While the TV world anticipates high definition (HD) like the second coming, Sharp predicts that only a select group of people will adopt HD broadcast and Blu-ray upon release. There are far more people who want a flat-screen TV but who have no intention of paying the premium for early HD content.
The AF3 range, here in a 32-inch flavour, has been designed specifically for these people. It features a PAL-resolution panel, which is matched perfectly to PAL DVD movies and digital television. In theory, this will give a picture quality more akin to a CRT than high-definition LCDs, which have to process and filter the picture to prevent video artifacts being amplified. In reality it works very well--pictures from PAL DVDs are brimming with detail and solidity. While not quite at CRT quality yet, these Sharps are the best you're going to get from standard definition sources on an LCD.
| Editor's note: As this review is based on the UK version of the LC-32AF3M, specifications may vary slightly from the sets available in Australia.
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Design
The television boasts a designer pedigree--it was styled by Toshiyuki Kita, a long-time Sharp collaborator, and his fame has even earned him a signature on the rear. The TV is sleek and rather attractive, even standing up well next to Sharp's high-end LCD range, which has won its fair share of plaudits. The frame is a contemporary mix--the speaker grille sitting under the main panel is silver, while the two side panels are finished in a smooth black plastic.
The remote control is just as memorable for its outlandish design. Seemingly inspired by a hammerhead shark, it's not the first Sharp remote to break from tradition. It's not particularly unusable--the wide head offers room for more buttons along the top--but it will certainly garner laughs. "Why has that spatula got buttons on it?" will probably be heard from friends more than a few times during its lifetime.
This is a standard-definition TV, but the connectivity roster still includes an HDMI input. This allows digital video and audio to be sent to the TV across one thin cable. Not every device support it as yet, but its importance is growing rapidly.
Apart from this super-modern connection, its business as usual--the back panel detaches to reveal two component plus composite and S-video inputs. The back panel then slots back into place to keep the cables out of view, but it would have been nice to have an S-video or composite input on the side for easy access.
Features
The LC-32AF3 has a native panel resolution of 960 x 540 pixels--a widescreen format, but much lower resolution than the majority of other LCDs. Sharp claims that this allows the TV to match the resolution of PAL broadcasts and DVDs, and therefore the picture quality should be much more natural. Sharp describes the TV as a flat version of a CRT--something that will allow you to get the very most out of the TV and PAL DVD sources you watch at the moment. And let's face it, while high definition is all very exciting, standard definition (SD) isn't going anywhere for a long time to come. Heavens, the Australian Government hasn't turned off analog TV yet, and is not likely to for some time.
Thanks to some modern AV inputs, it's slightly complicated to describe the Sharp's HD compatibility. It is HD-compatible--if you plug a HD-ready DVD player in to the HDMI input, you'll be able to watch the movie. While the picture quality will be superb, there's no real point in bothering--the LCD panel's resolution means that video has to be scaled down, and this is why the TV doesn't win the "HD Ready" badge.
So, why include the scaling functionality at all? Well, next-generation games consoles, such as the Xbox 360, are offering HD outputs, so you can make use of them and still get a nice picture on the Sharp. And depending on how long you plan on keeping the TV, there will be a time when Blu-ray or HD DVD becomes the de facto standard, so you will be still be able to buy these discs with an eye to upgrading to a full HD LCD TV when the transition occurs. So to all the videogamers who want a really sharp picture from their Xbox 360 but aren't ready to shell out for a fully HD-ready TV, check out the Sharp.
For the most part, Sharp gets the functionality right with the AF3 range. You can name separate inputs to make it easier for other members of the family--the component input could be changed to "DVD" or "Games" for example. There's also an option to flip the image and engage a sleep mode, plus specific AV modes that include Game, Movie, Standard, User and the default, Dynamic. On the audio side, there's a surround mode, plus all the same presets for video that will adjust the bass and treble levels to fit. There are numerous different picture modes, including Cinema 14:9, Cinema 16:9, Full, Normal, Panorama and Zoom 14:9.
One final point of note is that the Sharp would do a curious thing when we attached the Denon's DVD-2910 DVD player and put it into its 576p mode--the Sharp would show the feed as 580p and it would automatically focus the widescreen movie into the centre of the display. It can be remedied by pressing the screen format button on the remote, but it's annoying nonetheless.
