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3D Performance

To evaluate the 3D performance of the BD-HP90U, I enlistd the Sharp XV-17000 3D DLP video Projector (on review loan from Sharp) and XpanD X103 Universal 3D Glasses (on review loan from XpanD) and Sharp 3D Glasses.

On the Blu-ray player end of the 3D equation, I found that the 3D Blu-ray discs did take longer to load than standard Blu-ray Discs, but the BD-HP90U is a fast loading machine.

Also, once the 3D content was accessed, the BD-HP90U had no difficulty playing the disc. There was no playback hesitation, frame skipping, or other issues that could be attributed to the player.

The titles that provided the best 3D viewing experience were Disney's A Christmas Carol, Resident Evil: Afterlife, and Under The Sea. On the other hand while some segments of My Bloody Valentine and Space Station provided some excellent 3D, other segments were lackluster. However, in all cases, the combination of the Sharp BD-HP90U, Sharp XV-Z17000 video projector, and both Sharp and XpanD 3D glasses yielded 3D images that were relatively free of crosstalk (ghosting) and motion blur artifacts.

Based on what I could determine, the BD-HP90U lived up to its end of the bargain in terms of supplying the correct 3D signal to the connected 3D video projector. As I review more 3D Blu-ray Disc players using the same content sources, player-related differences may become more evident.

Also, keep in mind that with 3D, the Blu-ray Disc player is only part of the equation, the final viewed result depends on the quality of the source content (how well the 3D movie or program is filmed or post-processed for 3D Blu-ray)), the HDMI cables used (they must be 10.2 Gbps High-Speed rated), the 3D signal decoding of the 3D TV, and, finally, how well the 3D glasses used synch-up with the 3D TV.

Audio Performance

On the audio side, the Sharp BD-HP90U offers complete onboard audio decoding, as well as undecoded bitstream output for compatible home theater receivers. However, the Sharp BD-HP90U does not come with 2-channel or 5.1/7.1 channel analog audio output options. The only audio output options are via HDMI or Digital Optical connection. This means that if you have home theater receiver that does not have HDMI or Digital Optical connections, you cannot access audio from this player. In addition, if you do not have an HDMI-equipped receiver, you will be limited to standard Dolby Digital/DTS when usng the digital optical audio output connection.

In terms of audio performance via HDMI, The Sharp BD-HP90U delivered good audio performance on both Blu-ray and DVD soundtracks, as well as audio from standard CDs. I noticed no audio artifacts that could be attributed to the Sharp BD-HP90U .

The Sharp BD-HP90U produced excellent surround imagery and vocal presence in movie soundtracks, such as the opening scene in Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief which features a very directional thunder/lighting surround field, as well as Megamind (the first Blu-ray Disc to contain a 7.1 channel Dolby TrueHD soundtrack) and the dynamic soundtracks in Iron Man 1&2 and The Dark Knight (Blu-ray), and Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Moulin Rouge (DVD).

In terms of standard CD playback, Heart's Magic Man, with its distinctive bass slide to the extreme low end of the audio range, was spot on, as was the dynamic range and detail in Norah Jones' Don't Know Why, and the depth and soundstaging Joshua Bell's recording of West Side Story Suite.

The Sharp BD-HP90U demonstrated versatility as both an excellent Blu-ray Disc and DVD player and also a CD player.

Internet Streaming

Using the oncscreen Internet Menu, users can access Netflix, VUDU, Pandora Internet Radio

Playing the available content is easy, however, you do need access to a PC to initially setup Netflix, but you can add to your Netflix Queue directly through the BD-HP90U's Netflix menu.

In addition, there is also access to VUDU movies and a host of VUDU Apps that provide access to Flickr, CNN, selected content sites from PBS, Discovery, NBC, HBO, and even social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

You need a good high-speed internet connection to access good quality movie streaming. In my area, my broadband speed is only 1.5mbps which resulted in some video playback stopping periodically to buffer. Netflix is pretty good at determining your broadband speed and adjusting accordingly, however, image quality is compromised at slower broadband speeds.

It must be noted that there is a lot of variation in the video quality of the streamed content, ranging from low-res compressed video that is hard to watch on a large screen to high-def video feeds that look more like DVD quality or slightly better. Even the 1080p content streamed from the internet will not look quite as detailed as 1080p content played directly from a Blu-ray Disc.

Media Player Functions

Two other features incorporated into the Sharp BD-HP90U are the ability to play audio, video, and image files stored on flash drives, or iPod.
I found using either a flash drive or iPod via the front mounted USB port was very easy, the onscreen control menu loaded fast and scrolling through menus and access content was fast and easy. To my surprise, although not mentioned specicially in the user manual, I was able to connect my 2nd generation iPod NANO to the Sharp BD-HP90U via USB and accessed both the control menus (which I could navigate using the Sharp BD-HP90U remote) and stored content. This may not work with all iPod models, but if you purchase the Sharp BD-HP90U certainly give it a shot.

On the other hand, although the BD-HP90U needs to connect to a home network to access the internet, it does not have the ability to access audio, video, and still image files stored on a network connected PC or media servers.

What I liked about the Sharp BD-HP90U:

1. Very good Blu-ray Disc playback and DVD upscaling.

2. 3D Blu-ray Disc playback.

3. Network/Internet connection via Ethernet or WiFi.

4. USB port for accessing video, still image, and music files on USB flash drives and iPods.

5. Lots of internet Widgets (VUDU Apps).

6. Unique design allows for both horizontal and vertical operation (stand for vertical mounting provided).

What I didn't like about the Sharp BD-HP90U:

1. No Component Video output option for pre-HDMI HDTVs.

2. No 2/5.1/7.1 channel analog audio outputs for use with pre-HDMI home theater receivers.

3. No access to media files stored on other network connected devices.

4. External Memory required for BD-Live support.

5. Remote Control not backlit.

6. Primitive-looking Onscreen Menu

7. No front panel status display.

8. Use of external AC Adapter instead of built-in power supply.

Final Take

Sharp BD-HP90U provided very good playback for both Blu-ray Discs and DVDs, and also functioned properly with 3D Blu-ray Disc content.

Audio performance was also very good. Both onboard decoding and undecoded bitstream options worked well, with excellent surround processing using either method.

I did not sense any major shortcomings in terms of audio quality that could be attributed to the Sharp BD-HP90U. However, audio playback can be accessed by digital optical or HDMI outputs (HDMI preferred).

The provided internet streaming/media player functions worked well, but are limited in that the BD-HP90U cannot access content stored on other network-connected devicdes, such as a PC or Media Server. On the other hand, the VUDU Apps provided access to a large number of streaming websites, although video quality did vary. I was also able to connect an iPod to the USB port and both control iPod menus and access iPod stored content.

The Sharp BD-HP90U offers very good core 2D and 3D playback for Blu-ray Discs and does well with DVD and CD playback. Also, access to Internet Streaming content and Media Player functions was easy.

However, BD-HP90U does have its shortcomings, such as a primitive-looking onscreen menu, non-backlit remote control, lack of content access from other network-connected devices, limited audio/video connection options, and no internal memory for BD-Live support (external flash memory required).

Talking all consideration, Sharp has offered up a Blu-ray Disc Player with very good performance for its core purpose, but needs some refinement in the execution of its design and feature options.

For a more detailed look at the Sharp BD-HP90U, also check out my supplementary Photo Profile and Video Performance Text Results.



Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.