Samsung UN46B8500 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LED HDTV

Written by Best Buy HDTVs on February 8th, 2010 in Samsung TV.
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Samsung UN46B8500

PICTURE

In terms of video quality, this TV is awesome. I can’t imagine how the picture could be much better.

There are some minor picture quality issues with off-angle viewing (as the CNET review states), but I think CNET exaggerates the severity — it’s only noticeable to me if I’m far off center.

I haven’t yet noticed any blooming effects.

Setting the “judder reduction” to 10 introduces some distortion at times, but a setting of 6 smoothes out motion well without noticeable distortion. However, this varies a bit with different source material. When viewing video files via DLNA that have a lower frame rate, the judder reduction setting can sometimes make things worse. But this is easy to turn off/on by source.

The color level seemed slightly off initially, even with CNET’s recommended settings. For example, sometimes a blue sky would look slightly purple (i.e., too much red). But this was easily adjusted in the picture settings.

AUDIO

Unfortunately, digital audio output from the TV does not pass through multi-channel audio from HDMI inputs. You need to run extra digital audio cables from your DVD player and other components to your AV receiver if you’d like Dolby Digital or DTS sound.

ENERGY

I measured the electricity usage at 110-115 watts (energy saving mode at “auto”, volume off, picture adjusted per CNET recommendation). Setting energy saving mode to auto doesn’t seem to hurt the picture quality at all.

This is very energy efficient — it uses less power than my old 32″ CRT TV. I’m amazed at how little heat I can feel coming from the back of the set.

REMOTE

If you have a universal learning remote, it will not be able to learn from the RF remote that comes with this TV (i.e., since standard remotes are IR rather than RF). However, I called Samsung and they sent me a compatible IR remote, free of charge. With that remote, I was able to program my universal learning remote. Ask for remote BN59-00851A.

BUILD QUALITY

One small build quality issue that I encountered: the plastic at the base of my TV extended a bit too far, making it impossible to fit it into the stand. I had to carve away some of the plastic in the slots of the stand just to get it to fit, which made me a bit uneasy. But other than that, the build quality is fine.

MEDIA FEATURES

Viewing video files via DLNA works well, for the file types that are supported. Although I’ve encountered many files that the TV doesn’t play for one reason or another (see below), the ones that it does play work well. I regularly stream 1080p video files from my PC, and the picture looks perfect (with wired Ethernet).

The TV has a variety of Internet and media features. But unfortunately there are lots of quality issues such as:

1. When playing video files through USB, DLNA, or Internet features, most TV controls are disabled. While you can adjust basic picture settings, you can’t choose 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratios. In playing NTSC video (i.e., any video that came from standard def TV, DVD, home movies) from USB or DLNA, the aspect ratio is *always wrong*: 16:9 video is always squeezed too thin and 4:3 video is always stretched too fat.

2. The TV does not decode DTS audio for video files played through USB or DLNA. While I wouldn’t necessarily expect this of a TV, I would have hoped that it would just pass through the audio stream to the digital audio output for an AV receiver to decode. It does pass through Dolby Digital from video files (but not from HDMI) to the digital audio output, but it does not pass DTS. Many HD video files have DTS, but unfortunately I can’t play any of these on this TV.

3. There is no fast forward, rewind, or chapter advance when playing video clips or movies. This is true of playing YouTube videos as well. Although there is a “skip” feature where you can jump in increments (e.g., 10 seconds), this is only available for some video files (most don’t support this, in my experience).

4. As the CNET review stated, the Yahoo widgets are extremely slow to start. Note that this has nothing to do with your Internet speed, since I have a 25 Mbit Internet service with wired Ethernet to the TV and it’s still painfully slow. I have an HD TiVo with a lot of the same features as the Yahoo widgets, and that is far more enjoyable to use. But the one area where the Yahoo widgets outperformed TiVo was YouTube — the Yahoo YouTube widget can play HD video clips as HD but TiVo plays them as SD.

