LC-42SB45U 42" 1080p 1920 x 1080 2000:1 LCD TV

by Sharp

Product Details

• Item Weight: 155 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 155 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B001F0QS9G
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #86,945 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 16, 2006

Product Description

The 42" Class (42-1/64" Diagonal) LC-42SB45UT, with full HD Spec 1080p resolution and an elegant new glossy black design, produces superb picture quality. The LC-42SB45UT features high contrast, fast response time and wide viewing angles. The LC-42SB45UT includes built-in ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuners, three HDMITM inputs, is compatible with 1080p signals and has 2 HD component video inputs. The LC-42SB45UT features a sleek piano black cabinet with subtle, recessed bottom-mounted speakers, and the included table stand easily removes for wall mounting applications.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not an Aquos model, but solid 1080p performance and great value, December 15, 2008

By 

Gadgester "No Time, No Money" (Mother Earth) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: LC-42SB45U 42" 1080p 1920 x 1080 2000:1 LCD TV (Electronics)

Before I start, let me point out that this Sharp 1080p HDTV, LC-42SB45U, is *not* a model from their state-of-the-art Aquos line, which costs much more. I bought mine from Dell at a great price, and then realized this was not an Aquos. This is from what Sharp marketing geniuses call their "traditional LCD" line. (The Japanese are really great at marketing, aren't they?) This TV is made in China, underlining its value branding.

I struggled between giving this a 4-star vs. a 5-star rating. I'll explain. Picture quality-wise, it's excellent at 1080p -- I use it with my 60GB PS3 (which upconverts DVDs) -- with great contrast, smooth graphics and vibrant color (Sharp is best at color reproduction on LCD panels). The response time is 6 ms, and the viewing angle is an astonishing 176 degrees, both horizontally and vertidcally. (A flat surface has 180 degrees.) The maximum brightness is sufficient to allow you to use this set outdoors, on a patio, for example. (My old LCD TVs could not do this.)

I'm a movie buff so I watch a lot of Blu-rays and DVDs and have been very happy. (Tip: when using PS3's upscaling, set it to Normal, not Double Scale.) The built-in speakers (non-detachable) are passable for a small living room; you might want to use a home theater for hi-fi sound anyway.

When playing non-HDMI input materials -- e.g., from a traditional non-upconverting DVD player, an old VCR or non-HD cable content -- the picture quality is only average, hence my originally hesitation at giving this set a full 5-star endorsement. My guess is for this "traditional" (i.e., value) line, Sharp does not have a good non-HD upscaling engine that can improve the quality of non-HD images, or maybe it doesn't have one such engine at all. You'll notice aliasing artifacts that are absent from upconverted and native 1080 materials. (The Aquos models, on the other hand, excel at non-HD images as well.)

In the end, given the price I paid and given the solid build of the set, I feel I got a really good value, and when used with a PS3, this inexpensive 42" (actually 42 1/64" diagonally) 1080p LCD HDTV is terrific. Since I use it pretty much exclusively with my PS3, I'm very happy. Of course, you should be aware of its middling performance with non-HD content.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Click Click Click, December 23, 2008

By 

bananaslug - See all my reviews

This review is from: LC-42SB45U 42" 1080p 1920 x 1080 2000:1 LCD TV (Electronics)

I ordered this T.V. from Dell when they were holding a deal. HD content is great, but anything not using an HDMI cable is poor at best.

My biggest issue is the "cracking noise". In the operation manual under troubleshooting it says the following:
Problem: The TV sometimes makes a cracking sound.
Possible Solution: This is not a malfunction. This happens when the cabinet slightly expands and contracts according to change in temperature. This does not affect the TV's performance.

Funny thing about the clicking is that is far more then occasional. It also is only present when the sound is on. Your TV is mute? You will never hear it. I tried to explain to Sharp about this issue to see if this clicking sound was from the speakers or the case and they told me it was clearly the case. I told them I did a test where had the TV on mute for two hours and didn't hear a single click. Then, I unmuted the TV for a ten minute period and heard 4 clicks. I asked why a case would click so much only from the speakers. I even held my head near them and you can clearly hear this. I am currently debating returning it and having it replaced. If you purchase this TV you better have your own speakers to use.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Tv for a Solid Price, December 27, 2008

By 

Joseph Randazzo "Third and Final Beast" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: LC-42SB45U 42" 1080p 1920 x 1080 2000:1 LCD TV (Electronics)

I purchased this tv about a month and a half ago. Dell had this Tv for $799 free shipping. I was able to get my local P.C. Richard to price match it so I didn't have to wait to get it. I really enjoy this set. 3 HDMI ports, and a great picture. My ONLY problem with this tv, is that when switching Inputs the time it takes to show the picture, is a little slow. I can take anywhere up to about 6-7 seconds after selecting before the picture is displayed. I do not know if I have a fault set or so, but even with that I really cant complain too much. I too thought it was going to be an aquos, but did not see it printed on the side of the box, or on the tv. However, if your looking a really nice tv, for a pretty sweet price, this tv should be in the running for your decision.