Customer Reviews

Sharp Aquos LC42D85U 42-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I did a lot of research between Sony, Toshiba, Samsung and Sharp.
After much research, I wanted to have a thin, light and clear LCD.
The one that met my goals were the Sharp brand. I was thinking about the 64U and the 65U, but this new 85U has the 120Hz refresh rate to smooth out action frames.

Compare:
Toshiba models are lower end.
Sony only has one 42" model, but it weights 10lbs more and only has a 60Hz refresh rate.
Samsungs are the worst. I know more than 3 friends who needed fixing of the panel. So, the picture is there, but not the quality and durability.

Now, I ask around sharp, and I was told that CBS has Sharp lcds everywhere. And from reading reviews of the older 64U model, this seems like a great TV and durable. The 85U is also 10lbs lighter than Sony's with a better refresh rate. Also, doing more reading, starting 2009, Sharp will be making most of Sony's LCD panels.

Likes:
1) light. At 40+ pounds, I can move this TV easily.
2) I was able to set up the TV on the stand in 10 mins. The set up is very similar to the setup of computer LCD monitor.
3) speakers are flush on the bottom of the tv. So I dont have to deal with hooking up and worrying about it.
4) Picture is beautiful. In analog and HD. which is a bonus now a days since most hd tvs will show horrible analog images.
5) the stand is very sturdy. The stand is about 10lbs of metal with a nice black.

Dis-likes:
1) the remote, its like a grand father's remote. Design is awful.
2) Manual is not that good. It does not tell me the type of wall mount brackets I would need except it try to sell Sharp's version.

I would recommend it to others.

I originally bought a Sharp D64U, and it arrived a little defective. I'm not sure if this is Amazon's fault, or if it's Sharp's fault. I'll go with Amazon's fault as I have suspicions that the TV wasn't entirely new. So, I upgraded and had it replaced with a D85U. However this new TV was also a little defective, as the sound on the right speaker didn't work right. This I think is Sharp's fault, and it makes me wonder at Sharp's quality and durability. So, I finally had this new one replaced as well with the same model D85U, and thankfully this third TV works good so far.

Pros:
-Picture looks good
-Trim is pretty slim, maximizing space and making it look slick
-Very light
-Top of the line, with 1080p and 120hz
-Price, compared to Samsung and Sony
-Returning/exchanging TV's from Amazon.com was easy

Cons:
-The remote is long and clunky, looks and feels cheap, and is poorly designed (I might consider giving this TV 5 stars if the remote was cooler)
-Quality issues? (Oh and I have not seen any banding problems on the TV)
-Based only on reviews I've read, Samsung and Sony have better picture quality and blacker blacks (which you pay for in the price).

Like most people, I did a lot of research in buying a big TV. The consensus that I've found is that Samsung is the best, followed closely by Sony. However, I think that the cost of buying a Sony(XBR6) or a Samsung(650 or higher) will only get you a marginally better product, at a much higher price. Sharp is a respectable brand and this is their top of the line 42in. I got this TV and a free Sharp Blu-Ray player for a total of $1,040 dollars shipped from Amazon. You'd be hard-pressed to find a deal this good. I feel that I have definitely gotten the best bang for my buck.

This is my first HDTV purchase. From reading all the other reviews on this TV you already know that it has a great picture and no banding troubles. I'll address the negative reviews that I had read prior to ordering the TV before the big SuperBowl game. By the way the carrier had delivered and setup the TV 4 days earlier than expected (got it the Friday before the big game) which I was grateful for :-)

The first concern I had read was the lack of sound. It is true, while on the first of the 9 INPUTS labeled "TV" the sound is lacking after 1/2 way thru the volume range. This input is the antenna coaxial input. You would connect the antenna or VCR or some other coaxial output to this standard input. I got around this sound issue by connecting the antenna to the VCR, then using a composite cable connected that VCR to INPUT 1 of the TV. Now I have full volume...too much actually....on INPUT 1. I also have INPUT 2 wired directly to my standard DirecTV box thru a S-Video cable and audio cables. This too has plenty of volume. The Input 1 and 2 have better video capability than the TV input anyway. I do not have any HMDI inputs as of yet so I cant vouch for that. I receive HDTV right off the air, and the Directv box puts out a decent digital picture. So I'm not itching to pay more for a HDTV signal from Directv and pay their upgrade fee of a $128 plus $10 a month.

The second issue was the remote. Although the remote is long, it serves us well. Well enough that I bought a spare off of ebay incase this one I have was to go bad someday.

Another feature I like is that when using an off-the-air antenna and receiving a HD signal, this TV has a moving scale to dial-in the best direction for the antenna. (I didnt know that I was actually that far off!). The TV also has a demo program to show you the difference between the 60 and 120hz picture.

I will try and post a picture of the remote control since I could not find a picture online for those who are concern. Look for the customer shared photos on the main page here.

I think this TV is a great value. Thanks and good luck in your TV choice.

