Magnavox 42MF437B 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had the Magnavox 42MF437B 42" LCD HDTV for about 4 months now. I couldn't be happier with the purchase. First of all, we use this TV in our Family room with a DIRECTV HD DVR. I have it set to use the 1080i display from the HD DVR (1080p not available). The picture is very crisp and bright on HD channels that are available. Even using 1080i, fast motion does not seem to have "trails" as I would have expected. I've experimented with 720p vs. 1080i and, to my untrained eye, the higher definition setting even in interlaced is better.
Let me go backward for a minute to when I received the TV. The box itself is pretty ingenious. If you bother to read the directions (which, for once, I actually did), the box is quite helpful in setting up the TV. It allows you to mount the stand and plug in the lower speaker in a safe and secure manner prior to standing it up.
One of the reasons out side of the features this TV appealed to me was the fact that is is 40.9" wide. We have a TV cabinet that I really did not want to replace that could only accommodate a 41" wide set. I had been looking for something that would fit this range so that my +$1,000 TV wouldn't cost me +$2,000 in furniture. Once I assembled the TV it slide in perfectly with virtually no gap on the side of the cabinet. It sort of has a built in look now. The menus for setting up the TV are fairly intuitive and easy to configure.
In the beginning, I was using Dish Network standard service and pulling HDTV over the air with an RCA antenna. This was serviceable but the signal from the OTA side was too week to have reliable service. The TV did just find with the OTA signal when environmental conditions were just right (read, after the sun went down). I am much happier with the DIRECTV HD service now.
All in all, this is a fantastic TV for my needs and would highly recommend it to anyone considering a 42" 1080p TV.

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Sunvalleytek Displayport (Male) to HDMI (Female) Adapter Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently purchased this adapter for my computer to stream to my hdtv. I need to plug in my hdmi cable from my tv to "this adapter" to my laptop. However the gold piece you can barley see that appears to be the end to plug into the laptop has a funny shape to it and does not fit. I emailed that person whom I purchased it from stating this was the wrong cable, if I could exchange it or pay the difference. I did not receive any response, so Now im stuck with a adapter I'll never use an out the money I paid for reguardless that it wasn't that expensive! Not a happy customer!Gina

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Toshiba 19LV505 19-Inch 720p LCD HDTV with Built-in DVD Player, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)The picture quality on this TV is excellent. I am currently on analog with substandard cable and a splitter in the attic (older house) and it still shows a nice picture HOWEVER the sound quality is not good. It is very disappointing. It takes the points away from the very nice picture. I have to turn the sound all the way up (100%) sometimes just to hear it good. I've never had to turn the sound all the way up on any TV. I am sensitive to sound. I'm usually turning sound down on TV's. I even mute commercials because I don't want to hear the sound. The sound I do hear is "tinny". I've played with the bass and treble and balance on the menu but it's still not what I feel it should be. I have cheaper brand TV's where the sound is much better. I'm so disappointed because I have a 37" Toshiba LCD TV in the living room and the sound on that one is fine. Don't know what happened here. I've considered returning it but I already threw the box away. I should have waited.

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Sony Bravia L-Series KDL-32L5000 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)This is my first HDTV. I bought it because my brother-in-law has the previous model, which is pretty much the same. He loves it for the bedroom because it's light and just all around a great TV.
Cable broadcasts in 720p/1080i. So unless you have the room and money for a larger screen, have a Blu-Ray DVD player or are a serious gamer, go with the 720P and save yourself some bread.
I'm very happy with the sound and picture. I do not have this hooked up to a home theater. There are plenty of inputs, so it should work well for your system. I tried my JVC HD camcorder and it was simple to connect and view.

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Sony Bravia L-Series HDTVs provide vivid 720p resolution and dynamic contrast ratios of 13,000:1 (the 26-inch model) and 13,000:1 (for 32-inch model), with several versatile sizes perfect for the budget-conscious consumer or anyone wanting an HDTV that works well in the bedroom, kitchen, or office. Bravia L-Series HDTVs have a wealth of HD connections, including three HDMI inputs. Each HDMI input transmits uncompressed digital video and multi-channel digital audio on a single cable, so you can expand your home theater system without a lot of messy wires. Also included is a PC input that lets you use your HDTV as a computer monitor. If you need to streamline your HD components further, the Bravia L-Series HDTVs feature Bravia Sync technology and are compatible with optional Bravia Link Modules such as the Bravia Wireless Link, which wirelessly streams HD video and audio from your A/V equipment to your HDTV from up to 65 feet away. You might expect that more features mean more power consumption, but Bravia L-Series HDTVs include a Dynamic Backlight Control which automatically controls overall image brightness to help the TV exceed ENERGY STAR 3.0 standards.

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Sharp Aquos LC52D85U 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)My new Sharp Aquos LC52D85U 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV arrived in 4 days, and 3 days early from the Video & Audio Center, in perfect shape. The courier helped me unpack, set up and place this monster on its stand. Great service does not get any better than that. I first plugged in the HDMI connection to my RR HD-DVR and then the power plug, sat down & and struggled to find the HDMI connection I had used in the onscreen menu - there were so many inputs it was trial and error(didn't read the manual, no time!). Finally I landed on input 4 which was the live HDMI connection - the channel was set to a full HD channel and had a Fleetwood Mac concert recorded in 2004 playing in full glorious 1080i. I could see every strand of fly away hair and split ends on Stevie Nicks. Frankly I almost soiled myself because I was not expecting THAT degree of picture quality. I am still getting goosebumps from this beauty. This HDTV is just magnificent. The picture is bright, crisp and free of any banding issues. I can say without a doubt this TV will please even the most finicky of consumers. Tech types can tweak away at the hue and saturation controls to their hearts contect, color temperature, active contrast, fine motion are all customizable. The set even makes 480i HBO broadcasts look almost like HD quality.
I have been reading online reviews and customer experiences for over 3 months on all brands of HDTV's prior to pulling the trigger, and I can assure you that you will not be disappointed with this HDTV. I am reluctant to touch the fine tuning picture controls for fear of messing with the already perfect, gorgeous picture right out of the box! One of the reasons I ruled out other brands such as Samsung was the lack of a matte screen to combat reflective glare, as my living room has two banks of floor to ceiling windows & also with cathedral ceilings, facing south. Thus I was concerned with buying just an expensive mirror. It is so sunny in my viewing area an old CRT set was unwatchable during the brightest morning hours - not so this Sharp HDTV. The anti-reflective surface completely eliminates any bothersome reflections. The viewing angle is just about as advertised, I can stand almost 75 degrees to the side and still can view the screen. Just an amazing set. I liked the way the TV will indicate the screen resolution upon changing to a new channel, I find this to be a nice touch. I really liked that the user can alter the range of the OPC and power saving feature so as to limit the degree that the set will automatically reduce brightness in a dark room.
An aggressive price, & free shipping just clinched it for me; I had already decided on the Sharp. This a just a great HDTV, if you are considering this set at all, just go for it.


