Official 2012 Sharp LC-XXLE640U/XXC6400U - Page 23

I noticed people still debating between 600 and 640. Couldn't agree more with gordon7: DO NOT get the 600! I had it for a few days and realized it really cannot be adjusted to a decent picture quality. It is so stripped down, that it makes no sense to spend a grand on a big TV that will give you subpar picture quality. It is better to spend a couple of hundred bucks more and get the true value, then to "throw away" a grand. After I changed it to a 640 just a couple of days later, I was really happy I got the 640 instead. I was able to calibrate the picture to a really good quality using game mode, which does not have any motion enhancement issues or SOE... So worth the little bit of extra money, especially if you get a year or 2 free financing at Best Buy (they match any advertised price too) so that the difference would be practically unnoticeable if you are making payments...

The settings do not always translate perfectly from one set to another, but they can be a good starting point usually. You definitely want to do some calibrating, which always looks far better than any factory preset. Try these, which work great for me and look amazing on my set (after "perfecting" them over time to look as good as my calibrated Panasonic VT50 plasma to the naked eye, which is the reference TV with the best picture money can buy today):

AV MODE: GAME
OPC: Off
Backlight: STD
Contrast: +30
Brightness: +1
Color: +1
Tint: 0
Sharpness: +1

--Advanced sub-menu

C.M.S. -Hue
R: -6
Y: +8
G: -3
C: -13
B: -10
M: +10

C.M.S. -Saturation
R: -15
Y: -3
G: -18
C: 0
B: -9
M: -6

C.M.S. -Value
R: -4
Y: 0
G: +3
C: 0
B: +9
M: -2

Color Temp: Low
R Gain (LO): 0
G Gain (LO): +3
B Gain (LO): -7
R Gain (HI): -5
G Gain (HI): 0
B Gain (HI): -6

Motion Enhancement: [grayed out]
Active Contrast: Off
Gamma Adjustment: +1
Black Level: [grayed out]
Film Mode: [grayed out]
Digital Noise Reduction: Off
Monochrome: Off
Range of OPC: [any]

Thanks for the setup info. Can't wait to put that into my set and see how it turns out.

Just a correction on "Gamma Adjustment" setting: that value is actually +2 (not +1, that was a typo). Hope these settings work for you or get you on the right track...

Hey all,

I'm a newb to all this, and just found this forum. Thanks for all the amazing feedback and tips!! I just joined the club with a 60" C6400U from Costco. A few questions:

1) Out of the box, the unit had 2 horizontal stripes across the entire screen that were dim/shadowed. They were about 5 inches from the top...one was ~3 pixels thick, then there were a few rows that were good and another row one or two pixels thick. This happened on HDMI input, as well as internet input (so not an issue with cabling or components).

I called Sharp and they walked me though a full system reset (unplug, plug back in while holding a few buttons, and go through a full factory reset). No avail, so they're escalating it for someone to come out. But somewhere in the subsequent few hours the lines disappeared on their own! The TV looks fine now. Should I deal with the inconvenience of having someone do an on-site call? The pic looks good, except for the complaint that many seem to have, which is that blacks and dark colors have no definition. Almost annoyingly so.

2) Costco has discontinued this model. There are none left in the area, except floor models. If I did want to exchange this, it would be for a floor model (which they'd discount a bit, which is nice). But what's the failure rate of these things if they've been on 24x7 for the better part of a year?? Is that worth the risk of an exchange??

Thanks all. Planning to play with some of the recommended settings here to see if I can improve the pic, and maybe get some of the blacks to look better.

I would not be happy with the unit. There's no reason there should have been lines on the display. IMO the unit is probably defective. I also would NOT exchange for a demo unit as these have been on almost 12 hrs a day for the last year in torch mode, which defiantly shortens the life expectancy.

I guess your between a rock and hard place. If you are certain this is the set you want, have sharp come out and see what they say. If i were you i would look into the extended warranty as that should cover you.

Nik

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
Just be aware that sets vary wildly from one to the next, even the same model; I dialed in Z-Mad's settings for fun, and found horribly muted colors, with images not even on par with a ten year old rear projection unit.

