Samsung LN32A450 LCD HDTV

Best Price Samsung LN32A450

Westinghouse TX-42F430S 42" 1080p LCD HDTV

By The HT Guys

A few weeks ago we learned that most consumers put a heavier emphasis on cost than any other specification when selecting an HDTV. So we decided to obtain and review a TV that can be considered a value brand. While not the cheapest TV on the market today the Westinghouse TX-42F430S is definitely a value for what you get. This Westy has many of the cool features that the more expensive tier 1 TVs do and a couple that they don't.

Features

1080p with ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuners

Four HDMI inputs

8 msec response time

1000:1 CR

Autosource switching

Spine Design

The TV has a clean black design that looks very professional. We have not been impressed with previous designs from Westinghouse. But this one will complement any room that its placed in. The TV looked good when it was turned on as well. We found the picture was clear, bright, and had good color. The only issue we could find with HD sources was the black level. We found that the TV could not match the black levels of the SONY Bravia. Fast motion looked good but if you looked very carefully you could see some motion blur.

Another area the current model improves over past models that we have watched is the off angle viewing. We found that you can pretty much sit anywhere in the room and see the picture with minimal color degradation. Looking at detail we were pleased with the results except in dark scenes. Bright HD content looked as good as tier 1 panels. Standard Definition content did not fare as well as HD did. This is pretty much true with all HDTVs with the exception of Plasma.

The only way for us to evaluate 1080p Content was to use our HD DVD player and watch movies. We loaded up Back Draft, Bourne Identity and The fast and the Furious. All looked good but our favorite was The Fast and the Furious. The video looked very smooth even during the fast racing scenes. The Bourne Identity was also watched via and upconverting DVD player at 1080p which looked quite good. We were also pleasantly surprised when we set the DVD player to output a 480i signal. The TV did a decent job of scaling and de-interlacing the picture on its own.

Other Things to Consider:

The audio is OK so if you are using the TV in a bedroom you are probably OK. If you want to use it as your main system, a Home Theater System is recommended. We felt the Menus were clean and easy to navigate although we did not like the remote control (when have we ever liked a manufacturer's remote). The TV has a cool feature called Autosource. Autosource will automatically switch to a input when it becomes active. So say you are watching your TV via a Set top box and then you turn your DVD player on, the TV will switch to that input for you. It does make programming a remote a little easier but in our case it was a pain. With our Mac Mini always on there is no way to automatically switch to the Mini. Likewise you may not turn your DVR off so switching back automatically is not possible. You can see that it could become more hassle than its worth. The good news is that it can be turned off. The TV also has a cable management system called "SpineDesign" which means the cables are plugged into the TV down the middle of the TV kind of like a human spine. The cables waterfall off to the sides. The TV measures 42.2" (107 cm) x 27.0 " (68.5 cm) x 5.5" (14 cm) (w/o Base) and weighs 61.1 lbs (27.7 Kg) (w/o Base)

Sony KDL-46XBR4 46 inch LCD HDTV

By The HT Guys

Summary: A nice TV when a good quality HD signal is present, but a bit on the pricey side.

As you would imagine, being a close friend of the HT Guys comes with some benefits. We have a friend that just bought the Sony KDL-46XBR4 46 inch LCD and a Sony Blu-ray player. He asked for some help setting the TV up and of course we said yes. Well, we said yes because it provides good material for our show. Our friend uses Cox cable, OTA and Blu-ray for his HD material.

Features

1080p

10-bit Processing and 10-bit Display

Motionflow™ 120 Hz with Full HD high frame rate capability

Deep Color Support

24p True Cinema (24p Input Capability)

DMeX - Ready (Digital Media Extender) - Sony's Digital Media Extender (DMeX) ready televisions offer a digital connection path for the addition of the optional modules like the new BRAVIA Internet Video Link. 6 With innovative DMeX expansion capabilities featuring the Emmy® award winning XMB user interface, these models are not merely TVs, but powerful entertainment platforms that not only meet your needs today, but extend to add new features seamlessly.

Impression

The TV looks visually appealing and has a high build quality. There is a clear plastic frame that goes around the TV. The TV weighs 84 pounds (38 Kg) with the pedestal and measures 49.7" (126 cm) wide by 31.3" (79.5 cm) high by 17.7" (32 cm) deep (4.8" (12 cm) without the pedestal). We immediately took the TV off the default setting and changed it to cinema. Cox cable looked very bad. So bad that we recommended switching to satellite. Braden has Cox as one of his sources so his impression was that Cox does not look that bad on his TVs. It could be that this TV does not do well with compressed sources. OTA HD looked much better. In general OTA digital channels looked better than the SD coming from the Cox cable box.

We then popped in a Blu-ray disc (Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer) and were quite impressed with the picture. We saw great detail in the picture and found that the skin tones looked very natural. Color representation was highly accurate. The TV has very good black levels for an LCD. We found that computer generated scenes looked fake for some reason. The skiing scene looked very good. There was a lot of contrast between the white snow and the blue sky. The TV has a Contrast Ratio of 2,000:1. We liked the off angle viewing of this TV. While not on par with Plasmas, it's much better than most LCDs we've seen.

Next we started playing around with the settings to dial the TV in. Our friend was happy with the pre-configured cinema settings and was getting antsy about us spending so much time with his TV. In the end, our quick calibration made the picture even better. Our calibration settings are included at the end of this review, but please use them as a starting point only. We ended up turning the all the special processing off, but you can play around with those to see if you like what you see. With HD film based material, we felt the Motion Enhancer took away from the viewing experience. With SD material it actually improved the picture. This is very subjective so if you plan on buying this TV or you already own one, experiment with these settings.