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Sharp Aquos LC52D64U 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased the Sharp LC52D64U via a direct promotion with Sharp USA. The deal I was offered was too good to pass up. I have never bought a large format TV in my life and always got by with a Sony CRT 27" in my bedroom running SD TV. I was just fine with that for many years and when I moved into a new apartment with a nice big (and empty) living room and ordered HD cable, I decided to consider purchasing a large HD panel TV.
When I did my research, I was overwhelmed at the number of choices, formats and connections types, such as LCD, plasma, projection, 720i, 720p, 1080i, 1080p, Hdmi, HD channels recievers....argh!?!?!?!
Well after I did enough research, this Sharp LCD has everything that I need for at least the next 5 years. I am running a Tivo Series 3 HD reciever pumping 1080i HD channels over digital cable into one of the 3 available HDMI ports. The image quality is, to say the least, MAGNIFICENT!!!! The deep blacks and rich colors really cut through exceptionally well. I have not yet played an HD DVD or Blu-Ray movie through it, but if the 1080i HD channels look this great, I can only expect the same from watching Spiderman 3 on Bluray at 1080P when it's available this late October.
When I was researching large format panel TV's, my eye kept going to plasmas like Panasonics and the Elite series from Pioneer. Suffice it to say, these brands were very much out of my budget and consdered LCD's instead. So I did some research on the Aqous series and found alot of useful information. I also read many reports of the Sharp Aquos series suffering from a bad phenomenom known as "banding" and a recent review of the LC52D64U on cnet.com indicated that the problem was still present in this new model. This made me nervous about buying the TV, but then I reminded myself that those reviewers have eyes like a hawk and scrutinize every little detail that an average consumer (like me) probably wouldn't even notice until pointed out.
Well I don't know if I can't see it, or if it is not present in my particular unit, but I have NOT experienced any "banding" issues that may appear as color bleed, ghosting effects or ongoing pixilation.
Sharp does offer Aquos models that have a higher refresh rate as much at 120 hertz. This unit, I believe, operates at a 60 hertz refresh rate. The higher 120 refresh rate is supposed to handle fast moving images (such as football player running across a field) and improve the image so as to reduce any bluriness or undesireable pixilation.
Well I do not watch alot of sports, so this is not a deal breaker for me. There were a few times I was watching a movie and saw some pixilation occurring due to fast moving images. But as long as you watch your 52" sharp LCD from a practical viewing distance and loose yourself in the entertainment and not scrutinize every single image that's on the screen, you probably won't notice it when it does occur, if at all.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with the Sharp LC52D64U. Remember that to get the most out of this LCD panel, be prepared to spend some money and feed it a high resolution data feed for both audio and video. Everything I am sending it comes in at full 1080i/1080P, if not upscaled from 720/480. I plan to get the new X-Box 360 elite and it has an HDMI output port and many of the newer games run at 1080P, so I can only imagine that there's more visual pleasure to come my way.
I hope this non-technical review was helpful. Now go out and buy this damn thing and be a happy couch potato!!! :-)

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Large-screen 52 flat-panel TV offers full HD Spec 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution. Sharps proprietary Advanced Super View/Black TFT Panel with multi-pixel technology provides a native 2000:1 contrast ratio and a dynamic contrast ratio of 10,000:1 with Enhanced Picture Contrast Technology, 4ms response time and wide viewing angles (176 degree horizontal x 176 degree vertical). Multi-pixel technology divides each pixel into two sections and adds an advanced driving system to provide 60 percent improved color reproduction. Built-in ATSC/QAM/NTSC Tuners provide access to DTV and analog TV channels. Includes two HDMI inputs and two HD component video inputs. Compatible with 1080p signals. Features a sleek piano black cabinet with subtle, recessed bottom-mounted speakers. Included table stand easily removes for wall mounting applications. Flat-panel TV offers 16:9 LCD panel, S-video input, 15 watt speaker system and removable stand. Screen measures 52-1/32 diagonally.

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Sony Bravia XBR KDL-40XBR6 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I wanted the biggest set I could buy and fit into the built-in opening in our home (my wife's only requirement). I knew I would be paying extra for a Sony, but decided to make the plunge, since other 40" screens were several inches wider. This set is slim and atractive.
I have only had this set for a weeks and am still learning about it's many functions. My set is attached to cable, a blu-ray player for DVDs, and an older Denon A/V amp via S-Video for sound output.
Before buying, I researched features availble in a 40" LCD set in the store and on-line. This set led the pack in many ways. The picture is incredable. Plus, if you are into adjustments, you have a great deal of control over the picture settings. I have viewed in a highly lit room as well as in the dark. It's high contrast ratio makes it easy to watch in both situations. I can not detect the blurring, many LDCs suffer from in action sceans.
It packs all the latest video inhancements but most importantly, 120Hz, 24p. The built in speaker is even good, and makes a reasonable attempt at surround sound considerng it's is a single source speaker. Of course when hooked up to a A/V reciever, it makes movies come alive. I have not connected to a LAN yet, but am curious to try, soon.
It is loaded with input options (HDMI, LAN, USB, Composit, S-Video, etc). The only thing I would like to see is a more versitile USB port, so I could plug in a wireless reciever. This system has to be hard wired to a LAN. It would be nice if the computer input ports were on the side of the set, so it did not have to be pulled out to make these attachemnts.
The stand could be improved, it does not allow for any adjustment. It was not a big deal for me, since the set sits at eye level, but if it was sitting anywhere else, you would need to purchase an adjustable mount, which are axpensive for a set this size.
The manual is somewhat limited. There are many set-up options that are not full explained. I called Sony for a setup question. They answered fairly quickly. The first rep had me try several different things, but was not much help. Then he passed me on to the "blu-ray" expert, who answered my question in seconds.
Overall, this is a great set, I deffinately recommend it.


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Looking for XBR performance and design in a small screen TV --- Experience Sony unique features like an enhanced Xross Media Bar with 3D graphics and integrated TV Guide program information, DMex functionality that allows you to add capabilities to your TV, and BRAVIA Engine 2 for an even better picture. Add to that the sophisticated design you've come to expect from the XBR line and 1080p capability, and you can see why we say that the KDL-40XBR6 packs a lot of punch.

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Samsung LN40B550 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color Review

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(More customer reviews)I was undecided between this 2009 model and last year's LN40A550.
The features are substantially identical, but after figuring that the difference between best prices for the two, which I could find after extensive shopping around, was only $50, I went for newer one for its updated look and lighter weight.
In the reviews, one of the principal complaints for 2008 was the sound quality. I can't directly compare 2009 and 2008, but found 2009's LN40B550 to have perfectly adequate, if not excellent speakers, as far as TVs go.
Picture quality, menus, setup are excellent as expected.
One aspect that I did find puzzling is Wiselink not being able to recognize my old trustworthy USB Flash Drive. I even tried formatting the drive in various ways, unfortunately none of the tricks worked.
Perhaps, it's the ancient drive not being comparable in some way, but it had never let me down before. Anyhow, I ordered a few different flash drives, and will try again, and then post an update.
====================================
Tried four various flash drives, all of them work just fine in computers, all four freshly formatted same way (FAT32). Two of the drives are read by the TV with no problems, the two others are not recognized at all... Go figure... The slideshow functionality is nice, quite limited, but does the job.
Just for the reference, one of the drives that does work in this TV is Kingston Data Traveler 4GB.

