Official Sharp AQUOS LC-60LE847U & LC-70LE847U Owners Thread - Page 57

Well, it's been a long week and a half reading this entire post, after "pulling the trigger" on a LC60LE847U at Sears at - what I believe is - a great deal for a 60". I don't have it yet...I kind'a 'secured' the price for a later pickup. Saw it for $2099 at the Sunday flier and went to the store to look at it just to find the sticker at $1899. I was really impressed with what I saw, both the Sharp "demo" (or whatever you call it) DVD as well as live TV that the sales man put on per my request.
Long story short, after adding a 5 year Sears plan (which the sales man emphasized is by far a better plan from the BB one because it offers unconditional, unlimited repair/replace for the full 5 years) and 10% discount + 2 pairs of 3D, we ended up with a cost of around $2200. Pretty awesome price, if you ask me. And since I couldn't carry it with me I just decided to swipe my card to make sure I don't lose this deal.

This is for my brand new finished basement (I am still in the finishing touches) with tons of wires inside the walls (data, RG6 and speakers). Not a 'home theater' by any mean, just wanted a nice TV and receiver that I am yet to purchase.
Right from the beginning I knew it'd be either a Samsung - which 'everyone' says is the "Best TV" - or a Sharp, which produces great picture at a great price. There is no way I would have paid additional $800 for Samsung just because it's Samsung.

And then I came home, after my purchase, and started reading this post. From top to bottom. And the more I read, the more doubt I had about my purchase (which can still be fully refunded of course; the TV is still at the store ). From the clouding, to flashing, to TV tilting on its stand, to lack of synch between picture and sound (with or without a receiver), to amazing customer support by Sharp to not-so-amazing customer support experience, to one replacement after another, to the 'need' to go through setup that other people had to improve your picture.

Clearly I did not read in full (and/or at all) threads about specific Samsung models, but is this what we came to? Is this what I can expect? Paying so much money for a large screen TV and constantly be occupied with settings, (clouding) frustration, dealing with customer support, missing time off work to wait for the replacement truck, etc? Maybe I am naive, but I really thought that if I spend $2-$3K on a TV set, I would take it out of the box, spend hmmm, maybe an hour or two hours connecting everything and change some minor settings to my liking, and then spend the next 5 years just watching the damn thing. This thing should be working for me, not the other way around.
Now, I don't know about the majority of the people here, whether you are die-hard Sharp fans, or people like me who went to Sharp because it's the logical and sane alternative to Samsung's price. I also don't know if Samsung TV's have similar issues at the same magnitude. Sure, every model has a problem here and there, but my impression is that many people here are devoting large amount of their time to this TV instead of the opposite.

So my question to you - shall I keep my good deal or run away? By all means, I have no intentions of calling support lines back and forth and wait for replacement appointments 4 or 5 times. I do not have patience for this even if it is the best customer support service in the world. I just don't want to go through this. As I said - I want to take it out of the box, set it up (upright, I won't lay it flat ) and enjoy it.

Your turn, start shooting

Thank you.

Keep in mind it's human nature to post when you have a problem or question but owners who have no problems rarely or don't post. Plus I think it's impossible to have a TV that works perfectly out of the box considering the countless possibilites of cable providers, dish, FIOS, surround systems, and anything else that can connect to the TV! My experience with my LC70LE845U has been great with only a couple of hiccups. Learned here to download the latest firmware asap. Discovered myself the process is easier if you use a USB flash drive as opposed to over the web. I have Verizon FIOS and discovered my audio sync problems were due to my set top box audio settings needing to be changed to L-PCM. Other than that I just took it out of the box, connected everything and the picture is great, especially in 3D. Only settings I messed with were motion enhancement. No calibration needed. I love my TV! So far.....
Edited by kissfn - 12/5/12 at 1:43pm

True. I guess (want to believe) that for every 'complainer' on this thread there are probably 4-5, or even more, happy clients of this TV set. It's just that when you start reading you get the feeling that this is a bad TV and it's "all trouble".

