The Sharp LC-UQ17U: Are the Extra Features Worth It?

The Sharp LC-UQ17U is an advanced TV with many features and an almost retro TV remote control. The TV itself has 1080p resolution, but its extra features are supposed to make the picture look closer to 4K quality. It has a four-color screen and some extra technology that should make the picture look better, but this is hardly the truth.

The top and bottom bezel of this TV are silver, while the sides are black, which looks slick. However, the stand looks strange compared to the rest of the TV design. The TV does wall mount, which is an option to consider, as it looks better that way. The remote design is the same one Sharp has used for the previous four years. It is a long remote that is comfortable and has just the right amount of buttons, without being overwhelming.

Pros:

  • Good picture quality
  • Deep black levels
  • Excellent shadow detail
  • Looks good when wall mounted
  • Good remote design, although it’s old
  • Menu system makes sense
  • Active 3D and comes with glasses
  • Bluetooth connectivity

Cons:

  • Very high price tag for native 1080p resolution
  • Revelation engine adds artifacts
  • Color artifacts
  • Stand looks awkward
  • Smart TV interface is sluggish
  • Picture not so nice compared to the price

The bottom line is that the price is not worth it for the picture quality or the lack of 4K resolution. The TV performs just as well as TVs that are half the price with similar features. This means that instead of spending $2,000, you can spend under $1,000 for the same, if not better, features.

For more information, contact us at Replacement Remotes.

The Samsung UNHU9000 Series

As one of the cheaper 4K TVs, the UNHU9000 series offers a good picture quality, curved screen, and two different remotes. Its price ranges from $3,500 to $4,500, which is low compared to other brands of 4K TVs that go for as much as $40,000. It offers great picture quality for the price, even though most forms of 4K content are not available yet.

The screen is curved, but, in this TV, it is more of a gimmick than anything. While watching TV, you’re not likely to notice the curve, much, but otherwise it is very obvious. Its overall design includes a low-profile base, and it is a thin TV, but not as thin as LG’s newest TV for 2014. It comes with a standard remote, which is the same as most other Samsung remotes. However, the smaller, pod-shaped clicker remote bests even some of the top luxury TV remotes.

Pros:

  • Excellent picture quality
  • Deep black levels
  • Good bright-room picture
  • Excellent feature selection
  • Attractive overall design
  • Excellent remotes, especially the small clicker
  • Active 3D technology
  • Local dimming
  • Pop up camera
  • Multi-screen
  • 4 HDMI and 3 USB ports

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • Curve does not add to picture quality
  • Curve distorts some of the picture
  • Little-to-no 4K content
  • 3D glasses seem cheap

The bottom line is that this is a good TV, if you have to have the 4K resolution. However, the curved screen adds a lot to the price, and right now it does not seem worth it. It does nothing for the overall picture quality.

For more information on the best TVs, and their remotes, contact us at Replacement Remotes.

Best Picture: The LG EC9300 Series

The LG EC9300 Series offers one of the best HDTV pictures for an affordable price. It comes with a modified TV remote that owes its design to the motion clickers other luxury TVs offer. It’s one of the thinnest TVs, and ranges in price from $3,000 to $3,500, with models starting with the 55-inch size. The series blew the picture of plasma TVs out of the water, as well as any other LED/LCD screens.

What many reviewers did not like was the curved screen. However, the TV itself is razor thin. Most of the TV measures just a quarter inch thick, but the center of the back bulges out to 1 1/2 inches thick, to house the speakers and other hardware. The curve itself is not drastic, but it is obvious, especially when viewed from an angle. The stand is curved, too, and adds to the beauty of the design. The remote is small and fits well in the hand. It has a few main buttons and a scroll wheel that works quite well.

Pros:

  • Best picture of 2014
  • Excellent black levels and bright whites
  • Very thin
  • Accurate color
  • Weighs only 30 pounds
  • OLED TV
  • Cursor remote

Cons:

  • Pricey
  • The video processing is lacking
  • Color accuracy could be better
  • Curved screen

The bottom line is this TV is one of the best available. Its picture quality surpasses all plasma TVs, and it is likely to sport the best picture, compared to even the newest TVs. Though the screen is curved, many people can look past it when considering the sheer picture quality.

For more information on the best TVs and their remotes, contact us at Replacement Remotes.

The Sony XBR-X900B: A Review

The Sony XBR-X900B is Sony’s newest 4K TV that offers up multiple speakers and two remotes. The TV itself offers the best 4K picture of 2014 to date. It offers good competition to the most recent plasma TVs released. However, the TV is expensive, and not everyone will want to pay over $3,000 for a television set. It has a unique design and is packed full of features, as a $3,000 TV should be.

