The 32-inch 32F630 offers not only Sharp’s elegant X-Flat cabinet design, but a flat picture tube, which not only looks cool compared to a conventional, bulbous screen, but also provides a high-quality, high-contrast picture–partly owing to the screen’s ability to reduce reflected ambient light, but also due to Sharp’s contrast enhancer and velocity-modulation scan technology. A great feature called V-compression even lets you view widescreen (letterboxed) DVDs in their native aspect ratio, in full resolution–none of the set’s abilities are wasted in rendering the black bars necessary to display a movie in its original aspect ratio.

Velocity-modulation scan improves the definition at picture edges, creating sharper images by slowing the CRT (cathode-ray tube) beam’s horizontal scanning during demanding work–say, when rendering transitions from light to dark parts of an image–and speeding it up when scanning easily rendered sections, like broad dark areas. The 32F630’s three-line comb filter further enhances resolution by removing blurred edges between colors and reducing dot crawl (tiny, moving dots of color along a sharp color separation in a vertical line, as in a depiction of a character’s striped t-shirt).

The set provides stereo audio (with five watts per channel) from broadcast programming via Multi-channel Television Sound (MTS), which permits broadcasters to encode stereo audio within the video portion of TV programming signals. EquiSound keeps differing program levels from blaring out at you.

A component-video input grants optimum connection with a compatible DVD player, while standard composite- and S-video inputs accommodate all DVD players. You can choose between a set of rear AV inputs and a set of front AV inputs (tasteful hidden when not in use) for extra convenience. A rear audio output lets you hook the set up with a surround receiver; you can choose a fixed- or variable-level output (variable lets you adjust the volume through the TV’s remote).

If you don’t have a six-channel speaker setup for DVD audio, you can still make every movie night the ultimate experience: SRS TruSurround simulates surround sound through two speakers (even the stereo speakers on your TV). The set also features a trilingual onscreen display (English, Spanish, French), ID labeling for channels and inputs, closed-caption display, V-Chip parental control, a sleep timer, and a universal remote control.

What’s in the Box
TV, remote control, remote batteries, and a user’s manual.

Product Features

• 32-inch TV with flat picture tube for high-contrast images and dual-tuner PIP; 34.61 x 27.99 x 22.01 inches (W x H x D)
• V-compression lets you view widescreen DVDs in their native aspect ratio, in full resolution
• Velocity-modulation scan improves the definition at picture edges, creating sharper images
• 5 watts per channel audio power, fixed/variable analog-audio outputs, EquiSound program leveling
• Component-, composite-, and S-video inputs; front-panel jacks accommodate a camcorder or gaming console