How long have you had this set for? Any clouding issues?

Thanks for your response.

I know what you mean. After reading this entire thread I thought I was either lucky or blessed with a great set! I've had mine since July (when I joined here to learn)! No clouding issues at all. Glad to help!

Looking at the Sharps myself. My Mit 65 RPTV needs work, MIT isn't making them any more, can extend the service contract and have it repaired BUT it is just delaying the inevitable.

Time to change technology paths.

Paint roller trick?

SBI, having owned even for a brief time quite a few different TV's and a few mid-high end samsungs and my current PN50C8000 Plasma which while at this point is not the creme of the crop, it was when I bought it in the end of 2010.

All TV's have their issues, even my at the time almost 3000 dollar TV had its issues, I had samsung replace the panel on my TV twice as it had some uniformity issues with the coating on the screen causing a "pinkish" hue with white and some lighter colors.. The book of Eli comes to mind, in the sands all over the ground the color just seemed off in certain areas due to the screen coating not being uniform and it just had a different hue, even on the 3rd panel it was still an isse but it wasnt so severe that it ruined the experience, just had to accept it, and I know I was hardly the only one having those issues.

Before I ended up getting the C8000 I tried their mid range LCD of the time, I can't recall if it was LED or not as quite a few TV's compared to now were LED, but it had some bad flashlighting.. looking at the Samsung ES8000 LED TV when I went to the local store to check out this LE847 I noticed some slight flashlighting, it was honestly hardly noticeable but it was there..

ALL TV's have their quirks if you look hard enough (which unfortunately I do) some are worse than others, and not all in that particular TV ever seem to be the same..

If you look at reviews of the panel that you are interested in, you can see the good and bad in any television. Best thing to do is research before you buy. If the slightest chance of clouding or banding bothers you, you might want to go with a plasma, and forgo LCD technology. I would love to have a Panasonic TC-P65VT50, but there would be too much light hitting the screen - I like to watch tv during the day, and I wanted to go larger than my 65 inch Mits DLP . The Sharp has minimal reflections and a great picture, once calibrated. (see pix) And coming from a rear projector with fan noise, it is dead quiet, and boots quickly. What are your going to use this for? Movies? Sports? Computer? Buy it from a place that has a good return policy - it's a big box to ship back.
Edited by myoda - 12/5/12 at 8:01pm

Previously to this set I had a 2005 61" Samsung HLR DLP that I paid $400 to have calibrated and it was worth every cent. I decided to wait a bit before exploring calibration for this set and can honestly say that after 3 months of viewing I don't think it needs it. I have it in standard mode and use it as a display for my FIOS box via HDMI and am happy as heck. I paid $3000 at Paul's TV for the 70"
"

Should FINALLY have my 70LE847U by next thursday at the latest. After a short backorder, it was shipped out VIA pilot comming from Atlanta up here to Albany NY

Ill Post some pictures once I get it in.

"General" TV stuff. Sports - mostly basketball, not a football fan at all. General programs (lots of DIY, reality shows, news), movies here and there...we are not heavy movie watchers.

Thanks. From reading the Samsung 6500 thread and reviews, I'm scared to death of both TVs. I know only problems get the forum coverage, but the Sammy apparently has only a 35 degree viewing angle and awkward HDMI ports (basically ruins the ability to mount flush with the wall. That puts the Sharp ahead, but clouding issues and a dimmer screen experience seem unfortunate. Would love a 945 (if it's real), but its not out yet and if it does come out will likely be very expensive.

--john

For those of you that have had Sharp replace your set, did they require a credit card to have on file "just in case"? They are replacing my bad 60le830u with the 60le847u for free, but when I called and told them that was the option I wanted to go with they wanted a credit card. They said it would not be charged, but I think it's a little weird.

They asked for a credit card when they replaced my 632 to 640. They just want to make sure you will not keep your old TV.