5. For some reason, the DLNA file management user interface is a bit different from the USB file management UI. You can work with hierarchical folders with the USB capability, but not DLNA. All video files from your PC are presented as a flat (large) horizontal list, and it’s awkward to navigate if you have more than a few files. Both the USB and DLNA UIs are kind of clunky, but DLNA is worse than the USB.

I assume that these problems exist with all Samsung TVs with the Media 2.0 feature. Perhaps these problems will be fixed in a future software update (I have the 11/09 version). If so, I’ll post an update. But I would have preferred a (cheaper) TV that didn’t have any of these features to a (more expensive) TV that provided these features poorly. I’ll probably end up getting a Popcorn Hour or similar device for these features, rather than using the features built into the TV.

Reveiwed by : Terrance McCartney,   Nov 19, 2009

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LG 42LH30 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Gloss Black

Written by Best Buy HDTVs on February 8th, 2010 in LG TV.
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LG 42LH30

The TV is good at the price point I paid – $629+tax (Sears). LG is a respected brand in Asia and a 42″ LCD 1080p at that price is a good deal. The picture when viewing true HD signals, just comes to life and is breath-taking. Fairly basic connectivity with 1 composite, 2 AV, 1PC and 3 HDMI ports. Would have been nice to have one more composite and HDMI ports and looks like the newer models have them. The speakers are well hidden and makes for a smooth clean finish on the outside. There are also numerous (more than you ever want) amount of controls to fine-tune the picture. Fairly easy hack available to turn on USB port to view pictures or play movies – great bonus.

That said, the sound quality seems a bit sub-par compared to other TVs in the market. I also noticed some light leakage on the far corners of the TV – other than for Sony or Samsung this seems a problem for all other big TVs. Also, for those of you watching TV with over the air signals, please note that this TV does not pick up the OTA Electronic Program Guide (EPG), which was a big surprise to me, since those dirt cheap TVs you buy at Walmart or during BF sales too have them. Big goof-up at LG design, I should say. Lastly do not expect a Samsung or Sony style processing of low-fidelity signals (SD, ED). Standard-Def signals look rather grainy and poor – I guess the processing chip is where LG cheaped out. Invest in a good quality up-converting player for your DVDs and change the channel if you run-into non-HD programming as a work-around.

Lastly the customer service is no-worser than that of Samsung or Sony. A bunch of air-heads, quite a bit of wait-time and frustrating responses. But do not discount the TV for that – like I said – this is how all TV manufacturers support their TVs (I have a Sony and Samsung), so no big deal. Wish the industry was overall better, thatz all.

Overall, a reasonable purchase if you dont pay too much. I am sure you will learn to like your purchase – if you are considering it, go on pull the trigger.

Reviewed by : Decent bang for th buck,   Sep 21, 2010

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Samsung LN40B500 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Written by Best Buy HDTVs on February 7th, 2010 in Samsung TV.
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Samsung LN40B500

