(August 29, 2010) The start of the football season traditionally marks the beginning of the TV selling season. With the economic slowdown continuing HDTV sales have not been up to set makers’ optimistic projections, resulting in swollen inventories. This is great news for consumers. Dealers are offering dramatic price drops aided by factory sponsored deals to try to get sales back on target.
Looking back at our 2009 selling season article, sale prices this year are 20%-25% lower than last year’s equivalent models, with the 2010s offering better performance (such as higher contrast ratios) and more features.
We have scoured Amazon, Best Buy’s latest circular and other retailers to find the most outstanding deals. We have also provided hot links to Amazon (most include free shipping too). Want to buy locally?  Use these deals to negotiate with your local retailer. To learn the secrets of how to get the best deal from a brick and mortar store, read our “Getting the Best Price” article (link).
LCDs
With the growth of 2010 LED and plasma market share, traditional LCD HDTVs (with CCFL florescent light type backlights) have become the unwanted step-child of flat panel HDTVs. The result, big price drops from TV makers. You should be aware there are only two inherent advantages to LED (LCD) TVs over conventional LCDs (contrary to what some salesman may say). They are a thinner form factor and better power efficiency.  All other factors being equal, there is only one picture quality advantages to LCD available in a number of high-end models, the ability to shut off the LEDs in regions of the panel called “local dimming”. This feature produces blacker blacks, though due to the regional nature halos appear around light objects or text with a black background (disclaimer, many product lines add additional features and better signal processing to their higher priced step-up LED models). HD Guru is all for energy savings, however please note for screen sizes below 40-inches, it can be quite negligible compared to the cost delta for going with the LED model.  Consider a LCD over an LED if you are desiring a flat panel in 40-inch or smaller size especially if you are planning to use the table stand (in lieu of wall mounting). Even if you are going to mount the TV on the wall, do you really care if the TV two or three inches thin rather than an inch and a half when saving hundreds of dollars?
LEDs
Set makers have added lower cost 60Hz models to the mix. As noted above, conventional LCDs are a better value.
Plasma
Performance is up and prices are down. Plasma HDTV market share has risen as wise consumers realize plasma provides the best big screen picture quality, widest viewing angle and highest motion performance at low cost . Plasma panel makers (Panasonic, Samsung and LG) have aggressively dropped 720p and 1080p prices while increasing energy efficiency. If you are looking for a 42″ or larger HDTV, you should seriously consider plasma. Don’t believe salesman telling you they are old technology or they permanently burn-in. Not true, all LEDs are LCDs and they are the older tech. Burn-in is no longer an issue (and hasn’t been for a few years) thanks to the new, more energy efficient designs.  LEDs and LCD can be cranked to brighter levels, which may fool you into thinking their higher price yields better image quality. Many stores ambient lighting levels are typically 5 to 10 times higher than most homes. Don’t be fooled. Plasmas are far brighter (3-5x) than the old tube type TV or rear projector you may be replacing.
3D
The big news, prices are dropping and vendors are beginning to offer four pairs of 3D glasses with the purchase of a 3D TV and many are throwing in a 3D capable Blu-ray player. LG just started its free four pairs of glasses promotion (link) and industry sources tell us the other vendors plan similar promotions. Remember 3D capability includes the best 2D performance available today. (BB=Best Buy; JR =J&R)
| Make/Model | Size | Was | Now | $ Savings | Store | Amazon Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam/PN42C450 | 42″ | $600 | $499.99 | $100 | BB | $497 |
| Sony/KDL40EX700 | 40″ | $1400 | $899.99 | $500 | BB | $807 |
| LG/55LD520 | 55″ | $1900 | $1499.99 | $400 | BB | $1298 |
| Sam/LN46C550 | 46″ | $1050 | $894.99 | $155 | JR | $816 |
| Pan/TCL37X2 | 37″ | $680 | $499.99 | 180 | JR | $490 |
| LG/32LD350 | 32″ | $500 | $399.99 | $100 | BB | $358 |
| Sam/LN46C530 | 46″ | $850 | $799.99 | $150 | BB | $799 |
| Pan/TCP65S2 | 65″ | $2800 | $1999.99 | $800 | BB | $1897 |
| Pan/TCP58S2 | 58″ | $1900 | $1299.99 | $600 | BB | $1226 |
Packages (packages only available from “Store”) Amazon price for TV only (except LG 3D TVs)
| Make/Model | Size | Was | Now | $ Savings | Store | Amazon Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pan/TCP50S2* | 50″ | $1550 | $999.98 | $550 | BB | $899 |
| Pan/TCP42S2** | 42″ | $1150 | $799.98 | $350 | BB | $678 |
| LG/47LE5400*** | 47″ | $2360 | $1399.95 | $960 | BB | $1133 |
| LG/55LE5400**** | 55″ | $3160 | $1999.95 | $1160 | BB | $1124 |
| Sam/LN46C670***** | 46″ | $1500 | $999.99 | $500 | BB | $1050 (LN46C650) |
| LG/47LX6500 | 47″ | $3820 | $1748 | $2071 | Amazon | $1748.98 |
Buy the 47LX6500 3D LED TV and get LG 3D capable BX580 Blu-ray player and four pair of LG S100 3D Glasses free
| Make/Model | Size | Was | Now | $ Savings | Store | Amazon Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LG/55LX6500 | 55″ | $4720 | $2019.00 | $2701 | Amazon | $2019 |
Buy the 55LX6500 3D LED TV and get LG 3D capable BX580 Blu-ray player and four pair of LG S100 3D Glasses free
| Make/Model | Size | Was | Now | $ Savings | Store | Amazon Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pan/TCP42G25 | 42″ | $1370 | $919.99 | $450 | JR | $869 |
Buy the TCPG25 and get the Panasonic TY-CC10W 720p Skype Video Camera free.
