59 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
Sharp Aquos LC65D64U - Amazing HDTV!
We purchased the Sharp Aquos LC65D64U in early February, and have found the picture and everything else about this HDTV nothing short of amazing. We shopped extensively and looked at many other large screen flat panels, and nothing compares to this for the money. (Actually, I don't know how anyone could want a more beautiful picture at any price.)
39 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
Great picture but noxious fumes
The picture is beautiful, but the fumes from the set are noxious.
The odor gets overpowering and nauseating after the TV is on for a short while. We turn the set off and air out the living room. I am trying to research whether the fumes are a health hazard or not, but it certainly does impair our enjoyment of this two-month old set.
This review is from: Sharp Aquos LC65D64U 65-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
We purchased the Sharp Aquos LC65D64U in early February, and have found the picture and everything else about this HDTV nothing short of amazing. We shopped extensively and looked at many other large screen flat panels, and nothing compares to this for the money. (Actually, I don't know how anyone could want a more beautiful picture at any price.)
We used our existing high-end surround sound speaker system (originally purchased several years ago for use with a Sony 60-inch rear projection TV, which was great in its day), but upgraded our old surround sound receiver to a new Yamaha RXV863 receiver to complement the newer digital technology. We have the Sharp mounted on the wall, and use a Playstation 3 for Blu-ray movies and a Cox HDTV cable box with DVR for HDTV reception, recording, and playback. We also have a Wii player connected, and its images also look great with this HDTV.
This Sharp HDTV was delivered via Amazon's standard truck carrier, and arrived on time in perfect condition.
This is one great HDTV. We highly recommend it!
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This review is from: Sharp Aquos LC65D64U 65-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
This TV is so far everything I expected. The Sharp Aquos line took a big dump years ago when they started to redesign and replace parts with cheaper ones. This new generation Shar Aquos is back to its original standards. I have this unit mounted on the wall of my entertainment center and its the perfect size. This is the only available LCD on the 65" range. About the 120hz hype, I've seen the next generation of this model with the 120hz Spider Man 3 on Blu-ray and there IS ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE. What the other makes are advertizing as 120hz true motion is different. This is manipulating the image to eliminate all possible blur natural to LCDs when watching cinema (24 frames per second) movies. If you have any doubts, go to a Frys or BestBuy and watch a TV playing a movie with 120hz true motion enabled. It makes movies look fake, as if you are watching a video game or a soap opera. It takes you out of the movie. Your grinch reflex will be overworked scene by scene. Sharp has had 120hz refresh rates for years and they look the same as 40hz (this model). Don't be taken up by the marketing fad on this feature and be suckered to pay an extra $3000. In my opinion, the next generation on this size by Aquos is plain ugly. The frame looks like is covered in leather, with four hidious chrome squares on each corner. This model has a slick piano-like frame finish with very elegant and contemporary lines. Overal, it is a great TV. Make sure you have at least 14 feet of separation between the TV and the seating area.
I recommend this product highly.
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This review is from: Sharp Aquos LC65D64U 65-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
We have a large room with lots of windows so had to go LCD over plasma. I have not complaints over this tv. Picture is amazing, even wathching Hi Def sports channels. The price goes up and down, but keep watching it and go for the 65 over the 50's any day.
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This review is from: Sharp Aquos LC65D64U 65-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
Wow! After patiently waiting 9 days for delivery via CEVA, Amazon's preferred shipper (to be fair, it was a four day holiday weekend) my TV finally arrived! And it was worth it... but:
CEVA - "White Glove Delivery" ...
well, that's sort of a joke (no, I didn't expect them to have white gloves)... however they gave me a four hour delivery window of 12-4PM, yet they were almost 3 hours late (got here at 6:40PM after first arriving at 5:45 (driver only) and telling me they needed a second man to unload (this TV weighs 157 lbs in the box!), "be right back" - not sure where they got the second man but he did reappear almost an hour later with what appeared to be a CEVA employee.)
In CEVA's defense, their on site personnel were uniformed, neat, friendly and helpful - and the dispatcher was responsive when I called their office to ask where the driver was, they called him on his cell and reported he was on the way.
THE TV, OVERALL?
