Sharp AQUOS LC-46D62U 46" LCD TV

AQUOS LC-46D62U 46

Posted Mar 23, 2007 - I did tons of research, looking at 40" and 46" LCD 1080p models. Read over a hundred reviews and after seeing all the choices in person came to the conclusion that the Sharp Aquos and the Sony Bravia XBR2/3 were the best of the best. The Samsung was close. Sony has the better historical rep but I truly believe that Sharp has matched their picture quality, if not bettered it in many aspects. When I assessed the two sets as equals then it was a simple decision to choose the Sharp Aquos 46 instead of the Sony Bravia XBR2 40" for basically the same money. I am not a pro at assessing tv's but for my money the Sharp is perfect for me. Highest quality picture for a great price. I have NO quality issues with my set, NONE. Also, my XBOX 360 has never looked better, it's so easy to become immersed in the Hi Def experience. Regarding price, I shopped Best Buy, Circuit City, Costco and also many online dealers. With a little anxiety I chose Abe's of Maine, having never even heard of them b4 starting this quest, and I could not be more pleased with the service I received. 100% satisfied and I saved 400 dollars over the best price I found locally in my area. All in all, a great purchase for my home, would do it again in a heartbeat! Bonzai Charleston, SC

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Sharp Aquos 46" LCD TV -- LC 46D62U

Posted Jan 29, 2007 - I have had this set for three and a half months and have been generally pleased with our purchase. The picture settings and volume levels can be set independently for each input. The set also supports 1080p over component video, which should please X-Box owners. The price has dropped considerably since the sets were introduced last fall. Picture quality is generally very good. Over-the-air HD signals look great, with HD from the cable provider coming in a close second. I bought a new up-converting Oppo DVD player to use with this new TV, and the picture quality is very close to HD quality (the picture from a HD source is just a bit more sharper and smoother than the up-converted DVD signal) Before buying, I had reservations about the piano-black finish. Having had the set for over 3 months, I have found it not distracting at all. I prefer it to the matte-black finish used by other manufacturers (Panasonic, I'm looking at you.) On the downside, my set does have the banding issue noted by other reviewers. For me, this is most noticeable when watching a hockey game – a strip of the ice at the bottom of the screen is slightly discolored. This has not been an issue when watching football or baseball. However, having noticed the problem, it is enough of a distraction that I'm frequently evaluating the picture for signs of the banding instead of just enjoying the program. I'm working with Sharp customer service to resolve the issue and so far have been pleased with their responsiveness.

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Have not noticed any banding yet

Posted Jan 18, 2007 - Have not noticed any banding problems that many reviewers wrote about. The 1080p picture was absolutely beautiful. Used with PS3 1080p games and Blu-Ray movies. HD 1080i cable was on par with previous HD projection set. At a distance of 4 feet away, no pixels or motion blur can be seen. The built-in speakers are capable, but for a true surround experience, use a dedicated 5.1 setup. Currently using 480p through HD component for DVD and Wii, 1080i through HDMI for HD Cable, and 1080p through HDMI for PS3, and already maxed out all the HD inputs. Could really use more HDMI inputs. Looking into either a HDMI switcher or a new receiver with HDMI up-convert capabilities.

