Sanyo 52" LCD HDTV Review: A Big Screen on a Shoe String Budget

Whether it is sitting back watching a NASCAR race, enjoying their favorite basketball team or NFL football game all sports fans would agree that the bigger the TV the better. Until recently big screen LCD HDTVs had been enjoyed almost exclusively at sports bars or in he homes of the rich. Now thanks to significant reductions in production costs as well as a very competitive market, flat panel big screen televisions have seen huge price reductions in the past year. A perfect example of one of these low cost big screens is the Sanyo DP52848 a 52" LCD HDTV. Because of personal experiences with Sanyo and because of its recent popularity I have decided to get hands on with one of these televisions.

Product Styling: 3/5

Image Quality: 4/5

Product Value: 5/5

Overall: 4/5

Product Overview:

As far as styling goes the Sanyo DP52848 probably won't turn any heads in the show room. It offers a matte black frame which is a little bit of a departure from the standard glossy bezels seen on most LCD flat panels. The black frame is also a bit larger then I would like to have seen and gives the TV a budget look. The depth of this set is just under 6inches and is right on par for the screen size. However the stand it will sit on is wide and has a bulky appearance which isn't doing a screen of this size any favors. The speakers fit along at the bottom of the frame and produce good quality acoustics including impressively deep bass notes.

The DP52848 really takes off when it comes to picture. The 52" screen really dominates a normal sized living room and thankfully it totally delivers. The 1080p resolution is what insides consider full HD. With the size of this screen those extra lines of resolution are fully utilized. I found that the viewing angle was about average and fell within what I would consider an acceptable range. The contrast ratio of 1500:1 offered black levels and handled grays poorly. I would have liked to have seen Sanyo do a little better in this area.

The connectivity is great. There are 3 HDMI inputs which are about standard, and 2 component video inputs. I found that 3 HDMI inputs is adequate for the average consumer. For example think 1 for bluray, 1 for digital cable, and 1 for a video game system.

Product Value:

The Sanyo DP52848 is priced very competitively at about $1400. With out a doubt I would consider this a deal especially considering the screen size involved. I feel that most consumers will be satisfied. As far as product quality goes, I myself have owned two smaller Sanyo televisions for quite some time, one for a guest bedroom and one for a kitchen. They have operated without any flaws.