I have a secret. I’ve been playing my XBox 360 on a standard TV ever since I got it almost two years ago. The reason? I can’t afford a new HD TV nor does my PC monitor have HDMI connectivity. Yep, I’ve been living it up with Saints Row 2 OG style!
While I’ve been having some trouble reading small text on the screen during play, I don’t really mind. See, you never really bother with stuff like that when you don’t have the money to replace your second-hand home display just yet. Recently stumbling upon a pile of cash (loads upon loads), however, I’ve been on the market for a modest HD-capable set and the Aquos LC-32GP3U (a 1080p LCD TV intended for console gamers) looks like a good one to get. At a 32-inch screen size, it’s not one for home theater enthusiasts, but should work just fine for a console-hugger like myself (who isn’t a home theater enthusiast, by any means).
The LC-32GP3U isn’t new. In fact, it’s probably been on the market for about a year. I’ve heard great things about it, though, and since it’s targeted specifically towards the console crowd, I thought I’d give it a whirl.
Vyper-Drive
The first big selling point of Sharp’s gaming TV is the inclusion of the “Vyper Drive,” a technology the company claims will massively reduce lag time between my Xbox 360 and the display. In all honesty, I’ve never even considered that such a problem existed – my God, so there was a lag time through all those games I’ve completed? Due to my technical ignorance of response delays between the console and my TV set, you can just imagine how uninteresting the “Vyper Drive” has been so far. Maybe if I plugged in my dusty Super Famicom, I will notice a difference….
Picture Quality
Having come from playing on a standard TV set, I have to say the difference in picture quality is night-to-day. I don’t have much of an opinion compared to other HD sets, though, since I’ve only used a few for gaming. From what I can muster of TV tech-speak, I’ll say this: the colors are sharp, the motion is amazing and the brightness is just right. There are none of the problems I’ve heard of some LCDs, like ghosting, but it could just be my untrained eyes working.
The Rest
I was duly impressed with the wealth of offerings when it comes to connectivity: 3 HDMI ports, 2 component, 3 composite, one for S-Video, and another VGA. Sound is amazing – yep, you heard that, the built-in speakers with woofers were really, really good. The remote control even included a “Game” button so your TV jumps right back into the active game after you flipped channels a bit to catch the latest on Lindsay Lohan at TMZ. Add to that Sharp’s history with the build quality of the Aquos line and this is one worthy piece of electronics.
Here’s the kicker, though: this 32-incher costs just a shade under $1000, with the lowest price I’ve seen online at around $850. After seeing a ton of other HD units that come much cheaper, I think I’m taking my loot elsewhere.
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