46-Inch LCD HDTV Sharp LC46SB54U: A Product Review

Full HD or 1080p is the highest resolution of consumer-produced high-definition televisions. The bigger the screen the more the consumer benefits from the extra lines of pixels. Thanks to reduced production costs, these large-screen, high-resolution HD televisions account for a large number of TVs bought today. A great example of an affordable big-screen 1080p HDTV is the 46-inch Sharp LC46SB54U. This large LCD is already a great deal at just over $1000 but has been targeted as a black Friday best seller by some Web sites. Because of this I have decided to spend some time with one of these and let you know how well it performs.

Styling: 3/5

Picture: 4/5

Sound: 4/5

Value: 5/5

Overall: 4/5

Product Overview:

Initially this HDTV isn't going to turn any heads with its looks. It has a thin glossy bezel surrounding the picture and a low but sturdy stand. As far as 46" flat panels go this set actually has a very low profile with the speakers hidden at the base of the frame. This is an excellent wall mounting candidate.

The high definition picture is fantastic on the Sharp LC46SB54U. The 1080p resolution isn't wasted on this screen. It is very bright and has very little glare even in well lit rooms. The features available are better than average in this price range and will please surely please the consumer eager to customize their picture. The 16:9 format lends itself to high definition broadcasts as well as DVD playback, as a result standard definition broadcasts suffer slightly but is completely watchable.

While you're never going to find fantastic sound from built in flat panel HDTV speakers the audio on this set is pretty decent. The bass is full and low and the highs aren't tinny. Most will still enjoy the benefit of a home audio system, the HD experience isn't complete without surround sound.

The connectivity of this LCD HDTV is a little lacking for a 46" set. There are 2 HDMI ports, I would expect 3 for a television of this size, there are however component and PC inputs. The PC inputs work well and I had no trouble syncing this as a primary monitor with my laptop.

Product Value:

Most HD televisions larger than 40" can easily cost well over $1000. The Sharp LC46SB54U can typically be found between $1100 and $1300, which is easily a great deal. Thanks to stiff competition among retailers this holiday season this set is expected to drop below $1000. At this price about any 46" LCD HDTV would be a deal but the Sharp LC46SB54U would be an absolute steal.