
Sharp AQUOS BDHP50X
This Sharp Blu-ray player delivers great picture quality but is somewhat overpriced.
Pros
- Excellent DVD upscaling, good picture quality, 1080p/24Hz capable
Cons
- Cost, no BD-Live, USB port cannot be used for playing media
Bottom Line
While the Sharp AQUOS BDHP50X is great at upscaling DVDs, its lack of BD-Live capabilities is hard to ignore given its price point.
-
Price
$ 699.00 (AUD)
The Sharp AQUOS BDHP50X Blu-ray player provides fantastic picture quality, but its lack of BD-Live support and relatively high price are hard to ignore.
It is an attractive Blu-ray player with a mechanised face-plate and a stylish piano-black body. Two circular lights indicate if a Blu-ray disc or DVD is being played; they be switched off using the remote control.
Sharp's marketing claims a function called "Quick Start" can get a Blu-ray disc playing in 10 seconds. We found this time to be generally accurate, but it only works with a previously played disc that is sitting in the drive already, and it uses more power than standby mode. The regular start-up time is only 25 seconds, so Quick Start is something of a gimmick.
Far more impressive is the picture quality produced when upscaling DVDs. We tested a number of DVD movies including The Matrix, Army of Darkness and V for Vendetta, and found that all of them came out brilliantly on our 55in LCD test panel. Image clarity was surprisingly good, while motion was displayed without any jaggedness or artefacts. In fact, we think the Sharp AQUOS BDHP50X is as good as the very expensive Sony BDP-S5000ES Blu-ray player when it comes to upscaling DVDs.
Blu-ray movies were displayed with realism and sharp detail. The Sharp AQUOS BDHP50X supports 1080p resolution and 24Hz output (to match the frame rate used by movie cameras), which is important to enthusiasts looking to build a good home theatre system.
The Sharp AQUOS BDHP50X doesn't have an Ethernet port and therefore does not support BD-Live (Blu-ray Profile 2.0), unlike some recent entry-level Blu-ray players such as the LG BD300 and the Samsung BD-P1500.
BD-Live is a feature that allows you to connect a Blu-ray player to the Internet using an Ethernet port. You can then access extra content and features when you are using a BD-Live disc.
The Sharp AQUOS BDHP50X has a USB port, but it doesn't support playing media from a USB drive. It is designed for storing Blu-ray movie user preferences and data, as well as firmware updates.
Unlike the similarly priced Sony BDP-S550 Blu-ray player, the Sharp AQUOS BDHP50X lacks 7.1-channel analog outputs, relying instead on an HDMI 1.3 port for 7.1-channel sound. The digital audio optical port at the rear can handle 5.1-channel sound, and a digital audio coaxial port is provided as well. Component and S-Video out ports are present, as is an analog/stereo RCA connection.
The Sharp AQUOS BDHP50X can handle a variety of audio formats including Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD Advanced Digital Out.
The bottom line is that while the Sharp AQUOS BDHP50X provides excellent picture quality, the lack of BD-Live capabilities at this price point is very disappointing.
Brand Post

Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Dell U3223QE review: A winning debut for an IPS Black monitor
- 2 HP Spectre x360 16 review: The right 2-in-1 at the wrong time
- 3 Asus ProArt PA279CV monitor review: The go-to for content creators on a budget
- 4 Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (2022) review: The pinnacle of design
- 5 Netgear Nighthawk M5 mobile router review: Probably too expensive, but nice
Latest News Articles
- You can now rock out to Apple Music on Roku devices
- Complete guide to the new AirPods Pro 2
- Apple Music adds DJ mixes in spatial audio
- Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV+ will be free for the first 12 weeks of the season
- Apple TV+ makes history at wild Oscars ceremony
Resources
Macworld
What's new, plus best mac-related tips
and tricks

Business Centre
The latest business news, reviews, features and whitepapers

Videos
Watch our video news and reviews from around the world

Guides
Comprehensive buying guides, features, and step-by-step articles

PCW Evaluation Team
Pedro Peixoto
Aruba Instant On AP11D

Set up is effortless.
Cate Bacon
Aruba Instant On AP11D

The strength of the Aruba Instant On AP11D is that the design and feature set support the modern, flexible, and mobile way of working.
Dr Prabigya Shiwakoti
Aruba Instant On AP11D

Aruba backs the AP11D up with a two-year warranty and 24/7 phone support.
Tom Pope
Dynabook Portégé X30L-G

Ultimately this laptop has achieved everything I would hope for in a laptop for work, while fitting that into a form factor and weight that is remarkable.
Tom Sellers
MSI P65

This smart laptop was enjoyable to use and great to work on – creating content was super simple.
Lolita Wang
MSI GT76

It really doesn’t get more “gaming laptop” than this.
Featured Content
- 100 Great PC Games You Should Play Before You Die
- Best Click Frenzy mobile and Internet plan deals
- Microsoft’s iconic browser Internet Explorer is being killed off in June
- Everything you need to know about Smart TVs
- What's the difference between an Intel Core i3, i5 and i7?
- Laser vs. inkjet printers: which is better?