Thanks Johnsfull & Greeno, I toned it down, but I am sure missing my SOE, and the clouding is virtually gone. No one in the Family actually seen it but me, but now I can barely make it out.

Thanks Again!!!


Kevin

Can anyone here share personal experience with the Sears Protection plan? Is it really as good as was described to me, and unlimited in number of repairs/replacements?

Thanks.

For those with the LC-70 that have it wall mounted, how high off the ground is it?

I'm getting my set wall mounted in a few days. Currently, it sits atop a "low boy" stand bringing the bottom edge to about 20-22 inches off the ground. The installer recommended placing the set another foot above the stand (Bringing the set to about 34" off the ground). That seems awfully high to me.

Any opinions/advice?

Mine's on a stand 24 inches high but if it was wall mounted I would want it at least 34 inches high.

I mounted mine 28" off the ground, and it's perfect. I have a 22" x 70" AV cabinet underneath as well. 34" would be too high for me, but of course, it's all your preference. Go sit on your couch and think about where you want it!

The Sharp screen is by no means dim. I have my TV calibrated towards mostly movie watching (so blacks are almost black), and in a dark room, when a bright scene shows up, it's almost blinding. I am not joking when I say that I have to squint my eyes at times!

Your height may also be affected by how far away you are away from it. Not significantly but possibly, in my eyes, up to a foot, if you were viewing from 8 feet away versus 15 feet away. It may also vary somewhat at your what position you like to sit, ie up right, reclining, etc, an of course the actuul seating height of your furniture. Minor details, yes, but... you asked and these are those things that sometimes make something "just feel right or wrong." Although the actual mounting angle, if you wall mount, will be slight, it is a few degrees different than a stand mount.

On the Sears warranty, I'd suggest finding out who the administrator is and then Google first, you local or State consumer protection agency to see how any complaints that were filed were resolved, and lastly the BBB on how filed complaints were resolved. Remember your goverment agency is funded by your taxes, BBB is funded by the business members. Angies list is also funded by "recommeded" businesses who once they are "recommended" are soliced to advertise in Angies list. Individual pay for access to Angies list but are not told about businesses being solicited to pay to advertise.
Edited by bmwpc - 12/9/12 at 12:06pm

Ok folks......I am now leaning towards a Sharp 847u in either 60 or the 70 model......I recently(like two weeks ago) purchased a Samsung Es7100....great TV but they have to many issues with there firmware updates and squirrly crap happening after to deal with especially after paying 2K......but I digress........I am looking at the 60 or the 70 version.....is one better than the other as far as being less prone to issues? it seems like the Sharps have there fair share of issues as well.....but it looks to be more towards the 70in version, is my assesment correct? I am leaning more towards the 60in.....but wow the 70 looks great......I just dont want to return another TV if I dont have to......thanks to all that will answer this

Thanks for the responses. Currently, I prefer the low height that my set is at.

I'm just trying to plan for future upgrade(s). At some point I may need to place a center channel speaker on top of my stand (below the TV). In addition, I may move up to the 80" set in a year or two. If I plan another 8" for a center speaker, and another 4-5" for the 80" set. That's putting me roughly at another foot or so (maybe 34-36"). Relative to the current height, that seems awfully high, but maybe it's just something I'll need to get used to.

I'm about 11-12 feet from the set, so that's pretty far.

Thanks! Just gave them the credit card info and should have my 847u within 7-10 days.

So any info on my question I posted above?

I love my LC70LE845U!

Don't mean to be a d**k, but to answer you're question would entail someone going through every one of these 1700 messages and, after throwing out messages that have nothing to do with problems, count how many applied to the 60" and how many to the 70". Since no one is going to do that but, maybe, you, then that's why no one has answered. I'm looking at the Sharps as well - and the LGs, and sammys, and pannys, and vizios... And there's really no way to know which is "better" than the other. The professional reviewers are biased, too objective, and/or compare a TV to a "reference" (hello cnet) instead of apples to apples (same panel, same price range, etc.) AVS folks tend to be biased also - many do not want to think that the $2-3000 they've spent is a waste so they tone down their set's faults - or - play up it's advantages. To answer your question, someone would have to buy 5-10 sets and compare them to each other. No one does that so that's why you'll see some review say a set is crap and another loves it. It's all in the luck of the TV lottery.