The best way to set up your display - short of having a professional calibration - is to use a set-up disc such as Disney WOW or Spears and Munsil, and go through the basic adjustments first, then fine-tune the advanced settings as necessary.

To chucklee's point, I agree and did already mention too that the settings don't always translate well, but just FYI the settings I posted are somewhat changed from the ones you tried the first time around. In any case, they are meant to simply try out (which can't hurt), IF they work or provide a good starting point in soundwhat's or anyone else's case, since he asked... Sometimes they translate well (even if not in your particular case), which is why I offer them to anyone to try if it's helpful. Again, on my set they look amazing and get the picture with rich accurate colors, great contrast and deep blacks, and I have the ultimate reference TV to compare to (rather than some 10-years old projection set). So since no one can tell if soundwhat's set is closer to mine or to yours (or even entirely different), only he can find out himself if the settings work out for him or not. And if it doesn't work out on some sets, it's always easy to try other settings or work with the WOW disc to get the PQ to one's liking of course (or ultimately get a professional calibrator for the ultimate PQ), if one is ready to go to that next step or spend additional money...

I'd return/exchange this TV. Sounds like intermittent problem that can come back at any time. Walmart has great deal on 70LE640, check their circular. I wish I could unload my 60" and go 70".
Edited by gordon7 - 1/29/13 at 1:53pm

I would agree and had a similar situation with my other TV (Panasonic VT30, which therefore got exchanged to the VT50). If you got the set in any way less than perfect out of the box, you return it and get the new set. I wouldn't let anyone try to talk me into repairing or tweaking it if the set was literally defective right out of the box... Good luck

Just for comparison, what settings are you using? Z-Mad's settings may not be perfect, but I'm surprised you find them so bad. His CMS settings are out there a bit, but the regular settings are close to CNET's......
Edited by Eric290 - 1/29/13 at 7:40pm

Last Saturday night I saw Walmart was going to have a 70" Sharp on sale this week (in store only?). Was hoping it was the 640u, but after talking to the electronics guy I found out they had 2 600u's in the back and those were the ones that would be on sale. Oh well, was planning on getting it at HHGregg or Costco anyway.

Tonight I had to stop in and get some meds for my wife's cold. Cut through the electronics area and saw the 640u was marked down to the 600u sale price . Guess they sold both of the 600u's. Went back home and cleaned the baby seat/stroller/etc out of the SUV before they changed their minds. Fit with an inch to spare. I'll unbox it this week and buy an extended warranty from Costco once I know I'm happy with the picture.

Hey Eric290, just as a comment, I was a bit surprised too where I had to go with some of the CMS values to get the colors right, but I figured that's because of the "game" mode that I use, rather than "movie" mode. The reason of course being that I didn't want to use any motion enhancement that seems impossible to even completely turn off in any other mode... Just hate that soap opera effect...
It surprises me too that chucklee's set apparently looks completely "awful" with these settings as he says. I am by no means claiming I have the perfect settings, but when I can barely even tell the difference when looking at the calibrated Panny VT50, they can't be that far off, or chucklee has a really odd set...
BTW, I'd also be happy to see and try out anyone else's settings who is willing to share, especially in the game mode...

The settings I am most happy with are not too far from yours. I have plugged in your settings and CNETs, and mine are tweaked to preference to pretty much in between. I prefer color temp "mid-low" rather than "low", although I realize "low" is likely the accurate NTSC standard. I have color bumped to +2, other standard settings are the same, in Game mode. My CMS settings are adjusted the same direction as yours, just not as far.

Chucklee made it sound like your settings look really bad on his set -- I am REALLY curious where his settings are. Maybe he likes dynamic mode, backlight +6, color +5, sharpness +5, color temp high?.........

Edit -- I do realize that proper calibration is important for an accurate/realistic picture -- but sometimes personal preference is different from the most accurate/realistic settings from calibration. I have no intention of spending the money for a professional for this Sharp 640, but I do plan on buying a calibration dvd. I borrowed a calibration disc for my last TV, and i found that I tweaked the settings to taste after finishing with the disc.
Edited by Eric290 - 1/30/13 at 8:29am

Yes, I am also a believer that there is the "perfect" setting when measured with the calibration equipment, but then there is a matter of some personal preferences too. For example I like to add a little bit of sharpness to my picture, although the most pro calibrators will usually bring sharpness down to zero.
I also had the same thoughts on chucklee's personal preferences, which based on his critique of my own settings seem to be "torch" settings, because what he is describing is so far off from what I (and you apparently too) see on our screens that it is beyond a normal panel variance between sets. If this is his preference, that's fine, to each his own I guess, or as I mentioned he might have a really odd set with a huge panel variance, although this would be unlikely ...