Once we had it dialed in, we went back and watched the Fantastic Four Blu-ray disc. It was clear to all that we had indeed improved the picture. Our friend was happy we came by. It was everything we said before about the clarity, color, and detail but improved. We also watched Standard Definition DVDs (Spider Man 3, 27 Dresses, and Enchanted) after calibration and were pleasantly surprised at how good the picture looked. The motion enhancer actually improved the picture. Our recommendation is to screen parts of the movie with the motion enhancer on and then turn it off, and see which one you prefer. You'll soon figure out what types of movies this will help and what types it won't help. Unfortunately we do not have a clear cut answer for its use.

Conclusion

Overall, the Sony makes for a nice TV when a good quality HD signal is present. If you have an overly compressed signal via OTA or Cable you won't be happy with what you see. To really show off this set, you should also consider buying a Blu-ray player. Please do not leave the set in its default settings. At a minimum switch it to Cinema mode. Better yet calibrate it with any of the calibration DVDs or have a professional do it for you. This TV will really show its stuff when set up properly. The only negatives we can find are that its optical output does not do 5.1 for anything other than its ATSC tuner (but this is the case with almost all TVs), and that it's a bit on the pricey side.

Calibration Settings (Use only as a starting point)

HDMI Settings (Blu-ray)

Picture Mode: Custom

Backlight: 3

Picture: 66

Brightness: 45

Color: 57

Hue: 0

Color Temperature: Neutral

Sharpness: 38

Noise Reduction: Off

Advanced Settings

White Balance:

R-Gain: 0

G-Gain: -5

B-Gain: -5

R-Bias: 0

G-Bias: -5

B-Bias: 0

Color Space: Standard

Detail Enhancer: off

Edge Enhancer: off

Everything else set to off

Motion Enhancer: off

Mitsubishi LT-46148 LCD HDTV - Review (3/3)

By Richard Fisher

Maintenance

None that I am aware of.

Problems

During the HQV Benchmark Blu-ray test I was checking how the 120 Hz processing was responding to the panning stadium test which requires bringing the menu up and multiple cursor key presses to navigate to the setting finally exiting from the menu to view the image. On one occasion the menu was stuck on the screen and all controls locked out with no way to recover without pulling the AC cord from the wall. I just let it sit and fortunately within about 1 minute the display recovered returning to normal.

Viewing Angle

The display offers a wide horizontal left to right viewing angle without the typical washed out look of older generation LCD panels. It does slightly change the black levels and slightly discolors at extreme angles. Vertical angles were another story and in that case the display did significantly wash out and discolor. If you are installing the display over a fireplace for example you will want to use a mount that tilts it downward to try and maintain a 90 degree viewing angle to your favored sitting position. If you are using the display at a normal screen height lined up with your viewing positions, either mounted on the wall or using the supplied stand, you should be fine.

If viewing angle is important in your application there are other brands that perform better in both the vertical and horizontal planes.

Subjective Viewing Results

As noted in the bench testing portion the display is not inclined towards ISF calibration but does provide a surprisingly good response with factory settings. The only time calibration errors were clearly visible was when viewing content I am intimate with limiting such perception to test materials or menus from sources.

With the Smooth 120 Hz LCD Processing turned off, a variety of material and sources were viewed for over two months with not one complaint. There were rare occasions where having Smooth 120 Hz turned off revealed significant motion artifacts with 24 or 30 frame sources. Nobody in the house wanted it turned on due to the artificial CG outcome of the feature and I was the only one who ever noticed the occasional motion errors.

The display has ample light output, a great contrast ratio and the appearance of deep dark blacks. The unique back lighting design provides a wide range of light output to match your viewing environment. Image details were sharp and crisp. HD sources looked fantastic along with upscaled SD content from DVD or from a TiVo Series 3 DVR and cable service. If you are not going to provide sources that upscale to HD, using the internal Plush 1080p scaler of the display instead for standard definition sources such as the antenna input for analog cable, you may wish you had your old analog TV back. SD scaling is quite poor so upgrading your sources is highly recommended for the first time HDTV buyer. If you are replacing an older HDTV display, you more than likely have all this covered already.

Putting it in Perspective

This display was used in the upstairs casual viewing environment. While the ultimate in all performance attributes is not the main goal for that application, I prefer a display that can at least be calibrated to video standards for an accurate color response. I can do better in that regard with a different brand and it is a shame Mitsubishi does not want to provide at least that level of calibration capability.

With videophiles out of the loop I can concentrate on the typical viewer, but need to break that down into two groups; casual viewer with some money to spend on sources and casual viewer on a budget.

For the budget casual viewer who intends to just drop this display into a current standard definition setup using the same standard definition connections that you always have, then you can also do better with a different brand due to the flaws of the internal Plush 1080p scaler.

For the casual viewer who intends to provide HD service via an external set top box, provide an upscaling DVD player or Blu-ray / DVD combo player, an Xbox 360 or PS3 or use a PC, this display has a lot to offer mostly because of the better than average factory calibration available at your fingertips.

Price versus performance may be the faltering point though, even for the casual viewer that will spend money on upgrades. Even if the flaws can be overlooked one might wonder why they would do that since they can do better in some performance areas for plus or minus $200.