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Why does it seem that Mitsubishi is being ignored. Their sets are the least expensive entry to 3D and when I saw them at BB, I and the saleperson thought they were superior to the Samsung LCD?
I’m in the need for a up to date reviews of the newest 3D TV’s from Panasonic and Samsung. Looking forward to find them in this frum real soon…
The new 3D Panasonic plasmas offer noticeably improved subjective motion resolution because of their use of shorter decay phosphors.
In other words, the 1080 lines of motion resolution are only now really valid as the green trails have been greatly reduced.
Can anyone else can see the improvement in clarity? Or is it just me?
Ok, it’s been over a week. Looking forward to the Samsung plasma report along with other TV reviews. I am in the market for one soon. Thanks.
Did you mean later this month for the review of the pn58c8000?
I’m afraid I don’t share the HD Guru’s utter fascination with 3D. I believe 3D will eventually evolve into a niche market, primarily appealing to gamers.
With another HD Guru site already dedicated to 3D, I wish the reporting here was focussed on other aspects of HDTV.
Samsung ” PB58C8000″? What model is that one? Did you mean to refer to the PN58C8000 model?
Fixed
You mentioned that stores in the US display their TVs in bright areas of the store. In Canada, the stores I go into (best buy etc)have the areas for tvs dimmed down and not near any windows, so you don’t get an indication of daytime viewing. Are todays plasmas capable in a bright living room?
On another note. If a movie is shot at 24 fps and you set your player to that mode, is there any loss in resolution? Even on a 60Hz you would think at 2.5 times the frame rate you would get all the resolution of the source.
guru,guru on the wall which is no 1 for 3dfullhdtv panasonic samsung sony
Soon we will publish the knowledge you seek, please see the reply below for more info.
Will you guys ever get back to reviewing individual models (aside from 3-D)? I want to know if HDTVs continue to improve, particularly at the top end.
Is anyone closer to absolute black than the second generation Kuro? Why hasn’t anyone commercialized the technology that Pioneer showed for absolute black at CES?
What about motion resolution? You showed a chart a year or two back that showed how almost all sets — except perhaps two or three top performers — lost resolution when objects on the screen were in motion. Any progress on that?
What about color? When Mitsubishi introduced the laser TVs, the selling point was that conventional HDTVs could only display something like 60 percent of the colors people can see whereas laser TVs can show 85 percent (or whatever the specific numbers were). Have other TV technologies significantly increased their color spectra.
HDTV performance has never been anywhere near the theoretical limitations of the tech spec. There’s still plenty of room to improve, but I no longer have any sense of whether they are improving, other than 3-D, and I have yet to find anyone who gives a damn about 3-D, even with my tech loving friends.
We will be publishing later this week our exclusive review on the Samsung PN58C8000 plasma. It is 3D as well as 2D. We will be including motion resolution, color points, signal processing, 3D image quality, black level and more. We are going to follow up with a review of the Sony 3D XBR52HX909, the new 2D four color Sharp LED and a Panasonic plasma. Please stay tuned.
As far as motion resolution testing. We stopped doing our mass testing, primarily because LCD and LED all exhibit similar results with 60 Hz models around 300 out of 1080 lines (per picture height) 120 Hz are all about 600 lines and 240 Hz are 900 lines and up (depending on settings). We will continue to publish test results of individual sets. BTW, every 2010 plasma we tested has produced full 1080 line motion performance. Thanks for writing.
HD GURU