Tv Reviews

Panasonic TC-PVT30 Plasma TV Review

2012-03-19T23:56:00.000-07:00

If you are looking to buy the best plasma TV then the Panasonic TC-PVT30 plasma TV is a serious contender. The choices for the best plasma TV is between the best Panasonic plasma TVs Vs the best Samsung plasma TVs, no other brands come close at the top end of the market. Currently the decision is between the Panasonic TC-VT30 and the Samsung PND8000. This Panasonic TC-VT30 review should assist you making your choice.

The Panasonic VT30 is available with 2 different display sizes, other than screen size they are identical in specification and performance.

Panasonic TC-P55VT30 – 55 Inch Plasma TV
Panasonic TC-P65VT30 – 65 Inch Plasma TV

In terms of overall video performance the Panasonic TC-PVT30 is a serious contender for the best HDTV on the market. It doesn’t beat all the competition for every single aspect of picture quality, but for its all-round performance it is hard to beat.

It produces superior black levels and shadow detail in comparison to its nearest competitor the Samsung PND8000. The Panasonic VT30’s color reproduction is spectacular but the PND8000 is marginally better in this regard. The video processing features and 3D TV performance of the VT30 are both excellent but the Samsung PND8000 plasma and the best Samsung LED TVs do a slightly better job at reducing 3D crosstalk. As you would expect from a top plasma TV the picture uniformity of the Panasonic VT30 is as close to perfect as you can get.

When it comes to the black levels it produces, the Panasonic TC-PVT30 is superior to anything else on the market including other models of Panasonic plasmas, the Samsung PND8000 or any other brand or type of TV. The VT30 beats the Panasonic GT30 and Samsung PND8000 to the top spot for video performance of dark scenes, though all these models are excellent the VT30 outperforms them by a small but noticeable margin. The result is that dark scenes remain uniform in their blackness and fine details are preserved and not lost as with other inferior TVs.

The VT30 produces stunning colors which are vastly superior to the all other HD TVs except the Samsung PND8000. This is by no means a criticism of the Panasonic VT30, it is simply one of the very best TVs available and it produces absolutely stunning colors, but in terms of the color accuracy the Samsung is very marginally better.

Where this can be seen is during pictures which contain scenes with lighter color tones, in a side by side comparison the VT30 can at time seem to have a very slight green hue in brighter scenes.

Don’t let this put you off the VT30 because it produces ultra realistic and natural colors which are better than 99% of all other TVs and it comes a very close 2nd to the PND8000 which is marginally better in certain conditions.

The VT30 is a top 3D TV, similar to the Panasonic GT30 it reproduces accurate and natural colors and the pictures as a whole look artificially enhanced as with some other brands and models of 3D TVs. The THX mode of the VT30 works particularly well with 3D sources. In comparison to the best Samsung 3D TV models the Panasonic VT30 produces a little bit more crosstalk, but only marginally.

As a bonus the VT30 includes one pair of the latest design of Panasonic 3D TV glasses as standard. The VT30 and the new 3D TV glasses are backwards compatible with previous generation of Panasonic 3D TVs, so if you already own a Panasonic TV the 3D glasses are interchangeable.

The VT30 has an improved design over previous generations of Panasonic TVs which have been criticised as being a bit lacking in the style department. The big improvement comes with the stylish glass front panel of the VT30 which covers the whole of the front surface so that there is no appearance of a raised bezel surrounding the display. It’s has a simple but classy design, whilst the VT30 might not be as spectacular as the aesthetics of Samsung TVs, its high quality design and construction is certainly appealing.

If you’re familiar with the menu system of Panasonics 2010 line-up then nothing much has changed really, which considering Panasonics clear and logical layout is not a bad thing. The menus systems of modern TVs, especially the feature-rich high end models can be quite complex because of all the features contained within them. However, the Panasonic VT30 menu system is logical, well presented and easy to use in conjunction with the well designed remote control.

The VT30 has an extensive range of user controllable settings relating to picture quality in comparison with other TVs. If you have no desire to be fiddling with these settings then the THX mode does a great job of doing it for you automatically.

Like other brands, Panasonic has given it old VieraCast internet TV system an overhaul. It has been rebranded Viera Connect and it now comes with an expanded range of content thanks to the introduction of the Panasonic App store. Though it is missing a couple of apps such as Hulu and Vudu, the VT30 now has a wide range of standard internet content and optional apps available.

Though Samsung Smart TVs system includes a few more apps and features, it does not have the ease of use that Panasonic Viera Connect does. The Panasonic doesn’t come with an integrated web-browser, but this is no big deal as the web browsers included with most TVs are a bit gimmicky and are not particularly useable. If you want to surf the web you’re better off using your PC or laptop.

The Panasonic VT30 comes with 4 HDMI inputs, 1 component connector, 1 composite connection and 3 USB ports.

It also includes a VGA PC connection to allow you to use it as a PC monitor at resolution of 1366 x 768. As well as having an ethernet port for connection to the internet the VT30 also comes equipped with a Wi-Fi dongle which connects to of the USB ports this saves you having to purchase one for $80 if you want to connect the VT30 to the internet wirelessly.

The Panasonic is simply one of the very best HDTVs available today, it produces super blacks, vivid colors, 3D TV performance is solid and the internet TV capabilities are slickly presented.

The Samsung PND8000 plasma TV is comparable in picture quality and the value for money that the PND8000 offers might be the deciding factor for some buyers, but if you want the best picture that money can buy then the Panasonic VT30 get the vote for best HDTV.

For the best price of the Panasonic VT30 see the link below for massive discounts compared to Panasonic’s recommended retail price.

Panasonic TC-P55VT30 – 55 Inch Plasma TV
Panasonic TC-P65VT30 – 65 Inch Plasma TV

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Sony Bravia XBR HX929 Review

2012-03-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

There are only a handful of LED TVs that use full array LED backlights with the ability to provide local dimming on the market today. This is not because the more common edge-lit LED TVs are superior, it is due to the high costs associated with this method. The full array with local dimming is primarily responsible for the stunning visual results that the Sony HX929 produces. The full array works by locating the LEDs directly behind the LCD panel rather than around the perimeter of the display. The LEDs are divided in to many ‘zones’ which can be independently controlled to simultaneously provide different intensities of light in different areas of the display to correspond with the images being displayed.

The HX929 is available with 3 different display sizes, other than this they are identical in specification.

Sony Bravia XBR-46HX929 - 46 Inch display

Sony Bravia XBR-55HX929 - 55 Inch display

Sony Bravia XBR-65HX929 - 65 Inch display

The 55 Inch Sony XBR-55HX929 has list price of $3799.99 at Sony

For a massively discounted price follow the link below.

The Sony XBR HX929 is one of the best LED-LCD TVs available today in terms of its picture quality and video performance. The Sony Intelligent Peak LED backlight with local dimming that this TV possesses outperforms edge-lit LED TV models producing superior levels of black and vibrant, accurate colors.

Some instances where on-screen blooming (bright areas that affect the surrounding dark areas) is noticeable as well as some reduction in picture quality when viewed from wider angles (this is an unavoidable characteristic of LCD-based TVs). Neither of the above issues are in any way a big problem because they are hardly ever noticeable during normal usage, but to retain a balanced stance they are worth a mention.

However, as a whole the Sony Bravia HX929 is more than capable of holding it own in terms of video performance when compared to any of its directly comparable LED-LCD rivals as well as most plasma TVs also (other than a select few of the most expensive top-of-the-range models).

The calibration controls for customizing the picture quality are adequate thanks to the balanced image quality the Bravia HX929 produces as standard. Greater control over the color management would have been a nice touch, but because of the HX929’s stunning standard performance which requires little or no tweaking, the ability for more extensive controls isn’t required (or of interest for the average user). Generally speaking the Sony HX929 performance is a big improvement over last years HX909 model which it supersedes.

The Sony XBR HX929’s local dimming LED backlight means that the ability to display the darkest blacks is an area where the HX929 excels. The levels of blackness produced are more what you would expect from a top plasma TV than an LCD based TV. Its superior performance in this area dramatically enhances the whole cinematic experience produced by the HX929 especially when viewed in dark conditions where its qualities are highlighted.

The blooming effects mentioned above is a problem that occurs when a brightly lit area of a picture affects an adjacent dark area. It is only a very slight problem with the Bravia HX929 and not one which affects normal viewing. If you are intentionally looking out for instances of blooming you will spot them, but for normal usage they go un-noticed.
To a certain degree the Sony HX929’s ability to display such dark blacks is what contributes to the blooming effect, if the black areas weren’t so dark in the first place it wouldn’t be an issue. So from this point of view, it’s a case of having to take the good with the bad (or lots of good for a very little bit of bad). But don’t be put off by this, as already stated it is only under the most extreme circumstances that the blooming is even slightly noticeable, for the vast majority of viewing conditions no blooming effects are present. It is a case of the advantages far, far outweigh this small disadvantage, the Sony is more than a match for most plasmas let alone other LED-LCD TVs when it comes to producing the deepest blacks.

Many of the video processing related features and adjustments of modern TVs produce results which are subject to personal preference. For some features you will just have to ‘experiment’ with them to establish what works best for you depending on the application and content source. As is the case with many other brands of televisions, whilst some features may be very technically intelligent, sometimes introduce an unnatural processed appearance to the pictures and so many users prefer to leave them disabled or set to low.

One such feature where the Sony XBR-HX929 works well is with its handling of motion picture films, where 24 frames per second content must be converted in to 60 frames per second handling the content without problem. The Sony HX929 comes packed with many video processing features for you play with, the benefits of which are more noticeable with lower quality or older content.

The video processing of Sony’s MotionFlow feature, is what makes the active 3D TV work in this model. Without this MotionFlow the 3D flicker makes for an unpleasant viewing experience, but with it enabled flicker is eliminated. Sony’s MotionFlow may not be a feature that is to everyone’s liking, in standard 2D mode you may prefer it to be disabled because it artificially smoothes out motion films, but for 3D TV it is essential.

The active 3D glasses of the Sony XBRHX929 work well, they exhibit very little crosstalk and are comfortable enough to wear for longer periods of time.

Unlike with plasmas which typically don’t have as bright displays as LED TVs do, the HX929 produces great 3D results in all room lighting. The dimming effect caused by the constant opening and closing of active shutter 3D glasses can cause some plasmas 3D pictures to appear overly dull in bright room conditions thus requiring them to be used in dim/dark lit rooms. This is not the case with the bright LED screen of the Sony HX929 which works well even in brightly lit rooms.

An area where LED-LCD TVs have come in for criticism is with the deficiencies seen in the uniformity of the brightness of backlight levels. The Sony HX929 favours well in this area because of it full array backlight. Whilst it is not quite perfect it fairs better than other LED TVs. The uneven lighting and hotspots that are occasionally visible are not so obvious that they become a distraction. When seated in the ideal viewing position, central to the screen at a medium distance, then the uniformity is close to perfect.