Picked this up in a “pre”-black friday sale. I returned a Samsung Plasma and exchanged it for this LCD LN40B500. I originally bought a Samsung plasma because the salesman sold me on the “better contrast, blacks, and refresh rates of plasmas.” Yeah whatever, got it home and absolutely hated the picture quality compared to my previous 720P Samsung LCD. When I saw this TV in a pre-black friday ad for $597 decided to give it a try. Boy am I glad I did. The picture is absolutely amazing. I have watched many types of programs on it so far; movies, cartoons, sports, standard def, high def 1080i, upconverting DVD. All have been more than satisfying and select 1080i channels on FIOS have been absolutely breathtaking visually. Even though this is a 60 HZ model, I’m noticing no motion blur even in sporting events (this can be quite annoying in some “budget” LCD models) No worries, this set can easily handle quick pans and motion without even a hiccup, at least to my untrained eyes. (120 HZ models definitely look different, but to my eyes, different in a bad kind of artificial appearing way). The audio is more than adequate for a reasonably sized room, with a little tweaking of the audio settings I have been watching TV without even firing up the Home Theater Receiver quite often. The picture quality is absolutely stellar, I do recommend getting into the Picture Adjustment Menu though and adjusting the “cell lighting” to setting 5 or 6, as this is more than enough to light the screen, and substantially improves the image and contrast. At this price point, they have cut back on the inputs (2 HDMI) and no inputs on the side, but that wasn’t a deal breaker for me, I ran my FIOS through HDMI 1, DVD HDMI 2, and Wii through Component. Hopefully Christmas will bring a BluRay player to see what the 1080P will do on this set. I can’t imagine the picture looking any better than it already does. The cost to value ratio on this set is out of the ballpark. (Paid twice this much for a 32 inch 720P Samsung 3 years ago). As long as your cool with the limitted number of inputs and a 40 inch screen size, I wouldn’t pass up this deal!

Reviewed by : Snaby,   Nov 22, 2009

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LG 42SL90 42-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV, Glossy Black

Written by Best Buy HDTVs on February 7th, 2010 in LG TV.
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LG 42SL90

After extensive research and visits to video stores, we chose the 42SL90 for several reasons – stunning HD quality, LED technology, small form factor, bluetooth, and excellent price/value. We were limited in size by our entertainment center – most other 42 inch sets were too wide, but the form factor of the 42SL90 is so svelte that it fits perfectly. After comparing 40 inch sets with 42 inch sets, the extra 2 inches of real estate was quite a noticeable improvement.

The HD picture on this set is absolutely stunning, much better than our Sony LCD XBR that sits in another room. We watch the SL90 from a distance of 10 to 12 feet and the size is perfect. All the bells and whistles have so far worked flawlessly. Blu Ray, DVDs, HD Roku, and HD cable look fantastic. Standard Def is actually watchable, again better than the Sony XBR.

The set comes with two remotes – a beautiful backlit model and a simpler model with just the basic functions. The menu system is easily the best I have ever used. Very intuitive and simple to use. The picture adjustments are extremely extensive. A picture wizard is included to calibrate to your own tastes. If you can’t find an optimum setting with this set, you should not be watching TV. The color accuracy appears to be spot on out of the box.

Given its thin 1.2 inch depth, the sound is better than I expected. I have yet to turn it up past the 50% volume level. Adjustments for bass, treble, and surround sound. And the Clear Voice II function works great. Hook the set up to a sound system and it really shines. The only cons so far (and we knew about these going in) – no analog audio out (optical only) and no PIP. I purchased a Gefen Dolby optical converter that allows the SL90 to work flawlessly with our legacy sound system.

Highly recommend the 42SL90. It is a stunning set to watch and easily the best looking set when turned off too.

Reviewed by : S. Blatner,   Jan 25, 2010

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Viore PLC7V95 7-Inch Handheld LCD TV with Built-in Tuner

Written by Best Buy HDTVs on February 6th, 2010 in Viore TV.
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Viore PLC7V95

The Viore PLC7V95 TV has exceeded all my expectations. Read all the reviews for this TV as well as those for other portable TVs such as the Axion, Haier, New Digital Image, Supersonic, etc. None of these units had a 4½ or 5-Star rating. As a small portable digital TV, the Viore is suprisingly high quality with excellent performance for such a low price. Similar units that I found elsewhare were in a much higher price range of $150 to $350.

I have a policy of not buying any electronic unless I am able to discuss it with the manufacturer’s tech support staff. This TV is now on Viore’s website and its tech support was very responsive and easy to contact. None of the other vendors such as Axion, Haier, New Digital Image, etc. would respond to my emails or phone calls. The only exception was Tivax which was responsive.

