We’ve already seen and thoroughly enjoyed 42in and 46in models from Sharp’s potent new XD1E range. But today we’re stretching Sharp’s talents to a whole new dimension with the massive 52in 52XD1E – one of the UK’s biggest commercially available LCD TVs.
Two things strike us positively about the 52XD1E right away. First, at £3,000 it’s really not expensive for such a large LCD offering. Second, it looks great; its slender, glossy black screen bezel combined with a silver wave of speakers along the bottom should deliver a style boost to any living room.
Connectivity is likeable, with two HDMIs, a D-Sub PC port, Scarts plus a common interface slot that reveals the TV to have a built-in digital tuner. One thing there isn’t, though, is a dedicated set of component jacks. For component feeds you have to use a provided adaptor and the PC port; a satisfactory solution so long as you don’t simultaneously attach separate PC and component video sources.
When it comes to features, the most important is the 52XD1E’s full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. This should make it a real friend of the UK’s hi-def sources, especially since Sharp provides the option to show 1920 x 1080 sources on a 1:1 pixel basis, without any overscanning. The HDMIs will also take 1080p feeds if you happen to have a source that can deliver them.
Intriguingly the 52XD1E offers a faster response time and a better contrast ratio than the smaller models in the same range: 4ms (vs 6ms) and 10,000:1 (vs 6,000:1) respectively. This raises hopes of an even better all-round performance.
The only other features we should cover are a dynamic backlight that adjusts its brightness depending on the darkness of the source image, and truD image processing that improves horizontal motion, sharpness and contrast.
Full-on Sharp
Our Revenge of the Sith Sky HD recording looks great on the 52XD1E. Particularly striking is the extra clarity compared to Sharp’s smaller models. This is partly down to the simple fact that you can better see the benefit to detail reproduction of a full HD screen. But it also seems, during the opening space battle, that motion is better handled than on the smaller models, with slightly less loss of resolution as objects cross the screen.
