HDTV Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Dynamic Contrast Ratio’

Sony BRAVIA XBR KDL 32XBR9 32 Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV

Experience the beauty of Full HD 1080p with the 32″ Class XBR9 HDTV. Perfect for your bedroom, office or kitchen, this flat panel has a 40,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, which produces deep blacks in darker scenes. Motionflow 120Hz refresh rate technology delivers crisp, clear images while gaming or watching sports and fast-action movies. Additionally, you can connect your camera or USB-enabled MP3 player and view photos or listen to your favorite MP3s. The 32″ Class XBR9 incorporates advanced power saving features and comes with 7 HD inputs (4 HDMI, 2 component and 1 PC) so you can take full advantage of all your HD components. USB – connect your camera, USB-enabled MP3 player, or USB storage device directly to your HDTV’s USB input to view photos on the big screen or listen to your MP3’s BRAVIA Link compatibility expands your HDTV’s capabilities by letting you connect optional BRAVIA Link modules, including the BRAVIA DVD Link, BRAVIA Wireless Link, and BRAVIA Input Link (not included) BRAVIA Sync capability combines the one-touch access and control functionality of BRAVIA Theatre Sync with the ability to control CEC-enabled Sony Handycam(R) camcorders and Cyber-shot(R) digital still cameras using the TV’s remote and an on-screen display 24p True Cinema mode provides a direct connection to 24p video sources, avoiding conversions and allowing you to enjoy films at their intended 24 fps (frames per second) cinematic picture quality In the box – Remote Control Batteries (Type AA x2) AC Power Cord 4 Screws Operating Instructions Quick Setup Guide Warranty Card (limited 1-year parts & labor, Manufacturer) Table Top Stand (separate, pre-assembled) Tuner (Terrestrial) – ATSC Tuner, NTSC Tuner VESA Hole Pitch – 200X200 M6/12-16MM Speakers – 20W (10W X 2) Unit Dimensions – 31 1/2 x 23 x 9 in (798 x 584 x 227mm), 31 1/2 x 21 1/4 x 3 5/8 in (798 x 537 x 89mm) without pedestal

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Sony Is Great But Now Looking For Large Plasma…
The Sony KDL-32XBR9 purchased from Amazon is excellent and so was the cost, but now looking for a large screen Plasma for Basement Family Room. Anyone have any suggestions, like Samsung or Panasonic and which model?

5 Stars Great LCD TV!
I recently upgraded from my old CRT TV and have been completely satisfied with my purchase. We did compare LCD TVs in a showroom and the Sony Bravia clearly had the best picture. It had sharp detail and the best blacks of all the brands. The only weakness is the sound because of the small speakers but there is an output so I can use my stereo system and it sounds great. If you have home theatre system that will work as well.

5 Stars Beautiful and High Quality
I love this TV. I’m sure I would feel differently had I not updated the firmware before I even tried to use it, but since I did — I LOVE THIS TV! I am going to try to put the link for the update at the bottom of this review, but Amazon may have a policy to delete links in reviews. If this happens, then go to [...] and follow the links for this model. You’ll eventually find the update. Download it to a jump drive and plug it into the service port (the only one that’ll take USB) with the TV off, then turn the TV on and things will take care of themselves.

[...]

UPDATE

Okay, so Amazon did delete everything. That’s okay — you know Sony has a website.

5 Stars Finally Got it…Love it!
So I finally got this TV for a multi reason based using. I just replaced my G5 with a Mac Pro and got a PS3 slim for the bed room as well while the older PS3 is hooked up to our 60″ Sony SXRD. I needed a larger monitor for my Mac Pro, but also wanted a TV for the room and we were originally going to go with the 24″ Cinema display from Apple. Amazing unit but is only for the computer and that is it. With that said, I turned to Sony.

The XBR9 does a great job with blacks and colors so when my Mac is running and im in Final Cut or iPhoto, the picture quality is great (I went DVI to HDMI) and when I switch the input over to the PS3 (HDMI), everything continues to look fantastic. So Games/Blu-ray and TV are great.

Again, I have to stress though like other reviewers, the XBR9 does not look as good as the XBR8 because its lower in the series! I mean look at the price difference for the love of god. So please, dont think that somehow Sony has gone back in their mindset. Just 2 different series.

5 Stars sony lcd tv
Great product, I really love hd. Spend the extra money for top of the line you won’t be disapointed. Works perfect with my over the air antenna, if not better than direct tv. Save 30% from retail. Shipping was to my door, open box and plug in for free, beat that. I will trade with them again.