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It features a 39.9" screen (measured diagonally) with widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, 1920 x 1080 pixels, and Touch of Color high-gloss finish--black with red accents. There are built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts (antenna required) and a built-in QAM cable TV tuner receives unscrambled programs without a set-top box (cable service required).

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Sony Bravia V-Series KDL-40V3000 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been buying Sony TVs for more than 30 years, and they rarely disappoint. The 40" Bravia is no exception. Last year I bought the 70" SXRD model for my living room, and the 40" is for the bedroom. Many televisions are high quality and prices are dropping, so why get the Sony?
Picture quality is excellent, especially in high def.
Sound quality is very good without a home theater setup. Not always the case with flat panel TVs with small bezels.
Remote is well laid out and easy to use (although it does lack backlighting, but I have no trouble finding the buttons I want in the dark). It's easy to change between the 4 programmable picture settings or screen aspect ratios. Sleep timer button is right up on top when your ready for bed and is in 15 minute increments.
It has 2 HDMI inputs for easy connection of compatible devices and several other inputs. You can customize the display to choose between only the inputs you are using and label them appropriately (so it's easy to switch between my TiVo, DVD player, TV and cable box, and hide the other inputs)
There's a zillion other settings that I haven't figured out all of yet, but most are relatively intuitive (except PnP, which has me baffled so far).
I got the flat panel LCD because it uses less power and generates less heat than a plasma, and won't burn-in (although plasmas have improved). The screen doesn't reflect as much, and has a wide viewing angle.
For viewing from about 6 feet, the 40" size is perfect.
Lots of other things I could say about this TV, but it's all good. You can't go wrong with this model. Also highly rated in Consumer Reports, the consumer's bible...
Amazon shopping tip: Amazon offers price protection for 30 days from date of purchase. After you buy this, put it in your cart again and check your cart regularly for a month. The price goes up and down almost daily. When you go to your cart you will be notified of price changes. If it goes down, grab the phone and call for a credit. I paid $1630 a couple of weeks ago and the price has gone as low as $1450, so I've gotten $180 in refunds. Delivery and unpacking are free, and combine with excellent customer service, making buying from Amazon a no-brainer.
I'm delighted with Sony and Amazon for this purchase.
update 3/2009: Forget my last comment. Amazon no longer, sadly, offers 30 day price protection on purchases. Advice now is to go to camel camel camel dot com (leave out the spaces). A great site for tracking Amazon price history.

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BRAVIA V-Series televisions are where Full HD 1080 starts. Two sizes, 46" and 40" diagonally, define what Full HD 1080 (1920 x 1080) televisions are all about. Performance functions like Live Color Creation (featuring the WCG-CCFL backlight) and the 10-bit panel display assure picture quality and performance. The BRAVIA Engine EX full digital video processing system includes DRC-MF v1.0 technology, which upconverts 480i video signals to a 1080p equivalent. DMeX ready allows connection to the new DMeX (Digital Module Expander) called the BRAVIA Internet Video Link module. And BRAVIA V-Series TVs are big on ease of operation. BRAVIA Theatre Sync offers one-button command for time consuming control functions and signal path routing. And we didn't forget about connectivity. How about two 1080/24p and 1080/60p input capable HDMI connections, two HD Component YPbPr inputs, and a PC input, just to name a few. Add a sparkling new black picture frame design, quiet operation, and you have BRAVIA V-Series HD LCD TVs.

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Cmple - 6ft Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable, Version 1.3, Category 2, 1080p, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)These cables are an excellent deal and meet all of the relevant specifications that will allow you to get maximum throughput from 1080p equipment.
According to the HDMI website, Category 2 cables are required not only to guarantee 1080P FullHD but also for high refresh rates and deep color.

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Sony BRAVIA EX 700 Series 32-Inch LED TV, Black (KDL-32EX700) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an excellent TV. You can read a lot of positive reviews about the EX500-32 on Amazon that will give you sufficient detail about the Sony Bravia EX's. Start with those reviews and note the differences between the 500 and 700 are:
- Video Processing : BRAVIA Engine 3(tm) Technology:
Many of the LCD tv companies share the production of various parts, including the screen. One of the major differences between the brands is the software that drives it. The EX 700 has the Bravia Engine 3 driving it. The EX500 and lower have the Bravia Engine 2. The Sony rep told me that Sony makes 90+% of the digital cameras and equipment so they have the software advantage when it comes to interpreting those inputs to get the output (the tv). Take this for what it's worth coming from a rep, but it's something to consider when comparing TV brands. With the Bravia 3 engine you know you have the latest available.
- The EX700 has a motion sensor (Presence Sensor) that turns off the TV when nobody is in the room. I think this is important because heat can damage your tv. If you accidentally leave it on your risk of damage is lessened by the auto-off. Also, this will save some $ in energy bills.
- The EX700 has Motionflow 120Hz Technology for Smooth Motion, the EX 500 does also. The EX400 does not.

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Enjoy Full HD 1080p, incredible contrast and smooth motion performance with the slim Edge LED backlit Sony BRAVIA EX700-Series LCD HDTV. Connect to the internet and instantly stream a wide variety of movies, TV shows, videos and music using apps from Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube, Slacker and more

