http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/rss.xml This is the place you'll want to comparison shop before you step foot into a retail environment. We cover everything from LCDs to plasma screens, DLP to LCOS, SXRD and D-ILA. If it can be used as a display, you'll find out about it here. hourly 12 2006-12-01T00:00 http://www.audioholics.com/static/logo.jpg http://www.audioholics.com/ http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/rear-projection/samsung-hl-t5087s There are a lot of things to like about the Samsung HL-T5087S - LED backlighting means longer bulb life, shorter warm-up cycles, and the elimination of the color wheel and its accompanying rainbow effect. But the HL-T5087S isn't without its shortcomings including prevalent banding, severe lack of calibration options, and a whole host of glitches that confounded even us. tom 2008-01-05T05:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/toshiba-regza-46lx177-lcd Now that everyone is doing 1080p these days it seems the next big advance has to do with display “speed”. The new Toshiba REGZA LCD TVs sport 120Hz ClearFrame technology. This means that images are displayed twice as fast on the screen and flicker and display-induced motion blur is reduced. Toshiba is not the only game in town that has this technology but it is definitely promoting it well and introducing consumers to the ideas and concepts behind these faster displays. clint 2007-12-10T13:39:02+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/gateway-xhd3000-30-inch-lcd Gateway's new XHD3000 30-inch LCD display combines the power of an ultra high-resolution PC monitor (2650 x 1600) with an HQV Realta-equipped display that can handle anything from that new HD-DVD player or your HD satellite system. Gateway has taken out all the stops with a display that is flexible, high-performance, beautiful and priced to sell. clint 2007-10-07T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/pioneer-pdp-5070hd-plasma My first display review was a plasma and I’ve long held that I prefer plasmas to LCDs (in general). It’s easy to make such generalizations when you’ve reviewed 3-1 plasma v. LCD. Pioneer has had a reputation for putting out quality displays and I’ve never had the pleasure of reviewing one. It wasn’t hard for me to get excited about a Pioneer review much less a Pioneer plasma review - even if it was "only" a 720p display. tom 2007-06-04T14:45:48+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/aquaview-17-inch-waterproof-lcd-display-review When we heard of the Aquaview television, we were in the process of remodeling and renovating a bathroom. Truth be told, it was a complete tear-out of the previous bathroom, including the removal and rebuilding of several walls in order to increase the size of the room. When we discovered that Aquaview had a system that allowed for a 17-inch widescreen LCD TV to be installed into a room like this without fear of water or moisture damage, we started a dialogue to find out more about the product. After some discussion, we decided that this would be a grand opportunity to install the product and work it into our remodeling plan. clint 2007-02-20T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/panasonic-th-50pf9uk-50-1080p-plasma-display-review I’ve had a chance to review a number of 720p displays in recent months. They have, for the most part, all been very good. But there has always been this itch… the 1080 itch I call it. Will it look that much better? Will it be that much better? With a 50” screen, I’ve often heard people say that you can’t tell the difference. Maybe that’s true, but personally, I want to see for myself. tom 2007-02-07T10:31:45+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/pioneer-elite-pro-940hd We first checked out the PRO-940HD at the 2006 CEDIA Expo. When we got it into our reference system for testing it looked even better than we anticipated. With this TV it’s "All about the blacks!” clint 2006-12-06T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/westinghouse-lvm-47w1-1080p-lcd-display-review 1080p seems to be the most recent “Holy Grail” of the AV community… but how do you get it without hocking your car and taking out a second mortgage? (we don’t recommend either and, in fact, if you’re thinking of either of these options, please seek help immediately) Westinghouse broke all the rules when it introduced it sub-$2,000 42” LCD display in the beginning of 2006. At the time, MSRP was $2,799 and the street price quickly fell to around $1,800. The company also offers a 47-inch version of this TV, the LVM-47w1 for a (current) street price of just $2500 - you see the attraction here, no? As prices dropped gradually amongst the competing LCD and plasma panel TV markets, Westinghouse decided to simply give the competition a kick in the pants and really “get the party started”. Since the 47-inch LVM-47w1 is simply the bigger brother to the 42-inch LVM-42w2 this review will be targeted at seeing the larger display performs exactly the same and/or overcomes any of the shortcomings of the 42-inch model. clint 2006-10-28T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/olevia-542i Like most of us, I started my purchasing of displays long before ED was an option, much less HD. Back then, you rarely had to look behind a TV to know what was back there – an RF/coaxial input for the on-roof antenna and maybe a couple of RCAs that you never knew why you’d ever need. Now, inputs, resolutions, deinterlacing, scaling and a host of other issues make display shopping far more complicated than ever. For the common consumer, what is really important is 1) How does it look and 2) How much is it. For videophiles, many more things come into play including mounting options for the unit picture quality, number of inputs, configuration and calibration options, and more. **Note - this display is no longer recommended. Please read more for specifics** tom 2006-10-21T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/panasonic-th-50ph9uk Wait a second, didn’t I just review this panel? Well, yes and no. This is the new version (notice the “9”in the model number) of the TH-50PHD8UK I recently reviewed. My first question was, “So, what’s different?”Well, the first thing I noticed from the specs was that