Customer Reviews

Sharp Aquos LC-32DA5U 32-Inch HD-Ready Flat-Panel LCD TV

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

With about month of online research for which 32" LCD to purchase, the Sharp LC-32DA5U was by far the best overall choice. In a side by side screen comparison of the Sharp, Samsung LNR328W and the Sony KLVS32A10 at 3 different stores, the Sharp, to me, produced the best picture and had most accurate colors and even produced very accurate skin tones. I've also had no problem controlling the black levels. I have found that some scenes with a lot of contrast can get too dark and loose some of the mid level tones, but with some adjustments this can be corrected.

As expected, when the TV is hooked up to a basic cable line it looks just as good as my old CRT TV, with the exception of the colors being a little more vibrant. With only a few HD channel available I don't see any point in purchasing HD programming. But where you can see and immediate difference is when you hook it up to a progressive scan DVD player. If you hook the TV up using the component (RGB) connections the DVD will be displayed at 480p. if you have an upconverting DVD player and hook it up with the HDMI cable you can reach 780p or 1080i. For 3 weeks I viewed it at 480p on my old DVD player and it looked great. i was impressed. I've recently purchased an upconverting DVD player and an HDMI cable (very pricey) and it blew the 480p away. The picture is absolutly perfect. It's not quite as good as HDTV, but it is very close.

Some other things to note would be the sound. I wasn't expecting much out of stock TV speakers but this sound from this TV is definitely good. It's far better sound than any of the Sony LCD's. The TV interface and remote are very intuitive. And most importantly it was one of the cheapest LCD's out there.

If i had to list a con it would be that the base is stationary and can't swivel. no big deal though.

This is a really good untill a pixel went bad,that is dissapointing becouse it has a great picture.I cannot recomend this product,buy a Sony XBR Bravia instead,you may pay a little more but its worth it.

Let me start off this review by saying this review is for the LC-32D6U, NOT the LC-32DA5U. However, aside from different styling in the models (the D6U series puts the speaker along the bottom) and the addition of a built-in HD tuner in the D6U, they are essentially identical.

The Aquos line has earned a well-deserved reputation as having the best LCD picture around. Black levels are great, far better than the LCD screens of a year or two ago, a good thing considering that LCD is pretty much the only flat-panel option for 32" and below. There are plenty fully customizable viewing modes (about 6, I think; I find I only use 2 or 3), each with independent setting memories, and the TV remembers the picture and sound settings for each video input. It features 2 component and 1 HDMI, which should be plenty for the next 10 years or so (when reviewing the input specifications, keep in mind that some inputs are shared; i.e., the Aquos can only take certain combinations of up to 4 inputs at a time. Consider a separate switch for your lower-quality composite/S-VIDEO inputs--VCR, old video game systems--if you need more than this.) The D6U line includes a built-in HD tuner, but the DA5U does not; if you plan on watching broadcast HD then keep in mind that's going to be another separate box taking up one of the inputs; on the other hand, if you'll only be getting HD from cable or satellite, then this is a potential cost savings.

Sound is as to be expected from any TV in this range; that is, good enough if you're just watching the news or a game show, but disappointing for, say, movies where lots of things blow up. It has a processor to simulate surround sound from its built-in speakers, but I would strongly recommend, at the least, an inexpensive home-theater-in-a-box[...]. Note that the monitor outputs are ever-so-slightly delayed from the built-in speakers; you won't notice the delay compared to the video but if you have the built-in speakers and an external audio system on simultaneously you'll get an odd flanging effect, so turn down the TV's volume.

Physical build is good. The detachable base looks a touch flimsy but seems sturdy enough. Construction is mostly plastic, but mostly solid. The only potential weak spot is are the panel covers on the back which hide the wires and inputs. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but the designers seem to have decided that an extra set of easily accessible inputs on the front, top, or side just weren't needed on the D6U (and I assume the same for the DA5U.) If you have a device like a digital camera or laptop that you'll be regularly plugging and unplugging, you'll have to rig up some sort of extension cable or switchbox. Not a deal-breaker in my opinion, but something to keep in mind.

Pros: Excellent picture for an LCD, wide variety of inputs (but not many of each.)
Cons: Weak sound, no front/top/side inputs, no built-in HD tuner.

Summary: The Sharp Aquos line is the reigning king of the LCD market. If you don't need an HD tuner, this is the model to get; otherwise consider looking upwards in Sharp's line-up.

Purchased this TV from a local elecronics retailer (initials are BB) and luckily I bought the extended warranty plan. Almost like clockwork, 45 days after I purchased it, the picture went out while watching it one day. This happened a week ago and I'm still waiting for the local TV repair center that BB uses to come fix the TV or figure out if it's better for BB to replace it.