Mitsubishi LT-46148 LCD HDTV - Review (2/3)

By Richard Fisher

Out of Box Performance

In a matter of minutes the TV went from out of the box to displaying images from a TiVo Series 3 using HDMI via the auto input sensing feature. It does take a minute or two for the display to recognize the connection and perform this function for you. After setting up the input it will ask about setting up the remote for NetCommand which I skipped. As with all display products you get sales mode from the manufacturer which is their calibration to induce your purchase having nothing to do with performance imaging and video standards. My son joined me on this first look and both of us quickly grew weary of the artificial artifact ridden response. Having experience with Mitsubishi products I set the picture mode to Natural, color temp to Low and Video Noise to off creating a perceptually pleasing response similar to what we would expect with video standards. As we went channel surfing, first impression was intermittent jumping or skipped frames. We finally settled in on a 20 year old movie on HDNet. This led to a discussion of how this movie did not look its age as if it had just been shot with an HD video camera. My son followed up with comments of how so far it looked like computer generated images along with an artificial motion response. I went into the menu and turned off the Smooth 120 Hz LCD processing making the movie finally look like film, removing the CG motion artifact as well. We played with this feature some more and spent about 10 minutes on one particular scene using the TiVo DVR function. The Smooth 120 Hz LCD processing has three settings, off, medium and high. High provided the most artificial response and quirky motion totally un-natural. Medium was little improvement. While this feature did remove motion blur for the most part it would intermittently lose cadence lock jumping a frame or blurring for a moment. We both agreed the best setting was with this feature turned off. Some more surfing and testing of the Smooth 120 Hz feature brought us to another HDNet Movie from 1996. Ultimately we found the imaging seductive along with the movie being entertaining and involving so we turned off the feature and ended up watching the movie all the way through.

Gallery Player

If you were interested in this feature GalleryPlayer has closed it's doors. Per GalleryPlayers website they ceased operations July 30th 2008. CrunchGear reported that founder Scott Lipsky had sold the company August 2008. On August 27th, 2008, Mitsubishi issued a press release stating, "Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc. has been informed by GalleryPlayer, Inc. that GalleryPlayer will no longer provide the service that enables owners of certain models of televisions to download and display art and photographic imagery on their flat panel HDTVs. Accordingly, while owners can continue to view their own photographs on their televisions, that portion of the GalleryPlayer feature which was designed to allow access to the GalleryPlayer on-line library of images will not function as advertised". The loss of the GalleryPlayer feature affected models from Panasonic and Samsung as well.

You can still put pictures on a USB flash drive but unfortunately PC images are encoded for PC video 0-255 and this input is setup for consumer video, 16-235. That means upper whites, 235-255, and lower blacks, 0-15, are clipped delivering images with artifacts appearing overdriven with highlights washed out, blacks cut off, devoid of color or wrong color. For those who know what good video should look like it will be obvious yet those who do not know any better may be potentially satisfied.

Using a PC

The display does not offer a VGA PC input requiring you have a DVI or HDMI digital video output instead from your PC. According to the manual you must name the HDMI input you are using for your computer, PC, "It is important to use the name PC so that the TV can process the video signal correctly". This setting is critical if you want the most out of your PC because it allows 4:4:4 color processing. This also changes your aspect ratio options adding a 1:1 pixel mapped centered output with some scan rates.

If you select PC for the input name the display expects PC progressive scan rates at a 60 Hz frame rate. It won't display 1080i as an example if you are using your PC for DTV outputting native 1080i. If you expect to run a PC Blu-ray player in the future it won't accept 1080p24 frame properly either telling you this scan rate doesn't work. Although it will show an image, after downsizing it with black borders all around, your 1:1 pixel map is destroyed.

Noise

One of the quietest displays I have had in my presence. This is to be expected of LCD in general.

Mitsubishi LT-46148 LCD HDTV - Review (1/3)

By Richard Fisher

Summary: Better than expected for casual viewing applications

LCD has come a long way since just a few years ago, taking over the flat panel market up to about 50" in screen size. While Mitsubishi is far better known for rear projection DLP since the demise of CRT, market forces can't be ignored and consumers remain spellbound by the flat panel concept in their homes. Let's see what Mitsubishi has to offer and how their LCD products compare.

Since last year Mitsubishi has offered 40", 46" and 52" models and the LT46148 is part of their current line of 1920x1080 displays.

Common Features

Black cabinet finish with swivel stand

Auto-sensing inputs

Back panel - 4 HDMI 1.3 with Deep Color, X.V. Color and Simplay HDMI certified, 2 component video (input 1 supports optional composite video and 2 is component only), 1 composite video or s-video (input 3)

Side Panel AUX Input - component video or composite video and USB Photo Port (JPEG files)

Accepts 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p and 1080p24 frame

serial RS232 port

All video inputs support analog left/right audio

HDMI L/R analog audio inputs (assignable)

RCA digital audio output (internal tuner and video inputs)

Antenna 1 main and Antenna 2 aux for NTSC, DTV, analog cable, QAM cable 64 and 256 (Clear QAM)

Fairly good size remote that was comfortable in the hand, easy to use and includes an orange backlighting button providing great clarity to read the buttons in the dark

SD aspect ratios - standard (16:9), expand, zoom, stretch plus, narrow (4:3)

HD aspect ratios - full native (1:1 pixel mapping), standard (16:9 with marginal over scan), wide expand, zoom

PC aspect ratios - Centered 1:1 pixel mapped centered output 4:3 and 16:9, zoom (fills out screen), reduce for 1080p only

Plush 1080p internal scaler

Smooth 120 Hz LCD Video Processing

Backlight Adjust

WCG-CCF back lighting, Wide Color Gamut - Cold Cathode Fluorescent for accurate color

10-bit digital video processing

CEC HDMI control

Not-So-Common Features

Perfect Color

NetCommand IR control

IR NetCommand output or IR input

TV Guide on screen guide (DTV or digital cable only)

GalleryPlayer Images

Missing Features

4:3 squeeze aspect ratio for proper geometry with stretched 4:3 HDTV 16:9 broadcasts

Should I Go For LCD Or Plasma HDTV?