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Nice set, if it works

Posted Jan 25, 2007 - The Good: the price is reasonable, the picture is probably as good as any HD LC on the market. The Aquos has a "fine motion" setting to avoid jaggies for quick movement, but its usefulness depends on the program. The Bad: unreliable! I have not encountered the banding problem, but then again you have to be able to turn the unit on to see flaws like that. When mine was delivered, it failed to power up right out of the box. A set-up screen flashed for a second, and then the only thing I saw was a blinking green light. I did a little research and learned that this is a chronic problem, due to power supply failure. In fact, p. 8 of the user's manual has a special note stating that if you can't get the unit to power on, call Sharp (if you doubt me, download the manual from the Sharp site). Who includes a note like that unless they expect problems? So I called. Then the real adventure began. The Ugly: dealing with Sharp. When I called Sharp, the rep walked me through the reset procedure, with no luck, and then gave me the number of an authorized repairman. Sharp guarantees on-site repairs, but the repairman said he had to take it to the shop. It was Nov. 13, and little did I know at that moment that I would not have a new Aquos in my den for six weeks. So my old Sony Triniton (20+ years old, never been to the shop, as good as new) went back on the shelf. A few days later the repairman said that Sharp wanted to arrange a replacement set because the power supply was defective and they couldn't find the proper part number. According to their own manuals, the power supply cost considerably more than the entire unit, and that had to be a mistake. Then a day or so later they did manage to find the part, and said it would go out the next day by UPS ground. I said please, not ground, because it would take a week. The rep said no, only two or three days. The part was sent out a day late, and then took a full week to arrive. After installation, the repairman said the set needed a new main board as well and ordered it. I called Sharp to say please, not ground again, but they claimed it had already shipped. Four days later I checked with Sharp and learned that it had not been shipped, nor was it even scheduled for shipping. A supervisor promised to express mail it. Eight days later the part still had not arrived, and after calling I eventually learned that it was on backorder for at least two more weeks, so they had opted to replace the unit instead. No one had called to inform us. By this time it was the weekend of Christmas, so we had to wait four more days before a replacement could be arranged. When we called Sharp, they said it would ship by ground, and this time we were told that Sharp does not ship large LCD TV's by air. So by the time the replacement finally arrived, six weeks had passed. About two hours of that was spent trying to repair the original Aquos, and the rest of the time was waiting for parts to arrive from Sharp via UPS mule train. Sharp never called us, and if I had not been persistent in calling them, the original unit would still be in the shop. Also, no apologies from Sharp at any time. Rep's were polite but not much help, and two or three of them gave us false information. I'm hoping that the replacement unit lasts for awhile, because I don't look forward to going through all this again. The Sharp CEO supposedly has made LC flat-panels his flagship. I have a suggestion for him: hire a couple of people to turn these things on before they leave the factory, and reorganize customer service.

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Great LCD

Posted Nov 5, 2006 - This has been a great TV so far, excellent picture and I have not had the banding and sound problems described above. I have had a great experience so far, awesome TV.

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Remarkable TV!

Posted Dec 25, 2006 - The reception of HD on this set is remarkable. It was easy to unpack and set up, and it worked perfectly right out of the box. As hard as we tried, we could not find the slightest defect in the image - even standard non-HD broadcasts were superior to anything we have seen. We thought the set cam with a wall-bracket, and it really should at this price, but that is not a big deal. We will just buy one. We will have to dismount the stand, but that only takes a few minutes. Color was too intense and too red at first. But with about 10 minutes of adjusting the easy-to-use on screen controls, we get excellent results and very good skin tones. We could not recommend this set more! It is a big time winner.

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The best LCD yet

Posted Oct 24, 2006 - We purchased 3 for our store and have yet to see any issues with them yet. They have No banding issues and No hum. The person must have got a lemon. This set is hands down the best LCD you can buy for any price, AND AT 2,850 IT'S AN ABSOLUTE BARGAIN. Judge the set for youtself there is no humming or banding just the best picture you'll see.

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Nice LCD except for the annoying bands

Posted Nov 28, 2006 - I bought this set a week ago. There are several banks accross the screen. It is pretty annoying, it is not that noticable though. Other than that, this is a great TV. Nice color, very good SD picture. I also like the black piano piant which is only available from Sony XBR3.

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Ugh.

Posted Oct 19, 2006 - Was really looking forward to this set. Sadly, the it didn't live up to the hype. What's unfortunate is it seems to be a quality control issue. You can read up on the problems people are having with this set on several popular home theater forums. Suffice to say, the 46" version was a huge disappointment to me as I had been looking forward to it for months. Most annoying to me was the high-pitched buzz/whine that emitted from the back of the panel. I thought it was fine when I first turned it on, but after a few minutes of watching an upconverted DVD, it began. I think it has even gotten louder since last night when I first set it up and heard it, although I may be hearing through "angry ears" at this time. There was a ton of horizonal banding with this supposedly state-of-the-art set. A good test scene is the very beginning of Rocky - when they pan down from the picture of Christ, it's distractingly noticeable. Sound was good, menu layout is acceptable. Picture quality outside of the banding is above average, and with some optimizing could approach the Sony XBR series. Black levels were nice but no better than any other good LCD I've seen. Inputs are acceptable (only 2 HDMI, but at this price you can't necessarily expect 3). No VGA or DVI inputs for your PC (although you could just get a DVI-to-HDMI for that; the set does support 1:1 pixel mapping). Although a few people have reported no problems (or haven't noticed them yet, far too many people HAVE experienced these problems for me to recommend this set. Absolutely avoid for now. Maybe Sharp will get the problems worked out - the set did just go on sale this month, but that's no excuse. I spent 3000 bucks on a TV, it should be perfect, or at least not exhibit bottom-of-the-barrel issues like this. If I wanted buzzing and banding, I'd buy a Westinghouse or other second-rate brand. I don't think I've ever been this disappointed with a purchase.

