A Quick Look at Sharp’s AQUOS UB30U 60Hz (120Hz effective) Smart LED TV
The UB30U is part of Sharp’s entry-level lineup of 4K TVs which offers an affordable option with decent performance if you’re looking to upgrade to an Ultra HD display. This series is available in 43″, 50″, 55″ and 65″ screen sizes.
Design/Features
The UB30U features Sharp’s Ultra-Narrow Bezel design for a very sleek and near-frameless appearance. However, this is in contrast to the TV’s panel depth, which is on the thick side for a flat-panel design, measuring just over 2.5 inches.
The TV’s stand consists of two arch-shaped feet that are positioned at the ends of the display panel, which adds an attractive design element to this sets overall appearance. I’d like to bring special attention to the stability this stand design provides… this particular design offers some of the best, if not the best stability I have ever encountered in a flat panel TV stand. Well done Sharp!
Other features include:
- Glossy screen/illuminated with edge-lit LED backlighting
- Sharp’s 4K Revelation Upscaler displays all non-native content at near 4K quality
- Quad-core processor
- Aquo Motion 120 for clearer images during fast-motion scenes
- Smart Central 3.0 smart TV platform. (The UB30 Series does not offer Android TV)
- HEVC/H.265 and VP9 decoding for 4K video streaming from Netflix, Amazon Instant and YouTube for example.
- Wi-Fi capability (802.11 b/g/n)
- 2 channel down-firing 20-watt audio system
- Web browser
- Wallpaper mode allows you to display your favorite photos when TV is turned off.
Connectivity
- 4 HDMI 2.0 inputs (HDCP 2.2 compliant)
- 1 Component video input (shared)
- 1 Composite video input (shared)
- 2 USB inputs
- 1 Ethernet input
- 1 RF input for antenna/cable/satellite
- 1 Digital optical audio output
- 1 Analog stereo output (RCA)
Smart Central 3.0
My Rating/Performance/Specs
-
Sharp LC-55UB30U
Summary
Price: $999.99
Check current price at Amazon.com
Performance:
Pros
The UB30U delivered very good 4K picture quality, and I must say I was surprisingly impressed at this level of performance from such a low-cost TV from the Sharp brand name. Images were very refined with lots of detail and clarity. Images were also very three dimensional in appearance. This set is also ideal for a very bright viewing environment due to its bright picture image.
Color reproduction was strong and nicely rendered with good saturation, in addition to having a vibrant and natural looking color palette.
This display has very good contrast and black level performance. Black levels were very dark and deep, which I found to be a pleasant surprise, simply because I’ve seen many Sharp LED TVs from the recent past that has provided lackluster black level performance.
Cons
Probably the biggest drawback with the UB30U is its side angle viewing performance. When viewing this set at moderate to very wide angles, image dimming and color saturation loss are a bit excessive and fall slightly below what I consider average performance for an LED TV, but certainly not the worst I’ve seen.
It has been *reported that gaming input lag during video gameplay can be an issue with this display. So if you are an avid video gamer, you may want to consider another TV with better performance in this area.
The supplied remote control leaves much to be desired, and in my opinion, is very lackluster in design and functionality. For example, one key component that is missing from the remote is a numeric keypad.
The Bottom Line
Sharp’s LC-55UB30U is an attractive offering for an entry-level 4K TV. In general, this set offers respectable performance in most key areas including contrast, black level and color rendering. However, for some, the TVs less than average side angle viewing performance and input lag for gaming could be a deal breaker.
For me personally, I could live with the UB30U as a secondary 4K display since I’m not much of a video gamer, and would use it in a bedroom setup where off-axis viewing wouldn’t be an issue for me.
As far as my recommendation for the UB30U, I suggest you take it for a spin at your local big box or electronics store to see if it’s a good fit for you.
Specs:
Screen size reviewed: 55″
Dimensions:
With stand:(WxHxD) 49.09″ x 29.81″ x 12.83″
Without stand:(WxHxD) 49.09″ x 28.43″ x 2.83″
Weight:
With stand: 44.10 lbs.
Without stand: 41.90 lbs.
Warranty: 1 year parts and labor
You may also like this review:
Samsung UN55JU6500 4K Ultra HD TV Review
*Amazon.com customer reviews