By Paul Aragones

Should I go for LCD or Plasma HDTV? This is the first thing that comes to mind when you are planning to buy a high definition television for you and your family. To help you make a decision, you need to know the pros and cons of buying these types of high definition television.

The first thing that you should look at is the similarities between the two types of high definition television. The main similarity between the two types of high definition television is that they both have crisper images and brighter colors than the normal television sets.

However, the similarities end there. The type of bright image and crisp colors are very different from one another. Here is a look at their unique characteristics.

Plasma television

The main thing that separates plasma television from LCD television is that it has a very high contrast ratio. The contrast ratio refers to the ratio between the deepest dark and the brightest color that your screen can generate. It is safe to assume that the bigger the contrast ratio, the more dynamic the colors are.

Cheap Plasma TV

This means that plasma television can generate the deepest black that you can see as well as a wide range of color range that you can use. Another advantage of plasma screens is that they have a wider viewing angle than LCD television giving you the optimum performance.

However, it does have its shortcomings, one of well known disadvantages of plasma tv is that they are not very useful in high altitude environments. This is because of the way that they work. Plasma television sets use a millions and millions of chambers which contain different gases that when come in contact with electrical charges, react and create a wide variety of colors. In high altitudes, these gases cannot react as nicely as they want therefore creating dull colors.

LCD television

One of the biggest advantages of LCD television is that they are less susceptible to burn ins. Burn in is a term that describes and image that seemingly is embedded on the screen. Gamers will definitely appreciate this feature that is why many gamers prefer LCD televisions so that they can enjoy the graphics and the whole gaming experience. Also, as of today, LCD television has a longer lifespan than plasma television. They are also lighter and more compact - with fewer restrictions on the altitude.

Best Price LCD TV

It is said that if you want a small high definition television then your obvious choice is the LCD. On the other hand, if you want a big HDTV then you must go with plasma since it will give you the brightest colors that you can imagine. Just remember to think of the pros and cons of both types of HDTV when shopping. Remember that it is a matter of preference and that how you use your high definition television should dictate what choice you will make.

Why You Should Buy A Plasma Television

By ContentMart

The plasma television has many advantages and benefitsfor you and your entertainment needs and wants. Theplasma tv gives you incredible picture quality, it has asleek design, and it is HDTV compatible

Plasmas provide sharper images and more vibrantcolors. You can display both HDTV and DTV signalsas well as computer signals such as XGA, SVGA,and VGA.

Plasmas Superior to Both CRT's and LCD

Plasma screen televisions provide sharp, clear pictures,plus no image distortion. CRTs can't match this. Plasmatvs have brighter pictures and provide a better viewingangle at 160 degrees, than LCDs. For the best technologyin display panels, choose plasma technology.

High Resolution

Plasma display televisions have higher resolution thanmost standard TV sets. They are able to display fullHDTV and DTV signals as well as XGA, SVGA, andVGA signals from a computer. If a plasma has aresolution of 1024x1024 it can display images from1080i and 720i HDTV resolution, plus 480i and 480pHD signals.

Best Plasma TV

Flat Screen

Plasma display televisions have screens that arecompletely flat. There is no distortion of the imageeven at the edges and corners. Plus to increaseyour viewing fun, the flat plasma screen tv providesan amazing 160-degree viewing area.

Ultra Thin Design Saves Space

Plasma televisions can hang on almost any wall. You caneven hang them from your ceiling. Other advantages ofplasma screen tvs are high ambient light tolerance,distortion free images, entirely digital techology, notaffected by magnetism, and can be attached to a ceilingor wall, or used as a freestanding fixture.

720p Vs 1080i HDTV

By Kenny Hemphill

Is 720p vs 1080i worth being concerned about? Yes and no. If you're a consumer looking for a new TV, you can happily ignore the 720p vs 1080i debate because every TV which is described as HDTV or HDTV Ready is required to support both formats.

NOTE: You should be aware though that lots of TVs which support 1080i have fewer than 1080 lines and so scale the 1080 signal down. That's not a huge issue as even scaled down 1080i is far ahead of a regular NTSC signal. It is worth bearing in mind that more expensive HDTVs tend to have better scalers than cheaper ones, and this may be an issue

However, for broadcasters it's a live issue. Should they broadcast 1080 lines of interlaced video or 720 lines of progressive scan? They could just broadcast two signals, one in each format, but that would use up a huge chunk of bandwidth and be hugely expensive for very little gain.

To answer the question, it's important to understand the difference between 720p vs 1080i. A 720p signal is made up of 720 horizontal lines. Each frame is displayed in its entirety on-screen for 1/30th of a second. This is know as progressive scan (hence the 'p')The quality is like watching 30 photographic images a second on TV. A 1080i signal comprises 1080 horizontal lines but all the lines are not displayed on-screen simultaneously. Instead, they are interlaced (hence the 'i'), ie every other lines is displayed for 1/60th of a second and then the alternate lines are displayed for 1/60th of a second. So, the frame rate is still 30 frames per second, but each frame is split into two fields, which your brain then puts together subconsciously.

Most of the time interlacing works fine, but for fast moving images, such as sports like baseball and hockey it can cause problems which manifest themselves as a 'stepping' effect on-screen. Progressive scan signals don't have this problem and so are better suited to sports.

ESPN puts it like this: 'Progressive scan technology produces better images for the fast moving orientation of sports television. Simply put, with 104 mph fastballs in baseball and 120 mph shots on goal in hockey, the line-by-line basis of progressive scan technology better captures the inherent fast action of sports. For ESPN, progressive scan technology makes perfect sense.'