The TV itself has a thick bezel and a wedge shape. This is not the first TV of 2014 to offer this odd shape for a TV set. The bezel is thin at the top, but gets thicker to accommodate the front-facing speakers. For a TV, the speakers are huge and very prominent, something not everyone will appreciate. The TV is also very large, requiring an equally large stand. The regular remote is flimsy and looks cheap compared to the TV. It offers no backlighting or special features. The secondary remote has a touchpad, which makes navigating the Smart TV menus easier.

Pros:

  • Great picture quality
  • Excellent sound
  • Offers the most 4K content
  • Camera
  • The thin bezel makes the TV look all-screen

Cons:

  • The speakers are not pretty
  • Expensive compared to most models
  • 3D image is not the greatest

Overall, this TV is a good purchase if you have the money to splurge. However, it’s almost better to wait to see what the holiday season brings, as far as TVs go. The sound and picture quality combined do make this TV stand out above the rest of the 4K lineup.

For more information about TVs and their remotes, contact us at Replacement Remotes.

Vizio’s Newest Lineup: The M2i-B Series

Vizio is a leader of low-priced TVs and electronics, such as remote controls. The company was lesser known, but recently they have made a name for themselves in the LED/LCD TV market. The Vizio M2i-B series is the newly redesigned M-series for 2014. The TV picture quality is one of the best available for a lower-cost TV. It also offers a menagerie of features that allow it to compete with more expensive TV models.

The TV looks very similar to the 2013 model, but offers an even thinner bezel. The open base stand looks nice, but is not black, which could affect its sales. The remote is still the same, too. It is an okay remote, but it offers no backlighting, and the key arrangement could be better. If you flip it over, you can use a full QWERTY keyboard. The menu system is redesigned on this TV, and it’s better than before.

Pros:

  • Local dimming
  • Deep black levels
  • Good bright-room performance
  • Keyboard on remote
  • Control of Netflix and YouTube with a cell phone
  • Smart TV with good interface
  • 4 HDMI inputs

Cons:

  • Subpar sound quality
  • Picture is the same as a lower-priced series
  • Remote could be better
  • No phone app

The bottom line is this is a great TV and a good overall value. However, it does not offer much more than the new E series; therefore, it is not as good of a value compared to the cheaper series. Overall, it does outperform the E series, but only slightly. For the price point, it is a worthwhile purchase.

For more information about the latest and greatest in TVs, contact us at Replacement Remotes.

Introducing the Sharp LE650

The LE650 is an updated version of 2013’s LE640, and it even has the same TV remote control. Sharp changed the design of the TV drastically to allow for a slimmer bezel. This forced the speakers to be moved to face the rear. Overall, the TV looks good, and it offers a good picture and value for the features. It features Sharp’s Smart TV suite, which is easy to navigate and has a decent amount of apps. The TV is an entry-level model, but it does offer a decent set of features and settings.

The TV comes with a thin, black bezel. Its stand is also black, but it sits far down on it and appears to be squatting over it. The remote is the same as the 2012 model, with a few hot button additions. You can now access a few apps from the remote, using the programmable hot buttons. However, the remote still looks and feels the same as before. The remote does function well, but it is larger than most that come with newer model TVs.

Pros:

  • Better picture quality than comparable models
  • Good black levels
  • Accurate color
  • Good bright-room picture
  • Smart TV
  • Multiple picture settings

Cons:

  • Poor sound quality
  • Pricey

Bottom line, this TV is a good overall value compared to other similar devices. Its sound quality is subpar, but Sharp sacrificed it when they redesigned the bezel. In addition, they fixed the color uniformity issues that the previous model had. The TV might just be a basic model that lacks features such as 3D, but that does not make it less of a TV.

For more information on this TV, and remotes for it, contact us at Replacement Remotes.

The PNF8500: Samsung’s Best Performing TV

The Samsung PNF8500 is one of the last plasma TVs that the company produced, and it is the best-performing TV that it made. The TV was very pricey when it first debuted, but now the price has dropped due to Samsung phasing out the plasma type of TV. The TV’s design is impressive, and even more stunning are the new remote controls that Samsung developed. It is the redesigned version of the previous remotes D8000 and E8000.

The Titan Black stand is thin and extends both in front and behind the TV. It complements the TV, but it wall mounts, too. The base spans the width of the TV, which means a larger entertainment stand is needed. The TV is stable on the base, though. The new remote is small and silver with a touchpad taking up most of its length. The touchpad works excellently, and the few buttons available are spot on.