I owned this TV for a little over a year and now it is broken. The LCD screen is cracked and Sharp claims it can only be caused by physical damage, and will not pay for the repair. We never even moved the TV once it was installed over a year ago. As a matter of fact we were in the middle of watching it when we changed the channel all of a sudden the screen had all these verticle lines appear. We also have taken it to the Sharp authorized repair shop and they have verified that there is "No evidence of physical damage". The best part is Sharp customer service claimed to have called the repair shop and were told something different. When I called the repair shop back to ask why they told two different stories he said that Sharp customer service had NEVER called, to ask about the condition of the TV. Since it is a small repair shop (only two guys) I think they would both know. Sharp has offered to sell me another piece of crap TV for a small discount, which I have declined. Basically Sharp sells crap and lies to its customers. Buyer beware! Besides, I just replaced this piece of crap Sharp with a Sony 46", 120Hz and a four year warranty for $1400, and I am looking for a second LCD for our bedroom, I will never buy Sharp again!

This is an excellent product. It is a 1080p with 120hz, which is supposed to be the latest and the fanciest. First, it's very easy to set up. Of course, HDMI connections are preferable and produce an outstanding image in HD. I researched many models before buying and decided on this one. (For a 46'one I might have gone with a Samsung). I've had a smaller Sharp LCD TV (36') for 3 years now without any problem. This one has no dead pixels, blacks are black and the sound is very good. Obviously, connection to a home theatre is ideal but the TV itself is more than sufficient. Can recommend without hesitation.

TV is great. Picture quality is really good. Plenty of inputs. TV sounds solid. Has input volume memory (which is nice). The remote is terrible. You will want a universal to control multiple devices. Don't plan on using this remote for that purpose. Picture quality is better with the OPC and Auto Contrast turned off. It takes some time to get the picture right, but it's worth it. Colors are vivid but true, blacks are good. No screen door, no blur. Have seen a few "rare" artifacts watching fast moving programs in 1080i. Can't decide if it's the cable signal or not. Does not happen often. Use my 360 in 1080p with no issues. Dot by Dot picture option is brilliant. Eliminates any type of picture distortion. Best TV picture I've had (my 3rd HDTV). Great TV I will buy another one. Can't come close to it unless you spend twice as much.

I use a Harmony remote for my universal. A pain to setup but once its done...well worth it.

This is the latest generation Sharp Aquos with every feature you could want. I researched all the others and this set came out on top. The Sony is no good when viewing at angles and the Samsung's screen is too shiny for a room with light. Toshiba's seem to have a high defect rate.

Pros:
-- Awesome HD picture: 1080p and 120Hz.
-- Great with SD channels too.
-- Price - at least $350 cheaper than any comparable brand at this size.
-- Ports: USB, 5 HDMI and every other one you can think of.
-- Screen weight: 40 lbs.
-- Slim design and looks great.
-- Sound is great for built in speakers. Much better than the Samsung I've heard.

Cons: Remote is basic.

I have been a sony man for quite few years. So when I decided to finally get a new LCD, of course I turned to the Sony Bravia. I got the 40 inch V series. My first one had what seemed to be spotlights in both top corners. I took it back and got a replacement. The replacement had a big cloud right in the center of the TV. I contacted Sony and they said that these problems were probably due to shipping since we live in Alaska. My wife took the second one back and looked for a different tv. She called me and I checked the reviews of each available tv on amazon. Seemed like, of our options, that the customer recommendation was the Sharp Aquos LC42D85U 42-inch. I told her to get it and we would try it out. I have never owned a Sharp product, so I was a little concerned. But.... I got it out of the box and plugged it in and was amazed. Now, I am no tv guru, but I know quality when I see it and the Sharp Aquos is full of quality. It is the best picture I have ever seen on a tv. We have a blu-ray player and it is as if the picture is jumping out of the screen. I highly recommend it to any one looking for a good tv.

Just got it today and OH MY GOD. This is a beautiful tv. Had to let it sit and warm up from the cold weather before i could turn it on and I just couldnt stop looking at it! Very sleek and well designed BEAUTIFUL!!! Then
I turned it on and ...WOW. Thats all I gotta say. Then I plugged my xbox 360 in and the picture looked so good it gave me shivers. I think im gonna play every game i have have now just to see how they look. This tv is everything i expected and more. The 120hz is quite the difference from the 60hz too. Theres even a few demos in the menu showing you the diffenence between the two in a scrolling split screen. Little blurry in the 60hz then when it scrolls into the 120hz side you can see every little detail even while its moving. I am very happy with my purchase!!!

I shopped specifically for a 42 inch LCD TV due to the entertainment center I built. If you were wondering, this TV has one of the thinnest bezels you can get for a 42" screen without sacrificing screen area. The picture is amazing, better than the similar priced Sony's and Samsung. The auto brightness is only noticeable sometimes, like when the lights are turned on in the room. I did have to disable the on screen notice of brightness level it gives, as it was annoying me. Great feature though.

The picture is great, very bright and the sound is adequate for a normal living room. This TV has a very wide viewing area, nothing to worry about here. The 5 HDMI connections are great, and the aquos link controls my Samsung surround sound and DVD player using the Sharps remote!

Setup was easy, the TV is not as heavy as I thought either. I ordered on a Thursday night, and received the TV on Monday! Pilot driver brought it in, unboxed it, and offered to wait for me to set up the stand. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't crushed in shipping, so I did the rest of the setup myself.

I am sorry I missed the free blueray player deal, but still nobody could beat Amazon's price on this TV.