1080p LCD HDTV Review

• Sharp LC 42SB45U – 42″ LCD TV

The 42″ Class (42-1/64″ Diagonal) LC-42SB45UT, with full HD Spec 1080p resolution and an elegant new glossy black design, produces superb picture quality. The LC-42SB45UT features high contrast, fast response time and wide viewing angles. The LC-42SB45UT includes built-in ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuners, three HDMITM inputs, is compatible with 1080p signals and has 2 HD component video inputs. The LC-42SB45UT features a sleek piano black cabinet with subtle, recessed bottom-mounted speakers, and the included table stand easily removes for wall mounting applications.

 

Sharp LC 42SB45U – 42″ LCD TV – widescreen – 1080p (FullHD) – HDTV – black User Review

Picture is great even without HD. Use S-Video from cable box to TV for a REALLY NICE picture if you don’t have HD. I am satisfied with the set, but it has 2 issues (not deal breakers, though). First, the sound is poor. I can hear it fine, but it doesn’t knock my socks off. I expected to need to add speakers anyway. A lot of these LCDs, regardless of price, have poor sound. Second, no matter how you connect your PC to this thing the resolution doesn’t accomodate the screen. In other words, it’s not displaying a true 1920 x 1080 resolution. Text looks horrible through HDMI but GREAT through VGA. It’s the opposite through VGA where TEXT looks great and video quality is poor. I’ll suck it up because everything else about the LCD is FANTASTIC. I’ll switch to HD cable when we move this spring.

There was, and still is, something about the picture that made me chose this unit. Nothing was too dark or oversaturated. I like the simple design. The remote is small and simple, but it has a great selection of quick buttons (ClosedCaption, Picture presets and such). The TV that this unit is replacing is a 27 inch flat panel brick, also by SHARP. That set still works great. I wanted it to give me reason to get a new one but it still works as well as it did when I bought it 8 years ago.