PICTURE QUALITY This model had very good high-definition picture quality and did an excellent job displaying the finest detail. Color accuracy was very good, with images looking quite natural. Color temperature was moderately on the cool side, lending images a bluish tone. Contrast--the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites--was good, so images showed some depth and dimension. In this respect, the TV was similar to most of the models we test. The brightness level was good, making it a suitable choice for most rooms. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the TV did an excellent job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. Film mode operation for HD film-based content was excellent, with no visible jaggies along the edges of objects during motion scenes. Deinterlacing was very good, with minimal jaggies visible when converting 1080i video content, such as from cable, to the display's native resolution.
VIEWING ANGLE This Sharp has a narrow viewing angle overall, below-average performance among LCD sets on this attribute. Only those seated directly in front of the screen will see the best picture quality. If your family is seated in chairs off to the sides of the TV, they will see increasing degradation of image quality the farther they sit from center.
When we moved off to the sides the horizontal viewing angle was fair; the picture showed a moderate loss of color so flesh tones looked washed out, along with a slight color shift. Black levels brightened significantly, making dark scenes look hazy. Even when viewed from right in front of the screen, dark scenes were brighter at the sides due to the limited horizontal sweet spot. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle was good. The picture showed some change in color, contrast, and black level.
SHARP QUATTRON PLUS PERFORMANCE With its "Resolution Enhance" feature set to "off", the TV acts like a regular HDTV. But with the feature set to "Mode 1," Sharp's Quattron Plus TV claims near-Ultra HD picture performance by making special use of its extra 10 million sub-pixels. We put this claim to the test with interesting results. Via its HDMI 1.4- capable input, the Sharp can accept and display 4K content shot with frame rates up to 30Hz. Using our Redray 4K Cinema player, we watched Ultra HD content on the Sharp to determine if detail did in fact extend beyond regular HD, and the results were mixed. While horizontal resolution did extend to near UHD levels, vertical resolution was stuck at around 1080p. 4K videos looked very detailed with a pixel density that appeared to be higher than that of a regular 1080p (thanks to the extra sub-pixels), but closer scrutiny also revealed the noted resolution discordance, with images often showing very fine detail along vertical edges and somewhat jaggy edges along diagonals nearing a horizontal position. We also played UHD resolution photos via the TV's USB port and we found similar results. All in all, the images presented solid performance by HD standards, but fell short when compared to that of a true Ultra HD. How does regular 1080p content look on the Quattron Plus? On the positive side, bright scenes are nicely detailed (except for the noted caveats) with good color accuracy and contrast. However, 1080p content suffered a slight loss of vertical resolution with Resolution Enhance active, but no loss with the feature off. Additionally, we couldn't help but notice that darker shadow detail and film grain were being horizontally smeared, as we saw while watching "Batman The Dark Knight" Blu-ray video. As we toggled the Resolution Enhance feature on and off, we could see the smearing come and go. There was also moderate edge enhancement applied to the image that couldn't be minimized. Some may appreciate the added "pop" this gives to the image, but pickier videophiles may object. For the purposes of our tests, we evaluated this Sharp's performance with the Resolution Enhance feature turned off, as this provided the overall highest fidelity image.
MOTION BLUR This Sharp TV has very good motion performance, with minimal blurring on our motion tests, thanks to Sharp's Motion Enhancement. This feature is designed to reduce motion blur, a shortcoming of most LCD TVs. With the feature turned off, motion performance was only fair, with significant blurring on our motion tests.
SCREEN REFLECTIVITY Though not as mirror-like as on some LCDs, this screen surface is glossy and therefore susceptible to reflections from a nearby lamp or window. The screen is dark so it does a good job reducing glare from ambient light and maintains contrast even in a bright room.
3D PERFORMANCE The overall 3D effect was only good, a notch below the better 3D displays. 3D images generally showed effective depth but with a noticeable level of ghosting (left eye/right eye crosstalk) on our 3D test patterns and on a wide variety of 3D program content. We didn't see any increase in ghosting when viewing at off angles. In 3D mode, the display presented full 1080p resolution to each eye, showing all the detail from the best 3D content from Blu-ray disc.
SOUND QUALITY This TV's sound is good, fine for typical TV programming, but won't reproduce the full range of movie soundtracks and music. It has a wide volume range, allowing the TV to play loud with no obvious distortion. At more typical listening volume levels the TV's sound has only decent bass and impact, and is bright sounding. All told, none of these issues were overly distracting and most will find this sound quality acceptable.
EASE OF USE Overall, we found the set easy to use. Setting up the TV for the first time was fairly straightforward, as was access to features and controls you'll probably adjust only once. Ease of access to features you typically use more often was very good. Also, the remote is very good, and the on-screen menu is easy to navigate.
The black against black labeling of the connectors on the TV console is very difficult to read. Remote has a dedicated button to access Internet features, and to access 3D.
STAND ASSEMBLY Mounting the TV to the included support stand is fairly straightforward. The stand requires the assembly of a few parts before mounting.
INTERNET FEATURES This TV provides basic Internet functionality with a limited selection of applications. Movie streaming services include: CinemaNow, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Vudu.
CONNECTIONS This TV includes four HDMI inputs, one component input, two composite inputs, one VGA input, optical digital audio out, two USB ports, an Ethernet port, and built-in Wi-Fi. Wireless connectivity includes: DLNA network file sharing. HDMI and analog cable connections made to the rear-facing panel will protrude beyond the panel's slim depth.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX The TV comes with: while no user manual is provided there is one built into the TV's menu electronically, a quick start guide, and a remote with batteries. ABOUT FIRMWARE VERSION: Our test results and picture settings are valid for the version of firmware indicated. If your TV's firmware differs from the one shown you either have an older or a newer version of firmware. Manufacturers may periodically upgrade the TV's firmware to enhance operation, fix bugs, or add features. Firmware upgrades may be downloadable directly to your TV via a wired or wireless network (if internet capable), USB port, or memory card, depending on your TV's capability. You can check your TV's firmware version, or upgrade to the latest firmware by pressing the menu button on your remote and navigating to the appropriate submenu, typically under settings. Consult the user manual or manufacturer's website if further guidance is needed.
