I'd disagree. On my Pioneer set, turning sharpness all the way down doesn't just stop sharpening, it actively softens the image. Bizarrely 'off' seems to be about -3, even though the scale runs from -15 to +15. It's unlikely that settings for Sony or Panasonic TVs will be the same. You need to get hold of a test pattern with a grid or at least lines with high contrast (white on black, for example). Turn sharpness down to the point where any ringing or smearing between the foreground and background disappears, but no further. Digital Video Essentials includes a really good pattern for setting sharpness.