TechRadar Verdict
An LCD with a good selling point, but technologically it's not advanced enough to justify the expense
Pros
- +
Wireless idiosyncrasy
Wide viewing angle
Excellent results with TV source
Cons
- -
4:3
Wireless functionality
Lack of sound and picture presets
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The wireless LC-15L1E accepts 802.11b signals from a centrally located box, which emits all data received through the many connections. It features a rechargeable battery, and handle so that it can be taken anywhere within a 25m range.
The styling is something of a departure for Sharp, boasting rounded corners, and speakers that protrude like the ears on a certain Disney mascot.
We'd grudgingly describe it as cute, but only in a way that makes it clear that it's designed for a kid's bedroom. It wouldn't look out of place in a kitchen, but definitely makes an effort to scream 'fun' at you from the off. The stand offers a younger feel with feet-like supports, but these can be removed if required.
Despite the playful design, the screen displays the quality that we've come to expect from Sharp. All inputs are fed into the light silver, oblong box which can then be mounted, or thanks to the wireless technology, tucked away out of sight.
With only an RGB Scart and S-video (one of the latter on both the box and display itself), the options for good quality connections, are limited for a display costing £1,000. The RF lead for (analogue) television services feeds into the media box, while the infrared controller will operate this and a DVD player without too much hassle from a long distance.
Once everything is plugged in, you'll find that there's no noticeable loss of quality from the wireless technology (which transmits at 2.4GHz), and everything sets itself up smoothly with the minimum of intervention or fuss.
However, beyond this the tweaking options are minimal apart from the usual contrast, colour, brightness and sharpness controls. These limitations extend to audio as well; beyond Nicam Stereo, bilingual and monaural optimisation there's only balance and 'Wide' setting options, which we found provided a somewhat false and decidedly inaccurate soundstage.
Performance
Sharp's proven LCD technology is put to good use with images, particularly with lowly analogue broadcasts. These pictures revealed themselves to be breezy and bright, with no obvious glitches present when a strong terrestrial signal is used.
DVDs also provided images that were nice and clean, but understandably suffered thanks to the screen's small size and 4:3 format. However, in a suitably dark room, the picture turned out to be very impressive, showing no irritating ghost effects, complemented by a decent brightness level.
The LC-15L1E's failings reveal themselves with some false skin tones, overdefinition of sharp edges and some judder on fast camera pans. Otherwise, it's a very impressive performance that competes very well for its screen size, if not its price point.
As far as audio tests go, we were impressed: the speakers coped very well indeed with television programmes. Once the action DVDs kick in, however, the sound is much like the screen - just not big enough to provide those high-octane thrills.
When considering the purchase of a set like this, it's worth thinking about just how much the portability is worth in monetary terms. It's certainly a nice feature, and the set is an admirable performer in itself, but the small size of the display limits its real-world desirability to all but the most affluent gadget-lovers.