Bottom line? For us, as consumers 720p vs 1080i is not a debate worth worrying about, so you can relax and focus on all the other criteria on your list when you buy your next HDTV.

Getting A Plasma HDTV (2/2)

Costs of plasma HDTV

Just like all the other HDTV models in the market, plasma HDTV are so expensive that almost all the common people with average income may find it more of a luxury than a necessity.

In the United States, switch from analog TV broadcasting to digital will take effect by February 2007. In Australia, it will be on 2009. With all the other countries, switching to digital broadcasting will take effect within the next ten years, so it is expected.

With that kind of mandatory digital switch among all nations in the world, the emergence of plasma HDTV is expected to somehow be further accelerated.

The cost of purchasing a plasma HDTV is one downside, a complete takeover of the plasma HDTV in the global market is somehow far from being achievable.

On the average, a typical plasma HDTV costs about 15 times more than the usual analog TV set. That is far more expensive. In other markets, the discrepancy can take up to 20 to 25 times more.

That would be a further and significant investment for the average-income TV viewer. No wonder, plasma HDTV is a thing or gadget for the more affluent rather than for the regular TV viewing citizen.

The advantages of viewing movies and TV shows in a modern and costly plasma HDTV need not be enumerated, they are very obvious and apparent.

Plasma HDTV of course will give viewers superior TV viewing experience with the kind of resolution and sound quality only plasma HDTV could render. Thus, viewing shows and video movies themselves in plasma HDTVs are already luxury in themselves.

Getting plasma HDTV

Getting a unit of a plasma HDTV will never be hassle. I would not be, but on a very obvious and logical condition, that the TV shopper or buyer has the money to buy it, because it can be too pricey and expensive.

Perhaps, buying a plasma HDTV is already equivalent to buying food supplies that could last up to a year, for the average consumer. Now, you have the feel and idea how plasma HDTV can really be more of a luxury than a TV viewing necessity

But apparently, the costly sum will be far outweighed or offset by the superior quality that goes long with plasma HDTV. It is time you consider buying one.

Getting A Plasma HDTV (1/2)

By: Julia Solomon

High definition television sets or HDTVs are now becoming very popular among TV addicts and TV buyers.

The HDTV was introduced to the market in 1998. It was one of the most outstanding innovations the industry has come up with since the invention of the TV in 1926.

HDTV pronounce a very far and positive advancement for the modern television viewing. HDTV somehow creates a new trend in the media equipment industry because of its high resolution and distinct features that set it apart and outstanding among all the TVs out in the market today.

Plasma TV

The plasma display TV set was invented in 1964. Plasma TVs started enjoying great attention and popularity in the 1970s when he television was starting to hook consumers and TV addicts.

Plasma TV is then the greatest TV technology with its resolution and color quality distinct and very popular during the time. Almost all the modern TVs in the past few decades were outpaced if not influenced by the distinct quality and performance of the plasma TV.

Best Price Plasma HDTV

Plasma TV and HDTV

The mergence of plasma TV and the very chic and modern HDTV has somehow created a very distinct and exciting marriage of technology.

TV sets with the combined features of a plasma TV and an HDTV are now exciting major TV markets around the world. Although the complete switch of global broadcasting to digital network systems is still somehow far and needs further room for improvement, companies that pioneer in offering plasma HDTV to the market have all edged and gained market footholds.

The marriage between plasma TV and HDTV is very much anticipated with almost all TV aficionados putting the plasma HTV on their list of must buy items.

Top 5 Over-The-Air (OTA) HDTV Tuner Cards

by Sal Prince

USB HDTV Tuner Devices allow users to capture free HDTV broadcasts using an indoor or outdoor HDTV antenna that connects from the antenna to the HDTV USB Device, which then connects to a free USB slot on your computer. Once HDTV broadcasts are captured, software that comes bundled with the card is then used to view, record and time-shift the HDTV channel(s) that your antenna can pick up. This software typically includes an Electronic Programming Guide for scheduling TV shows to record in advance using the Internet.

1. Hauppauge WINTV-HVR-950 TV Stick USB TV Tuner

The Hauppauge WinTV-HVR 950 is a USB TV Tuner that is simple to connect to any Windows Desktop or Notebook PC via USB. The WinTV-HVR 950 can be connected to Analog Cable coming into your house from your Cable Company or can pick up ATSC Digital channels using the included Antenna. Digital channels, including HDTV channels, can be played back and recorded using the bundled Hauppauge WinTV2000 software.

2. Pinnacle Systems PCTV HD Stick USB TV Tuner

The Pinnacle PCTV HD Stick can tune free Over-the-Air ATSC TV (including HDTV) with the included antenna, or analog (NTSC) Cable TV from a coaxial cable. You can then use the Pinnacle TV Center Pro software to watch and record TV shows, and Pause Live TV - just like a TiVo.

3. Diamond Multimedia TV Wonder HD 600 USB TV Tuner

The TV Wonder HD 600 PCI Express high-definition DVR offers the ability to record HDTV (ATSC) signals, as well as NTSC signals. Attach an amplified high definition antenna or your TV cable and you can watch, pause or record analog and digital live HDTV on your PC or convert your recorded TV shows to take with you on your Portable Media Player.

4. AVerMedia A868R AverTV Volar USB TV Tuner

The AVerMedia USB TV Tuner can record free over-the-air HDTV (ATSC) signals as well as analog NTSC signals. Includes a bundled Media Center sofware package called AVerTV 6. Also comes with an indoor antenna for picking up HD and SD TV stations.

