HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality was only decent. It did an excellent job displaying the finest detail of HD content. Color accuracy was acceptable, but below that of most models. Color temperature was slightly on the warm side, lending images a reddish tone. Contrast--the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites--was good, so images had depth and dimension, typical of most models we test. The brightness level was good, making it a suitable choice for most rooms. The model had fairly deep black levels, just shy of the best models, which gave dark scenes better depth (though quality does degrade as you move to the sides - see viewing angle). 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. There was notable display non-uniformity that created brighter cloudy areas, most visible on very dark scenes (or in the black bars of a letterboxed movie). We routinely see this issue with LCDs and severity can vary from model to model. Film mode operation for HD film-based content was excellent, with no visible jaggies along the edges of objects during motion scenes. Deinterlacing on the other hand was only good, with some jaggies visible when converting 1080i video content, such as from cable, to the display's native resolution.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Sceptre has a moderate viewing angle overall, decent, but not quite as good as the better-performing TVs we've tested. The optimal seating position for best picture quality is directly in front of this model. When we viewed the TV from the sides, image quality got worse. The picture showed a moderate loss of color, so flesh tones looked a bit washed out. Black levels visibly brightened, reducing contrast especially on dark scenes. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle was very good. The picture showed minimal change in color, contrast, and black level.
ULTRA HD PERFORMANCE. Overall UHD performance was decent but showed very good HD-to-UHD upconversion. All native 4K content (non HDR) we played on this model, including movies and test videos, showed generally very good detail when played back via the TV's HDMI input, but fell short of the better performers. High-resolution photos were a mixed bag, with images showing full 2160 pixel vertical resolution, but horizontal resolution was cut in half, showing compromised 4K detail on our test images. With regular HD content, the TV's HD-to-UHD up-conversion processing was very good, with edges along diagonals of image content showing slight jaggies, just short of the best we've seen.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) PERFORMANCE. This model does not support HDR.
MOTION BLUR. This Sceptre TV has good motion performance, with some blurring on our motion tests. This is better than average for LCD displays with the basic 60Hz frame rate. Though this model includes Sceptre's "MEMC", a feature designed to reduce motion blur.
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 notably absent, and treble was nicely detailed, while the overall sound was on the bright side thin closed in. The speakers produced a good volume range so this model should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments, and quality does degrade at high volume levels. Also, at higher volume, dynamic compression kept the sound from distorting, but also limited the clarity of peaks in loudness, which can be distracting. If sound quality matters to you, you might want to add a soundbar or other external speaker system.
EASE OF USE. On first power up there is an on-screen guide that helps you through setting up the TV. Sceptre includes a basic remote that has traditional button navigation controls and number keypad. Though the buttons have high contrast labeling, the text is very small, making it less easy to read in a dimmer viewing environment.
INTERNET FEATURES. This TV does not provide access to the Internet.
CONNECTIONS. This model has four HDMI inputs-- one supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), one "component/composite shared" input (which means you can only use one type or the other at a time) one USB port, an optical digital audio out. The cable connections on the rear panel are recessed with side or bottom-facing ports, so wires don't protrude beyond the display's depth.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX. A quick start guide. A remote control with batteries. No printed manual is included.