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Toshiba 32E200U 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Black Gloss) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought mine from Buydig when they had it for $399.99 with a coupon code and free shipping last month. I am using it as a computer monitor and as a secondary TV at home. Instead of writing in paragraph, I will just enumerate the things I wanted to say...
As a Computer Monitor:
1. It has a native mode, but it will leave about an inch of space/border, from the side and 1/2 inch on the top and bottom. The quality is super crisp! Just like a CRT (with 1080p PC mode on)!
2. Natural mode will stretch it out and leave about a 1/4 inch on each side. and it's still pretty crisp.
3. There is an option in this tv called 1080p PC mode, which makes the letters very crisp and clear. You will need to enable it to make the letters not look distorted or fuzzy.
4. To get to the 1080p computer mode, go to menu > picture settings > noise reduction > turn on 1080p PC mode.
5. by default, it is extremely bright as a computer monitor, so lessen the back light.
6. NO DEAD PIXELS!!!!!
7. Using the 15-pin computer plug, max resolution possible is 1360x 768, and instead of native mode, it has a dot by dot mode (which is essentially native mode.)dot by dot mode will leave a hefty border on the tv which is about 3 inch on the top and bottom and about 5 inches per side. Although the text is as clear as it any CRTs out there, losing about 40% of your monitor's real estate isn't that great. Also in PC ode, you can't change the picture settings.
8. I have been able to use audio over HDMI using an ATI card (4670)
9. To avoid screen tearing when playing PC games, make sure v-sync is turned on your PC.
As a TV:
1. switching through channels is painless, not like some other brands that I've tried, this takes less than a second to load to the other channel. There is a slight delay when switching through HDMI and cable or HDMI to another HDMI which is only about a second.
2. very crisp picture and superb colors. The black levels are one of the best I've seen. and this is coming from a former plasma TV user.
3. The sound is pretty decent. Don't expect heavy bass. no tv has that. that's what home theatre set ups are for.
4. The remote is solid, not fancy. no problems picking up the signal.
5. has a usb port that can play music and pictures.
6. NO DEAD PIXELS!!!!!!
7. I have my Dynalight function off so I can't comment on it.
Power consumption (using a P3 Watt meter)
off
>1 W (about .3 W for me)
on Sports mode (torch mode)
~95 W
on Standard
~59 W
on movie mode
~55 W
on PC mode (using the 15 pin VGA)
~54 W
on preference (it seems to be on Sports mode by default)
~95 W
As I've said, it is very bright to use as a computer monitor so what I did was I went on movie mode and customized it by putting contrast and brightness @ 50 and put the backlight @ 0 (yes I put it @ ZERO!) if it's too dark for you put it around backlight 10.
With backlight at zero, the Power Consumption is @ 36 W. Backlight @ 10 is about 43 W.
The unit on standard mode, is a little warm to the touch when you feel the back panel but it doesn't heat up the room at all.
I haven't tested it on input lag but from what I can see, it's pretty good. Game mode helps a lot.
EDIT!!!
being an ATI user, never had the chance to test this TV with an NVidia card. It seems with Nvidia, native mode works perfectly, with all the TV's screen real estate being used. on other modes though, the NVidia chip was actually a little big since the display also had the overscan. It seems ATI chips natively shrink their TV output.

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Enjoy a stunning picture bursting with color and clarity with the 32-inch Toshiba 32E200U LCD HDTV (31.5-inch diagonal screen size), featuring a 1080p Full HD resolution that provides twice the pixel resolution of 720p HD models. It provides a number of convenient home entertainment options and key picture quality features, including DynaLight dynamic backlight control for deeper black levels and four HDMI digital inputs for simple high quality connection to cable/satellite boxes, DVD players and more. Plus, the HDMI ports feature fast InstaPort switching for quick changes from one source to another.
With the Gaming Mode function, you'll experience reduced game control delay and improved reaction time--perfect for PC gaming--and the Photo Frame capability with Auto Slide Show enables you to display slideshows of your favorite images when not watching TV programming.
Boasting a slimming tapered bezel and attractive front panel gradation, the new Horizon design creates a more modern, elegant appearance that also adds a subtle luminance to the logo to further its stylish appeal. Other features include MP3 playback via the integrated USB port, a PC input, and a removable stand.

Key Features
1080p HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels)
60Hz screen refresh rate
CineSpeed LCD panel with a fast response speed necessary for cleaner high-action home theater images. A wide viewing angle ensures that you'll have the best seat in the house.
DynaLight Backlight Control utilizes advanced image processing to monitor the brightness of each video frame, and adjust the backlight intensity accordingly. This precision creates seamless transitions with deep blacks for increased detail and depth analysis.
Photo Frame capability allows this HDTV to act as both a TV and a digital photo frame. You can showcase your favorite memories as a clear, crisp slide show on the high-resolution television screen--all controlled with just the TV remote.
Gaming Mode takes the gaming experience to a new level by reducing game control delay, thus giving the player improved reaction time and a more realistic playing experience. This is great when used with popular gaming consoles, or with PC games using the TVs PC Input.
Built-in ATSC/NTSC/QAM digital tuning allows for tuning of standard cable channels as well as off-air digital broadcasts, in addition to digital "cable-in-the-clear" broadcasts.
Native Mode restores the size of the picture by the 3-5 percent that is generally lost during the normal over-scanning that occurs on traditional sets.
Cinema Mode 24 fps (3:2 Pulldown): This HDTV performs 3:2 pulldown detection and reversal, too--a handy feature for watching progressive-scan movie programs in their native 24-frame format. To adapt 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video, frames in the original movie must be duplicated; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this duplication by removing the redundant information to display a frame-accurate picture.
Color Temperature Control enables you to adjust white balance to achieve the best television picture possible in any viewing environment, or simply adjust the picture to suit your personal tastes. The "Warm" setting delivers a redder image that is ideal for display in a dimly lit room, while "Medium" and "Cool" provide a progressively bluer image for the best picture as room light levels are increased.
Three TheaterWide modes are ideal for displaying HDTV signals as well as enhanced for widescreen television DVDs.

TheaterWide 1: Letterboxed image is digitally expanded 33 percent horizontally and vertically. Useful for reproducing Academy Standard (1.85:1) formatted software.
TheaterWide 2: Letterboxed image is expanded 33 percent horizontally and 42 percent vertically. Particularly of use when viewing narrow letterboxed images originally filmed in Panavision or CinemaScope.
TheaterWide 3: Letterboxed image is expanded 33 percent horizontally and 24 percent vertically. Can be utilized when displaying letterboxed images that incorporate narrow bands at the top and bottom of the picture.


MP3 audio and JPEG image playback via USB port on the side.
REGZA-LINK (HDMI-CEC) allows peripheral AV devices such as a DVD player to be controlled by the remote control.
InstaPort fast HDMI switching between A/V components: Typically, when you switch HDMI inputs, there can be a five or six second delay. With InstaPort, as soon as you select an HDMI source, it will connect in a fraction of the time.
Bottom-mounted invisible speakers integrated into stylish Horizon bezel design (20 Watts total power; 10W + 10W).
Channel Browser allows you to easily scan through the last 32 channels you have viewed, with screen images for the last five channels displayed, by channel, by favorites, and by input, at the touch of a button.
Channel Labeling allows you to put station call letters on the screen along with the station numbers, so you always know what channel you're watching
Input labeling enables you to name the individual inputs to denote usage, such as "DVD Player" (instead of having them display as just "HDMI 1" and "HDMI 2").
Removable stand for wall mounting (200mm x 200mm VESA mounting pattern)
Tri-lingual onscreen menu (English, French, Spanish)
Warranty: 1-year limited warranty on parts and labor

Toshiba 2010 REGZA HDTV Comparison
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Which Size HDTV is Right for My Room?

