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  • Introduction

  • Tour & Design

  • Blacks & Whites

  • Color Accuracy

  • Motion

  • Viewing Effects

  • Calibration

  • Remote Control

  • Connectivity

  • Audio & Menus

  • Formats & Media

  • Power Consumption

  • Vs Samsung UN46B8500

  • Vs LG 47LH90

  • Vs Sony KDL 52XBR9

  • Conclusion

  • Series Comparison

  • Introduction
  • Tour & Design
  • Blacks & Whites
  • Color Accuracy
  • Motion
  • Viewing Effects
  • Calibration
  • Remote Control
  • Connectivity
  • Audio & Menus
  • Formats & Media
  • Power Consumption
  • Vs Samsung UN46B8500
  • Vs LG 47LH90
  • Vs Sony KDL 52XBR9
  • Conclusion
  • Series Comparison

Introduction

Tour & Design

Front


The front of the Sharp LC-46SB57UN is 90% screen, with a glossy black bezel. There's a power indicator in the bottom right corner.

 

 

Back


There's a small cluster of ports on the left side of the back.

For information about the ports on the back of the Sharp LC-46SB57UN see our Connectivity section.

 

Sides


The right side has some controls and inputs. The left side is bare.

 

For information about the ports on the back of the Sharp LC-46SB57UN see our Connectivity section.

 

Stand/Mount


The TV's stand is quite large for a TV this size, but does its job well. The screen didn't wobble at all.

 

Controls


You can find all the basic controls along the right side of the TV.

 

 

Remote Control


The remote control that comes with the LC-46SB57UN is rather large, but with small, awkward buttons. It can control multiple devices, but the system for switching between them is awkward, limiting the usefulness of this feature.

 

In The Box*(6.0)*


The TV comes with a remote, batteries, a manual, and component cables. The component cables are a nice touch; typically they're not included.

Putting this TV together seems needlessly complicated. There's screws and metal spikes, and you have to use an included alan wrench. It's like a hobby kit.

 

Aesthetics*(6.0)*


The LC-46SB57UN has the same clean, smart design that we see on most modern HDTVs, with a dark bezel surrounding the screen itself. Unfortunately, it is marred by a couple of problems: the bezel is shiny and shows reflections, and the curve of the bezel makes it somewhat prone to showing reflections from roof lights.

Blacks & Whites

Black Level*(6.61)*


The Sharp LC-46SB57UN had an average black level for an LCD: 0.19 candelas per square meter (cd/m2). This means that a black screen on the LC-46SB57UN will still have a luminance that's about twice as bright as a solidly deep black level. Although this isn't a great black level, it's decent for an LCD; since the display technology employs backlights, LCDs typically have poor black levels, sometimes in excess of 0.30 cd/m2.

 

Peak Brightness*(8.27)*


The LC-46SB57UN had a peak brightness of 295.97. That's a decent luminance output, which should be ideal for most viewing conditions. The sole possible exception would be if light is shining on the screen, which would wash out the onscreen picture. 

 

Contrast*(6.76)*


The LC-46SB57UN was capable of a contrast ratio of 1557:1, which is an average for an LCD. Contrast is important, since our eyes sense changes based on contrast. For most users, the LC-46SB57UN's 1557:1 will be sufficient, but not great.

 

Tunnel Contrast*(9.43)*


On this test, we measure the consistency of the black level by changing the amount of black on the screen. We found the LC-46SB57UN maintained the same black level throughout the spectrum, whether it was 100% of the screen or 5%. 

 

White Falloff*(9.92)*


Here, we're testing the TV's brightness levels, to make sure they don't waver depending on the image on the screen. It's the same test as the one above, only we're testing white instead of black. The LC-46SB57UN maintained its brightness; you shouldn't have any issues with content-specific dimming.

 

Uniformity*(7.88)*


If you've ever seen a TV that looked cloudy when displaying an all-black screen, or had dark corners on a bright screen, you've seen a TV with poor uniformity.