Pros:
* LCD screen resolution is very high for a 7″ portable TV. The Viore (1,440 x 234) resolution has a pixel density that is 3-times greater than Axion’s, Haier’s & Tivax’s (480 x 234). Although not HD, its resolution is outstanding.
* Viewing angle horizontally is wide . . easy to view when off to either side.
* Station reception. This has been a consistent problem for many users. I played with the antenna and its location and found that it is more than adequate. Proper use requires extending the cord its full length since it is part of the reception capability and locating it where there is less interference. When not properly position, I could not get any stations. When positioned at full wire length and near a window, I received 10-digital stations which is double of what I supposted to get according to signal strength ratings. When connected to my TV cable, I was able to receive all digital stations.
Note: Digital TV has a weaker signal than analog. The digital mobile TV standards are still being established. Within the next couple of years we should have portable TVs available that are truly mobile.
* Full functioning controls similar to my Samsung HDTVs . . screen and sound adjustments, etc. wheather using the remote control or controls on the unit.
* Has an excellent electronic program guide that provides actual programming by station.
* Both the USB and 3 in 1 card reader work as expected for pictures, videos and sound. Just need to have your files in proper file format.
* Although stereo speakers are small, the sound may be adjusted to avoid sounding tinny. I just maximize base and minimize treble. The sound is very good with earphones.
* Battery duration. The specs say it has about a 90-minute charge for portable use. I got about 100-minutes. My main use is as a desktop unit using the AC adapter.
* Battery recharging is relatively fast with a red light while charging and turns green when fully charged.

Cons:
* Car adapter is not supplied; however, I had one from an analog portable TV and it worked well. You can buy one for about $10 from RadioShack.
* Remote control is acceptable; however, it has a relatively narrow angle of view. I use it as my primary control since it is easy to use and fully functional. Once you realize is limitations, it works well.
* The kick stand cannot be adjusted for verticle angle of viewing. I resolved the problem by buying a small attractive display stand for about $4 locally. Now I can adjust the viewing angle as I want. The small display stand can be purchased from Amazon.com. It is a Gibson Holders “1 Pl” with a clear plastic base and a white plastic coated wire support.

Highly recommend the Viore as an outstanding buy.

Reviewed by : J Turner,   Sep 1, 2009

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Philips 42PFL3704D/F7 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Written by Best Buy HDTVs on February 6th, 2010 in Philips TV.

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Philips 42PFL3704D/F7

I did not buy this TV because I read reviews or studied the features. I bought it because Target had it on sale mid-June 2009 for around $750, when the only thing you can touch for that price is a Visio. I really wanted the VGA port feature (which this does not have), but couldn’t find a TV equipped with one for under $1000. Since my PC DVI->HDMI adapter doesn’t provide audio, I can *see* the computer, but must use different speakers. However, this is a “computer geek” problem that most people won’t care about. I just want to watch Netflix on-demand, ok? :)

– NOTE — I have since discovered (by reading the manual LOL) that audio inputs on the back coordinate with HDMI and allow me to plug in the computer while using HDMI1 only. I got a 1/8″ to RCA male adapter and I’m happy now! Computer on TV!! WITH AUDIO!!

Enough fluff… here’s my review:

Picture: VERY nice. This TV is replacing the Toshiba Regza 42″. My Regza had 15000:1 contrast… this one floors me with the 30000:1. It really is impressive how black is black and the colors POP. I only have an upsampling DVD, so I can’t comment on anything beyond digital cable and DVD, which both look GREAT from 8-10 feet away

Sound: Very nice. This TV is louder than my last. Will I ever go beyond 50% volume? No. But my Toshiba would require the volume at about level 55 for some movies. This Philips typically doesn’t go above 35. AND… this has an auto-volume feature that allows a very basic compressor/limiter to level your volume. When commercials come on… I kid you not, they are not NEARLY as annoyingly loud. I really like this feature. To clarify for the non-audio geeks, you conceivably can leave your volume in the same spot when the loud commercials come on, or when a movie suddenly has a dramatic moment. This feature levels out the audio. As a former recording-studio engineer, I find this a bit impure… but the benefits outweigh the audio purity gained by turning this feature off. Auto-volume is a GO!

