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April 24, 2009

Toshiba 46XF550U LCD HDTV

The highly expensive High Definition TV that has underwhelming features is found lacking when it is compared to others of its kind.

It isn?t readily understandable to us how Toshiba might consider its 46XF550U to be already worth selling for two thousand five hundred dollars. With the forty-six and forty-seven inch High Definition TVs included in our 2008 tests for image quality, the model came in at number 5 out of the 9 contenders.

The judges that we had for image-quality have noticed an overly yellow color for the people appearing in our ?According to Jim? segment. Though another judge had found that the clip had a bit too much graininess in it, I personally had been quite awed with the quality of the Mission Impossible 3 movie segment in the Blu-ray format. I, however, considered the Return of the King movie segment shown in standard definition DVD to have been quite negatively affected by its having a bit too much of an oil-painting feel in it.

The 46XF550U possesses a variety of good extra features such as the set tuning in to the DVD player whenever you have just turned it on. This automatic feature works for whatever source is connected to the set at the time. Another good extra is the TV being able to turn on its stand. This feature helps when you?re watching the 46XF550U HDTV from odd directions.

This feature also gives you better access to the input ports found right at the back of the HDTV set. These same input ports, though, are pointed towards the bottom and this lessens their accessibility. The model 46XF550U is compatible with the Regza-Link type of the HDMI Consumer Electronics channel, also known as the CEC channel. This allows one gadget to manipulate another gadget.

The remote control for the 46XF550U possesses a good enough feel and layout to it. The remote control buttons seem to be in need of backlighting but aren?t. The control possesses an element not seen in others like it. In switching to mute, pressing mute the first time only halves the volume of the sound. To fully be muted, it has to be pushed one other time.

The menus for the TV are displayed in the center of the screen. This coupled with the menus being solid blue make that feature not too appealing. The choices such as ?Theater Settings? and ?Auto Aspect Ratio? are also not really given explanations for.

The remote control?s button to bring up the information displays a box that seems too low from where it probably has to be. This makes it quite likely that displaying it would cover up some key part of what you?re viewing.

As of the present time, the manual for the 46XF550U model still cannot be found anywhere online. This just means that no easily searchable version of the manual is available right now to help one readily find the explanations for those options mentioned above.

The printed manual is bulky, is actually written in two languages and has seventy-four pages of it set for the English text. The manual is illustrated in tiny but helpful pictures. No stand-alone guide exists for quickly setting up the 46XF550U model HDTV.

The Toshiba 46XF550U LCD is an HDTV system that a lot of extras and features that makes it a great buy. However, the price alone means that many consumers will avoid it in favor of big screen TV?s that have a fairer price.

If you have an entertainment system setup, make sure that you connect them to this big screen TV to get the best use out of it. Once you turn on your gadgets such as a VCR, Stereo or DVD player, the TV will automatically switch to it, and you can avoid having to search for multiple remotes to switch the input options.

Had the 46XF550U model been a TV sold at bargain prices, then buying it might be something worthy of consideration. However, due to the high price that it has, buying the 46XF550U is a very unwise decision.

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April 23, 2009

The Samsung FP-T5084 review

This product is one of the best on the market when speaking about quality at a rather low price. The Samsung FP-T5084 makes other HDTVs look unaffordable for their quality because it is only $2400. Its aspect is also very shiny and it will look exceptional in any room. So, if you want to obtain the best quality for the best price, you might want to take a look at this product.

When talking about visuals this HDTV knows how to draw its fans. High definition scenes are amazing; real colors, without any artificial traces will make you feel like the characters are alive. Also, the skin looks remarkably natural, so we can definitely say that everything looks real.

When watching rich color scenes, you may be surprised to see how this HDTV blends everything very good and manages to bring out detailed images. When tested on standard-definition quality, the Samsung FP-T5084 managed to get a good score, making everything smooth with minimum pixilation. So, with a good visual score this HDTV manages to be the best solution at an affordable price. It sure has better visual quality than other products which can be bought with the same price.

Menu features are various: it has predetermined settings like Standard or Movie mode, which look a lot better than choosing the DNIe. When enabling the DNIe you may notice vivid images with rich color; however, they also look artificial so that?s not a very good option. Some may like it; it depends on your taste.

The DNIe actually means Digital Natural Image engine and it helps create the right atmosphere by improving the color aspect and reducing background noise. It also has motion processing which gives a great visual percept to any pictures by making them look sharper.

You can choose the desired image settings in the OSD menu; it has RGB option, offset controls for the White Balance section and a menu called My Color Control; the menu is very useful because it helps you set the pink, green, blue, and white tones. My Color Control menu ensures that you set each color, so you will surely reach the desired image quality.