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Sharp Aquos LC42D62U 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just purchased mine a few days ago and so far its all been rosy.. :-)
I normally dont write reviews (ok, so I'm lazy, big deal, sue me.. :-)), but when I was researching for this model I found VERY little information about this TV (almost all reveiews were about the 46" D62U model), so finally making this purchase was almost like a leap of faith. So to make it a little better for other people who might be researching this model, I decided I would give my two cents worth. If you're reading this, then hopefully you will be better informed than I was when I made my purchase.
Note : These are all MY impressions, based on MY preferences, which might be quite different from yours. Also, I am no expert in the field of HDTV's, and I have not tested ALL the features of this TV yet.
So here goes...
Appearance :
Yes, it looks beautiful. The "fingerprint friendly" glossy black bezel gives it a subtle classy look without becoming too garish. The downside to that... you'd have to put in some effort to keep it clean, not that big of a deal though.. just like if you have shiny black car. Even the smallest bit of dirt/dust gets accentuated because of the shiny black background. Also, since the LCD screen is anti-glare, the reflections from the bezel COULD get distracting if you're sitting in a well-lit room with multiple light sources. This hasnt been a problem for me since the lamp for my living room is on top BEHIND the TV, but if your light source is behind the viewer, you might want to give this some consideration. All in all, nothing particualary flashy/different about the looks of this model versus the multitude of other LCD TV's out there. The speakers are mounted at the bottom (as with most TV's this size), and are not detachable.
The remote is the standard Sharp remote, nothing fancy about it. The clicker can also be programmed to command your cable box, VCR and DVD player
Features :
1080 p (isnt that the reason you are looking at this review?.. LOL)
ATSC-NTSC tuners to catch over the air HD/SD broadcasts
2 HDMI input ports
No PIP mode, (though in my opnion, PIP is highly overrated)
No cable card slot (until the time bi-directional cable-cards become the norm, cable card slots are really not that useful)
No DVI input. If you want to hook up your PC, you'd need to use a DVI-to-HDMI converter and use one of the HDMI input slots on the TV. Its not that big of a deal to me, but it might be to some. Of course, it would have been NICE to have a DVI input slot, other manufacturers have it, so why cant Sharp? I attribute it to cost-cutting measures.
Performance (HD) :
Out of the box, the HD picture was stunning. Watching the Rutgers-Louisville game last night on HD, I could see clearly the individual faces of spectators sitting many rows back in the background. Very nice. But.. moving closer to the TV (about 3 feet. Yeah, I know its too close, but I HAD to check), I could see quite a bit of pixelization in the lighter areas of the image. This pixelization affected even the NON-moving parts of the image. Furthermore, the pixelization blocks were not constant, which give the image a grainy, shimmering look (the kind you get on your PC games if you set Anisotrpic filtering too high, and Anti-aliasing too low). Of course, moving further away from 3 ft, this effect wasnt noticable, and pictures looked great. Anyway, since I was in the "critique" mode, I took my TV to my neighbor's who has Dish Network (I have Time Warner Cable), navigated to the same HD channel, and Bingo, the pixelization is gone..!!! This leads me to belive that the problem lies with the quality of HD signal provided by Time Warner. I think, to carry as many channels as possible, TWC might be compressing their signals too much, and when the time comes for my cable settop box/HDTV to de-compress the image, it has to do too much guesswork to fill in too many blanks left due to data rejection (not data loss... but data rejection, the data that is INTENTIONALLY left out to compress the signals). To read more of my ramblings on compression, see the "HDMI - Is it really that big a deal?" section at the bottom of this review.
Performance (SD) :
Out of the box, not so great. Significant artifacting and pixelization. Rather disappointing, in fact. A few tweaks later (Noise reduction turned off, Sharpness reduced, backlight intensity reduced, Cable box configured to output 4:3 channels in 480p instead of 480i), a much better picture. Still SOME artifacting and pixelization, and of course not as good as the HD channels (naturally.. lol), but definitely watchable. Hardly any artifacting/pixelization visible from our normal seating distance of 8-10 ft. This finally got my wife's seal of approval ... "OK, we will keep this TV" ... ;-)
Performance (DVD) :
Well here, I was pleasantly surprised. I KNEW beforehand that DVD's look rather good on HDTV's, but my DVD player is a 4 yr old, no-name, el-cheapo, only 480i output model which I got for free for signing up for a Bank of America chekcing account. YET, the picture quality was only mariginally less than what I saw on my HD channels. I have no plans of buying an HD-DVD or a Blu-Ray DVD players, but I WAS contemplating buying an upconverting DVD player. But looking at what my current DVD player is giving, I think I'll hold off on that purchase.. :-)
Performance (Sound):
Oh well, I really do not have THAT discerning an ear. For what its worth, the sound was clear and adequate enough for me.. I'll admit I haven't even play around with any of the sound settings yet.. :-P
Comparison with other brands :
I spent many an hour in Circuit City looking at this and other models, and harassing their sales staff into cycling thru a myriad of input signals, and settings on these TV's. In my opnion this model is best compared to Sony 40V2500 and Samsung S4095D (or S4096D.. they're identical for all practical purposes, and circuit City had the 4095D), both 40 inch, and both 1080p.
Sharp v/s Sony - I felt the Sony had a slightly better picture quality. The image was sharper, and the colors looked more natural. However, the Sharp showed slightly more details on close-ups of people's faces (perhaps due to the fact that the Sharp has 2 inches more of real estate). Also the Sony was about $250 more expensive (for a size 2 inches less), but hey, its a Sony.. :-)
Sharp v/s Samsung - Virtually identical picture quality. Yet Samsung was priced about 300 more than Sharp (for a size 2 inches less).
Out of the three, Sony seemed to have the best picture quality (both HD and SD) and most natural colors, but only marginally. I believe the extra $250 would be justified if it was the same size as the 42" Sharp. The Samsung is just plain over-priced. It should actually be cheaper than the Sharp.
Of course, if you're looking for absolute best, then look at Sony XBR2 40", but that one is WAY over-priced.. lol. You buy that one, your wife might make you sleep on the couch for the next 2 weeks. But considering that the couch would normally be in front of your new XBR2, that might not be such a bad deal... ;-)
About banding :
I looked and I looked and I looked.. till the cows came home to party. No banding on my unit.. :-). I have read quite a few reports of banding on the Sharp D62U series (even CNET mentions it), but most all of them are about the 46" (and 52") models. The 42" model has slightly different specs from 46 and 52" models (even though they are a part of the same series), so its possible that this model is not affected by the banding issue. But thats pure guesswork and I cant be sure about that. So if you plan to purchase this (42D62U) model, my advice would be to buy it from a local store, which have more generous return/exchange policies. [...]
Summin Up :
This is definitely not THE BEST LCD TV out there (I belive the Sony XBR takes that honor), but its pretty darn good. And for a price of [...], it is a VERY smart purchase to makeOn another note.....
HDMI - Is it really that big a deal? :
Makes you wonder why they harp on about the HDMI connection, when the main benefit of HDMI is that it can carry uncompressed signals at a very fast rate? Yeah, uncompressed from your cable/satellite box to your TV, but what about all the compression/decompression already done beforehand by your cable/dish service provider? To carry more and more channels, our service providers are finding newer and newer ways of compressing their signals, often sacrificing the quality in this process.
Did you know, that if a brodcasting station films their program in hi-def (720p or 1080i), you're lucky if you get 20% of the original data to your cable/satellite box? Granted, that out of that 80% data that is "rejected" (I refuse to call it transmission loss), quite a bit of it is redundant (eg for a non-moving background, every progressive frame would contain the same info as far as the background images are concerned), but then then quite a bit of it is NOT. It is this missing data, that our cable/satellite box then has to "fill-in", based on different image processing algorithms.
Uncompressed...? Yeah Right..!!! The only thing uncompressed is the greed of these service providers.
In my mind HDMI makes sense only if you have a high def DVD player churning out 1080p signals, and then you use HDMI for that. Otherwise a component video cable would do just fine. I have both HDMI and component video cables connecting my cable box and my TV, and I see absolutely no difference. And they want me to pay [...] for a Monster HDMI cable? yeah sure.. LOL