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AQUOS LC-46D62U 46

Posted Dec 28, 2006 - I love the TV. It was a great purchase. I would recommend Sharp to others. We have decisded to purchase a TV for our bedroom. The Sharp Aquos will be the TV purchased.

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Great TV

Posted Feb 8, 2007 - I had this unit for half a month now, it's just great. Very stylish. There's really nothing for me to complain about except the small delay while switching channels.

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AQUOS LC-46D62U 46" LCD TV (16:9, 1920x1080, 2000:1, HDTV)

Posted Dec 19, 2006 - Although I like the design, the introduction of 'piano black finish' was IMHO a mistake. One of the reasons I bought LCD instead of less expensive plasmas was to avoid reflections in my bright living room. The screen is fine but the sides are annoying by reflecting the windows. Quality of the picture is OK, but not fantastic (I tested it with HD cable and a progressive DVD). I guess with good signal it will produce a good picture. So, I have to wait for Blue Ray or HD DVD. So far, I'd put it B or B-.

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For the price I would not recommend this product

Posted Dec 13, 2006 - After 2nd day of use sound began to pop and crackle with some buzzing noise. For the price this is a risky product to purchase. To me Sharp is better known for 2nd rate products. Google for reviews before buying this.

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Cheap Price, Incredible Quality, Amazing Blacks/Whites and Rich Colors!

Posted Feb 15, 2007 - I bought this TV from SecondAct for $1950, free front-door shipping. I ordered the TV and received it after only 2 DAYS!!! SecondAct is amazing, and the shipping company they used is fast, incredibly friendly, and one of the best servicers available. CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!!! This was an AMAZING deal! This HDTV goes for $2800 at Best Buy and Circuit City. For a 1080p, best of the best dark and white levels (contrast and brightness), and 46", for the price it is unbeatable. No other model even compares to this in its price range, and this HDTV even beats some of the $3000 models!!! The TV is AMAZING! 1080p picture quality is brilliant. I use it as a computer monitor, and my PC GAMES and Websurfing is flawless and CRISP. Contrat ratio for an LCD is one of the BEST you can get. Check CNET's review, they agree it has one of the best contrat ratio and brightness for any Plasma, DLP, or LCD TV period. One of the best, and for $1950 THE absolute best. 4ms response time is breathtaking. Barely a TV made that can beat this, or even match it. ***-Perfect Computer Monitor-*** I use this for PC GAMING and for MOVIES. The dark levels are the best of the best. Movies show with dark blacks and bright whites. For an LCD, this is amazing. 1920x1080p computer gaming is incredibly crisp, without being too draining on the graphics card. The games have never looked better!! PS2 looks like crap, but because of its low resolution, it does with any high quality HDTV. Haven't searched for a solution yet, but so far some PS2 games are unplayable. Plays PS3 games perfectly though, using the max 1080p resolution. This TV was MADE for the high-end systems. Is average in displaying regular television. There is UNOTICABLE slight banding, but it is not noticeable at all unless you make your entire screen GREY and then TRY to find the banding. If you do not purposefully try to find it, you won't have any problem. Even if you find it, during regular MOVIE, TV, PC, and GAMING, you will NOT notice even the slightest bit of banding. It is unnoticable. NO DEAD PIXELS! I checked my TV the moment it arrived (which only took 2 days from when I placed the order!!!) and there were absolutely NO dead pixels. ZERO! For a LCD, that is REALLY impressive. For the amazing quality, big size, breathtaking 1080p, flat-panel LCD, and best of the best blacks (10,000:1 dynamic ratio, which beats the crap out of any Plasma, LCD, or DLP.) this is an investment that will prove to be very well worth it. Soon all television will be broadcasted in HD, and the PS2 will fade away for newer consoles and games, this TV will stand to be compatible for everything with its 1080p resolution and amazing black levels. YOU CANNOT BEAT THIS PRICE!!!!!!!!

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Nice average LCD TV

Posted Nov 24, 2006 - I bought the Sharp over the Sony XBR because of it's cabinet size. It can have a great picture at times, but there is a definite horizontal banding problem with my set. It seems to be more apparent in scenes with bright backgrounds and with non-HD programming, but sometimes is hardly noticable with quality HD programs. Turning the picture sharpness to minus 10 also improved the horizontal banding issue. I've experienced some rare stuttering problems with motion. The color is definitely on the blue/cool side, and may be improved with calibration which I plan to do.

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