The sound quality during normal television dialog or through the Audio section of MediaSmart was better than many displays, most likely due to the 20 watt speakers included with the SLC3760N. However, all flat-panel speakers are severely limited when it comes to audio performance for movie soundtracks, music and even dialog. As always, a home theatre audio system is recommended.

PC Monitor

HP does not include a VGA input for using the SLC3760N as a computer monitor. I attempted to use a DVI cable instead of the VGA cable, but since the full 1366x768 resolution of the display is not a standard computer resolution, I was unable to achieve 1:1 pixel mapping with the SLC3760N, and the results were scaled and choppy. Curiously, the LC3760N, which does not include the MediaSmart functionality, does not include a VGA input either. Not having this input is a significant shortcoming, because many new buyers are using their LCD displays as large computer monitors.

Conclusion

The HP SLC3760N is a very attractive display with a cool media player that will certainly impress viewers and listeners. Being able to view photos, play videos and listen to music from a remote computer is a great feature, especially for showing home movies or photos. The television is also a very high-quality performer with commendable contrast performance, excellent colour accuracy and saturation, and very little in the way of video noise or scaling artifacts.

Despite some minor shortcomings, such as no VGA input and no stretch mode within the HDMI input, the major issue with the SLC3760N is its price. $1,999 is a lot to pay for a 37" LCD display, a full $700 more than the LC3760N that doesn't include the MediaSmart feature. There are other stand-alone products that perform similar functions as MediaSmart, such as the Netgear Digital Entertainer and D-Link DSM-520, and they cost only $200 to $400. This means that you are paying a significant premium to have a "fully integrated" network media player.

Bottom line: if you want a slick looking and acting HDTV with very good image quality and a cool streaming media player, and a bit of extra cost doesn't phase you, the SLC3760N might be worth a look.