Sharp G Range - FreeView DTV decoding issues?

S

sharp_aquos_man

Guest
Hello everybody,

I have just received a 32" Sharp 32GD1E. The picture quality on DVDs is excellent, and the sound very good. I'm not an audio/video-phile, but based on a day's viewing, with factory settings, in my opinion the G range is excellent, better than what I have seen at John Lewis and Dixons from other brands (though it may well be due to the fact that their setup is no good). Just so you know, I bought mine from Unbeatable.co.uk, took 10 days to arrive, 2247.99 GBP and a delivery charge of 27.50 GPB, VAT included.

Anyway I have a question - is the quality of FreeView poor or good? Is quality consistent across channels? I have noticed artifacts of MPEG decoding (occasional blockiness, and even streaks of blocks appearing across parts of the screen) and I think it is to do with either the Sharp Aquos AV Box's Integrated Digital Tuner/Decoder, or it is to do with FreeView.

I notice that some channels such as BBC, Sky News, are of fairly high quality. While channels like The Hits, or The Music Factory, tend to be poorly encoded (or they may be originally at a lower resolution) and tend to suffer from artifacts such as the blocking.

Appreciate any advice!
Regards,
Simon
 
Hi Simon

I am interested to see that someone has got their hands on one of the new "G" models from Sharp.

Regarding your question , I am wondering if the Freeview channels are similar to DAB radio ? .
DAB radio gives lower bitrates to say Talksport and higher bitrates to music channels.

Also I guess that the larger the screen , the more you will notice artifacts.

You say you got your Sharp from Unbeatable ? , did you manage to find any other dealers with stock of the new "G" displays?


Drphibes

ps Have you noticed any screen lag with sporting programs etc?
 
DVD Movies look good, and that's with composite video. (I will be getting some component cables soon). On news channels such as Sky, the text in the headlines are very crisp. I have not watched any sport on it, but it handled a football DVD without any problem. No lag, but the picture quality was not great but that's because the DVD was quite poor. Apparently the pixel response time of the Sharp G range is <16ms. Nevertheless it is better than what I have seen in the retail shops.

Yes, the 32GD1E is available. Just google it. However, the Unbeatable price is the cheapest I've come across. If you call up Sharp Aquos, they will tell you that the G range is now shipping to major dealers and is in warehouses ready for shipping. I would have bought the 37" but it's not coming for a while yet and will probably be 1000 pounds more expensive. 3000+ seems to be the pricepoint for 37"+ lcd tvd.

Originally i ordered the 32" philips pf9986 but given the product recall, long delay time, i cancelled the order.
 
I bought LC-37HV4E and I have to say its great.

I have only used it for about a week and think the quality of sky (std) is poor compared with quality component connected dvd.

Hope you dont mind me dropping that in.
 
Not sure if it is a good guide when you compare component dvd to sky on freeview.

The compression on freeview would be a lot more than the dvd and with component you have a excellent connection method.

Good to see you are both enjoying your Sharp lcds though :D .

I was looking at the Panasonic displays but the aspect ration thread got me a little worried so the Aqous g range have got me watering at the mouth.

Any other thoughts good or bad would be welcome before i splash the cash !!!.

Drphibes
 
Thanks for the info. I don't have SKY so cannot confirm, but Sky News and Sky Sports News are fine on FreeView. However, sometimes I get streaks of blocks appear on screen and then off again, in a flash. On some channels I get a weak signal for the channel. My FreeView aerial is a rooftop aerial.
Anything like this happen to you?
 
Vary rarely.

During fast action footage the screen does block up as the compression struggles to get the screen refresh up to date. Nothing to do with the screen, but cr*p compression techniques employed in the digital signal. But I guess its a stepping stone to high quality digital tv.

With the LCD, I was concerned about the problems noted in the press regarding LCD refresh rates and the possiblity that some fast action footage may cause some bleed of colour or similar smearing.

I have experienced some of this but it is so quick you dont notice it. On such a size screen (37") its sometimes the overall effect you watch rather than minute detail. Putting this against the stunning screen resolutions (I am using it now to write this via a laptop) and range of uses, IMHO, there is no contest.

