sharp lcd panel reviews free sample

Inexpensive for an LCD with LED backlighting; extremely energy efficient; effective video processing that can separate antiblur and dejudder functions; intriguing selection of interactive widgets; superb built-in support including live help with remote access; solid selection of picture controls; plenty of connectivity with four HDMI and one PC input.

Black levels not as deep as LED and some non-LED-based LCDs; less-accurate grayscale; glossy screen reflects ambient light; minor backlight uniformity issues.

The Sharp LC-LE700UN"s LED backlighting doesn"t elevate its picture quality beyond the LCD norm, but does help make it the most efficient TV we"ve ever tested.

LCD TV makers have always charged a premium for LED backlighting. In fact, the first LED-based LCD TV Sharp released, the inch-thick XS series, debuted last year at a cool $11,000 MSRP for the 52-inch model. LED has become a lot more mainstream since then, and so have Sharp"s ambitions for the well-marketed backlight technology. The Sharp LC-LE700UN series encapsulates that progress toward the mass market: it"s the least-expensive LED-backlit LCD available today, it measures the standard 3-odd inches thick, and as a result its owners will have a tough time convincing visitors that it"s anything more than a normal, CCFL-based LCD.

This Sharp uses different LED backlight technology from any of the other "LED TVs" available today, and perhaps as a result, its picture quality has no major advantage over non-LED-based LCDs. On the other hand, it sips power more sparingly than any other TV we"ve reviewed, and its solid feature set is highlighted by a unique selection of widgets and superb built-in support. The Sharp LC-LE700UN series will appeal to people on a moderate budget who still want the energy efficiency of an LED-backlit LCD.

Series note: We performed a hands-on evaluation of the 46-inch Sharp LC-46LE700UN, but this review also applies to the 52-inch LC-52LE700UN and the 40-inch LC-40LE700UN. The three sets share identical specs (aside from the 40-inch model"s omission of dejudder processing) and should exhibit very similar picture quality. However, this review does not apply to the 32-inch member of the series, model LC-32LE700UN, because that model has a different screen coating on its LCD panel among other differences. (Correction: This note originally indicated that the 32-inch model had a different LCD panel itself, but that"s not correct; all of the LE700UN models have the same kind of LCD panel.)

The glossy black finish of the LC-LE70UN series doesn"t break any new ground designwise, and this Sharp keeps the angled edges of its predecessors like the LC-46D85U. A silver fade along the bottom of the frame provides a very subtle accent while a blue-lit triangle, which reminded us of the emblems worn by the crew of the Enterprise, points toward the company logo in the middle of the bottom edge (the blue illumination can be disabled). Sharp"s matching glossy black stand doesn"t allow the panel to swivel.

Lest you see a Samsung ad and believe all LED-based LCDs are also ultrathin, Sharp"s LC-LE700UN series is among the many sets that prove otherwise. It measures 3.7 inches deep sans stand, which is quite normal for a flat-panel TV of any technology.

Sharp has gone the longest of any TV maker we know since changing its remote. The LC-46LE700UN"s clicker is basically the same as the one that shipped with the 2006 LC-46D62U, which was a few years old itself at the time. Our opinion of it hasn"t changed, so we"ll just quote that review: "Sharp"s long remote will be familiar to anyone who"s played with an Aquos set in the last couple of years. It has the ability to command four other pieces of gear, keys that are nicely spread out and well differentiated, and a generally logical button layout. We say "generally" because the key controlling aspect ratio is stashed clear at the top of the long wand, the one for freezing the image is given an unduly important spot near the main directional keypad, and the one for changing picture modes is hidden beneath a flip-up hatch." Unfortunately, Sharp cut back on the backlighting of its remotes, so now only the volume and channel rockers, as well as four nearby keys, receive illumination.

Sharp"s menu system design is also basically the same as in previous years, and its blocky look seems dated compared with the slick menus available from Sony and Samsung. The pertinent information is all there, however, and we liked the text explanations that accompany various selections.

LED backlighting tops the features list of the Sharp LC-LE700UN, but it"s unlike any other LED-backlit TV released so far. All of the other LED-based LCDs fall into one of two camps: edge-lit or local dimming. However, the Sharp falls into neither category. Its LED elements are arranged behind the screen, as opposed to the edge, but they are incapable of dimming or brightening individually. Like a standard fluorescent-backlit LCD, the Sharp"s LED backlight must dim or brighten all at once. The main benefit of its LED backlight is simply reduced energy consumption.

The Sharp LC-LE700UN also sports a 120Hz refresh rate that provides improved motion resolution compared with standard LCDs--although we suspect you"ll be hard-pressed to see any difference. That refresh rate also allows the TV to display the proper cadence when fed 1080p/24 material. The two larger sizes in the Sharp LC-LE700UN series, the 46- and 52-inch models, feature dejudder processing as well, while the two smaller 40- and 32-inch models do not. Dejudder is available in two strengths on the 46- and 52-inch models and doesn"t need to be active to realize the antiblurring benefits of 120Hz. See performance for more details.

Interactive features: Sharp gets into the interactive TV act with a feature it calls Aquos Net. The service is similar to Yahoo widgets found on Samsung and other brands" TVs, and, in fact, offer similar types of content. Once you connect an Ethernet cable to the back of the TV, you"ll have access to the following widgets:

We tested the system and it worked well, with the representative guiding us through changes he made in real-time while we never had to press a button. Advanced users might not like the idea of someone tooling around inside their TVs (the rep can make changes that nuke your picture settings, for example; we had to recalibrate our sample TV from scratch after our demo), but beginners will love having live help there to hold their virtual hands. Sharp also packs a user manual, customer service contact information, FAQs, and even a glossary of HDTV terms into the support section.

Other features: In addition to the LED backlight Sharp devotes a few other features to saving energy, and the result works. According to our testing (see below), the LC-LE700U is one of the most-efficient TVs of its size on the market.

This TV offers a couple of dedicated power saving modes, conveniently accessible from a dedicated button on the remote. Choosing Standard power saving mode causes the display to "optimize power consumption based on video content," while choosing Advanced also incorporates a room lighting sensor Sharp calls "OPC." Additionally, you can adjust the sensitivity of OPC and set it to engage or not with each adjustable picture mode individually. You can also choose to save the TV turn off automatically after a set period of time if it doesn"t sense a signal (15 minutes) or if you don"t press any buttons on the TV or remote for three hours.

Sharp"s range of picture controls has improved significantly over the last couple of years, and the LC-LE700UN"s selection can match that of most other brands on the market. It begins with seven total picture modes, six of which can be adjusted, one of which cannot, and one, titled User, that"s independent per input. New for 2009 is a mode titled Auto that, according to the manual, "optimizes the picture according to room brightness and video signal."