The design is quite eye catching. It has a shiny look with a chrome touch that will make it suitable for any elegant room. A disadvantage is the fact that things in your room may reflect on the screen, this might distract your attention when watching darker scenes. When talking about the sound quality, there isn?t much to say. Speakers can be found on the TV sides. The sound is ok but the not best audio quality on the market. Sometimes it makes the audio a little bit confusing, so it?s not the best option when looking for the best audio score.

The Samsung FPT5084 also sports one feature that should be included in all big screen television sets. This screen comes fully equipped with Screen Burn Protection and it helps to prevent the burnt in look that takes over a screen if you leave the TV on long enough. A few different options are available and these allow you to choose the method you would prefer to help keep your screen in top health. One option known as scrolling will add designs that move across your screen so that no one section will be stuck on the same color, program or image. Another option called ?white? will place white screen that will protect from burnt in movies that you may leave paused for a long period of time.

You might ask yourself why this product scored so much if it?s not the best. We don?t think it?s the best, we think it?s the best affordable HDTV. It?s solid, has a very nice design, and the price is suitable for any pocket. Of course, picky costumers might not choose it, but if you want the best you can get for a small price, this is your option. The Samsung FP-T5084 gets the job done, and it does it above average, which is very important when comparing it to other products out there.

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April 22, 2009

Syntax-Brillian Olevia 747i LCD HDTV Review

The universe maintains its balance with the Syntax-Brillian Olevia 747i LCD HDTV’s awful design and great image quality. On one hand, the Olevia 747i could be far ahead of its time. On the other hand, it might just be a little too far ahead. Check out the on-screen menus. The 747i gets points for originality with its bolt-shaped interface when you access the remote’s menu.

Cute though it might be, you’ll be wishing it were less cute if it meant actual practicality. The display is sorely lacking. Something as simple as adjusting the picture quality can be taxing, what with the way the 747i displays just one video option at a given time.

One thing the Olevia 747i has going for it is its impressive picture quality. For that alone, it lands on the third spot out of the nine 46-inch and 47-inch HDTV sets tested at that point, hot on the heels of the Vizio VO47LF (second place) and the Samsung LN46A550 (first place).

A few note-worthy hitches mentioned were the graininess in a few images, and at one point it seemed like Dave Letterman received an unseemly tan in The Late Show clip. Not to make it seem like this set only had bad things to offer. One viewer credited the set for showing a clip of According to Jim and making it look very natural.

The 747i gets top points for sound quality as well. The set poses no difficulty in projecting either quiet or loud sounds, with whispers coming off cleanly and clearly, and music that you can rock out to. The Olevia 747i’s speakers are removable, giving users the option to mount them somewhere else for a desired effect, or to connect additional external speakers to the TV.

The remote gives the 747i an added charm, with its brilliant backlighting feature that activates with a press of a button. The buttons are well-spaced and big enough to make life easier for the avid TV surfer.

Besides the most basic features, operating the Olevia 747i can be a pain. The ill-thought design reaches all the way to the back of the set that even locating something as simple as the AC power connector becomes a chore. The quick-start guide is virtually wordless and helpful only enough to tell that it was behind the TV.

The operations manual isn’t even on paper. Instead, it’s a PDF file that comes along with the CD. And just when you thought it couldn’t get more difficult, the PDF file comes in bitmaps of text instead of actual text. Virtually nothing is printed on paper, and the digital information provided is difficult to navigate.

A pleasantly surprising feature of the TV set is the Welcome wizard that appears the first time you turn on your TV. This application asks you if you’ll be doing your viewing at home or in a showroom. Unfortunately, this highlights a notorious flaw in most TVs these past few years. They’re engineered to look fantastic in a store, but wait until you set it up at home.

While it is a great HDTV that offers good quality for your money, don?t expect to see anything new. This Syntax Brillian Olevia 747i does not have features or a design that makes it stand out from the rest of the TV?s on the market. It is however, seamless and will look great in the room of your choice. However, you will find the included speakers and they can be attached to the sides easily. If you choose to hook up the speakers, they will make the entire screen seem bulkier than usual.

This should be a lesson to Syntax-Brillian and all other HDTV manufacturers. Between easy-to-use or sleek and bizarre, users will always prefer the former over the latter. The bottom line, however, is in its performance and image quality. At that, the Syntax-Brillian Olevia 747i LCD HDTV gets it right.

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April 21, 2009

Sony Bravia KDL-40W3000 Review

The Sony Bravia KDL-40W3000 is a great piece of equipment and a beautiful HDTV. However, it would be an even better flat screen to purchase if they would lower its street price of $1999. Its not a perfect HDTV but unlike some of the other models, it has very few flaws to distract from what it has to offer a consumer.