Fortunately, the LC-46SB57UN didn't have any real uniformity issues. It wasn't perfect, however. On an all-white screen, we noticed some horizontal bands and dim corners. On an all-black screen, we saw some slight cloudiness. These were relatively minor problems, however: you probably wouldn't notice anything unless you were specifically checking for it.

Greyscale Gamma*(9.60)*


A TV's greyscale gamma dictates how shades progress, from white to black. As mentioned in the contrast ratio section, our eyesight hinges on contrast. If the greyscale doesn't have the correct progression, it can lead to a loss of detail, through changes too small to notice.

Fortunately, the LC-46SB57UN didnt' have any problems with its greyscale gamma. We measured the slope of the greyscale curve at 2.27, which is very close to ideal.

 

Resolution Scaling*(7.37)*


Assuming normal use, your HDTV won't always be outputting full 1080p. If you watch standard definition TV, DVDs, or broadcast HD, your TV will have to scale 480p, 720p, and 1080i signals respectively. The processing involved in upscaling these signals can sometimes cause some unwanted side-effects.

480p

The TV did well with 480p playback overall. We noticed a slight shimmery effect to some patterns and the focus was a bit soft, but otherwise the LC-46SB57UN did well with 480p content.

720p

The TV had some trouble with 720p content. The biggest issue was with moire interference. We saw lots of plaid patterns and gradients forming where they shouldn't. 

1080i

There were some minor issues with 1080i playback. We noticed a few patterns acquired a pale green hue, which is a common problem with interlaced processing. 

Color Accuracy

**

Color Temperature***(5.99)*


When we calibrate a TV, we try to get its white to be as close to 6500K as possible, which is a commonly-used standard. This doesn't necessarily mean that color temperature will remain consistent throughout the greyscale, however. We therefore test the TV's color temperature throughout the entirety of the greyscale, to make sure the TV doesn't have any major fluctuations.

The LC-46SB57UN had some issues towards the dark end of the spectrum. As you can see in the graph below, the color temperature gets visibly warm towards the darker end of the spectrum.

 

RGB Curves*(8.11)*


All of the colors displayed by your TV are made from red, green, and blue. Since these three colors are so fundamental to your TV's performance, we test them separately, from their highest intensity to their darkest shade.

The LC-46SB57UN had some pretty accurate RGB curves. The curves are relatively smooth, with only minor stair-stepping throughout (each little bump represents two adjacent colors having too little or too much differentiation). 

Below we've plotted the red, green, and blue curves as a spectrum of color. We've also posted the spectra of competing TVs.

 

 

 

Color Gamut*(5.56)*


All televisions' colors are explicitly described by an international standard called rec. 709. Since we're not a trusting sort, we test the TVs to see how well they conform to these standards (typically not very well).

The LC-46SB57UN's color gamut was a bit off. The blue point is shifted slightly towards red, and the green and red points are both shifted towards blue and oversaturated.

 

 

Motion

**

Motion Smoothness***(5.63)*


The Sharp LC-46SB57UN has some issues with motion blur. Still faces that panned around the screen lost quite a bit of detail. Solid blocks of color left thick shadows against a grey background.

The TV does have a feature, Fine Motion Enhanced, which seems like it should help reduce motion blur, but it doesn't. We swapped it between its highest setting and off, without noticing any discernable difference between the two.

Motion Artifacting*(5.63)*


We saw some artifacting issues on the LC-46SB57UN as well. The main problem was solid blocks of color. As the shapes moved around the screen, their extremeties grew little tails that trailed behind them. It looked like a cross-section of debris burning up in the atmosphere.

 

3:2 Pulldown & 24fps*(7.00)*


The LC46SB57UN had no issues with 3:2 pulldown, which is a processing trick to make video look like film. It also had no problems reading displaying a 24 frames per second signal.

Viewing Effects

Viewing Angle*(4.71)*


The LC-46SB57UN didn't have a particularly wide viewing angle. It had a total viewing angle of 41º, meaning if you're more than 20º away from center, you'll be viewing the picture at less than half its contrast. Although LCD HDTVs typically have a rather poor viewing angle, this one has a smaller angle than most that we have seen.