Among advanced controls we appreciated the option to set white balance for red, green, and blue, which can help hone the TV"s color temperature beyond the five presets. A full color management system is available, along with a "Fine Motion enhanced" setting that improves motion resolution somewhat; a setting that changes the picture dynamically to optimize contrast (we left it off); a five-position gamma slider; four flavors of noise reduction; and Sharp"s peculiar "monochrome" setting that turns everything black-and-white. Finally there"s film mode to control 2:3 pull-down and, on the 46- and 52-inch models in the series, dejudder processing.

Connectivity is very good on the LC-LE700UN. Three HDMI inputs can be found on the back panel while a fourth is located on the right side. Other jacks include two component-video, one VGA-style PC (1,600x1,200-pixel maximum resolution), one RF for antenna or cable, and two standard-definition inputs (one composite- and one S-Video) that, if connected, replace a component-video input. There"s also an optical digital audio output, an analog stereo audio output, an RS-232 connection for custom control systems, and the Ethernet jack for Aquos Net. The side panel adds another composite-video connection, and a USB port for photos (JPEG) or music (MP3) files stored on thumbdrives.

It turns out that the LED backlight of the Sharp LC-LE700U has virtually no impact on picture quality that we could discern. Otherwise, the TV performs like a solid, if unspectacular, standard LCD TV. Its black level performance and color accuracy are generally middle-of-the-LCD-road, and while its video processing is solid, its uniformity was surprisingly mixed. We"re also not fans of Sharp"s decision to include a glossy, as opposed to matte, screen.

As we mentioned, Sharp includes plenty of picture controls, and while those extra tweaks really helped us improve the LC-LE700UN"s color accuracy, there were still issues. The default Movie setting came close to our target light output of 40 footlamberts in our completely dark room with the OPC room lighting sensor engaged, but we prefer to leave such sensors off to prevent obvious brightness fluctuations. When we did, Movie"s default became much brighter (107ftl, if you"re counting). It"s worth noting that OPC didn"t improve the set"s black level performance when we turned it on.

(Update: October 21, 2009) At the request of Sharp, we checked the image with Active Contrast enabled, and found we still liked the image quality better with it turned off. The feature brightens or dims the entire backlight according to the onscreen content did improve black levels in some cases, but the trade-offs weren"t worth it. Its Shadow detail was compromised in dark scenes, highlights in bright scenes appeared too bright by comparison, and in prolonged fades to black the abrupt fluctuation of the entire backlight was distracting. As with all of the displays in our comparison that feature similar defeatable active backlight functions, we disabled it for our evaluation.

Our comparison lined up a range of models at varying price points, although none was less expensive than the Sharp. Standard, non-LED-based LCDs included the Samsung LN46B650 and LG 47LH50, while LED-based sets included the edge-lit Samsung UN46B7000 and the local dimming Toshiba 46SV670U and LG 47LH90. We also threw in a pair of plasmas for good measure, the Panasonic TC-P50V10 and the reference Pioneer PRO-111FD. For most of our image quality tests we used "Quantum of Solace" on Blu-ray Disc.

Black level: The Sharp LC-LE700U was capable of producing a black level on par with most standard LCDs, but could not conjure the depth of black seen on plasmas or local dimming LED-based LCD screens. Its blacks were visibly lighter than the standard Samsung B650, for example, but not as light as those of the LG LH50, and the other displays in our comparison were all capable of deeper blacks than the Sharp.

In the Sharp"s favor, it lacked the fluctuating backlight we saw on some of the other LED-based displays (the Toshiba and the Samsung 7000, most notably), instead remaining stable even when the screen faded to black. Of course, it also lacked the blooming artifact we saw on the local dimming models.

Color accuracy: Overall, the Sharp LC-LE700UN performed relatively well in this category, but couldn"t quite match the accuracy of most of the other sets in our lineup. The main issue was the set"s grayscale in mid-to-bright areas, which appeared less accurate even after calibration. When Bind visits the hotel with Strawberry Fields in Chapter 16, for example, areas like the white walls and gray floors, as well as Fields" exceedingly pale skin, were tinged a bit too bluish/reddish next to the other sets. The Sharp did a fine job with primary colors on the other hand, rendering the green of the plants in the hotel room and the blue of the sky above quite well.

We also noticed that the LC-LE700UN introduced the bluish/reddish tinge to very dark and black areas, such as the moonrise over the party in Chapter 17, which was more extreme than we saw in brighter areas. Nonetheless the discoloration wasn"t as obvious as the blue we saw in the black and near-black areas on the standard LCDs (the Samsung B650 and the LG LH50), albeit worse than on the other LED (and plasma) sets.

Video processing: Sharp"s smoothing dejudder processing--which isn"t available on the 40-inch model--comes in two strengths, labeled Advanced (Low) and Advanced (High) in the Film Mode menu. As usual it had little effect we could discern with video-based material, such as sports, and it made film-based material look overly smooth and too much like video for our tastes. In the initial chase scene, for example, engaging dejudder robbed some of the visceral feel, especially when dejudder would "kick in" abruptly. But some viewers might like the look, so we compared it against similar smoothing modes on the other sets in our lineup.

With the four participating brands" dejudder settings placed in their least-smoothing (and least objectionable, to our eye) preset modes--Standard on the Samsungs, Low on the LGs, Smooth on the Toshiba and Advanced (Low) on the Sharp--the Sharp held its own, not introducing too many artifacts or smoothing the picture too much or too abruptly. When the Aston Martin emerges from the tunnel at the 2:22 mark, for example, the Samsung and LG sets kick dejudder in quickly and relatively unnaturally (to be fair, of course, we should mention that the Samsung"s dejudder can be dialed even lower than the Standard setting, which reduces this issue). As usual, artifacts in these modes were rare enough to not be a major issue. We noticed more artifacts in the Advanced (High) mode, such as unnatural separation on the leading edge of a clothing rack at the 39:38 mark, or on the edge of an opening door a few seconds later. That mode was less-smooth than the corresponding modes on the Samsung and the LG, for what it"s worth.

In our tests for motion resolution, the Sharp maxed out between 500-600 lines when we engaged Fine Motion Enhanced, and between 300 and 400 when we turned that feature off. That"s the same ballpark as other 120Hz sets, but the Sharp did look a bit softer and less distinct on our test pattern than the others did. As with the implementations used by Samsung and Toshiba, you don"t need to engage dejudder to get the antiblur effect on the Sharp--a real plus. As always, however, it was nearly impossible to spot motion blur in program material as opposed to specialized test patterns.