Performance
When we played standard DVDs through the Sharp from Denon's DVD-2910, picture quality was outstanding. We've been impressed with Sharp's LCD panels in the past, but we secretly expected the AF3 range to be cut down in some way. Even poorer film transfers such as Ronin really jumped off the screen with vivid colours and a rock-solid picture overall. Only a small amount of MPEG noise reared its head, which is something you don't tend to notice with CRTs. There's very little smearing, and colour reproduction is absolutely top-notch.
Analog TV wasn't so much fun to watch, especially with the weaker signal that plagues our building, so we'd recommend the jump to digital. When watching Ronin, we noticed how well the Sharp coped with darker scenes -- the contrast range meant there were heaps of detail in the gloomy warehouses that made up much of the background scenery. Skin tones were also extraordinarily natural and while the detail was smudgy close up, it was the sharpest LCD we've seen in everyday use. Audio quality was also impressively meaty, but you can output stereo audio from the TV if you want to wire up some more serious speakers.
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JIM ARMITAGE
21/06/2007, 01:35 PM
rating
2/10
I BOUGHT A SHARP AQUOS LC-32AX5X IN NOVEMBER 2006. IN MAY 2007 THE PICTURE FAILED, REPLACEMENT PART AVAILABLE IN AUGUST IS'NT THAT GREAT SERVICE!
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chestercheetoh
09/05/2007, 03:17 PM
rating
5/10
I've had one a Sharp aquos for over a year now. In the end I wish I could get my money back. At first it was great. Later I bought a great DVD player to go with it. I had the two hooked up through the HDMI inputs. I started to notice these 6 yellow horizontal lines that would come down the screen. I wasn't sure if it was my DVD player or the TV. After a lot of research I found out it was the TV. Turns out it is common defect amongst Sharp Aquos TVs. Its a problem with the bandwidth. Unfortunately this problem can't be fixed. Naturally I was pretty shocked to find out all about this especially the fact that it can't be repaired. I contacted Sharp in December of 2006 about it and they told me that they had never heard of such problem. I thought that was bizarre considering the research I had done. After a month I finally got them to send someone to look at it. The repair man didn't know what to make of it. He told me he would look into it and call me with an answer. It took me another month get an answer. I called Sharp and the repair man repeatedly during that month. Finally I got a hold of the repair man and he said it couldn't be repaired. Sometime in March of 2007 he called me and said he could do a system upgrade. He came over and performed the upgrade. Naturally it didn't work. I then had to get pictures of the problem with a digital camera and email it to the repair man and Sharp. The repair man said it had to be replaced. I was told that I would be contacted "within 48hrs." # days later nothing. I called them again. "You'll get a call by the end of the week." Nothing. I called them once a week throughout March and April. Nothing. Finally in May I got my first call back ever. Remember these guys haven't phoned me once. The guy told me that the TV he had to be replaced (ya don't say?). At this point I was angry beyond belief. I asked why I had to go through this whole process and they couldn't give me a proper answer. I was extremely frustrated because I told them what the problem was in December. All they had to do was ask me to take a picture of the problem then. After they could send somebody to evaluate it and then give me the lowdown. Instead I had to chase them. When I asked for compensation they said they were willing to offer me a bigger model. Admittedly, I got greedy and demanded a bigger model than the one they offered me. I got a call later saying that they would have to charge me money. I refused and said I would take the previous offer. Here's the kicker. The guy flat out denied offering me a bigger tv. It was the same person I had talked to before and he denied it. In the end there was nothing I could do. I had take their final offer of the exact same replacement. I have yet to receive my replacement. Hence I will never buy from Sharp again.
Pros: good if not defective
Cons: horrible customer service
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sameerdass
17/11/2006, 08:40 PM
rating
9/10
Very good LCD tv for PAL standard countries, and you get the best picture , without any upscaling / downscaling
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Ray
07/02/2006, 01:04 PM
Thanks very much for taking a LOT of the grey out of moving to digital.
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Ken Potter
05/01/2006, 11:21 AM
Old Technology
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