Customer Reviews

Sharp Aquos LC46D62U 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I just purchased this TV after happily owning a 32" Sharp Aquos for the last 3.5 years. The reason I made the jump to a bigger TV was because it had a full 1080p resolution and because I just wanted a bigger TV. Since I was one of the first people to get this TV I had few reviews to base my purchase on and hardly any images of the unit showing its connections.

To sum up my purchase in one line, I am happy, but there are a tremendous amount of tiny problems with this television which shouldn't be present on a TV of this caliber.

The Pros:

- Hooked up to an HD source (xbox360, computer) the quality is amazing.
- The specs on this television are outstanding and I am sure that this television will last me for at least 5 years.
- The OPC setting (adjusts the backlight depending on ambient light) is great when I am watching TV with the lights off before I go to sleep.

The Cons:

- The TV is only available in Piano Black. My old Aquos came in silver and seemed to make less of presence in my living room. This black monstrosity looks out of place against all my light furniture and silver audio video equipment. This seems like a huge step backwards.

- There is no 'breakout box' for the cables. The previous set I had only required three cables going to the TV and you plugged in all your equipment (DVD, TV, etc) into a box that you could put up to 10 feet away. This now means that all your cables for up to 5 different inputs are going to have to be hanging down from the back of the TV which makes little sense when people want to mount there TV with as little fuss as possible. And if you ever wanted to use different wires or add a component you would need to route wires through the wall over and over.

- The inputs are awkwardly placed on this set so that bulky cables (ahem, expensive cables) don't fit (or take some finessing to get plugged in). I had a DVI <-> HDMI adaptor from my previous set and when attached it simply wouldn't fit. I had to buy a completely new cable in order to connect my Mac mini to the TV and EVEN THEN, it was still awkward to put it in.

- No PC input even though there were PC inputs on older sets. Removing something functional from a display seems like yet another step back. Requiring owners of VGA video cards to upgrade just so they can use a new TV seems silly. Not to mention that even if they could get some kind of adaptor (VGA <-> component) it simply wouldn't fit given the lack of space provided in the back of the TV.

- No handle on the back of TV. You NEED two people to move this TV. Forget mounting it, if you just want to lift the 46" unit up you will require no less than two people since there is no place for you to put your hand without damaging the front panel or risk damage to yourself.

- Horrible labeling system on TV. Sharp allows you to name your inputs and gives you such labels as: Laserdisc, MD/Tape, VCR and many others which most people won't be hooking up to this fantastic next generation TV. 1) They should let you input your own label, that shouldn't be much of a challenge. 2) There is no Blue-Ray, HD-DVD or "Video Game" input. And while there is a "PC" label, it disappears as an option when you use an HDMI input which is the only plausible input you would use a PC with.

- From the remote you can't simply select an input, so you must 'scroll' through the inputs until you reach the right one. This may not seem like a huge deal, but if you have invested in a pronto universal remote you now can't create a macro to just make the TV jump to the right input, you still need to scroll through them. In fact, the whole remote and menu system hasn't been changed from my original Aquos over 3.5 years ago!

- Picture in picture doesn't work with most high definition inputs; HDMI & Component, Component & Component. On a set like this it isn't too outlandish to want to view two HD sources at once. Composite and Composite would work however, although I don't own any sources like this any more.

So, as you can see, if you want to purchase this television you should ask yourself if you are willing to deal with these problems. This television is absolutely stunning, but to finally get it to work with my existing components I needed to buy a new cable. Some people don't want to buy new cables. And if you are the type of person that wants this mounted on the wall then you will have to put up with having a difficult time connecting and reconnecting wires.

At this time I can deal with these problems. It is a shame that such a great set is hampered by so many minor problems which could probably be resolved with little effort. So many of the good features from previous Aquos models have been discarded and many of the new 'features' weren't thought through for actual TV users.

It may sound like I am contradicting myself because I am, there are problems with this set but I can deal with them. And if you too can deal with them then this is the set for you. But if you have read the cons and feel that there is something that doesn't sit right with you then I would strongly recommend getting a different display that will better match your needs. I truly hope this review helped you make a decision on this set.

The Good: the price is reasonable, the picture is probably as good as any HD LC on the market. The Aquos has a "fine motion" setting to avoid jaggies for quick movement, but its usefulness depends on the program.

The Bad: unreliable! I have not encountered the banding problem that others mention, but then again you have to be able to turn the unit on to see flaws like that. When mine was delivered, it failed to power up right out of the box. A set-up screen flashed for a second, and then the only thing I saw was a blinking green light. I did a little research and learned that this is a chronic problem, due to power supply failure. In fact, p. 8 of the user's manual has a special note stating that if you can't get the unit to power on, call Sharp (if you doubt me, download the manual from the Sharp site). Who includes a note like that unless they expect problems? So I called. Then the real adventure began.