The Sharp/NEC NP-PE456USL is a versatile short throw installation projector made for tricky applications found in museums, retail, entertainment, and business/education environments. Its nicely bright, no-maintenance laser light engine and array of installation features make it one to consider for those with challenging projection needs.

The Sharp/NEC NP-PE456USL was made with challenging applications in mind. This short throw laser projector boasts 4,500 rated ANSI lumens, and projects a beautiful image even with ambient light shining directly in front of the screen. The entry level installation projector is geared toward a variety of markets—business, education, museums, retail, and even entertainment and golf simulators. The NEC can produce a 130-inch diagonal image from just 4 feet away. If casting a shadow on the projected image is a concern, or space is tight, the PE456USL may be one to consider.

With a typical street price of $2,579, the PE456USL is mostly competing against long-throw projectors in this 3LCD, WUXGA product class. The Epson PowerLite L530U is a laser projector with a $2,651 price tag, and for that extra sub-$100 difference, it packs 5,200 lumens and up to a 500-inch diagonal image. The $2,547 Panasonic VMZ51U is another long throw laser with 5,200 lumens. In both cases, you"d be sacrificing the short throw lens for long throw. Among price-competitive, short-throw LCD projectors targeting the same applications with similar resolution and brightness, the pickings are slim. Epson"s recently announced PowerLite L210SF, a 1080p model, should sell for less than the Sharp/NEC when it starts selling in the Spring, but it offers just 4,000 lumens compared with the PE456USL"s more substantial 4,500 rating.

The PE456USL claims ease of installation, with several features that support that claim. The projector is 4K ready, with great image quality. Along with Sharp/NEC"s other laser projectors, it has an excellent warranty.

The PE456USL is a compact and lightweight projector that measures 15.9 x 6.5 x 15.9 inches (WHD) and weighs in at just 17.9 pounds. That should allow it to fit tight spaces and be easily mounted or moved around. As mentioned, it sports WUXGA (1920x1200) resolution from a trio of 0.64-inch LCD imaging panels, which gives the projector immunity to rainbow artifacts that may occur with some single-chip DLP projectors as well as equal white and color brightness to insure good color fidelity. It also supports 4K content up to a 30 Hz frame rate using NEC"s video processing/scaling chip. There"s a basic control panel on the projector"s top panel that lets you power it on and off, switch inputs, and access or navigate the menu.

The PE456USL"s blue laser+yellow phosphor light engine has a lifespan of up to 20,000 hours at full power, with its Eco modes extending that. There are four energy modes (Normal, Full Normal, Eco 1, Eco 2) and you can also manually adjust the brightness of the laser in the menu. Though the projector is low maintenance, it does require periodic cleaning of the filter accessible from the side panel, and past 1,000 hours of use it will automatically remind the user at turn-on with an onscreen message unless that time is extended in the menu (settings are available for 500, 1,000, and 2,200 hours). Failure to clean the filter could eventually result in overheating, though I found the projector doesn"t heat up too much during normal use with a clean filter.

As mentioned, images are projected through the short throw lens with fixed optical zoom and a very tight throw ratio of 0.44:1. This results in an unusually short throw range of just 1.7 to 4.16 feet, with an image size range of just 55 inches to 130 inches max. You can visit the ProjectorCentral Sharp/NEC PE-456USL Throw Calculator to see the lens-to-screen distance for your preferred image size. Though it lacks adjustable optical zoom, the projector does have a digital zoom function that allows some zooming in of the image, though there is no vertical or horizontal lens shift. The manual focus is accomplished with a lever above the lens.

A reasonably well-equipped connection panel is found on the projector"s rear. Two HDMI ports are version 1.4b with HDCP copyright management, and there is a 15-pin VGA analog input as well as a VGA output that could be used to feed a monitor in an overflow room or a podium monitor if needed.

This NEC comes with a variety of useful networking features. It has the usual wired LAN (RJ-45 port with 10/100 base-T capability) and wireless LAN via Sharp/NEC"s NP05LM1 Wi-Fi adapter (an $85 option) plugged into the USB-A port, though it lacks integrated Wi-Fi as found on some competitors, notably Epson"s models. Once connected to the network, it has Crestron RoomView compatibility for managing multiple projectors in an installation remotely, as well as AMX and PJLink support. The PE456USLis also compatible with NEC"s NaviSet Administrator 2 software for Windows and Mac for fleet monitoring and control, and you can directly access a control/monitoring panel for the projector from a built-in web page accessible via a browser on a PC that"s on the same network. The PE456ULS can also be used with MultiPresenter, a free software for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android that allows screen mirroring of such devices.

Color Modes. There are six color modes offered by the Sharp/NEC NP-PE456USL—five standard modes and one User Mode. Dynamic, the brightest mode, has the expected green tinge to it. As far as brightest modes go, however, it doesn"t even touch the hideously ugly mark. It is highly usable in high ambient light circumstances where color accuracy isn"t an issue (though I would never use it when projecting films or artwork). Still, I don"t see much reason to ever use this mode, though, because User and Standard are both nicely bright, not too far off the mark set by Dynamic mode for battling ambient light, and offer color that is seriously improved.

The PE456USL"s lens is sharp. Though powered focus is always preferred for a mounted projector, this one"s manual focus is easy to use, smooth, and granular enough to make focusing quick work. Many projectors do tend to fall out of focus over time, however, so when it does, you might need a ladder to fix it.

That said, the projected image does get a little fuzzy around the edges, specifically the corners of the image—something I"ve seen with short throws, but also know that if you"re doing any Cornerstone Correction, you can run into a bit of that as well. In my estimate, it"s not a big deal, and most wouldn"t notice unless you have text or some detail near the edges of the image that the eyes are directed to. Images otherwise look awesome, and in almost all cases, text is sharp. The overall image quality and color of the projected image is great and close to what I saw on my computer screen in terms of color, just a tad off (the blues on the projected image were a bit lighter), which wasn"t bothersome.

To see how a projector does with text, I have a document with a variety of font sizes and colors ranging from 8-point to 24-point—black text on white background, white text on black background, and yellow text on blue background. The yellow text on blue background can get tricky. With the first two, black and white, and vice versa, things were highly readable even at 8-point font from 10 to15 feet back (further back I"d recommend at least 12-point). However, the yellow text on blue background was fuzzy. In an otherwise sharp projected image, that was the only issue I found—the projector didn"t like this unusual color combination, paired with smaller fonts.