They all have their issues, all modern electronics do, just choose the one that looks the best to you, fits into your TV watching environment, and buy from a place with easy return terms.

As for me, I'm not OCD. I have a 47" vizio passive that I see nothing really wrong with unless I look for it. In day-to-day use it looks great as a monitor, blu ray movie watcher, and 3D. I've spent 2 weeks doing what you've been doing and realized it's a big waste of time. Since I'll probably get the itch to get the latest new tech when it comes down in price in 3-5 years, I'm just planning to get the biggest, cheapest 65-70" think I can find.

Well said. Last week I received my LC-70LE8470U from Costco. The local stores were all sold out. Looks great, no issues. It replaced a LC60E88UN that was move to my bedroom. I picked this one over others for a bunch of reason. Price, inputs, size just to name a few. My 60 that is two years old had an input that wasn't working. Had to exchange it. Didn't turn my off Sharp. My father wants a Samsung 9000 because he thinks it's the best. Maybe in the store if you have them side by side but in your home I don't think he would notice any difference.

I purchased a LC-60LE847U on impulse, sort of. I was in the market for a LG 60LM7200, a new model. The hhgregg website indicated the LG in stock at the local store. I went to hhgregg to check out the LG and not only did they not have them in stock they didn't even have one on display. I was told I could order the LG but there is a long waiting list. So I checked out the TVs they had on display. I really liked the display of the LC-60LE847U and it was in my price range. I spent some time on my smartphone looking into the Sharp. The specs were very similar to the LG. I found an online vendor selling the Sharp for almost 300.00 less. I told the hhgregg salesman that I would buy the Sharp if he could match the online price. He talked to his manager who agreed to do it.

Normally I would have researched much more before purchasing something that expensive. So I was alarmed after I read in this extremely long thread so many people with issues. I am coming from a 5 year old Samsung 58" plasma that never gave me any issues and still had an excellent picture the day I sold it. I only sold it because I want a 3D home theater system. I recently purchased a Denon AVR and Oppo 103 blu-ray player.

So far I do not appear to have clouding and flashlighting. Are those issues that you already have it or don't or can it happen at a later time? In the 6 days I've had the TV I did have one episode of the TV rebooting. I see others have had the rebooting regularly. I know that you will hear from many more with issues than those without. But when so many are having the same issues it makes me a little concerned. I really do like the performance of the TV and I hope I am in the camp of those without problems. BTW, it looks like the LG I was considering is also having clouding and flashlighting issues.

And I quote
" I purchased a LC-60LE847U on impulse, I went to hhgregg to check out the LG and not only did they not have them in stock, I spent some time on my smartphone, Normally I would have researched much more before purchasing something that expensive.

So I was alarmed after I read in this extremely long thread so many people with issues. But when so many are having the same issues it makes me a little concerned. "

Uh, Eddie E, I wouldn't be looking for a lot of sympathy here. You might want to go up a couple posts and read the one by ngwest36. Best of luck and look forward to your posting of YOUR observations or experiences. But please give youself some time to enjoy the set instead of worrying about which camp you may end up in. Besides, apart from returning the set, its like death and taxes, you can't stop anything from happening anyway.
Edited by bmwpc - 12/9/12 at 12:22pm

The paint roller thing was rather tongue in cheek. No need to go on a two paragraph ethics lesson though. I would like to get a larger set and am finding it harder than I thought. Not my fault that five year old sets are still performing at a high level and some of us need more than just a "big screen man". There are a lot of sets with gimmick after gimmick that simply don't look good when compared to a top plasma . That's all.