Sharp Aquos LC37D43U 37-Inch 720p LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)As a college student with Xbox 360, I was looking to get into high definition without spending over a thousand dollars. At the time (last fall), this limited me to a 32" LCD, most of which were still significantly over my budget at brick-and-mortar electronics stores. I knew I wouldn't be buying Sony (too overpriced) and I refused to buy a brand like Vizio or Olevia because you get what you pay for, despite what owners claim. After doing about a half year of online and in-store research, I had narrowed my search down to Samsung and LG 32" LCDs, preferring the more expensive Samsung. I then decided to play the waiting game for prices to drop within my range. This year, though, using Amazon user reviews and AVS Forums as sources, I had to throw the new Sharp in with my prospective choices. About two months ago, a wholesale store had a sale on the 37" set that fell exactly at my price limit and I decided to pull the trigger.
I've used the set now for two months and I'm convinced that I made an excellent decision. Aesthetically, this television is beautiful and it is surprising how tiny the bezel seems. I'm still not used to the size of this thing, especially because I had been set on a 32" and I lived in a dorm room. I think that 37" is about as big as I could have gone because of viewing distance. I was worried about the fact that there were only two component and two HDMI inputs, but my amplified over-the-air antenna plugged into the coaxial jack and the digital HD broadcasts were phenomenal, with surround sound, too (Durham, NC area). If your cable provider feeds digital channels without a converter box, this set has a QAM tuner to pick those up, too, along with the mandated ATSC tuner and NTSC as well. At home right now for the summer I've got it hooked up to a Verizon FiOS set top box via HDMI and, with some adjustment, the picture is spectacular. Gaming with Xbox 360 is perfect, with vibrant colors and no perceived lag due to the 6ms response time - I couldn't be happier with that. Black levels are where this set really shines, and they look truly black, which has historically been the dealbreaker with LCD panels. With this Aquos, I get deep blacks without having ANY worries about burn-in, no matter how much plasma tech has progressed, one of my big concerns with the 360 and sports scores, etc. Standard definition is surprisingly good on the "Smart Stretch" setting, but it varies by channel. At 4:3, it is very comparable to a CRT, at least to my eyes. This is an LCD and it will look grainy/pixelated at times compared to hi-def stuff, but that's the nature of the beast.
I do have a few issues with the television. Like the Sharps have been known to do for years, there was a bit of a factory "red-push" that resulted in pinkish skin tones, but again, some tweaking fixed that. One issue I found annoying was the OPC backlight adjustment that dimmed or brightened the screen immediately after changing channels or going between commercials. Even on the "off" setting, this occurs, but turning it on and decreasing the range to 1 eliminated the problem. One widespread problem that I saw in my research is a sort of "popping" noise from the expansion of the TV casing as it heats and cools from turning on and off. I did experience occasional loud popping for the first couple weeks, but it had no impact on my experience and that sound has now completely disappeared. The speakers are fine for watching the news or a program on the Discovery Channel, but they really distort the low frequencies, even at a medium volume. Of course, these manufacturers have to assume that people who buy LCDs or plasmas have some kind of audio setup. There's no headphone jack, which I missed sorely because I couldn't watch television while my roommate was sleeping. At the same time, this TV isn't designed for anyone to sit sufficiently close for headphones, so it's understandable. I do have my desktop PC hooked up to the Aquos through the "PC Input" (RGB VGA), and it works well for playing video, especially HD, and viewing pictures. Be aware that by default, the TV is set to receive 1280x768 (which looks a little off) from the PC instead of its native 1360x768, so you'll have to change it in the menu; I can't figure out the reasoning behind that. Don't expect to be able to use it as a primary computer monitor - you'll have to upgrade to 1080p for that. Still, for video, I'm convinced that at 37" from regular viewing distance, 1080p is not discernible from 720p and therefore not worth the extra money. For example, 1080p on 52" has the same number of pixels per square inch as does 720p on 37".
Overall, this set is fantastic for my needs as a college student and gamer, especially for the price I got it for. I could not be more pleased with the quality of HD programming, but make sure that at least a good chunk of your viewing will be in HD. With the 1080p version getting to be only a couple hundred more expensive than this one, I feel that I might have some buyer's remorse because of the PC display difference. Buyers should know that because of how big retail stores split their video signal to multiple displays and the lack of fine tuning, what you see may not be what you get. This TV admittedly did not look good in the store, but once I got it home, I couldn't imagine taking it back. Despite its flaws, my satisfaction is undoubtedly five out of five.

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This elegant 37 AQUOS HDTV LCD-TV easily enhances the decor of any family room, living room or den. With a true 16:9 aspect ratio, HDTV resolution of 1366 x 768, Sharp's Emmy award-winning LCD technology and breathtaking color purity, it is a next-generation TV to carry you into the high-definition future. The LC37D43U utilizes Sharp's proprietary Advanced Super View/Black TFT Panel providing 6000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, 6ms response time and wider viewing angles (176°H x 176°V). The LC37D43U is HDTV with built-in ATSC / QAM / NTSC tuners and include 2 HDMI¿ and HD component video inputs as well as a D-sub, 15-pin input for PC compatibility. The LC37D43U features a black cabinet and the included table stand easily removes for wall mounting applications.

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