Sanyo DP19648 19" LCD TV

Have an old school computer that my kids play old school Windows 95 games on.  The monitor went on it.  So, what is a guy to do?  I also faced the dilema of having two gaming systems on the same TV.  So now I face kids squaring off on each other with who gets to play and who does not.

So, genius that I am I decided to replace the monitor with an HDTV instead of a monitor.  The cost was a touch more but I figured I could get 2 things accomplished in one shot and be able to throw out a 20+ year old TV to boot.

Hooking up the computer was a snap, just like any other monitor, screw in the cord and you are done.  I played with the resolution of my computer and the games that I had been playing on a 14 year old monitor now had a new crisper view and looked new.  I actually caught myself wanting to revisit old games I had not played in years.

Next was the 360.  I hooked up the component cables and allowed the TV to search for the input.  Bam, brilliant gaming in the blink of an eye.  Going from a analog TV (480i) to an HD TV (720p) makes a big difference.  It was like the jump from analog cable to digital satelite.  I don't think I can go back to analog.  After messing with the brightness and such in the menu, I truly enjoyed some online gaming with my kids.  19 inches really is not big enough for 4 player co-op so this set is best for 2 player co-op only or single player.  Halo 3 may have to be played in groups or I'll just have to move the 360 back downstairs when we all want to play.

The blacks are usually the biggest complaint on LCD's as well as the motions of quick moving characters.  I own a Toshiba 32 inch LCD and I did not see much of a difference in picture.  The TV has a low/medium/high setting for brightness, so if you want to save some energy, you can do so.  I found the low and medium settings not all that great for gaming, so this set will be on high most of the time.

I hooked up the same set of rabbit ears I use on my bigger LCD and was able to pull in the same stations that my other set does.  No problem.  The picture though did not seem up to the same standards as my other HD set.  I don't know if it is the size difference of the two or if it is the difference in brands.  Sanyo is on the lower end of HD set pricing, so I did not expect it to top my Toshiba.  It did however give me decent sound and a picture that I would watch every time if given a choice between digital satelite box or OTA (over the air) HD.  I plan on watching a lot of sports with the set as well as rigging it in our SUV so we can play games on it while we take long drives.  It is a good set for the price, but does not compare to the higher end models in HD TV.

Finally, the weight of this set is incredible.  It says it weighs about 10 pounds with a stand, but it feels lighter than that to me.  The hookups are on the left side when looking at the screen, and I prefer that to the back like most sets this small.  The back of the set is compacted to a smaller space so you get several inches on both sides of the set that are screen only making the set look thinner than it really is.  Quite good if you ask me.  It gives the set a style that is different. 

Now for the technical mumbo jumbo.  The TV has both the ATSC and NTSC tuners even though the analog one will be obsolete soon when all TV goes digital.  It delivers 1440 X 900 resolution and a 850:1 contrast ratio.  This is supposed to give deeper blacks and whiter whites.  The TV has 2 component video, 2 A/V hookups one with S-Video, and a PC hookup.  No HDMI to speak of, so that is the one big setback that I have with this TV.  Other brands I looked at in this price range had it.  It has a 4-watt amplifier with two speakers and coaxial digital output.  This TV nor any TV of this size is going to have quality sound, so if you are looking for it, use the coaxial digital out and then you'll have what you are looking for.

The TV can be mounted on a wall, but I really don't see why you would do that unless you live in a dorm or small apartment.

Overall, this TV is very good for what I bought it for.  Watching everyday TV is not really in the mix, but it could be done with better picture quality than my big screen.  The 360 we have looked great on it, so I am hoping to have this set until one of my kids heads of to college and absconds with it.