BTW, do you mind sharing with me your CMS values too? I wouldn't mind dialing them in just for comparison. You can PM those to me if you prefer and don't mind. Also I'd be interested to see if you change your settings much after using the calibration DVD (WOW disc I assume?), which may be decisive for me buying one too...

Thanks

I went back and made the adjustments that Z-Mad had made from his original settings (which I had saved on an un-used HDMI input), and - while the washed-out greens I had observed with his original settings are better - I still find the colors to be dull, as compared to not only my settings, but the appearance of my old Mits RPTV. Fleshtones are dull - everyone looks as though they have been dead for about 12 hours.

There may very well be differences in either software or hardware on my Sharp that are causing this variance.

As for personal preferences coloring my perception, I have never run my sets in "torch-mode"... I have always prefered a natural and realistic appearance (or, as realistic as the source material will allow). The only difference in how I have set this unit up compared to my Mits RPTV is that I have opted for a Medium Color Temperature setting, as opposed to the Low setting I ran with the Mits. Either way, I have balanced out the colors with a calibration Blu-Ray - although whites may not be 100% ISF, as I will admit to preferring a slightly cooler white on the flat panel.

My earlier warning was just because of the YMMV effect; of course everyone is free to try whatever settings they choose, but the only way I have been able to get mine close to reproducing accurate images is by using a calibration disc. The cost is incredibly cheap compared to the expense of these displays, and well worth the money and time.

Can the light on the front of the tv be turned off? I'm talking about the one that looks like an upside down V.

Hey chucklee, certainly any enthusiast is rather a fan of natural and realistic colors and picture in general, and tries to get to the most accurate tones, good contrast and black levels, etc. I would have been surprised if your preferences were any different, so we are certainly in agreement on what generally makes up a good picture, even if with some small differences in personal preferences. It is just a little odd that your description of how those settings turned out on your set was/is so far from anything I have seen on mine (and a couple of other people on their sets too), hence the "torch settings" comment. Maybe there really is a significant enough variance between the sets that may be causing so drastically different results, although it does surprise me a bit. I would really gladly try out your settings too, just for comparison and to see how much difference the panels can have (of course if you don't mind sharing them or sending them in a private message, as I asked Eric290 too).

As I described in my initial posting, although I didn't use a WOW disc, I did use Calman calibration patterns and the calibrated Panasonic VT50 as the reference TV (which is known as the ultimate picture quality TV on the market today and the reference TV of all pro calibrators). So when I say my settings look great at least on my set, believe me they are getting darn close to the top picture quality on the market today.

So yes, anyone is free to try them out and see if they work for them or get them on the right path at least, so they can tweak the settings to their "perfection" or to compensate for any panel variance, with or without additional tools like the WOW disc, etc.

Yes, there is a setting in the menu for the "logo light" that allows to turn it off...

I am now a member of the club. I just purchased an lc-60le640u and love it. I have read this whole thread and I have tried most of the calibration settings. I have no idea what happens when you start adjusting the cms:hue, saturation, color temp and such, but I followed them to a tee. I really like a vibrant color filled picture that goes back to my old RCA vivid color days so I found myself tweaking the backlighting and contrast, but generally I have had good luck finding a very good picture. I went for a week or so not understanding(however witnessing) the soap opera effect, but after reading this thread I learned I didn't like it ( at least most of it.) At first I thought that's what you get with the LED edge backlighting and didn't really like it. It was strange watching an old John Wayne movie with the full soap opera effect. I also have a 2 year old Sony 52" LCD kdl-52v5100 and it doesn't have that effect at all. Anyway, I love this thread and it has been most helpful. Thank you all.

Here are the settings I have been using, and have been happy with. I might make some changes, though -- can't leave things alone.

