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Sharp LC42D64U Review
Sharp Aquos LC42D64U 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
The Aquos line, Sharp’s flagship line in HDTVs, continues to churn out an occasional gem, though uneventful ones are more frequent. The Aquos LC42D64U is one such gem released by Sharp for 2007, and it’s an LCD TV that is perfect for those wanting to experience HDTV at a price lower than those of the more popular brands.
Design
The D64 series is designated by Sharp as the “slim line” and it shows in the stylishly thin design of the LC42D64U – ultra-thin bezel surrounding the screen and the relatively shallow depth at 3.75 inches, which is an inch or so thinner compared to other Sharp models. The thin glossy black bezels give the impression of wider screen acreage, with the lower portion holding the logo, control buttons, and the speakers which are camouflaged by a chrome strip.
Sharp’s remote remains the same as those from previous models, which is quite easy to use and generally user-friendly. The logical – save for a few – arrangement of the buttons, adequate spacing, full backlighting and capability to control four other equipment attached to the TV make the remote useful and pleasant to use. Sharp’s simple menu system is also easy to navigate and has helpful guides at the bottom to aid users.
Screen/picture clarity
For an LCD, the LC42D64U delivered superb black levels and primary colour accuracy, delivering believably dark scenes that make the other colours in the screen images come to life. Even the shadow detail of the Aquos is excellent compared to other LCDs, with a barely noticeable blue tinge on some occasions. But it is the bright scenes that really make this TV stand out – vibrant and realistic images are churned out, necessitating only some tweaking to make the onscreen display replicate natural skin tones and surrounding colours.
Sharp’s Multi-Pixel Technology also allows more viewing angles than conventional LCDs, as each pixel is divided into two parts to deliver more accurate color reproduction even in extreme angles. It is in uniformity across the screen that this TV fares poorly – the “banding” earlier observed in other Sharp models remains an issue, especially during fast movement in program materials. This could be a deal-breaking issue as the slightly discernible horizontal and vertical bands may turn off hardcore videophiles.
Features
The LC42D64U offers a lot of tweakable settings, five preset picture modes, and OPC -Sharp’s ambient light-sensing circuit which automatically adjusts the TVs light output. Other features of this HDTV are: compatibility with Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA); Aquos Link that identifies gears attached via HDMI and allows control of other equipment attached to the TV; and multiple connectivity options, including three HDMI ports and PC port. Unfortunately, picture-in-picture is absent in this HDTV.
In these challenging times, people should be practical and opt for the lower-priced models in the market such as the LC42D64U, instead of the better-performing-but-outrageously-priced high-end models. If you can live on the minor issues that beset the LC42D64U, then this is the HDTV for you.
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I must admit, that I did my research before purchasing this TV, but now that I have had it for a few months, I can honestly say that it is the best electronics purchase I have ever made. I have not had a single problem yet, beside not having enough HD channels to watch, and Blu-Ray movies are crystal clear. Could not be happier.
Best in its League! Absolutely fantastic picture – blows away my 5 year old Hitachi Plasma and is 1/3 the cost. I wish it would turn on a little bit quicker (seems slower than my other HD TVs), but I can manage. I’d like to see a little better “stand by” timing setting. The factory default is 15 minutes to go to stand by after lost of signal – that seems like 14 minutes too long to me. (Allow consumers to set the time value, Sharp) Would also like it to automatically turn back on when it detects a signal. Here’s an idea for the TV makers – how about allowing the speakers on the TV to be the center channel speakers on a 7.1 system? The TV is obviously the center of most AV system so why not allow for that?
You just can’t go wrong with this tv. Best bang for the buck in 2008. Thing looks awesome mounted on the wall. Super thin, nice minimal design… a no brainer if I had the choice to make again.
This is my first LCD purchase as I did my homework for nearly 3 months. I have owned this for 9 months now and absolutely love it. It has ample HDMI inputs, weighs nearly 20lbs less than its predecessor and looks “Sharp” even turned off. Along with HD programming, my friends couldnt wait to watch ANY sporting event. Hockey had OUTSTANDING clarity and the Olympics were just WOW! I would definately recomend this TV to anyone making a LCD purchase.
We purchased this TV for $1400 (with an extended warranty) about a year ago and have been more than happy with it. 42″ is just right for a small apartment or condo, and coupled with the wall attachment, looks great above our fireplace. HD cable television looks awesome with the television, as does our PS3 blu-ray player. For the price, this is definitely one of the better televisions out there. Granted, there are better, but you will have to spend more for them.