As is typical with LCD-based TVs the wider your viewing angle the greater the unwanted effects become, the darker and black parts of the picture become s little washed out and any blooming becomes more noticeable. However the above issues are only mentioned for the purpose of providing a balanced review, in normal viewing conditions you will have little or no problems with the picture quality of the XBR-HX929. No TV is perfect but the HX929 gets a lot closer to achieving perfection than most other TVs.

The Sony HX929 stylistic design satisfies the high standards that a top of the range TV demands. It is manufactured to a high level of quality that you would expect from Sony and in terms of aesthetics only the high-end Samsung LED TV models surpass it. For a full-array backlit LED TV it has a very slim design which is almost as thin as other edge-lit LED TVs. The front of the display consists of a single darkened glass pane bordered at the very edge by a thin metal strip. It has a minimalistic sturdy metal swivel stand.

The design of the onscreen menu interface of the Sony HX929 has been given a facelift since last year’s models. The menu options are represented by icon images along the bottom of the display. The name of the menu options are only displayed once an icon is selected, once you do so the menu’s sub-options appear on the right hand side of the display. The bottom and side menus share the screen area with a reduced sized image of the TV content you’re viewing so you don’t miss any action whilst using the menus. The icon design of the menu system can take a little bit of time to get to grips with, but once you become familiar with its layout it works very well.

The remote control is also very well designed, the buttons which are illuminated are well arranged have a certainty to their touch when they are depressed which allows for quick and easy operation. The design of the HX929’s remote control as a whole is logical and you will find yourself using it without having to look at your fingers once you become familiar with its friendly layout.viewing so you don’t miss any action whilst using the menus. The icon design of the menu system can take a little bit of time to get to grips with, but once you become familiar with its layout it works very well.

The Sony Bravia XBR HX929 comes with some new features including a nifty built-in camera, and integrated Wi-Fi (which is not an optional accessory as with some other models of TV). The camera can act as a motion sensor which can adjust the sound and picture to suit the distance the viewer is positioned in relation to the TV. Also a ‘distance alert’ feature can be enabled to emit an alarm signal and turn off the picture if a child is detected viewing the TV from too close a distance. Lastly, a more common feature also present in other brands and models of TVs is the ability to power off the TV after the sensor detects that there is no-one present in the room for a pre-configured period of time.

As you would expect from Sony’s Smart TV, the HX929 comes loaded with a range of internet apps to suit all tastes. All the favourites are included – Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Instant, Hulu Plus, Pandora, Skype and Social media apps which come implemented in the form of Yahoo widgets including Facebook and Twitter.

Sony has applied its own ‘standard’ interface for Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu rather than using each of their individual interfaces. If you’ve not used them before, then this will make your life easier because you only have to get familiar with the Sony interface rather than several application specific interfaces. There are also many other, apps and widgets for a wide range of music, video and photo services.

The Sony HX929 does come with a built in web browser. Though it does allow you access the internet, it’s usability is on a par with the web browsers seen in most other brands and models of Smart and Internet TVs. Their operation isn’t particularly slick compared to using a home PC or laptop for browsing the net.

The Sony HX929 comes out on top of the energy-efficiency ratings thanks to its LED local dimming. The HX929 only consumes 25% of the power that the best big screen plasmas do, and it even out performs most edge-lit models.

The HX929 will save you $50 per year in electricity costs compared to a plasma which should be enough to impress you on its own, but if you consider that the Sony HX929 outperforms the majority of most plasma competitors using a fraction of the power it becomes even more impressive.

Positives – Everything that is good about the performance of the Sony Bravia XBR-HX929 stems from the full array LED backlight with local dimming. The levels of blackness it produces are as good if not better than any other LCD based TV on the market. The local dimming brings out wonderful colors, contrast and fine details even for the most demanding movie scenes. The HX929’s 3D TV performance is solid and produces almost no crosstalk (something which can’t be said about many other brands of active 3D TVs). It has plenty of technical features, integrated Wi-Fi and is loaded with internet apps and widgets. And of course the HX929 has looks to match with a slim and classy design.

Negatives – It’s hard to find much wrong with the Sony HX929. To be hyper-critical, you have to say that it does suffer from a small amount of blooming and wide-angle washout, both of which are minor problems which rarely occur under typical viewing conditions. It is not the cheapest television on the market but you have to remember you are paying for a TV with a full-array locally dimmable backlight, without this it’s superior video performance wouldn’t be possible.

Summary – To say the Sony HX929 is genuine competition for the best plasma TV models is no exaggeration, it is simply one of the very best LED TV models available.

The HX929 is available with 3 different display sizes, other than this they are identical in specification.

Sony Bravia XBR-46HX929 – 46 Inch display

Sony Bravia XBR-55HX929 - 55 Inch display

Sony Bravia XBR-65HX929 - 65 Inch display

The 55 Inch Sony XBR-55HX929 has list price of $3799.99 at Sony

For a massively discounted price follow the link below.

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Sony Bravia KDL-EX523 LED Internet TV Review

2012-03-19T16:23:00.000-07:00

The Sony EX523 LED TV has joined the battle to be top of the sub-$1000 price band and is in direct contest with the likes of Samsung and LG who are more familiar to this price bracket. Read this Sony Bravia EX523 review to find out how the brand more accustomed to the mid to high end of the market fairs.

The EX523 is available in three different display sizes and this EX523 review applies to all the models which have the same technical specifications and only differ by screen size.

Sony Bravia KDL 46EX523 – 46 Inch LED Internet TV
Sony Bravia KDL 40EX523 – 40 Inch LED Internet TV
Sony Bravia KDL 32EX523 – 32 Inch LED Internet TV

When forming an objective Sony EX523 LED TV review you have to keep in mind that this a very affordable TV with a more limited set of features, it is not a top of the range model such as the Sony XBR HX929, which costs far more than double of what this LED TV does.

To compare the EX523 to its direct competitors how well does it stand up? The answer is very favourably. It has solid all round performance and it is as good as other Samsung LED TV and LG LED TV models (such as the LG LV5500) which are in the same price bracket.

Outlined here are the specifics relating to the Sony EX523’s video performance.

The EX523 does well in regards to the levels of blackness that it produces. It is somewhat better at producing deeper blacks than other more expensive Sony LED TV models such as the NX720 as well as the LG LV5500.

You wouldn’t expect an LED TV in this price bracket to compare to the performance of a more expensive Panasonic plasma TV such as the Panasonic ST30 (and it doesn’t), but none-the-less it does produce respectable deep blacks for such an affordable edge lit LED TV.

This is the area that you might expect a cheaper LED TV to have its limitations. Without the finer controls and adjustments that more expensive TVs possess, the Sony EX523 does a decent job of producing vibrant colors. It is better at displaying bright scenes than it does with dark as some of the colors get distorted or lost in dark scenery. But on the whole it does a great job. Even without the finer calibration settings of more expensive TVs, the Sony EX523 can produce well balanced colors using its Cinema preset mode.

This is an area that Sony typically shows their strength and the EX523 is no different. The EX523 produces smooth images which don’t exhibit any unwanted effects or artefacts what-so-ever thanks to its superb video processing. It displays Bluray movies and 1080 content without any problems.

The Sony KDL-EX 523 may have a 60Hz display but it does a great job, even better than a lot more expensive models do. It will never have the motion resolution that a 120Hz display does but the Sony EX 523 surpasses in giving more than what you are paying for with this affordable LED TV.

When it comes to producing an energy-efficient TV Sony have got it right with the EX523 thanks to it’s tried and tested edge-lit LED technology that is also bundled with other energy saving features such as auto-power off. It manages to outperform most of its competitors when it comes to power consumption, so not only will it not cost you the earth own this TV but it will save you money on you electricity costs as well as reducing your carbon footprint.

An old saying goes ‘if it’s not broken don’t fix it’. That seems to be the case with the EX523, there was little wrong with the design aesthetics of recent models of Sony TVs and so Sony hasn’t changed much on the design front, the EX523 looks very much like previous models (the EX720 in particular).

The design may be a bit understated for the liking of some and it certainly doesn’t have the appeal of Samsung LED TV models, but it does what you expect from a Sony TV it has a feel of quality about it. It has an impressive slim design with a panel depth of only 1.1 inch and it has a stylish matte black finish. It comes with a robust swivel stand for easy viewing at any angle.

The Sony EX523 has a perfectly functional remote control which has handy media buttons for easy access to Netflix etc rather than having to go through the menus.

The menu system is Sony’s redesigned 2011 menu system and provides easy access to settings and media content. The menus appear along the bottom and right hand side of the display and the rest of the area is taken up by a large picture-in-picture window. Once you become familiar with Sony’s menu system it is really intuitive and quick to use.

The Sony EX523 has a lot of picture preset modes including a top notch Cinema mode along with multiple presets for color temperature and gamma levels.

Sony have provided internet connectivity for the EX523 using their slick internet suite seen in other Sony TVs. In the price bracket which this TV falls in to, consumers don’t want to have to spend extra money on connecting external streaming devices and Sony’s integrated Wi-Fi and internet suite get the job done at no extra cost.

Sony’s internet suite provides access to Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant, Pandora, YouTube and of course the Sony Entertainment Network to provide streaming of movies, music and videos. It also has an integrated internet browser and optional Skype service.

As already mentioned the EX523 includes integrated Wi-Fi, also worth noting are that is also rather generously comes with 4 HDMI ports, 2 USB ports, a PC connector, ethernet port, and a headphone jack (which has independent volume control).

For Sony fans, the EX523 will be a definite success. It typifies what we have come to expect from Sony, the Sony Bravia EX523 is a high-quality, solid all round performer. For the price it is great value, a lot better than other models of Sony TV. It provides great picture quality for a small price, the sort of price you would expect from lesser brands and not Sony. It has got to be a definite thumbs up to Sony for entering the sub-$1000 bracket with the Sony Bravia EX523.

For the best price of Sony KDL EX523 see the links below for big discounts on Sony’s recommended retail price.

Sony Bravia KDL-46EX523 – 46 Inch LED Internet TV
Sony Bravia KDL-40EX523 – 40 Inch LED Internet TV
Sony Bravia KDL-32EX523 – 32 Inch LED Internet TV

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LG LED TV Review

2012-03-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

LG TVs are one of the most popular brands on the market today and this LG LED TV review will explain the technology that puts LG LED TV models right up there as some of the very best TVs available today.

Televisions are now much more than a display for simply watching TV and movies on. This is something that has LG has recognised by introducing technologies such as LG LED 3D TV, LG Smart TV and a range of connectivity options including Wi-Fi and DLNA for connecting all your home media devices. The outcome is that LG consistently come out on top in many of the LG LED TV reviews that they receive.

The advanced technology behind LG LED TVs is what sets them apart from other brands. In fact LG LED televisions are the only ones to achieve THX certification. This is no easy task as in order to be awarded with THX certification LG LED televisions must pass rigorous testing which analyzes every aspect of their picture quality before they can display the THX badge.

