Sharp AQUOS LC-32D6U

Sharp Aquos LC-32D6U

AQUOS LC-32D6U Review, by Alan Stafford December 20, 2005

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• Reviewed by: eb2jim

  Strengths: Not much compared to others

  Weaknesses: Prone to warranty repairs, not capable of what it is advertised as.

  Overall: This has been one big dissapointment since we got it. The sound went out within a year, then it stopped being able to handle cable via its HDMI connection. This is how it was hooked up for a while, then the picture went blurry and became too large. Sharp said this is because it is incapable of processing a 1080i signal via HDMI. Now look this thing up anywhere and see where it says that. It does say HDMI and 1080i display. So, now I think Sharp is giving me the runaround. No one can give me a straight answer. Why bother with this colossal piece of junk? Buy something else.

• Reviewed by: pomayer

  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: 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.

• Reviewed by: sratte

  Strengths: Appealing look, excellent stand with forward tilt. Terrific clarity. SmartCARD feature.

  Weaknesses: Location of power switch is on top. Difficult to reach if wall mounted.

  Overall: This unit was highly rated in consumer reports AND supports the CableCARD. This allows me to save $7 per month in cable box charges. This unit is very modern looking and looks terrific in my newly renovated bedroom. I recommend highly.

• Reviewed by: rdebell

  Strengths: Digital Picture Quality

  Weaknesses: Analog Picture Quality

  Overall: Great size fot the living room or bedroom. Text is easily read (22" set is difficult to read). If your looking to upgrade those old cathode TV's this is the place to start. Slim widescreen set at a good price will enhance your viewing pleasure.

• Reviewed by: Luther393

  Strengths: Slick Design, Lots of inputs, Excellent HD picture, Outstanding sound quality. Menu/Setup system is clear and easy to follow.

  Weaknesses: The single HDMI input is actually DVI. Cabling room behind TV is tight when connecting several devices. Factory default picture settings are horrible.

  Overall: Purchased this TV to replace a 30" LCD which died from a backlight failure: repair cost was over half that of this new TV. I researched the various online HD forums to narrow my options, and after seeing the Sharp picture "live" in a store I was sold.This 32" arrived in a much smaller box than the 30" it replaced but there was plenty of room and it arrived with no damage. Removed it from the box, connected "almost" all of the cables, and powered it up. Then I sat back somewhat disgusted as the picture looked to be forcing all of the colors to something resembling neon. Analog cable looked pretty lousy; HD was acceptable, but not nearly as good as my old 30" LCD. So, I accepted the challenge of getting this thing to an acceptable viewing level. After lowering the backlight setting a lot, and going back and forth between the brightness and contrast I now have the picture I purchased this set for: and that's with the component cables.The reason for component cables...I had a HDMI-HDMI cable that I used before and this set has (according to the specs) a HDMI input. When I went to connect it I found it was really a DVI connection so I have to get an adapter or a new cable. Not really a big issue, but I could have bought a cable days ago and been ready to go all digital. A minor setback.Although it's only been a day, I'm thrilled with the picture and sound quality. In fact, I have a surround system that I had to use before (to get decent bass and sound) and I haven't hooked it up yet. I'll see how the TV sound is with a good DVD movie and see if its worth hooking up the surround system.