Sharp AQUOS LC-32D6U

Reviewed by: pomayer

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: (1) Outstanding picture clarity. (2) High-quality sound. (3) Aesthetic appeal of TV. (4) Good price-quality nexus. (5) Clearly marked video/audio inputs. (6) Good range of options for CC subtitles.

Weaknesses: Early Impression: Owner's manual is unimpressive and not particularly helpful during the setup process.

Overall Evaluation: At the outset: I am a very careful shopper and, given that we are a single-income family with a child, careful about spending money. I paid 1170 dollars for this TV and am happy to have done so, because I feel I got my money's worth. So, if you're deciding to buy an LCD flat-screen TV, and you're reading this review, you're probably pondering at least 3 questions: (1) What's the best brand? (2) What's the best size? (3) What options will I want on the TV?Here's how I decided to buy this one. I started with size, thinking about the room and setup where the TV would be placed. We didn't want to be dominated by a movie-screen sized set in a smallish room, so the 32" screen was the best choice. You may also have noticed that prices of 32" sets have dropped quite rapidly over the past 6 months (I'm writing this in late August 2006), but are starting to level off. I'm not seeing the same kind of drop in 37" TVs just yet (this would have been our second choice for size).I moved to a very thorough investigation / comparison of brands. In addition to mining the Internet for all of the expert ratings, and reviewing Consumer Reports' and other magazines, it became clear that Sharp was one of the top brands, both for quality, picture clarity, and brand-name reputation. However, there was no substitute for looking at the sets in person, so I checked a wide variety at stores throughout the area. It was my conclusion that no set looked nicer than Sharp. So, now I knew I wanted a 32" Sharp.Sharp's website is snazzy, but not altogether helpful in explaining the various models and their amenities. You can navigate around to see the differences between them, but I chose the 32D6U because I wanted: (1) The speakers on the bottom, rather than the side [which would have made the TV too wide], and (2) the pre-installed Cable CARD (which obviates the need for a box). Savvy readers who are considering Sharp will want to review the various options before deciding. I will note that the widely-advertised/available D40U does not have the Cable CARD installed.Now that I've been using the TV daily for 3 weeks, I've gotten a good feel for it: The clarity of the picture and sound are still pretty astounding, even now. We have a need for closed-captioning in my house, and I appreciate the various options for subtitles, as well. The TV itself was fairly easy to setup, although the instruction manual was surprisingly unhelpful when it came to getting my HDTV cable service to work. Sharp can do better in this department. Finally, the set looks snazzy. Something this size, which costs this much, really needs to be thought of as furniture as well as an electronic toy. I like the looks of the set, and visitors are impressed, too.There are other sets which may have slightly higher audio or video quality, or which may have more audio/video options. If that's really important for you, then you are free to shop around more. To those readers who drive a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, however, you may feel the same appreciation with this kind of TV that you do with your car: Turn it on and it works perfectly, every time.This is a long review, but I know that people who read these things all the way through tend to be motivated and persuaded by people who are serious about their shopping. I hope that this has been helpful.