Every TV has one: a button that zooms in on the picture, or changes the aspect ratio. Sometimes called View Mode, Format, Size, Zoom, or something similar, these modes have a variety of names, but all have the same purpose.

In reality most of the time there is only one “correct” mode, the other modes offering less resolution, possible artifacts, and in a few limited cases, a better picture.

Overscan

One of the primary reasons why these controls exist is a “feature” called Overscan. In the olden days, TV makers had a lot of wiggle room in defining the edges of the image. So two TVs, of the same size, might show slightly more or less of the broadcast image. At the edges of the image, there was frequently a lot of noise (so of which was part of the image, some not).

Even in the early days of HD, many stations broadcast a few pixels of noise, so a TV was better off showing, let’s say, 1,900 x 1,060 of the original signal, then blowing it up to fill the 1,920 x 1,080 screen.

And that “blowing up” is the problem.

Scaling

Every pixel on your TV is active, regardless of the resolution of the source. With DVDs, the TV upconverts, (also known as scaling) the image to fill the screen. It is creating information that is not in the original source, in order to have data for every pixel.

To a lesser extent, the same is happening when you view an HDTV with any amount of overscan active, or when in one of the modes listed earlier. The TV is zooming in slightly on the original image, which requires it to modify every pixel in the image to fit. Look at it this way, if you’re watching a Blu-ray, or a 1080i image from cable/satellite, that image has a specific pixel for every one of the actual pixels on your TV. A 1:1 map, if you will. If the TV has overscan active, or is zooming in slightly, now it’s more like a 1:0.9 map. The TV has to scale the image.

Here’s an example. Compare this image to the one at the very top of this article:

Notice how you lose a little on the edges, the car at the bottom is barely visible, the building at the top is right at the edge of the screen (click here for the two images side by side).

Regardless of how good the scaler is in the TV, this is going to increase noise and artifacts, and potentially reduce resolution (if it can’t scale the image well).

Find this control on your TV, and for the best picture, set it to Just Scan, 1:1, Full, Native, Dot-by-Dot and so on. You’ll be able to tell which is the right one, as when you’re watching a 1080i or 1080p image, it will appear to zoom out slightly, and you’ll see more of the picture’s edges.

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A few exceptions

Occasionally, you’ll find a channel or program that has some weird, non-picture data on the edge of the screen, usually only a few pixels wide. If this bother’s you, well, now you know where the control is to zoom in and clip it off. This is pretty rare, these days.

One other use for this control is zooming in on a 16×9 image that resides in a 4×3 window. For example, on my AT&T U-verse, BBC America is only available in standard definition (thanks a lot AT&T). So if I want to watch the 16×9 Top Gear it’s only viewable with black bars on the sides (SD is 4×3) and on the top and bottom (because it’s 16×9 within the 4×3). Obviously I don’t, I buy the show in HD on iTunes, but you get my point. In this case, you could zoom in on the image, to better fill the screen with the tiny program. Keep in mind, this will likely look like crap.

A 16×9 image within a 4×3 window (note, I increased the brightness of the image so the borders were easier to see):

A 16×9 image within a 4×3 window, zoomed (note the loss of picture quality, even at this resolution).

However, and this is a HUGE deal, you should only be doing this rarely and for the few channels not available in HD. If you are doing this a lot, especially with network shows, you are likely not set up correctly for HD. Check out my article on How to Understand Aspect Ratio.

If you’re black-bar-ophobic, there are often modes that stretch the entire 4×3 standard definition image to fill the screen, or the more clever of these modes that keeps the center of the image the correct aspect ratio, and only stretch the edges. It’s worth noting that using either of these modes is quite possibly the worst your TV will ever look, and should be avoided if at all possible.

For example, here’s the same image above, but stretched horizontally (for a side by side with the full image, click here):

This is really noticeable with people. Here’s a full 1:1 image:

And a stretched 4×3  image (click here for the full version):

This is almost always the default setting for TVs in hotels, which is one of the main reasons hotel TVs look so terrible.

Source Boxes

All cable/satellite boxes and Blu-ray players have aspect ratios settings too. The wrong setting will provide a distorted, lower resolution image. Most on-screen menus ask you to select your TV aspect ratio. For all current HDTVs this would be 16:9. If set to 4:3, the image will be badly distorted. (as shown in the faces image above). Make sure your source box is set to the 16:9 image setting.

