HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality was very good. It did a very good job displaying the fine detail of HD content. We did note some added edge enhancement processing, but it wasn't distracting. Color accuracy was very good, with flesh tones in particular, looking natural. Lack of contrast gave images a somewhat flatter appearance with little depth. Depth of black level was below average, with darker scenes in particular looking hazy, with little contrast. Image brightness was only fair, dimmer than most even with the backlight turned up, and is not the best choice for a bright room. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the model did a very good job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. The deinterlacing and film mode operations were excellent on HD content; there was little or no trace of jaggies on the edges of objects for video and film-based 1080i video content, such as from cable.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Sharp has a wide viewing angle overall, better than that of most TVs. It will provide the same picture quality, with fewer problems than most TVs, for typical viewing conditions -- say, if your family is seated across a long sectional or in chairs off to the sides. With dark scenes this model didn't fare quite as well. When viewed from the sides, the depth of black levels varied depending on the vertical position of the viewer's head. As we moved closer to the screen this limitation became even more apparent, especially if seated on the floor looking upward where black levels brightened significantly.
MOTION BLUR. This Sharp TV has good motion performance, with some blurring on our motion tests. This model does not include a blur reduction feature.
SCREEN REFLECTIVITY. Though not as mirror-like as on some models, this screen surface is glossy and therefore susceptible to reflections from a nearby lamp or window. It does a good job reducing glare from ambient light and maintains contrast in a brighter room environment.
SOUND QUALITY. This model has fair sound quality with below average performance. It's acceptable for typical programming, but shortcomings become obvious with movie soundtracks and music. Bass was lacking, but treble was nicely detailed, while the overall sound was a bit thin and closed in. The speakers produced a good volume range so this model should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments and without obvious distortion. If sound quality matters to you, you might want to add a soundbar or other external speaker system -- but if this smaller-screen set is a secondary TV, you might find its sound quality acceptable.
EASE OF USE. The dark labeling of the connections on the TV console is very difficult to read. On first power up there is an on-screen guide that helps you through setting up the TV. Sharp includes a basic remote that has traditional button navigation controls and number keypad. It includes direct button access to Netflix, Vudu, Amazon and YouTube streaming services. The high contrast labels on the buttons make them easier to read in a dimmer viewing environment. Consider the TV's stand is 29 inches wide when choosing a table top to place it on.
INTERNET FEATURES. This TV provides Internet functionality with a selection of applications with access to a library of applications. Movie streaming services that can be downloaded to this TV, or are built-in, include Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video. Also provides support for Amazon Alexa devices.
CONNECTIONS. This model has two HDMI inputs-- one supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), one composite input, and no component input. It also has one USB port, an optical digital audio out, a headphone out, an Ethernet port, WiFi wireless networking; DLNA, to access files within your home network; Casting, which allows you to send streaming content from your mobile device to the TV via your home network; Screen mirroring, where the image on your smartphone or other compatible device can also appear on the TV.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX. A quick start guide. A remote control with batteries. No printed manual is included.
