Ok, What does a child's story have to do with a TV? Well consider what Jack did before he climbed the beanstalk and what he probably did later once he found the goose that laid the golden egg.
How I strayed from a standard computer monitor purchase to a new television - Or why I purchased the LC-32GP1U:Following my own advice, and the experiences of another "Epinioneer" I occasionally conspire with, I was again intent to replace another CRT computer monitor with a new LCD from ASUS. A prior purchase of a nineteen inch
VW193T had been pleasant enough, but I had decided to step up one rung on the ladder for my next purchase with a 22" screen identical to the one my co-conspirator had purchased. Alas, I looked around my den and wrung my hands anxiously as I looked at the item of my interest on my Internet order screen. Then it struck me, I've been wanting to change some of the furnishings in my den. In particular the 200 lb. TV that sits in an entertainment center there - that I also use as a computer monitor. No, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that set other than it has no ATSC tuner in it - and it does weigh two-hundred pounds! That set had also required me to remove the roll type doors and a drawer from that cabinet, and I always wanted to put them back in place.
Alright, I was a little tired of looking at those narrowed down widescreen HDTV and DVD pictures provided by various attached devices and tuners to that 4:3 aspect ratio screen - and the sometimes odd looking stretched versions that could fill that sets 36" screen. Then, there were also those annoying screen reflections on that 2001 set from outside light entering windows and normal room lighting.
For some time I had been eyeing the Aquos Widescreen "ViperDrive" LC-32GP1U, and a prior purchase of the
LC32D50U had been a good one my family and I still enjoy very well - the only problem there is I didn't put it in my own bedroom. But, I had intended to purchase the
ASUS VW223T monitor at this particular purchase. The ASUS 22" computer monitor has a recommended resolution of 1680 x 1050 at 60 Hertz. But, here the LC-32GP1U is capable of
UXGA 1600 x 1200- and the new ASUS EN9800GTX+ Dark Knight vdeo card I just bought last week supports this easily. That's right, this new monitor has a DVI-I port that supports not only the digital signal - but analog. As if that wasn't enough, my new video card also support HDMI - something the ASUS monitor didn't have.
The computer (Built-in 1250 ATI video and HDMI card) I have installed to my entertainment center also has DVI-D Dual and HDMI - and it also supports these higher refresh rates. Now, other 32" widescreen TVs had measured in at ONE INCH too wide for my entertainment center with its leather-backed wooded roll doors in place - and the
31.39" width of the LC-32GP1U just fits that large center cherry cabinet with its four large matching side cabinets stretching over thirteen feet in width.
Let's see here now, a new $850 TV or a $200 computer monitor. Of course, I've always been overly fond of real estate - and a tour of my holdings, or just a look at my den, probably proves that a little too well - so the odds favored the extra twelve inches of screen despite an increase of $650. A
Native TV SCREEN RESOLUTION at 1920 x 1080 didn't hurt either, along with
450i/p to 720p and 1080p - and at
44.1 lbs. the LC32GP1U was looking even better.
I also have new Winegard Off-Air HDTV adapters, and have one installed to my Channel Plus 5455 modulator with infrared control (channel 18). security cameras (channel 20), Motorola
DSR922 satellite (channel 14), VCR/DVD (channel 16), and DirecTv. The
Channel Plus DA-550HHR distribution amplifier (I recently replaced a
PICO Tru-Spec TA-52) in my attic also sees to it my Off-Air antenna system's digital and analog signals come in strong and clear, while also allowing multiple-room infrared targets to provide control over the
Channel Plus 5455 modulator - and the components connected to it. With my Winegard multiple and
stacked array array antennas, I already have every digital channel for 100 miles in every direction from my home - not to mention the large number of the digital and analog channels I have available. When you already have the best in signal quality, the use of such as more expensive Blonder Tongue products is un-necessary - and herein lies the means of exhaustively studying the performance of the LC-32GP1U to follow.
I made my purchase and "The Egg" had my new Sharp Aquos LC-32GP1U on my doorstep in two days time - along with a Rosewill DVI-I cable and a Rosewill DVI-D dual cable.