LED TVs in general use different variations of LED lighting to illuminate the LCD panel. LG LED LCD TVs incorporate three different methods of LED lighting systems across their TV line-up. The different methods have been developed to cater for the wide range of display sizes and price brackets available throughout the range of LG LCD LED TV models. The different methods of LED lighting methods and their pros and cons are outlined below.

LG Full LED Slim-This is LG’s most advanced lighting system which utilizes an LED full array which uses individually controllable LED segments located across the entire area behind the LCD panel. It is the technology which is primarily responsible for LG LED TVs being awarded with THX certification.

It enables LG’s most advanced features including local dimming which delivers more intense levels of blackness and contrast by being able to control the brightness of the backlight in specific areas of the display to provide the appropriate level of lighting. If an onscreen image contains areas which are both dark and bright at the same time, the corresponding segments can be simultaneously controlled to provide the correct intensity. This is something which isn’t possible with conventional CCFL LCD backlights and other LED lighting techniques where the whole backlight is controlled as one and not as individual segments.

LG LED Plus - LG LED plus is an enhanced version of standard edge-lit LED TVs. As the name suggests edge-lit LED televisions locate the LED lights around the perimeter of the LCD panel.

How LG LED Plus TVs differ is that the edge lighting is divided in to sectors which can be individually controlled to provide local dimming which improves contrast levels. It does not offer the same control that the full LED array does in the LG Full LED Slim method, but it is better than many other LED backlight systems that do not have any local dimming capabilities.

The major benefit the LG LED plus systems has over Full LED Slim is that because the LEDs are placed around the perimeter of the LCD panel and not to the rear, the thickness or the TV is reduced considerably. Also other benefit of LG LED Plus TV models is that because they do not use as many LEDs as in a full array, they use less power and they are not as complex or as expensive to manufacture which is reflected in the end-user price.

LG LED - This is LG’s ‘standard’ LED edge-lit technology which locates the LED around the perimeter of the LCD panel. There are no local dimming capabilities with this LG LED HDTV technology but it still produces incredible colors, contrast and brightness as well as an ultra-thin display.

In addition to the different lighting methods of LG LED TVs there are a number of core technologies that are responsible for the stunning results produced by LG TVs. Below is an outline of LG LED TV technology, how it works and the benefits it brings to home entertainment.

IPS is an abbreviation for ‘In Plane Switching’. It is the newest generation of LG LCD panel which uses ‘wide field of view’ technology. Deficiencies in previous generations of LCD panel meant that wide viewing angles would reduce the color and brightness of images by approx 40%. Also older LCD displays suffer from afterimages when pressure is directly applied to the screen. Although this is not a big problem with TVs, it is a restricting factor for touch-screen technology.

The wide viewing angle of LG LED LCD TV IPS Panels

LG IPS LED TVs eliminate both these problems as well as having other significant benefits. IPS solves this problem by fundamentally changing the way the liquid crystals polymers in and LCD panel work. With previous LCD panels in order to alter the properties of the light directed from the backlight, the liquid crystals were aligned vertically (pointing outwards towards the viewer). This results in a narrow viewing angle which although it can be improved by using a corrective coating on the panel it is still reduces visibility by up to 40% for wide angle viewing.

LG LED LCD IPS technology is different because the liquid crystal polymers are aligned horizontally meaning they can be viewed from a wide angle with only a 2% reduction in brightness and color.

Other benefits of the IPS technology used in LG televisions is that the response times of the LCD panel are reduced by up to 50% giving them the ability to display fast moving images with vastly reduced blurring and judder. The energy efficiency of IPS panels is also improved by 30% and the production costs are also reduced because of the simpler pixel structure, both of which reduce the total cost of ownership to end-users.

LG 3D LED TV models use FPR (film-type pattern retarder) technology which does not cause screen flicker. In recognition of this, LG LED 3D TVs have been awarded ‘flicker free 3D TV’ certification by the TUVRhineland Institution.

Unlike the active 3D TV shutter glasses used by most other TV brands which alternately display images for the left and right eyes, LG 3D LED TVs simultaneously display both left and right sided images to the viewer using the FPR 3D TV panel. The display separates the left and right images by means of the patterned retarder film situated in front of the LCD panel along with the polarized 3D TV glasses which filters the images intended for the left and right eyes resulting in uninterrupted flicker-free 3D TV images.

Additional benefits of the FPR technology contained in LG 3D LED TVs is that because the 3D images are continuously visible to both of the viewer’s eyes there is little reduction in brightness unlike with active 3D TV where the shutter glasses are alternately restricting the vision of either the left or the right eye at all times.

LG FPR 3D TV Technology eliminates 3D crosstalk associated with Active 3D TV shutter glasses..

As well as being the cause of the reduction in brightness, active 3D shutter glasses need to be synchronized with the TV so that shutters open and close at exactly the right time. Unless perfectly in time this can introduce 3D crosstalk when the left and right sided images overlap giving the appearance of a ghosting effect. As the FPR technology used in LG 3D LED televisions uses polarized 3D glasses which don’t need synchronizing the cause of the ghosting is eliminated. Also because the 3D glasses do not contain shutters, circuitry and batteries, they are much lighter to wear and cost a fraction of what active shutter 3D glasses do.

One final benefit of FPR is the improved handling of high speed motion. Because active 3D TV displays alternate images for the left and right eyes, it is in affect reducing the refresh rate by half. This is in contrast the FPR method used by LG 3D LED LCD TVs which display the full refresh rate for both eyes. The benefits of this are particularly noticeable when viewing images containing high speed motion (such as movies and sports), active 3D TVs on the other hand may exhibit judder and blurring because of the effective reduction in the refresh rate.

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LG Infinia LV5500 Smart LED TV Review

2012-03-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

If you’re looking for a top, big brand LED Smart TV at an affordable price, then the LG Infinia LV5500 fits the bill. It offers big screen entertainment, with a full compliment of technical specifications including a 120Hz super thin display, Wi-Fi and Smart TV.Not bad considering it’s one of the cheapest big name TVs in this class.

Read the rest of this LG Infinia LV5500 review to find out more.

LG Infinia 42LV5500 – 42 Inch LED TV
LG Infinia 47LV5500 – 47 Inch LED TV
LG Infinia 55LV5500 – 55 Inch LED TV

The LG Infinia LV5500 is available in three different display sizes. This LG LV5500 review is applicable for all the models in the series as it is only the display size which differs, other than this all of the technical specifications are identical.

The LG LV5500 series video performance on the whole is very good considering its small price. As a whole the color reproduction and gamma levels are very good once configured optimally. This is something I have found to be one of LGs strong points, you are able to achieve a great setup using LG”s advanced settings. Also LG’s out of the box Cinema mode produces goods results.

The LG LV5500’s ability at producing dark blacks is good. If you compare it to a more expensive model it won’t come out the winner. But lets be objective here, the LV5500 is an edge-it LED TV (without local dimming) which is reflected in the price, so taking this in consideration it does a good job in producing decent levels of blackness.

Whereas I have described the LV5500’s abilities at producing the dark black levels as good I am rather more enthusiastic about it color reproduction. With a bit of tweaking the LG LV5500 color reproduction is stunningly accurate. The colors it produces look very realistic and the LG doesn’t produce any un-natural hues or tints as I have seen exhibited in other models in this class which can look a bit artificial.

What can I say about the LV5500’s design? Its black and rectangular and I like it! Like so many other models of TV in this price range, it is looks good without being spectacular and there’s nothing wrong with this. LG have and other brands have attempted more unconventional designs in the past and failed. The LG LV5500 is rather stylish in my opinion.

It has a high quality glossy black finish to the bezel and a small thin silver trim around its edge. The LED panel depth measures 1 inch in depth which is thin, and so it would look great when wall mounted. Also the swivel stand which it sits on feels reassuringly sturdy when you need to rotate the display.

The LV5500 has many different cool features and settings which can be adjusted through the menu system, something which is typically a strong point with LG TVs. For users who want a quick and easy way to get the best out of their TV, LG has included an innovative ‘picture wizard’ which allows the less technically minded user to configure their TV how they like it with ease. It results in a better picture setup than the in-built standard preset modes do, so in my opinion this is a great addition.

As well as this feature the LG LV5500 has a 10-point calibration system for more advanced users to twiddle with. Other features include de-judder for those viewers who like their movies to appear smooth (no to everyone’s taste) and a 24p Real Cinema Mode.

Now, on to one of the LV5500’s many good points. As you would expect this LG comes with a conventional remote control, which does the intended job well. However, it also comes with a second remote control which LG has named the ‘Magic Motion’ remote. As the name suggest it a point and click motion sensing remote control which works much like a Nintendo Wii controller by pointing it at the display. The Magic Motion remote also works with the LG Smart TV menus and functions. All of the re-designed menus for settings and Smart features are thoughtfully laid-out and easy to use. I love this method of operation combine with LG’s menus because it makes the TV breeze to control.

On a final note, the LED display has a matte finish to the surface which means there is little or no glare from surrounding light sources.

The LV5500 includes a generous selection of connectivity options and doesn’t leave anything out. Importantly it has 4 HDMI inputs, 2 USB ports with a Wi-Fi dongle included as well an Ethernet connection for Internet connectivity. As well as this the LV5500 has a PC video connection, 2 composite inputs and 1 component input.

As already mentioned above this TV comes with both wireless and Ethernet connections meaning it can be hooked up to the Internet however you please. Combine this with the Magic Motion remote control, the slick menu system and a complete range of Internet services and you definitely have one of the best Smart TV models in this price bracket.

LG Smart TV provides you with all of the major Internet Apps and services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant, Vudu, Facebook and an integrated web browser.

If your interested, you can also hook up your other media (video, music and pictures) from laptops, cameras and removable memory by either using DLNA in conjunction with the network connectivity or by connecting storage devices to one of the USB ports.

I don’t know what this TV runs on but it uses less power than all of the competitors in this class, so you can rest your conscience safe in the knowledge that you aren’t destroying the environment using this TV! It will save you a few bucks on your electricity bills also.

Solid picture, one of the best Smart TVs available with a complete App suite, great connectivity options with Wi-Fi included, slick menu system and settings, innovative Magic Motion remote control and I’ll save the best bit until last – it one of the cheapest LED TVs in this class!

For massive discounts on the list price of this TV use the following links.

LG Infinia 42LV5500 42 Inch LED TV
LG Infinia 47LV5500 47 Inch LED TV
LG Infinia 55LV5500 55 Inch LED TV

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Samsung UND8000 Smart LED 3D TV Review

2012-03-19T03:34:00.000-07:00

When you see its eye-catching design, you can’t deny that the Samsung UND8000 looks stunning. Samsungs aim with the UND8000 LED TV was to visually immerse the viewer with the pictures on display – and with its gigantic, super-slim and almost bezel-less display the UND8000 certainly captures the viewer’s attention.