While the TV was working, it was a great picture, great sound, everything I would expect from it and more. The only reason for 4 stars is because of the lack of picture now for a week (the sound still works).

I would HIGHLY recommend an extended warranty on this item.

As an update, it took 45 days for Best Buy and Sharp to 1)figure out whose responsibility it was to fix the TV, and 2)for Sharp to get the parts to the local repair shop. I was/am extremely unhappy with both Best Buy and Sharp. I do not recommend either this TV or Sharp branded electronics based on my experience with this TV.

Another problem this TV is having is when switching from a regular channel to an HD channel the picture gets lines through it and we have to turn the TV off then back on again to get a visible picture.

Bad experience, bad TV. It's too bad, because when it's working correctly the picture is great.

I purchased this LCD from Best Buy in December, and the picture is absolutely wonderful. Extremely sharp, almost 3-D. I have had the whites show no detail only once, and that was on a snow sculpture contest when everything was white. With adjusting, the blacks are pretty good. But it is the colors that are fabulous.

As for the folks who had it break, why didn't you take it back to the store if it only occurred within a few days, or have the store pick it up. I bought the extended warranty (cheaper at Best Buy than here) for that peace of mind. I would discount any complaint of a problem within three months, since it would still be the store's responsibility.

This TV works great with my Sony DVPNS70H HDMI Single Disc DVD Player, providing a brilliant picture with my DVDs. Even with non-anamorphic DVDs, zooming the DVD to the screen's full size still shows a very sharp picture.

My story is similar to one of the other reviewers. I did about a months worth of research that led me to three 32" LCDs: Westinghouse LTV-32W1, Samsung LN-R328W , and finally the 32da5u. I decided on this Tv because of the good price I found and Sharp seems to have a good reputation with plenty of online help from other owners.

I owned this TV for about a week before I could finally get HDTV installed by TimeWarner. During that time I almost had myself convinced the TV looked good without it. I couldn't have been more wrong. I find myself watching stupid things in HDTV just because it looks so good, and I don't want to turn back to SD for anything. The bottom line is if you aren't planning on HDTV don't buy an LCD tv.

I think all the reviews out there that say the TV looks bad (and other LCDs) must've had high quality TVs to begin with. I'm coming from a 15 year old Magnavox 20" crt so for me it's like night and day. The colors are vivid, blacks are black, but I do notice the viewing angle is a little low which is noticeable as you walk across the room. In my small apartment that isn't a very big deal.

Now its time for a new DVD player...

I have spent the better part for 6 months researching LCD's and waiting for the price to come down. I finally decided on the Sharp Aquos 32 LCD and I havent regretted my decision yet. The TV comes with two comp video inputs and an HDMI slot. Setup was a breeze...just make sure you read your HDTV cable box owners manual so you can have the screen set up in the right ratio etc. If you dont have HDTV then dont buy this TV or any other HDTV...stick with a CRT. If you are a gamer then you will probably want to buy a seperate HD switcher so you can plug all of your comp video cables without switching them in and out. Another nice feature is the "hidden" compartment on the back of the TV where all of your connections go. Bind them together in the handy dandy cable tie (supplied with the TV) and you have a "neat" bundle of wires running out of the back of the TV. I didnt bother to hang mine and instead am using the base that came with it (I'm paranoid about hanging anything on a wall that cost almost $2k).

I got this TV a month ago and as soon as I took it out of the box i realized how beautiful the set is.
Once it was connected I found out that is really easy to configure and use. Right now I only get up to 480p since I am waiting until march to buy an HD DVD player. Once this new technology is on the market I will be able to get 1080i with the proper HD dvd's. If you do not have HD programming you can still buy this set since is very elegant and cheaper compare to some brands that might be supposed to be the top of brands but their TV's images do not look as good as this one.
As some other reviewers have mentioned here,if you make a research ( online or on the street ) you will find out that this is one of three best options and probably the best if your budget is not too big.

Our Sharp Aquos 32" television broke after a few days. Two months later, we have no televsion. Sharp has still not fixed, refunded or replaced our television. It is an appalling experience where you wait on the phone for an hour each time you call, get insincere responses and no action is taken to resolve the faulty product. For this reason, I would recommend selecting a manufacturer with respectable customer service.

I bought mine in November of 2005 and loved it until yesterday. For some reason the screen looks like it got shot with a bb gun in the lower right corner. This resulted in Multi- colored lines running down the right side of the screen and black lines running across the bottom.
Nothing came in contact with the screen. There is no sign of a scratch, dent,mark of any kind on the screen . It was fine the night before.
It is basically a total loss. I didn't get the extended warranty from Best Buy. When I tried to call the local authorized service centers I got no answers...
I ended up buying a new LCD TV - with an extended warranty...not an Aquos cause they don't make 32 inch anymore and I'm a bit gun shy now...