Whilst I crave perfection, this really does not effect my viewing pleasure.

Hope this helps.
 
I don't suppose anyone knows of any links to the full specs on the new G range? I cannot find a thing on the Sharp UK website ( understandable as they are so new ).

Very excited by this new range as i am looking to buy a 32" LCD before Christmas and i want a true 16:9 model ( not 15:9 ) and the latest gen connections and display.
 
These sets really do sound good.
I allready have a Panasonic freeview box so not really sure if I should spend the extra £200 or so on the Aqous with integrated freeview?.

I presume that other than the freeview tuner they are exactly the same so I guess I could treat myself to a nice stand.

At the moment I can only find unbeatable and digi uk on thw web who are selling the "g" models.
I have heard of unbeatable but not digi uk , anyone know of this company and are they good to deal with ?


Thanks

Drphibes
 
drphibes said:
I presume that other than the freeview tuner they are exactly the same so I guess I could treat myself to a nice stand.

Don't they come with a stand then ? Thats odd...
 
I cant say for the G Series but my aquos certainly did.

Its a standard cabinet mount stand with some degree of angle movement on either side. Personally I shall wall mounting this weekend.
 
UK Model is basically the USA Model

http://www.sharpusa.com/products/ModelDetailedSpecs/0,1161,1389-,00.html

When I phoned up Aquos UK they explained the model naming:

L32 - size
G - Range
D - Digital Integrated Tuner (or A for Analogue, no tuner)
1 - odd number means speaker at bottom, even means speaker at side
E - England (U for USA)

If u need specifics, ask me, as I can check the manual and the back of the AV box. At the moment, I will be ordering a DVI-I cable to hook up my laptop and check out the screen for desktop and gaming uses.

If you can wait, wait for the 37" G model to come out... :)
 
Looking at the G model spec it look identical to the current UK model but with the builtin freeview and 2 extra s-video inputs.

Useful if you dont have the external processor but useless if you do?
 
Prices for the 32" look lower than previous 30" version.

Any thoughts on what the G 37" will be?
 
sharp_aquos_man said:
UK Model is basically the USA Model

http://www.sharpusa.com/products/ModelDetailedSpecs/0,1161,1389-,00.html

When I phoned up Aquos UK they explained the model naming:

L32 - size
G - Range
D - Digital Integrated Tuner (or A for Analogue, no tuner)
1 - odd number means speaker at bottom, even means speaker at side
E - England (U for USA)

If u need specifics, ask me, as I can check the manual and the back of the AV box. At the moment, I will be ordering a DVI-I cable to hook up my laptop and check out the screen for desktop and gaming uses.

Are these inputs still on UK spec?

DVI Input DVI-I x 1
HDMI Input HDMI x 1
HD Component Input Y/Pr/Pb x 2

Also, when you do get DVI setup, can you confirm what native panel resolution is reported by the EDID.

Finally, do models with speakers at the sides actually exist?

thanks

Ian
 
Bad news , the 32GD1E has now been removed from the unbeatable site.
Anyone know any other retailers who are selling this model?.

Drphibes
 
Nope - but look at the Sharp Website here http://www.sharp.co.uk/designersedition

for the "designers edition" 37 lcd screen - what a beauty. However, is it is all sparkly trousers but no undies? Can anyone enlighten us as to it's PQ and also availability & cost in the UK?

Cheers

Frank19
 
idhutt said:
Are these inputs still on UK spec?

DVI Input DVI-I x 1
HDMI Input HDMI x 1
HD Component Input Y/Pr/Pb x 2

Also, when you do get DVI setup, can you confirm what native panel resolution is reported by the EDID.

Finally, do models with speakers at the sides actually exist?

thanks

Ian
Can anyone answer these points please? From the Sharp Website, it appears that HDMI may not be included, which would be a terrible omission in my view. I have been waiting for 6 months for the G-Series to arrive in the UK - but I don't think I'll bother is HDMI is not supported.

Also, does the UK version have the PC Card slot (for external memory - recording mpeg clips)?
 
The Specifications for the 37 inch model are HERE ... it looks as if it may not have an analogue tuner. Can anyone please confirm? That also might be a problem for me as I am in a marginal area for digital.
 

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