When you look at the UND8000’s list of features and specifications it is clear that it is serious contender as one the best LED TV models. But in real terms how does the Samsung UND8000 fair, does it’s performance live up to the hype? Continue to read this Samsung UND8000 review to find out…

The Samsung UND8000 is available with four different sizes of display. Other than the actual size of the display, all of the UND8000 models have identical specifications so the performance and features discussed in this Samsung UND8000 review are applicable to all models and display sizes of the Samsung 8000 series. The models in the UND8000 series include –

Samsung UN46D8000 46 inch LED TV
Samsung UN55D8000 55 inch LED TV
Samsung UN60D8000 60 inch LED TV
Samsung UN65D8000 65 inch LED TV

When you see the UND8000 for the first time the stunning design and aesthetics of the Samsung UND8000 is the very first thing which grabs your attention. For this reason the UND8000’s design has to be the first point of discussion in this UND8000 review.

The Samsung UND8000 design is simply the most impressive design of any TV on the market today. The LED TV panel is framed by a tiny 0.2 inch metallic bezel and for such a large 65 inch LED TV this means that the bezel goes unnoticed when viewing. This was the original intention of Samsung when they designed this LED TV, to provide an immersive cinematic experience where the viewer’s focus is concentrated on the picture without any distractions.

Couple this with the fact that the Samsung UND8000 LED panel only measures 1.2 inches deep making it perfect for wall mounting. If you decide not to use the attractive chrome TV stand that the UND8000 comes equipped with you can further enhance the viewing experience by wall-mounting it against the plain backdrop of a wall like hanging a work of art. The result is that the there are no distractions to the viewing experience, there’s no TV stand or surrounding clutter to distract you from the UND8000’s impressive almost bezel-less display.

The color accuracy of the UND8000 is very good. It reproduces accurate colors and good saturation so that skin tones look realistic and colorful scenes are as impressive as any of the other best LED TVs in this class. There is very little sign of the UND8000 LED panel producing any unwanted tint unlike other TVs in this class. If anything the UND8000 tends to display a slight bias in producing a small amount of blue tint during darker scenes in the areas towards the edge of the LED panel. However, this largely goes unnoticed when viewing and you can only notice it when making a deliberate attempt to see it.

Levels of blackness produced by the UND8000 are as impressive as any other leading LED TVs in this class. It even outperforms many local dimming LED TV models in the regard, which considering the UND8000 is an edge lit LED TV makes this fact even more impressive.

If there is one criticism of the UND8000 it is that the picture uniformity is less than perfect. The UND8000 has traded some uniformity of picture quality in order to give the UND8000 a super-slim design. There are on occasion, times during normal viewing when the brightness of the display appears darker in the center and brighter towards the edge.

However, Samsung has done much to improve this problem by introducing an improved light dispersal panel and by increasing the amount of zones that the UND8000 uses for its micro dimming feature (Samsung’s local dimming for edge lit LED TVs).

The Samsung UND8000 3D TV performance is unrivalled. It beats the other leading 3D TVs in this class including the best Panasonic 3D plasma TV models. The deep levels of blackness and contrast exhibited for normal 2D viewing are also seen when viewing in 3D mode whilst wearing the Samsung 3D TV glasses. The specific area of 3D performance where the Samsung UND8000 excels in comparison to its rivals is how little unwanted 3D crosstalk that it exhibits. It neither produces as severe or as frequent instances of 3D crosstalk as any of the other best 3D TV rivals models do.

Samsung introduced a new range of 3D glasses this year. They are a big improvement on previous generations of 3D glasses. They are slimmer, lighter, rechargeable and now operate using Bluetooth rather than infra-red which means they remain in sync with the TV much better.

The design of the Samsung 8000 LED TV menus system has been improved from last years models. The menu options now include extra information in the form of text and illustrations to assist with their use.

The control buttons situated on the TV itself are located down one side of the ultra slim LED TV panel. When the controls are operated, an on-screen representation is displayed which is a nice touch that makes their operation easy and also keeps the buttons out of view so as not to distract from the UND8000’s super slim bezel-less design.

The remote controller of the UND8000 is the same innovative design included with the Samsung PND8000 plasma TV. It has a double sided design with the standard TV controls on one side of the controller which operate by infra-red. On the opposite side of the remote control is a QWERTY keyboard and LCD display which uses Bluetooth. The QWERTY key pad works extremely well and the inclusion of the LCD display means that you don’t have to look at the TV to see what you are typing, making its operation swift and easy. One final nice touch is the fact that the remote controller senses which side of the controller is facing upwards and disables the buttons on whichever side is facing downwards, so avoiding accidental button presses.

The UND8000 like other top-end Samsung LED TVs comes with both Samsung Smart Hub and Yahoo widgets which both use their own interface. The UND8000 can be connected to the internet by either using the built-in ethernet interface or Wi-Fi.

It comes with a wider range of applications than other brands of smart TV and gives you access to just about all of the popular services such as Netflix, Vudo, Facebook, YouTube, Hulu, Pandora and Twitter. The menu interface is slick and includes a search option. Unlike other inferior Smart TVs, the UND8000 also has and integrated web browser which works well with the QWERTY remote for basic browsing and is better in comparison to other rival brands which include a web browser. Rather impressively you can also control the UND8000 using Samsungs remote control App in conjunction with an Android phone.

First and foremost the Samsung UND8000 LED TVarguably has the best design of any TV, its super-slim profile and tiny bezel can’t fail to impress. It video performance is solid – producing dark blacks and accurate colors and superior 3D TV performance without any crosstalk. Coupled with all of the image enhancing technology built into this TV the image it produces will blow you away (and that’s despite not having the best picture uniformity in its class). When you add the fact that it is also one of the best Smart internet TVs available, the Samsung UND8000 is a serious contender as one the best LED TVs available.

For the best price of the Samsung UND8000 see the links below for massive discounts compared to Samsung’s recommended retail price.

Samsung UN46D8000 46 inch LED TV
Samsung UN55D8000 55 inch LED TV
Samsung UN60D8000 60 inch LED TV
Samsung UN65D8000 65 inch LED TV

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Sony Bravia KDL-NX720 3D LED TV Review

2012-03-18T22:44:00.000-07:00

The Sony NX720 LED TV can be considered of the best LED TVs in one of the most competitive TVs sectors. It is up against some tough competition from Samsung and LG, read this complete Sony Bravia KDL NX720 review to find out how it compares to its rivals.

The NX720 is available in three screen sizes. The following Sony NX720 review can be applied to all the models in the series, they have the same technical specs and differ only by their display size.

Sony KDL-46NX720 – 46 inch LED TV
Sony KDL-55NX720 – 55 inch LED TV
Sony KDL-60NX720 – 60 inch LED TV

The strengths of the Sony NX720 are its ability to produce deep blacks, very good overall uniformity of picture, vibrant colors and Sony’s solid video processing. The NX720 compares well with the other edge-lit LED TVs in this class – the Samsung UND6400 LED TV and the LG LW5600. They all have similar overall performance levels, each has some specific advantages, the most obvious being that the NX720 has better black and color performance, but the UND6400 has better 3D TV capabilities. For a more detailed breakdown of the KDL-NX720’s video performance continue to read the rest of this Sony NX720 LED TV review.

As already mentioned the Sony KDL NX720 exhibits some of the most superior levels of blackness seen in this class of edge-lit LED TVs. This is the stand-out quality of this TV and comes close to the levels exhibited in some of the better plasmas. The NX720 is never going to out-perform the best full array local dimming LED TVs in this regard, but for an edge-lit LED TV it beats its direct competitors the Samsung UND6400 and the LG LW5600.

With good levels of blackness come accurate and impressive colors. The uniform black levels are the canvas on which Sony paints its impressive pictures. The colors produced by the Sony NX720 are very natural and lifelike. It produces natural skin tones, fine details and doesn’t exhibit any unnatural hues that some other LED TVs in this class do. The good saturation of colors is largely thanks to the deep black levels it produces.

You may have read of the weakness of some edge-lit LED TVs to produce uniform levels brightness levels. The result is that the brightness of the backlight varies from the center to the edge of the display. However with the Sony NX 720 there is very little sign of this. If you were to deliberately try and find any signs of it you would struggle and you certainly won’t find it a problem under normal viewing conditions. Wider angle viewing quality is OK, it is certainly not amongst the worst TVs in this regard, and there are other TVs that exhibit a greater reduction in picture quality from wider viewing angles.

The NX720’s 3D TV performance is good. This is an active 3D TV, typically this type of 3D TV can suffer from a dimming effect whist viewing 3D content because of the shutters built in to the active 3D TV glasses. However the NX720 favours very well because of its bright backlight, there is little noticeable reduction in brightness in comparison to equivalent active 3D plasma TVs which suffer more from this problem due to their inherent lower levels of brightness.

The NX720’s Motionflow feature is what makes the 3D TV work, without it the NX720 exhibits high levels of flicker. Like the more expensive HX929 there is still some 3D crosstalk present but only a little more than the rival Samsung UND6400.

Sony doesn’t include any 3D glasses with the NX720. Sony’s 2011 range of 3D specs were redesigned so that they were slimmer and lighter. They are now also rechargeable and so this is a big improvement over their predecessors.

There’s plenty to boast about when it comes to how efficient the Sony NX720 is. The only TV that outperforms it is the more expensive Sony HX929. Despite the high levels of performance and brightness produced by the NX720 you need not worry about it driving up your electricity bill.

The design of the Sony KDL-NX720 is everything you would expect of a Sony TV. It has a stylish design that is on a par with the more expensive Sony HX929 and if you consider that it actually slimmer (it measures only 1.1 inches thick), then you might consider it even more impressive.

I’ve said this before, but I like TVs that have a minimalistic design. I don’t mean plain or unsophisticated, I still like a TV to look stylish. I just think that the design and aesthetics shouldn’t take your attention away from the pictures on display. So with its single piece of blackened glass which constitutes its front surface, for me the NX720 ticks all the boxes in this regard.

The construction and build quality of the NX720 are of the highest standard. Quite simply it is one of the best looking TVs available, the only other TVs to rival its design are the super sleek Samsung UND8000 and UND6400.

Sony’s remote controls have always been well designed and things are no different here with the NX720. The remote is very functional and the buttons are well laid out and have a nice touch to their operation. With the introduction and increase in popularity of internet TV, Sony have included dedicated buttons for internet apps including Netflix (which is very handy and saves you from having to navigate the on-screen menus to find the required app).

The menu system of the NX720 received an update from last years Playstation style menus. The menus features icons along the bottom and the right hand side of the menu with the rest of the display being taken up by an on-screen preview. Once you get used to where everything is located, you will soon be whizzing around the responsive menus. If the menus prove a bit complicated for you then there are onscreen explanations and instructions to help.

A nifty new feature for the Sony is the addition of a motion sensor that is built in to the TV. It can sense the presence and location of anyone in the room. This allows the TV to automatically adjust the picture and sound accordingly depending on the viewer’s location. Also the sensor can detect when a child approaches the TV and can be configured to turn the display off and emit an alarm. If no motion is detected in the room at all the NX720 will switch itself off after a preconfigured period to save power.

