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Sharp LC32RD2E 32in LCD TV

Author	John Archer
Published	7th Jul 2007
Manufacturer	Sharp
Price	£557.39 (Exc VAT)
as reviewed	£641.00 (Inc VAT)
Latest Price	Click here

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The 32RD2E’s native resolution is 1,366 x 768 rather than the full HD 1,920 x 1,080 count of Sharp’s XD1E models – a shame, perhaps, but hardly a surprise on a TV that’s only 32in across. It’s also possible that applying 100Hz to a full HD pixel count throws up some tricky issues when it comes to the level of processing power required. But that’s really just speculation on our part.

One other key claimed spec that’s certainly far from disappointing is a contrast ratio of 10,000:1. This, if memory serves us right, is the highest such figure we’ve ever seen on an LCD TV, and raises high hopes that the 32RD2E will not be bothered by LCD’s traditional black level issues.

Naturally this contrast ratio comes with a kind of catch, in that it’s achieved via a dynamic backlight system that reduces the screen’s brightness during dark scenes to produce a deeper black level. But similar systems are almost universally employed by good LCD TVs now, so provided it’s handled well, its positives should comfortably outweigh its negatives.

Other interesting features of the 32RD2E are pretty limited. A film mode is on hand to tweak the set’s progressive scanning so that movie sources look smoother, and there’s a black level booster option to further up the black level performance. But everything else is pretty much standard.

Settling down to watch the 32RD2E’s 100Hz system in action produces some truly startling results – but not always in a good way.

The good and bad things about the 32RD2E’s 100Hz system both stem from the fact that it is easily the most powerful such system we’ve seen. For instance, as Bond strolls around the casino in the Blu-ray of Casino Royale, he suffers practically no loss of resolution whatsoever. Every last one of Daniel Craig’s craggy features remains perfectly clear and sharp. Seriously: moving objects look sharper than we’ve ever seen them on an LCD TV before.

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