In a word, wonderful! AND NO ODORS AT ALL! It's been running now for several hours and we have not smelled anything - so not sure what others have experienced, but there was no burn-in odor whatsoever.
PICTURE? Fantastic - but the preset defaults were not even close - it does take some fiddling if you don't like green faces. A few folks in these ratings have listed what worked for them - I tried one's settings and it was pretty close - tweaked it a bit more and I'm happy as a clam... wonderful, almost 3-D like picture. But I did learn one thing: 1080p is only available via BLU-RAY content - all broadcasts, according to the FAQ Aquos site, is 1080i, so this TV is "future ready" but not going to display 1080p unless you are watch a blu-ray DVD. I never knew that, so you live and learn. Doesn't really matter though, 1080i Cable is pretty awesome! Have not hooked up my blu-ray yet, but it's hard to imagine a better picture!
(** note: when I first saw this TV, in a Costco, it was underwhelming - apparently they just sat it out, made no adjustments, compared to others nearby, the picture was not impressive - now I know why. The default setting are not even close - so whatever you do, don't judge by some display model - it may be that no one bothered to make the adjustments - which are a bit complicated but with some patience (and a little guidance from our fellow raters here!) you will be pleased with the picture.)
AUDIO? The Aquos speakers are not impressive but if you buy this TV you will likely be using a home theatre system and you should - the speakers are mediocre, at best. A bit tinny - didn't mess with them, just turned them off, but it might be possible to get them sounding better but what little I heard was unimpressive.
MANUAL? Also a bit underwhelming, but adequate - not very indepth as to what some of the controls do - minimal is the best description... but in fairness, the on-screen controls are pretty self-explanatory and easy to navigate as well as understand. Spend a few minutes and you will feel like you've had this TV for months.
FEATURES? WHERE IS THE PICTURE 'n PICTURE?!?! I knew it didn't have this feature and bought it anyway but WHY - WHY SHARP? A TV like this, a top of the line model, no PnP? Crazy!!!! I like to use PnP for my security system camera's - now I have to toggle back and forth whereby with my old Sony I could have both pictures on the screen at the same time - LISTEN UP SHARP!!! How about a firmware upgrade enabling this feature if it is possible?? PLEASE!?!? It's really the only major feature missing. What a shame. And my rational for 4 stars vs 5 (actually I would give it a 4.5!)
FIRMWARE? Not sure yet, but the firmware version on Sharp's site for this TV is "lower" in numeric value than the one on the TV - and I'm wondering why? Why would the TV come with a more up to date version (if that is the "logic" of the number) than the one on their web site. I'm not upgrading the firmware until I understand more about this, because "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". (NOTE: Sharp says no need to upgrade this firmware on current sets, last updated was Jan 08!)
WARRANTY? included in the documentation was an extended 3 mos warranty for registering, so a 15 mo vs 12 mo warranty - not bad... but had I purchased this TV at Costco I would have received a two year extended warranty (but, paid more and sales tax and had to drag it home myself, no easy feat!)
PRICE? Well, Amazon is pretty whacky with this one. The price seems to bouncing like a ball on this TV. One minute it's $[...] with a free Sharp Blu-ray DVD player, the next minute it's $[...] with no promos. And everything between - I watched the price, every day, for a week and every two days it changed... when it finally hit $[...] (the lowest I saw it but others claim to have bought it before Jan 1 at $[...] w/ the blu-ray promo) I waited and then it was GONE! Poof. Took another week before it hit that price again and this time I jumped "only 1 left" - sure enough, after I clicked purchase, the next minute it was no longer available from Amazon but only one of it's vendors, at $3400! FYI: for some weird reason, Costco is $3499 on this TV (model number is slightly different, but it's the same TV - Sharp does this so you can't compare prices and their retailers don't get upset with them for selling at warehouse clubs, I'm told) When you run this model through sites like PriceGrabber, it comes up mostly in the $3100-3500 price ranges.
OVERALL? VERY, VERY HAPPY. Still have to hang it on the wall - got the Sansu wall bracket for $164 (forget Sharp, they want $400!) on Amazon, but all the comments about the screws not working is correct - you will need the M10Kit from Sansu, another $27 but I complained to the wall bracket vendor and they gave me a $35 refund (which includes the S&H of $8) to reimburse me for the M10Kit. Nice, and no hassles.