The package and assembly:
The new LC-32GP1U arrived well packaged in Styrofoam and the carboard box. In the box were the new glossy black TV and stand assembly, Allen-head screws and Allen wrench, assembly paper, two AAA batteries and remote control, a comprehensive user manual in Englander/Francais/Espanol, and the 5 1/2' power cord. With this Sarp Aquos purchase, Sharp has also provided a soft pink cloth for wiping the screen - I'll have to remember to use it now and then, as you don't want to contaminate any LCD screen with chemicals or liquids.
I didn't bother reading anything as I quickly placed the gloss black painted metal support into the glossy black plastic and metal base base. I noted the plastic did seem durable, and the roughly 10" x 20" base seemed very substantial at almost 8 lbs. Using the supplied Allen wrench, I had the TV assembled in minutes. I did leave the ample plastic protecting the finish in place until after I placed the new set into my cabinet for it - preventing any possible scratches.
Performance and operation:
DVI-I
My first test run was using the DVI-I connections on the set and my ASUS EN9800GTX+ Dark Knight video card in one computer. I backed out of the first time power-up Aquos menus and made no settings changes. It took only a few minutes adjusting Vista and the nVideo program for my card, and the output at the
full TV DVI resolution output of 1600 x 1000 was nothing short of beautiful. I even forced the higher full resolution the ASUS video card supports and still had no problem. The
6ms rating of the LC-32GP1U is also apparently rated to the lower end as what I saw in on-screen movement appeared better than what I have seen on some monitors rated 2ms - even better than the 5ms rating of the ASUS VW193T 19" monitor I purchased only a short while back. Of course, I certainly wasn't displeased to see the new LC32GP1U completely blew the smaller ASUS monitor completely away - just as it did the 2001 model high-resolution 36" CRT monitor I had been using in my den.
Even at the highest recommended resolutions, text was extremely detailed and clear. Colors were well on with reds being slightly pink and a slight addition of blue hues. There was zero light bleed, and color shift from large angles was impossible to see. Even
my older Aquos LC-32D50U had displayed some color shift at extreme angles That wasn't present in this new set. With daytime lighting or normal to high room lighting, the picture was always easy to watch with no discomfort from any glare - an extremely noticeable improvement over any CRT I've ever seen - and due to the low glare screen of the LC-32GP1U.
Since I use Vista x64, and have Avermedia PCIe video cards, I also turned on Windows Media Center. Whether using digital Off-Air on the PCIe card, or content from the Internet, the picture was nothing short of incredibly perfect.
Off-Air TV channels
Next, I connected a RG-6 cable from my home's antenna distribution system. This set no longer requires the two separate connections for Cable or Off-Air - that the previous LC-32D models had. Entering the menus with the source moved from input 7 (the DVI-I computer connection) to TV, I went through the
EZ-setup provided and the LC-32GP1U took a few minutes as it found and memorized each channel.
Performance was perfect on each Analog and Digital channel with a notable drop in performance on weaker Analog stations. Analog Off-Air ends in 2009, so this is no problem anyway. But, those complaining about Analog signals should know only weak signals degrade tuner performance and picture display in the LC-32GP1U. As it was before using my LC-32D50, the new LC-32GP1U had no problem finding and locking onto signals - and, as long as analog signals are strong, there is no difference in their diplay on the Aquos than using any other set.
Channel changing isn't instantaneous as it takes about a second to first aquire and then lock station signals. This probably makes direct input of channels desireable to some, while channel surfing, but Sharp has also supplied four favorite channel buttons on the remote. I still didn't find changing channels annoyingly slow, and certainly found this nothing to complain of.