Video Viewing. The NEC PE456USL can handle both HD and 4K content. I watched both the HD and 4K versions of The Fifth Element, Serenity, and Ghost in the Shell in Cinema Mode. I also tacked over to Standard, but didn"t prefer it for these films at all, as the dark shadow detail and black level performance is better in Cinema. Comparing each film"s HD and 4K version, there is a noticeable difference in the sharpness and pop of the 4K content, though be aware that this projector does not process HDR (high dynamic range). But 4K looks fantastic, even displayed at the projector"s native WUXGA resolution. Regular HD is great, too, and if that"s what you"re watching you won"t be disappointed in the quality and sharpness. But if you"ve got the opportunity to go with 4K content, do it.

The Sharp/NEC NP-PE456USL is a good fit for scenarios where installation is particularly challenging, especially environments where a bright, well-balanced image is important and the ability of a short throw projector to eliminate shadows over the projected image is a requirement. This WUXGA projector is 4K-ready, and video content looks excellent in both HD and 4K. The projector is nicely bright, exceeding its 4,500 lumen claim in our sample with 4,920 lumens in its brightest mode. But it"s the brightness combined with the projector"s tight, short-throw lens, along with placement flexibility from features like 360-Degree Rotation, Portrait Mode, and Cornerstone Correction, that make it stand out for the business, education, museum, retail, golf sim, and even entertainment markets it is targeted at. To top it all off, the PE456USL comes with an excellent warranty—5 years parts and labor, with Instacare next-business-day exchange. All in all, it adds up to a pretty nice, compact laser short-throw with good image quality and a competitive $2,579 price tag.

Brightness Uniformity. The brightness uniformity of the Sharp/NEC NP-PE456USL is 82%, which is quite satisfactory. Visually, I didn"t pick up on any hot spots or dimming in the image when viewing presentation or video content.

Fan Noise. Sharp/NEC rates the fan noise of the NP-PE456USL at 37db at full power, 27dB in its Eco modes, using the industry-standard averaged measurement in a soundproof room. Our casual single-point measurements are always higher. Standing approximately three feet back from the table-mounted projector in a quiet room, the ratings were as follows:

It’s probably safe to say that Sharp have, for whatever reason, slipped off the LCD radar to some extent – at least here in the UK. However, Sharp are pioneers in the field of LCD technology, and not too long ago, their distinctively designed AQUOS televisions dominated the ever-growing LCD TV market.

Sharp’s B20E series proves that the Japanese manufacturer hasn’t stopped moving with the times. Highlights of this series include a 1920×1080 LCD panel of Sharp’s own making, a quoted response time of just 4ms, and 3 HDMI inputs. So, does it all gel together? To find out, today we’re going to test the Sharp LC42B20E.

Although it’s not quite as small as Toshiba’s “Picture Frame” style bezel, the surround on Sharp’s “Slimline design” is undoubtedly very sleek, and despite succumbing to the irritating gloss-black trend, the slim border frames the screen beautifully without feeling overpowering. The bottom of the front panel features a curved “lip”, which partially covers an all-black speaker grille. Dividing these two elements is a nicely placed silver border. Hidden out of sight and out of mind to the right are power, menu, volume and channel control buttons, and side AV inputs.

The Sharp LC42B20E includes a standard mix of both analogue and digital AV inputs. You’ll find two SCART inputs (both of which are Composite/S-Video and RGB capable), a set of Component video and stereo audio jacks, 2 HDMIs, a VGA/PC input, and on the side panel, the remaining HDMI input and S-Video/Composite inputs with accompanying audio jacks. As a new owner of an HDV camcorder, I was glad to see the side HDMI input: it’s now a standard feature on flat panel TVs, but a much-appreciated one all the same.

It’s little touches like this that I’ve always appreciated with Sharp’s displays: rather than going for a standard “box in the middle of the screen” approach, Sharp’s on screen menus are laid out much like a computer’s operating system, appearing as drop down menus from the top of the panel. This means that much of the viewing area is kept nice and clean, so you can see exactly what you’re doing. The day, date, and time are displayed at the top right, too, which is surprisingly handy.

The Sharp LC42B20E comes set to the eye-scorching “Dynamic” mode, and to solve this problem, we had to press the AV MODE button on the remote: changing to a more sane picture mode doesn’t seem to be possible through the menus. Cycling through the various options (“Standard”, “Movie” and “Game”) eventually brought us to “User”, which already looked a lot better. From here, we were given free reign over the following controls:

[OPC] is one of the Sharp LC42BE20E’s “Dynamic Contrast” features. It adjusts the backlight brightness on the fly, in an attempt to make blacks look blacker, and whites look whiter. We personally find the fluctuations of such systems irritating, so left this one off. Moving on, the user is given manual control over the intensity of the Backlight, Contrast, Brightness, Colour, Tint (on all sources, not just NTSC), and Sharpness. Each of these sliders defaults to the middle position, and can be taken left into the negative figures, or right into positives.

The next feature is interesting: [Action Mode], which drives the panel in a different way, which increases flicker, but decreases motion blur. If you enable this option immediately after viewing the TV in its usual flicker-free mode, you might find the sudden difference jarring, but it’s worth seeing if it’s suited to your personal preference.

The [Film Mode] option actually features two different settings. The [Standard] setting activates cadence detection, meaning that the LC42B20E LCD TV will recreate clean progressive video when fed with Film content buried inside an interlaced signal. [Advanced] goes one step further, as it uses these recovered progressive frames as a starting point, and then generates new in-between ones, creating a smoothed, video-like appearance. [Off] forces the TV into Video mode constantly, but we could rarely find a reason to use this setting. This writer left the Film Mode setting at [Standard], if only out of the perversity of programme makers trying to emulate a “film look”, only for the end viewers’ TVs to reverse it!

The EPG is typically the area where TVs begin to demonstrate some usability quibbles. The Sharp LC42B20E is no different, because navigating the EPG requires a little patience due to the time it takes to display a new channel’s programming information. It could sometimes take around 2 seconds to change the highlighted programme, which sounds trivial, but can become irritating quickly. Furthermore, there appears to be no way of jumping up and down a page: you’re required to scroll through one channel at a time, with delays of up to 2 seconds with each press.

On the bright side, though, the EPG is nice and crisp. Unlike many other TVs, Sharp’s implementation makes full use of the 1920×1080 panel resolution, rather than being passed through the TV’s standard-def video circuitry. Better yet, there’s three different viewing modes, one of which strongly resembles a TV listings magazine with its vertical column layout.

Sharp’s TVs used to have delightfully odd looking remote controls that, despite looking a little strange (and we mean “sci-fi prop” strange), fitted into the hand wonderfully and worked just as well. Here, the most eccentric design features have been simplified, but the nice feeling is fully intact. The buttons are well-laid out, with directional and “OK” buttons just under the thumb, and a Volume control and MENU button nearby.