ABOUT ULTRA HD TESTING: We test UHD picture quality using 4K movies, videos, photos, and test patterns to confirm these displays deliver performance to this format's full potential. We check the TV's ability to reproduce 4K image detail, as well as high dynamic range (HDR) for TVs that support this capability. Image quality is tested using a 4K movie player connected to the TV's HDMI input, as well as from files stored on flash drive plugged into the TV's USB port. We also check the quality of 4K streaming from Netflix or YouTube (if the service is supported by the TV), and how well the TV can upscale HD movies to the display's higher UHD resolution while keeping artifacts such as "jaggies" along the edges of image content to a minimum. The best UHD TVs, and HDTVs, present high fidelity images that reveal the full quality of the best source content without degradation.HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality was only decent. It did an excellent job displaying the finest detail of HD content. Color accuracy was acceptable, but below that of most models. Color temperature was slightly on the warm side, lending images a reddish tone. Contrast--the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites--was good, so images had depth and dimension, typical of most models we test. The brightness level was good, making it a suitable choice for most rooms. The model had fairly deep black levels, just shy of the best models, which gave dark scenes better depth (though quality does degrade as you move to the sides - see viewing angle). 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. There was notable display non-uniformity that created brighter cloudy areas, most visible on very dark scenes (or in the black bars of a letterboxed movie). We routinely see this issue with LCDs and severity can vary from model to model. Film mode operation for HD film-based content was excellent, with no visible jaggies along the edges of objects during motion scenes. Deinterlacing on the other hand was only good, with some jaggies visible when converting 1080i video content, such as from cable, to the display's native resolution.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Sceptre has a moderate viewing angle overall, decent, but not quite as good as the better-performing TVs we've tested. The optimal seating position for best picture quality is directly in front of this model. When we viewed the TV from the sides, image quality got worse. The picture showed a moderate loss of color, so flesh tones looked a bit washed out. Black levels visibly brightened, reducing contrast especially on dark scenes. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle was very good. The picture showed minimal change in color, contrast, and black level.
ULTRA HD PERFORMANCE. Overall UHD performance was decent but showed very good HD-to-UHD upconversion. All native 4K content (non HDR) we played on this model, including movies and test videos, showed generally very good detail when played back via the TV's HDMI input, but fell short of the better performers. High-resolution photos were a mixed bag, with images showing full 2160 pixel vertical resolution, but horizontal resolution was cut in half, showing compromised 4K detail on our test images. With regular HD content, the TV's HD-to-UHD up-conversion processing was very good, with edges along diagonals of image content showing slight jaggies, just short of the best we've seen.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) PERFORMANCE. This model does not support HDR.
MOTION BLUR. This Sceptre TV has good motion performance, with some blurring on our motion tests. This is better than average for LCD displays with the basic 60Hz frame rate. Though this model includes Sceptre's "MEMC", a feature designed to reduce motion blur.
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 notably absent, and treble was nicely detailed, while the overall sound was on the bright side thin closed in. The speakers produced a good volume range so this model should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments, and quality does degrade at high volume levels. Also, at higher volume, dynamic compression kept the sound from distorting, but also limited the clarity of peaks in loudness, which can be distracting. If sound quality matters to you, you might want to add a soundbar or other external speaker system.
EASE OF USE. On first power up there is an on-screen guide that helps you through setting up the TV. Sceptre includes a basic remote that has traditional button navigation controls and number keypad. Though the buttons have high contrast labeling, the text is very small, making it less easy to read in a dimmer viewing environment.
INTERNET FEATURES. This TV does not provide access to the Internet.
CONNECTIONS. This model has four HDMI inputs-- one supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), one "component/composite shared" input (which means you can only use one type or the other at a time) one USB port, an optical digital audio out. The cable connections on the rear panel are recessed with side or bottom-facing ports, so wires don't protrude beyond the display's depth.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX. A quick start guide. A remote control with batteries. No printed manual is included.