All the usually connections are present here, 4 HDMI, 1 composite and 1 component connection plus there’s a headphone socket which is not always included now-a-days.

The more notable connectivity options here are that the Sony HX720 includes both inbuilt ethernet and Wi-Fi connections. It also has 2 USB connectors and PC video connector (this works at full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution perfectly).

As mentioned earlier the menu system for the Sony interface has been revamped for Sony Internet TV. The NX720 now has a standardised interface for most of its internet services which makes using them very easy to learn.

There no shortage of online services to choose from either, Sony has one of the best internet app suites out of all the major manufacturers. Other than Vudu all of the big name services are available through Sony’s internet TV. Netflix, Amazon Instant, Facebook, YouTube, Hulu Plus, Pandora, Skype and Twitter are the main services that are available. There is also a big list of other specialist media services which may take your fancy also.

As Sony is now promoting their own Sony Entertainment Network you won’t find other music subscription services such as Napster or Rhapsody on the NX720. The NX720 also has an inbuilt web browser, but like me I suspect not many people will use this feature. As with all the other manufacturers, when it comes to surfing the net you’re better off sticking to your PC or laptop.

All-in-all the Sony NX720 internet TV is does a very slick job of integrating internet features, movies, music, photo sharing and social media – it does the lot.

The bottom line is that the Sony NX720 does the business. On the exterior it has a stylish, slim design that surpasses its price. The 2D video quality that it produces is up there with the best edge-lit LED TVs. With the NX720’s superb internet TV capabilities thrown in to the mix, it is the complete package that can hold its own against the best LED TVs that are available.

For the best price of the Sony KDL-NX720 see the links below for big reductions on Sony’s list price.

Sony KDL-46NX720 – 46 inch LED TV
Sony KDL-55NX720 – 55 inch LED TV
Sony KDL-60NX720 – 60 inch LED TV

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Panasonic Viera TC-PGT30 3D Plasma TV Review

2012-03-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

The Panasonic TC-PGT30 produces stunning picture quality. Firstly, unlike an LED TV which requires backlighting which is prone to producing an unevenly lit display, you would expect a top plasma to produce a perfectly uniform illuminated display, in this regard the GT30 does not disappoint. It produces deep blacks which act like a canvas on which super fine details can be painted and the GT30’s color reproduction is vibrant and natural.

With their new neo–plasma panels the performance of the PGT30 has been enhanced compared to previous generations of Panasonic Plasma TVs. The faster reaction times of the Neo plasmas means that fast paced action is now even more super-smooth and any 3D crosstalk has been virtually eliminated so that no ghosting of 3D objects occurs.

The following will run through all aspects of the Panasonic GT30 video performance, read on to find out more.

The GT30 produces fantastically black levels that are on a par with the Panasonic GT25 which was the previous top-rated model which the GT20 replaces. It also very marginally out-performs the Panasonic ST30 by producing slightly darker blacks (as you would expect because the ST30 is slightly cheaper).

Overall the levels of blackness are very dark and even which enable very detailed contrast to be displayed.

I found the color reproduction of the GT30 to be very good, it is very adept at producing wonderfully natural and vivid colors. Combined with the deep blacks it results in some ultra impressive viewing which is pretty much as good as anything I’ve seen. I unable pick out any unwanted bias or hues of green or red which I have seen present in other inferior plasmas.

As already mentioned the faster reaction times of the GT30’s new Neo Plasma technology have had a positive effect on reducing 3D crosstalk so that becomes virtually undetectable. It compares very well to both the equivalent 3D LED TVs and other 3D plasmas.

For those of you who don’t know, Panasonic use active Full HD 3D TV technology (as opposed to passive 3D), this means you will get the full 1080p resolution in 3D mode. The down side to this can be that the active shutter 3D glasses can cause a dimming effect which is counter balanced by upping the brightness. Sometimes this causes 3D content to appear slightly washed-out with poor contrast levels. However, in this regard the GT30 faired very favourably, as the levels of blackness still remained very dark.

As mentioned in the Panasonic ST30 review, the 2011 Panasonic Plasma TVs don’t include 3D glasses as standard. If you have no intention of using the 3D capabilities of the GT30 3D TV then this could be considered a plus point (what’s the point of paying for the 3D glasses if you don’t use them). However if you do want to use its 3D capabilities, if you shop around there are offers to be found which include the 3D glasses in a bundled deals from 3rd parties.

Also the good thing about Panasonic 3D glasses is that they are inter-compatible with previous generations of TVs, so if you already own a Panasonic 3D TV you should be able to use your existing 3D TV glasses.

The design of the GT30 is a big improvement on past generations of Panasonic plasmas which were rather plain and unimpressive. Now, there will still be some critics who regard the GT30 as having an unspectacular design. Whilst the GT30 might still be a bit unspectacular, you certainly couldn’t describe it as lacking quality and style. The GT30 has a thin profile of only 1.5 inches, the bezel around the display measures 1.5 inches also, and it has an impressive overall build quality typical of Panasonic TVs. The black minimal design with silver trim oozes class in my opinion. Finally the swivel stand has a low profile and feels very sturdy.

The menu system of the GT30 are uncomplicated and fairly logical, you shouldn’t have any problems navigating around them when used with the remote control which could also be described as functional and well designed.

The display of the GT30 is coated in an improved antireflective film which seems to reduce any unwanted reflections and improve darkness and contrast levels.

Features of the GT30 include THX certification which can be activated using two of the GT30’s 6 preset picture modes, one preset for each of 2D and 3D THX viewing. Panasonic have added a Motion Smoother setting which basically adds the ability for de-judder processing (a feature that divides opinions). There are also preset modes for color and gamma along with gray-scale control.

As is the case with the ST30, the GT30 also has all the connectors you should ever need, including 4 HDMI inputs, 1 composite input, 1 component input, RF and optical.

As well as this the GT30 has a SD memory card slot for viewing your digital media (movies, music and photos). There are 2 USB slots, PC video input, ethernet port and 2 x USB connectors. The GT30 includes a Wi-Fi dongle (saves you having to spend $75 buying one!) so that you can connect to the internet using either ethernet or Wi-Fi whichever suits you best. This leads me nicely on to the next part, internet / Smart TV.

So you’ve hooked your TV up to the internet, what services can you access with the GT30? The answer is a lot more than you could with last years Panasonic internet TVs. Panasonic have redesigned (and rebranded) their internet suite so that there is now an almost complete set of Apps to choose from. Viera Connect as it is now called, provides connectivity to Netflix, Amazon Instant, Facebook, YouTube, Pandora, and Skype to name the big apps here. Other notable additions include Fox sports, Shoutcast internet radio, Picasa, Napster to name just a few.

It’s also worth mentioning that the GT30 (at the time of writing this) includes a free Skypecam which was previously an optional extra.

In summary, I find Viera Connect Internet TV to be massive improvement. It uses well designed, logical menus which are responsive and as your can see from above it is has a wide range of apps and widgets to choose from. Oh, and the free SkypeCam and Wi-Fi dongles are a real bonus!

The GT30 produces picture quality which is up there with the best TVs in this price bracket. It produces deep blacks and natural colors. The 3D TV performance is better than most of its competitors thanks to the improved NeoPlasma technology. The Smart TV features are at least as good as Samsungs and better than the rest of the pack. The only negative is that it doesn’t include any 3D glasses, but then again you can probably find deals from 3rd parties that do include them, and the free Wi-Fi and Skype-cam make up for this anyway. In my opinion, if the GT30 is within your budget you’d hard pushed to find a better way of spending your cash.

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Samsung PND8000 Plasma TV Review

2012-03-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

If you want the best plasma TV then the Samsung PND8000 plasma will definitely come in to the equation. When deciding which plasma to opt for your choice will be between the best Panasonic plasma and the best Samsung plasma because no other brands come close. At the moment the decision is between the Samsung PND8000 and the Panasonic VT30. This Samsung PND8000 review should help you make your decision.

The Samsung PND8000 is available with 3 different display sizes, other than screen size they are identical in specification and performance.
Samsung PN64D8000 – 64 Inch Display
Samsung PN59D8000 – 59 Inch Display
Samsung PN51D8000 – 51 Inch Display

For the best price of the Samsung PND8000 see the links below for massive discounts compared to Samsung’s recommended retail price.
Samsung PN64D8000 64-Inch – Amazon
Samsung PN64D8000 59-Inch – Amazon
Samsung PN51D8000 51-inch – Amazon

The Samsung PND8000 is regarded as one of the best plasma TV models ever, simple as that. It produces very deep blacks and the color reproduction is perfect. It performs well in brightly lit room conditions, 3D TV picture performance is excellent and naturally it knocks the socks off any LCD or LED TV in terms of wide-angle viewing and levels of picture uniformity.

The Samsung PND8000 has an extensive range of user adjustable picture settings which provide superior controllability which will allow you to achieve picture perfection for color saturation, contrast and gamma levels.

Many users report that other plasmas suffer from audible buzzing something which is inherent with plasma technology, but fear not because this in not the case with the Samsung PND8000.

Out of all the many qualities of the Samsung PND8000, its ability to produce accurate stunning colors is its greatest strength. It produces wonderfully realistic colors that slightly edge its performance in comparison to the VT30 which has a very slight green tinge to it, something which is characteristic to Panasonic Plasma displays.

With exception to the more expensive Panasonic VT30, the Samsung PND8000 plasma produces the best levels of black seen in any TV on the market. It results in fantastic contrast levels which bring out the finest details. Whilst the Panasonic VT30 performs slightly better in comparison to the Samsung PND8000 in this area, it is only a very marginal difference and can be somewhat subjective to preference.

If 3D TV is your thing then the Samsung PND8000 will certainly meet your requirements. One of the biggest complaints of active 3D TVs is with 3D crosstalk and the PND8000 excels in this area reducing 3D crosstalk to a minimum, its is almost as good as Samsung’s best 3D LED TV (the UND8000) in this regard. In reference to Panasonic’s equivalent model the VT30, the PND8000 produces less 3D crosstalk and 3D color reproduction is of comparable high quality.

The latest revision of Bluetooth Samsung 3D glasses are a big improvement over previous generations both in terms of design and usability. The use of Bluetooth as the method for synchronising the 3D glasses with the TV ensure that they remain in sync much better than the older infrared versions of last year.

Whilst the Samsung PND8000 is never going to be able to live up the standards of its LED counterparts in terms of aesthetics, it surpasses all other competitor plasmas TVs with its stylish design. It is slimmer than other brands of plasmas and it has a reduced bezel compared to previous generations of Samsung plasma TVs.

The remote control uses Samsung’s double sided design with the TV controls on one side and the Bluetooth QWERTY keypad on the other. The small display on the QWERTY remote allows you to see what you are typing without having to look at the TV which is a simple addition that makes its operation simpler. Also because the remote can detect which side is facing upwards it will disable the buttons on the opposite side to avoid any unintentional button presses of the buttons on the underside.