BUY THIS TV! It's a great TV for the price. You won't regret it. I had a Sony LCD, 4 years old, and this is a dramatic improvement, blacker blacks, contrast is incredible, Sharp lives up to it's name: This IS one VERY "SHARP" TV!
UPDATE: FIVE DAYS LATER: Still no odor issues... not sure why some have the problem and some don't but we are in the same room with this TV about 12+ hours a day, and there has been zero odor from this TV.
Finally mounted it on the wall today - looks awesome. Note to those considering the suggested Sansu mount kit - the M10 kit (Beach Audio) that is required for installing this TV due to the larger bolts, well, it came with 2" screws - you will only need 1" (30mm) screws - with 1.5 pitch (got zapped on that too, making for two trips to the hardware store), 4 bolts, .80 each - ended up returning the M10 kit and just got the bolts locally. You will need to make the slot in the extension brackets larger by boring them out, takes 10 mins., save $35!
As a followup, I experienced the same problem with "out of the box" poor picture performance - seems the factory defaults are just lousy. But once you get it set (see these reviews for some suggested settings!) it is one great picture. Call Sharp special Aquo's number to speak to a level 2 tech, to ask about auto-dimmer picture control - automatic brightness adjustment was far too sensitive... Sharp tech said there was no adjustment for this but HE WAS WRONG: it's under ADVANCED settings... and once adjusted, works great. Just slide the slider for each inward about 1/3 to create a shorter zone - you may have to play with it based on your lighting but this TV was way too bright during the daytime and would actually hurt your eyes watching it - just move that slider in a bit and problem solved.
UPDATE: AFTER 10 DAYS OF OWNERSHIP - STILL NO ODORS! And I am in love with this TV! After a few more tweaks and learning that EACH input requires individual picture control adjustments (kind of a pain, but...) - now I just have to hope that after a power failure they don't all reset to default settings, which were way off the mark.
10/7/2009 UPDATE: Well, I knew it was bound to happen - it was too good to be true. About a week ago (and 9 months of ownership) I began to notice a 2" wide horizontal "band" across the screen, almost dead center. After experimenting with the settings, I determined that it was only there in STANDARD and CUSTOM modes - when I set it to GAME mode, it went away. Sharp sent a tech out and he brought a new voltage board but after replacement, same problem. So now we move to replacement of the control center board - and another week long wait for that part to come in and then reschedule a second trip. Sharp told the tech is this doesn't fix the problem they will replace the TV with a new one.
NOTE: the tech support people make it very clear that the service tech would not help us remove the TV from the wall mount - but he was very nice and offered to help (it weights 157 lbs) making the entire process much easier than I had thought it would be.
We still love the TV and honestly, Game Mode is a bit more vivid than Standard Mode, but the picture is crisp and almost 3-D like in that mode - we may stick with that after the repair/replacement.
Still the best TV I have ever owned... Better than Sony and Samsung's LCD's, which I own as well.
UPDATE: 6/2/2010: this TV bit the dust in November 2009 and was quickly and pleasantly replaced with the newer model by Sharp. So far, so good - looks like they revamped the electronics and made it somewhat slimmer as well. Picture is amazing. Sharp is incredible on their warranty service, I'll give 'em that.
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This review is from: Sharp Aquos LC65D64U 65-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
This set worked great out of the box. I am very pleased with picture and sound, as well as the price available on line. I used the Sanus wall mount kit recommended for the LC65D64U. It fits very close to the wall, looks good. Be warned that the bolts furnished by Sanus do not fit the set (Use metric M10-mm30) also had to file the slots in the mount bracket slightly wider to allow for the bolts to fit. I know there are some feature on much more expensive models that might sound neat but for a basic set with a great picture I could not see a cost benefit with another more expensive set.
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This review is from: Sharp Aquos LC65D64U 65-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
I first purchased a Panasonic Viera 58" Plasma from Amazon. Color and picture qualtiy were great, and sound was very good for a TV. However, the reflections were even worse than I expected. It was almost like looking in a mirror! I do business with Amazon because of the outstanding service and ability to return orders. I'll lose the shipping cost ($99) but that's OK.
