Official 2012 Sharp LC-XXLE640U/XXC6400U - Page 4

I'll try it tomorrow. I should get a chance to do this and I know I've got an extra optical cable laying around.

As I said previously the 640 is different from the 632 so using my calibrated settings are not as likely to achieve accuracy, just as the CNET 640 settings do not work on the 632. Then again using any other settings from any other like model display is pure luck if they work.

With that said most are tuning the displays to personal preference and not accurate which can only be done with the proper gear (not by eye).

The 640's do look better out of the box than the 632, however now that I have seen a proper 640 I can say they are about the same over-all once at 6500K/D65. The exception being the 640's seem to have less clouding/flashlighting.

Funny thing was the other day I was watching an out of the box 70" Elite with material that I am very familiar with and my calibrated 632 looks better over-all. This shows just how crucial a proper calibration can be, and with a roughly $6K MSRP difference. Before anyone jumps on that comment obviously the Elite would best the 632 once properly calibrated.

Jason
- - - - -
Edited by DaGamePimp - 6/19/12 at 4:05pm

I've still got a slightly modified version of Da-Game-Pimp's 632 settings dialed into my "Standard" picture settings until I'm sure there aren't a few tweaks I can use to get me where I want to be with them. The settings I'm using are in the "User" picture settings. I've turned OPC off, backlight set to +6, contrast: +29, brightness: -8, sharpness: +2, Gamma: 0 (middle), Motion Enhancement: OFF, Film Mode: OFF, and I've got dynamic contrast set to ON. I know the last one is very subjective, but honestly, I find that it more than anything else seems to help ease my "washed out" perception.

I'm at work right now so I can't confirm every detail, but I'll take a shot at shoring these up better tomorrow. I played a round of golf on the set today in Tiger Woods 13. The round was played under sunny conditions at mid-day at Royal County Down. There was definitely some pop in the graphics, but I could see the dynamic contrast at work. It's not intrusive enough to be annoying and I like the adjustments it made... they were all changes I would have made had I been adjusting it manually!

Has anyone figured out how to get other "apps" on this Sharp? I'm looking for a Hulu Plus app or any other apps. TIA.

I agree 100%, it is personal preference. I just want to get the best viewing experience out of the TV and so I start messing with the settings and end up making it look worse. My sharp is hooked up to a Windows Media Center so there is also tweaking on the video card I have to do. Maybe i need to look for a calibration blu-ray/dvd.

Yeah, and I should have made that more clear that I'm applying settings to a 640 that were from your 632 adjustments... inherently, there are going to be differences between the two. If I had a better idea of what I was doing, I could probably tweak your 632 settings to where they would suit the 640 more accurately. I will say this, I thought your 632 settings were superior to the "Standard" settings on the 640. I don't have the proper gear, nor the know how to use it if I did. I would like to take a stab at making more underlying adjustments with a calibration disk, just for kicks.

I have no problem at all believing this Jason... it's a very strong testimonial to what a good calibration can do, isn't it!? What's the going rate for an ISF calibration these days?

Thanks for sharing this information calypsoe36! I'll give your recommendations a go...

Can any existing 640 or 6400 owners comment on whether now that they have it home and working, they can compare it to some of the more expensive models like the 700 and 800 series.

I have felt for a while that the extra pixel in the quatron wasn't enough for the premium, and 3D just doesn't add anything for me. I've had a Vizio 55 in 552 for a few years, and the 240 HZ doesn't add much of anything in my opinion - in fact I usually turn off pretty much every electronic feature enhancement.

Bottom line - Now that you have a 640/6400, do you think the price jump in the higher series would result in a worth while increase in quality?

Thanks

I tried to do this today, but my 640U is on a flush mount wall bracket and I can't access the optical audio output port without actually taking the set down off the wall. The best I can do is feel the port with my index finger, but you have to be able to come in from below to attach the cable. There's a protruding panel beneath the port that doesn't have enough clearance between it and the wall for me to be able to attach the cable.... sorry.

Okay, I'm looking at my settings now. For normal HD cable viewing I use Standard with the following tweaks:

OPC: OFF
Backlight: +6
Contrast: +28
Brightness: -9
Color: +2
Tint: 0
Sharpness: +2
Color Temp: Med-Hi
Motion Enhancement: OFF
Active Contrast: ON
Gamma Adjustment: 0
Film Mode: OFF
DNR: Auto

I didn't touch the Hue, Saturation, and Value settings.

