TV & Home Theater

[peanut]

Hi-

I'd like some opinions please.

We are in the market for a 32" flat screen tv - our first- and we cannot decide between the Samsung 32" 1080p Flat Panel LCD HDTV or the Sharp-AQUOS 32" 1080p Flat Panel LCD HDTV?

Consumer Reports has not yet rated the Sharp per my brother but he said Samsung ranked #1.

Any thoughts out there?

Thanks-

Peanut

Message Edited by peanut on 01-13-2009 06:57 PM

[mgolfer21]

Samsung is better overall than Sharp.  I might not be a Best Buy rep but they aren't always the smartest either.  Both are great companies, but Samsung is the better overall choice in my opinion.  I just got screwed by Geek Squad am actually deciding between the same two except 720p.  Samsung is the way to go.

[katanaguy]

I have heard that Sharp uses alot of "B" screens in their sets. These are screens that the actual manufacturers reject and separate from the "A" screens. Your sales rep where ever you go to purchase probably will know nothing about this.

[Entropy]

THAT I find surprising, especially considered that 5-6 years ago Sharp commanded something like 60-70% of the OEM LCD panel market.  That is, they were the original manufacturer of the screens used in products branded by a LOT of other people - they didn't sell very much under their own name.  I am positive that not too long ago they were the #1 or #2 manufacturer of LCD panels (not fully assembled units, but the source of panels to other manufacturers) in the world.

Similarly, I'd be extremely shocked for Sharp to be using another manufacturer's "B" screens when Sharp manufactures their own panels.

Also, Korean companies like Samsung have historically had a worse quality track record than Japanese companies like Sharp, although recently (the past 5-10 years), the Korean companies have made SIGNIFICANT improvements in quality control.

[katanaguy]

I believe Sharp did make alot of their own lcd's in the past, however, please read this article:

Sharp places LCD TV OEM order with Innolux

Jan 11, 2008

Japan-based Sharp Corp. has decided to boost its production volume ordered to Taiwan-based manufacturers in an effort to raise its market share in emerging markets such as India, China, Vietnam and Russia, Chinese-language Commercial Times reports.

Notably, Taiwan's Innolux Display will be the major beneficiary of the movement, according to the report. Sharp will place an order for 100 million 32-inch and smaller LCD TVs to Innolux in 2008. Innolux is the world's second largest LCD monitor producer, and started producing LCD TVs since last year. TV production of Innolux is predicted to hit roughly 500,000 units in 2007, industry sources said in March. These has recently been a report that Sharp will sell a 6.29% stake in Taiwan-based Sampo by July this year.

[Entropy]

It may be they are outsourcing the display of the final unit (the TV itself) - LCD panel manufacturing foundries are similar in cost and complexity to IC manufacturing foundries.  I would not expect a large company with a history of manufacturing such items to outsource that part of manufacturing.  Outsourcing the task of integrating those panels into a fully assembled end-user unit is a different story.

[BBBob]

If it were me I would buy the Samsung. One reaso the ratings, another reason the reviews and another reason it is a vrey good looking set.

Bob