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PSA: Real LCD HDTV refresh rates are getting harder to find behind marketing fluff
Electronics makers love a spec they can get behind and make the center point of their marketing efforts -- no matter how useless it is as a comparison. The undisputed be all arms race HDTV metric for the past few years, LCD refresh rates, has recently become even muddier according to HD Guru. Terms like Clear Motion Rate (Samsung) and Scenes Per Second (Vizio) are meant to confuse the customer while resembling the somewhat useful (and, as of late, unmentioned on the box) refresh rate. Our advice? Ignore this spec completely and instead find a TV that can accurately display your favorite content at its native frame rate (24, 30 or 60) -- leave all that soap-opera looking frame interpolation technology to the modern day twelve o'clock flasher.
Why there's no such thing as universal 3D glasses
Some consumers hate everything about 3D and probably spend ridiculous amounts of time collecting facts to enforce their argument that 3D is a gimmick and will end up a passing fad. One of the more recent observations of evidence was the fact that a pair of 3D glasses from one 3DTV aren't compatible with other 3DTVs. We agree that this is less than ideal, but then again we've always thought the same thing about the remotes that come with all our home theater components. XpanD intends to release its X103 universal shutter glasses, but do they really work as good as the ones that ship with your 3DTV? Evidently just being compatible with the IR sync signal isn't enough, and in fact 3D glasses are often tinted to optimize the picture quality -- like including an amber tint to correct the colors on a 3DTV. In addition, the glasses do block light and one pair of glasses for a 3D LCD might block too much light to be used with a plasma -- since it can't get bright enough to let you skip the tanning bed. This seems like a valid concern, but it also seems like a problem that could be overcome with appropriate calibration techniques. But then again, everyone would still have to have the same pair of glasses, so it kind of defeats the purpose.
First Panasonic 3DTV review in, great blacks and the best 3D anywhere
While the rest of us wait to try out the latest 3DTVs that went on sale this week for ourselves, Gary Merson took a trip with his test equipment to Panasonic's NJ headquarters. The good news is that the 2D picture quality was better than last year's model and in fact the black level reading was one-half of the V10's out of the box performance. So as if getting a better HD picture for less money wasn't enough, Gary says the "the 3D image (is) outstanding with considerably more brightness and pop than the motion picture theater 3D movie experience." So yeah it is the best 3D experience you can get anywhere.
The HD Guru tries to burn-in a plasma, but fails
We've been telling people for years that burn-in just isn't a problem on modern plasmas, but honestly we haven't ever tried to put are money where are mouth is. Gary Merson doesn't mind trying though -- since it's not like he has to pay for the HDTVs he reviews -- and although he found that freeze framing an image for 10 hours straight failed to burn-in on the 2008 and 2009 plasma models he tried, he's confident that if he put a full white 100 IRE square up on the center of a plasma, with the user mode set to Vivid and contrast maxed out, that after a number of days there would be some signs of burn-in -- so yeah, kind of like testing a water proof watch by throwing it into an abyss. Now of course this doesn't change the fact that everyone believes that burn-in is a problem and that the brightest TV is the best TV, we're just saying.
Don't let retailer's lights distract you from buying the right HDTV
In case you hadn't already learned your lesson and started checking behind the displays while HDTV shopping, the HD Guru points out another element of the in-store experience that throws off buyers (and likely contributes to the LCD vs. plasma choices we find so infuriating): lighting. In case you don't recall from your last trek to a big box superstore, the lighting is quite often stuck on blinding making it nearly impossible to discern any difference in picture quality between televisions, specifically in terms of contrast and black levels (the pictures above are of the same value priced display, at left, under normal home lighting, at right, how it looks under some store lighting setups.) Tested with an illuminance meter, all the stores (except Best Buy's Magnolia showrooms) averaged well above home ambient lighting levels, with Wal-Mart and Costco measuring the highest at 411.66 and 742.77 lux. Still, there's tips on how to get a good idea of a TV's black levels even under those circumstances, plus some choice words left over for the incredible (and useless) dynamic contrast ratio numbers every manufacturer trots out these days, so go ahead and get educated.
