38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
Low price leader
At least for now this TV seems like the low price leader among new 2009 52" sets. I am very happy with my purchase after 2 weeks of ownership. I am watching it without any custom tweaking at all and blu-ray looks great, and ATSC digital broadcast reception via a RCA ANT1500 Large Multi-Directional Digital Flat Passive Antenna (White) is excellent too.
Great Picture, Not so great sound
This is a very nice TV with only one noticable flaw. The sound is very poor quality. I turned the TV speakers off completely and run it through the surround system. If it had better speakers it would rate 5 stars
This review is from: Sharp LC52E77U 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black (Electronics)
At least for now this TV seems like the low price leader among new 2009 52" sets. I am very happy with my purchase after 2 weeks of ownership. I am watching it without any custom tweaking at all and blu-ray looks great, and ATSC digital broadcast reception via a RCA ANT1500 Large Multi-Directional Digital Flat Passive Antenna (White) is excellent too.
I bought this sight unseen because the price was right and it seemed to have the important stuff and not the frills, which was just what I wanted. Also previous models of the Aquos line got decent reviews.
This is my first large LCD so I don't have much to compare with. The features seem to be just a somewhat more mature version of last years features which is great if you don't want the dubious advantages (and expense) of things like 240hz mode, LED backlighting or ultra-thin screen.
The built-in sound is decent with hidden, downward pointing speakers and I use it for live TV (ie News and Sports) but for movies I have it connected to an AV surround amp.
Looks great mounted on the wall (nicer than on the stand).
Pros:
- 10-bit screen
- non-glare screen
I have it next to large window and although you can certainly see the light reflected, it is a kind of matte look not a sharp reflection. And the brightness of the screen can overcome whatever reflection there is except in dark scenes.
- 120hz mode
I really don't see a lot of difference so I tend to leave things in the regular movie mode, even for baseball
- good response time
subjective, nothing to compare
- good black
subjective, nothing to compare
- plenty of connections
- can custom label the on-screen menu inputs
well, it's important to me :)
Cons:
- no PIP
I don't care
- no DLNA/Internet connectivity
I'm connected to a MediaPC so this would be redundant except for firmware upgrades which have to be done via a USB port (not sure if end user can do that)
- the USB port is good only for service, not, for example, loading home pictures - again with a MediaPC it's not needed.
The delivery via Amazon/CEVA was by a couple of very nice guys who brought it in, unpacked it, put it on the stand (which I later removed) and turned it on, which was exactly what I wanted and expected. No dead pixels. 15 month warranty (12 month plus 3 more for registering online) which I hope I don't have to use.
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This review is from: Sharp LC52E77U 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black (Electronics)
Just received this TV yesterday and had it up and running in no time at all. I have successfully connected my Cox HD-DVR, Roku (Netflix device), and Pioneer DVD player (1080p upconvert) to the TV...all with new HDMI cables. Visually this TV looks great, I like the piano black finish and the slight champagne gradiant at the bottom...will look even better once we get it up on our wall I think (wife likes the look too).
Upon first powering it up I was greeted with a few simple setup questions all laid out nicely on a very easy to read menu system. Once done I was up and running on our Cox HD-DVR. I went to a basketball game that was on and being broadcast in 1080i. Wow, simply wow. Amazing picture quality...and I hadn't even tweaked the settings yet. After watching a few more channels I switched over to my son's Cars (Pixar movie) DVD to check out the 1080p upconvert and the 120Hz dejudder capabilities. I had never really been able to detect the difference of this in big stores, but wow in the Cars movie at home it was very evident and actually looked really cool. The animation was sooo much smoother, it took a little getting used to but now I'm just amazed at it. Some might not like it, but I think most will.
SD channels actually look suprsingly ok. Was expecting them to look like total crap on this size TV, but they dont.
Later in the evening I started to get down to adjusting the video settings to get the blacks a litter better and the color to be just right (for my eyes anyway). Took about 30-40 mins but I think I have everything set the way I like it, and it looks even better than the initial settings. Blacks are VERY good.
For $1468 shipped, this is an amazing TV. Sure it doesn't have some of the newest bells and whistles...but for some of us who don't have a need for those or the added cost, its nice (ie, ethernet port, USB port, 240Hz, etc).
There are only 2 little downsides I have come across:
1) The sound is only so-so, but that was to be expected...most TVs just aren't spectacular. The sound is very clear, and voices are easy to hear/understand...but just no bass at all. So movies seem a little drab in the sound department. We will be adding a sound bar soon.