The above settings give me an image quality that is closest to the pop I had with my Toshiba 55" Regza LCD. I won't say that they are necessarily the most accurate, but I find them most pleasing for my tastes. The advanced CMS settings could no doubt stand some adjustment, but I'm not equipped to venture into those at this point.
Edited by OnlookerDelay - 6/21/12 at 12:14pm

thanks for trying for me. Hopefully someone else can.

I tried to edit my last post to include my color temperature setting, but apparently the edit feature is belly-up right now. Anyway, mine is set to "Medium-High". JLevy, I'll be taking the steps necessary to attach the optical cable to the audio output this Friday (when I'm next off) and I have some extra help around to help me left the set off the wall mount. I've recognized that I'd like to optical 5.1 out at my disposal for the occasions when I'm using the TV's internal apps. I'll post my results as soon as I get this done.

I went down this street after reading your post yesterday myself. I'm also a Hulu Plus subscriber. I only saw like eight different apps that I could choose from in the "Apps assign" menu. Hulu Plus was not one of them. I'm working 12 hour night shifts this week so I don't have a lot of time to look into this, but is Hulu Plus as supported app?

640 is a "Smart TV" and probably OK for most users. I'm using this TV as a display and "Smart" part is better handled by a dedicated device. Look at WD media player like this one http://wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=330. WD player light years ahead of Sharp's 'Smart' implementation. WD players are not expensive and I've seen them sold for $50-60 if you go through slickdeals.

Interesting piece of technology there gordon... I hadn't seen that before. I use my 640 as more of a display device also. My XBox 360 handles most of the applications I use quite well. I prefer it's implementation of You Tube and Netflix to that of the 640. I'm going to spend some time this weekend learning the finer nuances of the 640. The WD player would be a very affordable and simple alternative though.

My AV receiver is providing the lone HDMI input to my 640U. The two HDMI inputs to my AV receiver are my DVR and XBox 360. The 640U knows which of these two inputs it's being fed via the receiver and displays that information on screen by device name. Is there a way to configure the 640U to automatically apply one of the 8 picture settings to these? I'd like for the set to automatically use "User" picture settings for the DVR and "Game" settings for the 360. Is this possible?

I contacted Sharp tech support and they didn't provide any info on adding apps. I too will be using my console, a PS3, to handle these apps. It just would have been nice not to have to fire up the PS3 just to watch HuluPlus.

I got some help lifting my 640U off the wall mount today and was able to connect my opticial cable to the back. I'm happy to report that it works great with both the Netflix and You Tube apps! I got surround sound out of my receiver that was on par with what I get out of the DVR and the XBox 360. The hardest part of the process was configuring my Onkyo TX-SR508 to receive the the optical input from the TV. I finally remembered I had to go into the setup menu and tell the receiver that I had an optical audio input for what is called the "TV/CD" optical input connection.

I don't have an antenna to hook up to the set, but if the built in wireless apps worked with 5.1, I can't imagine that the broadcasts received via antenna wouldn't.

Can anyone comment on if the 70le640 exhibits DSE? I previously had a 70le732 and the DSE was annoying and I ended up returning the TV. Thanks.

I see the DSE with my LC-60LE640U. It's not bad enough to be intolerable, but my 2009 vintage, 55" Toshiba Regza doesn't have a hint of DSE. I probably wouldn't be as aware of the degree of DSE on this set if I didn't have the Regza to compare it to. I'm not unsatisfied with my purchase of the 640U, but I'm not as plussed about it as I was with my Toshiba a little over two years ago.
Edited by OnlookerDelay - 6/25/12 at 10:51pm

can anyone comment about any flashlighting/clouding they have with these sets? if you have it (observed in test material), how often do you see it in real material?

what about judder? if you're noticing judder, what motion "enhancement" setting are you using?

