Sharp LC-26GD6U 26-Inch AQUOS HDTV-Ready LCD Flat Panel TV
Great picture, but could use a few 'extras'!
First let me say I have no complaints with the picture quality of this set. I have it hooked to digital cable and a Toshiba DVD player with HDMI/upconversion, and the digital cable feed looks great, but not as good as the one HDTV channel I can receive over my cable system (JAG looks pretty darn good in HDTV)! I'd really have to compare the HDTV to the DVD/upconversion to tell which one looks best... <br />Note that the good/bad applies to my particular use of this set (bedroom), and are loosely listed in order...YMMV! <br /> <br />The Good: <br />1. Great picture <br />2. Built in HDTV tuner-I get 1 HDTV channel over my cable system for free-can't see paying `em for HDTV until they offer more choices-they have only `bout 6 channels for around $6/month? The cable rep was fuzzy on choices/prices! <br />3. Screen tilts down more than many I've seen-I have it on top of an armoire. Thought `bout going to the 32 inch Sharp, but the screen either doesn't tilt down or not as much as the 26 inch Sharp (`course, $900 higher price didn't help)! <br />4. Screen pivots horizontally (more than some I've seen) <br />5. Option of auto brightness setting (constantly changes according to room light) <br />6. Stretch mode for conventional TV broadcasts (in order to fill out widescreen) looks pretty darn good. <br />7. Plenty of inputs! <br /> <br />The Bad: <br />1. No Clock! I used my old TV as my alarm clock (it's nice to wake up to the Weather Channel) <br />2. Lighted remote pretty darn useless! Functions OK, but some buttons (`specially the sleep timer) buried under flip open panel). Also, having to hit the `Light' button in order to get remote to light up is pretty darn useless? I'd prefer having the remote light up if you hit any button. Unless you memorize the key location (which isn't too easy on this remote), ya gotta get a flashlight to find the remote light key! <br />3. Limited/no control over picture stretch etc when using HDMI input (I have it hooked to a Toshiba DVD player with HDMI/upcoversion). I often use the DVD player's zoom feature when watching super wide screen movies. <br />3. No individual input settings memory (color etc) <br />4. A little more swivel left/right would be nice (maybe 5 or 10 degrees more?) <br />5. One more HDMI input might be nice? (has only 1) <br /> <br />I originally ordered a Toshiba equivalent (which had a clock), but decided the built in HDTV tuner on the Sharp (the Toshiba was an HDTV monitor) was more important than the clock.