-
Introduction
-
01.Tour & Design
-
02.Performance: Summary
-
03.Performance: Blacks & Whites
-
04.Performance: Color
-
05.Performance: Motion
-
06.Performance: Viewing Effects
-
07.Remote
-
08.Audio
-
09.Connectivity
-
10.Controls & Menus
-
11.Formats & Media
-
12.Power Consumption
-
13.Value & Comparisons
-
14.Conclusion
-
15.Ratings & Specs
-
16.Comments
Sharp Aquos LC-46D64U
Previous: Page 5
Performance: MotionNext: Page 7
Remote
The LC-46D64U had a moderately good angle of view; a small to medium sized family should be able to gather around and watch in comfort. Bigger families might want to consider a plasma TV instead, though, as these have a wider angle of view.
Not everyone gets to sit right in front of the TV; if you are a younger sibling in a large family, you might end up looking at the TV from quite a large angle. That's why we test the viewing angle of TVs, examining how the display behaves as the observer moves off-axis. The LC-46D64U had middling performance here; we measured the angle at which the contrast ratio dropped by 50 per cent at 21 degrees for a total viewing angle of 42 degrees. That's in the middle of the range that we've seen; the Sony Bravia 46W4100 was slightly smaller at 30 degrees for the total viewing angle, but the Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ80U blew everything out of the water with a total viewing angle of 156 degrees.
 |
 |
The contrast ratio measurement doesn't tell the entire story here; we also saw that colors tended to fade out at the middle angles, and then turn very dark at the more extreme angles.
Reflectance (6.5)The LC-46D64U has an anti-reflective coating on the top layer of the screen, and this does a fairly decent job of making reflections less annoying. They are still visible, but they are fairly well diffused, so they don't interfere too much with the image on the screen. Video Processing (2.5)
TV manufacturers try and tempt people in by offering features that they claim will enhance the image quality by processing the image in various ways. Let's look at each of these picture enhancement features in turn.
| Processing Type | What They Claim | What We Saw |
| Active Contrast | 'Adjusts black level and white level of images' | Dynamically adjusts the contrast level of images, pushing some shadow details down to black and some highlights to white |
| I/P Setting | 'Image Compensation settings: Fast - optimized for action videos. Slow - optimized for video with fine detail' | No noticeable difference in action videos or those with fine detail |
| Monochrome | 'for viewing a video in monochrome' | Does what it says, turning your videos onto old-time black and white. |
| 3D-Y/C | 'provides high quality images with minimal dot crawl and cross color noise.' |
No noticeable difference in videos. |
As usual, most of these features are pretty much useless, unless you have a particular yearning for the days of black and white TV. If you don't skip these settings and spend some time properly calibrating your TV; it will provide more of a quality improvement than any of these features do.
Shop for the Sharp Aquos LC-46D64U
Latest News
& Reviews
-
30-Jan-2012
Superbowl HDTV Buying Guide
The weeks leading up to Super Bowl Sunday are fraught with anticipation and last-minute big screen HDTV sales. But rushing a major purchase can often lead to buyer’s remorse come Monday morning. Let us coach you to a winning purchase with this helpful guide. Read More...
-
26-Jan-2012
Samsung UN32D5500 LED LCD HDTV Review
The D5500 has a rather high MSRP of $699, considering it’s only a 32-inch TV. There are some “premiums upgrades,” a term we use with some dubiousness, knowing that these features can be far less valuable than they appear. Nevertheless, at its core this is a good television. If you can find it a significantly reduced price it would make a great addition to a home theater. Read More...
Top Rated HD Televisions
-
Also in this series
$1,749.001
Size: 59 in.Samsung PN59D7000
The Samsung PN59D7000 ($2,599 MSRP) is a stunning, high-end plasma TV fashioned by Samsung for 2011. It has 59 inches of great, 1080p picture quality, and as a second-generation plasma, it handles 3D reasonably well. Read full review
$1,749.00All TypesPlasmaOnline Features (with or without)YesWith Online FeaturesNoWithout Online FeaturesYes3D and non-3D TVsYes3D TVsNoNon-3D TVsYes -
Also in this series
$2,612.002
Size: 60 in.Samsung UN60D8000
The Samsung UN60D8000 retails for a whopping $4299 (MSRP). That's well over a $1000 more than the equivalently-sized plasma from Samsung that includes nearly all the same features. Read full review
$2,612.00All TypesLCDOnline Features (with or without)YesWith Online FeaturesNoWithout Online FeaturesYes3D and non-3D TVsYes3D TVsNoNon-3D TVsYes -
$712.493
Size: 46 in.Samsung UN46D6000
Everyone wants a Smart TV, but how smart is buying the Samsung UN46D6000 for its $1299 MSRP? With its reasonably good performance in many categories and more internet features than you can shake an e-stick at, that question might be hard to answer if it weren't for this review. Read full review
$712.49All TypesLCDOnline Features (with or without)YesWith Online FeaturesNoWithout Online FeaturesYes3D and non-3D TVsYes3D TVsNoNon-3D TVsYes -
4
Size: 50 in.LG 50PZ950
This 1080p plasma television with internet and 3D capabilities is purportedly the best LG has to offer in 2011. Read full review
All TypesPlasmaOnline Features (with or without)YesWith Online FeaturesNoWithout Online FeaturesYes3D and non-3D TVsYes3D TVsNoNon-3D TVsYes -
$714.935
Size: 42 in.LG 42LV5500
The LG 42LV5500 is packed with a lot of fun features that may sound good, but can distract from what a TV is supposed to do: deliver a good picture. Fortunately, the color performance cannot be beat. Read full review
$714.93All TypesLEDOnline Features (with or without)YesWith Online FeaturesNoWithout Online FeaturesYes3D and non-3D TVsYes3D TVsNoNon-3D TVsNo
Features
-
TelevisionInfo.com 2011 Select Awards
After testing dozens of televisions this year, the staff of TVI has made its official selections for the very best televisions of 2011. Read More...
-
3D TV, Not Ready for Prime Time
If you’ve been shopping for a new TV is the last two years, you’ve probably heard a lot of hype about 3D. As with most new technologies, customers are awash in baffling terminology and misinformation. Here’s a simple guide to walk you through the basics. Read More...
-
HDTV Streaming Content Compared
Televisions aren’t just getting their content through the coax cable anymore. Just as the internet has gradually moved towards a video-rich space—YouTube, Hulu, Vimeo, etc.—those same sorts of features are creeping into your TV sets. Like it or not, those 1000+ channels of direct cable are not enough anymore. Read More...
-
Technology Preview: Haier Completely Wireless Television
Imagine a TV with no wires. You’re talking about WiFi, right? No, we mean no wires, at all. Haier, the Chinese company better known as an appliance manufacturer, is showcasing a new technology here at CES that conducts electricity wireless to the TV, as well as streaming content. The TV is pretty far from production at this point, but it’s among the more amazing things we’ve seen at the show. Here’s an in-depth look at the technology and how it might be implemented in future products. Read More...
(add your own)