Sharp Aquos LC37XD1E review

The headline act on Sharp's Aquos LC37XD1E is its support for 1080p material, meaning that you can get the very best out of Blu-ray, HD DVD and next-generation games consoles.

It joins a growing list of 'Full HD' tellies. But as we start to see more 1080p screens appear, manufacturers need to do more to distinguish them from the crowd, especially as you'll still end up watching far more standard-definition content than high-definition.

Design
This is easily one of the most stylish televisions on the market. There is nothing new in the 'piano-black' used, or the cunningly hidden speakers, but Sharp has done a great job at making them work well together.

The remote control is heavy but feels well-built. It tapers towards the top in a slightly unusual style -- it's not especially pretty, but the commonly used buttons are easy to find and large enough to press. A flap at the bottom hides some controls, although we're not sure why as we had to use them a fair amount, especially the button to adjust the aspect ratio and turn off the picture optimisation.

The remote control isn't pretty but it's simple to use

Sharp has made some odd decisions about inputs on the LC37XD1E. It gets top marks for including two HDMI inputs and there are also two Scart connectors, one of which is RGB-enabled, so you won't struggle to hook up your older equipment.

Unfortunately, the component video input is far too complicated. Instead of putting dedicated ports on the TV, Sharp has provided a breakout cable, which connects to the PC input. Not only is this untidy, but you'll also find that to switch between PC and component you need to go into the menu system. Separate component inputs would be much better.

The stand is very simple, only taking a few minutes to put together. The TV is lifted on to it, and bolted in with four screws at the rear. You can also wall-mount the television with an optional kit for £130 (ask for part number AN-37AG2).

Features
Setting the TV up is easy. When first turned on, it asks a few questions about the country and language settings you would like to use and then searches for analogue television stations. Once this process is complete, you need to enter the menu system and tune in to any digital stations available in your area. This is still an automatic process, but it doesn't happen during the initial installation.