Thanks,
jeff

I had 60le632 that Sharp replaced with 60le640 and 640 has much better screen uniformity. 632 that I had before had no clouding but there was some flashlighting on the top that finally got to me. When I contacted Sharp about that, they swapped my 632 with brand new 640. 640 that I have now has no clouding/flashlighting but there very minor DSE on the bottom corners that noticeable only with AVS test material, not during normal viewing. I like colors much better on 640. Out of the box 'Standard' setting beats hands down any of the custom calibrations posted here for 632 (I tried them all and 632 colors never looked right to me). It is also known that 632/640 might have some clouding initially, most likely contributed to storage/transportation. When I got my 632 it had noticeable clouding that greatly diminished in a couple of weeks and completely dissipated in a month or two. 640 was clouding free out of the box. I'm on third Sharp TV since November 2011. First one was 60LE6300 that cost me only $800. I returned it because of lack of color adjustments in the menu. Overall 60LE640 is a great TV, highly recommend.
Edited by gordon7 - 6/26/12 at 7:53am

thanks gordon7. you at least establish that your 640 was cloud free, so it's possible to to get one. I'm still in my 90 day exchange window with costco, so maybe I just try another one (70C8470U).

This review bashes the 640U's motion handling on any setting, on or off: http://www.televisioninfo.com/content/Sharp-LC-52LE640U-LED-LCD-HDTV-Review.htm

Having said that, I've been demoing new TVs for months in the stores, reading reviews, this thread, etc, and the 52LE640U is still at the top of my list. Now just waiting for the right price before football season kicks in.

I haven't seen a hint of flashlighting or clouding since day one with my 60" 640U. I guess if I called up a dead menu or splash screen I could probably put on my analytical hat and find evidence of it, but even in my tweaking sessions where I've got still images on the screen, I'm ot seeing and hint of it. Having said that, my chief objective in adjusting my settings is trying to minimize the DSE. It is frequently on my mind as I view this set, particularly when Im just starting a new viewing session with it

How bad is your DSE? On my set it is barely noticeable, mostly with test material, on the bottom corners.

It just appears that I'm viewing the screen through a thin film of dust uniformly spread all over the screen. The only time I don't notice it is when the A/V mode is set to the default "Dynamic" and "Dynamic Fixed" modes, but both of those are so stark that I find them too garish to use with any source I'm using. I really think what I'm seeing is more a product of the matte finish of the screen, moreso than the inherent shortcomings of edge lit more commonly associated with DSE.

The DSE I'm experiencing is by no means a deal-breaker. I wouldn't be as conscious of it as I am if I didn't have two 1/2 years of viewing my conventional LCD Toshiba Regza under my belt. It has as good a picture as any HDTV I've seen, at least for my tastes. It's got a glossy screen that is prone to reflections, but I could always make a slight adjustment to my position and not be aware of it. If I could buy a 60" Toshiba Regza LCD instead of the 640U, I'd do it in a heartbeat. yes the housing is about three times as thick, but at 4", that's not a factor in my application. Toshiba's current conventional LCD sets are either 55 or 65". 60 is as big as I could accommodate, thus I wound up with the Sharp.

I don't think what you're describing is a DSE. Sounds more that you expect picture to be very bright and higher in contrast. DSE is the perception of the actual luminosity uniformity distribution across the panel's display area. In other words some parts of the screen appear darker then others. DSE looks like this http://www.avsforum.com/t/1335369/dirty-screen-effect-on-a-gt25-plasma-is-this-still-an-issue-today

Gordon7, I was indeed operating under the wrong perception of what was meant by DSE, based on the image you linked. I guess it goes back to being a lack of what I see many describing as a lack of "pop". I do want a bit more contrast than what comes up in "standard", but "dynamic" is just way past that point. I just tried to produce a screen similar to the one you've linked so I can compare, but thus far I can't . Once I stumble upon a screen that would lend itself to the comparison, I'll certainly report back with the results. I really do appreciate your getting me on the right track with the proper definition of DSE, it'll save myself from further embarrassment in the future

I finally found a menu on an XBox Live app that allows me to see flashlighting on my 640U. I've had the set for two weeks and it took me that long to see it. It's not bad and I think most people would have to really be looking for it to see it. It almost looks like natural effects of the menu screen, but the same menu screen doesn't exhibit this on my other XBox 360 which is now hooked to my Toshiba Regza LCD in the rec room. I do not see flashlighting in dynamic programming at all.

I do see more judder in this set than my Toshiba. I turned off the motion enhancement entirely. I found that it helps slightly with small ranges of motion, but anything with a ball in it is going to display a "ghost" ball as it's in motion. It's worse in "high" 120 Hz motion enhancement than low!? I now leave all AV modes in "off" when it comes to motion... (cough) "enhancement"
Edited by OnlookerDelay - 7/2/12 at 6:27pm