2) The viewing angle could be a little better I think. The image gets a little washed as you move to the sides of the TV. I was able to minimize some of it by tweaking the backlight level and contrast/brightness. But still could be better. The stand on this unit swivels though, so we just angle it towards the couch or chairs we will be in and the problem is solved.
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This review is from: Sharp LC52E77U 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black (Electronics)
Since I have owned this TV for a few months now, I thought it would be helpful to share a few tips and tricks I have learned:
PROBLEM: INCOMPATIBLE AUDIO SIGNAL
All my A/V devices (360, PS3, Wii, Samsung DTB-H260F) were connected to my Onkyo TX-SR607 receiver with HDMI, which was set to output to my Sharp Aquos LC-52E77U. And, although the receiver was set to "Audio TV Out" off (and even with it on), the TV kept popping up this error:
"Incompatible audio signal has been received, please check the output signal."
It only pops up for a few seconds, and only when I would switch devices or resolution or whatever. Still, pretty annoying. Connecting the devices directly to the TV via HDMI caused the same error - the only time it didn't happen is when there was 2ch 44.1/48Khz PCM involved.
Unfortunately, unlike every other TV I have ever owned, the Sharp doesn't have a menu option to disable audio. Muting didn't help, either.
The solution? Set the audio volume to 0. No more error!
PROBLEM: NO DEVICE DETECTED (DVI -> HDMI)
When I first got this TV, I plugged in my Mac Mini, using a DVI -> HDMI cable. After using it for a bit, the TV would stop recognizing that the Mac Mini was connected. It turns out that, whenever the Mac Mini would be rebooted or would go to sleep, the Sharp would refuse to recognize that it was connected anymore.
The solution? Physically unplugging and plugging in the TV (not just pressing the power button), and disabling sleep on the Mac. I still have to do this unplugging dance occasionally - like for system updates - but not as often as when sleep was enabled. I guess that's the price you pay for a beautiful 1080p HDMI signal, as opposed to a letterboxed 1600x1200 VGA signal - the max this TV supports.
CALIBRATION SETTINGS
This TV has some definite problems with blues in areas of high contrast. Here are the best settings I have found, in order of their appearance in the menus:
OPC: Off
Backlight: +6 (you can adjust up or down a smidge if need be)
Contrast: +36
Brightness: -6
Color: +1
Tint: +1
Sharpness: -1
CMS Hue/Saturation/Value: 0
Color Temp.: Low (leave at Mid for color managed devices like Macs, or OTA TV)
R Gain: +11
G Gain: 0
B Gain: -10
Fine Motion Enhanced: Off (leave on for sports if you prefer)
Active Contrast: Off
Gamma Adjustment: 0
Film Mode: Off (I used Advanced(Low) for sports)
Digital Noise Reduction: Off
Monochrome: Off
Range of OPC: +16 Max, -16 Min (it is off, anyways)
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This review is from: Sharp LC52E77U 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black (Electronics)
This was my second LCD TV purchase in the last year, so needless to say I have been reading reviews and doing research for nearly a full year now.
As soon as I saw this new 52inch 2009 model for $1450 I had to seal the deal, and I am very glad I did.
There is no banding on my TV ( this was a previous issue with some sharp series, however I cannot say that no TV in this series has banding I only speak for the one I have)
Straight out the box picture is amazing. I am still waiting for Satellite hookup, so for now I have tested my PC input, Xbox, and PS3. The picture on each one blew me away. I have not tweaked the video settings yet, because this is a new TV there are no calibration settings posted yet. Watched Underworld on BlueRay and was astounded at the clarity for the price.
Yes, I have seen better pictures on TVs in the store, however these TVs were nearly 2000$ more than what I paid for this one. And the extra 2000$ does not justify the small incremental increase in picture quality IMO.
As far as sound goes, I would suggest using at least a soundbar if not a full surround sound.
Perfect TV for Value shoppers. This TV is by far the best bang for your buck that I have found in the last year.
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This review is from: Sharp LC52E77U 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black (Electronics)
I'm using this set with:
Yamaha RX-V730 A/V Receiver
Definitive Technology SSA-50
Definitive Technology ProSub 800
TiVo Series 3 HD w/Comcast
Xbox 360 w/HD DVD
Nintendo Wii
Everything looks great on this set. Watching the Dark Knight was nice since you can actually see details in the areas that are dark. The colors aren't overly saturated and the picture is crisp. Shaun of the Dead in HD was also very crisp and detailed when the areas were bright.
Xbox 360 is great on this set. The colors are very easy to look at and everything runs very smoothly on it.
The screen cuts down on a lot of potential glare that may come onto it. There are more than enough connections for me. 15 month warranty and being part of the AQUOS Advantage Program in case anything happens.
