Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Sharp Aquos LC-60LE835U HDTV Review


Sharp Aquos LC-60LE835U (Quattron)
Sharp Aquos LC-60LE835U Sharp threw everything it could think of into the LC-60LE835U. It’s a 60-inch, super-thin, edge-lit LED HDTV. It’s a 3D HDTV. It’s a Quattron HDTV with a fourth, yellow, pixel. It’s a 240Hz HDTV with Web apps. It’s an energy-saving HDTV that earns our GreenTech approval. A couple of minor flaws come along with all that, chief among them: a clunky menu system with few online services and a $2,799.99 list price that’s a little on the high side. If you can afford it, this big-screen HDTV won’t leave you wanting for cutting-edge tech or performance.
Design
Sharp’s minimalism is downright striking with this set. A narrow, flat, glossy black bezel surrounds the 60-inch screen, punctuated only by a Sharp logo in the middle of the bottom edge and an Aquos 3D logo in the top left corner. The base is flat, black, and glossy, just like the bezel, and blends against the rest of the HDTV while offering a wide left-right pivoting range. Unfortunately, like the base on last year’s LC-52LE820UN ($2,999.99, 3 stars), the base feels wobbly. Considering the 68.3-pound (83.8 pounds with base) screen is only 0.9 inches thick, it’s clear this is a device better mounted on the wall than set on a stand. An inverted, illuminated “V” under the screen is the only lighted aspect of the HDTV, save the screen itself.

Sharp Aquos LC-60LE835U View SlideshowSee all (10) slides

Sharp LC-60LE835U : Screen
Sharp LC-60LE835U : Front
Sharp LC-60LE835U : Angle
Sharp LC-60LE835U : Profile
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Sharp Aquos LC-60LE835U All inputs sit on a back panel a few inches in from the edge of the screen. Facing sideways, toward the left side of the HDTV, are four HDMI inputs and a USB port for loading photos and movies. Facing downward, from the same panel, are an Ethernet port for Web apps, a coaxial plug for cable, optical and analog audio inputs, and a second USB port. Facing straight out from the back panel are a VGA input, a component video input, two composite video inputs, and an RS232 serial port for controlling the HDTV over a network.
The 9.4-inch-long remote is slim and striking, half-matte and half-glossy black. The navigation pad and Menu/App buttons live on the matte black lower half, while the number pad and playback buttons are on the glossy upper half. The buttons are a firm rubber, and feel suitably different under the thumb; the navigation pad is a curved circle, while the App and Playback buttons are small and oblong and the number pad and Power buttons are large and square. The only complaint is a very small Input button, located in the middle of the remote; it makes switching between sources slightly slower than it could be.

Sharp Aquos LC-60LE835U Specifications

Screen Size
60 inches
Type
LCD TV
Supported Refresh Rates
240Hz
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Sharp Aquos LC-60LE835U Video Inputs
Component, Composite, HDMI
Networking Options
Wi-Fi
Speakers Included
Yes
Stand Supplied?
Yes
Height
33 inches
Sharp Aquos LC-60LE835U Width
54 inches
Depth
1 inches
Sharp Aquos LC-60LE835U Weight
68.3 lb
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The on-screen menu system could use a revamp. Instead of overlaying the menus on top of the picture, it shrinks the picture and forms a frame around it, distorting the image as you cycle through various menu settings. The settings are organized in columns, like Sony’s XrossMediaBar (XMB) interface, but in a much less smooth and clean way. It’s simple to navigate, but it’s one of the least attractive on-screen menu systems I’ve seen in an HDTV in the recent past.
Fortunately, the Sharp’s Web-based apps are accessible through a different menu, activated through the Apps button rather than the Menu button. The Apps menu is a much more conventional interface, organized in a simple pop-up row along the bottom edge of the screen. You can also link your favorite apps to one of three Apps buttons on the remote, so you don’t have to go into the menu at all after the initial setting. Unfortunately, the Web-app selection on the Sharp Aquos LC-60LE835U is a bit sparse compared with other HDTVs. The set offers Netflix, CinemaNow, Vudu, Pandora Internet Radio, Twitter, and Facebook, but this library doesn’t come close to the broad selection of services found on the Sony Bravia KDL-55HX800 ($3,399.99, 4 stars) and other Sony or Samsung home-theater products.

Sharp Aquos LC-60LE835U

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