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Today’s Sharp 65 Class LED 4K Smart Roku TV review looks at the comeback of an old Japanese brand.
Sharp has a decades-old reputation for producing durable home appliances that give value for money. The company now aims to build back its old reputation with quality TV sets that deliver on price and performance.
We jump into our Sharp 65 Class LED 4K Smart Roku TV review to see if this 65-inch model from the Sharp DL7 series to see if the company meets its goals.
Content Breakdown
Sharp 65 Class LED 4K Smart Roku TV review: The story of a brand’s journey
The manufacturer uses a frameless aesthetic as a signature look for most of their Sharp TV product lines. Barely-there bezels give a premium feel to even the most basic of Sharp TV models. This edgy, high-end design is the only thread that links Sharp TV sets of today and those from a few years ago.
A while back, Hisense acquired a license to the Sharp TV brand. This was a clever move to boost sales, and Hisense soon slapped the Sharp logo on some of the TVs they manufacture. After all, the Sharp brand has a solid reputation and consumers’ expectations of Japanese excellence.
However, Sharp’s Japanese originators took issue with the quality of products carrying their name. In 2017 the Japanese took Hisense to court for putting their good name on sub-par products. After some time, Sharp’s mother company dropped the suit and reached an agreement with Hisense.
As of 2019, the Sharp brand and assets are back in Japanese hands. The original owners of Sharp are now in charge of the manufacture, distribution, and sales of Sharp televisions. Does this mean that consumers should look forward to the reliable Sharp products of old? A deep dive into the 65-inch model of the Sharp DL7 Roku TV may hold the answer.
First looks
The Sharp 65 Class LED 4K Smart Roku TV has a frameless design that gives the illusion of an endless expanse of screen. This edgy look is only the second most compelling selling point of the 2022 Sharp DL7 series, right after irresistible pricing.
At 2.75 inches at its thickest, the 65-inch Sharp DL7 Roku TV is thin enough for a neat wall mount installation. The TV will mimic a picture frame while allowing easy access to a set of side-facing ports. You will need a wall mount that matches the 300mmx200mm VESA mount pattern on the back panel of the TV.
Placing this 65-inch display on an entertainment stand requires a big piece of furniture. Specifically, you’ll need a surface that can accommodate the 47″ x12″ footprint of the TV feet.
An L-shaped inset at the back of the TV houses two sets of inputs; one set faces outwards, and a second set faces downwards.
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Sharp 65 Class LED 4K Smart Roku TV review: Ports and wireless connectivity
A pair of USB ports sit at the top of a column of side-facing ports. Under these, follow four HDMI ports and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The downward-facing ports sit in a row at the bottom of the L-shaped inset. Here’s the list of the ports:
- Ethernet jack
- RF input
- Digital optical output
- Analog audio output
- Composite video input
The Sharp DL7 series has a wireless adapter with WiFi capability but no Bluetooth, which is an odd omission. It would be interesting to know the differences in size, price, and complexity between a wireless adapter that has Bluetooth and one that doesn’t. This omission means you have to use the Roku companion app to link your phone or wireless headphones to the TV.
Sharp C65DL7UR review: Smart TV platform
The Sharp DL7 series runs the Roku interface, which is yet another selling point for this TV. Roku’s simple layout puts your favorite input sources and streaming apps within reach. This makes the Roku home screen a one-stop shop for any content or tool you need. The platform also offers perks like:
- Support for Apple Airplay and Apple HomeKit
- Compatibility with Alexa and Google Assistant
- An app store with a large selection of streaming apps, games, and tools
Navigating the Roku interface on the Sharp DL7 models is a pleasant experience. Low input lag makes for smooth navigation and responsive menu items. It only takes four seconds to load the average streaming app, which is fast by any standard.
Sharp 65 Class LED 4K Smart Roku TV review: Hardware
The Sharp DL7 series is a 60Hz VA panel with 4K resolution and direct backlighting. A peak brightness level of 300 nits provides adequate luminance for decent HDR pictures and passable HDR highlights. The panel is also capable of deep, dark blacks that deliver excellent native contrast.
1. Color
The Sharp C65DL7UR has an adequate color space that allows for rich, lifelike colors in SDR and HDR. Color reproduction is accurate right out of the box, before any calibration.
2. Contrast and HDR content
A native contrast ratio of 4000:1 allows the 65-inch Sharp DL7 Roku TV to deliver convincing HDR highlights. The panel also renders fine detail that is defined and easy to see, even in dark images.
3. Viewing angles
Being a VA panel, the Sharp DL7 series has narrow viewing angles that call for clever seating arrangements. The TV dims as you move away from the center, and colors lose accuracy. These changes become noticeable at an angle of 45 degrees from the center.
4. Motion handling
The 65-inch Sharp DL7 has an input lag of less than 15 milliseconds. This is fast enough to allow for fun, responsive gameplay with your gaming console. Low input lag also ensures smooth navigation of the Roku interface.
The pixels of the DL7 panel are equally fast to change colors in response to a changing input signal. This means that you will notice little motion blur with fast action content like sports.
Pros
- Affordable
- Sleek, frameless design
- User-friendly platform with Roku smart TV interface
- Good contrast
- Accurate color reproduction
- Basic support for multiple HDR formats
Cons
- A lack of Bluetooth connectivity rules out Bluetooth headphones and soundbars
- Lack of support for several Dolby formats, both video, and audio
- Narrow viewing angles
- The panel is relatively dim, which limits the brightness of HDR content
Sharp 65 Class LED 4K Smart Roku TV review verdict: A good TV for general use, available at a great price
This Sharp 65 Class LED 4K Smart Roku TV review reveals a bargain TV that performs as advertised. For a small price, you get a 4K TV with good HDR picture quality. You also get a smart TV platform with all the content and productivity tools you could think of.
The 65-inch model of the Sharp DL7 series is a solid display for movies, sports, streaming, and light gaming. Considering its bargain pricing, the Sharp 65DL7 is worth a second look. Click here to learn more about this television.
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