Other features: Not many. This is a very basic TV… but is that a bad thing? I really never used the 15 different preset picture quality controls on my Toshiba. This TV has some presets and some color customs. I can play with the aspect ratio and some other stuff… but I really just plugged it in and left it as-is. I tried to find any practical features that really *did* anything and the audio is all I found. I say this as a positive, though. I really like the simplicity of this TV.

Ports: My Toshiba had 4 HDMI, this has 3. I think I’ll cope, especially since my computer doesn’t have audio via HDMI and is bound to become unplugged and placed elsewhere in the house. It has a USB port that claims to display pictures. I plugged in a few USB drives I have sitting around and it didn’t do anything. This is a feature that most people won’t really care about, me included. The manual describes certain compatability… either with number of characters or FAT / NTFS or some little fussy restriction. I personally believe that TVs shouldn’t try to do computer functions and should just display a great picture. I believe this one does.

OVERALL:

I really can’t get over how well the black tones look on this TV. I feel this was WAY more than a bargain-basement TV. I would not hesitate to buy this TV, provided the features match your needs. I have mine hanging on a TV stand so I can’t speak for the included stand (it’s still in the box), but I like the way it looks. The screen is dull-coat and not overly glossy. The bezel is obnoxiously glossy, but your eyes seem to forget it when the TV comes on. And just to reiterate… I LOVE the auto-volume leveling feature.

Reviewed by : Kev,   July 18, 2009

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Sharp LC22DV27UT 22-Inch LCD HDTV with Built-In DVD Player

Written by Best Buy HDTVs on February 6th, 2010 in Sharp TV.
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Sharp LC22DV27UT

Basically, if you want a small LCD TV w/DVD built-in, you can choose from Sharp, Toshiba, LG, and some lesser names and chineese brands. Since I’ve had good luck with Sharp and bad luck with Toshiba in the past, I waited for this model to become available (all summer). So far I am not dissappointed.

Pros: great picture, you can adjust the brightness, backlight, etc to tweak it to your delight. I like the factory settings so far. – Sound is more than adequate for this size TV – Tuner picked up every available signal with a basic, attic-mounted antennae – DVD player works very nicely – viewing angles better than I expected.

Cons: Non-adjustable base ( I don’t care because I have it wall-mounted in a bedroom with a nice tiltable mount) – Remote layout ( It’s probably not that bad. I’m just used to Samsung’s layout and I guess i’d just have to get used to this one). The actual screen size is less than 22 inches. This TV (HxW) is smaller than my 22″ Samsung (kitchen – no DVD) because the bezel is thinner and screen is about 21.5″ diagonally. So if you have a tight space, that could be a good thing.

Really, I’m thinking this is the best 22″ LCD w/DVD out there. The price is not bad and the picture/sound is as good as it gets in this class TV. A decent, swivel-arm, tiltable, wall-mount can be had for 30 bucks. Bought TV thru Video Audio Center without a hitch.

Reviewed by : N. Gnas,   Sep 8, 2009

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VIZIO VF550M 55-Inch Full HD 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV

Written by Best Buy HDTVs on February 5th, 2010 in Vizio TV.
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VIZIO VF550M

Before I get into the nitty gritty, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I’m a review junkie. Sue me. So when I know I want something like a new HDTV I research high and low to not only find the best price, but I also want pretty darn close to the best product out there on the market. From professional reviews to consumer reviews here on Amazon, I do my best to soak it all in. With that being said, in my experience I’ve never been disappointed with something I’ve bought that I’ve done extensive research on…

And that holds true with the Vizio VF550M.