Panasonic's TC-P54V10 plasma crowned king, so sayeth the HD Guru
Panasonic's run of critical acclaim for its NeoPDP panels, and the V10 series in particular, just keeps rolling along. Given the positive reception the HD Guru gave Panny's G10-series set, it should come as no surprise that the higher-spec TC-P54V10 model came through its review with flying colors. The Guru blew right past the "sheet of glass" aesthetic and added color spaces that will largely go unused and got right into the good stuff. Sure, the 96Hz mode delivered on its promise of judder-free 4:4 pulldown, but most surprising was the V10's black level performance, which fell below the test equipment's ability to measure -- the review guessed it to be about half as bright as the G10's black level. That's in spitting distance of the Kuro performance, and the V10 managed to pull a little more dark detail as well. Yeah, it's a winner -- so much so that the Guru had to break out a fifth heart in its rating. The Kuro is dead, long live the Kuro.
Panasonic's TC-P50G10 plasma nets a rave review from the HD Guru
Fans of the Pioneer Kuro plasma TVs that are riding into the sunset needn't worry -- based on the review from none other than the HD Guru, the THX-approved Panasonic TC-P50G10 is a more than worthy successor. Whatever tests the set had to pass to earn that THX badge, it was well deserved, too, with color that was spot-on and performance that ousted even the Pioneer Pro 141FD in brightness uniformity, ultimate brightness and motion resolution. Even fans of apline skiing should find the maximum brightness of 92 ft-lamberts more than adequate to make reaching for the ski goggles worthwhile. While there isn't a 72Hz mode, Panasonic seems to have addressed that deficiency with a solid performance of the new 3:2 pulldown mode. We recommend checking your credit card to see if it can survive a $1,800 bump before hitting the link for the glowing review.
HD Guru: Mitsu's LaserVue L65-A90 among the best HDTVs ever tested
We expect Mitsubishi to make claims that its latest technology is the best ever, and we enjoyed seeing it for ourselves at CEDIA, as well as reading other praises. But it's another thing all together when Gary Merson gets to run his own tests and comes back with almost nothing bad to say, and that is an understatement. Not only does he say it has the best color gamut of any TV he's ever tested, but the brightness is also second to none. To top it off, the contrast is as good as any set he's test -- yes including the Kuro. And the green people out there will be happy to know that it only uses about 96 watts -- in case your not keeping track at home, that's about one fourth the amount of power as most plasmas. So if you can live without semi-wall-mountable TV that is 10-inches deep, and demand the best in picture quality, then $7000 for a 65-inch LaserVue is probably sounding really good right about now.
HD Guru evaluates 125 HDTVs in the resolution loss test
Motion blur has been a big topic in the world of HDTV for as long as we can remember, but it wasn't until recently that someone figured out a way to test it in a non-subjective way. Our friend Gary Merson -- aka the HD Guru -- actually got his hands on 125 2008 model HDTVs and not only ran them through all the more traditional tests like 3:2 pull-down, and de-interlacing, but also tried out his resolution motion loss test that indicates how many lines of resolution a set is capable of displaying when there is motion -- yeah, so like most of the time. For the most part Pioneer plasmas ruled the charts at about 900 lines, as expected, but the real surprise is that the ultimate winner was the Samsung LN-46A950 -- in fact it was the only 1080 set to actually display all 1080 lines when there was motion (but only in one specific setting, other settings were as low as 330 lines!). What's more of a reason for 46A950 fans to rejoice in is that most 120Hz LCDs were closer to 600 lines, so it really is in a league of its own in regards to LCDs. These stats are fun and all, but we'd like to remind you while you download the PDF and check ou the specs on the latest sets, that specs seldom ever tell the whole story, so we still recommend buying with your eyes instead of a spec sheet.
The HD Guru puts Pioneer's Pro-111FD plasma to the test
You've got to respect the effort that Gary Merson, a.k.a. the HD Guru, puts into his TV reviews. Thorough and technically savvy, he relentlessly exposes the weaknesses of displays passing through his lab. His latest review is a showdown between two 50-inch plasmas vying for the top, the new Pioneer Pro-111FD and the Panasonic TH-50PZ850U. We've long heard about these 9th generation Pioneer plasmas, the last to come off of Pioneer production lines, so our eyes perked up at the comparison. We won't spoil the outcome of the "two plasmas enter, one plasma leaves" showdown (and that pesky $1500 price difference between the two units is significant), but we will say that the Pioneer lived up to the Kuro name by displaying blacks too dark for the Guru to reliably measure with his test gear. Oh, and the 10th generation promises to be darker still.
HD Guru has a turn with Sony's XEL-1 OLED TV
Leave it to Gary Merson, a.k.a the HD Guru, to really put Sony's XEL-1 OLED display to the test. He busted out some test bench equipment and found that while the blacks were vanishingly dark, colors were accurate and motion resolution was handled with aplomb, there were some peculiar issues with the brightness. Off-axis viewing dropped the brightness by a third, which damaged perceived contrast as well. What was more troubling, however, was the automatic dimming of the display from 16.4 ft.-Lamberts at power-on to 7.8 ft.-Lamberts after only four minutes. While Sony claimed this is to prevent burn in, the Guru suspects it's more about preventing burn out. We're long on OLED technology, but those of you with itchy trigger fingers might want to consider carefully. Hit the link for the in-depth read.