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sharp Aquos LC42D62U 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

The 42 inch AQUOS LC-42D62U with full HD Spec 1080p resolution produces a breathtaking picture quality that is second to none. The LC-42D62U features 1200:1 Contrast Ratio, 8ms response time and wide viewing angles (176 x 176). It also includes built-in ATSC / QAM / NTSC tuners, and 2 HDMI, compatible with 1080p signals, and 2 HD component video inputs. The LC-42D62U features a seek piano black cabinet with subtle, recessed bottom-mounted speakers and the included table stand easily removes for wall mounting applications.

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Sony Bravia XBR-Series KDL-46XBR2 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I previously had a Westinghouse 42" 1080p LCD that went bad after just 6 months! I used my service plan and got a full refund since they didn't even want to touch the thing. The only problem i've found that that the prices in 6 months actually increased and suddenly I found that 42" 1080p LCDs were less common.
I first went with the Samsung LN-S4695D. I had some major issues with that so returned it for this. I originally skipped this Sony for the Samsung because it was cheaper.
When I purchased this I knew of the cloud issue and had them deliver it and crossed my fingers. Turned it on and after awhile I noticed clouds. The problem in all honesty does not bother me AT ALL EVER. I think in the 4-5 months i've owned this i've noticed it once or twice. Please note that I almost NEVER watch TV in the dark. If you do, maybe it's more of a problem. Sony's claim that it's "normal" is such a joke. How could you ship out thousands of these LCDs with this issue and knowing it's there? I've knocked off a star due to this. For the price you pay on this thing (it was more expensive when I bought it months ago) you'd expect it to be perfect. My first Sony was. It's not true that there is no PERFECT TV out there. There is.
Anyway, I immediately calibrated this using AVIA and DVE and the picture quality is even better than any previous TV i've owned by far. This thing has so many features in the menu system that you could spend hours just configuring it to get it right. I disliked the menu system on the Samsung and this one is so much better. It's really easy to navigate and not slow.
This also has so many different types of connections. Three HDMI ports. Most people think two is enough, but I don't agree. I currently use all three. Switching inputs on previous Sony televisions was a pain. Now it's a little bit easier. To press a button to display 'external inputs' and switch to the one you want. You can even label the inputs. I have mine set to PC, Wii, PS3, Cable and DVD PLAYER.
Games show no ghosting at all that i've noticed. A couple times i've noticed very slight motion smearing on really low quality cable TV. It's extremely rare and i'm going to blame my cable provider because it never happens on DVDs or anything else.
I don't use the TV speakers but I do when I connect my HD antenna up. That's about once every 2 weeks for NBA games in HD. Some would complain it sounds bad but they've probably never heard sound from other LCDs. My mother's plasma display has such bad sound that it sounds like it's coming from a $2 speaker. Honest. It's impossible to listen to it it's so bad. The sound from the speakers isn't good, but acceptable. My guess is that a large percentage of the people that buy a TV this expensive have a home theater system. I currently use a Yamaha Sound Projector since i'm in an apartment.
The design is much better than my Samsung I previously tried out. The only problem is that it will not tilt/rotate like the Samsung did. Not a big deal for me but it would have been nice. The design on the back is not good. It's hard to access all the HDMI and cable inputs. I'd imagine it's like this due to some people wanting to mount this on a wall? It's nothing that bad.
HD-DVDs and Blu-Ray movies are pretty amazing on this thing. Same goes for Playstation 3 games. DVD movies even look good but it depends on the DVD quality. Old movies don't really look good. I'm mainly talking about DVDs that came out when the players cost a fortune. I've compared the picture quality between an upconverted movie and one that's not and I definitely notice a huge difference.
I will admit though that my Oppo DVD player hates this LCD. It will display dark scenes but they will contain greenish tint/macroblocks etc. I thought it was the LCD but i've tried 5 others and this does not occur. I've tried many ways to fix this with not much luck. I currently use the Denon 575 and so far so good.
Standard "Digital" cable still looks terrible in most cases. I don't have HD cable yet and my cable provider's picture quality is terrible. That's all. It's not the TV's fault. Too bad I can't get Satellite TV out here.
I also was pretty impressed with the results I got when I connected my PC to this. Seeing your desktop at 1080i is pretty nice. I don't really use this feature though much. I've played a game that supports widescreen at that high of resolution (Final Fantasy XI) and it looks pretty good!
Other than the few negatives above, I can't think of many. I've waited months to post a review. I really wanted to give it some time. So far i've not experienced many problems at all.
The cloud issue might make it a risk buying this. Maybe they've fixed the problem already. Even with the cloud issue it's still a good TV. BTW my clouds are nearly impossible to see until I have a completely black screen and my lights are down. I have them on the top left and bottom left. When the actual movie plays they are GONE. Completely unless a scene is completely black, not just a little dark.
If I run into anything bad i'll update this review. So far, so good!

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Sony KDL-46XBR2 Bravia XBR LCD HDTV

