HD Guru Lists Biggest Values In Big-Screen HDTVs
<DL class=byline>Kevin Hunt | THE ELECTRONIC JUNGLE <DD>November 29, 2007 </DD></DL>Black Friday is an appropriate name for the first day of the gotta-have-an-HDTV season: So many buyers are in the dark about what to buy.
Well, stop worrying. We've consulted Gary Merson, who knows so much about HDTVs that no one protested when he anointed himself the HD Guru (hdguru.com). Anyone who tests almost 80 HDTVs, as Merson has this year, deserves the title.
Here are Merson's picks, with comments, for the top LCD, plasma and DLP sets (usually advertised as 720p resolution, unless noted) this holiday season. The first two numbers in each model represent the screen size, measured diagonally.
Under 32 Inches (LCD)
Toshiba 26HL47 ($750): Properly processes 1080i signals — most under-30-inch sets don't.
Panasonic TC26LX70 ($750): Wide-angle viewing, also processes 1080i signals properly.
32 Inches (LCD)
Panasonic TC-32LX700 ($1,100): Smallest and lowest-priced LCD flat panel with 120-hertz refresh rate for better motion resolution.
Toshiba 32HL67 ($900): Low price ... 10-bit panel with 14-bit processing eliminates image artifacts seen on 8-bit panels. (Color resolution, measured in bits, refers to the amount of data in the pixels that make up an image. The higher the number, the more accurate the picture.) ... also available in a 42-inch model.
Panasonic TC-32LX70 ($900): One of the widest views with uniform brightness ... properly processes 1080i signals.
40 To 42 Inches (LCD, Plasma)
Samsung LN-T4081 ($3,000): Best LCD ever tested ... accurate color, fastest motion response of any LCD panel tested (by 33 percent) and lowest power consumption. Uses white LCD backlights. Full-resolution 1080p (1920x1080) ... also available in 46- and 52-inch models.
Pioneer PDP-4280HD ($2,700): Best black levels and performance of any 42-inch, non-1080p panel ... also available as a 50-inch model and in Pioneer's higher-end Elite series.
Panasonic TH-42PZ700U ($2,000): 12-bit plasma ... anti-reflective screen (shiny coating) ... also available in 50- and 58-inch screen sizes.
Panasonic TH-42PZ77U ($1,800): 12-bit plasma panel ... 1080p set properly processes 1080i ... anti-glare screen (dull coating) ... also available in a 50-inch model.
Sony KDL-40S3000 ($1,500): Full 10-bit panel eliminates image artifacts seen on 8-bit LCD panels ... properly processes 1080i signals ... also available in a 46-inch model.
Panasonic TH-42PX77U ($1,499): Similar to TH-42PX75U, uses anti-glare dull screen coating ... also available in 50-inch model.
Panasonic TH-42PX75U ($1,400): Second-best performance for a 42-inch, non-1080p plasma. ... anti-reflective screen coating ... also available in 50-inch model.
46 to 50 Inches (LCD, Plasma)
Pioneer PDP-5010 ($4,500): Best HDTV flat panel — LCD or plasma — available with the deepest blacks, highest contrast, very accurate color, fine signal processing. Full 1080p plasma ... also available in 60-inch model.
Panasonic TH-50PZ750U ($3,499): Panasonic's top-of-the-line plasma ... full 1080p ... also available in 58- and 65-inch models.
Samsung LN-T4671 ($3,400): 1080p LCD shares the same panel as Samsung's top-of-the-line series ... substitutes fluorescent lamps for LEDs and uses 120-hertz refresh rate for reducing motion blur ... also available in 52-inch model.
Sony 46KDLXBR4 ($3,300): Top-of-the-line LCD, with 10-bit panel, 120-hertz refresh rate ... full 1080p ... also available in 40- and 52-inch models.
Toshiba 46RF350U ($2,400): 1080p LCD properly processes 1080i signal ... thinnest frame in industry ... 10-bit panel with 14-bit internal processing ... full 1080p ... also available in 40-inch model.
51 To 73 Inches
Pioneer Elite 60-inch PRO-150FD ($7,500): Top-of-the-line Pioneer plasma has additional control settings to custom-tweak the image and a fancier external finish than the 5010 series with the same top-quality 1080p image ... also available in a 50-inch model.
Mitsubishi LT-52144 ($3,900): Thinnest 52-inch LCD frame ... 10-bit panel with 12-bit processing ... 120-hertz refresh rate ... full 1080p ... also available in 46-inch model.
Sony KDS-60A3000 ($3,400): SXRD three-chip rear-projection set, with 12-bit chip and 120-hertz refresh rate ... full 1080p ... also available in 50-and 55-inch models.
Mitsubishi WD-57833 ($2,500): DLP single-chip rear-projection set with 12-bit processing, six-color palette, 120-hertz refresh ... 3D ready (for computer content) ... fullest array of inputs, including FireWire, of any rear projection television ... also available in 65- and 73-inch models.
Budget Best Bets
Samsung LN-T4053H ($1,500): Lowest-priced Samsung with its best LCD panel (10 bit; also used in its 71 and 81 series)
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Toshiba 42HL67 ($1,400): 10-bit LCD panel with 14-bit processing.
Season's Hottest Buy
Panasonic's 42-inch plasma sets: The TH-42PX75U, pictured at left, could be available for as low as $699. "The Panasonics have absolutely the best picture quality for the least amount of money," says Merson.
