Philips 32PF7320A 32-Inch Widescreen Flat-Panel LCD HDTV
Aquos Features come up short
Just picked up the TV and set it up in the bedroom. We have not been able to pull ourselves away. It is amazing. I'm referring to HD broadcasts only.  I was able to compare the Sharp Aquos and the Philips side-by-side at Costco. They both look amazing. Because of the millions of dollars Sharp has spent on the advertising campaign for the Aquos line many people are convinced that the Aquos is superior in every way. In many respects this is true. However if you compare specs on this Philips set with the similarly priced 32-inch Aquos you will see they are virtually identical. In fact this one is slightly brighter (according to the luminence ratio). The contrast ratios are the same.  <br />The deciding factor over the similar Sharp TV was the fact that the Philips set has Cable-Card plug-n-play access. Meaning you don't need the bulky HD cable box from the cable company. Simply slide in a cable-card which de-scrambles the signals and allows them to be broadcast by the built-in HD tuner. The comparitive Aquos has no built-in tuner. 2 HDMI inputs on this one. Sharp has only 1. USB port on this one for pics, MP3's, etc. Sharp has none. <br />The Aquos line by Sharp have beautiful pictures. I just couldn't justify spending the same amount of money on the same sized Aquos and getting less features or spending considerably more money on a more fuller-featured Aquos to match what this Philips set offers.  <br />All-in-all my only complaint is that the picture is so stunning that I find myself watching things I would have never considered watching before just because they look so damned great. <br />A smart Purchase at Costco for $1499.00. And Costco has a 100% satisfaction gaurantee that is not limited to just 30 days. You could actually bring in the set 6 months later for a full refund should you so desire. They are serious about the 100% satisfaction. Although, once you get this unit set-up, I doubt you'll want to part with it. <br />