5. Kworld ATSC 300U Plus TV HD Hybrid Stick 330 USB TV Tuner

With the KWorld ATSC 300U USB device you can enjoy watching and recording HDTV (ATSC) and Analog TV (NTSC) on your desktop or laptop. The ATSC 300U includes a multi-function TotalMedia application and includes an Infrared Remote Control. With the TotalMedia Time-Shifting program, you can Pause Live TV and resume playback from where you left off. Free HDTV with the included indoor antenna.

Finding The Best HDTV For Your Home

By: Kozan Huseyin

Is it time to buy a HDTV set for your home? Ultimately you want to buy the best HDTV that will provide great entertainment while also lasting for a number of years! In this article, you will discover how to find the best set for you home.

As you read, you will discover:

* 5 Things You Need To Know Before Buying A HDTV

* Remembering Your Needs* Utilizing Available Resources To Buy The Best HDTV For Your Home

* 5 Things You Need To Know Before Buying A HDTV

1. Realize that to get the most out of high definition television; you will need to make sure the input signal is in high definition.

2. Satellite and cable companies are transmitting some channels in high definition.

3. Some cable and satellite providers may charge extra for you to receive high definition broadcasts.

4. HDTV comes in different formats such as 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 720i. 1080p is currently the best.

5. HDTV sets can be found in LCD versions, which are the lightest and plasma. LCD versions are lightweight and can even be hung on a wall!

* Remembering Your Needs

A key aspect in getting the best set for your home is to look at your existing equipment. For example, will your Sony PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Wii, DVD player, work with it? You don't want to buy equipment which will need you to replace everything else!

It is also a good consideration to look at your satellite or cable equipment - if you have them. Again, you don't want to buy a high definition television, only to find that they don't work. If in doubt ask the salesperson or if buying online look for the specifications that matches your equipment.

Another point to consider, which for many needs to be addressed is that of a budget. With a world of credit cards and finance, it can be easy to get into a situation of overspending! By making a budget before hand, you will empower yourself to buy at least around that figure!

* Utilizing Available Resources To Buy The Best HDTV For Your HomeThere are many resources that can help you find and buy the best high definition television set for your home. One of the first ways is with the information that the manufacturer gives out.

Cheap HDTV

This could include advertising in the media, in stores, etc. You can learn the features, and what the television is capable of. This information however, does have a slight bias. This is why empowering yourself is the best option.

This can be done by looking at 3rd party reviews, such as through magazines and tabloids. There are also many websites online that give accurate information and advice about HDTV and the different technologies, brands, and models. All in all, this information empowers you to buy the best HDTV for your home.

Samsung HDTV 1080p

By Claudia Vonny S. Dewi

Never heard the word 1080p HDTV? What is the meaning of 1080p? The words of 1080p and HDTV actually show the same meaning, namely the resolution. 1080p more specific definitely where "1080" represent 1080 vertical scan lines and "p" means progressive scan (the image is not interlaced). 1080p can be referred to as full HD or high definition to differentiate from other HDTV video modes. The term is usually considered a wide aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a horizontal resolution of 1920 pixels.

In marketing material, Samsung is referred 1080p as "Complete High-Definition" HDTVs, such as Samsung HDTV 1080p, while some companies, such as LG, refer to these super-high-res of sets as ultra-HD, while others prefer to substitute true or full for ultra. The Samsung LCD HDTV 1080p is available in sizes from a 32 inch to 52 inch.

One of the most important features for an LCD panel is the pixel response time. Response time refers to the amount of time it takes a pixel to "refresh" itself - to go from being active to being inactive (ready to be re-activated). The lower the milliseconds, the faster the response time. A very fast 5 ms response time virtually eliminates any blurring and gives you smooth-motion action scenes. Samsung HDTV 1080p LCD monitor has a fast 5 ms response rate which will presents smooth-motion scenes with the new high-speed liquid crystal. 52" high-definition LCD TV from SAMSUNG give a 35,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio delivers sharp contrast and brightness levels that are clearly dazzling, provide you deep blacks and crisp lines. It also has 178-degree viewing angle with Super Patterned Vertical Alignment as well as DNIe Digital Natural Imagine Engine which will improves the picture you are enjoying by enhancing the detail, contrast and white balance.

The newest Samsung HDTV 1080p has key features such as :

1. Hidden speakers with SRS TruSound XT Audio. TruSurround is a patented SRS technology that solves the problem of playing 5.1 multichannel content over two speakers. It will delivers a compelling, virtual surround sound experience through any two-speaker playback system, including internal television speakers and headphones.

2. Built-in digital tuner (ATSC/Clear QAM) in 52" Samsung HDTV 1080p

3. 3 HDMI 1.3 ports

4. Vchip system to monitor the TV programs that your family is watching

5. WiseLink USB 2.0 port which enables to direct connecting into digital camera or digital MP3 players and many more. If you want to enjoy sound clarity and sharpness of images in HDTV movie from your blu-ray DVD Player, Samsung lcd HDTV 1080p will provide complete satisfaction and the most stunning experiences to you.

LG 42LG50 42 Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Customer Review

By Eric S Dyes

LG, the market dominator in consumer electronic appliances, have come up with the all new 42LG50 LCD TV to redefine your HDTV viewing. A magnificent model with overall attractive design, the LG 42LG50 is embellished with hidden speakers and a simple thin chrome strip on the bottom.

