Sharp - Trusted Brand and Excellent Buy

When purchasing a TV on my own for the first time, I was very pleased to find such a vast array of 27 inch TVs in the $200-300 price range. I read Consumer Reports and determined which brands had the best ratings in terms of reliability. JVC and Sharp were among the list of lowest probability of repair necessary, and these were brands I knew and trusted. I wanted to be able to buy a TV and not shell out $60 for some extended, 4 year warranty pushed by the retailer (in this case it was Best Buy). I had the choice between a JVC and Sharp 27 inch stereo TV. These 2 models were almost identical, but the Sharp was about $10 cheaper. I had a hard time distinguishing the difference in picture at the store, but both were very good. My friend and I were convinced finally that the Sharp did indeed look better, and so I purchased this model.

After having the TV for a month, I am very pleased with its performance. The picture is excellent, the sound is ok through the TV speakers, but I have hooked up a stereo to receive the sound, which makes the sound much fuller. I'd recommend doing this if you get this TV, because the sound quality in most TV speakers is very weak. I also purchased a DVD player, and thankfully, this Sharp TV has component, S-video, and composite inputs for the hook-up of my player. One unique feature that few other TVs have is a widescreen ratio button to switch from 4:3 to 16:9. This Sharp TV has that option, and it works rather well if your movie is in widescreen format. I'm still tinkering with this option.

The reception the TV gets is ok, I do not have cable, but with a decent antennae, the reception is as good as one could hope for. I've enjoyed watching the MLB playoffs, especially since it's broadcast on a strong signal station. The picture is superb. The amount of tweaking you can do with the picture is also amazing. The menu is easy to follow and the remote makes operations very easy. The remote actually glows in the dark! Wicked!

Well, all I've said to this point is positive. I've tried to think of a few negatives, so here goes:

1. This TV has a silver cabinet. I've noticed that it collects dust rather quickly and leaves black marks on the cabinet if you aren't vigilant about dusting it. This isn't a major problem because it in no way affects performance. Cosmetically, it is sort of unappealing.

2. Granted, most TVs weigh alot, but this one is extremely heavy in the front. I couldn't get the box into my car when I was leaving Best Buy, so I had to unpack the TV and fit it in my car without all the packaging. Carrying the TV up a flight of steps to my apartment was difficult. It took two people to do this. But this is a one time occurence and I shouldn't be complaining.

This is an excellent buy for a first-time TV buyer. I think 27 inches is plenty big enough for a basic living room, and this TV has delivered all it's promised so far. My DVDs look great and when I get cable, this TV should support it rather well.