Every HDTV model comes with good and bad points. In the case of the Sharp Aquos LC-52D85U, its good points include its excellent video processing system, automatic backlight, adequate connectivity and the Aquos Link feature while its weak points stem from not being user-friendly enough, falling short in design and not having any oomph in its sound quality - all of which are explained in detail in this article.
Video processing is not the strength of LCD televisions. In fact, images on LCD screens tend to become blurry during fast-moving scenes. The Sharp Aquos LC-52D85U, however, is able to create clear images even in motion because of its Fine Motion Enhanced frame-interpolation system, which creates new frames to insert between the actual frames, and its 120Hz video processing system, which allows it to display 120 frames per second instead of the usual rate of just 60.
The LC-52D85U also comes with an automatic backlight, which simply means that its fluorescent backlight dynamically adjusts to the amount of light in the room, so you won't have to keep changing the brightness of the screen. It also has automatic contrast adjustments to increase the contrast ratio and create deep black levels, although these are still not as deep as those produced by Plasma televisions.
When it comes to connectivity, the LC-52D85U offers an adequate number of inputs and outputs, which are located both on the back and on the side of the panel. It has five HDMI connections, which is one or two more than most HDTV sets have, allowing you to plug in your Blu-Ray player, DVD player, satellite TV box, game console and any other HDMI-capable device you might have. It also has a VGA input for you to connect your CPU and use the HDTV as a computer monitor.
Other pros of the LC-52D85U include a 10-bit LCD screen, instead of the common 8-bit screen, which results in smoother color gradations, and a color management system which you can tweak to change the hue and saturation of each primary and secondary color. The LC-52D85U also has the Aquos Link, which is similar to the Viera Link of Panasonic HDTVs and the Bravia Sync of Sony HDTVs, allowing the user to turn HDMI-capable devices on and off with the press of a single button.
Now, let's take a look at the weak points of the Sharp Aquos LC-52D85U. For one, its design fails to impress, with no accents or any features to make it stand out from the rest of the HDTVs with glossy, black frames. Even the design of its remote control is lacking, too, with small buttons that are difficult to press. They are difficult to distinguish from each other, too, particularly in the dark since their labels are not illuminated.
Like the remote control, the manual and the on-screen menu of the LC-52D85U are not user-friendly. The manual lacks an index so it's difficult to find the information you're looking for, while the on-screen menu is hard to adjust, particularly since the picture controls are linked to the picture modes and not the individual inputs. The list of the inputs is a problem, too, since they all appear regardless of whether they have a device connected to them or not, and are only labelled as Input 1 or Input 2 instead of HDMI, AV or VGA, though you can rename them to make them easier to remember. The on-screen menu remains on the screen, as well, preventing you from entirely seeing or accurately gauging the images on it.
Another weakness of the Sharp Aquos LC-52D85U is its sound. Although its sound is quite good, it is still far from being excellent, like that of many HDTV models, particularly since it lacks depth and clarity. The good thing, though, is that this problem can easily be remedied by connecting the LC-52D85U to a good surround sound system, which means you have fewer things to worry about and more reasons to consider buying the Sharp Aquos LC-52D85U.
Edward McKellen is an expert on the latest gadgets and appliances, such as HDTVs. To learn more about the Sharp Aquos LC-52D85U or to read the latest LCD HDTV reviews, visit HDTVReviewLab.com.
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