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Sharp LC32RD2E Review |
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Reviewed: 27 May 2007
Design
Continuing recent trends towards high gloss black finishes, the Sharp LC32RD2E still manages to create a distinct style of its own, with neat inlaid silver strips on the sides and bottom of the panel and elegant oval pedestal. The effect of the minimalist approach is very pleasing to the eye and will guarantee many an admiring glance.
Features
The most exiting feature of the Sharp LC32RD2E is a screen refresh of 100Hz, which Sharp has termed 'Double Frame Drive'. Many of the criticisms leveled at LCD TV's refer to the fact that they have never been able to match the fast motion handling capabilities of CRT or Plasma screens.
Screen size & shape: 32in 16:9 Tuner: Digital Sound system: Stereo Resolution: 1366 x 768 HD Ready: Yes Contrast Ratio: 1800:1 Brightness: 450cd/m2 OTHER FEATURES: TruD HD picture processing, 8 Days EPG, Fast Text, 100Hz Double Frame Drive, CI slot. SOCKETS: 2 HDMI input, 2 scarts (1 RGB), composite video input, S-video input, PC input.
The dreaded 'Motion Blur' effect where the ghost of the previous frames is still visible with fast action scenes as the image processing try's to catch up has been experienced by most LCD Tv owners to a greater or lesser degree.
The Sharp LC32RD2E comes with good rather than outstanding connectivity. 2 HDMI inputs and 2 Scarts are supplemented with the usual S-video and Composite video inputs. In addition there is a built-in digital tuner and a CI slot for services like Top Up TV.
The heart of the picture processing technology on the LC32RD2E is Sharp's Tru HD Aquos engine which has been designed to deliver pictures with greater contrast and sharpness while smoothing video sources and removing the diagonal jaggedness of faster action movie scenes.
Like most LCD TV manufacturers, Sharp has addressed the problem of viewing angles, and the LC32RD2E sports an impressive viewing angle of 176°.
Performance
High Definition (HD) is what Sharp do exceptionally well. Although their 42in + Full HD LCD TV's is where their HD flair really shows, it is immediately obvious that the LC32RD2E comes from the same stable. Pictures are incredibly sharp, capturing every nuance of detail imaginable.
The colour gamut on this panel is hugely impressive, showing a range, depth and vibrancy that is up there with the best 32in LCD's. Skin tones and other difficult areas of colour detail never look anything less than realistic.
Most medium range LCD TV's now do a pretty good job of clearing up any extraneous video noise, and the LC32RD2E is no exception. Pictures under all circumstances are almost entirely free of video noise, and you have to be pretty much face to face with the screen to spot it.
Standard Definition (SD) is where we were hoping for big things from this LCD, and to a degree we weren't disappointed. The increased 100Hz refresh rate has worked wonders on fast action scenes. There is a marked improvement on previous LCD offerings from Sharp with a new smoothness to any kind of on-screen movement that shows just how much of an advance the 100Hz refresh is. Motion Blur and jaggedness however have not been completely vanquished, and the best Plasma's and CRT's have still got the edge - just. The Sharp LC32RD2E is enough of an advance in this respect though for the difference to be negligible.
Black level performance however, is another story, and the only real criticism we have of this screen. Although black levels are good, they can't match that intricate level of detail you get with some plasmas as you move from the darkest scenes through across to the more dimly lit ones.
Conclusion
Sharp's LC32RD2E is a highly accomplished LCD TV. All round performance is a revelation, and it is competing head on with the best LCD's from Panasonic.
Its not perfect, but along with a select band of other top performers it is at the forefront of LCD TV technology.
