Sharp LC-40LE700UN

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Sharp LC-LE700UN series

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.)

Design
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.

Glossy black and a subtly reflective fade along the bottom (which appears more silver and not red in person) color the Sharp's frame.

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.

Seen from the side, the LED-based Sharp is as thick as a standard flat-panel set.

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.

Features
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.

The Aquos Net interactive suite delivers a range of internet-powered widgets.

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:

• MSNBC: News headlines
• Nasdaq: Financial news and quote search (has non-NASDAQ quotes too)
• Access Hollywood: Entertainment news headlines
• MSNBC Sports: Sports headlines
• Rallypoint: Fantasy baseball tracking, NFL scores
• Weatherbug: Local weather personalized to city/zip code
• Navteq Traffic: Area traffic with overhead map, personalized to city/zip code
• Picasa: Online photo gallery, sign-in enables viewing of personal photo albums
• Screen Dreams: Full-screen high-resolution art (Space, Monet, Fractals, Beaches, etc)
• Astrology.com: Personalized horoscopes
• GoComics: Comic strips (Cathy, Doonesbury, Garfield, Ziggy, and so on)
• Funspot games: Suduko, Blackjack, Rock Swap, Memory
• Separate widgets to display a clock, a calendar and the date

Pressing the Net button on the remote cycles through an inset view (the widgets are confined to a small bar on the lower right), a side-by-side view (roughly half the screen is occupied by the widget interface and the other half by the program) a full-screen view, and turning off the widgets entirely. You can customize the inset bar to include just the widgets you want. A small toolbar in the full- and half-screen modes, which mimics a sort of mini-browser, allows you to navigate the service relatively easily and change basic configuration, such as text size.

One of our favorite Aquos Net widgets provides a map of local traffic conditions.

You can also check out your Picasa photos and slide shows on the big screen.

Our initial Aquos Net impressions were mostly positive. We really liked the traffic widget, for example, that showed real-time traffic updates for our location. No other interactive TV has a similar service (Verizon's Fios service has a traffic widget, but it only consists of alerts and not a full area map). Weather was also more detailed than other widgets we've seen, and included a Doppler radar map of the area. The headlines services were basic, but it got the job done. The Picasa widget also worked well, loading our images and slideshows quickly and with excellent resolution.

Sharp Aquos Net -- photos

On the other hand, the Access Hollywood widget never loaded, and while the Rallycast fantasy baseball widget was active--we didn't test it, however--its fantasy football service was not active (although football was active on the Rallycast Yahoo widget, for example). The inset widget icons were also rather disappointing; mainly they just served as buttons to launch the half-screen widgets, as opposed to offering custom information of their own--and while the traffic widget showed some custom information, it was for Philadelphia, not for the local NYC area we programmed. We expect these services to improve over time, but at the moment some seem half-baked.

Compared with Yahoo widgets, Aquos Net was much less frustrating to use because it loaded and responded much faster. Conversely, its unpolished, text-heavy appearance couldn't compete with Yahoo widgets. But when it comes to widgets, we'll take fast over pretty any day. Aquos Net also suffered its share of hiccups, including occasional freezes and the annoying inability to use the remote's numeric keypad for data entry, instead relying on a virtual keypad. We'd also like better integration, so we could enter one zip code for all of the location-dependent widgets, for example.

Sharp's extensive support section even offers a glossary of HDTV terms.

In addition to the widgets, there's a suite of advanced support features that comprise the best onscreen help we've seen on any HDTV. The highlight is a feature called Aquos Advantage Live. When you select it, you're given a toll-free customer service phone number and a unique "connection number" that you give to the customer service representative. The representative can then connect to your TV and control it remotely, to change AV modes, make picture adjustments, enable/disable OPC, read error codes for troubleshooting, and even see what devices you have connected to the TV via HDMI, and even troubleshoot them to some degree--helping a user set optimal output resolutions on a cable box, for example (HDMI connections can identify connected gear digitally, but it won't work with other input types).

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.

Unlike some TVs with interactive options, the LC-LE700UN can't stream videos, music, or photos from networked computers in your home, and there's no streaming video service like Netflix or Amazon Video On Demand. As with most TVs, no Web browser is included, and there's no Wi-Fi. If you want wireless, you'll have to get a third-party bridge or other solution.

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.

Three energy saving settings let you easily choose your level of green compliance.

The OPC room lighting sensor offers a graphical reminder of how much power it's saving.

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.

A veritable carnival of controls is available in the picture menu.

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."

The full color management system provides a rainbow of tweaks.

Fine color temperature controls are available as well.

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.

It includes four aspect ratio options for HD sources, including one called "Dot by Dot," which we recommend using because it scales 1080i and 1080p sources correctly without introducing any overscan. The LC-LE700UN lacks picture-in-picture, but it does include an option to freeze the onscreen image so you can write down a phone number, for example.