HDMI
Next, I hooked my media center computer into the LC-32GP1U using a HDMI connection. Using HDMI, resolutions have to be set high enough for the HDMI circuitry to recognize which of the formats to use. My previous settings on that computer were low enough the TV recognized them as 720p. I upped those settings to the maximum using ATI Catalyst for the onboard video of this ASUS M2A-HDMI motherboard and made the same checks as I did before using the other computer with a DVI-I connection. The results were again the same, only this time I lowered the resolution to 1440 x 900 for better text sizing - while sitting back some 15' or so from the screen. The set instantly recognized this resolution as a
1080P setting and displayed it in the upper right hand corner of the screen for a moment. Again I had a beautiful picture whether using this computer's PCIe Off-Air tuner or Wndows Media Center Online content. This computer only has a DVI-D dual connection and I also used it to note no real improvement over the HDMI connection other than some slight trailing noted in fast mouse movement using the HDMI. I also watched some movies on DVD using my computer, and they were flawless in action. Due to the size only of the DVI end connections, I elected to stay with the HDMI to rather than having to cut the provided holes in my cabinet larger to accommodate the larger DVI connectors. Since the trailing only occured using the mouse, that may be only attributed to my computer mouse settings - and there was zero ghosting.
RGB/S-video/RCA The DirecTv receiver in my den also has RGB connections in addition to the S-video and RCA connections it also provides. I connected the RGB to input 3. This also required a stereo connection at input 3. At this time, I also connected the surround sound and subwoofer connections on the set to my surround sound receiver. Performance was again perfect but, of course, little better than the S-video or RCA connection that can be made at input 2. Another new DirecTv receiver will eventually change this connection to using another of the HDMI ports available on the LC-32GP1U as that reciever only supplies a 480i signal. Still, it supplies a very good picture at this lower resolution - just lacking in the details found in a 1080p picture.
A nice menu feature of the LC-32GP1U is it allows you to reassign names to the inputs for what is connected. But, instead of allowing the user to input a name, you have to use on from a selection provided.
Summation of the picture quality
It's apparent Sharp has made changes from the earlier LC-23D50U model, that most closely mirrors this set in options. The first difference is a change from 720p to 1080p. WXGA 1024 x 768 has also changed to UXGA 1600 x 1200 at the DVI connection.
Next, one can notice there is no color shift at wide angles now - and for those wondering, full HDCP support is also provided at every port.
Despite a factory imbalance to blue hues and reds, I found it was nothing hard to adjust to more correct colors using the menu, and it was never anything all that distracting. I rate the picture in the higher ranges for any LCD and a definite improvement over older Sharp LCDs as noted before. Quality was again excellent in my purchase, as once again I could find zero dead or off-color pixels - and with my vision, this would have been immediately noticed.
I watched several SEC football and Pro baseball games and again found the picture excellent in fast moving plays. There was no ghosting or blurring in action. What I could see was the blurring from the cameras used to shoot the action as the cameramen adjusted their focus during quick zoom shots and close-ups. The picture was so crisp at 1080p, I easily noticed every error made by the field cameramen as they changed their settings. That says it may be time for improvements to be made in those field cameras or some faster moving cameramen are needed. In TV use, that micro-second rating appears to be quite a bit better that the stated 6ms.
OPC (automatic brightness compensation for room lighting), as used in any of the customizable seven available picture modes, works properly in the Off and On settings, and very well in bright lighting conditions - if the user has the variable brightness control turned up or down from the zero setting in the onscreen menu. The exception is the Dynamic (fixed) setting which can, understandably, not be user customized - as the manual states and the name implies. The auto-dimming, using OPC, is also in a proper range for viewing in darker rooms - at the factory settings. Again, this worked excellent and was simple to set using the menus.
Audio
Audio is handled adequately by two 10 watt speakers that are more or less hidden from view along the lower edge of the LC-32GP1U. Base and treble is good with a decent range of adjustment at low to higher settings, but above the three quarters setting there is some distortion - not unexpected for such small speakers at a volume louder than most would want in smaller rooms. I easily converted and improved that with my
Optimus surround sound system as the LC-32GP1U provides two stereo Dolby outputs with a third for the subwoofer - in addition to an optical digital port. I activated 5-D theater on the Optimus and a large powered sub, and was immediately rewarded with full and rich encoded surround sound.
The menu allows for turning the front TV speakers off for variable control of the rear outputs using the TV remote, but I just left that as set from the factory and lowered the TV volume, while raising the fixed output volume using my Optimus surround sound for control. It's all easily done as my UHF/Infrared DirecTv remote controls the Optimus, the DirecTv receiver, and the Sharp Aquos after inputing the provided DirecTv codes. Off-Air HD TV channels took on a rich new dimension as I experienced, reproduced from the Aquos RCA ports.