The remote control also features buttons for enabling subtitles on Digital TV programmes, displaying programme information, and, under a flap, controls for controlling another Sharp device through the “AQUOS LINK” feature.

Unfortunately, the cryptic service menus – which have been known to send away even the most dedicated full-time calibration experts running for the hills – prevented us from fully fine-tuning the Sharp LC42B20E (never mess with a service mode you’re unsure of). However, this does not prevent us from commenting on the pre-calibration measurements.

As with seemingly all panel displays, greyscale was heavily blue-tinted out of the box. Not surprisingly, the “Low” colour temperature option brought us closest to the desired D65 standard:

Like previous Sharp LCD TVs, even with this setting, there was an excess of blue in the image until around the 80% grey point. Here, the blueness dipped, making way for a slight boost in the reds instead. We can only assume that this is designed to make the image appear psychologically brighter, whilst minimising blue tint in the brightest, most noticeable shades. If you’re used to calibrated displays, though, then you will certainly notice it.

Earlier, we mentioned that the Sharp LC42B20E features different “AV Modes”, which come set up to produce different results. There’s more to this than meets the eye, though, because the Gamma characteristics of the MOVIE mode are different to that of the USER mode, even when both are configured with the same settings. Neither mode perfectly matched our desired target of 2.2. However, the MOVIE mode gave more consistent results, albeit closer to 2.1.

The Sharp LC42B20E’s colour performance is, again, similar to previous Sharp displays. Whilst red and blue colours were fairly close to the desired Rec.709 standard, green, like on many HDTVs, was oversaturated and pushed in the direction of cyan. There is not a lot that can be done to rectify this problem, as the TV, like most, doesn’t have a Colour Management System. However, this green inaccuracy is not uncommon, and while not ideal, is far less severe a problem than similarly inaccurate reds would have been.

The review sample we were sent sadly suffered from a problem which has become known as “banding”, and has appeared on Sharp’s panels in the past. The easiest way to detect this was to input a 20% grey screen to the TV. What should have been a flat colour appeared slightly brighter on the left of the screen, and slightly dimmer on the right, with noticeable variations in between. The screen looked as if it were a little “dirty” as a result. Also, as is common with large LCDs, very slightly brighter patches were visible at the top and bottom left side of the panel with dark content.

We measured the Sharp LC42B20E’s calibrated black level at 0.09 cd/m2. Although this is a few notches behind the levels of the newest SPVA panel LCD TVs (such as those from Toshiba, Samsung and Sony), it’s still relatively deep. Thumbs up go to Sharp for their inclusion of a backlight adjustment, to allow the panel to reach these levels (and beyond, at the expense of some brightness!).

Horizontal and Vertical on-off-on-off line patterns – as well as some real world PC usage – allowed us to confirm that the LC42B20E’s “Dot By Dot” mode works correctly, and correctly maps each pixel in a 1080-line video signal to each of the panel’s pixels, for maximum detail.

Although 720p content naturally can’t be made to perfectly match the 1080p panel, you can still enable [Just Scan] mode on such signals, to keep scaling to a minimum. This is all the more important, because the scaling in the Sharp LC42B20E isn’t the best we’ve seen.

A colleague of mine pointed out that this pixel structure is actually quite similar to that of a CRT display. I’ve always walked by Sharp displays in stores and thought that, while still obviously LCD displays, they did possess a more “TV-like” appearance. This would appear to be the reason.

As a result of the triangular configuration, horizontal lines have an ever so slightly “serrated edge” look, which would appear to have a tiny impact on perceived picture detail – but only if you’re using the display for applications where you’re likely to be sitting right up in front of it, such as video games. It also means that Sharp’s panel has quite a distinctive look, which some viewers might well appreciate.

Using our trusty FPD Benchmark Software for ProfessionalBlu-ray Disc, we measured the Sharp LC42B20E’s motion resolution at around 250-300 lines. This is standard for an LCD TV without 100hz functionality.

Although the Sharp LC42B20E doesn’t feature 100hz functionality as such, there is always the [Action Mode] feature. Enabling this upped the motion resolution to around 550 lines, meaning that its effect is actually similar. Better yet, it doesn’t create interpolation artefacts like 100hz systems do, instead giving the screen a slightly more CRT-like flicker. Combine this with the unusual pixel layout, and you have a display that might be that little bit easier on the eyes for CRT die-hards who, for whatever reason or another, can’t accommodate a Plasma (which is still the most “CRT TV-like” of the technologies).

The Sharp LC42B20E’s built-in video processing is a mixed bag in terms of quality. The good news is that it correctly detects and adjusts for 3:2 and 2:2 film cadences, provided the [Film Mode] option is set to “Standard”. Additionally, the LC24B20E is one display out of only a handful which correctly handles 1080i/60 film content, which is perhaps less useful given that 1080p output is standard on Blu-ray Disc players, but is very impressive all the same. The bad news is that the quality of its scaling leaves something to be desired, and does little in the way of interpolation. This means that computer-generated content and on-screen menus look brilliantly crisp and clean – as do simple test patterns – but almost any photorealistic real-world content will appear slightly pixellated. However, we’d wager that a good number of people these days will own an Upscaling DVD player, which would sidestep this issue.

Here, the ASV panel’s unique pixel layout did give the image a very slightly dithered appearance. Whilst I would welcome this on low detail content, this particular disc has no shortage of crispness, and while sitting closer to the TV (as high definition allows you to do), I did sometimes wonder what the image would look like if the panel were to feature a more traditional pixel layout instead.

The Sharp LC42B20E also correctly handled the 24p signal, which is output from the Playstation 3, as well as many other Blu-ray Disc players. There was no judder present when using this option. Conveniently, the TV’s on screen display informs you when you’re being sent a 24hz signal, as it states the scan rate as well as the input resolution.

Over-the-air digital TV channels looked suitably good on the Sharp LC42B20E LCD TV. There appeared to be a small amount of “hidden” MPEG artefact reduction going on behind the scenes, which is subtle: given the option (which we think there should be), we’d probably choose to leave it on anyway. Programmes from the more technically competent broadcasters actually stood a chance of looking quite good, especially those originating from a film source: as the LC42B20E’s video processor correctly engages 2:2 cadence handling, none of these high-budget programmes appeared jaggy.

Gaming was fantastic fun on the Sharp LC42B20E, thanks in no small part to its lightning-quick response time, which we measured in the range of 0-10ms. The LCD panel’s speedy response time was beneficial too, which meant that motion blur was kept to an absolute minimum.

