Sharp LC-26GD6U 26-Inch AQUOS HDTV-Ready LCD Flat Panel TV
Buggy Firmware
The picture of this unit is amazing, particularly when connected to a digital cable feed. Unfortunately, the built-in software has problems - so don't buy the first version of this, but wait a few months until they have fixed the Firmware! I contacted Sharp's customer service about my problems, along with detailed instructions how to reproduce the bugs. Note that these are reproducible bugs, meaning they happen every time you follow the same sequence of events. Sharp asked me to drive 50 miles and bring the brand new device to an authorized service center. Instead, I just sent it back. <br /> <br />If software glitches don't normally bother you, consider this: This unit has a fairly noisy built-in fan. The fan probably won't bother you while you are watching TV with sound on, but on this TV with the version of the software that mine had built in, the TV's fan will spontaneously turn on in the middle of the night (the TV itself stays off). The fan then just stays on until you pull the plug or turn the unit on and back off. And when you turn it off, about 30 minutes later, the fan will turn back on again. <br /> <br />This happens when the TV has a CableCard inserted and is connected to a digital cable feed. <br /> <br />It is normal for the CableCard to contact your cable provider several times per day to exchange cryptographic keys. But there is absolutely no reason for the TV's fan to turn on while this happens, as the rest of the TV should stay powered down during this transaction. This is a major software bug, and it makes it impossible to place this TV in a bedroom. <br /> <br />If you are watching only analog TV, or if you don't use CableCard, this problem will not affect you. But you may regret the purchase if you later upgrade your cable. <br /> <br />Sharp is completely unresponsive and their technical support people obviously don't understand the technology they are selling. I am an Engineer myself with a Ph.D. in computer science, and I don't expect a customer support person to be an expert, but they should at least have a high-level tech support person to whom calls could be escalated. In Sharp's case, there was no such person and the \\"technical support\\" people I interacted with (multiple phone calls and emails) had the technical knowledge of a 12 year old (and I know 12 year olds that understand a lot more about technology).