Port options:Missing from the LC-32GP1U are the two i.Link ports and the RS-232C port the LC-32D50U had. I didn't find the loss of these upsetting. The ports have also been rearranged with the 75-Ohm Antenna/Cable connection now horizontal and to the side instead of toward the center and vertical. I did prefer the earlier vertical port style as it prevents bending of the 75-Ohm cable - and possibly degrading the signal. I do like there is only one cable needed now as it was difficult to install those in the previous LC-32D50U model.
Listing courtesy of Sharp:(Side)
Input 1 - AV COMPONENT in (Recommende to connect game console)
Input 4 - HDMI
(Rear)
Input 2 - S-video in RCA AV in
Input 3 - RCA Audio in Component RBG video in
Input 5 - HDMI
Input 6 - HDMI
Input 7 - DVI-I
Digital audio output - Optical audio (PCM/Dolby Digital)
Output - RCA stereo out (Dolby)
Subwoofer out - RCA mono out
Antenna - Analog/Digital in for Air/Cable (VHF/UHF/CATV)
The remote:The infra-red remote features are almost identical to the remote of the LC-D50U with the following exceptions. The two buttons for the swtching of the two 75-Ohm feeds on the LC-D50U are replaced with a "game" button. This function was reached by menu before. Behind the door on the remote the i.Link button is also now missing. Other notable features are the included remote can be programmed to control more components, but it lacks the flexibility in brands and products it had before in the older remote, and it does have a button that lights all the buttons on the remote for about 4 seconds after a press. As remotes go, I find it unremakable, and I prefer to use others. I'm sure most will be of the same mind here, and will use some other remote just as I do.
Specifications courtesy of Sharp:
Screen Size - 32" Class (32" Diagonal)
Panel Type - Advanced Super View/Black TFT LCD Panel
Pixel Resolution - 1920 x 1080
Brightness - 450cd/m2
Viewing Angles - 176º H x 176º V
Lamp Life - 60,000 hours2
Audio System - 10 W + 10 W
Tuning System - ATSC / QAM / NTSC
Dynamic Contrast Ratio with Enhanced Picture Technology - 10000:1
Native Contrast Ratio - 2000:1
Aspect Ratio - 16:9
Response Time - 6ms
Back-Light System - 4-wavelength
Limited Warranty - 1 year parts and labor from date of purchase
Cabinet Color - Black
Table Stand - Included
Power Consumption AC - 165W
Power Source - 120V
TV Dimensions - (w x h x d) TV with Stand and Speakers: 31-25/64" x 23-9/32" x 10-3/4" TV Only: 31-25/64" x 20-59/64" x 3-53/64"
Weight - TV with Stand and Speakers: 44.1 lbs. TV Only: 36.4 lbs.
UPC 074000363939
Conclusion:
Well, this is one time Jack went to town and traded his money for some magic beans that paid off. He climbed up that stalk after leaving other choices alone, and grabbed the goose with her golden eggs. Now he sits with a gleam in his eye, watching as the goose lays those brilliant golden eggs.
I couldn't be more pleased with the operation of the LC-32GP1U. I suggest its use as a computer monitor is a good one. I also feel it is a good choice for smaller rooms due to the actual 32" screen size. Once a user backs off too far, the incredible beauty of this screen starts to fade. At five to ten feet no detail is lost, but I would prefer a larger set for TV viewing at fifteen or more feet away. I also found it interesting color shift at large angles isn't present in this set - you might also. So, if this one is the right size for you, I'm sure it's a very good choice that will serve well for many years.
How good is it as a computer monitor? Well, in addition to my observations, I actually wrote this review using the LC-32GP1U as my HDMI computer monitor - and had no problem with text using 1440 x 900 resolution with my browser text size set to medium in Intenet Explorer. This was while sitting some fifteen and twenty feet away - not bad at all in my book.
For those interested, who like to see the user manual for extreme details, here is the PDF download link for the manual (manual covers both the 32" and 37" models):
http://www.sharpusa.com/files/tel_man_LC32_37GP1U.pdf
