Sharp LC-52D92U review

For our main HDTV tests we always try to compare different sets side-by-side using our HDMI distribution amplifier and the same source material. In this case we checked out the Sharp alongside the Pioneer Pro-FHD1 and the Panasonic TH-50PH9UK--both 50-inch plasmas--as well as the Vizio GV47LF HDTV, a 47-inch 1080p LCD TV. We chose Black Hawk Down on Blu-ray, delivered via a Sony PlayStation3, for our source material.

As we mentioned at the top, the black levels delivered by the LC-52D92U were superb, outclassing anything in the room (including the Panasonic by a hair). The letterbox bars and black screen were the most obvious example, but shadowy areas were also darker; the recesses in the stalls and the back of the Jeep during the opening shots of Bakara Market, for example. Good black-level performance depends on more than just deep blacks, however; it also requires full shadow detail. That's where the Sharp's picture didn't appear quite as impressive as either of the plasma models. Close-ups of the dramatically lit faces during the military debriefing, for example, didn't look quite as natural on the LC-52D92U; the rise from black to light was slightly steeper, and some fine details were obscured. We could bring them back by increasing the brightness control, but that sacrificed too much depth of black and still didn't achieve as natural a look as the plasma TVs.

Colors on the Sharp LC-52D92U were mostly accurate, although we definitely missed the ability to tweak the grayscale easily. As a result, we couldn't reduce the color control to compensate--that simply desaturated the image too much--and skin tones appeared a bit too ruddy in dark areas. We also noticed that the blue of the water and sky was more intense than it should have been, again a function of the less-accurate grayscale. Otherwise, the Sharp evinced fine color decoding with no red push while primary color accuracy was about average (see the Geek box for more). The grass and brush outside of town, for example, appeared slightly bluer than they did on the Pioneer, but the difference wasn't drastic.

At the top we mentioned the LC-46D62U we reviewed last year, with its uneven uniformity across the screen, and this year's LC-52D92U has the same problem. We first noticed on a test pattern that filled the entire screen with what should have been a flat gray field; instead, there were alternating darker and lighter strips that ran vertically down the screen. There were also regular horizontal bands of light and dark that appeared to be grouped more visibly on the bottom and the top third of the screen.

Evidence of these issues was easy to spot in program material as well as test patterns. During one example, where the camera on a DiscoveryHD special follows a rocket through the sky during liftoff, we could see the faint yet clear horizontal bands across the screen, and the larger brighter and darker areas arranged vertically. Once we noticed the unevenness, it was difficult to ignore. None of these issues appeared on any of the other displays we had on hand, and they were noticeable enough to reduce the LC-52D92U's performance score.

Most LCDs have uniformity issues that manifest as irregular bright areas on dark screens (or vice versa), and the LC-52D92U we reviewed was no exception. With completely black scenes, like the void of space, a letterbox bar or just some blankness between a disc loading and the menu appearing, we saw a lighter streak angling down out of the upper-left corner.

In its favor, the LC-52D92U did do a better job than most LCDs of remaining true when seen from an off angle. The image did wash out slightly when viewed from the far right or left (or above or below), but it wasn't drastic by any means. The Sharp did not have a problem with false contouring. During a shot of Earth's atmosphere, for example, we saw distinct lines on the Panasonic and the Vizio as the blue of the atmosphere faded into the black of space, but on the Sharp and on the Pioneer plasma, the gradation was smooth without any visible lines.

The LC-52D92U also delivered excellent detail, although as usual its 1080p resolution didn't noticeably outperform the lower-resolution display--in this case the 1,366x768 Panasonic TH-50PH9UK--unless we sat closer than about 7 feet and paid very close attention to the very best 1080i and 1080p material. Test patterns revealed that in the dot-by-dot aspect ratio setting the display delivered every detail of both 1080i and 1080p formats.

We were also curious to see how the Sharp's 120Hz frame rate conversion affected the picture, and we must say the impact was nearly unnoticeable. Comparing the LC-52D62U directly to the Vizio, which has the standard 60Hz refresh rate, we didn't see any evidence of the image appearing smoother or less blurry during motion, even during the fast-paced combat scenes in Black Hawk Down. We also watched a basketball game on ESPN, and the only time when the Sharp might have looked slightly less blurry was when the camera panned quickly to follow a player's fast-break dunk, but it was really difficult to see.

We checked out the Sharp's ability to handle standard-definition signals by putting it through the HQV benchmark test via its component-video input at 480i. Overall its performance was slightly above average. It delivered the full resolution and bandwidth according to the disc's color bars pattern; detail in the stone bridge was very good; and 2:3 pull-down detection was exceedingly quick. We appreciated the LC-52D92U's excellent three-step noise-reduction control; the high mode did as good a job of reducing video "snow," in low-quality shots of skies, trees, and sunsets, for example, as any HDTV we've tested recently. The Sharp's main standard-definition weakness was in smoothing out moving diagonals and other lines; it left more jagged edges than most displays we've tested.

As a PC display, the Sharp LC-52D92U does a bang-up job with digital sources. It handled a 1,920x1,080 digital signal via its DVI input with no problem; text looked very good, although not quite as crisp as some LCDs we've seen; and according to DisplayMate's resolution patterns the Sharp delivered every detail on both the horizontal and vertical axes. The DVI input can also accept analog VGA-style signals (when used with a VGA-to-DVI cable) but it maxed out at 1,280x1,024 resolution, which came with letterbox bars to either side and looked downright fuzzy on the big screen. As long as you're using a DVI output to drive the Sharp, it makes a fine computer monitor.