Sharp’s LC42B20E admirably delivers big-screen 1080p high definition for a price that represents excellent value for money. Although it is not a class-leading LCD display in the strictest sense of the word, it comes incredibly close in several areas. In the future, we’d like to see Sharp provide more accessible adjustment over greyscale, be it through the means of a user-accessible menu, or simply an improved hidden one.

However, in the meantime, Sharp have a display which features commendable black levels, winning usability and connectivity, and a fantastically low level of input lag, which means it earns a qualified recommendation from HDTVTest.

It was over a year ago that I visited Sharp Laboratories Europe, located near Oxford, where Sharp had developed its 3D-screened laptop the Actius RD3D. I got to take a look at this laptop on that day, as it made a rare visit to the UK: It has been launched in the US, but not in the UK. I also saw some Sharp mobile phones with 3D displays that were even then on sale in Japan.

It has taken a while for Sharp to bring its 3D technology to the UK, but the company has finally managed to do so with the LL-151-3D; a 15-inch monitor you can use in both 2D and 3D modes with any PC that has either digital or analogue video out capability. The big draw of the monitor, and of Sharp’s 3D technology in general, is that it gives you the 3D viewing experience without the need to wear special glasses.

As a standard 2D monitor the LL-151-3D is competent. It delivers a nice, sharp, clear image, and its settings options are easy to manipulate. A row of buttons on the front of the casing provide access to the various controls allowing you, for example, to alter the volume, change brightness and vary the red, green and blue ratios that affect the overall hue of what is delivered to the screen.

However the screen is very, very reflective. Initially I was working with a window to my left with the monitor to my right, but the reflection from the window was more than I could bear. I had to shift things so that there was no ambient light reflection – once the right environment had been achieved this monitor was able to show off its superbly sharp rendering.

Switching to 3D mode enables a barrier which sits between the backlight and the LCD and ensures different images are sent to the left and right eyes. Your eyes have to be in the right place to receive these two images, and when you are correctly in position for this to happen, your brain combines them into a single 3D image.

Of course, the 3D experience is not worth having if you don’t have software to take advantage of it. Sharp ships two applications to help. SmartStereo Photo Editor which formats pairs of digital images for viewing through the LL-151-3D, and SmartStereo Camera Calculator, designed for use with a stereoscopic camera to ensure production of images appropriate for the monitor.

When it comes to running third party software, this needs to be designed for use with the LL-151-3D: the monitor can’t convert 2D graphics on the fly. Sharp is a key member of the 3D Consortium and has partnered with a number of players to ensure that the software and hardware components come together. The best known of these is probably nVidia and the full list is available at Sharp’s US website.

Even with this effort, the number of real-world applications supporting the technology is relatively small: Sharp was only able to provide me with demos rather than full applications for testing purposes. The bottom line is that even if this monitor appeals, you could be waiting a while to take full advantage of what it has to offer.

Looking for a smart, interactive display for your office or classroom? Meet the all-in-one Sharp PN-C751H AQUOS BOARD Interactive Display System that makes all your visual communications more lively and productive. It is available in 75" Class (74 1/2" diagonal), respectively - this display opens up an affordable path to pristine 4K Ultra HD resolution. A pre-installed launcher makes it quick and easy to start up and use the interactive whiteboard. Your lecture, presentation, or lesson can now be more creative and involving.

Switch to the whiteboard function to use the LCD monitor as a temporary writing board—no PC required. Even for first-time users, this simple write-and-erase function is a breeze to operate.

Two speakers are mounted low on the front of the LCD monitor. These speakers project sound more directly than rear-mounted speakers, giving you clearer sound for your lessons and meetings.

The LCD panel recognizes up to 20 touchpoints. Up to four people at a time - even young students - can use a finger or touch pen to add their input when inspiration strikes. Meetings, lessons and brainstorming sessions will come alive.

This LCD monitor has built-in wireless functionality. Simply touch the screen and your smartphone, tablet, or computers will immediately download an app that lets it send images wirelessly to the monitor. No need for tangled wires or conversion adapters.

The easy-to-launch SHARP Pen Software interface has a menu with smartly arranged icons. These give you easy access to pen settings and other useful functions. Further handy functions include access to cloud storage, an e-mail address book, sticky notes and bookmarks.

Almost all of the screen reviews out there are of expensive screens, so we had to start from scratch. I first went to the AccuCal Projection Screen Material Report. W. Jeff Maier of AccuCal has tested samples of many screen materials using high-end equipment to determine their color accuracy and actual gain. Since he is dealing with only samples of the materials (often 8½- by 11-inch pieces) that he is sent through the mail, the report doesn’t go into construction or installation of the screens themselves.

We also pored over reviews from Amazon, making sure to carefully read what people actually complained about. I also talked to other reviewers and calibrators to find out what they might have used and seen in their work that impressed them, even if they had not formally reviewed that particular screen.

For example, RCA, an iconic TV brand, now appears on sets produced by Curtis International, a Canadian company. Sharp TVs? For the past several years they’ve been manufactured by the Chinese TV brand Hisense, but the brand recently changed hands again (see below).

Consumer Reports has seen a wide range of quality in televisions carrying licensed brands. For instance, some Hisense-made Sharp sets have done well in our TV ratings—its higher-end sets even rival some of the top models from the dominant brands—while others didn’t do as well. Meanwhile, several RCA- and Westinghouse-branded sets are near the bottom of the list.

SharpNo company did more to develop and commercialize LCD TV technology than Japan’s Sharp Corp. But in 2015 it yielded to market pressures here in the U.S. and licensed its brand to Chinese TV manufacturer Hisense, which also purchased Sharp’s TV plant in Mexico. Subsequently, a majority share of Sharp was bought by Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn, which reclaimed the rights to the Sharp brand from Hisense in 2019. The company recently announced a return to the U.S. TV market in 2022.

"SHARP Display Connect" is a meeting support application that links a SHARP Touch Display or computer "host device" with a "client device" such as a tablet in a wireless LAN environment to enable sharing of information.

To use this application, "SHARP Display Connect" (purchase required) for "host device" must be installed on "host device" and this application must be installed on "client device", and by linking with the devices in the wireless LAN environment, data can be sent, received and display screens shared.

Sharp Corporation(シャープ株式会社, is a Japanese multinational corporation that designs and manufactures electronic products, headquartered in Sakai-ku, Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. Since 2016 it has been majority owned by the Taiwan-based Foxconn Group.mechanical pencil, which was invented by company founder Tokuji Hayakawa in 1915.