Back-panel highlights include three HDMI, a pair of component-video, and one PC input.

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.

A fourth HDMI input is available on the side, along with composite-video and USB.

Performance
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.

For our calibration we set light output to 40ftl and dialed the Warm color temperature slot closer to the standard, although the midtones were still a bit bluish and minus-green afterward. We could have added in more green to compensate, but that would have adversely affected brighter and darker areas. Gamma measured a middling 2.44 versus the 2.2 target, with dark areas faring the worst. On the plus side, the color management system worked well, letting us improve the magenta and yellow secondary colors as well as color decoding.

(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.

The difference was most obvious when the screen went darkest, such as during the first car chase. Glimpses of Bond's black Austin Martin, the shadows of the tunnel and his shaded face as he speeds along were more realistic on the other displays (aside from the LH50). Naturally, when the shots brightened, such as when the cars emerge into daylight near Sienna, the difference in black level became much less apparent, with the notable exception of the letterbox bars.

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.

Shadow detail on the LC-LE700UN looked a bit below average, as presaged by the darker gamma measurement. When Bond goes to open his trunk after exiting the car, for example, the shadow over his face appeared too dark and less natural than the other sets, and some of the details were obscured. The Samsung B650, with even darker shadows, was the only exception.

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.

We appreciated that the LC-LE700UN handled 1080p/24 sources well. The pan over the Eco fundraiser sign in Chapter 17, for instance, had the correct cadence, without the smoothing of dejudder or the mild lurching characteristic of 2:3 pull-down. The same went for our favorite such test, the helicopter flyover of the deck of the Intrepid from "I Am Legend."

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 successfully deinterlaced both film- and video-based sources correctly as long as we engaged any of the three film mode settings.

Uniformity: The LC-LE700UN'a screen showed mixed uniformity results. In its favor there were no obvious bright spots on the corners or along the edges of the panel, as we saw on many LCDs in our lineup. To its detriment we noticed mild banding in middle to dark full-raster test patterns (45 IRE and lower) that also showed up occasionally during program material. One example came in Chapter 5, around the 16:40 mark when the camera follows Bond and M through an office; we could see the irregular backlight in the gray walls and columns. The banding wasn't nearly as bad as we've seen on previous Sharp displays, and didn't discolor the image, but nonetheless none of the other sets in our lineup showed anything similar.

Off-angle viewing on the Sharp was about average. The image didn't wash out as badly as we saw on the LG and Toshiba sets, or the Samsung 7000, but did wash out a bit more than the Samsung B650. The difference between the two TVs was minor, however, and both increased discoloration at roughly the same rate the further we moved off-angle. At least part of the Sharp's less-apparent washout had to do with its lighter black levels to begin with.

Bright lighting: The LC-LE700UN is the first Sharp HDTV we've tested to include a glossy screen, and it has similar effects to the same kinds of screens seen on Samsung and Toshiba LCDs. The screen reflected bright objects in the room, including lights opposite the screen, papers on a table and this reviewer's shirt, and didn't attenuate them to nearly the same extent as the matte-screened LCDs from LG. In fact, even the glass-screened plasmas reflected light less brightly than the Sharp.

Here's where we typically mention that the glossy screen's principal benefit (aside from attracting viewers' attention in the store, much as a shiny object attracts nesting birds), improved black level performance in bright rooms. The Sharp's screen had this effect too, albeit not to the same extent as the Samsungs or the Toshiba.

Standard-definition: This category earned the Sharp good marks. It resolved every detail of the DVD format, and our test disc's shots of a stone bridge and grass evinced as much detail as we'd expect. It reduced jaggies in moving diagonal lines, as well as the stripes on a waving American flag, better than the Toshiba and Panasonic did, although not quite as well as the Samsung did. The Sharp's noise reduction worked well to eliminate moving motes and snow from low-quality shots of skies and sunsets, although the High setting did soften the image more than some other similar settings we've seen. Film mode also kicked in quickly engage 2:3 pull-down.

PC: Via analog, the LC-LE700UN accepted up to 1,600x1,200-pixel resolution source, although the highest wide-screen resolution we could display was 1,366x768 pixels. As expected, text looked somewhat soft at either of these resolutions, which fall far short of the panel's native 1,920x1,080 pixels--a resolution many other LCDs can accept via analog. HDMI provided an essentially perfect 1,920x1,080-pixel image per DisplayMate, as we'd expect, with no overscan or edge enhancement.

Power consumption: We did not test the power consumption of this size in the Sharp LC-LE700UN series, but we did test the 46-inch model. For more information, refer to the review of the Sharp LC-46LE700UN.

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