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Samsung LN46B750 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LCD HDTV with Charcoal Grey Touch of Color Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If you are seriously consider purchasing this tv, please read this review completely. This is a bit critical in nature, but I hope to provide a balanced review based on my experience with this unit. Depending on what you are looking for, this set may or may not work out well for you.
Just for background context, I mainly watch HD content hooked up via hdmi on my PS3. This includes bluray movies, hd content and some gaming. Regular tv and sd viewing were not as much of a concern to me. I own a 3 year old 26 inch sony lcd, and have also more recently owned a vizio 42 inch xvt, and samsung's latest 40 inch b550, which is the non 120 or 240hz model of their current lineup, and most recently the 50 inch Panasonic G10, which I purchased after returning this B750 that I am reviewing. I may refer to some of these in the review.
As you will read there are a few major issues I found that made me return. If you feel these wont be a problem for you, this model should work great for you. After all if you are going to pay a little under $1,700 for a tv, one should be completely satisfied with it.
Design
This tv looks beautiful, understated, elegant and simple. It has a very slight touch of gray at the bottom that you can barely notice, and it should complement pretty much any decor in your home. The unit is quite thin at around 3 inches, and I was able to lift and set up the tv myself. Cheaply made screws, almost as bad as ikea used to setup the stand were a bit of a pain to put in and remove when I decided to return the unit. After a correct assembly, the tv still sort of wobbles around and generally doesn't feel like it is solid on the stand, though it shouldn't pose any problems. I noticed the same thing on the Samsung B550 by the way. The swivel design works smoothly and easily, and though I didn't use it at all, I could see how it would come in handy.
Picture Quality and Viewing Experience
The picture quality in general on this unit is gorgeous. Nicely saturated colors and comfortably deep blacks for an lcd. I tested several blurays and they all looked excellent. You will definitely need to dial back the setting to get a more realistic picture, as much of the regular setting have over-cranked saturation, brightness and contrast to impress in stores like best buy. Overall, I can say even the most discerning movie goers and enthusiasts will find it hard to really put down the picture quality itself, though there are definitely better sets out there for the money. The picture was definitely an improvement over the cheaper Samsung B550, but wasn't drastically better. i think much of the sense of better picture over the b550 was the glossy screen and better motion processing. It supposedly has a better/newer panel (10-bit vs 8-bit) over the b550 and other cheaper model lcd's. I guess the difference between very good and very very good is a subtle one.
You are given a bevy of picture tweaking options to adjust the picture to your particular room and your eyes. If you are like me, you will fiddle at least a little bit with these, and will switch between settings depending on what you are watching.
The 240hz processing to my eye, and many other reviewers will not provide any visible difference from 120hz. But the manner in which it is implemented is really nice. You can adjust judder and blur separately to get the picture to the way you like it. I felt this worked well, and really helped in the overalls smoothness and motion intense scenes. I had blur at 10 and judder between 3 and 6 depending on what I was watching.
However, this was all marred by a few issues, the worst of which was auto dimming. I had read about this on the led side lit samsungs 6 & 7000 series (which you can also find at your local best buy and amazon as well), but did not know this was included with the b750. Gizmodo did a feature on this for the b7000 with the phrase "avoid!" in the title. Basically, anytime the scene gets dark, the tv will sense that and automatically drop or dim the backlight dramatically to get deeper blacks. The problem is that is happens usually a split second after the scene has already started and it is extremely distracting. It also darkens many bright spots in the picture somewhat, like city lights over a dark sky, or stars in a dark sky. This is very noticeable for example on the Dark Knight bluray. The more I watched, the more annoying it got. The fact that the lcd already does a good job of getting very black without the dimming is what makes it really unnecessary. It also does this while flipping channels on tv, and pretty much anything you watch. There is no way for the consumer to switch this off, as far as I know. I tried everything in the menu, from dynamic contrast to eco mode etc. There might be a more techie way, but I am pretty well versed in tech, and was not able to turn off this distracting feature. It is possible the autodimming wont bother you, but if it sounds like it might, please take note. This was a bit hard to swallow for me, because almost none of the reviews mentioned this on the b750, including cnet. This also may be solved by a future firmware update from samsung, but don't hold your breath for it. (UPDATE: Apparently this can be fixed from the service menu. However the average consumer should understand that this could potentially void your warranty and mess up your tv. If you are confident though, search some forums online and try to fix this yourself.)
The next issue was what appeared to be slight "clouding" or patches of grey-whitish color on the panel. I didn't notice at first, but once a few black screens or dark scenes came on, it was both noticeable and distracting. This could be just my specific unit, or a defect. I had read that the b750 was very good in this respect and had a uniform screen, but the whitish patches became very noticeable, and in dark scenes, it looks like there were subtle hints of cloudy patches on top of the screen. I have read that this is a common issue with many lcd's, so it depends on what you end up with. But you do run the risk of this problem with the b750 or maybe any lcd. Still, my old sony, and the samsung b550 never had this problem, so it was a little disappointing.
Another issue was a thin flickering white/silver line that would flicker on top of the screen right under the bezel during many dark scenes. It was not too noticeable, but enough to become a slight nuisance. This was really obvious on dark knight, and also the Planet Earth bluray during the immersive underwater scenes.
I know the issues of glare on lcd's has been addressed ad nauseam, but I just thought I should chime in. The screen is pitch black and VERY reflective, to the point of acting like a mirror. I have a room that gets ambient, not direct, sunlight and it was quite distracting during the day. It is rather difficult to see, so you need to crank up the brightness, which helps a bit. The display definitely gets as bright as you need. In the evening, with very dim lighting, it is still possible to see yourself reflected in the tv when it goes black in between scenes. The Samsung B550 (a cheaper tv), has a sort of matte-glossy hybrid display that I thought worked much better when compared to this one. But, the glossy display is partly responsible for the richer color and deeper blacks you get on this unit. Always tradeoffs. If you are ok with glossy screens on tv's, you will be ok with this one too. P.S. best buy is not a good place to figure out if you are ok with glossy screens. They don't look the same at home.
Off angle viewing on this unit is just not very good. The moment you move even a little bit away from the sweet spot of the couch right in the center, the blacks start to wash out, and the whole picture starts to look different. Not necessarily terrible, but different. The cheaper B550 had much more consistent viewing angle experience for some reason, I'm not sure why. Basically, if you have 3 or 4 people over for a movie, some will probably be seeing a slightly different picture.
Gaming
Reading several reviews of the b750, some said gaming was too laggy (ie: when you press a button it doesn't register right away) on the it, some said it was fine, so I had to give it a shot. I felt it was far too much lag to play games well. In other words, you will die or miss more often. You wont know why, you just will. The lag is on a millisecond level, but much of the twitch response in gaming is that way. Your eyes wont really notice that it is lagging, but it is definitely there, and significantly I might add. The "Game" mode does a little to remedy this, but it is still not perfect and the picture a bit harsh in game mode, since you can't adjust any picture settings. If you are a very casual gamer and are playing games that don't really require good timing, then the lag wont really bother you. For me, I can't really recommend it for gaming. For reference, I was playing games like Resistance 2, Little big planet, Street Fighter 2 hd remix, guitar hero etc for testing. The lag is much better, almost nonexistent on the Panasonic G10, which is a plasma. For lcd, I believe the Samsung B750 gives average or maybe below average performance. Strangely, the Samsung B550 for comparison was a little better in my experience and so was my old sony lcd.
User Experience, Menus and extra features
Going with the theme of lag, I have to say Samsung's menus are extremely slow to respond and laggy. They look ok I suppose, with a blue graphical touch. All menu navigation has extra animations and movements that make them less responsive (reminds me of a Samsung cell phone I used to own). Compared to other tv's I have used, Samsung menus tend to cover more of the screen, which I feel is also a...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung LN46B750 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LCD HDTV with Charcoal Grey Touch of Color

Make the move to the smoothest LCD action ever, with Samsung's LN46B750 LCD HDTV. Start with the incredible color and rich clarity of Full HD 1080p resolution, all on a 46-inch screen. Add the power of Samsung's newest Auto Motion Plus240Hz technology, for a new level of the most lifelike LCD action on the market. Samsung's Medi@2.0 feature puts customizable widgets, with content from partners like Flickr and Yahoo!, under your control via yourremote. A pre-loaded Content Library offers hours of built-in digital entertainment and information, from games to yoga routines. Four HDMI inputs make DVD, cable or satellite HD box, or Blu-ray Disc connectivity a snap. And with the attractive Touch of Color design, the subtle charcoal grey accent at the bezel's edge underscores this LCD HDTV's elegance.