Most boxes will also ask for an output resolution setting. Choices will  include 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i. With 1080p TVs (most current models), this control should be set to 1080i (some cable/satellite boxes also allow 1080p output, but it only applies to pay per view movies).

Blu-ray players should be set to 1080p. Many offer a 1080p/24 setting, though not all TVs can do anything with this framerate. Most Blu-ray players will have a test mode to verify that your TV can accept the resolution prior to making the final setting.

If you have a 720p TV, you can set the cablebox to either 720p or 1080i, though the latter is probably better. If you choose 720p, the signal will be ideal for 720p content such as ABC and Fox but 1080i content (used by CBS, NBC, HBO and others) will be down converted in the box. It’s likely your TV will do a better job de-interlacing and downconverting 1080i content than your cablebox, so choosing 1080i output is likely better. Also, most non-1080p TVs these days are actually 1,024 x 768, slightly more vertical resolution than 720p. So you may squeeze a few extra lines of resolution when watching 1080i content by choosing the 1080i output.

Conclusion

The short version? Ideally you’d watch all HD content set to fill the screen, with no overscan. Check your settings, there may be aspect ratio controls, and separate overscan controls. While most Blu-ray players will auto-detect the correct aspect ratio (nearly always 16×9), DVD players and cable/satellite boxes do not. Check the settings of these as well to make sure they’re sending your TV the correct aspect ratio (and resolution!). I always watch TV with the overscan off and in a 1:1 pixel mapping mode, and it has been years since I’ve seen noise on the edges of the screen. Check both controls, your TV may look  better… for free!

Geoff Morrison @TechWriterGeoff
Geoff’s book is now in paperback

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Copyright ©2012 HD Guru Inc. All rights reserved. HDGURU is a registered trademark.

Most people never change their TV’s user settings. This is sad, as most TVs look their worst with the standard “out of the box” factory presets.

Our tips on picture optimization will go a long way to getting you a better TV picture for little or no cash outlay.

We’ll begin with the basics after the break.

Room Lighting

Before making any adjustments, you should be aware proper room lighting is very important in getting a better HDTV image. The two biggest obstacles to a better picture are screen reflections and high ambient light levels. The former can be solved by moving any lamp that is opposite the screen.

For the latter, try to lower overall room lighting levels. For daytime viewing, this means closing blinds or opaque curtains. For evenings, lower any light dimmers, use lower output light bulbs, or simply shut off some lamps. Check out are article on the issues with high ambient light levels  here.

Viewing Distance

For people with “normal” eye sight, there are maximum viewing distances to be able see all the resolution of a given HDTV screen size . Sitting too far from the screen will prevent you from seeing the all the detail. For the maximum viewing distant for your chosen screen size check out our HDTV Seating Distance Chart.

Sources and Connections

If you want to see a high definition image, you’ll need an HDTV signal, source box, and an HD connection. Sounds very basic, but you would be amazed how many times we’ve seen people viewing their HDTVs using a standard defintion cable box or the wrong connection.

If you use cable TV, you’ll need a high definition cable box. Satellite users require an HD receiver. Over-the-air antenna users get HD automatically by tuning to your local high def channels.

In addition to the HD box you’ll need to learn which channels are in high definition, as many cable providers send the same content on two channels, one in standard def 4:3 aspect ratio (you’ll see bars to the left and right of the picture) and one in high def 16:9 aspect ratio.

Next you must make sure the output of the set top box (STB) is set to 1080i. Consult the box’s owner’s manual or call your cable/satellite provider for instructions to adjust your specific STB.

Last, you need an HDMI cable for the best connection between the STB and your HDTV. They are inexpensive from Amazon and we have written extensively on a how dealers try to sell you overpriced HDMI cables that perform no better than quality inexpensive ones. There is no reason to buy a 2-meter – HDMI cable for $40, $50 or more. Amazon offers a great Hi-Speed HDMI Cable that sells for $7.49 for 3 meters or $5.49 for 2 meters with free shipping. (Hi-Speed is the designation for HDMI cables that are capable of handling all HDTV signals including Blu-ray 3D.)

