Sharp 50 Inch 4k Ultra Hd Smart Roku Review

Sharp's Roku 55-inch class 4K UHD (model LC-55LBU591U) is one of the better entry-level TVs nosotros've seen recently—although it'south actually manufactured past Hisense under a v-yr licensing deal the 2 companies signed in 2015. This Television set delivers a great interface (powered by Roku), and a better-than-average prototype for $600 ($479.99 at All-time Buy at the time of this review).

That said, it doesn't await as nice as the last the Sharp Boob tube nosotros looked at—the Aquos N7000—which was actually manufactured past Precipitous. The LC-55 employs blue-skewed LED backlighting, and the motion isn't as smooth as we'd like. But we tin say that about almost everything else in this price range. The LC-55 is good smart TV for the money.

Pattern and features

The LC-55 renders images on a 54.half dozen-inch (55-inch grade), LED-backlit, 3840 x 2160 4K UHD LCD console. The Television every bit a whole is modestly stylish, though with today's super-thin bezels, advent isn't a huge issue with any TV—there'due south only not that much to meet.

Merely while the bezel is a thin 3.3-inches, the Television itself is not—not even by the standards of a few years ago. That'south not an consequence for most users, merely if y'all want the illusion of your TV being part of your wall, this isn't what you lot're looking for. Regardless, it will accept a standard 200mm VESA wall mount, and at 38 pounds, it won't strain the screws too much.

Abrupt

The Abrupt Roku LC-55 has some old-schoolhouse ports to get with all the modernistic ones.

Nosotros were a bit amused at the inclusion of a composite video output, which isn't mutual on new video players and the like. It's like shooting fish in a barrel to forget that this is withal the bottom-line input for a lot of older, but nevertheless perfectly viable video equipment. After our inappropriate chuckle, we remembered that we however have some of that stuff.

The residue of the ports are strictly of the "modern" variety: three HDMI 2.2 ports, one with ARC (audio return aqueduct), RCA analog audio out, optical digital audio out, and a headphone jack that people in apartments can take advantage of. Data connectivity comes in the form of ethernet, an 802.11n Wi-Fi adapter, and a single USB 2.0 port.

OTA (over-the-air) Telly fans volition find an onboard tuner and a coax jack for an antenna. Channel-switching speed was on the edge of frustratingly slow and an impediment to surfing. Looking at the bright side, that could actually save you time by forcing y'all to use your program guide.

Film quality: Prissy for the price

You'll never mistake the LC-55's paradigm for that of an OLED, merely you could do a lot worse for the cost. Colour is decent, but has the familiar blue-skewed, absurd palette that's dominated TVs since energy-efficient and thin LED back-lighting took over. We sometimes wonder how much this cool palette has affected morale worldwide. Seriously. Color, or the lack thereof tin can impact your mental state.

Speaking of lighting, the LC-55 produces only virtually 340 nits, but the liquid crystal cells leak heavily in spite of that. That means in that location'south not plenty brightness or contrast to do HDR material justice. This Goggle box will play HDR-10 discs and files without a hitch, but you tin can barely tell the difference between SDR and HDR versions on it.

To exist fair, Hisense doesn't even mention HDR compatibility or performance. Good for them. Nosotros wish all Tv vendors were as honest. Low nits and light-leaking cells also mean you're not going to get particularly skillful blackness out of the LC-55—merely you're not going to practise meliorate at this cost point with whatever of the competition we're aware of.

Sharp

A good, but non slap-up film is what you get with the Sharp Roku LC-55. For the price, it'south almost as good as information technology gets.

Motion was surprisingly smooth for a $500 60Hz TV. There was some jitter here and there on action shots, merely not plenty to badger the average user absorbed in an entertaining competition or movie. Panning shots weren't bad either, with minimal shimmer or moire distortion. Screen uniformity was quite even. Good stuff there.

The Tv set also did well in most of our measurements and advanced tests, with the exception of horizontal and vertical fine lines where there was a lot jumping and jumbling. In utilise, that won't affect much material, just it does scream entry-level TV.

Put information technology all together and y'all have the image of a very expert sub-$500 TV. Visual artifacts mild plenty that they shouldn't distract, decent if absurd color, and great detail but because it's a 4K UHD panel. The LC-55 was also decent at upwards-scaling our 1080p and 720p content.

The LC-55 produces enough volume and plenty high end that there'south no reason to immediately broaden it. That said, you'll probably exist happier routing the audio through a sound system or soundbar. Only like everything else concerning the LC-55, sound is quite good for a sub-$500 TV.

Precipitous

While not particularly thin, there'southward a lot of air to circulate around the electronics and created a passable corporeality of depression-end from the integrated spakers.

Nearly common media file formats are supported if you similar playing media off USB drives. JPEG, .WAV, .MP3, .FLAC, .AVI, .MP4, and then on. h.264 AVC and h.265 HEVC, including HDR videos, played merely fine. Dolby Vision isn't supported, but again, Sharp makes no merits to that. Our only complaint on this forepart isn't the playback apps, just the USB port's somewhat inconvenient location on the back.

Interface and remote

Where the Sharp Roku LC-55 takes a back seat to no one, except perhaps Samsung, is with its Roku interface. We similar it on TCL TVs, and we like it on the Sharp. Information technology'south easy to navigate, shows you lot a little preview of what'due south playing on each input, and is married perfectly to the remote. The but affair we don't similar is the setup, which involves logging onto your Roku business relationship or creating one if you don't already have one. We wouldn't mind seeing this changed.

Abrupt

The Roku remote is eminently functional and like shooting fish in a barrel, if non especially fashionable

The remote has a minimal number of controls and easily off functionality to the onscreen interface in a very logical manner. It even sports a headset jack so yous can listen to the TV without disturbing loved ones. It'southward not particularly beautiful in advent, only there'south no arguing its efficiency.

Conclusion

$500 for a 55-inch TV of this quality with the easy-to-employ Roku interface and remote is a expert deal. The picture won't blow yous abroad, but it won't make you lot sorry yous bought the TV either. You're non going to encounter annihilation a lot amend at this cost point. Nice job Shar— er, Hisense.

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Source: https://www.techhive.com/article/582997/sharp-roku-tv-review.html

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