Verdict
The Sharp 65EQ3EA is a big - screen QLED at an low-cost price that ’s a good alternative to the likes of Samsung . It delivers pleasurable picture and sound and is indorse up by Android TV for smarts . It ’s airless to being a skilled all - round performer at its price point , were it not for its lacklustre gaming acquirement .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
QLED TVsare synonymous with Samsung , but they ’re not the only fellowship that makes them . The penetrative 65EQ3EA hails from the same DNA pool and is uncommitted at an attractive price for a 65 - in screen .
With Android smartness , Dolby Vision HDRsupport and kitted - out auditory sensation system from Harman Kardon , the 65EQ3EA is a considerably different proffer from Samsung ’s punk QLED television . Sharp has slowly been making a comeback into the tv set market place , so just how much of a contender is the 65EQ3EA ?
Design
The shrewd 65EQ3EA is conceived of as an all - in - one TV , a picture and sound combo like fellow Quantum Dot TVSky Glass . That approach informs the blueprint whereby the arena below the screen is where the Harman Kardon auditory sensation system resides , and the pedestal stand below that project out in front give adding a sound organisation rather reductive . Sharp ’s thought process is that the sound system is good enough on its own .
The overall esthetical is one that ’s refined and slender with its atomic number 13 - admixture construction . The depth of the screen is only 61 millimeter , which should make for a positive impression when installed on a wall . Connections are side- and downward - cladding .
Assembling the telly ’s stand ought to be simple , but convey longer than expected in figuring out how the piece get together .
Nevertheless , the stand easily accommodates the 20 kg weight unit of the screen , while its central position also makes it easier to send on TV racks and other AV article of furniture . There ’s also an EQ4 model Sharp sells that ’s the same , but decked with a silver front grille across the internal speaker .
Using a VA board with a Direct LED backlight , it has a Quantum Dot filter to help bring on a across-the-board compass of colours . Viewings from wider angles are average , as it only involve a few steps off - axis of rotation for opprobrious levels and colour to pull back .
Android TV interface
Android 11 is the osmium of choice , with Sharp settle againstGoogle TVUI for now . It ’s a coherent call , but Google TV ’s UI is an improvement in contented curation . Android TV ’s main weakness has always been that content steer your way is not all that personal .
Still , the Home covert is neatly regularise , and the Play Store is home to many apps in the likes ofNetflix , Prime Video , Disney+,Apple TV+ , Spotify , Lionsgate+ , Discovery+,Deezerand Tidal . There ’s no shortfall of entertainment options and minuscule need to add a streaming control stick . Freeview Playadds the UK haul - up and on requirement apps such as iPlayer , ITVX or PBS America .
Google Stadia is no more , but Android bakes inGoogle Assistantvoice control and Chromecast to swarm content to the TV .
Sharp ships the EQ3 with two remotes , one a more traditional effort , the other with fewer clitoris and integrate phonation control activation . Both remote feel faint in the manus and responsive , the soft feedback of presses acts as a nice fundamental interaction with the screen .
Features
For gamers there ’s motorcar down in the mouth latency mode that ready the video in its most open ( and quickest ) DoS for play . Despite that the 65EQ3EA is no Usain Bolt off the start credit line , with latency measure out at 118ms in 4 honey oil and 50ms at 1080p in its plot mode . Casual gamers only need enforce with this Sharp .
Connections include fourHDMI 2.1(at 60Hz ) , witheARClocated on HDMI 1 that earmark for pass - through of higher caliber audio from the TV to a soundbar / sound organisation . Two USB port , mini composite CVBS + Audio input , 3.5 mm headphone mariner , digital optical out , ethernet , antenna and satellite inputs plus a microSD slot make up the residual of the connections .
Picture Quality
Samsung ’s never been a great devotee ofDolby Vision , which is why it ’s refreshing to see it on this QLED . The aim of Dolby ’s HDR format is to wait on in producing as precise a representation of content as it can , though I ’m not sure the Sharp ’s Dolby Vision intro is as accurate as it could be .
There ’s a red push to complexion , visible in the faces of characters in Stranger Things or Disney Plus show Extraordinary . While there is , in some cases , a naturally scarlet glow to these characters , the Sharp too accentuates to the stage where it feels they ’ve make out back from a gay holiday in Côte d’Azur .
That ’s a minor rather than major fault . In general , Dolby Vision produces a varied , colourful , and contrasting picture with Netflix ’s Wednesday , especially in the moment show the divide between Enid and Wednesday ’s sides of their residence hall way .
genuine direct contrast does appear to be deficient , grim story are n’t the firm whether the TV is describing Wednesday ’s dark and morose attire , or conniption set at nighttime . colouring do meet a little vibrancy from the less than solid bleak levels , failing to in good order bulge out against them . Nevertheless , compared to theSamsung UE65BU8000 , the Sharp puts in a more wide-ranging and punchier colouring material functioning .
The more or less wash out - out Shirley Temple are likely a consequence of the Direct go backlight with its array of LED light disperse across the screenland which are always “ on ” . Without the dim power more expensive television have in turning those leave lights off , fateful level can miss profoundness and solidity .
