By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
There's a lot to like with Sharp's Aquos LE835 40" inch Quattron 3d HDTV set (whew). A thin profile, slim bezel/border surrounding the screen, yellow-boosted Quattron technology plus 3D, some SmartTV functionality plus WiFi connectivity for good measure.
Costing $1400.00, the 40" inch model is ideal for most bedrooms.
We tested the LE835 for two months and hooked it up to various devices.
Old and new Apple TVs (the old one running Boxee Beta), Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Rogers Cable box and BlackBerry PlayBook as well as Motorola XOOM tablets.
The four HDMI ports are really useful for plugging in devices while maintaining the best possible connection.
We were a bit put off by the placement of the HDMI ports (on the left side) which makes cables hard to manage since they eventually stick out. This is an aesthetic issue more than anything and is present whether the LE835 is on a table or mounted on a wall.
We also found plugging in the coaxial cable difficult, it is oddly placed (facing up in a tight spot) rather than sticking out. We realize that this was done to lessen the clearance needed for wall mounting but it was still frustrating nonetheless.
A number of apps such as Vudu, Netflix, Cinemanow and others make their appearance in this HDTV and usher in the age of the SmartTV. SmartTV's leverage online content (which can be accessed via Ethernet or WiFi, which is also standard in this line).
This bridges the PC and HDTV by giving users quick access to alternative (non-commercial, non Cable) content that is very specialized and streaming only. If you already have WiFi running through your house then you can get the HDTV hooked up and running in minutes.
Sharp's selection of TV apps is limited and there's no indication that there will be any additional ones added in the future but for most users, Netflix alone is worth it.
In terms of picture performance, the LE835 is stellar. Picture quality is always optimized thanks to the quick and accurate ambient light sensor that adjusts to counter every condition. We had good things to say about Sharp's Quattron technology, which adds yellow to the usual RGB spectrum of pixels and results in greater detail and warmer overall look and feel.
The result are more lifelike skin tones, richer colours all around and striking yellow hues. We watched the NBA Finals as well as the Stanley Cup and were very pleased with the quality of the colour as well as the vivid detail was quite stunning.
Going back to our non-Quattron HDTV after weeks of using the Sharp, we realized that everything looked a bit bland and washed out even if it was perfectly fine before we ate from the forbidden fruit of four-colour subpixels. Technology abounds in this line, like specified contrast ratio of 6,000,000:1 and Quad Pixel Plus processing, for maximum resolution and picture smoothening.
A great overall set, the Aquos LE835's only issue is HDMI cables sticking out of the side
3D is the big feature for this model and while we are skeptical on 3D in general (expensive, not enough content, glasses can be a pain) we did give the Aquos LE835's 3D chops a spin.
We played SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs on the Playstation3 and expected to spend at least 20 minutes getting the 3D to work across devices and the active shutter 3D glasses.
To our surprise, setting up it was easier than expected. The game asks if you want to play in 3D and once you turn on the glasses the HDTV goes into the right mode.
Aside from initial discomfort from playing the game through what felt like heavily tinted sunglasses (worn over our regular eyeglasses), we felt that the game an the TV delivered a fairly acceptable 3D experience that did add another dimension to the game.
The 3D effect isn't one that 'jumps' at you, it is more like forced perspectives, expanded depth and floating elements but this is more in relation to how the game was made.
Even without the 3D element, we felt that the Sharp Aquos LE835 40" HDTV delivered a robust feature set a great viewing experience for movies, TV and games. It offers most of the features we've come to expect from a premium HDTV but in a slimmer case and with WiFi built right in.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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