I'm not using any of the set's internal audio processing or outputs so I have no opinion of that. I'm also using a Harmony remote, so I will not be using the included remote unless I absolutely need to.
I actually think I am going to use the power save features too. The OPC setting which allows the TV to sense the surrounding brightness and adjust it's own brightness. This is supposed to save power and extend the life of the backlight.
I would totally recommend this TV for the everything that it is and for the price.
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This review is from: Sharp LC52E77U 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black (Electronics)
The dimming issue is due to automatically backlight adjustment being selected. There is also the programmable setting to limit the range of this auto adjustment. There is a noticeable picture contrast and sharpness if you turn of the auto adjustment, and pick a different video mode. Each of these mode gives a set preference for backlight quality.
However, you have to play with this TV for a few hours to find all the settings to customize this TV to your liking.
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This review is from: Sharp LC52E77U 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black (Electronics)
I shopped a long time for TVs as you probably are doing right now. As of the second week of June, this was the best priced TV for the features and size by far.
But you already know that.
So I'll try and help with your apprehensions. The TV arrived neatly packed and pristine. Not a mark on the box. The delivery man had me inspect and sign-off, which I would have insisted on anyway.
Switched on, hooked up an XBox 360 via HDMI and sat back in awe. Not a single dead pixel as people often fret over moderately priced sets.
The picture is stunning, although you do have to switch off the silly LCD Power Conservation option (OPC). It does not at all read ambient light well and dims the set too low. I still have to play with it perhaps.
Overall the set definitely shines as its spec sheet would lead you to believe. Action is blur-free and crisp. Colors are bright. Contrast is, forgive me, Sharp.
The only criticism I have, which is not that bad anyway, is that it does require a significant calibration to look its best. Saturation, contrast, brightness, etc, all have to be significantly changed out of the box. The easiest and cheapest way to do this is to use any THX certified DVD (Pixar, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, etc) and use the THX Optimizer. Else, you could use Avia Home Theater 2.0 which is more cumbersome. If you are truly scared of electronics, I supposed you could pay the local TV shop to come and steal your money to calibrate it.
That being said: If you are sitting here wondering why this TV doesn't cost more than 6ave is selling it for, BUY IT. You'll win.
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This review is from: Sharp LC52E77U 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black (Electronics)
This TV looks great had a friend who deals with Samsung LCD's all the time he felt the picture was comparable. I was looking for a TV that had some more advanced options without paying too much.
The Amazon delivery was great.
I was concerned innitially because the contrast ratio was not listed and I could not find any reviews because the set was new, but I am very happy with the features and the number of inputs the set has. Also the picture is great.
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This review is from: Sharp LC52E77U 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black (Electronics)
Wow. I had been looking at 1080p 120hz TVs for at least 6 months. I lost track of how many reviews, articles and forums I visited during that time frame during my search for information on the best buys and TVs to avoid.
I had my heart set on a Samsung, but one look at this Sharp on the floor at my local costco and I was hooked.
The picture is great. I would rate it equal to the high dollar Samsung red line TV my folks have. Blu Rays look awesome, my FIOS HD service is phenomenal and gaming with my PS3 is an exciting experience.
The TV has everything you need, a ton of HDMI hookups, easy to use remote and on screen menus to name a few.
The only negative aspect of the TV is the sound. It is adequate for normal use, but if you are used to any type of surround sound you will be wanting more than the built in speakers. I did have a Sony surround sound system, but it was of an older variety and didn't have the HDMI or optical outputs. I ended up hooking up my Bose Ipod dock to the TV....sounds great!!
In my opinion this is a ton of TV for the bucks! Costco had it for $1300....
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This review is from: Sharp LC52E77U 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black (Electronics)
I recently purchased a Sharp LC52E77UN and gotta tell you, the TV looks pretty darn awesome. Firstly I would recommend the 52" size to anyone if you have the space. Now onto the picture quality - I was a bit disappointed w/ the quality of some of the SD channels (abc, fox, etc..), however others like food and discovery channel were definitey above par - I blame it on the DirectTV subscription I get in this condo building. I am waiting to get my Mini-DVI to HDMI cable I ordered from amazon to see the difference in quality/sharpness of true 1080p when I hook my mac in. I checked out the HD version of the TV's older models in best buy and it just looks plain awesome.
I'll post pictures and more details about the TV in the upcoming weeks as I get to play around with it more.
UPDATE 08/21/2009
Got my Mini-DVI to HDMI cable few days ago. The macbook to TV hookup is awesome and the picture is phenomenal - crisp and clear. I also followed the calibration settings found at avsforum and a bit of my personal tweaking and the video quality increased drastically for both SD channels and regular DVD's
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