In 1912, Tokuji Hayakawa founded a metal workshop in Tokyo. The first of his many inventions was a snap buckle named "Tokubijo". Another of his inventions was the Ever-Ready Sharp mechanical pencil in 1915. The product became one of the first internationally available mechanical pencils (while concurrent US design replaced it soon and became a modern type), and due to this big success the Sharp Corporation derived its name from it.1923 Great Kantō earthquake, the company relocated to Osaka and began designing the first generation of Japanese radio sets. These went on sale in 1925.

In 1964, the company developed the world"s first transistor calculator (the Sharp CS-10A), which was priced at JP¥535,000 (US$1,400). It took Sharp several years to develop the product as they had no experience in making computing devices at the time. Two years later, in 1966, Sharp introduced its first IC calculator using 145 Mitsubishi Electric-made bipolar ICs, priced at JP¥350,000 (about US$1000). Its first LSI calculator was introduced in 1969. This was the first pocketable calculator priced at less than JP¥100,000 (less than US$300), and turned out to be a popular item.

Sharp produced the first LCD calculator in 1973. Sharp had a working relationship with Nintendo during the 1980s, and was granted licensing rights for the manufacture and development of the C1 NES TV (1983, later released in North America as the Sharp Nintendo Television), the Twin Famicom (1986), the Sharp Famicom Titler (1989), and the SF-1 SNES TV (1990). All of these units are considered collectors items on the secondary market. One of the company"s main inventors of LCD calculators was Tadashi Sasaki.

Sharp introduced low-cost microwave ovens affordable for residential use in the late 1970s. Sharp ventured into the high end stereo market in 1976 with the introduction of high end receivers, amplifiers, speakers, turntables and cassette players. The Optonica line as it was called, consisted of high quality and technically advanced components, that was expanded in 1979, to cover a broader selection of high end equipment. During this run, Sharp introduced digital technology to some of the Optonica products, along with the traditional analogue products, and offered a complete selection of models ranging from low power high end receivers to very powerful models. The line was again changed, in 1981, and moved mainly into digital high end, complete stereo systems with advanced technological features setting the trend towards the digital age. The line was discontinued after 1981, but the Optonica line was again re-introduced in the late 1980s for a high end line of television receivers and higher quality mass market audio products such as VCR"s, surround sound receivers, CD cassette boom boxes, and portable cassette players.

Since 2000, Sharp heavily invested in LCD panel manufacturing plants: Kameyama in 2004, Sakai in 2009. The Sakai plant is still the only 10th generation LCD manufacturing plant on the globe and its best fit for production of 60-inch or larger panels. However, the 2008 financial crisis and strong Yen (especially against Won) significantly lowered world demand for Japanese LCD panels. Furthermore, the switch to digital TV broadcasting was virtually completed in Japan by the middle of 2011. Via Japanese government issued coupons for digital TV sets, consumers were encouraged to purchase digital TV sets until March 2011. This hit the Japanese LCD TV market, reducing it almost by half from 2010. All of those events strongly hit Sharp"s LCD business. As the result, the Sakai LCD plant suffered a reduced operating rate until Q3 2012.

From 2005 to 2010 Sharp was the biggest mobile phone brand in Japan. Since then it has been constantly switching places through financial quarters against rivals Fujitsu, Apple and Sony.

On 25 June 2009, Sharp and Pioneer agreed to form a joint venture comprising their optical businesses, called "Pioneer Digital Design and Manufacturing Corporation".

In 2012 Sharp unveiled the largest production TV at the time, with a screen size of 80 inches. It is part of the Aquos range and went on sale in Japan at around JP¥950,000.

2012 was the 100th anniversary for Sharp but it announced the worst financial record in its history, with a loss of JP¥376 billion (US$4.7 billion) in April 2012. In September, Sharp announced job cuts.

In March 2012 the Taiwan-based electronics company Hon Hai, trading as Foxconn, agreed to acquire a 10% stake in Sharp Corporation for US$806 million, and to purchase up to 50 percent of the LCD displays produced at Sharp"s plant in Sakai, Japan.

After years of huge losses in its overseas TV business, Sharp sold its Mexico TV factory to Chinese electronics manufacturer Hisense for $23.7 million in July 2015. The sale includes rights to use the Sharp brand name and all its channel resources in North and South America, except Brazil. This meant that Sharp has exited the TV market in the Americas (except Brazil).LCD TVs a decade earlier.

Sharp began selling the world"s first commercially available TV with a 8K resolution in October 2015.NHK will have test broadcasts at 8K starting 2016, with regular services expected by the time of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

On 25 February 2016, Foxconn announced its intent to acquire a 66% controlling stake in Sharp for 700 billion yen (US$6.24 billion).contract manufacturer.

In September 2016 Sharp unveiled the Sharp INTELLOS Automated Unmanned Ground Vehicle (A-UGV) at the ASIS International 62nd Annual Seminar and Exhibits (ASIS 2016) in Orlando, Florida.

In June 2017, Sharp sued its Chinese licensee Hisense for damaging the reputation of its brand, seeking an exit from its licensing agreement. Sharp accused the company of producing "shoddily manufactured" televisions under the Sharp name, including products they believed were in violation of U.S. safety standards for electromagnetic radiation, and the subject of deceptive advertising over their quality. Hisense denied that it engaged in these practices, and stated that it planned to defend itself in court and "will continue to manufacture and sell quality televisions under the Sharp licensed brands."

In March 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Sharp announced it would use a TV factory with high-end clean rooms to manufacture surgical masks.

Sharp acquired the remaining shares of Dynabook from Toshiba in August 2020, making Dynabook a wholly owned subsidiary of Sharp. Sharp had first purchased Dynabook from Toshiba in 2018.

The first commercial camera phone was also made by Sharp for the Japanese market in November 2000. Recent products include the ViewCam, the Ultra-Lite notebook PC, the Zaurus personal digital assistant, Sidekick 3, and the AQUOS flat-screen television.

Sharp manufactures consumer electronic products, including LCD televisions, sold under the Aquos brand, mobile phones, microwave ovens, Home cinema and audio systems, air purification systems, fax machines and calculators.

For the business market, Sharp also produces projectors and monitors and a variety of photocopiers and Laser Printers, in addition to electronic cash registers and Point of sale technologies.

For the private security industry, Sharp produces an Automated Unmanned Ground Vehicle (A-UGV) named INTELLOS, which utilizes a navigation surveillance platform also developed by Sharp. The system combines automation, mobility, and a variety of monitoring and detection capabilities to extend the impact of a traditional security force.