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Westinghouse TX-42F430S 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Summary:
I am extremely pleased with this LCD. The picture is bright and clear and the colors are excellent. I am completely satisfied with the purchase and recommend this device to anyone.
Expanded Review:
First, I defined my goals: From about 8 feet away I want to watch High Definition DVD's at 1080p, watch High Definition television including local channels, connect some gaming consoles, connect a PC, and connect my surround sound receiver.
I looked at different products for a year. I would compare the appearance between the different sets in the store, read online reviews, talked to friends, and read product specifications.
I decided on the following and intended to act before the end of summer: I would obtain a decent 42" LCD with all of the necessary connectors for under $1600, I would purchase a PS3 for Blu-ray as well as HD gaming with the bonus that it will upconvert my current DVD's, and upgrade my current cable service to HD for HD television viewing. I figured to spend about $2000-$2200.
When the PS3 price dropped to $500 it figured it was time to move. The contenders after my research included the Samsung, Sony, LG, and the Westinghouse LVM-42W2. Most were over the limit to what I was comfortable spending so it came down to the LVM-42w2. When I went to find it I discovered the TX-42F430S that had been recently introduced. Additionally it was available at a local yellow tagged electronics superstore for the best price advertised. I was able to view this unit side by side with the other available LCD's and it looked just as good, to me, as much more expensive models. I realized however that the signal being pumped into those devices on the wall was not a 1080p signal and that the picture at home might look different. At that point I figured it was bright, the colors were coming through, the menu system was functional, and it was the lowest priced 42" 1080p LCD available ($1299). I bought it with a matching of the online deal that threw in a Sony HT-DDW790 home theater system and a 60 day in house price match. The following Sunday 7/29 it went on sale for $1099. I got the price match ($200 back) and sold the HT system for $120. So, total for this system with PS3 was right about $1500 plus cables, controllers, Blu-ray Planet Earth, and a couple of games for the PS3. I feel good.
Results:
1. I have the PS3 connected to one of the four(!) HDMI connectors and it looks awesome. Motorstorm at 720p is excellent and Planet Earth at 1080p is unbelievable. I had to get the blue tooth remote for playing movies, you can do it with the controller but it's a pain. Most of the upconverted DVD's look incredible, much better than on standard def TV, this was much better than I expected and for someone not hypersensitive it would be hard to differentiate it from some native HD or Blu-ray DVD's.
2. HD Digital Cable content through the component connection looks very good. Standard Definition looks like garbage, but this is expected of all HD LCD's, the pixels on the LCD display the picture in all it's ugly glory. In all my research, I have not come across a way to watch standard def TV and it not look bad. It's functional, and viewable if you don't expand the screen and let it display in 4:3, but a step down when viewing most of the normal TV content. One can only hope that more and more channels come to HD format.
3. I have my PC, Wii, and PS2 (only for guitar hero) hooked up though the home theater receiver via S-video at the moment and it serves. I want to move the PC to the VGA connector (I need a new dual head video card), the Wii to the component connection, and the PS2 directly to the S-video in the future.
4. I have a digital optical cable running from the output on the LCD to the HT receiver and it sounds good. The interal LCD speakers can be turned off so that only the HT system is used.
So, I am very happy. I hope this helps some of you still looking. I relied heavily on comments about the products here and I wanted to return the favor.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Westinghouse TX-42F430S 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Turn your home theater into the embodiment of cinema expression with the new TX series from Westinghouse Digital. Meet the TX-42F430S, a 42?1080p LCD HDTV - truly the perfect TV for all your entertainment needs. This LCD HDTV offers 1080Pure - 1080p resolution out of all HD inputs (including component), an astounding four (4) HDMI inputs, and an integrated ATSC/NTSC/ClearQAM tuner. This display is not only an engineering marvel but designed with class and sophistication; featuring subtle curves and a thin 5.5?housing this display has a deep onyx bezel with brushed titanium accents. Enjoy the latest Blu-ray or HD DVD?movie, gaming on a PS3, Xbox 360 or Wii, or watching your favorite HD TV show.

Click here for more information about Westinghouse TX-42F430S 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

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Sony Bravia V-Series KDL-40V2500 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After reading reviews of various LCD HDTVs, my main concern was how well the set would display standard definition content, which still constitutes the majority of what is available on cable. Reviews of Sonys seemed to indicate they did a better job of displaying 480i signals, and I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by how good standard def looks on this set...comparable or better than the tube set it's replacing. Digital channels look great, too, and of course the high def channels are fantastic. DVDs from a progressive scan player also look great.
A few points to consider when shopping for a set like this:
1. Don't get one that's too big for the viewing distance. Use 3 times the diagonal size as a guide. I sit about 10 feet away from the screen, so the 40 inch set is ideal. There is a big difference watching this TV from 4 ft. away vs. 10 ft. Sit too close (or with too big a screen) and you'll see all the grain and imperfections in a 480i signal, and even the pixel shimmer on a high def signal. Sit farther away, and the image looks much, much better.
2. Standard def in 4:3 looks better that way than trying to zoom it out to fill the wide screen. By doing so, you introduce distortion to the picture and also enlarge the 480i signal, which reduces the quality. This set has a black border, so watching a 4:3 image with the black bars on the right and left is not distracting.
3. Not all high def content is provided in 16:9 format, and the quality of the signal may vary. Some high def stations look better than others.
4. This set has backlight control that allows you to turn down the backlight brightness. This helps to improve black levels quite a bit.
5. Don't spend $80-$100 on an HDMI cable. I ordered one from Amazon for around $15 bucks and it works just fine. Digital signals are not as subject to noise and interference like an analog signal, so no need for an overpriced cable.
This TV is pretty easy to set up. The menus are fairly easy to navigate. You can tailor your settings for each input. You can have up to 8 different inputs, and the TV allows you to label each one and also to skip any that are unused. The remote is basic and doesn't allow you to control any other devices, but on the plus side, is simple to operate.
The delivery service by EGL (Eagle) was fine, and their delivery estimate was accurate. They contacted me by phone when the TV arrived to schedule a time for delivery. They arrived on time, unpacked the set, placed it on the stand, and removed the packaging. The delivery guy also helped me move my other set. The one minor problem I had was with the tracking number. Apparently, the number had been used previously a couple of years ago, so the tracking on the Amazon site was incorrect. I had to go to EGL's web site and enter it as a reference number in their tracking query in order for my order to show up.

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Sony KDL-40V2500 40" V-Series 1080p LCD HDTV

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