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User Controls

All LCD and plasma TVs have controls for Brightness (black level), Contrast (white level), Color (saturation), Tint and Sharpness. Optimizing these controls will produce the best image, with the deepest blacks and “punchiest” whites possible.

There are several discs you can purchase that will explain these controls and provide test signals so you to set them correctly for your viewing environment.

The most popular discs are the Disney WOW: World of Wonder ($25.99), Spears & Munsil High-Definition Benchmark ($25) and Digital Video Essentials ($14.50).  For more on setting these controls check out our “setting up your new HDTV article” here. For a comparison and review of these test discs, go to our test disc review here .

The backlight control is an additional control available on most LED LCD HDTVs. Our set up article covers it. For more on backlight control go here.

Professional Calibration

For the best image possible, an ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) calibration will optimize advanced controls — such as fine tuning the TVs color temperature to the industry D6500K standard — in addition optimizing other controls usually found under the “advanced” heading in the TV’s  user menu. The quality of an ISF calibration is dependent on the calibrator’s test equipment (which includes a color analyzer or a spectroradiometer), skill and experience. For a list of calibrators in your area go to the ISF website  here.

Are You The One In Five?

According to a Nielsen survey, one in five HDTVs is not being fed a high definition image and therefore have never had TVs tweaked to maximum performance. By following our recommendations, you’ll see a real improvement in your HDTV’s picture quality.

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Online HDTV shopping can save you time, gas and money, provided you choose the right dealer. Picking the wrong dealer can be a disaster.

HD Guru investigated online HDTV complaints to uncover the awful tactics employed by bad online dealers. Before you buy a TV online read our are check list to avoid getting  stuck with a defective unit  the bad dealer wouldn’t take back and the manufacturer wouldn’t repair.

Avoidance

Before ordering from an online HDTV dealer, there are two steps you can take avoid getting scammed:

1) Make certain they’re an authorized dealer by the manufacturer of the TV you’re interested in. If the price is lower than an authorized dealer, ask yourself: How is it possible they can sell it for less than a factory direct vendor? Are their methods on the up and up, and why are they able to have such low margins. Here’s what LG advises on its website:

“LG’s Authorized Online Dealers have been carefully selected based on their commitment and knowledge of our product. With LG Authorized Online Dealers, you can rest easy. Buying from an LG Authorized Online Dealer will help prevent the purchase of goods that may have been damaged, tampered with or refurbished, all of which can void your warranty. LG Authorized Online Dealers receive training in seminars, online and from LG field experts, so they can be uniquely qualified to assist you with the LG products they sell.”

You can check on the brand’s website or customer service dept. to learn if the dealer you’re considering is authorized. If not, we recommend not purchasing from them.

2) Carefully review the policies, especially the rules on product returns. While a number of legitimate dealers do not accept returns for TVs, scamming dealers never do. Others may have a limited return policy, charge a restocking fee, deduct the “free” outbound freight from the refund, charge for return freight or all of the above. One of the reasons we recommend Amazon Direct is they have no restocking fee, offer free shipping, and free return freight under its 30 day TV return policy. More on returns below.

The Scam

We call the following “low ball bait and switch.” The online dealer advertises a price below all competition and the state the TV is in stock. You take the bait and place the online order. Within a day you receive a phone call from the dealer to confirm the order. The salesman now employs high pressure sales techniques to sell you anything he can, including but not limited to: a “3D” HDMI cable for a 3D TV (there is no such thing), a custom stand or wall mount, an extended warranty, or our favorite, “expedited” extra-cost freight. They’ll explain the “free freight” offered will take weeks for the TV to get there, but for another $100 the set will arrive in only “X” number of days. An alternate pitch: the make and model you ordered is being discontinued or superseded by Model X and they’ve got an “amazing” special for you.

Buy enough bait extras and you’ll get the TV you ordered. According to customer complaints, the add-ons won’t be name-brand items promised, but cheap low-quality knock offs. Refuse the bait, and you will be waiting for the cows to come home before you’ll ever see your “hot” deal TV. Or worse, maybe when you open the box you discover it’s a repacked unit, defective, refurbished. scratched or whatever.

