 Not an Aquos model, but solid 1080p performance and great value |
| Review Date: December 16, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Gadgester, Mother Earth |
Before I start, let me point out that this Sharp 1080p HDTV, LC-42SB45U, is *not* a model from their state-of-the-art Aquos line, which costs much more. I bought mine from Dell at a great price, and then realized this was not an Aquos. This is from what Sharp marketing geniuses call their "traditional LCD" line. (The Japanese are really great at marketing, aren't they?) This TV is made in China, underlining its value branding.
I struggled between giving this a 4-star vs. a 5-star rating. I'll explain. Picture quality-wise, it's excellent at 1080p -- I use it with my 60GB PS3 (which upconverts DVDs) -- with great contrast, smooth graphics and vibrant color (Sharp is best at color reproduction on LCD panels). The response time is 6 ms, and the viewing angle is an astonishing 176 degrees, both horizontally and vertidcally. (A flat surface has 180 degrees.) The maximum brightness is sufficient to allow you to use this set outdoors, on a patio, for example. (My old LCD TVs could not do this.)
I'm a movie buff so I watch a lot of Blu-rays and DVDs and have been very happy. (Tip: when using PS3's upscaling, set it to Normal, not Double Scale.) The built-in speakers (non-detachable) are passable for a small living room; you might want to use a home theater for hi-fi sound anyway.
When playing non-HDMI input materials -- e.g., from a traditional non-upconverting DVD player, an old VCR or non-HD cable content -- the picture quality is only average, hence my originally hesitation at giving this set a full 5-star endorsement. My guess is for this "traditional" (i.e., value) line, Sharp does not have a good non-HD upscaling engine that can improve the quality of non-HD images, or maybe it doesn't have one such engine at all. You'll notice aliasing artifacts that are absent from upconverted and native 1080 materials. (The Aquos models, on the other hand, excel at non-HD images as well.)
In the end, given the price I paid and given the solid build of the set, I feel I got a really good value, and when used with a PS3, this inexpensive 42" (actually 42 1/64" diagonally) 1080p LCD HDTV is terrific. Since I use it pretty much exclusively with my PS3, I'm very happy. Of course, you should be aware of its middling performance with non-HD content. |
Great Tv for a Solid Price
|
| Review Date: December 27, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Joseph Randazzo, New York, NY |
| I purchased this tv about a month and a half ago. Dell had this Tv for $799 free shipping. I was able to get my local P.C. Richard to price match it so I didn't have to wait to get it. I really enjoy this set. 3 HDMI ports, and a great picture. My ONLY problem with this tv, is that when switching Inputs the time it takes to show the picture, is a little slow. I can take anywhere up to about 6-7 seconds after selecting before the picture is displayed. I do not know if I have a fault set or so, but even with that I really cant complain too much. I too thought it was going to be an aquos, but did not see it printed on the side of the box, or on the tv. However, if your looking a really nice tv, for a pretty sweet price, this tv should be in the running for your decision. |
Great picture, great value
|
| Review Date: December 22, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Caffeine, Brooklyn, NY |
I agree with the previous person that this TV has great performance. I got mine from the Dell promotion as well and I've been very impressed by the picture quality.
The TV is not as thin as some more expensive products. Some might also find the sound not strong enough. But the picture quality is top notch and the colors are very vibrant.
I only watch TV for CNBC and football games, so I found this model more than enough to meet my needs. I use the volume at 20% to 30% and I think that the audio output is more than sufficient for me.
I'd recommend this product to my friends and family. It offers great quality and value. |
One of the Best HD TV Around
|
| Review Date: October 20, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Sujit Kumar Mahapatra, Cuttack |
| I have it for past 1 year now and it is superb. Never gave me an issue so far (Touch wood!!) The Picture quality is amazing. Initially i was not getting the 100% of it from HD Channels until i realized i am missing a HDMI cable (They don't give you that with this product). Once i got the HDMI cable, it is a pleasure to see those HD channels, and the clarity is amazing. I haven't tried a Blue Ray Drive yet on my TV. I have tried S-Video and it works fine. Overall i would recomend this TV to anyone, it's great. |
Excellent Product!
|
| Review Date: February 15, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Christopher A Gill, Wichita, KS |
Pros: I bought this as an upgrade from an Insignia 32" 720p LCD. The picture quality and contrast ratio are fantastic! The user interface is very easy to navigate and the remote control only has the buttons you need. Not 500 tiny buttons that do things which nobody ever uses! There are plenty of inputs including 3 HDMI ports. I only use 1 since I'm running everything through a receiver.
Cons: The speakers aren't very good quality. Vocals are very muffled and anything in the lower frequency range doesn't even attempt to come through. Possibly due to a high pass filter at about 180Hz? I don't use the built in speakers which is why I'm still giving the TV a 5 star rating. If you are going to use the on board speakers, it may be something you want to consider. The only thing that really bothers me about the TV is that all of the inputs are on the very back center which make them hard to get to. |
|
No video reviews found for this product.