OPC - Off
Backlight - +2
Contrast - +30
Brightness - +1
Color - +1, +2 sometimes, depending on program
Tint - 0
Sharpness - +1

CMS Hue
R -3
Y +3
G 0
C +1
B -5
M +3

CMS Sat
R 0
Y -3
G -1
C 0
B 0
M -6

CMS Value
R -1
Y 0
G +1
C 0
B +5
M 0

Color temp -- mid-low. No gain changes right now.

Everything off. Gamma +1

I just picked up the 640U, lovin the TV so far but have been messing with the setting non-stop, found your game settings and these settings have an amazing PQ, thanks for the settings

Thanks for sharing. I'll check them out just for comparison sake. I know what you mean with not being able to leave things alone, lol. I've been continuously doing minor tweaks too.
My current tweaks are:

CMS Hue for red (R): -12 (realized this gives me slightly more accurate red tones)

Brightness: 0 (was able to go just a bit darker for more solid blacks without loosing any detail)

Yeah, minor tweaks that do not make a big difference any more, so rather a personal preference matter at this point...

Glad those worked out for you. The 640U can produce a really good picture with the right settings...

Note from my previous post above that I made a very small tweak of going to -12 for CMS Hue on red (R), and took brightness down to 0. In case you want to make the adjustment too and see if it looks any better for you too. Enjoy

Tried your settings. They look good and indeed translated very similar to mine on my set. Generally the same tones. I think the main difference being that you use more backlight and brightness, as well as mid-low temp, which should work well for a rather bright room. I found some of your color tones still just a bit off though, as I am using pro calibrated tones on my Panny VT50 for reference. That's why my settings go a bit further in the CMS in order to reach those tones. At least that's how they translated on my set, so its just a personal observation and certainly a matter of preference Thanks again for sharing. If you don't mind, do let me know when you get the calibration DVD and what your thoughts are on how helpful it is, and how far it improves your settings. Cheers

I'm considering a 600u but this thread says the 640u PQ is way better. Do the extra settings make that big a difference? I thought the display assembly and panel were the same and the main difference were the smart features (which I don't need). Or is the display actually a better quality Sharp panel?

Like yourself, I do nnot really require the Smart Features; it is the Advanced Settings which allow fine-tuning color adjustments which make the 640 model superior for me.. without these adjustments, I would never have been able to calibrate the picture accurately, and would have returned it in frustration.

.[/quote]
My current tweaks are:

CMS Hue for red (R): -12 (realized this gives me slightly more accurate red tones)

Brightness: 0 (was able to go just a bit darker for more solid blacks without loosing any detail)

Yeah, minor tweaks that do not make a big difference any more, so rather a personal preference matter at this point...[/quote]

I notice a slight difference with these updated tweeks, I also take the Sharpness to a +3 as I like a slightly sharper image (personal preference) as well as the color temp to a mid low as opposed to a low, Really liking this picture quality. I'm fairly new to the calibrating thing myself so your settings gave me a really good base to make slight personal adjustments.

Hi all, this is my first time posting here. I just picked up the Sharp LC-60LE640U at Best Buy yesterday. I replaced a 50" 720p Panasonic plasma I bought back in 2007. I've been playing with the settings all last night and this morning, but something just seems off to me. I'm running satellite from Dish into one of the HDMI inputs, and everything just seems much dimmer and softer than my old set - particularly skin. I feel like on the plasma I could see everyone's stubble and even pores a lot of the time. People's skin on this TV seems more soft/blurry. I've tried every setting under the sun so far, and I currently have the Movie mode programmed to the CNET setting and Game mode programmed to DaGamePimp's settings from this forum. They look very good color wise, but everything seems so dim/soft. I'm not sure if the matte screen is what is making it seem so dim to me or not. I did buy a blu-ray player too, but I haven't tried a blu-ray yet to see how they look. Any thoughts on if this is just the transition to plasma to LED or something else going on? Thanks!

Excellent, thank you... I have a LC-70LE640U en route to me right now, should have it early next week, I'll be applying some of the settings found in this thread, hopefully I'll have no issues with clouding or flashlighting on my panel. Lots of good info found in this thread, thanks everyone!