I bought my set at Costco during the Thanksgiving Weekend Sale. One of the first things I noticed right out of the box was how big it really was. I upgraded from a 46″ LCD and the size was noticeably (and awesomely) huger. Yes… huger. When I saw the VF550M display at Costco it just didn’t look that big because it was set next to other 50-60 inch sets and in the middle of a huge warehouse. However, while setting it up I realized it was the perfect size for the further viewing distance in our family room. The set-up was easy enough. I mounted the tv with the VideoSecu Adjustable Tilt TV Wall Mount (bought on Amazon) which I was very pleased with. We ran the cables through the wall to my devices to hide them… and I must say, it looks beautiful mounted to a wall. I would definitely recommend mounting this set. I didn’t care too much for the remote that came with the TV so I opted to upgrade to the Logitech Harmony 670 remote (also got on amazon).

The picture on this TV was just as good or better than any other HDTV I have ever seen. The black levels are great with the DCR feature. Blu-Ray looks amazing on the big screen. I will admit I jumped on the 120hz bandwagon and as of right now I couldn’t be happier with it when it comes to watching sports- but thats all I use 120hz (or “Smooth Motion Effect”) for.

PROS
-BIG
-Great 120hz feature for Sports
-Good out of the box sound
-5 HDMI ports!
-Stunning picture

CONS
-Don’t care for the remote

Reviewed by : Scott Gardner “Scott”,   Jan 20, 2010

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Sony BRAVIA XBR Series KDL-46XBR9 46-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV

Written by Best Buy HDTVs on February 5th, 2010 in Sony TV.
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Sony BRAVIA XBR Series KDL-46XBR9

Pros: If you can get this TV for less than $1,400 (like I did thru Amazon, including a sound bar with subwoofer and a Blue Ray player) you will be thrilled with this TV! If you base your buying decisions on expert reviews, get ready to spend like crazy!
Cons: Con number one from the experts, the “black level” debate – it’s overrated…tell me something, will you stop watching a movie just because a certain scene is not displaying a “true black” level? And con two from the experts, you went all out to buy this TV, where should the sound from a Blu-ray movie come from? If you really want to hear and feel that jet flying over head, expect to spend at least 50% of what you pay for this TV in a quality surround system.
Bottom-line, if you want true black levels from a movie, go watch the movie at the theater, no TV can match that…none! If you’re looking for those same black levels in a live program, buy the tickets to be there live. Otherwise, this TV will give you the next best thing to being there. If you’re looking for a bargain, you really need to be patient and look at online deals practically every day. That’s how I found the deal I got thru Amazon. I am not fanatical about any brand, but I did my homework…I went to a few brick and mortar stores and did side-by-side comparisons of different models, brands, prizes and sizes of HDTV’s. I really liked the natural colors that the Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and Pioneer TV’s reproduced, but, holy moly, the prices of the models that I really liked were, let me be honest, as if someone was cussing at me, I’m talking about fighting words, obscene ultimate-cage-fighting words. BUT, I wanted to stick to my plan – be patient, pick one or two TV models I would be really happy to own and wait…wait for the right (crazy-right!) prize. And the day came (and went really fast!) I saw this TV on sale and without hesitation whipped out the plastic and got it. I am extremely happy with this TV. But don’t listen to me, I am not an expert, just an average user who got the best price on a high end TV. Do more research, read more expert advise, but in the end it’s you (and your family) who are going to watch the movies and shows on this TV. The black levels are not perfect, the sound is not perfect. But like I mentioned earlier, for true blacks, go to the source (or a better reference you can afford to buy, like going to the movies.) And for the best sound? Do I need to repeat myself? Okay, no offense, but for everyday TV viewing, the sound on this TV (like any TV at any price range) is acceptable. But for watching a Blu-ray movie? Please! Let me say this, if you are going to complain that the sound on this TV is “bad” while you’re watching a Blu-ray movie and you consider yourself an expert in this field…get off the crack! For the best picture this TV can offer, get the best sound system you can afford…and (surprise!) the sound from the speakers on this TV are not the answer! This TV has other features that many people will enjoy…movie rentals thru Amazon, internet widgets, streaming music, syncing with other components like the surround sound and Blue Ray player…blah, blah, blah…this TV is awesome, shop wisely!