the newer display has a stated 10000:1 contrast ratio rather than a 3000:1. The newer model is also missing the REAL Mach system. This new unit uses much thinner glass (from 2.8mm to 1.8mm) which reduces the weight from 94.8 lbs to 81.6 lbs (a 15% reduction). The unit uses 16-bit digital signal processing and improved “sub-field driving technology”to reproduce 3,072 steps of gradation. Other than that, the units aren’t really all that different. The remote is the same, the menus are the same, the inputs are the same... if you have a question about this unit that doesn’t seem covered by this review, check out the review of the TH-50PHD8UK. Unless it is contradicted here, it still applies. tom 2006-08-28T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/panasonic-th-50phd8uk Bragging rights. You want them, you know you do. We all do. Some small (or large as the case may be) part of our mind wants people to be impressed with our purchases, abilities, etc. Nothing is more depressing than showing someone something that they should be impressed by just to have them respond, “So, what is that again?” Case in point, reviewing home theater equipment is full of interesting items… to other Audioholics. What does Joe Average say when you tell him you are reviewing a new set of speakers, HTPC, media server, or receiver? “Oh, that’s nice.” What does he say when you tell him you are reviewing a 50” plasma display? “I hate you, man!” Now, THAT is respect! tom 2006-06-28T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/westinghouse-lvm-42w2 Most of the new 1080p displays on the market simply upconvert 480i/480p/720p/1080i input signals internally to 1080p (and sometimes even those aren’t truly 1080p). A select few, including the new Westinghouse LVM-42w2, actually take 1080p input via component, HDMI and its dual DVI-D inputs. This is a true 1080p display that is slightly ahead of its time – but definitely ready for the future… at least until some uptight MPAA associate demands a new DRM scheme that renders all hardware obsolete and forces us back to using slide projectors and reel to reel tape. clint 2006-04-16T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/pioneer-PDP-42A3HD clint 2006-03-15T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/optoma-pd50a We happened to get our hands on one of the least expensive 50-inch plasma televisions around. What we've found is that these models lack the customization, and often color accuracy, of more expensive models, but compensate by bringing large, flat-screen technology to consumers at an affordable price. The key is knowing their strengths and weaknesses and using them properly to their best advantage. With this in mind, we tore into the Optoma PD50A 50-inch plasma television and began our evaluation. clint 2005-11-17T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/proton-lx-37b1c2 clint 2005-10-06T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/axion-axn-7200 Remember those cheesy 50's television shows & commercials that depicted the household of the future? You know, the ones with bubble TVs, bubble sofas, and bubble cars (if you're having trouble picturing this, just visit an Ikea store.) Even the Jetsons didn't present such a hokey picture of the 21st century. While you have these picturesque visions of the future in mind, let's think about a more realistic - and truly contemporary - version of what a television could be. The AXN-7200, with its top-side slot-loading DVD player and curved display stand, presents what I feel is a forward-thinking "next stage" design for televisions - without reaching too far ahead or appearing completely out of place. clint 2005-05-16T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/zenith-z26lz5r LCD TVs have been rapidly dropping in price for about two years now, all the while their feature sets and specifications improving with time. Zenith's models are no exception, with their latest units having street prices only wished for in previous seasons. The delay in bringing LCD TVs down to "mere mortal" levels has really resulted in a better crop of units that support features once reserved for only the high end units. DVI (or HDMI) with HDCP, satisfactory deinterlacing, such as that provided by Faroudja's DCDi engine, and brighter, faster displays are now the expected norm in today's market. Now, if only Zenith could shorten up its model number designations... clint 2005-05-05T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/ad-notam-30.0 I had experienced my first "mirror LCD" television at the 2004 CEDIA show when I stopped by the Philips booth for a look at their new Ambilight models. If I had thought the very concept of an LCD television hidden behind front surface-reflecting mirror was fascinating, actually seeing the technology up close was even more impressive. As a product, these LCDs target the progressive consumer who wants to add either the convenience of an LCD TV in the bathroom or bedroom, or those wanting that "wow" factor of having a technology that is years ahead of mass-market adoption. clint 2005-03-24T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/flat-panels/olevia-lt30hv-lcd-tv I can remember a time not too long ago when I had to move my 110lbs 32” CRT tube based TV into my new home without the luxury of a dolly or close friend nearby. I remember thinking to myself, one day those spiffy lightweight flat panel displays will be affordable enough to the average consumer making these big bulky CRT based TV’s a thing of the past. Well four years later, the SYNTAX group brought my thoughts to realization with their new lightweight and affordable LCD displays. clint 2004-11-08T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/televisions/rear-projection/mitsubishi-ws-55813-diamond-rptv Having just published an article on the various display format technologies, we are happy to find that some of the best pictures are still being shown with CRT technology. As DLP and LCoS improves (not to mention drops in price) the digital formats may outperform the analogue CRTs. Until, then however, if you want the absolute best picture, and size and weight are not an issue, CRT technology will get you where you want to be. clint 2004-03-11T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review