Pros:

  • Excellent picture quality
  • Good bright room image
  • Deep black levels
  • Accurate colors
  • Touch-pad remote
  • Smart TV platform
  • Four 3D glasses
  • Motion and voice command
  • Best plasma TV available
  • Built in camera

Cons:

  • Very expensive
  • No direct commands on remote
  • Consumes a lot of power

Bottom line, consumers who can afford a top of the line TV would appreciate the PNF8500. It offers the best lineup of features that are available for a Samsung TV. The Smart TV lineup is especially good, as well. The only annoying feature of the TV is the start screen, which pops up every time the TV is started.

For more information on TVs and remotes, contact us at Replacement Remotes.

The Vizio E-Series Revisited: The 2014 B Lineup

If you remember the Vizio E-Series, it was one of the best budget HDTVs for the money, aside from its horrendous TV remote control. In 2014, Vizio released a new version of this TV, dubbed the E0i-B Series. Just like the previous version of this TV, it offers almost unbeatable picture quality at a budget price. The new series offers even better performance, and a wider range of sizes, from 39 inches to 60 inches.

If you look at the overall design of the TV, it looks and feels just like the previous model from 2013. Reviewers called the look generic, and they perceived the stand as flimsy. The TV remote control has the same poor design as before, but they switched the dedicated keys some, including Amazon Instant, Netflix, and M-Go, while leaving out others. One thing that Vizio added a big update to was the menu, which flows better and is similar to their higher-end M series.

Pros:

  • Local dimming
  • Excellent picture quality
  • Budget price
  • Good bright room performance
  • Excellent Smart TV content
  • Wide range of sizes
  • Great content selection in Smart TV
  • Excellent color management system

Cons:

  • Poor sound quality
  • Color accuracy could be better
  • Poorly designed remote
  • Lackluster exterior and stand
  • No 3D
  • Lack of screen mirroring

Compared to many other HDTVs that cost less than $1,000, this TV is an excellent value. It offers a lot of the features that TVs twice its price cannot beat. The updates to the features make the E0i-B Series a welcome upgrade, compared to other TVs, and compared to the previous E-Series.

For information on buying universal remotes to replace poor quality factory remotes, contact us at Replacement Remotes

The Panasonic AS530 Series: A Good Mid-Range Model

The Panasonic AS530 offers some competition among the mid-range LCD HDTV manufacturers. The sleek HDTV and its trusty wand TV remote offer a wide range of features not normally seen in larger TV models retailing at under $1,000. Panasonic took great care making this TV functional and extremely pleasing to the eye.

The AS530 comes with a razor-thin bezel with a shiny black finish and a skeletal pedestal stand. It comes with many of the expected features, but fails to include 3D. However, this new development tends to be the current trend, with many TV manufacturers phasing out 3D technology in 2014 and 2015. The remote control is a long black wand that offers many buttons. Luckily, the buttons all have a convenient placement, and it even contains a shortcut for Netflix. It also features a Swipe and Share ability, but you need an app for that.

Pros:

  • Excellent pricing
  • Attractive design
  • Great off-angle viewing and screen uniformity
  • Colors saturated well
  • Decent remote
  • Smart TV
  • Built-in Wi-Fi

Cons:

  • Colors are slightly off
  • Smart TV system is hard to navigate
  • No 3D
  • No gaming mode
  • Only 2 HDMI ports
  • Lackluster sound
  • No Spotify app

For under $1,000, this TV is well worth the purchase if you are not a heavy gamer. Gamers and 3D fans should be aware that this TV is not friendly to either. It does not offer 3D technology, and it lacks a gaming setting. Also, fewer inputs means that you are limited in the amount of peripherals you plug into it.

For more information on TVs and remote controls, contact us at Replacement Remotes.

What Is 4K Technology?

With so many TVs on the market today, it is hard to determine which one is right for you. Do you need the smaller TV with the affordable price? Or do you need the one with the amazing TV remote to make your life easier? What about high definition? And what about 4K technology? The best thing you can do is learn about different TVs and their technology. Then, you can make an informed decision about which one is right for you.

4K technology is being talked about everywhere — but what is it? Understanding 4K technology when it comes to your next TV can help you determine if this is the technology you need. 4K is a term used to reference ultra-high definition televisions. These TVs have about four times the detail of a full HD television. In simpler terms, 4K televisions have absolutely amazing picture quality.

With 4K technology, you can expect the picture to be almost like looking at a photograph. The detail is immaculate, the picture is smooth, and the texture of the images is amazing. Basically, the images you see will be almost as beautiful as in real life. With a 4K TV, you can also sit closer to the screen and not worry about seeing the pixels — the technology really is that good.

4K TVs started out to be very expensive, but prices have come down since their release. You can get a decent 4K TV today for less than a grand. Just take your time, shop around, and choose the one that fits your needs and budget. If you ever need to replace your 4K TV’s remote, contact us at Replacement Remotes.