Buy/More Info

Sony BRAVIA V Series KDL 52V5100 52 Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV Black

Keep pace with fast-action movies, sports and game play. Equipped with Full HD 1080p and Motionflow 120Hz refresh rate technology, the KDL-52V5100 52-inch BRAVIA V series LCD flat panel HDTV provides a more fluid, natural and realistic viewing experience while enjoying fast-paced entertainment. Additionally, every scene will be sharp, vibrant and life-like thanks to BRAVIA Engine 2 fully digital video processor. Plus, a 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio yields deep blacks in darker scenes. The V series also includes 7 HD inputs to ensure you get impressive image quality from all your HD components such as PlayStation 3, Blu-ray Disc player and your PC.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Very good for a “Introduction To HD” TV
I’ve had this TV since the middle of June 2009(reaching the 6 month period). Before this TV, I’d never had an HDTV or a TV anywhere near this size either. I am pretty tech savvy but HDTVs were not my specialty. With that being stated, I will give you my experience with this particular HDTV.

Since the beginning of 2009, I’d been looking at TVs off and on with the help of “CNET”, just google it, and I’d heard that Sony had an impressive line of entry HDTVs. But I put off the thought of buying one until the middle of June. I was fumbling around on BestBuy’s website (sorry Amazon, at the time, I found a better price. BTW, its just a product review.) and in the “weekly specials” I found this TV on sale for $1499.99, down from its original price of $1999.99. It was the HDTV that I had favored the most from CNET’s reviews, so I made some calls around and none of the stores close had it. I managed to find a store about an hour away that had 2 left, 1 in stock and 1 on display. Drove an hour to check it out and loved it. I added the 3 or 4 year “bring it back no matter what” warranty and after taxes came out to just under $2250, which I paid on the spot in cash, I had not-so-great credit.

Brought it home and set it up and it was a beauty. It took about 30-45 minutes for the TV to recognize (it did something to find all the available cable channels) the channels and our first DVD experience was through our Xbox 360 and it was the Dane Cook’s HBO comedy special. The show wasn’t that greatest thing I’d ever seen BUT the freaking picture was. BTW, the HD cable, Xbox 360, and our Wii look superb on it as well. (Now if I can just get my hands on some Blu-Ray material.)

***PROBLEMS***

I guess every rose has its thorns (haha, cheesy), well this one has (2) of them, and they aren’t really thorns.

1st – MOTION FLOW: To my knowledge(I could be wrong), the MotionFlow feature is the HDTV’s way of enabling the 120Hz refresh rate, which is AWESOME, BUT you can’t just quickly toggle between the 3 options they have for the MotionFlow,(Off, Standard, Full) I mean, you can preview them on the MotionFlow screen, but no quick adjustment feature/button. You have to go into the picture settings every time and slowly make your way to the advanced settings at the bottom of the screen.

2nd – When you have the MotionFlow on “Full” there are still parts during whatever you’re watching that don’t continuously show in that “smooth frame experience”. I’m thinking that the 240Hz HDTVs are probably more dedicated to the continuous MotionFlow. It’s nothing to cry about.

Other than that, the TV is great. The sound is great, it ranges from 0 to 100 and at 60 its good enough for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’d go with a home theater system, but for now its nice. The remote is easy to understand and navigate. I would recommend it to anyone else who was in the same shoes that I was in. To say the least…(haha since I wrote a bibles worth of information) I am satisfied.

Feel free to ask any questions.

5 Stars great tv; great cost
amazon was great. terrific product at a very competitive price. also, easy delivery and installation

5 Stars Totally Happy
Have had the TV now for about 3 weeks and couldn’t be happier. Picture resolution in awesome. Sound is actually really good because Sony has a speaker bar type speakers across the bottom of the TV so the sound actually comes out at you instead of being aimed down and bouncing off the stand like some other brands.

The 120hz motion takes some getting used to after upgrading from 60hz. Otherwise I highly recommend this TV even if it is considered an entry level TV, you’ll never even know otherwise.

5 Stars Quality Television Set
This is a quality television set. The picture looks crisp, football is what I use the tv for mostly..that and xbox 360. This tv is awesome for both of those things. Also, blu rays are fantastic on it….this tv is the total package pretty much.

