Roundup: 9 HDTVs
1. 42-Inch and 46-Inch TVs
The tests
We are using a new testing method very close to the one we use for video projectors? It's the same video analysis software used for the HCFR colormeter. It gives a good evaluation of brightness, depth of blacks, colour space, RGB levels, color temperature, saturation, and the gamma curve. In addition, we add practical tests (HD movie rendering, game console and TV use, etc.) which complement these purely technical measurements and give a better idea of rescaling of standard definition sources (SD) and viewing angles.
This new test suite has gradually been adapted to our ''Product Face-offs''.
This roundup includes products released within one year preceding the publication date of this article. The product selection consists solely of review units made available to Tom’s Guide by vendors. While the products listed here do not constitute a comprehensive listing of all products in the category, they do represent a broad range of what is available to consumers in this category. We will quickly update this roundup with new products as they become available to Tom’s Guide, and soon add data relating to product specifications and test dates. In other words, these roundups are a work in progress. Please check back frequently to see what’s new.
Whether you just bought a brand new television set, or you plan on buying one in the near future, there is no getting around flat panel High Definition Televisions (HDTVs) in 2009. Only a few years ago was the consumer still offered a choice between CRT-based TVs and flat panels in the marketplace. Today, CRT sets are all but extinct, and LCD and plasma TVs are now mainstream.
Even with CRT TVs out of the “picture”, there is still a myriad of choice when it comes to buying a new TV. 120 Hz, 240 Hz, LED backlighting, and Internet ready are just a few of the new features and taglines attached to the newest HDTVs in 2009.
When it comes to finding the centerpiece of your home theater, chances are you will be looking at TVs in the 40 inch to 49 inch screen range. How do we find our way through the jungle of 40 inch-plus televisions? 40 inch TVs constitute the middle ground between entry level and high end. Less expensive models, around 26 inches, often come in 40 or 42 inch versions, with the best TVs starting at 37 inches and primarily coming in the 40 to 52 inch category. So the 40 to 49 inch class is a battleground for manufacturers as well as the focus of this roundup.
HD Ready and Full HD
When shopping for that new home theater centerpiece, you will typically see two types of flat panel TVs: HD Ready and Full HD televisions. HD Ready displays come with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, while “Full HD” TVs pack a 1920 x 1080 resolution screen. When it comes to HD picture quality, the three most popular formats are 720p, 1080i and 1080p. The “p” stands for progressive, and the “i” for interlaced. On a progressive screen, each horizontal line of pixels refreshes every time the screen refreshes. With an interlaced set, only half of the lines refresh at once. On the first screen refresh, every odd line (first, third, fifth, etc.) refreshes, followed by the even lines on the next refresh. These refreshes, both on progressive and interlaced sets, happen at least 60 times per second. A TV with a screen that refreshes 60 times per second has a 60 Hz panel. Newer (and thus more expensive) flat panel TVs have 120 Hz or even 240 Hz panels.
Blu-ray, HD Cable and SD picture
While a 1080p TV will (usually) give you the sharpest picture, buying a 720p/1080i TV is not a bad choice, depending on what you use your TV for. If you know you will be watching a lot of Blu-ray movies (which have 1080p picture quality), then a Full HD set is right for you. If your TV is strictly for watching sports through cable TV, then a 720p/1080i set is fine, as most cable providers don't transmit their HD content in “Full HD” yet.
Another important aspect of HD TVs is their ability to rescale standard definition (SD) content, like non-HD cable and DVDs. If you have an extensive DVD collection, then buying an HDTV with exceptional rescaling is very important. For you cable junkies out there, cable providers are adding HD version of popular networks every day, so upscaling SD cable content will soon be a thing of the past.
Once your TV is unpacked and installed, don't forget to give the new set a proper adjustment. Depending on the lighting in the room as well as what kind of content will be on screen most of the time, adjusting the TVs contrast, brightness and color modes can make the difference between an HDTV that will blow your friends and family away and a new TV with fuzzy picture and incorrect coloring. A movie or cinema mode is usually offered as a preset, which enables automatic optimization of colors for a good marathon movie session. Once enabled, all you'll need is the popcorn and your home theater will feel like the real thing!
A good place to purchase Replica Christian Louboutin products!
I have two flat panels, a Samsung 50" DLP and a Samsung 46" LCD, both a couple of years old. Both had lots of advertising that they were 1080P in the store, but a year later, when I went to install my first Blue Ray (Sony PS3), I found out that the only 1080P input source was the Computer VGA socket. HDMI and RGB inputs are limited to 1080i input. Needless to say, I'm rather disappointed in this, and I hope this is not the case with current gear.
^
Wow you bought a 50" and a 46" tv and didnt research the inputs and outputs. I guess that was a lesson hard lived.
Test the turners for over-the-air performance. I purchased an Olevia a couple of years ago based on Consumer Reports recommendation. The turner is very poor - and Olevia is in severe financial trouble.
Reviewers also need to test the turners properly to evaluate over-the-air performance.
RE: "HD Ready displays come with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, while “Full HD” TVs pack a 1920 x 1080 resolution screen"
HD Ready implies NO HD TUNER INSIDE. It has nothing to do with resolution!
I have this and I love it.