For the corporate meeting room market, Sharp was the first company to bring the Windows collaboration display to market, which is a 70inch interactive display with built-in unified communication equipment and an IoT sensor hub for measuring environmental room conditions. The Windows collaboration display is conceived to be seamlessly compatible with Microsoft"s Office productivity products, as well as make use of the Microsoft Azure cloud services with the IoT sensor hub generated data.

It operates from 64 bases in 30 countries and its products are distributed in 164 countries worldwide. Many of its regional subsidiaries trade under the name Sharp Electronics.

Sharp"s headquarters are at 1 Takumi-chō, Sakai-ku, Sakai, Japan. Until the relocation to Sakai in 2016, the headquarters were in Abeno-ku, Osaka where Hayakawa restarted the business in the 1920s.

In September 2014, Sharp announced that Slovakian electronics company UMC (Universal Media Corporation /Slovakia/ s.r.o.) was acquiring an exclusive brand licence from Sharp and its European television and audio business UMC will also acquire Sharp"s Polish factory. As part of the deal, Sharp will support the design and development of televisions sold by UMC under the Sharp brand.

The same month, Sharp also announced a tie-up with Vestel in Europe for white goods. Vestel will sell Sharp-branded white goods (except air conditioners), such as refrigerators and microwave ovens manufactured by Sharp in Thailand and China. Sharp will also license its brand name to Vestel for volume home appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and ovens. Sharp"s remaining European business will then focus on the business-to-business sector including multi-function printers and energy solutions.

Malaysia : Sharp has an export-only Television factory at the HICOM Industrial Park in Shah Alam, Selangor.Batu Pahat plant in Johor that manufactures audio-visual Equipment like television sets and Blu-Ray players, and the Sungai Petani plant in Kedah that manufactures radios as well as kitchen appliances like blenders and rice cookers.Petaling Jaya that manufactured television sets, VCRs, microwave ovens, washing machines and refrigerators, this plant was hit badly by the 1997 Asian financial crisis and shut down as Sharp moved the productions of the appliances to either Batu Pahat (TVs and VCRs) or Sungai Petani (microwave ovens), or out of the country altogether (refrigerators and washing machines) in a bid to reduce operating costs.

(former) Mexico : LCD plant (Sharp Electrónica Mexico S.A. de C.V. SEMEX) – established as a color CRT TV plant in 1997; began LCD production in 2003; a second LCD plant on site was opened in 2007.Hisense in 2015.

On November 8, 2008, the United States Department of Justice announced that Sharp had agreed to pay $120 million (United States Dollar) as a criminal fine. According to the announcement, Sharp participated in conspiracies to fix the price of TFT LCD panel for Dell"s computer monitors and laptops (2001–2005), Motorola"s Razr phones (2005–2006) and Apple"s iPod (2005–2006).

On December 18, 2008, Japan Fair Trade Commission ordered Sharp to pay JP¥261 million (US$3 million) as criminal fine. According to the order, Sharp and Hitachi Display participated in the conspiracies to keep the price for TFT LCD panels for Nintendo DS and DS-Lite. The fine for Hitachi Displays was waived by JFTC leniency program.

However, Sharp disagreed with the JFTC order and announced it would begin an appeals procedure against it on 2 February 2009.JFTC dismissed Sharp"s appeal.

In November 2011 Sharp was ranked in 11th place by Greenpeace"s re-launched Guide to Greener Electronics that ranks 15 electronics manufacturers according to their policies and practices to reduce their impact on the climate, produce greener products, and make their operations more sustainable. Greenpeace summarizes the corporation"s environmental record thus: "Sharp supports a new renewable energy law in Japan but scores poor on all sustainable operations criteria".

Sharp scored 3/10 and received most of its points on the Products criteria where the company was praised for the energy efficiency of its products with all of its TVs meeting the latest Energy Star standard. It also gained some points for having a relative long term target to reduce CO2 emissions by two percent (per production unit) compared to the previous year, yet sets out no clear target for absolute reductions. The company was also praised for its public support for a clean energy policy, after advocating the Japanese Government to increase the use of renewable energy.

Sharp scored the fewest points in the guide in the Sustainable Operations category, scoring no points for chemical management due to not communicating commitments made on phasing out hazardous substances in its supply chain. The guide also notes that Sharp had lacked any initiative to address the issue of conflict minerals and the exclusion of paper sourced from suppliers involved in illegal logging or deforestation.

In 2020, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute accused at least 82 major brands, including Sharp Corporation, of being connected to forced Uyghur labor in Xinjiang.

Sharp was the principal sponsor of Manchester United Football Club from 1983 until 2000, in one of the lengthiest and most lucrative sponsorship deals in English football.logo was on the front of United"s shirts over these 17 years, during which the team won seven Premier League titles, five FA Cups, one Football League Cup, one UEFA Cup Winners" Cup, and one UEFA Champions League title.

Samsung has so far avoided producing OLED displays like those of LG. So, instead of striking a deal to use LG’s panels, Samsung branded its own LCD tech “QLED.” For a detailed breakdown, check out our QLED TV versus OLED TV comparison, but the general gist is this: QLED uses quantum dots to enhance performance by producing a purer, full-spectrum white light than LEDs are capable of on their own. In practice, QLED televisions are brighter (better for bright rooms) than less-expensive LCD TVs, and unlike OLED, can be more affordably built into large displays (100 inches and beyond).

OLED — Organic Light Emitting Diode — is the premier display technology today. OLED TV panels are capable of reaching black levels never before seen, with better contrast across the board, and because the pixels themselves light up, OLED televisions boast quicker response times (and less input lag) than other types of displays, and the picture integrity is stunning at any viewing distance. To see how OLED stacks up against regular old LED, take a look at our OLED vs. LED comparison.

Sony is one of a handful of companies offering OLED televisions (the list has recently expanded to include Panasonic, Philips, Hisense, and Vizio) thanks to a deal with LG allowing Sony to build TVs using LG panels. Due to the Cognitive Processor XR chip, Sony’s Bravia flagship TVs offer greater contrast, improved sound, low input lag, and faster web performance than we’ve ever seen. Sony’s newer TVs also offer VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) for gaming, particularly with the PlayStation 5.

TCL isn’t the only company making Roku TVs — Insignia, Sharp, and Hisense do the same, among other manufacturers — but it has been the most successful so far. From the affordable Roku Express to the Roku Streambar, the Roku TV platform’s vast selection (5,000+) of channels and its snappy cross-app search function are second to none. Roku’s smart TV user interface is a little less slick than webOS or Tizen, but we think it works better, and it’s more straightforward.

Additionally, TCL expanded into Google TV territory in 2021 with theirpopular 5- an