The Samsung PND8000 has improved internet TV capabilities and uses both the Samsung Apps Smart Hub and Yahoo Widgets to implement the connectivity options available. All of the commonly used applications such as Netflix, Vudu, Facebook, YouTube, Hulu, Pandora, Skype, Twitter and web browser are presented as Samsung Smart Apps and the less common connectivity options are presented as Yahoo Widgets. If you plan on using Skype the webcam is optional, but a welcome standard feature is the integrated Wi-Fi which comes as an optional Wi-Fi dongle (costing approx $75) with other brands and models of TVs.

The interface of Samsungs Smart Hub has received a facelift which has improved its appearance and usability. The range of Smart apps available is superior to other brands of TV and the web browser performs well for regular usage (something that can’t be said about the web browsers included with other brands and models of TVs). Operating the Smart TV features with the QWERTY remote control works well but if you want for an even slicker experience a Samsung remote app can be used from an Android phone.

Without even considering all of its other strengths, the Samsung PND8000 is worth every penny simply based on the picture quality that it produces. The combination of the deepest blacks combined with the most accurate and immersive colors and perfect picture uniformity make it a serious contender for the title of best plasma TV, only the Panasonic VT30 can rival it.

It is equipped with the most extensive range of features and picture controls out of all the plasma TVs available on the market. If Smart TV is a desirable feature for you, then the Samsung PND8000’s capabilities in this department only add weight behind its claim of being the best plasma TV because it trumps the opposition in this area also.

The Samsung PND8000 comes with an exterior which is superior in design to all other competitor models making it the complete package. There isn’t anything bad to say about the PND8000 and when you consider that the larger 59 inch Samsung PND8000 will cost you less than the Panasonic VT30 is hard make an argument to opt for the Panasonic over the Samsung PND8000.

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Panasonic Viera TX-L42ET5B

2012-03-17T01:25:00.000-07:00

Page 1: Design and Features Page 2: Features Page 3: Picture Quality User Reviews Comments Specs Photos

If you’d said to us a couple of years ago that a Panasonic range debutant would use passive rather than active 3D technology, and LCD tech rather than the brand’s beloved plasma, we’d have laughed in your face.

Yet here we are at the start of Panasonic’s 2012 TV launches with the Panasonic L42ET5 sat on our test benches: a 42in LED TV with passive 3D technology onboard. Wowza.

Basically, it would seem Panasonic has had to wake up and smell the coffee. For while plasma still has a well-deserved following, you just can’t deny the commercial reality that many people can’t think beyond LCD, even where large screen sizes are concerned. And while we have plenty of sympathy with qualitative arguments in favour of active 3D, there’s a large and entirely justified market for the simplicity, affordability and comfort of the passive 3D format.

Panasonic has even confessed to a technical/commercial reason for going the passive 3D route. Namely that it’s become increasingly convinced that you can’t do active 3D using a 100Hz panel (something borne out last year by Sony’s disastrous EX7 series). Which effectively means you can’t do active 3D on a really affordable LCD TV.

This explanation, or excuse, for going passive sounds a bit odd given that the Panasonic L42ET5’s spec sheet claims a "300Hz" system. But as with many such apparent fast refresh-rate claims, the reality is that the screen’s native refresh rate is 100Hz; the 300Hz bit comes from the way this combines with a blinking backlight.

We should add here that Panasonic hasn’t given up on its core values in any way. Far from it. It has an extensive and radically improved plasma range coming our way too, and the ET5 series is its only passive 3D offering, with multiple series of active 3D models elsewhere in the brand’s range. But it just so happens that the ET5 is the first new set to explode out of Panasonic’s warehouse, so let’s find out how this out-of-the-comfort-zone model shapes up.

It starts off very well, thanks to aesthetics that rank among the very best Panasonic has delivered. The smoky grey colour of the bezel makes a pleasant change, but this is given extra lustre by the application of a nice high-gloss finish that extends slightly beyond the main bezel to deliver a cool little transparent outer trim.

The set is surprisingly well connected, too. Particularly welcome is an integrated Wi-Fi system - though the set also has a wired LAN if you don't have a wireless system set up in your home. There are also four v1.4 HDMIs, a D-Sub PC port and a handy trio of USB ports through which you can play a fairly good selection of video, music and photo formats. These include JPEG, MP3, .mov, .qt, .divx, .avi, .mkv. wmv, .m4a and most MPEG-related file types.

It’s worth adding, too, that the L42ET5 has an SD slot, so you can play the same multimedia files from SD cards if you prefer these to USB storage devices. And still more good multimedia news finds the Panasonic L42ET5 able to stream files from networked DLNA PCs.

All this and we haven’t considered yet possibly the most key component of the L42ET5’s multimedia functionality: its Viera Connect platform. For the first time with a Panasonic TV, this includes a (rather hidden away, slightly buggy but well presented) Web browser rather than just restricting you to Panasonic’s ‘walled garden’ of content.

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Kogan LED55

2012-03-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

Page 1: Design and Specs Page 2: Picture performance Page 3: Performance Continued User Reviews Comments Specs Photos

The vast majority of the TVs we see come from somewhere "out east" - Japan, Korea, Taiwan or China. But today we’re heading south. Way south. For the Kogan brand behind the Kogan LED55 KULED551HDAA TV on our test benches today is actually Australian.

Kogan has dabbled its toes in UK waters before, but only this year has it really made a full-blooded assault on our infamously tough TV marketplace, setting up its own online retail website and launching a surprisingly full range of TVs. And sitting right at the top of this range is the Kogan LED55, a 55in TV with a Freeview HD tuner, 100Hz processing, and a surprisingly slender design made possible by its use of edge LED lighting.

The home for Kogan’s UK flagship screen - which still only costs £849 - is a passably attractive one, thanks to a high-gloss finish and some respectable build quality. The TV’s lines are a bit ‘standard’, it has to be said, and its bezel is wider than we’re becoming accustomed to seeing, making the Kogan LED55 quite a dominating presence. But at least its rear end is quite trim for a budget TV.

Connectivity is perfectly decent too. HD fans should be satisfied by the provision of a trio of HDMIs, for a start, while there’s also a D-Sub PC port so the TV can double up as a computer monitor; an Ethernet port; and a USB jack that’s able to play video, music or photo files using the AVI, MP4, DivX4, DivX5, XVID, MP3, WMA, JPEG and BMP file formats.

The USB port can also be used, impressively, for recording from the HD tuner, with USB drives up to 1TB supported. This sort of functionality certainly goes beyond what you would normally expect to find on such an aggressively-priced 55in TV, and raises hopes that the Ethernet port might extend to such "value added" functionality as DLNA streaming or even online Smart TV functionality.

Sadly - if predictably - this does not prove to be the case. The Ethernet is there simply because the inclusion of the Freeview HD tuner demands it. It doesn’t provide a pipeline to your PC or any wider online services. Oh well. Such is budget TV life.

If you’re the sort of person who tends to tremble in fear at the very sight of a few onscreen menu options, the Kogan LED55 could be the TV for you. For its onscreen menus are just about as basic as basic can be, in terms of both their presentation and the limited amount of functionality and adjustments they contain. The only surprise is an elementary colour management system, which lets you tweak the balance of the red, green and blue image components.

While the Kogan’s onscreen menus are straightforward, though, trawling through them is not. This is because the set’s remote control system is really pretty horrible, with rubbery buttons, a vague layout, and worst of all, a far-too-narrow effective reception range that prevents the TV responding to your remote commands unless you’ve got it pointed at the screen from exactly the right angle. Very annoying.

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Panasonic TX-L47ET5 passive 3D TV

2012-03-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

Well, you’ve got to admire Panasonic’s guts. For after spending a good 12 months categorically slating LG’s passive 3D technology in both technical and, um, not so technical terms, the Japanese brand has this year added passive TVs to its own range.
And we’re not talking about one or two sets apologetically stuck in the brand’s ‘small print’, either. Rather Panasonic’s new ET5 series is a five-strong collection of screen sizes ranging all the way from 32in up to 55in.
While Panasonic may have had to accept that passive 3D’s convenience and significant cost (once you’ve taken its cheap glasses into account) benefits have a fanbase, though, it kind of goes without saying that the brand has positioned its passive sets as the ‘entry level’ 3D models in its latest range, with prices starting at £600 for the 32in model going up to around £1800 for the 55in.

The edge LED-lit panels inside the 32, 37, 42, 47 and 55in sets are, of course, sourced from LG. But Panasonic has obviously put its own processing and operating systems in there, resulting in a claimed 300Hz motion rate (100Hz scanning plus a blinking backlight) and the inclusion of Panasonic’s Smart Viera 2012 online service, complete with a Web browser.
Panasonic's perceived need to have an affordable 100Hz panel in its range was apparently the deciding factor in adding passive sets, for 100Hz active sets have been consistently proven not to work at all well.
Among the most significant additions to Panasonic’s online services we saw while checking out the brand’s new TVs in a recent Hamburg product launch was Netflix; a new and very useful interactive help centre; and - due to be launched soon - MySpace.
The ET5s are decently attractive TVs. They’re not ‘ultra-slim’ in the bezel department like Panasonic’s WT and DT50 LCD TVs, but they look suitably shiny and feel very well built.

Checking out 2D pictures first on the 47in model from the ET5 range, they’re probably best described as solid. Pictures are bright, natural and clean, and under the actually reasonably dim lighting of the show floor, black level response look quite good - albeit not in the same league, of course, as Panasonic’s 2012 plasma TVs.
We did occasionally spot a slight texture to the screen if the light happened to catch it the right way, though, and as ever with passive technology, during bright scenes you can sometimes see faint horizontal line structure, caused by the polarising 3D filter applied to the screen.
In 3D mode the effects of this filter are more obvious, becoming particularly clear in the shape of ‘jaggies’ around the edges of small, bright, contoured objects. There’s also no doubt studying the 47ET5’s 3D images right alongside those of one of Panasonic’s DT50 active 3D screens that they’re neither as sharp, detailed or ‘clean’ looking.

We’re not trying to ignite an unnecessary passive 3D vs active 3D debate here, though, we promise. After all, the 47ET5 also delivers on passive 3D’s advantages, shipping with four pairs of glasses included as standard (you don’t get any with Panasonic’s Active 3D screens), not suffering any 3D degradation when viewed from the sides, not suffering with any flickering even in bright ambient light, and only suffering very slightly with crosstalk (unless you watch from more than around 12 degrees above or below the screen).
What we’re saying, in other words, is what Panasonic was clearly thinking when it decided to include passive sets in its 2012 range: namely that both passive and active technologies have their own distinct advantages, and it’s up to you to choose which you prefer.
Personally we feel glad that Panasonic hasn’t let its pride stop it offering consumers a choice they clearly want, and we’re looking forward to putting the ET5 series through their paces when they start to arrive in our test rooms in March or April.