For the average viewer of this television, they will be hard pressed to notice that the image quality is not perfect. The onscreen pictures look fine and offers a good view and you would have to look directly and pay close attention to notice a dull quality that is sometimes visible.

In this Sony Bravia KDL-40W3000, they have saved room by joining the picture in picture and freeze frame buttons in one easy to access section. When you hit the freeze button you will immediately notice that the TV will freeze as the small PIP square presents itself. While you are looking at the picture in picture, the larger screen that you were previous viewing will freeze so that you will not miss any of the action while you attempt to take a quick glance at another channel.

The only downside to the picture in picture and freeze frame mode is that Sony neglected to add multiple tuners leaving you with no option in viewing two channels at once. However, they did include a jack to connect your headphones. This will make it easier for you to watch TV without disturbing other people in your household.

Most of us will not place our flat screens in high and hard to reach areas and the convenient location of the menu and control buttons means that you will no longer have to bend down to play with the controls. Unlike most models of flat screen, Sony has placed the controls on the top instead of the bottom and sides. Consumers who may have back problems can easily use the controls if they cannot find the remote right away.

A fatal flaw in the Sony Bravia KDL-40W3000 involves the remote control. The design of the remote is more visually pleasing than it is useful. You will not find a menu control and you will instead have to go through other options on the remote to reach that setting. You will find that a number of actions have to be performed before you can reach the desired control that you were searching for. It can also be confusing trying to scroll through the options as it is not always clear which way you should guide the buttons if you hope to proceed.

While the remote offers a lot of key issues when you first begin, it will become easier to use once you become accustomed to its design. After the initial setup and installation, you will not have a lot of use for the menu options, so its lack of a good position on the remote won?t be a problem for very long.

The use of the remote may offer some problems that will resolve themselves at a later time, but the actual remote itself may cause further problems for consumers. The remote control is extremely long due to its many buttons and this can lead to difficulty when you are trying to work the controls.

Overall, if you are not turned off by the problems with the remote, you will love the Sony Bravia and get a lot of use out of this great HDTV.

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April 20, 2009

Sharp LC-46D64U LCD HDTV Review

Good quality is always what matters when buying any item.

Sharp LC-46D64U LCD HDTV hasn?t been receiving good reviews when it comes to image quality. Some describe the image quality to be distorted, appalling, and not good at all. I?ve used to describing visual effects to have the quality of being oil-painted and this is not a good remark for a start. I wouldn?t be biased at all because I rate this product as an average product and it wouldn?t be a surprise to see Sharp LC-46D64U at the top of those bad reviews for image quality.

However, the sound quality of Sharp LC-46D64U is tolerable and okay. The sound system complements the other shortcomings of Sharp LC-46D64U which a great TV should possess. If you plan to use an external surround sound anyway, the okay quality of the audio will not be an issue.

LC-46D64U has Sharp’s Aquos Link Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) which enables it to be connected and attached to other Sharp devices. One of its specifics called Optical Picture Control gives you the power to automatically adjust the TV?s brightness which depends on your environment, but this feature is not quite impressive.

It automatically shuts down after 15 minutes when it doesn?t receive signal or the user forgot to switch the TV off because of its power saving feature which maintains quality image. Another interesting feature of LC-46D64U’s is the Audio Only option which gives you the freedom to not use the TV?s sound system when connected to DVD player where you only want to listen to some music from CD?s (it just balances poor quality image it has).

Over-all the Sharp is manageable and easy to use. The text on screen is understandable even if it?s used small letters, and the menu appears nice too. The menu will not automatically close while you are adjusting the video setting. In reality, video adjusting is not really a problem because it doesn?t occupy much space on the screen.

As for the remote control, it?s not handy and convenient since some buttons are too small and the lights of the button don?t fit its functions at all. The controls are spaced much too closely together and remote itself, can get uncomfortable to hold in a short period of time. While there are good menu options and buttons, you will find them hard to see in a dark or densely lit room due to the lack of a back light that does not work properly.

The manual which is shaped triangularly is indeed helpful despite of text-heavy quality. You have the choice to download the PDF version if you are not satisfied reading the manual printed on grayish pages. While many have complained about the lack of a hard copy manual, the Sharp LC46D64U includes there?s but it needs to have more pictures to allow users to easily work on their new flat screens without having to stop and read large amounts of text every few minutes.

LC-46D64U can pass in terms of all features a television should have but unfortunately its image quality fails to satisfy the needs of the customers. This flat screen is not a bad bargain for its price, but coming from a company such as Sharp, they could have done much better in creating this flat screen HDTV.

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