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The LC-52D64U is a joy to watch. The color is rich without being oversaturated. If you ever want to see how your TV handles a wide range of colors, buy, rent or borrow What Dreams May Come, (the HD version, of course). In the scene when Robin Williams wakes up in heaven and slips and slides through the Technicolor landscape, the AQUOS handled the shimmering, polychromatic flora and fauna with sublime aplomb.

Skin tones are right on the money. I have noticed with other TVs that colors, especially skin tones, have a tendency to wander. You think you have it set just peachy and then they drift. The AQUOS was solid.

Displaying detail in the shadows of a scene presents a real challenge for LCDs. I always feel there is a tradeoff with an LCD. They tend to reveal the subtleties in the darkness by adding a little too much light, which makes the blacks dark gray. I could see this characteristic in the dark, subterranean, candle lit lair of the Phantom.

With every new generation of LCDs, this graying artifact is becoming less and less the case. In the LCD realm, the LC-52D64U, (with a stated 10,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio), acquits itself quite well. I know I sound like a broken record, but just don't expect plasma blacks.

I am happy to report that this Sharp handled standard definition TV programs rather well, much better than many TVs I have reviewed. Luckily the move to HD is marching on. By next fall, with Oprah and Survivor going high def, I think we will have reached a welcome tipping point.

If your PC's video card does not have a DVI or HDMI output, then you will need to connect it to the TV with a VGA cable. With this input, the TV is compatible with resolutions up to UXGA (1600 x 1200). For me, the best setting was 1360 x 768.

After switching from Dynamic mode and toning down the Backlight, reading Internet pages was good, not great. Images in Photoshop were sharp and it's always a pleasure to work with this size screen. If you missed 30 Rock or The Office, the stream from the NBC site looked respectable. Though I still prefer to watch from my HD DVR.

For those of you whose lives are idling until Grand Theft Auto IV releases, this 4ms response time Sharp does have a Game mode. Basically all it does is change some of the Picture settings. And you can activate a Game Play Time clock that will remind you every 30 minutes that you have whiled away another half hour of your life. Seriously, would any true gamer ever turn this feature on?

Finally, the two 15W integrated speakers are robust enough to handle high volume, but I wouldn't listen to Vivaldi through them. The sound reproduction is adequate for the NBA playoffs but not a home theater. You have treated your eyes to the visual wonders of this AQUOS. Delight your ears with an equally high quality A/V receiver and speaker system.

With its lush rendering of HD content, the 52" LC-52D64U would serve as a great visual foundation for a home theater. For those who prefer NASCAR or Gossip Girls or Sunrise Earth, this no frills, user-friendly AQUOS provides an enticing TV watching experience.