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Samsung UE55ES8000

2012-03-16T13:14:00.000-07:00

Page 1: Design and Specs Page 2: Features and first picture thoughts Page 3: 3D picture quality and conclusion User Reviews Comments Specs Photos

Part of us has been giddy with excitement about the arrival of Samsung’s new flagship TV on our testbenches, but part of us has also been dreading it. For while some of the stuff the 55in UE55ES8000 is capable of really captured our imagination when we saw it in action at the recent CES in Las Vegas, the thought of the sheer amount of time we’d need to explore every nook and cranny of these new features was frankly intimidating.

Happily the majority of the ‘legwork’ part of the UE55ES8000 reviewing process is now behind us, leaving us free to just focus on feeling excited by it. And if anything, our excitement levels are even higher now we’ve spent a few days with the TV than they were before we got it.

The UE55ES8000 sets your pulse racing from the off thanks to its stunningly thin chrome-like bezel, and cool ‘bulges’ at the centre of its top and bottom edges containing a built-in camera and cutely illuminated Samsung logo respectively.

We guess you could argue that the UE55ES8000 doesn’t really advance the cause of TV styling all that much from Samsung’s 2011 range. But frankly, it doesn’t need to. Seeing 55in of screen clad in so little bodywork is a trick that never gets old.

The UE55ES8000’s connectivity is predictably expansive. HD and 3D sources can be piped in via any of four side-mounted HDMIs, while the set’s massive multimedia potential is unlocked via a pair of USBs, a D-Sub PC port, a LAN port, and built-in wi-fi.

The USBs are able to play a wide array of video, photo and music files, with the same files also playable via a connected, DLNA-ready PC. The USBs can also be used, as you would expect with a modern flagship TV, to record from the integrated Freeview HD tuner.

The real core of the UE55ES8000’s multimedia experience, though, comes via its Wi-Fi/LAN connections. For it’s through these that you can delve into the latest version of Samsung’s Smart TV online platform.
The improvements Samsung has wrought here are obvious as soon as you hit the cool new colourful ‘Smart Hub’ button on either of the two remotes you get with the UE55ES8000 (more on these later). First, the graphics used for the icons on the screen look much more attractive and ‘HD’ - a result of them using a full HD 1080 resolution rather than the previous 720-line mode.

Second, while the general layout is broadly the same as last year’s, the central row of icons has been enlarged and now contains a trio of key new services: Family Story, Fitness and Kids.

Probably the single most innovative of these is the Family Story. This enables you to set up a ‘private’, pin-protected network with other Smart TV, Smart device or PC users of your choice - likely family members - for easy sharing of photos, calendars and memos. It’s a bit faffy to set up and at the time of writing it’s usefulness is currently limited by the fact that the PC and Smart device apps for the service aren’t live yet, while our test sample is pretty much the only ES8000 sample in the UK until the range officially launches towards the end of February! But the potential of the feature is clearly huge; it even caught the imagination of this writer’s mum, for heaven’s sake, and there isn’t much technology that does that!

The Fitness section is essentially an aggregation of fitness-related apps available on Samsung’s Smart TV system. However, it goes further than that by letting you to set up user profiles to which the provided activities can be attached.

This is a great touch, of course, because it allows you to follow your progress and have the TV provide you with a readily visible, automatically updated record of your fitness activities. Charted are your BMI measurements, your exercise progress in minutes and calories, and your ‘achievements’, which are chiefly based around weight loss goals. The system handily tells you how many calories you need to burn to produce a certain weight loss for your body mass, while the exercise apps consist of videos of exercise regimes for you to follow, with the number of calories each exercise ‘clip’ will burn displayed next to its title.

All this information is all very nicely presented, and really gives you that sense of almost hour by hour progress that’s so key to a successful fitness or weight loss regime.

Obviously there’s no way of recording your food intake on the Fitness system, so it’s not a total weight loss/fitness solution. But it goes further than expected, all the same.

The Kids section of the latest Smart Hub is a little less meaty than the other two, comprising a (currently smallish) selection of videos from the Canimals Animation series, and a rather more useful sticker book, into which parents can add ‘well done’ stickers to reward their childrens’ behaviour.

The presentation of this area is suitably child-friendly, and our own children certainly seemed to enjoy the challenge of earning stickers for the ‘cool’ onscreen book. This area definitely needs more content and activities before it really becomes exciting, but the core ideas seem solid enough.

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Panasonic TX-L47DT50 active 3D LED TV

2012-03-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

We’ve already done a first look from the CES at Panasonic’s new flagship LCD TV for 2012, the WT50 series. But at Panasonic’s recent product convention in Hamburg, our eye was also caught by the step-down LCD model from the WT50, the DT50 series. So we spent as much time as we could glued to the 47in L47DT50 - and came away feeling as if it could actually be this model that marks Panasonic’s most successful LCD series for 2012.

For starters, unlike so many past generations of Panasonic TV, it looks lovely. Its ultra-slim silver bezel is sleek, shiny and feels extremely well built. In fact, it’s the spitting image of some of Samsung’s recent, highly successful designs. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, we guess.

The 47in size of the L47DT50 is significant too, for it signifies Panasonic’s new, doubtless tough decision to introduce very large LCD TVs, rather than sticking with plasma for its ‘home cinema’ screens.

Heading up an impressive spec sheet on the L47DT50 is a 1600Hz motion rate - a figure derived from the fact that it’s a native 200Hz panel combined with a backlight that goes off eight times for every image frame. Our hands on with the screen certainly suggested that this did lead to more clarity and less ‘trailing’ when the set was handling fast-paced action during a demonstration featuring black animation against a white background.

Also very impressive are the L47DT50’s energy credentials. The screen has been rated A using the new industry standard, and is allegedly able to deliver a 25% brighter image at the same time that it uses 40% less power. A head to head of a DT50 against one of Panasonic’s 2010 LCD TVs (apparently no 2011 model was available that was equivalent in spec/range position to the DT50...) bore this out, with the DT50 consistently measuring under 60W of running power and occasionally getting down as low as 40.

The L47DT50 benefits from one of Panasonic’s latest-generation IPS Alpha LCD panel designs. As usual, this results in a markedly wider realistic viewing angle than you usually get with LCD TVs. You have to be almost 75 degrees off axis before the DT50’s pictures really start to desaturate and lose contrast like they do on most LCD TVs from a far shallower angle.

Not surprisingly given it’s only one step down from the top of Panasonic’s new LCD TV range, the DT50 series carries Panasonic’s latest Smart Viera online functionality, which adds - or will add in the next few months - Netflix, fitness apps, Disney Books, an interactive ‘help’ centre and Myspace among other things to 2011’s Viera Connect proposition.

If there’s any thing to be disappointed about with the DT50 series, it’s that it doesn’t have a dual-core processor. That’s reserved for Panasonic’s WT50, VT50 and GT50 series. This means its picture processing isn’t as powerful as that of the dual-core sets, and that it doesn’t have some of their multi-tasking functionality, where different ‘layers‘ of smart functionality can operate simultaneously. For instance, unlike the dual-core sets, the DT50 will not allow you to simultaneously have up to six ‘apps‘ open at once so that you can easily switch between them.

In action, besides the impressive motion processing strength mentioned earlier, the L47DT50 produces extremely impressive levels of brightness for such an energy-conscious screen, as well as rich colours and high amounts of detail.

Its 3D capabilities, too, look very good indeed, as levels of dynamism and shadow detail you don’t see with Panasonic’s 3D plasmas are joined by surprisingly little crosstalk for an LCD TV.

The only area of the L47D50’s performance that raised significant concerns during our hands on with it was its black level response, with dark scenes looking a bit more grey than we’d like, especially when watching 3D. But of course, we weren’t able to perform a full calibration of the TVs during our hands on, so it may be possible to improve this situation once we get final review samples. Talking of which, look for a full review in the next three to four weeks!

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Panasonic TX-P65ST50

2012-03-16T05:05:00.000-07:00

To date, Panasonic has saved its largest 65in plasma screens (not including the monster 85in, 103in and 152in models reserved for its ‘pro’ wing) for the top tier of its home TV range.

There’s nothing wrong with this per se, but it has meant that Panny’s biggest screens have tended to be rather too expensive for the vast majority of people. Happily Panasonic has decided to address this situation at last by introducing a 65in set to its new mid-range ST50 series - and from what we saw of this TV at Panasonic’s recent Hamburg product convention, you can colour us very excited indeed.

The single most exciting thing about the P65ST50 is its price. Panasonic hopes to have it on sale for as little as... £2,500. Still a hefty chunk of money but barely half the price of the usual 65V series models.

Making this price look even more enticing is the fact that the P65ST50 enjoys the same up-to-the-minute Panasonic plasma panel that’s found in the step-up GT50 and VT50 models; you’re not having to compromise with some previous generation of Panasonic’s plasma designs.

The benefits of this new panel design include improved phosphors that can be driven at lower power levels or produce 30% more brightness at last year’s power levels; reduced pixel ‘after glow’ thanks to it being easier to dissipate the lower charges being fed to each plasma chamber; and perhaps most significantly of all, a brand new ‘2000Hz subfield drive’ system. Previously Panasonic has only been able to deliver a 600Hz subfield drive, which has sometimes meant motion doesn’t look as natural as we would like.

Moving to 2000Hz also has the potential to improve plasma’s traditionally limited colour and greyscale gradations when watching dark 3D scenes.

The P65ST30 carries the latest Smart Viera platform, which can be access via integrated wi-fi (a very welcome improvement over last year’s ‘Viera Connect’ models). We won’t go into detail on the new Smart Viera functions here - not least because there’s still plenty of room for further development in the coming weeks. But it’s fair to say that content levels look set to surge in 2012, with NetFlix, MySpace, and the fun-looking Disney Digital Books among the most notable additions.

The ST50 series doesn’t enjoy the dual-core processors found in the GT50 and VT50 models, meaning you don’t get those higher-spec models’ split-screen multi-tasking Smart TV functionality. The other models also have better black level filters, and 2500Hz sub-field driving.

Panasonic has made a substantial effort with its TV designs for 2012. So it is that the P65ST50 looks much more fetching than most Panasonic TVs thanks to its tasteful grey bezel colour and eye-catching ‘crystal’ finish - a finish which extends slightly beyond the main bezel to create a transparent ‘trim’.

Spending as much time as possible in front of an ST50 given the ‘tricky’ circumstances of the packed Hamburg convention centre, the excitement we’d already started to feel when we heard the set’s £2,500 price merely grew. For even in these less than ideal surroundings, its 2D picture quality looked excellent for its money, with blacks even deeper than those of last year’s NeoPlasma models, and a reduction in the sort of ‘fizzing’ noise during dark scenes that tends to affect plasma technology. It was also obvious in a selection of ‘this year versus last year’ head to heads that the P65ST50’s motion reproduction is much crisper than 2011’s models, and that its pictures are capable of being markedly brighter without negatively impacting power consumption in any way.