ABOUT ULTRA HD TESTING: We test UHD picture quality using 4K movies, videos, photos, and test patterns to confirm these displays deliver performance to this format's full potential. We check the TV's ability to reproduce 4K image detail, as well as high dynamic range (HDR) for TVs that support this capability. Image quality is tested using a 4K movie player connected to the TV's HDMI input, as well as from files stored on flash drive plugged into the TV's USB port. We also check the quality of 4K streaming from Netflix or YouTube (if the service is supported by the TV), and how well the TV can upscale HD movies to the display's higher UHD resolution while keeping artifacts such as "jaggies" along the edges of image content to a minimum. The best UHD TVs, and HDTVs, present high fidelity images that reveal the full quality of the best source content without degradation.HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality was only decent. It did an excellent job displaying the finest detail of HD content. Color accuracy was acceptable, but below that of most models. Color temperature was slightly on the warm side, lending images a reddish tone. Contrast--the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites--was good, so images had depth and dimension, typical of most models we test. The brightness level was good, making it a suitable choice for most rooms. The model had fairly deep black levels, just shy of the best models, which gave dark scenes better depth (though quality does degrade as you move to the sides - see viewing angle). 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. There was notable display non-uniformity that created brighter cloudy areas, most visible on very dark scenes (or in the black bars of a letterboxed movie). We routinely see this issue with LCDs and severity can vary from model to model. Film mode operation for HD film-based content was excellent, with no visible jaggies along the edges of objects during motion scenes. Deinterlacing on the other hand was only good, with some jaggies visible when converting 1080i video content, such as from cable, to the display's native resolution.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Sceptre has a moderate viewing angle overall, decent, but not quite as good as the better-performing TVs we've tested. The optimal seating position for best picture quality is directly in front of this model. When we viewed the TV from the sides, image quality got worse. The picture showed a moderate loss of color, so flesh tones looked a bit washed out. Black levels visibly brightened, reducing contrast especially on dark scenes. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle was very good. The picture showed minimal change in color, contrast, and black level.
ULTRA HD PERFORMANCE. Overall UHD performance was decent but showed very good HD-to-UHD upconversion. All native 4K content (non HDR) we played on this model, including movies and test videos, showed generally very good detail when played back via the TV's HDMI input, but fell short of the better performers. High-resolution photos were a mixed bag, with images showing full 2160 pixel vertical resolution, but horizontal resolution was cut in half, showing compromised 4K detail on our test images. With regular HD content, the TV's HD-to-UHD up-conversion processing was very good, with edges along diagonals of image content showing slight jaggies, just short of the best we've seen.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) PERFORMANCE. This model does not support HDR.
MOTION BLUR. This Sceptre TV has good motion performance, with some blurring on our motion tests. This is better than average for LCD displays with the basic 60Hz frame rate. Though this model includes Sceptre's "MEMC", a feature designed to reduce motion blur.
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 notably absent, but treble was nicely detailed, while the overall sound was on the bright side, thin and closed in. The speakers produced a good volume range so this model should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments, but quality does degrade at high volume levels. Also, at higher volume, dynamic compression kept the sound from distorting, but also limited the clarity of peaks in loudness, which can be distracting. If sound quality matters to you, you might want to add a soundbar or other external speaker system.
EASE OF USE. On first power up there is an on-screen guide that helps you through setting up the TV. Sceptre includes a basic remote that has traditional button navigation controls and number keypad. Though the buttons have high contrast labeling, the text is very small, making it less easy to read in a dimmer viewing environment.
INTERNET FEATURES. This TV does not provide access to the Internet.
CONNECTIONS. This model has four HDMI inputs-- one supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), one "component/composite shared" input (which means you can only use one type or the other at a time) one USB port, an optical digital audio out. The cable connections on the rear panel are recessed with side or bottom-facing ports, so wires don't protrude beyond the display's depth.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX. A quick start guide. A remote control with batteries. No printed manual is included.
ABOUT ULTRA HD TESTING: We test UHD picture quality using 4K movies, videos, photos, and test patterns to confirm these displays deliver performance to this format's full potential. We check the TV's ability to reproduce 4K image detail, as well as high dynamic range (HDR) for TVs that support this capability. Image quality is tested using a 4K movie player connected to the TV's HDMI input, as well as from files stored on flash drive plugged into the TV's USB port. We also check the quality of 4K streaming from Netflix or YouTube (if the service is supported by the TV), and how well the TV can upscale HD movies to the display's higher UHD resolution while keeping artifacts such as "jaggies" along the edges of image content to a minimum. The best UHD TVs, and HDTVs, present high fidelity images that reveal the full quality of the best source content without degradation.
