The Sharp Aquos LC-70UD1U is an Ultra HD television (also called UHD, or 4K) with 3840x2160 pixel resolution, four times that of a 1080p HDTV. As an LCD TV with LED backlighting, this Sharp not only functions as a regular HDTV, but it can also display higher-than-HD resolution movies and videos that are delivered in the Ultra HD format. Unfortunately, we have no commercially available UHD content to play on this TV at this time, so we could not evaluate this display's image quality with these high resolution videos. However, using an HD-to-UHD upconverting Blu-ray player, and our UHD images and test patterns we can offer a very good prediction of how well this display will perform with native UHD content. To evaluate this Sharp's overall performance we ran the TV through all our standard HDTV tests, most of which remain valid regardless of the video type, unless otherwise noted. Comments about this TV's UHD picture performance are provided.
PICTURE QUALITY This model had excellent high-definition picture quality. It did a top-notch job displaying the finest detail. Images details were a bit over-enhanced but not distractingly so, and we could not minimize this with the sharpness control. Edges of objects in the image stood out too much because of over-enhancement. Color accuracy was very good, with images looking quite natural. 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. Brightness level was only fair, dimmer than most, best-suited for a darker room. 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. There was a slight uneven brightness effect created cloudy areas most noticeable on very dark scenes. We routinely see this type of issue with many brands of LCD TVs, regardless of the type of backlight used (CCFL or LED). Though it's generally not a significant problem, it can vary in degree from TV to TV. 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 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 strong loss of color so flesh tones looked very 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.
ULTRA HD PERFORMANCE To test UHD picture performance we used our reference 4K upconverting Blu-ray player, the OPPO BDP-103, with its video output set to 3840x2160 resolution. While the Oppo can't yield the full performance of native UHD content, we can nevertheless determine how well the TV preserves the image quality of a variety of HD videos that have been upconverted to the UHD format. Based on our observations we rate this Sharp as having fine UHD picture performance. After adjusting the picture settings for best fidelity using our calibration procedure, upconverted 4K picture quality was observed to be free of added oversharpening, edge enhancement, noise reduction, or other processing effects which tend to reduce image fidelity. We anticipate that playback of native UHD content on this TV will yield full 4K detail, with the beyond-HD clarity we expect from the best Ultra HD content. How does this TV do with1080p? Since you'll likely watch mostly regular HD programs for the near term, we also checked to see how well this Sharp's internal HD-to-UHD upconverter performs on 1080p input video. We found that Sharp's upconversion was good, but shy of the Oppo's output quality. We saw some "shimmering" along the edges of objects in motion (visible only when viewed up close). In addition to our video tests, we also confirmed that digital photos played back via the USB port do take full advantage of the display's 4K resolution. Sharp provides a limited set of picture adjustments when viewing photos, including color temperature and gamma. The sharpness control is blocked, but fortunately our 4K test patterns showed no oversharpening was applied to the image that we would otherwise need to reduce. Photos look very detailed and natural on this set.
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 fair, below that of the better 3D sets. Minimally effective 3D due to noticeable amount of ghosting (left eye/right eye crosstalk) on our 3D test patterns and on a wide variety of 3D program content. We did see slight ghosting on our 3D test patterns when viewing at off angles, but wasn't a problem with typical 3D content. 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. In 3D mode, the picture was brighter than some other sets, a plus.
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 good volume range. At more typical listening volume levels the TV has a full bodied sound that has deep bass and good impact. Overall sound is on the bright side, a characteristic that got worse at higher volume settings. 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 very easy, 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.
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, Film Fresh, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Vudu. It also supports an optional Web cam for access to video conferencing applications such as Skype.
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, built-in Wi-Fi, and a Secure Digital memory card slot. 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: a printed user manual, an electronic manual in the TV's menu, a quick start guide, a remote with batteries, and two pairs of 3D glasses. 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.
