Verdict
When it comes to bang for your buck , this cheerfully cheap Sharp does n’t disappoint . Its everyday carrying into action is all right with HD content and native 4 K ( just do n’t carry comme il faut SD upscaling ) , and it has a sound system good enough for uncritical wake . The determining factor is a bullet substantiation Android smart platform and heavily curated Freeview experience . All the major streaming services are on - plank , along with a secure bit of minor 1 too . HDMI proviso is routine , but in line with other budget models .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The abrupt 55FN2KA is a low - toll , declamatory screen 4 K LED LCD TV that does n’t skimp on essentials .
It runs the Android smart tv set program , which is as feature - stack a tie platform as they arrive , and has aFreeview Playterrestrial tuner . In plus to unconstipated HDR it ’s alsoDolby Visioncompatible . If you ’re calculate for a value big - screen then this Aquos - branded set demands to be shortlisted .
HDR performance is invariably limited though , and out of the box stage setting are uninspiring ; still with a tweak in the correct guidance , you ’ll be surprised just how good this Sharp can wait .
The Sharp 55FN2KA is available now in four blind size : 43- , 50- , 55- and 65 - inch ( 43FN2KA , 50FN2KA , 55FN2KA , and 96FN2KA ) , price at £ 329 , £ 369 , £ 399 and £ 529 respectively .
I ’m reviewing the 55 - inch example here .
In the US , this same line has the designation FN2EA and is available in the same cover sizes – 43FN2EA , 50FN2EA , 55FN2EA and 65FN2EA .
Design
So light it practically floats out of the box ( OK , I ’m overstate , it ’s 15.6 kg ) , the 55FN ’s physique quality is clear reflective of its just the ticket price . A glum credit card micro bezel circumvent the board on three side , hence Sharp ’s press that it ’s ‘ Frameless ’ . The curing comes with lightweight bound - placed infantry . You ’ll call for wide AV article of furniture to accommodate it .
Given its light weight , this TV is actually a good candidate to paries - mount , however as it has some deepness to it at 91 mm , so do n’t expect a flush fit .
The remote control is a straightforwardBluetoothaffair , with consecrate button forNetflix , Prime Video , YouTube and Freeview Play .
Rear connections comprise fourHDMIinputs , one witheARC , a digital visual audio frequency yield , matching USB ( V2.0 ) ports , an Ab minijack stimulus , and Ethernet to endure Bluetooth and Wi - Fi .
In plus to the Freeview Play terrestrial input , there ’s a planet tuner , and CI card expansion slot . More unusually , there ’s also an SD card slot , for playback of digital camera image .
Features
The Android television platform will be intimate to many , thanks to its far-flung adoption . A full - covert , curated guide to linear and SVOD streaming TV channel via channel - based rails , it offers a plentiful supplying of cyclosis services ( includingApple TV+,Paramount+andDisney+ ) , plus all the mainstream arrest - up channels .
During solidifying - up you ’re instigate to lumber in with your Google account , and this saves a bit of faffing around when it come to logging in with various app passwords and the same . There ’s alsoChromecastbuilt in , for those compatible apps which may not already be nonmigratory on the TV , plusGoogle Assistantsupport .
If you ’re looking for a large concealment to plot on , this Sharp is n’t going to invoke . For one affair , it ’s a 60Hz control board , so there ’s noHigh Frame RateSupport . More significantly though , latency is terrible .
I measured stimulus retardation at 50.8ms ( 1080/60 ) in Game modality . First person shooters finger slow and unresponsive .
Picture Quality
Out of the box , this Sharp looks duller than a Victorian penny , but that ’s because the default option picture preset is Eco , which sets the backlight to just 51 per cent . Consequently , there ’s no depth or dynamic dividing line to its picture .
The good tidings is it ’s easy fix . Opting for virtually any other preset get a significant dispute to the Average Picture Level , restoring the backlight to 100 per cent . The exception is Movie , which drops output to 34 per cent , and as a consequence is likewise difficult to commend .
I found that for most subject matter , Standard operate well . It has a level of colorful dynamism that ’s easy to appreciate . Afternoon game shows and cinematic telly look equally impactful . I hop from The Lincoln Lawyer ( Netflix ) to afternoon game show and back again , and never felt the itch to tamper with the options .
Additional picture mode admit the ego - explanatory User , Vivid and Sport . The set also supports Dolby Vision . Opt for a Dolby Vision streaming show and the presets alter to Dolby Vision Bright , Dark and Vivid . Arguably this is when you ’ll see the set at its best . Warrior Nun ( Netflix ) plays as tart as a daimon - hunting nun ’s blade .
What the stage set does n’t have is a nifty lot of HDR headway . It lacks the luminousness to really move up specular high spot . I measured HDR peak luminance in a 5 per cent windowpane at 402 nits . With a 10 per penny spot , it measures just 399 nits . These are n’t great Book of Numbers .
The word picture central processor is Sharp ’s twofold core ACE Pro Ultra Engine , which on this grounds is also rather limited when it occur to upscaling . SD channels from its terrestrial wireless are murky .
Sound Quality
That said , this Sharp ’s audio public presentation is rather better than you might reckon . The resident Harman Kardon supplied sound system has loudness and stereophone free weight . With a 12W output , it can fill an average - sized living way without sounding too shrill .
instead , you could bitstream audio out over eARC to a sound bar or Ab system , and take advantage of those streaming service which abide Dolby Atmos .
If you choose to stick with the set ’s speakers , my recommendation is to engageDTS Virtual : Xprocessing , which efficaciously enlarges the soundstage . Avoid the Truebass setting though as it ’s just too boomy to be pleasurable .
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Should you buy it?
generate its comparatively modest price tag , this 55 - in Sharp can be view a good time value buy – provide you’re able to live with its visual limit . It ’s fine for box set bingeing and everyday living elbow room obligation , and it ’s built - in sound organization is salutary than you might have a bun in the oven , but it ’s not going to energise home movie theater enthusiasts .
This clearly is n’t a good television for gaming . We would n’t gestate High Frame rate support at this cost point , but stimulus meantime is horrible .
Final Thoughts
The 55FN2KA is a solid budget flatscreen . Usability is fine , thanks to its Android TV O and Freeview Play piano tuner , both of which are polished and reliable program . Together they ensure you have access to most central streaming apps , as well as a full gamut of catch - up service .
stick around to 4 K aboriginal content , rather Dolby Vision enabled , and the set face well . Audio is decent for this social class of screen , but it ’s deserving clothe in an exterior solution , like a soundbar or AV system .
Trusted Score
How we test
We quiz every television we reexamine thoroughly over an extensive period of time . We practice industriousness stock exam to compare characteristic properly . We ’ll always order you what we find . We never , ever , accept money to review a product .
ascertain out more about how we test in ourethics policy .
FAQs
The 55FN2KA does n’t support the HDMI 2.1 standard up to 48Gbps . Its HDMI input can only handle 18Gbps of datum , but it does support HDMI 2.1 characteristic such as auto low latency modality ( ALLM ) and eARC .
Test Data
Full Specs
Sustainability
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