Reviewed by : Santos Lopez “Volkyman,   Dec 7, 2009

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Sharp AQUOS LC60E77UN 60-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with Gold Bezel

Written by Best Buy HDTVs on February 4th, 2010 in Sharp TV.
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Sharp AQUOS LC60E77UN

The Sharp LC-60E77UN is a dream come true. Excellent image quality, superb black levels, smooth motion, and a true home theator experience.

I have been looking around at replacing my two year old Sharp Aquos 42″ lcd for the past few months. It was a great tv but I recently moved to a bigger house and needed a bigger tv in my huge great room. I used the 42″ for a variety of things: computer monitor, bluray’s, dvd’s, games, and normal tv viewing. I looked at plasma’s, LED LCD’s, DLP’s, and CCFL LCD’s. I knew I wanted at least a 55″ screen so I could read internet sized font from back on my couch (8-10′ away) but still keep the tv set on 1080p. I also love the immersive effect from a big screen. I looked for deep blacks, good motion, viewing angles, and an excellent contrast ratio.

First I looked at plasma’s and I finally ended up buying one after finding a great price on a 65″ panny S1. But after reading about the still prevalent burn-in issues and huge (780w!) power requirements I decided to return it and stick with an LCD. I don’t need to see what my electric bill would be like after running a hairdryer for 4-6 hours a day.

I then looked at the new LED tv’s from Vizio, Samsung, Sharp, and Sony. They had great contrast ratios and deep blacks but were priced much higher than the traditional CCFL tv’s. The other problem was that they stopped at 55″ and I would preferred to go bigger.

I got sidetracked by some of the DLP tv’s huge sizes at low prices, and while they have improved a ton over the years there are still several inherent problems with that style of tv that I could not put up with.

Then I looked at some of the traditional CCFL backlit tv’s. While most manufacturers only went up to a 55″ in size, sharp recently came out with a new 60″ and 65″ at a decent price. Keep in mind that while the difference between a 55″ and 60″ and likewise, a 60″ and a 65″ doesn’t sound like a lot, the total opposite is true. An extra 5″ added along the diagonal at these sizes adds a TON more area. For instance, a 60″ tv has over DOUBLE the area of a 42″. A 60″ is a very noticeable step up from a 55″ in size. While I ended up settling on the 60″ version of this TV I did consider the 65″, but just couldn’t justify the extra 800-1000$ sharp wants for it. Also at sizes that big 1080p starts to break down unless you sit far away from the tv.

Since sharp had the price of this 60″ LCD right around what some of the 55″ LED tv’s were going for I spent a lot of time deciding between the two. The store that I was at played the classic trick of setting the more expensive LED tv’s to a more colorful, bright setting to somehow make them look better than their cheaper traditionally backlit counterparts. After messing around with some of the other 55″ CCFL backlit tv’s I couldn’t quite get them looking as good as the LED versions. Then I messed around with this 60″ sharp, totally different ball game. After putting the backlight back down to more common levels, turning the brightness down a notch, upping the color, and upping the contrast a touch, I got this guy to look just as good (if not better!) than any of the 55″ LED’s, (even the samsung 8-series). I don’t know what sharp did with this panel but the black levels were very deep, and the whites were still sparkly white. Maybe it has something to do with the new Kameyama plant that these are built at. The black levels were on par with the panny S1 plasma, but the colors and bright scenes were so much more vivid.

Many manufacturers use 8-bit panels to save on some cost, but this is one of the only 10-bit panel’s available in this size. Color experts can explain better the technical differences between 8-bit and 10-bit color, but to my eyes it just means more deep, rich colors.

