Sharp LC32X20E

I recently decided to upgrade my LCD from a Sony KLV26HG2 set due to a fault, and had to search long and hard to find a full 1080p HD LCD which would fit within our cabinet.

The Sharp LC32X20E is (as far as I could tell) the only 32" LCD that currently offers full HD capability, which is useful for a number of reasons.

Firstly, at least for some, bigger is not always better and if you don't want your lounge dominated by a 50" plasma or the like, then this is quite a sound choice. You can pay between 700 and 1000 for this LCD, so check Pricerunner (or similar) before you buy as big savings can be made quite easily.

The LCD itself is a nice looking piece of kit. I personally prefer LCD's where the screen itself is not flanked by speakers or a 'wide' frame and this model achieves that. There is a 1" frame around the screen finished in very shiny black piano style plastic.

The speaker sits at the bottom and runs parallel to the screen and is completely un-obtrusive. The overall result is a very modern, contemporary LCD. It doesn't have the same high quality feel as my previous Sony, and the standard stand it comes with feels very cheap, but once its put together the overall effect is very nice.

The set comes with 3 x HMDI, Scart, component and DVI ports, so Sharp have really catered for all comers here.

The picture is at least as good as my previous 26" LCD. Obviously watching SD digital TV on a larger screen can sometimes show imperfections, but this is generally because the LCD is better than the signal it is getting.

There is a review on this site for the 52X Sharp, and the writer criticises the picture when watching SD. I personally wouldn't go for much bigger than 42" if I wasn't watching almost exclusively HD.

Despite this, watching SD Sky Digital via scart to the 32X is fine. I have no complaints at all. I also have a PS3 and most games only come at 720p, these also look fantastic on the 32X. On the PS3 menu and on Blu-Ray the set delivers full 1080P. This is really impressive, especially on a relatively small set.

A word of advice though. If you are hooking up a PS3, don't opt for a cheap component lead as you'll only get 1080i. Go out and get a good quality HDMI and you'll get the full 1080p.

The sound on the set is adequate at default setting. You will need to make some adjustments here as the standard setting create a distant tinny sound. Spend a few minutes tweaking this and the sound quality is acceptable, if never really full or exciting.

The menu system is very easy to use and the set automatically adjusts the screen ratio, so you don't have to mess about with it.

The LCD comes with an automatic contrast adjust. Turn it off. It is not in any way intelligent and all you get is a very ham fisted contrast boost during dark scenes, which is obvious and annoying.

As discussed the set comes with an excellent range of connectivity and again the menu access is fine. It does move slowly between Ext ports, but this is very minor.

Overall, a completely competent LCD which although not exceptional per se in any area, justifies itself quite easily with its 1080p output, despite being a smaller panel. I cannot comment on its longevity as yet, but I would recommend this LCD to all but the most critical buyer.