With full native resolution 1920 x 1080, the 42LG50 LCD HDTV produces more detail images which are sharper and clearer. Other image enhancement features such as 3 A/V mode and 8 picture modes facilitate the smooth running of images and view television basically every way possible. Moreover, the picture can be rotated in both vertical and horizontal through 178 degrees viewing angle. Hence you can enjoy your favorite scene from any seat of your living room and even from behind the room

The HDMI interfaces of LG 42LG50 are spectacular. They do a good job with the SD channels, and you can connect your PlayStation, Blu-ray player, digital TV, and even PC applications that use VIA HDMI cable to this high-end TV. The best thing is the price factor. With a price of around $1,099.99 MSRP, LG 42LG50 offers you possibly one of the best bargains in this size range for LCD TV's.

Suitability: Suited as a primary TV in a mid-size room.In general, a wide aspect TV such as this one is ideal for DVD movies recorded in the popular 16:9 format, as well as high definition programming.

Value: Given its very inexpensive price, this TV has great features for the money.In fact, you would typically pay around 40% more to get a LCD TV having roughly the same viewable size.

Cons: Has only a rear connector location

Pros: With built-in HDTV compatibility, this television can display images that are significantly sharper and more realistic than regular television, as long as the source is high definition.(It can easily render standard-resolution digital TV broadcasts and also depict the full resolution of widescreen DVD video.)The 3:2 pulldown feature of this TV reduces artifacts that can occur when motion pictures are transferred to a digital format such as DVD.

Selecting Your Vizio HDTV

By Sally Goldbeck

Vizio HDTV, otherwise known as high definition is not completely unknown to the general public. It's plain enough for the comprehension of the general public that more pixels means a clearer picture, but that is not all there is to it. You need to have a stronger awareness of what you are buying. Think about what you saw on your friend's Vizio HDTV. There are many factors involved in the HDTV rating systems. The horizontal pixels against the vertical pixels is one important aspect. This is called native resolution. Understanding what we can about our televisions will help us choose Vizio and not a lesser brand.

But the quality of your pixels isn't the only thing you have to think about. There is a individuation between the darkest and lightest pixels called contrast ratio. It greatly influences the picture quality of your television screen. When deciding on a Vizio HDTV be sure and take into account what usage it will get the most. Bring a sample into the store with you to test out the screen's resolution. Ask the store's employee to pop it in for you and you are guaranteed a satisfying display.

If you have two minds about which manufacture to buy from, consider looking on the internet for more information. Many people have done so, and when they took a look at what Vizio had to offer, they purchased one. Help yourself make a good choice. Check out what people are saying about what Vizio has to offer. You will find that it is a top makers of HDTV.

5 HDTV Shopping Tips

by jakeludington.com

The wall of HDTV screens at the local electronics retailers calls out to me begging for my undivided attention in an unhealthy Poltergeist sort of way. On the retail sales floor all the pictures look super bright and it can be hard to distinguish which model offers the best grayscale shading and accurate color presentation without closer examination. As much as I prefer shopping online for everything, you don't really get a sense for which screen is best for your entertainment room without seeing it in person. Before you have the delivery guys drop a screen off on your doorstep, there's several key things you need to try before you buy.

Make Sure It's HDTV

Before you produce your plastic in the checkout line, make sure you know what you're buying. This seems like good advice for any purchase in the $1000+ price range, but few home electronics purchases are as confusing as HDTV. Many of the screens at the lower end of the price spectrum are actually Enhanced Definition TV screens, rather than being truly HD capable. EDTV is limited to 480p progressive-scan image quality, which looks better than standard definition and is the same resolution found in most DVD material available today. These screens can play HDTV signals from higher resolution sources like HDTV cable boxes or HDTV tuners by down-sampling the image from 720p or 1080i to 480p. HDTV-ready screens are exactly that, ready to receive an HDTV signal from an external source. These offerings rely on the cable box from your local provider or an external HDTV tuner to handle the signal processing before sending it to the screen and are capable of rendering HDTV resolutions. A true HDTV contains a built-in ATSC tuner/decoder capable of translating an HDTV signal at 720p or better resolution without requiring additional hardware. If you plan on getting all your HDTV content through a service provider, this may not be a major concern, but it's still something to consider in the purchase process.

Fullscreen Video on Your Widescreen

Most television broadcasts are meant to be shown in the standard fullscreen 4:3 aspect ratio of your old 27-inch television. Couple this with an archive of old fullscreen VHS and DVD movies and you may be watching a great deal of video that was never properly formatted for the current assortment of widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio HDTV screens. Consumer electronics manufacturers deal with this in different ways. My preferred method of viewing 4:3 video is in its original shape, which results in black bars appearing on either side of the image making use of approximately two-thirds of the widescreen viewing area. A second option is to stretch the 4:3 image to fit the full 16:9 screen. If stretching the picture to fill the entire screen is your preferred method of viewing, make sure the screen stretches both vertically and horizontally. Some budget HDTV screens only do a horizontal stretch, which results in picture distortion. The downside to stretching the picture is that you generally lose some portion of the top and bottom of the original image in the process of reducing distortion. If you want television broadcasts to fill the 16:9 screen, make sure the picture stretching feature does a stretch of both horizontal and vertical.

Standard Definition TV on a High Definition Screen

Unless your screen is dedicated to watching movies and the few shows broadcast in high definition, the majority of programming you watch will remain standard definition for the foreseeable future. To that end, an important factor in choosing an HD screen is how well it handles standard definition 480i video (digital cable signals are, in theory, progressive scan but translated to interlaced formats to accommodate the majority of televisions). HDTV generally reformats the content through a process known as upsampling or upconversion, which converts the interlaced content to 480p progressive scan, which is the same resolution found on DVD movies. A chip inside the television handles this conversion and some do it better than others. The most accurate upconversion processors are made by a company called Faroudja, which also packages its technology on boards from Genesis Microchip. Look for DCDi and TrueLife deinterlacing and image enhancement as part of a screen's feature set to make sure you are getting the best possible processing for standard definition video.

