HDTV Lounge

The Sony Bravia X-Series is designed to deliver a definitive viewing experience – full HD resolution pictures and true-to-life colour. Precision colour reproduction and the very highest screen resolution combine to create a picture that seems almost alive. Stand-out features include a Full HD (1920 x 1080) LCD panel, Live Colour Creation, which uses a wide spectrum backlight (WCG-CCFL) and the newly developed BRAVIA ENGINE EX, Sony’s unique intelligent picture enhancement technology. Capable of receiving 1080p signals, the BRAVIA X-Series twin HDMI inputs will ensure compatibility with the expanding HD environment in Europe as well as with high resolution, Full HD (1920 x 1080) signals in the future. Unlike most other TVs, the BRAVIA X-Series isn’t just HD-Ready; it’s Full HD-capable. Instead of scaled images which have been digitally reduced to fit lower-resolution panels, Full HD reproduces HD1080 picture exactly as it was transmitted. Read more

The Samsung LN-S5296D LCD will be avaliable during September 06, and will feature a dynamic 6000:1 contrast ration, 8ms refresh rate, QAM tuner, CableCard slot, 10-bit processor, ATSC tuner and invisible TruSurround speakers which makes the LN-S5296D a very nice HDTV at a decent prices at $5,999

Connection wise the LN-S5296D is doing very well also, with two HDMI inputs, two component, RGB and a USA port. If you look around you will find some online shops accepting pre-orders at a lower price of $4,999, with an expected ship date of Sept 8th. For a top specification 50-inch HDTV we think the LN-S5296D will sell very well.

The LG 37LC2D 37-inch LCD has great looks necessary to catch your eye at the store.

HD connections are some what of a disappointment , though, as we discover just one HDMI socket. Admittedly this socket, in conjunction with a single component video input, ensures the TV satisfies the connectivity portion of the key ‘HD Ready’ specification. But we’re really starting to expect to see two HDMIs these days.

As you’d expect these days, the 37LC2D also backs up the digital tuner with full compatibility with the 7-day electronic programme guide – and in fact presents its listings information unusually well.
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The Sony Bravia KDL46XBR2 is a Full HD 1080p 46-inch widescreen LCD from Sony. The KDL46XBR2 has a very high resolution of 1920 x 1080 which is the best form of HD for an amazing image quality. The Bravia is powered by Sony’s BRAVIA Engine Pro video proccessor which optimizes the video signal and produced a crisp, detailed and sharp colored images for both HD content and standard content.

The KDL46XBR2 has an impressive number of three HDMI inputs for great connectivity of perfect image quality, along with two component inputs, s-video and PC connection so the KDL46XBR2 can be used as a computer monitor. There is a built in HD (ATSC) tuner, so you don’t need to purchase an additional receiver.

HDMIâ„¢ and PC connectivity: The HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is the first industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface. HDMI technology supports enhanced or high-definition video, together with multi-channel digital audio to provide matchless image and sound reproduction. BRAVIA XBR Series TVs include three HDMI 1080/60p inputs. The PC input allows you to use your high resolution BRAVIA XBR-Series digital TV as a computer monitor.

The Philips 37PF9731D is a “Full HD” 1080p 37-inch Cineos Flat HDTV from Philips which features Pixel Plus 3 HD and Ambilight surround technology.

The Philips 37PF9731D has a high resolution of 1920×1080p and features Pixel Plus 3 HD for improved clarity and colors on both HD content and standard content. The Ambilight Surround technology projects colored light around the HDTV on three sides to match the overall average color that the HDTV is currently displaying to produce an effect that enhances your viewing experience by bringing you closer to the movie and also reduces eye strain.

The 37PF9731D has two HDMI inputs, scart component and many other usual connections. There is also a memory card reader, and usb connection for displaying photos from digital cameras. There is also a ethernet network connection for connecting the set directly to a computer so it can stream media files over the network, there is also an optional Wi-Fi (wireless) connection available to remove all network wire mess.

The Philips 42PF7621D is an award winning 42″ LCD HDTV from Philips. The 42PF7621D features Pixel Plus 2HD image enhancement for improved image clarity and colors along with improvement for standard non HD signals to improve the image display.

The Philips 42PF7621D has a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, with a brightness of 550 cd/m² and a contrast ratio of 4000:1 with a fast response time of just 8ms, for sharp pictures in fast motion scenes. Supported resolution is 1366 x 768p. There are two HDMI inputs, two scart connections, component and VGA for PC connection.
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The 32R74BDX’s features are pleasingly numerous, and it’s looks are amazing, one of the best, if not the best looking HDTVs out there. As with all the TVs we’re covering in our World Cup run-up it’s fully HD Ready, adding to its HD connectivity a suitably high native resolution of 1,366 x 768 and compatibility with the key 720p and 1080i HD formats. Early word from Samsung had suggested the 32R74BDX might also handle the new 1080p HD format, but experiments with our resident 1080p-upscaling Marantz DV9600 DVD player suggest this is not actually the case.

The 32R74BDX’s pictures aren’t perfect. First, although they’re decent, black levels don’t plummet quite as deep as one or two LCD rivals these days. Read more

HP markets the LP2465as a high-end 24-inch LCD monitor for power users, but gamers and home entertainment enthusiasts will also love its performance and features. It offers excellent digital performance (though its analog performance had some issues) and has both integrated USB ports and dual DVI inputs.

Movies looked amazing on the HP LP2465 widescreen display. During a viewing of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King on DVD, the colors were vivid and the picture was sharp, with only a few motion artifacts popping up occasionally. The picture remained sharp from nearly any angle, but there was some loss of color definition at the extreme end of the horizontal viewing plane.

If you’re ready to graduate to a big widescreen for your desktop, the HP LP2465 is more than capable of handling your work and entertainment needs. Read more

The Humax LP32-TDR1 is a 32-inch widescreen HDTV combined with a Personal Video Recorder (PVR) for around $1600.

Humax LP32-TDR1 looks like an upgraded version of their LGB-32TPVR set which has a 40Gb drive and HD but only 720p as we are aware.

The new LP32-TDR has a large 160Gb hard drive for over 100 hours of recording which can be easily added via the electronic programme guide (EPG), two tuners, allowing you to watch more than one digital programme at once via Picture in Picture. There are component, S-Video, 3 AC inputs, 2 Scarts, and a single HDMI connections.

As most of you know, the PRV allows you to record, pause, re-wind etc live tv and recordings. As this is an all in one solution its rather nice for technology wary individuals, and maybe their wives. For a 32-inch LCD with PVR the LP32-TDR’s specs and the price look very impressive.

The Sharp LC-32D40U Aquos isn’t the cheapest 32-inch liquid crystal widescreen television out there, but it provided the most natural, realistic picture I’ve seen among similar displays. Add to this a stylish design and plenty of quality video connections, and the LC-32D40U is a top notch HDTV.

The LC-32D40U provides a near-ideal set of video inputs, including two HDMI ports, two component-video connections, and a single RF input that feeds the TV’s analog (NTSC), digital (ATSC), and Clear QAM (unencrypted digital cable) tuners. The LC-32D40U’s native resolution is 1,366 by 768 pixels, which slightly exceeds the resolution of a 720p HD signal. The display lacks a DVI or VGA input for PC use, but I found that PC resolutions up to 1,280-by-720 (720p) are supported via the HDMI inputs.

‘m admittedly biased toward the excellent color representation possible with modern plasma displays, but the LC-32D40U proved to me that a well-made LCD can Read more