 

Reflectance*(6.50)*


The screen of the LC-46SB57UN is a bit reflective: we were able to make out individual lights in an LED array. This being said, we didn't see any starburst patterning or a huge diffuse glow. The bezel is shiny and plastic, which does create some reflections.

 

Video Processing*(1.25)*


The TV does have a handful of processing features. We've listed them below, with a description of what the manufacturer thinks the features do and what we think they do. Interestingly enough, the manual both offers a broad description of the feature, then further clarifies by offering descriptions of the 'on' and 'off' settings.

 

Calibration

Calibration


[

](http://www.displaymate.com/)Televisions will rarely come perfectly set up for your viewing environment. To make sure all the TVs we test are being scored based on their peak performance, we first calibrate the TV. To do this, we use a CS-200 ChromaMeter to take measurements, and use DisplayMate, which is calibration software.

Below is a chart detailing exactly what changes we made. If it isn't listed below, we didn't change it. These settings should be good enough for most people, but if you really want a finely-calibrated TV, you'll need to pay a professional to customize your TV to suit your own unique viewing environment.

 

 

Video Modes


There are a few video modes on the TV, but you can't change them on the TV itself. We found this pretty unintuitive. Typically you can change the video mode through the picture menu. The LC-46SB57UN thinks this is nonsense, however, and requires you to press a button on the remote. Also, the Sharp's manual has some humorously vague descriptions for what each setting does.

 

Remote Control

Ergonomics & Durability*(6.0)*


The remote control that comes with the LC-46SB57UN has a unique shape that most people in our office didn't like. The rounded, protruding edge hurt some palms after a while, and the volume and channel buttons aren't ideally placed for left-handed users. While the edges are rounded, that seems to be the only thought given to the ergonomics of the design, as the wide, straight-edged shape makes it somewhat difficult to reach buttons on the side opposite your gripping hand.

 

Button Layout & Use*(6.0)*


The buttons on the remote are small. Most of the major buttons have unique shapes, but the minor ones are all relatively indistinct, which means you'll have to squint at small, cramped labels to figure out where the input changer is. The main functions all have a decent layout, however, assuming you're right-handed. Left-handed remote users might find the volume and channel buttons to be an awkwardly far distance away.

 

Programming & Flexibility*(0.0)*


Other Sharp TVs come with programmable remotes. This Sharp TV doesn't.

Connectivity

  • 1 HDMI
  • 1 Composite video input
  • 1 Analog audio input

 

Output Ports*(2.00)*


The TV just has two output ports, which are on the back of the device: an analog and digital audio out.

 

Other Connections*(0.0)*


There are no other connections.

 

Media*(0.0)*


There are no additional media features.

 

Placement*(5.00)*


The ports are reasonably well placed: the ones on the left side of the display are easy to reach, and the ones on the back are also easy to reach by reaching around the side of the screen. The ports are oddly labeled, though; instead of being labeled by type, they are labeled by number, from 1 to 8. This could be a little confusing if you don't remember which port is which, especially if the display is wall mounted, where you can't see the labels, as there is no indication from the on-screen menu of what type each of the ports is.

Audio & Menus

Audio Quality*(4.0)*


There are two 10-watt speakers built into the body of the LC-46SB57UN which produced disappointingly,flat sound. To get any decent bass out of them we had to turn on the bass enhancer feature and increase the bass level in the two-channel graphic equalizer. The pseudo-surround sound system that was built into the display was equally disappointing; it didn't add much to the sound and made it sound even thinner and reedier.

 

Menu Interface*(4.0)*


Sharp has a menu system that's simultaneously simple and confounding. The overall layout is simple: the main menu options line the top, then their options expand downward. The main problem is the individual settings are needlessly confusing. For example, we couldn't find a way to change the video mode other than hitting the button on the remote. That means that, although you can see what mode is enabled in the picture menu (PC mode in the screen shot below), you can't change it in that menu. The other big issues are with readability, because small white text on blue isn't the easiest thing to read.

 

Manual*(4.00)*


The LC-46SB57UN's manual has decent information in it, but an annoying design. It's a single piece of paper that unfolds like a road map. That means there's no table of contents or index, so navigation is limited to squinting at the pictures and small text. It's like playing a scavenger hunt, only it's by yourself and your prize is basic television knowledge.