Truth in Picture Quality

There are two types of stores to shop at when choosing an HDTV. The boutique home theater companies with showrooms that attempt to emulate a true home theater, with the lights turned down and the screens calibrated for optimal viewing are one type of store. Wall of television retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City are the more common variety. While the boutique stores offer better informed personnel and an accurate representation of what you might experience at home, it's hard to ignore the discount pricing of the warehouse stores. To make sure you walk out of any retailer with the best possible screen for your budget, make a few adjustments to the demonstration models to get a real sense for what the screen is capable of.

Close inspection of the picture on any of the screens on the showroom floor of the big box retailers will likely reveal the contrast and sharpness skewed to either compensate for the harsh lighting of the sales floor or to try and beat out the screen next to it. For a real sense of what the screen actually looks like, you need to make some adjustments to bring the picture back to reality. If the remote for a screen you are interested isn't readily available for testing, have a salesperson track it down so you can tweak a few settings. First, move the contrast back to a level where everything on the screen blends more naturally. Adjust the sharpness to remove the ghosted edges from objects on the screen. Turn off any automatic picture correction features like skin-tone color correction and image noise reduction. Finally, change the color-temperature setting to 6500 K (for kelvins not kilobytes) to eliminate any bluish or redish tint that might make the onscreen picture look unnatural.

If the sales people question these adjustments, take your business elsewhere - this is the only way you can be certain the screen produces a good clear picture. In many cases, paying a few dollars more for the attention to detail provided by the boutique retailers may result in a purchase you remain happy with for the life of the screen.

A Touch of Grayscale

Black and white details make up the largest percentage of all color information in a television picture. The one area where most CRT screens still beat Plasma, DLP, and LCD is in the ability to recreate accurate black color on screen. Depending on color temperature settings of the screen, white may also get a bluish or reddish cast. It's possible to find great colors in all formats, but only through careful shopping.

As mentioned above, the NTSC declared 6500 K to be the official color temperature for United States TVs, which translates to the color temperature of the sun at high Noon on the first Wednesday in June in a small town outside Fargo, ND (or more accurately, the color temperature of sunlight when not obscured by things like proximity to the horizon, fog, smog and other light-altering airborne debris). If you don't set the color temperature of the screen as close as possible to the conditions used by the studio creating the movie or TV show you watch, your mileage may vary with how your screen recreates the image. Setting the temperature to the NTSC equivalent of normal also gives you a more accurate representation of how the screen you're testing handles shades of grey. The best test for checking out gray shading is to find your favorite movie with well-lit dark scenes, which sounds like an oxymoron, but there are dark scenes that are just plain dark and dark scenes that look superbly executed from a lighting perspective; Lord of the Rings has some good ones in all three movies.

Bringing it Home

Your final purchase decision ultimately will boil down to a compromise of screen size, available space in your entertainment room, what some might refer to as a spouse acceptance factor (as in, what will your husband or wife let you get away with) and most importantly - budget. By looking carefully at the little details before you buy, you'll come home with the best solution no matter how much of the family vacation fund you siphon off to feed your entertainment addiction.

Buying an HDTV

By John R. Harrison

Technology has improved remarkably through the years. Televisions, for one, have gone from being bulky, boxy tube filled affairs to sleek, streamlined visions of elegance. Many consumers are itching to buy a brand new flat screen HD TV, as they are practically de rigueur these days. Yet, as with most new technologies, finding out what's the best thing to buy can be a difficult affair. This article looks at the ins and outs of buying a new HDTV.

There are three main different kinds of HDTV: projection, plasma and LCD HD TVs. Projection HD TVs are generally cheaper than the rest of HD TVs out their, especially for larger sets. You can get a pretty large screen for little money. However, there is a trade off. Projection HD TVs aren't as bright as other TVs and the viewing angle leaves something to be desired. These types of TVs also tend to be over scanned, meaning you won't be able to see the edges of images. The depth of color on these TVs is fine, but when compared to LCD's, unless you buy a higher end model. Projector models tend to consume a fair amount of energy, so you may find our electricity bills going up. The good thing about these types of HD TVs is that you can buy a lot of real estate for not a lot of money. So if you're looking for something big, a projector HD TV may be the way to go.

Plasma HD TVs cost more than projection HD TVs, when it comes to size. They usually cost more per inch; however, factors such as angle, brightness, color depth and resolution are of higher quality with plasma HD TVs. Prices are dropping however, quite quickly. That means that you may end up paying more for a plasma TV now than you would later. Other problems with plasma displays include burn-in and distorted pictures. If you get a large plasma screen without square pixels, the picture won't look that great. Burn-in is a problem with images burning themselves into the screen. This is known to occur often for displaying computer images. Plasmas are high quality, but they also are more costly than other types of HD TVs.

LCD HD TVs are pretty good in quality and price. Although they were expensive when they first came out, prices have dropped so you can get a good quality LCD for a decent price. LCD HD TVs, (LCD stands for liquid crystal display), have a problem with backlighting. They are brightly lit up and these can tend to bleed through. LCDs are also notorious for motion blur, although higher end LCDs have found some ways to resolve this. Another problem with LCDs is that the picture is less uniform than plasma TVs. In a LCD set that is larger than 42 inches, the quality is as good as plasma screens.

Sony has been focuses on something called OLED which out performs both LCDs and plasma; unfortunately, these are quite costly.