5 Stars Great TV
I did a lot of research before purchasing this TV. It’s one of the best one out there for the price. The picture is great and has a lot of features. It’s 120 HZ which good for watching sports. The sound quality is JUST OKAY -I recommend attaching a sound system to the tv or (just a couple of mini BOSS speakers which u can get for less than $100.)

Buy/More Info

ViewSonic VT2430 24 Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Feel the action in movies, games and sports on the 24″ VT2430 widescreen LCD HDTV. Full HD 1080p resolution delivers 100% of your HD signal for incredibly precise images. High brightness combines with 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for unparalleled definition and detail. Super-fast video response and advanced image processing ensures extreme clarity in all your HD entertainment, movies, sports and games. The integrated ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuner and multiple connectivity including HDMI 1.3 give you all the inputs you need for game consoles, DVD and Blu-Ray players and computers. Get maximum enjoyment in your smaller spaces or on your desktop with the stylish, versatile VT2430 LCD HDTV.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Headphone socket issues
This is a nice unit and I had no troubles setting it up where I wanted it. It’s nice and light so it sits on top of the DVD and Tivo players.

I was disappointed by the actual size of the picture, since I had measured our previous tube TV diagonally and determined the LCD replacement based on that, but didn’t take into account the fact that the LCD diagonal screen size measurement was based on its wide screen shape and therefore the height measurement would end up being smaller than our current TV screen. So watch out for that if you’re replacing something you already have for the bedroom for example. I eventually sent this TV back and replaced it with a 32″ for this reason and the headphone socket.

Since this is in the bedroom, occasionally I was still watching a TV show after my wife had fallen asleep, so I used the headphone socket a few times to listen without disturbing her. After maybe 5 times of using this socket (with a pair of Sony headphones), the removal of the headphone plug no longer returned sound to the speakers. It seems that the headphone socket was apparently stuck in the open position even after taking the plug out. I called Viewsonic support and they weren’t able to help. They gave me a case number and said they would call back with a returns number. 5 days later I gave up on them and just got a returns number from J&R (the store it was actually shipped from) who would very helpful and since I was within 30 days had no problem taking it back. As I write this, I am waiting for the credit to my account and I know it arrived at their offices yesterday, but this doesn’t seem like it will be a problem.

So in summary, I would suggest you take note of the actual screen height, not just the diagonal measurement when replacing your existing TV if you have one, and if you’re never going to use the headphone socket, you should be fine with this model, which has perfectly fine looks, good picture and good sound for a small unit. Of course, many people say 1080p at this size is not even noticable, and I would have to agree, and most HD shows are delivered in 720p so you’re not going to see much of a gain over 720p models unless you intend to watch Blu-Ray I expect.

5 Stars Great Tv all arround, but difficult inputs
Every thing about this Tv is Great from picture, sound, good surround sound, menu feature and good monitor with size. The only thing is how to hook up the differnt inputs. You have to do little bending and turnig in order to plug a cable to it in the back.

2 Stars poor sharpness, no definition
After reading the good reviews, I brought this unit couple weeks ago. I am using it for TV only and have it plugged into my Comcast cable. The color is good and natural, the quality of the speaker is so-so but surprisingly, it can be very loud. I use it in the kitchen and have to set it at about 20%; otherwise, it will be too loud.

For no apparent reason, the unit received no signal from the cable after one week. I noticed that when I turn it on, the Viewsonic wallpaper, the three birds appears in grey. I tested it by hooking it up to the PC, same thing happened, no signal from the PC either. But after some plugging and unplugging, miraculously, the color and the signal came back. It’s been another week, so far so good. I hope it is not some loose wire inside the unit that caused the problem.

Anyway, my major complaint is that the picture on this unit has absolutely no definition, I don’t know if it is because I do not have HD channel or what, but the quality of the picture is so blend that my old Samsung box TV’s picture is better. It is especially bad on light color objects, you only see a patch of color and not much more.

5 Stars Great TV, even better monitor
I chose this TV because I live in a studio and don’t have enough room for both a TV screen and a computer screen. I was already using my computer to watch movies and living without a TV, but only so much is available online (particularly live events). It was very hard to find a screen with high enough resolution to work as a computer monitor, but this TV was a perfect match!

First, on TV attributes, the picture quality is great and many non-HD channels give me an option to “zoom” and fill the screen if needed. I also have a 20-yr old Nintendo and a 25 year old Atari, another reason for getting the TV, which work terrific and automatically stretch to fill the entire widescreen without too much distortion. My only gripes are channel management is a bit clunky and the blue power button right on the front is a bit of a distraction. Sound is also mediocre but obviously you’re not going to find $500 speakers on a $300 TV. I output the TV through my receiver stereo speakers and the sound is much much better.