I have a Sharp TV(LC-42D64U). I bought it in Sept 2007. I have used the TV for about 2years. I recently downloaded firmware update(d64ua120.uvp) for my TV from sharp website. First, I formatted my thumb drive to FAT. Then I moved the new firmware file to my thumb drive. Finally, I put my thumb drive into my TV and attempted to update new firmware. I also followed all the necessary steps such as selecting update from the main menu, etc. But when around 12% of firmware update was completed, I got a message saying that the updating process has been failed. I tried it again and again but the same message popped up every time. I turned my TV off and then turned it back on. I called Sharp customer service but they couldn’t fix the problem. Now my TV won’t even turn on. It’s just black–just the green power light and green OPC light blink alternatively. Finally, I had to take the TV to a Sharp recommended repair shop only to find out that the main board has been “wiped out” and that I would need to replace the board. It’ll be $605.00(included labor charge) + tax to fix it. OMG!! I can’t believe it. I just tried to update the new firmware!! I’ve updated new firmware before without any issues. I did not do anything differently this time. I don’t get it!! I don’t like Sharp TV!!! Don’t try firmware update!!!
Bought this for the computer room with a wall mount and its performed perfect. you wont go wrong with this TV , great color and picture with Directv HD ,also hooked to Digital cable and is just as impressive a picture.
Also hooked Toshiba DvD player ,Good picture for a non-HD or Blueray,and have PS2 that has a Ok picture but consider the RCA hookup.
End word ———- worth the money !!!!!!!!!
This TV is phenomenal, the picture is incredible, it looks great and it’s not that heavy. I have my PS3, X-box 360 and Wii all connected to this tv and it’s so simple to switch in between them. I also used it as a computer monitor and Oh MY GOD! Counterstrike on a 1920×1080 resolution is insane! Probably the best TV I have ever owned. I also suggest getting 5.1 speakers for this TV because the TV has a problem with bass. It tends to overpower the speakers so get what I got, Logitech 5.1 Z-5500 =Amazing. I highly recommend it and buy it from NEWEGG it’s 850 bucks in Total, fast shipping and great service.
We did not buy this Sharp Aquos because it is a gaming TV, but because we saw it next to TVs in the same price range at one of the electronics chains, and the Sharp picture blew the others away. Even though we knew we would save almost $200 buying the TV online, we were a little nervous about buying from TigerDirect through Amazon. We took the plunge, though, and the TV arrived in a matter of days in perfect condition. The set-up with our HD DVR was a little difficult, and calls to Time Warner weren’t much help when the support person insisted the 480i showing on the DVR was the DVR model number. We finally went to Time Warner’s Web site and found the information we needed to get the set up to maximum resolution. We have had the TV a couple of months now and are very happy with it. A word to the wise — if your order with Amazon “suggests” you purchase a Bargaincell HDMI cable for an extra $1.98, pass on it. We ordered the cable, and the audio was nonfunctional.
I found one dead pixel on this TV, but I guess if you don’t want dead pixels then you have to test it in a shop and buy one in a shop instead of buying it online. I also found that it takes some for the grey-to-black, you can see ghosting effect. Also, consistent with the other reviews, it doesn’t come with very good speakers, so better use some external speakers. I game a lot with my PS3 using this TV (the dead pixel still annoys me a lot, I guess when you get a Full HD you kinda demand perfection), and somehow it’s harder to see the images when there’s a lot of sunlight, requiring me to sit closer (and I have 25/20 vision). Overall, this is a good TV comparing price for price with other brands. With Sharp’ new Kameyama state-of-the-art factory though, you’d think that they would have up-ed their quality a bit more.
This a great tv and the picture quality for HD channels is excellent. I also play my PS3 games with my this tv and I have to say that there is unbelievable sharpness with PS3 games. Overall picture quality and sound are great and the game button on the remote is very convenient. It helps while switching between game and tv programs. Setup was very easy with no hassel at all.
This is a terrific TV. My son plays x-box on it. I just wish I had purchased a second one. Three years later, even new, the price has doubled. While there are many cheaper sets on the market, this is a marvelous monitor!
Have two one 32 AQUOIS and 42 inch Aquous. Plus Sharp Blu Ray Player. How Do I get any Firm Ware updates? I got the Blu Ray But cannot find updates for TV’s. Otherwise I tell everyone that Sharp is the best.