Bargain found: receiver / DVD player

[lvzardoz]

I noticed postings are a bit thin so I thought I'd pass along information on a recent purchase I made at a great price.

It is the Sharp SD-SH111 audio/video receiver/DVD combo, list price is $700 but I got it for $139. Most internet sites are still selling the unit for over $500, example:

http://tinyurl.com/hgb1

Here is where I bought it:

http://tinyurl.com/hgb4

Here is Sharp's product page:

http://tinyurl.com/hgb7

I was a little surprised when the unit I received was a brushed-silver color instead of black as shown in the product photo. However, is was a pleasant surprise since it looks more stylish to me and goes better with my living room furniture. So, if you plan to purchase I suggest you leave a color choice in the COMMENTS section of the ordering page.

My impressions:

THE GOOD:

(1) looks, stylish and small, only 4 inches deep plus 1.5 inches for speaker terminals

(2) sounds as good as my Sony receiver, albeit without Sony's 100 watt rms per channel

(3) separate component out or s-video connections for DVD to TV video connection.

(4) 5.1 Dolby II for up to 6 speaker connections, front, rear, center, subwoofer

(5) Variable crossover frequency for optional subwoofer output

(6) DVD player also plays CD, VCD and CDs with MP3 soundfiles

(7) Included remote control can also control both external TV and VCR

(8) Digital optical input and output connections

(9) Delay distance adjustment for speakers not equidistant to listener position

THE BAD:

(1) No knobs, almost everything must be controlled and set up with remote control

(2) Two-sided remote control, back closed when not using VCR and more esoteric functions

(3) Initial setup requires patience and more programming skill than usual

(4) FM/AM presets cannot be individually erased, you must mass erase then reprogram

(5) Receiver is not setup for maximum loudness, you must readjust front speaker levels +10db

(6) If only using two speakers, you should turn off rear speakers and center speaker

(7) Most programming requires remote control plus on-screen DVD to TV display

(8) FM/AM programming requires remote control plus receiver up/down tuning buttons

(9) Almost 18 inches wide, too wide for some entertainment center shelves

[Vin DSL]

Sharp!