As a computer monitor this TV really excels. Resolution is consistent with what you’d find on a standard widescreen monitor, so there’s no blurriness common with outputting a signal through a standard CRT. Also after several LCDs over the years this is my first with no dead pixels. Great job to ViewSonic on quality control. I haven’t tried gaming yet, I probably wouldn’t push it anyways, but DVD movies output just as if I had a DVD player hooked up to the TV directly. Just perfect all around as a monitor, though if you use Windows I suggest switching the theme to one that allows extra large fonts if you find yourself squinting.

5 Stars Good deal!
The only beef I have with this product is the lack of easy connections. Everything is on bottom requiring tipping the TV over in order to connect anything. I really like the ability to adjust the viewing aspect on the remote, easily adjusting between 4:3 and wide-screen modes. For the price, this unit is great! I would have given it “6″ stars if the connections for additional sources had been more convenient.

Buy/More Info

Samsung PN50B560 50 Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

49.9″ screen (measured diagonally) * 1920 x 1080 pixels * 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio * 600Hz Subfield Motion anti-blur technology * FilterBright anti-glare filter *

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars The B560 is an excellent value for the money.
I already knew I wanted Plasma over LCD. So I spent weeks reading reviews and comparing specs of everything from Panasonic G15/G10 & S1 to Samsungs B650, B560, and B550. I came to the conclusion that Samsung has better color accuracy and Panasonic has better black levels. However, Panasonic also has better customer service and a lower percentage of TV’s with issues. There has been numerous reports of the Samsung 2009 B series Plasma’s having a “buzzing” issue. While they scared me a little, I decided that the TV for me was the Samsung PN50B560.

If you are comparing Samsungs, the B560 has the Crystal Full HD Engine with Cinema Smooth, while the B550 does not. The B650 also has Crystal Full HD Engine with Cinema Smooth, but an with an added feature, an ethernet port for using widgets, like weather, sports, stocks, etc… Something I’ve read is very slow and not very impressive. The 650 also has the red touch of color bezel. The 550 and 560 both have charcoal blended in, which I preferred.

I am pleased with the colors and black levels of this TV. I also have a Panasonic 50PX80U and I can’t tell much of a difference. Physically, the TV is also very attractive, much nicer than Panasonic, and the swivel stand is also nice to have.

Defending the common CONS:

Buzz: My TV does not buzz

Speakers: They sound fine, my Panasonic sounds slightly better. But speakers in flat panel TV’s are not going to be impressive, I think people just expect to much out of them.

Glare: Yes, there will be some glare, its a Plasma. However, compared to other Plasma’s I looked at in the store, it’s not a big difference. I didn’t make it a factor.

In summary, if you are on a budget, I recommend the Samsung B560 or B550. If you can spare an extra few hundred more, go with a Panasonic G15 or G10. When it comes down to it, you’ll be happy with any of these choices, unless you are a videophile, you’ll never notice the difference.

5 Stars Far better than we imagined.
We bought this set back in late June 2009, and it’s our first HDTV so I can’t compare firsthand with other models. All I can say is, through HDMI connections it displays everything we feed it much better than I even imagined. I assumed standard-definition content would look grainy but this TV, in combination with a great Panasonic blu-ray player (the DMP-BD60) or even our old Samsung progressive-scan DVD player, somehow shows literally everything in its native mode, or at 720p (PS3 games and 720p TV content). Composite-video feed is as feared, somewhat grainy, so I don’t even use it.

There’s been a lot of buzz about Samsung plasmas being “buzzers.” Fortunately, we have been spared. Also, I’ve read comments about the CinemaSmooth feature (that displays 24p content at 96 Hz) disrupting black levels. We haven’t seen any of that, either, and I use CS 90% of the time (even with DVDS, thanks to the abilities of the Panasonic BD player!).

Having moved up from a 32″ full-screen Wega to this 50″ widescreen plasma, I have a lot more glass that catches lots of ambient glare and reflections from new angles, but it’s not nearly as bad a nuisance as I’d been led to believe, reading the AV forums, and we do use this TV in a fairly bright daytime setting as well as at night when we’re more “serious” about what we watch.

