Review Summary
The Sharp PN-HW551 is an exceptional digital display for video advertisements and retail displays. It has a built-in 4K USB media player, letting you play videos and photo reels without a computer, or you can connect via HDMI or VGA. The image quality is excellent, and the display has a 178 viewing angle, so you can see the image when looking at it nearly sideways. It’s a great choice when quality matters.
Introduction
4K display screens occupy a niche where they are optimised to play video feeds from storage. The PN-HW551 lets you use a USB stick to play media, untethering you from a PC or tablet computer and making life easier.
The common question is, why not just buy a TV? The simple answer is that display screens offer better image quality for the money – you have to pay lots more for a TV with comparable image quality to a 4K display. This is because TVs have tuners and internet processors/modems that increase the cost of the unit.
Additionally, 4K displays can be orientated vertically, unlocking new opportunities for digital signage, retail displays, advertisements and notices.
Usability and features
4K display screens are relatively common now, with most manufacturers producing them, but Sharp is inarguably one of the best.
The PN-HW551’s display is a TFT LCD with LED Full Array Backlight technology, which means it’s a hybrid between LCD and LED. TFT LCD is our preferred display technology because it is visibly sharp and consumes little energy.
With a 4000: 1 contrast ratio, 350 cd/m2 brightness and 8ms response time, the screen is bright with lots of depth. Moving images are perfectly displayed without stutter, and you can view them at any angle thanks to the 178 viewing angle.
At 55-inches, the Sharp PN-HW551 is best when viewed at a distance between 7 and 11.5 feet, or around 1.6 times the screen’s diagonal length, making it perfect for retail displays, advertisements and digital notices in public and private spaces.
The back of the display is home to three HDMI ports, one VGA port, and one 3.5mm audio jack. There’s a LAN port for internet connectivity and a USB port – the USB port eliminates the need for a computer to feed in media.
It also has integrated speakers – a growing rarity in 4K displays, and you mount the display vertically or horizontally (a pivoting bracket makes this simple — sold separately).
The verdict
We are impressed with the Sharp PN-HW551. The display’s viewing angle, sharpness, and motion handling are up there with the best, and the £749 excl. VAT price is competitive – a steal compared to the £1,500 TV equivalent.
Overall, you can’t go wrong with the PN-HW551. When quality matters, it delivers, and you are sorted for years to come, thanks to that 4K resolution. The only resolution upgrade is 8K – a lost benefit on displays smaller than 80-inches.
You can have complete confidence in this display. Buy it here.
