Sharp LC-52LE700UN

The glossy black finish of Sharp LC-52LE700UN series doesn't break any new ground design wise, and this Sharp keeps the angled edges of its predecessors like Sharp LC-46D85U. A silver fade along the bottom of the frame provides a very subtle accent while a blue-lit triangle, which reminded us of the emblems worn by the crew of the Enterprise, points toward the company logo in the middle of the bottom edge (the blue illumination can be disabled).

Sharp's matching glossy black stand doesn't allow the panel to swivel.Lest you see a Samsung ad and believe all LED-based LCDs are also ultrathin, Sharp's LC-LE700UN series is among the many sets that prove otherwise. It measures 3.7 inches deep sans stand, which is quite normal for a flat panel TV of any technology. Sharp has gone the longest of any TV maker we know since changing its remote. Sharp LC-46LE700UN's clicker is basically the same as the one that shipped with the 2006 LC-46D62U, which was a few years old itself at the time.

Our opinion of it hasn't changed, so we'll just quote that review : "Sharp's long remote will be familiar to anyone who's played with an Aquos set in the last couple of years. It has the ability to command four other pieces of gear, keys that are nicely spread out and well differentiated, and a generally logical button layout. We say 'generally' because the key controlling aspect ratio is stashed clear at the top of the long wand, the one for freezing the image is given an unduly important spot near the main directional keypad, and the one for changing picture modes is hidden beneath a flip up hatch."

Unfortunately, Sharp cut back on the backlighting of its remotes, so now only the volume and channel rockers, as well as four nearby keys, receive illumination. Sharp's menu system design is also basically the same as in previous years, and its blocky look seems dated compared with the slick menus available from Sony and Samsung. The pertinent information is all there, however, and we liked the text explanations that accompany various selections. LED backlighting tops the features list of Sharp LC-LE700UN, but it's unlike any other LED-backlit TV released so far. All of the other LED based LCDs fall into one of two camps : edge lit or local dimming.

However, the Sharp falls into neither category. Its LED elements are arranged behind the screen, as opposed to the edge, but they are incapable of dimming or brightening individually. Like a standard fluorescent backlit LCD, Sharp LC-52LE700UN's LED backlight must dim or brighten all at once. The main benefit of its LED backlight is simply reduced energy consumption. Sharp LC-LE700UN also sports a 120Hz refresh rate that provides improved motion resolution compared with standard LCDs although we suspect you'll be hard pressed to see any difference.

That refresh rate also allows the TV to display the proper cadence when fed 1080p/24 material. The two larger sizes in Sharp LC-LE700UN series, the 46 and 52 inch models, feature dejudder processing as well, while the two smaller 40 and 32 inch models do not. Dejudder is available in two strengths on the 46 and 52 inch models and doesn't need to be active to realize the antiblurring benefits of 120Hz.