Another thing I liked about this panel was that it has a semi-gloss screen. Unlike my older sharp, which has a full matte screen that washes out more at wider viewing angles, this screen keep’s its deep black’s throughout a much greater viewing angle. I will admit though that the plasma’s had noticablely better viewing angle’s than any LCD I looked at, but it wasn’t worth all the drawback’s of plasmas. I do get some glare off the screen in the day, but it is partially diffused and isn’t very distracting. This tv really shines at night though.

As part of testing, I also hooked up a laptop through HDMI into the tv. After messing around with the window’s resolution output I got the screen stable at full 1080p. I stood back 10 feet, and was still able to read google new’s, the weather forecast, facebook, and all my other internet sites. A slight bump up in windows DPI and even people with less than perfect eye sight could clearly read the text. I really don’t understand why people pay hundreds extra for tv’s with internet connectivity when a $300 computer can be hooked up to this tv and run bluray’s, go to ANY internet site, and stream music and video.

While almost all the new LCD’s are coming out with LED backlighting, a lot of people don’t realize that CCFL backlights have been evolving over the 10+ years they have been out. Remember back 6 year’s ago how horrible the black levels were on LCD’s? Well those tv’s were backlit with CCFL, just like this tv is today. The only difference? Sharp has virtually perfected it with this new model. Smooth, even, dark, blacks that are easily on par with any LED tv I’ve seen. Now I do think LED is the superior technology and will noticablely surpass CCFL in the next 2-3 years, but for now they are on their first and second generations, and they still have some bugs to be worked out. CCFL blacklighting is tried and true, and is on its tenth or more generation. I do have to admit, LED is a great marketing scheme right now to make people justify the inflated prices they are asking for them, when in truth the CCFL backlighting (at least on this screen) is at least as good.

Another thing this screen does well is it’s motion controls. Sharp’s 120hz technology supposedly helps with motion, something that personally I’ve never really had a problem with on any modern LCD. The film modes are useful for converting a 1080p/24hz bluray signal into a 60hz one, but I prefer to leave it off and have a more “natural” movie viewing experience. I watched Underworld on bluray on this thing the other night, and now I don’t think I’ll ever go back to the movie theater again. Immersive, beautiful, and all in my own home.

Another thing people think is going to be big is 3D. If you are one the fence about whether to wait for this to come out, or buy a big screen now let me give you a few pointers. Remember when HD first came out? Yes 10 years ago? How come after 10 years, over half the channels are still not in HD? HD programming requires a ton of bandwidth, and 3D will double the amount needed. Not to mention that when these 3D screens come out they will be extremely expensive, and content will be extremely limited. I don’t see 3D coming anywhere near mainstream for at least 5 years. If you want to wait that long and see if it’s going to catch on, be my guest, but in the mean time I’ll be enjoying my blurays infront of this big gorgeous screen. If you always wait for the next big thing, you will always be waiting.

Some people don’t like the Gold bezel on this screen, and at first I didn’t either. The pictures online really glorify it, but the truth is that in real life it is very faint and hardly noticeable. I still wish it was black but for all the tv’s strengths I can deal with this minor setback.

When shopping for this TV I was surprised by the lack of reviews. I took the jump anyway and I’m really glad I did. I got exactly what I wanted. A HUGE screen with rich colors, smooth motion, extremely deep black levels, lots of inputs, no dead pixels, and the flexibility to do internet surfing from back on my couch. My advice if you are considering a 55″ LED or any other tv this size range. Don’t just assume that because it’s an LED tv that it’s automatically better. If I just blindly went for the LED screens, I would have missed out on a 5″ bigger screen with picture quality that easily rivals any LED LCD I’ve seen, and I would have paid would more for it! Don’t buy into the marketing hype. Big thumbs up for sharp for making an awesome, affordable screen!

Reviewed by : Joshua Jones,   Jan 5, 2010

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