We didn’t break-in our TV and I haven’t had any calibration done, either, but the only image-retention I occasionally see is from those stationary news-channel logos. I have used the built-in anti-IR scrolling feature maybe once a month to remove those, and recall it took about 4-5 minutes in each case. Although calibration is something I have pondered, the intensity and balance of colors produced by this TV seem fine to us; I’ve seen a few of the Samsung and Panasonic demo models at local retailers that were calibrated and thought they weren’t any better than the set now in my living room. Not dissing calibration, just wondering if I’d really notice any improvement.

My review is that of just one owner, and I’m not really versed in the AV lingo or all the features available in the marketplace from different makes/models or technologies.

On a closing note, I am not really a football fan, but the HD game content leaves me drooling over the capabilities of this TV whenever one is showing, and I end up watching the whole game! I’ll have to be more careful in the future with this “feature” because it sometimes prevents me from getting other, more important things done.

5 Stars just what you expect from a samsung plasma (bang for the buck)
notes:

i’ve owned this television for 2 months

usage: 90% tv and 10% video games

#1 thing to remember when you buy a plasma…BREAK IT IN. avoid channels or video games with stationary logos or else you’ll get image retention (not permanent). fyi, typical break in time for a plasma is about 100-200 hours. what i love about this plasma, there’s a build in scrolling black to white screen which helps with break in of the plasma and with image retention. so every night for the past 2 months before i go to sleep, i would set sleep to 30 mins, turn on the picture mode to dynamic (for high contrast and high brightness), and use this screen of scrolling black to white. after about 2 months, image retention is almost non existant. any questions about break-in? go to [...] and look up their plasma break in thread.

picture quality is on par with panasonics in this price range. but if you have the money, go for the panasonic. slightly better picture quality. panasonics also have their break-in period built in. so you don’t have to worry about it.

didn’t test the speakers, since i use a home theatre setup.

glare is a slight problem for me (depends where you put it). my room is small. walls are white. so glare is expected, but it is not a deal breaker.

i have almost no complaints about this television. everything i expected. one complaint but it’s a small one. my set has a little buzz sound coming out of it, but it isn’t loud. my home theatre system easily drowns it out. but if you stand next to the plama, you can hear it.

the plasma is REALLY REALLY heavy. make sure you have a solid spot to mount it on your wall, not just dry wall. don’t go cheap on the mounting bracket!

5 Stars Stunning
We had bought the TV as an upgrade from our 720P 32 inch LCD, and the upgrade has put me at a loss for words.

The picture, clarity, and black levels from this set is the best I have seen after shopping around.

Very fast setup with the Plug and Play feature!

On top of that, aesthetically beautiful.

Buy/More Info

LG 22LH20 22 Inch 720p LCD HDTV Gloss Black

22″ LCD TV HD 1080p (1366 x 768p) resolution, 8,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, ATSC/NTSC/Clearn QAM – 1 Tuner, XD Engine, 178 True Wide Viewing Angle, SRS TruSurround XT, Invisible Speakers, Dolby Digital 5.1 Decoder, HDMI, includes swivel stand

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great Features, Great Picture, Great Price
For those of you who want a bright, sharp HDTV packed with useful features for the bedroom, this is your set! I have used my television as an alarm clock since my college days in the 1970’s (that is not a typo!) and this television has that feature. You can wake to your favorite morning news show. Another feature that i didn’t expect and love, is touted as a “Green” feature. For all of us insomniacs out there, if you can’t sleep, and you like the “noise” of the tv, but don’t want the whole room lit up, this television has a feature that allows you to listen to the television but shut the picture. I was surprised and thrilled when I discovered this. Of course there is a sleep timer, different picture settings etc. The audio, unfortunately, leaves something to be desired. But that is the only negative I find, and it is way overshadowed by the great features of this television. I highly recommend it.

5 Stars Great Bedroom/kitchen TV
This is a great little hdtv for any bedroom or kitchen for its size!

I was however, a little worried about the sound quality from other reviews I had read about this particuar model. After having it for a week I have found these bad reviews of the sound quality to be unfounded. The sound quality is excellent and plenty loud enough for a smaller room. The #1 feature of this set is the quality of the picture in brightly lit rooms. I have not seen another flat screen that handles light reflection as well as LG’s. I am considering buying a second one to use for my desktop computer as it has a RGB input as well!!!

4 Stars Good purchase
Decent tv for the price, the settings to adjust color and picture aren’t difficult to use but difficult to get the picture I desire. The size is okay for an average size bedroom (12 X 12) but if I had it to do over I probably would choose a 26 inch or larger.

Buy/More Info