Review: Sharp LC52LE700UN LED TV

The Sharp LC52LE700UN is the least expensive LED television on the market, so not surprisingly it is also at the bottom end when it comes to quality. It isn't a bad TV it just isn't great. It's about what you would expect from the cheapest LED option available.

The Sharp LC52LE700UN is an LED television but you would never know it from the picture quality. An LED TV is one that uses LEDs for back lighting rather than the fluorescent tube that previous LCD televisions have used. This provides a much better picture quality, the blacks are deeper and the colours are more accurate. This is because of what is known as local dimming, which is basically the ability to turn the individual LEDs on and off. And while this isn't the earth shattering new technology that the advertising may have led people to believe it is the picture quality does benefit. Of course you will have to pay a premium over other LCD TVs for these benefits.

The problem with the Sharp LC52LE700UN is that it isn't clear exactly what you are paying for. Certainly the picture quality is good but it is no better than you could get on a standard LCD TV. It certainly isn't up there with the better LED TVs The blacks aren't as deep nor are the colours as accurate as they are on the better quality LED televisions. There are also some issues with back light fluctuations and the off angle viewing is quite poor but those are issues with all LED TVs and are not unique to the Sharp.

There are plenty of things to like about the Sharp LC52LE700UN, the interactivity in particular. There are lots of interactive widgets available, more than you will find on most other LED TVs The built in support with live help is an excellent feature which really should be offered by all televisions sold at the kind of prices LED TVs go for.

There are a number of picture adjustments available and the anti-blur and dejudder functions can be separated which is nice. There are lots of ports so connectivity isn't an issue and this a very energy efficient television, one of the best on the market.

The Sharp LC52LE700UN is actually quite a good TV given that it is priced at the bottom end of the LED market. The issue is that the picture quality isn't an improvement over standard LCD televisions. That shouldn't be interpreted to mean that the quality is poor because is isn't, LCD TVs have quite good picture quality. The issue is that it isn't really worth paying extra for an LED unless there is a noticeable difference. At least with this TV the premium you pay is quite small since it is at the low end of the price range.