The good news continues with 3D viewing to some extent. For while our time spent in the ‘3D booth’ at the convention still had us feeling that plasma could do with retaining a little more brightness when showing active 3D material, brightness levels certainly looked higher than they did on last year’s 3D plasma models, and the boost in the subfield driving circuitry seemed to deliver more shadow detail and gradation in dark scenes. The set also reaffirmed how impressively little Panasonic plasmas suffer with 3D crosstalk.

With Panasonic introducing large-screen LCD TVs in 2012 for the first time, rumours have already started to creep around suggesting that plasma’s days may be numbered. But on the evidence of the P65ST50 seen so far, we’d suggest that you write Panasonic’s still-preferred TV technology off at your peril.

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Finlux 55S6040-M

2012-03-16T01:30:00.000-07:00

Page 1: Design and Specs Page 2: Features and Picture Quality Page 3: More Picture Quality User Reviews Comments Specs Photos

Finlux. Finlux. Finlux... Hmm. Nope, the name’s familiar, but having scanned both our addled brains and our files of past reviews, it would appear that no previous Finlux product has found its way into our reviews database. Despite the brand having being in and out of the UK market on a number of occasions since the brand name was first properly used in 1971. And yet here we have the 55in Finlux 55S6040-M.

Owned by Turkish AV outfit Vestel since 2009, Finlux is now back in business in the UK, with its own direct-sales website (www.finluxdirect.com) and even a quirky new TV advertising campaign featuring an eccentric but happy Finnish man. In his pants.

Predictably enough, Finlux has chosen to set out its UK stall based predominantly on price. For instance, the Finlux 55S6040-M we’re looking at today delivers its 55in of LED-lit pictures for the very reasonable sum of £848.99. But actually, the very fact that this is a 55in TV suggests that maybe Finlux is wanting to become a more ‘serious’ player than it has previously; certainly a set of such size can’t be considered a ‘casual’ purchase in any way, regardless of how affordable it might be relative to most other 55in TVs in town.

The Finlux 55S6040-M’s design makes it impossible to treat casually, too. Surrounding the already-huge screen is a pretty hefty amount of bezel - not far off two inches of glossy blackness frames each of the TV’s four edges. This fact, coupled with the entirely rectangular, flourish-free nature of the set’s sculpting, means that the TV ultimately looks like the budget set it is. But at least it’s pretty well built.

It’s better connected - in some ways - than we might have expected too. For instance, there are four HDMIs when two or three would have been acceptable for the set’s money, and there are two USBs when we might frankly have anticipated none. Even better, these USBs can record video to USB HDDs from the TV’s Freeview tuner, and play video, photo and music files. Supported formats including MPEG 1 & 2, H.264 (in an MKV container), .avi files, .mp4 files (including Xvid), MP3s, JPEGs, and .bmp files.

You might have noticed that we only said "Freeview" tuner earlier, not Freeview HD, and this was no slip of the keyboard. The lack of HD tuner will immediately make the TV a non-starter for anyone who wants to be able to feed their large TV an HD signal but doesn’t want to have to pay a subscription to the likes of Sky or Virgin.

If you do need an HD tuner, you’ll need to look at the Finlux 55S6040-M’s sister model, the 55S6040-T, which adds a Freeview HD tuner for an extra £120. But here lies the clue as to why we believe the 55S6040-M’s lack of HD tuner might not be the disaster it would likely be with a more expensive, mainstream set.

For when you’re talking about a TV as large as 55in, we can definitely imagine an audience of fairly serious AV fans with Sky or Virgin boxes - or just looking for a respectable Blu-ray movie monitor - who just want to maximise the screen size they can on a tight budget. And for these people, saving £120 for a tuner they don’t need makes all kinds of big-screen sense.

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Samsung UE46ES8000

2012-03-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

We haven't yet produced a review of the Samsung UE46ES8000, but we have given our full verdict on its big brother, the UE55ES8000. Why not read that review while our TV experts are beavering away?

The smaller of the TV twins boasts similar specs to its big brother, with an LED-lit 1080p screen. It's a 3D television, using Active 3D shutter glasses. Two pairs of glasses come as part of the package. This is a style-conscious set, with an extremely thin screen bezel and a natty-looking design.

A Freeview HD tuner features, and it has access to the Samsung Smart TV channel, letting you watch things like the BBC iPlayer. A wireless module is inbuilt, so you won't need to spend any more money on an often-expensive dongle.

The Samsung UE46ES8000 also has four HDMI inputs, an 800MHz motion engine and microphone plus camera to let you use Skype on your TV. Clever, eh? At the time of writing, we're yet to see conclusive retail pricing for the TV.

While we get get on with reviewing this top-end model, why not read our other Samsung TV reviews?

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Sony 55HX853

2012-03-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

In our feature covering the tech we saw on our recent trip to Tokyo with Sony, we mentioned that we had spent quite a bit of time in the company of Sony’s upcoming HX853 series - specifically the 55in model with full model name Sony Bravia KDL-55HX853. So with Sony’s new ‘quality first, last and always’ message ringing in our ears, we thought we’d get into more detail on what’s looking likely to be a key model for the Japanese brand when the set launches around April.

The HX853 series will rest one step below Sony’s HX923 flagship models. Which is a bit odd in some ways, for with Sony deciding to carry the HX923 through from 2011 until at least the latter stages of 2012, the HX853 will have one or two key features that the TV that sits above it in Sony’s range does not have. In particular, the 55HX853 benefits from Sony’s newly developed X-Reality Pro 3D processing, designed to boost both the sharpness and the sense of depth of 3D pictures. We were given an extended demo of this in action, and were extremely impressed with what we saw. Both foreground and background picture information was clearly sharper and more detailed, and it was a massive relief after our experience with some of Sony’s 2011 3D TVs to find these results delivered without emphasising crosstalk.

In fact, crosstalk on the 55HX853 didn’t look a major problem at all; fingers crossed this continues to be the case once we’re able to unleash a few of our favourite crosstalk-inducing scenes on the TV in our test rooms.

The 55HX853 also gives us a first glimpse at Sony’s refined Monolithic design for 2012. Sony has attempted to ‘feminise’ its mostly successful style slightly, adding a slender metallic trim around the edge of the glass-topped black bezel, and creating a connection with the new aluminium stand that lets the TV look like it’s just floating on the stand’s surface. Its rear is designed so as to emphasise the TV’s slimness, too. All in all the 55HX853 is very attractive indeed, and marks a clear aesthetic step forward from previous models.

The 55HX853 uses edge LED lighting rather than the direct LED system found in the HX923 series. But from the evidence we saw during our time with the TV - which included 90 minutes studying it alongside an array of five other TVs from other brands - it’s an exceptionally sophisticated edge lighting arrangement. Certainly using the set’s movie mode we could hardly discern any backlight inconsistencies at all, despite many of the images we were shown containing precisely the mix of light and near-black material that seems tailor-made to cause edge LED technology problems.

This was even though black levels were the deepest of any of the other edge LED TVs in the multi-screen demo room, and despite the fact that the bright parts of the image still looked punchy and sharp. This ability to deliver a vibrant image while still producing a convincing black is a real improvement over many of last year’s Sony edge LED TVs.

The 55HX853 also excelled with its colour reproduction. The X-Reality Pro processing system inside the set cunningly processes colours in 14-bit, which means that by the time they hit the screen they’re practically completely free of the sort of colour banding and striping you usually find to some degree with flat TVs.

The X-Reality Pro processing also helps pictures look sharp and detailed, with dark scenes enjoying much more shadow detailing than anything witnessed on last year’s Sony screens. Even ropey feeds from the Internet look startlingly sharp and clean, thanks to the clever ‘database’ system used by X-Reality Pro, which recognises the type of source that it’s being fed and then applies a pre-defined set of processing rules to it.

Motion looked crisp and smooth too during Sony’s demos, especially using an intriguing new processing option dubbed Impulse, that basically repeats each frame four times.

Add to all these apparent picture benefits the promise of improved sound via the speakers built into the attractive new desktop stand and an apparently much-improved version of Sony’s Bravia Internet Video online platform, and you know, Sony really might be looking set fair to deliver on its promise to get back to making the sort of top-notch tellies for which the brand was once famed.

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Samsung Smart TV voice and gesture control systems

2012-03-15T12:51:00.001-07:00

For the past few days we have been mostly shouting and waving our arms at the TV. Not because we’ve been watching Big Brother, not because we’ve been playing excessively with an Xbox Kinect or PS3 Move systems, and not even because we’ve lost our minds.

No, the reason for our unusually ‘physical’ TV interactions is that the TV in question has been Samsung’s new UE55ES8000: the first TV to truly attempt to replace the traditional remote control with an ‘alternative’ control system.

There have been half-hearted stabs at this before; we remember with a shudder, for instance, JVC’s ‘clapping’ system, whereby you could perform two or three basic functions by clapping your hands. But the UE55ES8000 is to previous alternative control attempts what Mount Everest is to a gentle hillock. Well, nearly.

The set actually delivers no less than three control innovations: voice control, gesture control, and a touchpad remote control, which we’ll look at in turn in a moment. Before we do so, though, it’s worth pausing to reflect on exactly why Samsung has felt that now was the right time to serve up such a comprehensive suite of control innovations.

The main inspiration for the new control systems has been the expansion of Samsung’s Smart TV services. With so many icons to choose from, web pages to navigate and in-depth search engines to utilise, Samsung has - thankfully - decided that normal remote control input systems no longer cut it, as they make interfacing with some of the new features just too fiddly and long-winded.

As we started playing around with the UE55ES8000’s trio of new control options, we definitely had our sceptic’s head on. Having failed to be seduced for the most part by either Microsoft’s Kinect system or Nintendo’s Wiimote, and also feeling convinced that we would feel utterly ridiculous barking instructions at our TV screen, we thoroughly expected to find the gesture and voice controls to be nothing more than gimmicks. But after a few days the UE55ES8000 has won us around - at least where the voice control system is concerned.

There are three main reasons for this. First, the UE55ES8000 has proved remarkably flexible when it comes to recognising voices, handling male, female, child and even fairly heavy dialects with surprisingly little difficulty.

Second, the UE55ES8000’s voice control system has proven able to recognise far more words than we’d have ever dreamt possible - at least from a ‘first-generation’ system. This manifests itself initially in the amount of direct vocal commands you can issue to the TV. After uttering the required ‘trigger word’, the voice control system lets you speak any of a series of ‘direct access’ commands (listed onscreen so you don’t forget them): Smart Hub, Search All, Allshare Play, Family Story, Fitness, Kids Home, Samsung Apps, Your Video, Skype, Web browser, Camera, My Mirror, Current Time and e-Manual.

Even better, if you’ve got the universal remote control functionality set up along with the remote extender that ships with the TV, you can change channels on, say, a Sky receiver box just by speaking the channel number you want!

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