The Aquos 65 requires a bit more adjusting on colors, but I'm completely satisfied with the results. Using basic adjustments got to good quality, and the advanced adjustments should be enough for anyone to reach just the right results. (Hue and Saturation for 6 colors can be adjusted)
Sound isn't quite as good, but reports that volume is too low should be ignored. Who wants theater level volume with just two small speakeres? That's asking too much, and for that experience get a surround sound system.
I saw reviews saying that SD broadcasts weren't very good. With a signal from DirecTV and sitting about 14-15 feet away, I disagree. The picture is surprisingly crisp, unless you stretch or zoom to full screen. In the proper aspect ratio, I have no complaints and really marvel at the quality they have gotten with only 480 lines spread over 32" vertical. That's .066" pixels or 15 lines per inch (if not up-converted, or converted with a really dumb algorithm) which would be fairly easy to see.
There were some negative reports on smell from the TV. Yes, it started out with some odor, but that either went away quickly or we got used to it. My wife is extremely sensitive to odors, and isn't complaining.
The best news is that the reflcection is no problem. With the TV off, it is possible to see a soft reflection of lamps and windows. But with a "normal" picture, it's hard to find the reflections.
The day after I ordered the TV the price dropped by $100 to $2917. I contacted customer service and asked whether I should cancel and reorder, or if they could adjust the price. I was told they don't have a 30 day price guarantee, but as a one time exception would give a refund. The only failure in the process is that the refund wasn't given. I contacted them by email yesterday, and quickly got a note saying that the refund would be made.
I am 100% satisfied both with the TV and with Amazon. If the TV doesn't show up as available from Amazon, just try again later. This one seems to come and go from their list, suggesting the demand is high but that they have a good supply scheduled.
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This review is from: Sharp Aquos LC65D64U 65-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
Sharp's Aquos series is one of the most highly regarded in HDTV flat panel LCD TV alongside Sony's Bravia series. It deserves all of the accolades it receives as the picture, even on a 65" behemoth, is absolutely flawless. In 1080p HD this thing is incredible. Black levels are amazing, response times and refresh rates are so fast that even professional sports displayed in HD show no pixels falling behind, no blurring, no noise. The set also requires virtually no warm up time and is at full brightness in a matter of moments after powering on. The set also includes technology that senses how bright the room is and adjusts the brightness of the screen to the room conditions. The understated and elegant design of the ultra thin bezel disappears and the picture just seems to float in midair. I have this hooked up to a home theater, so I cannot comment on the on board speakers, but I suppose anyone getting a 65" set will be using external speakers as well. The only shortcoming is a slight lack of features that other sets are offering, like front panel inputs (although easy to get to side inputs are available, including a side HDMI port). Memory card slots for displaying digital camera slideshows on screen aren't included either. I know I won't miss either of these seldom used features, but thought they deserved a mention. For such a huge screen, this set is surprisingly light too, so it's no problem wall mounting it using universal mounts. It's quite easy for two adults to move around. A handsome understated stand is included if you have furniture big enough to set it down upon. An absolute stunner that you won't regret purchasing. Just be prepared to fall in love and spend more time with your TV than you ever did before. In a word: Perfect. Highly recommended.
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This review is from: Sharp Aquos LC65D64U 65-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
This is an awsome no frills TV. Great picture, beautiful high gloss frame with non detachable speaker on bottom. 1080p with lots of inputs including 3 HDMI and a huge 65" flat screen LCD for less than $3100 (that is the deal I got from Amazon around Thanksgiving 2008)! I only gave this 4 stars because unlike Samsung or Sony there is no functionality to plug in USB or camera cards to show pictures/slide show and no networking/internet capabilty (of course you can always connect your laptop and use it as the display or if you have a DVD/VCR with these features). Now for an extra $2200 the Sharp Aquos model above it (LC65SE94U) I believe has all of this. Again for the money this is a great TV.
