Sharp LC-37D7U 37-Inch Aquos Widescreen LCD TV
Sharp AQUOS LC-37D7U 37" LCD TV
Strengths: In-built HD (ATSC) tuner, Multiple inputs, CableCard slot, Easy menu navigation, slick looks<br /><br />Weaknesses: No PIP (single tuner), TV Guide setup is complicated, Black levels don't look impressive, No 1080i support<br /><br />Summary: I had been looking for a good LCD tv for some time. I wanted a set that won't be outdated in 6 months, plus I did not want to pay a huge premium for a top of the line product. Well, LC-37D7U seemed to fit my bill. It offers a performance LCD tv at a fairly reasonable price (since I purchased it from Costco).<br /><br />I bought the tv about 2 weeks ago at around 2k plus taxes. For a tv loaded with features, the setup was very easy. I used the EZ setup initially. I was up and running (watching a movie in less than 15minutes. The channel setup for cable and over the air signal took some time since the tv goes through hundreds of channel. The default audio and video configuration is very close to what you may end up with. Although I have tweaked it somewhat over the past few days. The menu navigation is pretty intuitive.<br /><br />LC-37D7U has a native resolution of 1366 x 768, therefore it does not support native 1080i or 1080p resoltuion. One would expect a 37\\" tv to do so. However the picture quality with 720p incoming res looks stunning. It will be a while before 1080p signal becomes common. On that note, the set has a built-in ATSC tuner. You can plug in a HD media directly to the tv. However, LC-37D7U does not support PIP. The tv does support a freeze frame feature, though. It would have been nice if tey could incorporate PIP support for devices that do not require a tuner, like VCR, DVD, etc.<br /><br />The viewing modes available in LC-37D7U cover pretty much every kind of incoming signal (aspect ratio). Also, the tv remembers the viewing mode for each input which is very convenient switching from one input to another. The OPC (optical picture control) can be improved according to me. This is a feature where the tv tries to optimize brightness according to the room conditions. I find it a little too dark. This is something that I would expect Sharp to improve in later releases.<br /><br />The quick shoot mode that Sharp introduced to improve fast action scenes did not live up to the expectation. One can see obvious trailing/blurring in such scenes, expecially the dark ones. I guess under 16ms response time is not good enough for this size tv. But then most LCD tv suffer from this ghosting issue.<br /><br />I have heard complaints about viewing angle compromise with LCD sets. However, I did not observe any color or contrast shift within +- 90 degrees. If you are watching a tv at wider angles then you should have other concerns.<br /><br />I have tried 3 different LCD tvs before this. Every time I felt that the regular broadcast looked more grainy than the conventional CRT. LC-37D7U does not suffer from that problem much. One can see the deterioration but it's not significant.<br /><br />A wide variety of inputs is a nice feature. I would have preferred more S-video inputs. I realized it because both my VCR and DVD do not have component output. Now that I got a couple of component cables, and another DVD player, it doesn't bother me anymore.<br /><br />I have not yet installed CableCard so can't really comment on the ease of installation and its use.<br /><br />Overall, I believe that I have the best tv in LCD category that I can buy today for under 3k. I would recommend Sharp Aquos LC-37D5U to those of you in the market for a LCD tv. Certainly, the prices are going to fall and better tvs will be coming out. However, it's a trade off. I pulled the trigger coz I think this was a winner and I am satified.ture where the tv tries to optimize brightness according to the room conditions. I find it a little too dark. This is something that I would expect Sharp to improve in later releases.  <br /> <br /> <br />The quick shoot mode that Sharp introduced to improve fast action scenes did not live up to the expectation. One can see obvious trailing/blurring in such scenes, expecially the dark ones. I guess under 16ms response time is not good enough for this size tv. But then most LCD tv suffer from this ghosting issue.  <br /> <br /> <br />I have heard complaints about viewing angle compromise with LCD sets. However, I did not observe any color or contrast shift within +- 90 degrees. If you are watching a tv at wider angles then you should have other concerns.  <br /> <br /> <br />I have tried 3 different LCD tvs before this. Every time I felt that the regular broadcast looked more grainy than the conventional CRT. LC-37D7U does not suffer from that problem much. One can see the deterioration but it's not significant.  <br /> <br /> <br />A wide variety of inputs is a nice feature. I would have preferred more S-video inputs. I realized it because both my VCR and DVD do not have component output. Now that I got a couple of component cables, and another DVD player, it doesn't bother me anymore.  <br /> <br /> <br />I have not yet installed CableCard so can't really comment on the ease of installation and its use.  <br /> <br /> <br />Overall, I believe that I have the best tv in LCD category that I can buy today for under 3k. I would recommend Sharp Aquos LC-37D5U to those of you in the market for a LCD tv. Certainly, the prices are going to fall and better tvs will be coming out. However, it's a trade off. I pulled the trigger coz I think this was a winner and I am satified. <br /> <br />