Most CableCARD enabled HDTVs won't ever support SDV
Switched Digital Video quickly became a bad word around here -- don't get us wrong, we want more HD as much as the next person, but not if it means we'll have to use our cable company's lackluster STB. Luckily TiVo owners will be getting a solution to their SDV woes soon, but our friend Gary Merson surveyed several HDTV manufacturersand none left him with the impression that there was any chance that the current crop of CableCARD enabled HDTVs would work with the new "tuning resolver." This most certainly blows a big one for those customers out there that are actually using this feature, and that will start to watch their HD channels fade away -- assuming they haven't already -- but many manufacturers abandoned the technology over a year ago. The dream of a set-top-boxless solution isn't lost though, as Samsung, LG and Panasonic all expect to have tru2way TVs available this year, and with any luck these won't be obsolete after only a few years.
Buying an HDTV: Get the latest or Save on 2007?
Here at Engadget we just love the spring. No, it's not the because Winter is over and Summer is right around the corner. No, it's not because we're huge baseball fans. It's because all the new HDTVs we lusted over at CES are starting to hit the streets. Unfortunately we can't upgrade every year, but some new models are so much better than last year's, we wish we could. But some aren't really much different from last year, so it can be the perfect time to find great deals on closeout sales. Lucky or us, our friend Gary Merson -- aka The HD Guru -- has put together a pretty good synopsis of which models are worth the new model price, and which aren't. For those who'd rather skip all the why and go straight to the bottom line; the HD Guru recommends the new Panasonics and maybe the new Samsung and Pioneer plasmas, but for the rest, you're probably better off getting a deal on a 2007 model.Read: Part 1; Samsung, Sony, and PioneerRead: Part 2; Mitsubishi and Panasonic
HD Guru's tips for HDTV shoppers
If you're shopping for a new HDTV this holiday season (lucky dog) or if you're the local "TV expert" who has a stream of coworkers asking for advice, check out the details at the read link. For those who will be combing the HDTV aisles over the coming months in search of their next acquisition, Gary Merson (aka HD Guru) has broken down some good tips on how to pick the right HDTV set. They're simple guidelines, but just the sort of advice that the general consumer needs when wading into the HDTV waters. And the advice comes from a guy who really knows his HD, so you know it's on the up and up. We especially like how the tips start by considering the space that will be home to your new toy -- choose a screen size based on viewing distance, then measure your viewing angles. Once you're in-store, pay attention to SAL: 1)Signal quality; 2) Angle of view; and 3) Lighting conditions. We'd add in a "T" as item four: disable Torch mode. So we've got "SALT," as in "take specs and salesmen with a pinch of."
The HD Guru reviews the Samsung LN-T4081F, says it's the best LCD HDTV yet
We really love the reviews with all the nitty-gritty details of what a display is capable of. Sure we do a fine job on our reviews, but it's not the same as an ISF certified technician with the right high end equipment to put a TVs through it's paces. Gary's latest review of the LN-T4081F and goes on to say that it has the most accurate colors and the best contrast of any LCD TV he's ever tested. He does bring things down to earth and remind us that the latest Kuro he's currently reviewing was able to best the black levels -- but that shouldn't come as much of a surprise. The other feature that really impressed him was "Motion Plus," which helped Samsung's top of the line HDTV, best any LCD TV in measured effective motion resolution. He was disappointed with the sets ability to upconvert 480i, but honestly who cares?
The HD Guru reveals the flaws in the latest HDTVs
Every year when we get our hands on all the new HDTVs we just can't see how they could get any better -- at least until next year's sets are released. With every generation the problems from the previous are resolved, but we somehow find new issues that were previously unnoticed. Last year they uncovered the bob versus weave when de-interlacing 1080i, and still many TVs throw away half the lines. This year the HD Guru discovers that there is a significant loss in resolution when there is motion -- you know like when the camera pans or a player runs down the field. What he discovered is very interesting, but not surprising; Plasmas fared the best with a loss of 18.52%, microdisplays were next at 27.78% and the LCDs were last at 44.45%. Unfortunately we'll have to wait to see how each individual model fared, but until then, it appears that Plasmas are still the king when it comes to picture quality.
