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Sharp LC-52SE94U: Review

Posted to Televisions 2009-07-17

The Sharp LC-52SE94U LCD HDTV is the latest 52-" full HD LCD television in Sharp's highly successful AQUOS line. It features a 10-bit LCD panel with a 27,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, a 120Hz frame rate mode for smooth action scenes and an Ethernet port for connection to the web. The unit also features full-HD resolution (1920x1080 pixels), a five-wavelength backlight and built-in tuners for DTV as well as analog channels.

The LC-52SE94U comes with a wealth of I/O options, including a PC input, 3 HDMI ports, 2 component video inputs and 1 S-video input. Additional I/O includes 2 A/V inputs, a PC input (VGA), 2 RF antenna inputs, and a headphone jack. The AQUOS LC-52SE94U also comes with AQUOS Net, which allows customers to access custom web-based content as well as customer support directly from their TV via the web.

Rating:

5.0 out of 5

Features

About the only thing to complain about here is the lack of picture-in-picture - with all that screen real estate this would have been nice. Other than that, this set has all of the features you're likely to need in a large-screen HDTV. Analog content even looks good on this set and is displayed without pixellation when converted to 1080p. And HD content is outstanding as well. The number of I/O options allows you to connect to the latest equipment, yet retains compatibility with your existing analog and digital equipment.

Performance

Image quality of the LC-52SE94U is excellent. You really need to be viewing HD content to realize the potential of this set, but 1080p upconversion provides better image quality than most of the competition. The screen is viewable under a variety of lighting conditions, and the built in speakers are decent - they are removable and can be wall-mounted - highly recommended to improve the sound. But most users of this TV are probably going to run the sound through a surround receiver at any rate.

Summary

If you're in the market for a truly large-screen HDTV, give the AQUOS LC-52SE94U a look. It's an excellent value - in fact it's one of the most reasonably priced 52 inch sets on the market, and it has Sharp's signature high quality images. The wealth of I/O options makes it the perfect foundation for a home theatre system, and the unit provides an excellent HD viewing experience.

Pros

True HD (1920x1080) resolution
27,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
Plenty of I/O options
Ethernet connection and access to AQUOS net
Excellent image quality

Cons

There are no cons for this product