Update After 3 months of Use:
I am very, very, very pleased. I would upgrade this to 5 stars if I could. The upconversion this TV does by itself is very good. I ended up returning my upconverting DVD player and now continue to use my 7 yr old cheap DVD player to see DVDs (in SD - 525 lines). I sit about 10-11 feet away from the screen and these old DVD's look great. I see little to no pixelation except on Text. I plan on connecting a PC with blueray drive soon to get the full 1080p experience and be able to view picture slideshows, get internet access, etc...
This TV also has OPC (Optical Picture Correction). It adjusts the brightness of the picture based on the ambient light in the room. It has a sensor on the outside of the TV to sense the ambient light. This feature can be turned on or off and is fully adjustable. I wasn't aware of this when I bought the TV and I am really glad it has it. This is an awsome TV! Especially for the money!!!
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This review is from: Sharp Aquos LC65D64U 65-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
I've had this TV for two months now and am extremely pleased with it. First let me say, I'm a very critical techie with high visual acuity and also a former television broadcast engineer at a CBS affiliate station. This TV passes all my display tests with flying colors. Signal sources are 1080p Media PC, 1080i satellite receiver and Sony 1080p Blu-Ray player. Response time is fast so there is no observable flicker or lag on horizontal or vertical scrolling text. The color decoder needs some adjusting, but once you have fine-tuned it, the color rendition is close to perfect. Blacks are truly black and whites are correct as well. Grey scale is excellent, with a bit of low level black crush, but still great for LCD. There is no blur or stuttering on horizontal pans. No jaggies. Just a truly clear picture at 1080i and 1080p.
I think that perhaps some of the issues reported by other reviewers are firmware related. The firmware that came installed on the TV supports 1080p/24 fps perfectly, so Blu-ray discs look pristine. There's a lot of talk about buying a 120Hz TV. This TV has a horizontal scan frequency of 90 Hz and I can see no discernible difference between this and the 120 Hz TV's. Absolutely not worth the extra $$ for 120 Hz, IMHO.
There has never been any odor from the TV whatsoever. Amazon.com's free white glove delivery was great and the TV arrived in perfect condition.
Note: It's big. You must sit at least 12 feet from this TV to view it properly (my viewing distance is about 13 feet.) It's a fantastic value for this display size. Even my wife loves the way it looks hanging on the wall. If you want a 65" TV (and remember, it's all about viewing distances - not absolute screen size) then you will be very happy with this TV. I am.
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This review is from: Sharp Aquos LC65D64U 65-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
I have had the TV for about 3 weeks now and am very happy with the purchase. I was hesitant about buying something so big and expensive online, but Amazon's white glove delivery was great. The TV arrived well before its scheduled delivery date, and CVS (delivery team) called to make an appointment, arrived nearly on time and then setup TV in my living room. They also stayed around while I hooked it up to make sure that it all worked and that I was happy with delivery. I had an Amazon recommended installer mount over fireplace the next day
As described by some others, the TV had a very strong smell when I first started using it, but by the end of the second day it was gone and have not had any issues with it since.
TV has a large number of controls to customize the picture that I found very useful in calibrating the set so that it produces a picture that i feel is incredibly life like and detailed. I have seen no motion issues with the set. The free Blu-Ray player that I got from amazon when i ordered looks great on the TV and so does my HD DVD player.
The only issue that I have seen with this TV is that in "Dot by Dot" mode viewing TV, i get a black bar about 1" wide on right side of screen such that I need to use stretch mode. I am still investigating but i think this is a problem with my (POS) U-verse box since it is not visible using the BD or HDDVD players - even though they are all coming in thru same HDMI input.
Extremely pleased with TV and would recommend to anyone. Here are my calibration settings for those interested, and I would be interested to hear how other have calibrated theirs ...
View Mode = PC
OPC = off
Backlight = -4
Contrast = 32
Brightness = 0
Color = -6
Tint = 0
Sharpness = 1
CMS Hue
R = 5
Y = 4
G = 0
C = 1
B = 0
M = 3
CMS Saturation
R = -8
Y = 0
G = 0
C = 0
B = 0
M = -1
Color temp = mid-low (i switch between low and mid-low often)
Active Contrast = off
Fine Motion = on
IP Setting = slow
Film mode = on
Mono = off
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