Peak brightness is respectable at 418 nits , but short of giving HDR highlights and color intensity and punch . It ’s a dear effort and requires less need to tinker with the configurations than Philips’65PUS8807 . Dolby Vision help a title such as Stranger Things 4 , as color take on a full-bodied and vivacious tone in daylight scenes with saturate reds and blues .
You ’ll want to view watching in Dolby Vision , though it can be a doubled - edged sword . Viewing Death on the Nile on 4 K Blu - shaft of light in HDR10 compare to the Dolby Vision Disney+ version and while black degree are firmer on the latter ; complexions trend from vivacious to to a fault done ( Armie Hammer ’s is too red ) , though a plus is that colours more vibrantly bring , such as the red dress of Emma Mackey wears at the night club in the gap scene . There ’s a ripe sense of dividing line with Dolby Vision but , curiously , less detail in the dark part of the nightclub scene . I ’d recommend crusade Dolby Vision brightness to 55 to reveal more detail .
Also noticeable in the first instalment of Stranger Things 4thseason is the Sharp ’s motility processing ability . Even with the MEMC set at its lowest , it fight a little with truehearted whip goat god , with even some slight haphazardness and pixelation take down with blinking lights at the beginning of the episode . aim move past character can also make some instability . I do n’t find them to be monolithic issue , but niggly ones to the point where it ’s preferable to turn over motion off .
The penetrating 65EQ3EA ’s upscaling varies from very good to middling count on what you ’re catch . If it ’s upscaled HD content , then it ’s of the “ very effective ” criterion . A Blu - ray of Spider - Man 3 presents a colorful effigy , with pleasing level of clarity and detail to texture , costuming , and set , like the all right item of Peter ’s “ routine ” cause as well as “ employment ” suit . Shirley Temple are n’t the firm , but are manage better than with 4 K HDR content , and brightness is solid , white tones are bright enough to stand out , with good levels of contrast and black-market levels in the flick ’s darker moments .
Watch DVD and the Sharp ’s AQUOS UltraClear Video Processor evidently sputter with a want of sharpness and noise seeable in Sherlock Holmes : A Game of Shadows . Edges are soft and ill-defined which is no surprise , but color are well handled though , natural in appearance . The same can be say of The Big Lebowski on DVD , though there ’s less noise ( but still passel of it ) and some reddish complexion . annul determine anything less than HD resolution and you ’ll be o.k. .
Sound Quality
I feel I ’ve derive across as a little coarse on the picture , but it ’s the Sharp 65EQ3EA ’s Harman Kardon auditory sensation system of rules that puts in an telling least sandpiper .
It exercises more pizzaz than more expensive Samsung QLEDs do , delivering a big performance withDolby Atmosor DTS content and punchily expressive bass . Dialogue is consistently clear , faithful to if not twin its posture on silver screen , though I found that while the Dialogue Enhancer characteristic does wreak , at its highest setting it does fathom a shade less natural and slightly bassy .
Watching Spider - Man 3 , there ’s also some slight sibilance to Kirsten Dunst ’s voice in some scene , but overall , I care how discriminating and clean the organisation is , emphasise detail towards the top of the frequency to bring out contingent in Christopher Young ’s musical score or essence , such as whirr haphazardness of the Goblin ’s pumpkin turkey .
With Atmos depicted object , I ’d recommend delving into the configurations and playing with the Surround Virtualizer lineament . The schoolhouse rally in the first episode of Stranger Things 4 where the soundstage is more expansive , though turning it off does allow more of a nidus on voice – it ’s a give or take suggestion .
With onboard Dolby processing deactivated andDTS Virtual : Xenabled ( it must be manually done ) , the Harman Kardon system develop a similarly telling operation . Inglourious Basterds with the TrueBass feature offers better control over the frequency range and a more balanced execution . Bass has weight , while there ’s good pizzaz to the music grievance and sound effects . This carrying into action is much well than I ’d have expected from a television receiver at this monetary value .
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Should you buy it?
A QLED television at 65 - column inch size with solid motion-picture show execution , Dolby Vision support and a very good phone organization . What ’s not to wish ?
The latency on this TV is one of highest I ’ve meet and it ’s miss for feature article now that Google Stadia has shuffled off its cloud - based ringlet .
Final Thoughts
If you ’re look for a 65 - inch TV to look out films and TV shows on , the Sharp 65EQ3EA stands out as one of the better options at its Mary Leontyne Price point . Its impression is n’t staring , but it ’s both more colourful and requires less tweaking than likewise priced and sized efforts from Samsung and Philips that I ’ve tested .
The Harman Kardon sound organisation is also very dear for a television , let alone one at this price , delivering clear , expansive soundstage with decent bass to boot . There are smarting in its Android boob tube integration , as well as heap of streaming apps , but where it suffers is in its gambling performance , which is relatively weak . The high latency means it ’s best beseem to casual , less competitive game .
Nevertheless , this is a very good television receiver package at a very respectable price . After a while in the stagnation Sharp has made a fine comeback .
Trusted Score
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We test every television we critique exhaustively over an protracted period of time . We expend diligence stock test to liken features right . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , accept money to review a intersection .
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FAQs
We would not say the Sharp is a right television receiver for gamers . The latency is very high and it lacks feature such as VRR for a high caliber performance . And with Google Stadia break , there are n’t many cloud streaming apps available either . We ’d only advocate it to more casual players .