The Ugly: dealing with Sharp. When I called Sharp, the rep walked me through the reset procedure, with no luck, and then gave me the number of an authorized repairman. Sharp guarantees on-site repairs, but the repairman said he had to take it to the shop. It was Nov. 13, and little did I know at that moment that I would not have a new Aquos in my den for six weeks. So my old Sony Triniton (20+ years old, never been to the shop, as good as new) went back on the shelf. A few days later the repairman said that Sharp wanted to arrange a replacement set because the power supply was defective and they couldn't find the proper part number. According to their own manuals, the power supply cost considerably more than the entire unit, and that had to be a mistake. Then a day or so later they did manage to find the part, and said it would go out the next day by UPS ground. I said please, not ground, because it would take a week. The rep said no, only two or three days. The part was sent out a day late, and then took a full week to arrive. After installation, the repairman said the set needed a new main board as well and ordered it. I called Sharp to say please, not ground again, but they claimed it had already shipped. Four days later I checked with Sharp and learned that it had not been shipped, nor was it even scheduled for shipping. A supervisor promised to express mail it. Eight days later the part still had not arrived, and after calling I eventually learned that it was on backorder for at least two more weeks, so they had opted to replace the unit instead. No one had called to inform us. By this time it was the weekend of Christmas, so we had to wait four more days before a replacement could be arranged. When we called Sharp, they said it would ship by ground, and this time we were told that Sharp does not ship large LCD TV's by air. So by the time the replacement finally arrived, six weeks had passed. About two hours of that was spent trying to repair the original Aquos, and the rest of the time was waiting for parts to arrive from Sharp via UPS mule train. Sharp never called us, and if I had not been persistent in calling them, the original unit would still be in the shop. Also, no apologies from Sharp at any time. Rep's were polite but not much help, and two or three of them gave us false information. I'm hoping that the replacement unit lasts for awhile, because I don't look forward to going through all this again. The Sharp CEO supposedly has made LC flat-panels his flagship. I have a suggestion for him: hire a couple of people to turn these things on before they leave the factory, and reorganize customer service.

...this would rate a 5/5

Like nearly everyone who has purchased this set, mine suffers from banding. I have 3 evenly spaced horizontal bands. They are clearly visible during vertical panning and from the Service Menu or any uniform background, for that matter.

I've logged a complaint with Sharp and got the standard "we're working on it" line but the more I see and read, the more convinced I am that this is what you get when a company cuts corners and rushes a product to market. I doubt any fix is coming so I'm returning it and settling for the XBR2, which for me, didn't have nearly as good a PQ as the Sharp overall.

When you don't see the bands, the PQ on HD is very impressive with rich, vibrant colors and stunning detail. Contrast is on par with the best plasmas that I've seen and is noticeably better than the XBR2.

There is slight red push but you can tweak that from the service menu.

If you do decide to roll the dice like I did and get a lemmon (seems to be a good chance you will), make sure you open a case with Sharp. They need to be sent a message about poor QC.

I researched these LCDs for months before choosing this model. It came down to picture quality - period. I looked at the Sony XBR2 and the Samsung 4665F. After weighing everything I'd read and seen about these three tvs online and in person, I chose the Sharp - price didn't matter. I read so much about the stupid banding problems with these models, but I thought I would gamble and if it was bad just return it. The picture was truely stunning. HD channels and HD-DVDs are just awesome - even standard dvds look good on the HD-DVD player(but that's a different review). I haven't noticed any banding whatsoever.

The bad news - the video completely died after only 2 1/2 weeks. Sharp was going to replace some parts but Amazon offered to replace the unit with a new one since it's less than 30 days old. Amazon service is excellent, BTW.

For the replacement I had the opportunity to order a different TV, but I'm betting again on the same model I had before. I'm hoping it was just a dud. Before my issue I would have rated this TV a 5, it's dropping to a 4 just based on my experience.

I bought this sharp about two weeks ago after many weeks of shopping around and debating between different brands, plasma, LCD, etc... This TV cost a little on the high-side of what I was looking to spend, but once I got it home I was not disappointed! The picture is great, even from a side angle. Fast motion sports don't suffer from any trail effect (4ms response!), and the OPC setting works well in my somewhat bright daytime living room. Plus full 1080p is nice! The over the air ATSC tuner picks up all of the local HD channels even without an amplified antenna. My one (insignificant) complaint is that the gloss black frame shows fingerprints too well. A flat/matte black would have been nicer.

Pros:
- Contrast levels and refresh rates are excellent

Compare to the competitors (Samsung and Sony):

Sharp: 100000:1 contrast ratio with 4ms refresh
Samsung: 6000:1 contrast with 8ms refresh
Sony: 7000:1

This is always one main weakness of LCDs vs plasmas vs DLP and regular tube monitors. But Sharp's new technology marks a breakthrough.


