Sharp Aquos LC32D40U TV and buying options opinions - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

ZombieBite · 2007-02-25, 01:30 PM

After a good amount of research, I think I've decided to get the Sharp Aquos LC32D40U 32inch HDTV. It seems to have generally favorable reviews on many sites, praising its black levels as well as its value.

Assuming I get this model, there are a few buying options that I'd like your opinions on.

First, there is an open box deal at Newegg. Being open box, it says that it doesn't come with anything but the TV and may have scratches and dings on it. I normally like to buy products new, but this is a good deal. Anyone have any experience with Newegg open box products?

Then there is this deal over at Second Act. It's almost $100 less than Newegg, but is "refurbished" instead of open box. Would refurbished be a higher level of quality than open box? I figured that they do some work on refurbished products but leave open box ones alone, but it's less money than the Newegg open box so I'm not sure what to think. Regardless, the site has gotten very positive reviews and people seem to be happy with their level of quality.

And finally, we have this deal at BuyDig. Again, the site gets good reviews. Nearly $50 more than the Newegg model, but completely new.

Amazon has it as well, but it doesn't seem to compete with any of the other prices.

So there we have it. The TV seems nice, but if anyone has used it or heard anything about it, advice is welcome. Also, any experiences buying open box or refurbished TVs, as well as stories from using any of these sites would be nice to hear.

Thanks guys.

ZombieBite · 2007-02-25, 02:38 PM

Sorry for the double post, but there is one thing about this TV that confuses me. In the review by PC Magazine they mention "one feature missing from this otherwise premium remote is discrete input selection". I assume this means I'll have to surf through channels to get to component, s-video, etc input modes instead of having a button on the remote to switch. Am I right? However, over at cnet they state you "can't change aspect ratio modes with HD sources". This worries me. Does this mean I can't stretch or squish the image in different viewing options, or zoom? If not, then what?

026163 · 2007-02-25, 03:43 PM

I had this TV and returned it because of a green tint in the ATSC tuner. There is an input button on the remote, but you can't remove the inputs from the channel surfing, so to get from 69-2, you basically just have to go through the 6 inputs first. And yes when you are watching something that is HD, that is the picture that you get, no zooming, stretching ect. The lack of this feature is annoying when you are watching an HD source showing widescreen SD (and therefore a windowbox) because you want to zoom to fill the screen and you can't,

2007-02-25, 01:30 PM	#1
ZombieBite Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 3	Sharp Aquos LC32D40U TV and buying options opinions After a good amount of research, I think I've decided to get the Sharp Aquos LC32D40U 32inch HDTV. It seems to have generally favorable reviews on many sites, praising its black levels as well as its value. Assuming I get this model, there are a few buying options that I'd like your opinions on. First, there is an open box deal at Newegg. Being open box, it says that it doesn't come with anything but the TV and may have scratches and dings on it. I normally like to buy products new, but this is a good deal. Anyone have any experience with Newegg open box products? Then there is this deal over at Second Act. It's almost $100 less than Newegg, but is "refurbished" instead of open box. Would refurbished be a higher level of quality than open box? I figured that they do some work on refurbished products but leave open box ones alone, but it's less money than the Newegg open box so I'm not sure what to think. Regardless, the site has gotten very positive reviews and people seem to be happy with their level of quality. And finally, we have this deal at BuyDig. Again, the site gets good reviews. Nearly $50 more than the Newegg model, but completely new. Amazon has it as well, but it doesn't seem to compete with any of the other prices. So there we have it. The TV seems nice, but if anyone has used it or heard anything about it, advice is welcome. Also, any experiences buying open box or refurbished TVs, as well as stories from using any of these sites would be nice to hear. Thanks guys.

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2007-02-25, 02:38 PM	#2
ZombieBite Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 3	Sorry for the double post, but there is one thing about this TV that confuses me. In the review by PC Magazine they mention "one feature missing from this otherwise premium remote is discrete input selection". I assume this means I'll have to surf through channels to get to component, s-video, etc input modes instead of having a button on the remote to switch. Am I right? However, over at cnet they state you "can't change aspect ratio modes with HD sources". This worries me. Does this mean I can't stretch or squish the image in different viewing options, or zoom? If not, then what?

2007-02-25, 03:43 PM	#3
026163 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Downtown Vancouver Posts: 788	I had this TV and returned it because of a green tint in the ATSC tuner. There is an input button on the remote, but you can't remove the inputs from the channel surfing, so to get from 69-2, you basically just have to go through the 6 inputs first. And yes when you are watching something that is HD, that is the picture that you get, no zooming, stretching ect. The lack of this feature is annoying when you are watching an HD source showing widescreen SD (and therefore a windowbox) because you want to zoom to fill the screen and you can't,