The strengths described so far already place the LC-46XD1E well up the LCD TV league table. But a couple of issues keep it from lifting the Premier League title. The worst of these is the way fast-moving objects lose some of their resolution as the LCD panel struggles to respond fast enough to the changes in image content.

We’ve seen far worse performances in this regard, certainly, but we’ve also seen better – including, in fact, Sharp’s own step-up 100Hz LCD models due to appear in shops soon.

Exaggerated noise

The LC-46XD1E’s in your face images can also slightly exaggerate MPEG decoder noise in lower quality digital sources, and every now and then a particularly vivid colour can look a touch over-dominant.

When it comes to audio, the 46XD1E delivers more power and frequency range than expected given the diminutive appearance of its speakers, making the addition of some sort of external sound system a luxury option rather than thenear-necessity it is with some LCD TVs.

The LC-46XD1E isn’t perfect. However, its flaws are dwarfed by all the good things it’s got going on.

And let’s not forget, either, that its price tag of just £2,000 is unusually affordable for a 46in LCD TV, making an occasional performance foible easier to swallow.