Cons:

- There have been reports of "banding" on avsforum. Ie some displays have irregular bands of darkness. I have not experienced this on my display. The community has been trying to track this down. So you might consider ordering this from a place that will take returns without heavy restock fees just in case.

- Default factory settings are a little too red. I changed my settings to tone down the red.

Final comments:

In general this Fall season is a good time to buy:

- 1080p is finally here and content is emerging in the form of HD-DVD, BluRay and next gen game platforms like Xbox 360 and PS3.

- Competition is intense and prices are dropping wildly for the holiday season. I received mine on Nov 6. It is now Nov 19 and in that time the price has dropped by $500. Fortunately I orered mine from ABT and they refunded me the difference even after the sale. The 37" 720p Sharp was at this price last year. So my guess is the price will stay at about this level till Christmas. If there ends up being a shortage after Christmas, prices may rise a little and then drop about mid 2007 when another generation of the products begin to emerge. The next product cycle for the Sharp may fix the banding issues. So if you are really concerned wait 1 more year. They will only get cheaper and there will only be more content to view. But if you just can't wait any longer, now is indeed a good time to buy this or one of its competitors.

Even though the television cost my friend $2100, this 46" LCD 1080p televison is tops in every way. The televsion is beautiful to just look at when its off with the piano black finish and narrow frams making it look like a frame with a pedestal. Standard Definition looks incredibly well as well as DVDs watched from PS3 thru an HDMI cable. The picture is much better than my Plasma, which you can see reviewed in my products. PS3 games are incredible and photos on the PS3 look beautiful. HD is even better. The colors, brightness and uniformity are all very good. Banding is really a no issue here unlike my plasma. Blacks are the best (according to Cnet) on this series of Televisions. Sony's televisions are excellent too but can cost another $1000 for the same size, which is close to 50% more than the AQUOS. Definitely a keeper!

So here's the deal. I bought this TV back in November and although I have never owned another HDTV before, I cannot honestly say I can imagine a much better picture, esp. in the 1080p mode. I have an Xbox 360 and do not have a HD DVD player yet, but this IS the TV to play video games on (or watch football for that matter). The negatives on this website I guess come from the banding issues, and I did not know about this before I bought the TV but I guess I got lucky because my TV did not have these problems. But if I were reading these other comments, trying to make a decision on what to get, who wants to throw down $2500 for a lottery ticket, right? Another guy mentioned Dolby Digital doesn't work, and I didn't hook up a 5.1 stereo surround sound yet, but if this is true that would be a huge negative considering the amount of money spent to buy this (I can't imagine that could be true, maybe he did it wrong?). Anyway, the only negative i have on this TV is there is no split-screen or PIP which would be nice but the picture quality is so outstanding that I would say that this TV is worth it for the picture alone (I am not making this stuff up - they had this TV side by side with the XBR2 and 3 and the picture quality blew both of those away). This Tv is like having the best of both worlds - an LCD with razor sharp quality and the contrast of a plasma to boot. Anyway, that's my two cents, take it for what it's worth but I would say make sure you get this from somewhere you can easily return it if you do decide to buy just in case of the banding issue.

I was all set to purchase the new Phillips 47' LCD from Best Buy, when I noticed the price of this TV. At $1898 it was a steal. It worked perfectly right out the box. Picture is not quite as bright as the Samsung or Phillips but it does have a razor sharp picture. I do see some faint banding on a dark screen, but its not enough to bother me. Besides when veiwing any program you dont see them. One drawback is only 2 HDMI inputs, but if you have play station 3 it plays blu-ray discs and your regular DVD's so you only really need two inputs.

Overall very pleased. If on a limited budget great value. The Samsung was slightly better, But could not justify paying $750 more.


Update
After having this set for two weeks, I have one major complaint the viewing range on this set is very limited. It is advertised as having a viewing range of 176 degrees. But if you go about 2-3 feet off center the picture quaility is notably degraded. I called Sharp and they are sending a technician over today. I will update when I speak to the rep.


Update

The Tech from Sharp showed up and saw the same thing I saw and had the nerve to tell me that all LCD television are like that. I promptly called Sharp and they told me there is nothing they could do. So I called Best Buy and will switch to the phillips 47pfl7432d. No problem with Best Buy they are a class company. Will update and give you my review after my new TV is delivered. Would not recommend the Sharp.


Final word

Had the Philips two days. Viewing angle is great, 3 HDMI inputs and volume leveler. Great picture, The sound is OK. No banding. Plus the screen is bigger. Overall glad I made the change. I paid $100.00 more for the Philips and if you can get it for $2000 or less as I did, its a great value.

The Sharp Aquos LC46D62U is a very impressive LCD TV. Consumer Reports rates the LC46D62U right at the top of TV's over 40 inches. It was easy to install, and works perfectly. I am very satisfied with it.