Minions from the 2010 movie Despicable Me. In Malaysia, the famous tagline was “4C has arrived, 3C is over” mimicking the attention of 4G technology trend at that moment, but was actually referring to its advanced color technology. The later version was known as Quattron Pro with further subdivided pixels applied to its HDTV range.

Reception

Analysis According to an analysis by Raymond Soneira, president of DisplayMate Technologies, a video calibration equipment producer, the industry-standard color spaces used by content providers mean there is no existing source material that contains the fourth color channel. He therefore concludes that any "extra" colors displayed must be created in the television itself through video processing, resulting in exaggerated, less accurate color.

Color researchers at Queen Mary University of London investigated the Quattron technology and found that although Quattron does have four physical color sub-pixels, it does not have a fourth primary in the backlight to drive it (yellow is approximately 575 nm). In other words, Quattron has a yellow sub-pixel to let light through, but the manufacturer has not made any provision to produce the yellow light needed to pass through it. (The yellow subpixel merely lets through more red and green light.) On that basis they conclude that it serves no useful function.

See also Color depth Gamut Opponent process, a color theory which considers yellow a primary color in addition to the classic RGB color model PenTile matrix family (RGB reproduction via alternated RG/BG, RG/BW, etc.) RGBE filter – a Bayer filter with "emerald" as a 4th color Hexachrome, a system for printing with six colours Tetrachromacy, a different biological system from trichromacy, theorized to exist in some humans Trichromacy, scientific description of the RGB model for human vision

References

External links Aquos LCD TV (Sharp website) Sharp LC46LE821E Review – Technical assessment of Quattron TV by David Mackenzie at HDTVtest

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Quattron

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Quattron claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Quattron before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Quattron ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Quattron

In research: Quattron appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Quattron in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Quattron is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Color depths, Color space, Consumer electronics brands, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Quattron outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Quattron in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Quattron means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Quattron out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Quattron in simple terms?

Why does Quattron matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Quattron?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Quattron.