Spring 2006 Sharp Aquos D40/D41/D50/D90

Started a thread for D40U owners.


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=661755

Is the Samsung LN-S3251D comparable to the Sharp LC-32D40U?

I guess my question is how do I compare Samsung dynamic contrast to Sharp contrast?

I was going to buy the Samsung today but I see where the Sharp is now available at CC.

I am in the exact same debate. I have narrowed it down to these two. I do like the input selection on the Sharp a bit better but I have yet to see it in person and that is the most important thing IMO.

I really can't comment on the newest Samsung models, but they still have that damn DNle (which is why the high contrast ratio), which makes the picture look better at the expensive of detail in darkness

i.e. making all dark scenes way too dark & sometimes unwatchable & of course you can not turn it off

So the option in the menu to turn DNIe off really doesn't turn it off?????

Well I got my 32D40U yesterday but wasn't able to do a side by side compare with the Sammy. They only had 3 and no display model.

The local Circuit City had the Bravias next to the new Samsung. The first time I saw it the clip that was playing was relatively dark and the Samsung really lost detail in the blacks compared to the Bravia.

Yesterday When I took a peek before I got my D40U the clip that was playing was brightly lit desert and I liked the Samsung's picture better compared to the Bravia next to it. Looked very rich but still looked like it had a lot of black in the picture.

I really liked the Samsung looks and the swivel base is a nice touch but couldn't get over the loss of detail in dark scenes. I tried to dial it out to no avail, maybe somebody with more knowledge could. Also there is no backlight adjustment.

Anyways I'm really happy with the 32D40U so far. The contrast seems very good and I'm happy with the black levels. Haven't noticed ghosting/blurring in sports, the panel seems very fast in that regard.

Your answer in in the Samsung Thread.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=661538

All i know is that the samsung had awful lagging on an basketball game when I saw it.

Well tonight I went to the Green Bay west side Circuit City looking for the new sharp's and they were not there but my mother who was with me was absolutely stunned by how good the sony 60" SXRD looked and I agreed. I only hope that Sharp's high end 37" 1080P LCD looks near as good next spring.

there is only a option to turn on a demo of DlNe which just slices the screen in half with the DlNe turned on & the other half with it turned off

but it seems it may be turned off when you set the output to "game mode" from what ppl are saying

I went to J&R yesterday to check out the 37 inch Sharp and was very pleased with the PQ, even compared to the Bravia XBR. Then I go to the CC in Union Square today to check out the Sharp and of course the PQ is horrible. I just dont know how they think TVs are going to sell if you don't configure it properly. Neither of the times did I think the Sony XBR warranted the premium.

Aesthetics? Well, I'm not sure what to think of it. I would have preferred the piano black look of the Samsungs. Having that outer shell on the borders just didn't really seem all that great but I can deal with it I guess.

I think I'm sticking with the Sharp. Still waiting on Best Buy to get them in, though. If I go by what I saw at J&R, then I'm sure I'll be happy with the TV. Plus, having dual hdmi/component is important to me as I rather not spend an extra $200-300 to get a switch.

Now all I need is Best Buy to get the damn TVs in so I can use my reward zone membership

I, too, am wondering how much configuration can affect the way the TVs look in the store. The difference between the Sony Bravia S200 next to a last-gen Sharp of the same size was night-and-day with the Sony looking much more appealing. If there are settings that can minimalize the difference, and the new D40Us and D50/90Us are even better, then it would make more sense to get the Sharp, especially if they have a price advantage.

I believe Mike53 mentioned in the now closed sharp thread that we would notice a difference in PQ with the new d40u series relative to the older sharp models. The older sharp models weren't too shabby, so the d40u must be on par with the xbr bravias. It all depends on the feed.

The LC-32D40U showed up today at CC, and they were just rolling it out onto the floor when I got there, so I had them unbox it and hook it up right away for me. Sadly it was not hooked up side-by-side with the Samsung 3251D, which met with great aesthetic approval from the future wife the other night when we stopped in.

I'm not a videophile so I'm afraid I can't pinpoint the reasons behind what I saw like you all can, nor do I know how to configure all the settings optimally right there on the spot. I played around a bit, but aimlessly (I'm such a novice, sigh). And while I can't do a fair comparison with the Samsung because their floor model of that one was clearly defective--the screen would noticeably dim when switching from a bright scene to a non-bright scene--when it was looking OK the colors seemed markedly more vivid than the new Sharp. I wouldn't have even known to look for the phenomenon mentioned above about detail within blacks in dark scenes, so I will have to go back and see if that makes a difference to my eyes.