You can find the Sharp LC-46SB57UN's manual online here.

Formats & Media

Formats*(10.0)*


The Sharp LC-46SB57UN supports full 1080p HD content, as well as 3:2 pulldown and 24p playback.

 

Photo Playback*(0.0)*


The TV has no photo playback features.

 

Music & Video Playback*(0.0)*


There aren't any music or video playback features either.

 

Streaming Playback*(0.0)*


Without an interenet or wireless connection, the TV can't stream content.

 

Other Media*(0.0)*


The TV has no additional media features.

Power Consumption

Power Consumption*(8.42)*


The Sharp LC-46SB57UN sucked down a reasonable amount of juice, but not an extortionate amount. We found that at our standard brightness level (which involved putting the backlight to +5), it consumed an average of around 162.17 watts. This means that if you were to run this TV for an average of about 5 hours a day, it would use around $32 of electricity over the year. Because this display wasn't capable of running at the higher screen brightnesses that many displays are capable of, the price for running it at the maximum brightness is not much higher: about $40. If you prefer to live in darkness, the price to run it with the backlight at minimum (-16) fell to $15 a year.

So we can compare TVs, we set the backlight for our standard setting so that an area of white on the screen measures about 200 cd/m2. The figures below are for this standard setting across our comparison displays.

Vs Samsung UN46B8500

Value Comparison Summary


The Samsung is significantly more expensive than the Sharp, but that price hike has merit. The Samsung has some internet capabilities and better picture quality. The Sharp is more of a basic, no-frills set.

Blacks & Whites


The Samsung had a deeper black, brighter white, and higher overall contrast ratio.

 

Color Accuracy


The Sharp had a more accurate color gamut, but the Samsung's color temperature was more stable. Both TVs had good RGB curves.

 

 

 

Motion


Both sets had issues with blur and artifacting. The Samsung had slightly less blur, and the Sharp had slightly less artifacting.

 

Viewing Effects


While neither TV had an impressive viewing angle, the Sharp's was slightly larger.

 

Connectivity


Both TVs have a good array of ports, but the Samsung is capable of internet connectivity.

Vs LG 47LH90

Value Comparison Summary


Both TVs have roughly equivalent performances. The LG edges out the Sharp in a few areas, but not enough to make a significant difference. The LG's performance certainly isn't enough to cover the wide price gap between the two sets.

Blacks & Whites


The LG  is brighter, but not capable of deep blacks. The Sharp has a higher overall contrast ratio.

 

Color Accuracy


The LG has less perceptible color temperature shifts, but didn't perform as well on our RGB or color gamut tests.

 

 

 

Motion


The LG has a much smoother, less artifact-prone display.

Viewing Effects


The LG has a marginally better viewing angle, but neither TV is impressive in this regard.

Connectivity


The main difference between the two TVs is the LG's USB port, which gives it additional media playback functionality.

**
**

Vs Sony KDL 52XBR9

Value Comparison Summary


This match-up shows the difference between a mid-range and high-end set. The Sony has significantly better features, including an impressive array of internet functionality, but is also much more expensive.

Blacks & Whites


The Sony has a much deeper black and a brighter white, making its contrast ratio significantly higher than the Sharp's.

 

Color Accuracy


The Sony does have a more consistent color temperature, but the Sharp has a more accurate color gamut. Both TVs have equivalent RGB representation.

 

 

 

Motion


The Sony out-classes the Sharp in both smoothness and artifact-free playback.

 

Viewing Effects


Both TVs have roughly the same, shallow viewing angle.

 

Connectivity


The Sharp has a few extra ports, but the Sony has media options. With its LAN you can access an impressive array of online content, and its USB ports allow for media playback from storage devices.

 

**
**

Conclusion

 

 

Series Comparison

SB57UN Series


This series is pretty basic. The TVs are moderately expensive and have a 120Hz mode.

Meet the tester

Mark Brezinski

Mark Brezinski

Senior Writer

@markbrezinski

Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.

See all of Mark Brezinski's reviews

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