The Sharp was also disserviced by being set up--temporarily of course since they had both just been unboxed--right next to its 45" big brother. I was shocked at how the menu system looked to be lifted straight from the 1983 film WarGames when compared to the neat, professional looking graphics of the menu on the Samsung and the 45" Sharp. That is very petty I grant you. As mentioned the backlight is adjustable, from 0 to 16. I believe there were 3 color temperature settings (Cool, Normal, Warm was it?), compared to 4 on the Samsung. Another thing I remember thinking was that the remote control did not seem as functional to me as the Samsung's...button sizes, placement, etc.

That is not a very technical reaction I'm afraid so I apologize for that. But I am truly a blank slate on this--I have no brand loyalties or biases. I've never purchased a TV before, the only one I have had was inherited from a deceased relative. I have to determine if the Sharp looks good enough and fits my needs or if I want to spend the couple hundred extra for the Samsung.

I just got my 32" d40 tonight and am loving it. My only issue is a burnt pixel dead center out of the box

Can I take it back for a new one at CC?

How is CC about it? It doesn't go away, that is for sure, and it is noticable up close if there is a dark color behind it.

When Blue Ray or HD DVD players come out which is soon I've heard, then will find out which displays will shine. All I know is the better the signal I feed my display the more it shines. All this motion blur and lag talk will come to an end which seems like nonsense. And going from store to store and seeing how horrible PQ can be will be a thing of the past. When shopping just tell them you want to see a Blue Ray DVD or HD DVD. Then will see whose displays are the best.

I just got my 32 40u from cc, I'm not sure if I should return it. I have about 6-12 deadPixels. What should I do when i return it to cc. i also added the 5yr warranty thru CC, (Im a newb), but does ne body know a good way to set up the pic/colro/tint on this new 32


BTW: the new 32's are Aval. in Ma (East Coast)

I think that wasn't a defect, I owned a Samsung just a few months back & it did the same thing
the screen will go darker/dimmer when a scene changes in brightness
I think the term was "black flickering" I could be wrong though?


btw anyone have any luck seeing the 37" models at any Circuit City (sadly J&R & Fry's are out of my reach)
I called 4 differenet CC from a 24 mile radius & they all said the same thing: "we have 26", 32' & 45" but no 37" & don't know when they we'll get them"

Mike53 actually PM me & said the 37" shipped earlier & the 32" are the ones that are supposed to be hard to find due to high demand

very strange


return it pronto, one or two dead pixels is o.k., but up to 12?
just tell them that the screen is filled with dead pixels & is defective, they will NOT check to confirm it
they will only open the box & see if the instructions are included

Really? Ugh. That would be a deal-breaker for me on that set if it is a "feature". I mean it was literally happening every few seconds and even the CC floor guy admitted that when it happened the screen looked half as bright and vibrant as the Polaroid LCD sitting next to it.

I am hoping to drag the GF into the store tonight to look at the Sharp and get her verdict.

n00b current Sharp question: What's the difference between the D6, D4, and DA5 series besides the looks?

Is it just the cablecard slot and digital audio out? ie. Is the picture quality identical?

Not trying to be picky, but those are older 2005 models. You can download a PDF catalog with full info on them at sharpusa.com.

I already did that. As I already mentioned in my post, I want to know if they have the same image quality, something you can't tell from the PDF obviously.

I would have started another thread, but wasn't sure it was justified.

well it seems the from the posts I gathered, PQ is not that different other then maybe higher contast ratio & better blacks
then again the PQ was suppoably good to beigin with

if your looking for a big jump you might as well wait until May for the 90U, which should have a big jump in PQ with the wavelength backlight

And that wasn't what everyone was expecting? I'd be happy with just slightly better PQ (because of the higher contrast ratio) compared to the previous Aqous at a cheaper price plus dual hdmi.

taking my stuck pixel back tonight, will let you know on the 2nd unit in an hour or so.

I tried a bunch of stuff.

White pixel is stuck and is front and center.

The good news, I rubbed out the blue one on my 15".

Anyone have any comments on the quality of the sound from these units?