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Abe’s of Maine

When researching this article the name Abe’s of Maine kept popping up, so we refer to them as the poster child for bad online dealers.

A brief history. According New York Better Business Bureau website  Abe’s of Maine opened its doors in Brooklyn NY in 1979. It is owned by Abe Mosseri. Here is what the BBB has to say about the NY operation.

“On May 22, 2007, this company’s membership in the Metropolitan New York BBB was revoked by our BBB’s Board of Directors due to the company’s repeated and unauthorized use of the BBB logo and failure to eliminate the underlying cause of complaints on file concerning: non-delivery of products, misrepresentation of availability of merchandise, refusal to honor cancellations or provide timely refunds, unprofessional conduct, failure to resolve customer complaints, overcharging, undisclosed cancellation of orders, improper upselling tactics, and bait & switch selling.”

Since moving its operation to New Jersey, Abe’s ranking leaped to an A+ rating, even though they’ve scored 127 complaints to the NJ BBB in the past 3 years (older complaints fall off the website after the 3 year time period). Abe’s in NJ responds and settles, but apparently only when the customer files with the BBB. We call it gaming the system.

Abe’s offers all the major brand HDTVs. We checked Samsung, LG and Sharp it they are factory authorized sellers of the HDTVs they offer. All told us no.

Over at Yelp.com there are 185 comments. Almost all are very negative, however a few are simply glowing., How can that be? We, and others, suspect these are ringers. Here’s the link.  Judge for yourself.

When 30 Day Returns means No Returns!

Abe’s Policy page lists a “30 Day Money Back Guarantee” and reads:

“A rock solid money back guarantee that you can bet on. We understand that there’s always a chance that you won’t be completely satisfied with a product you’ve purchased with us and we know it’s nothing personal and that is why we offer a thirty day return policy*. If you are unhappy with a product then we’ll take it back and provide you with a full refund*.”

See that asterisk? Well at the bottom of the page, in small type states:

* Please read complete policy for details.

Follow the link, and you’ll find the items are exempt from its 30 day return policy (Spoiler! This list includes TVs)

“The following items can only be returned if unopened:
A/V Furniture, A/V Receivers, Bluetooth Accessories, Car Equipment, Computer Peripherals, Consumables, DJ Equipment, DVD players, Gaming Consoles, Headphones, Home Theater, Laptops, Microphones, Printers, Projectors Shavers.

The following items cannot be returned:
Fitness equipment, Large Appliances, Microwaves, Wine Coolers, Humidifiers, Trim kits, Security items, Special Order Merchandise, Marine and Camping Equipment, Sunglasses, Watches, Software, TV’s, Computer components, laptops, Tablets.”

Except for photographic equipment this list appears to cover just about everything Abe’s sells! That’s right. If you buy a TV from them, you can’t return it.

Price Grabber also rates its retailers, and Abe’s gets its highest rating. However, the positive comments are non-specific short blubs, and anyone can place an unverified, self serving comment on Price Grabber. Here are some of the trite, positive comments:

“Easy transaction.” “Very pleasant.” “Excellent prices! Easy to use website and plenty of selections.”

While a negative one provides more detail:

“Merchant told me item was “in stock” when I ordered it. Three days later, I was told by one agent it would take a week or more to find a shipper. Another agent told me the item was not in stock. I would not have ordered if the item was not in stock. Since, at least one agent lied to me, I no longer trusted them and cancelled my order. Trying to speak with a customer service agent was nearly impossible, as it took me 45 minutes on hold to speak to one.”

While it’s understandable that unhappy customers would be more likely to write longer reviews, we find the lack of longer, positive comments highly suspect.

Bottom line

There are many reputable online retailers. We recommend and affiliate with Amazon Direct, as they have low prices and some of the best HDTV policies, including as we mentioned, free shipping and 30 day returns. There are a number of other very fine online retailers. We’ve personally done business with J&R and OneCall and found them to be excellent, honest and reliable.

Before ordering any HDTV online, we highly recommend you carefully read all the retailers policies and beware of any restrictions, return freight rules and if there are any restocking charges before place that order.

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Daunted by the sheer numbers of available HDTVs? Finding it hard to decide what features are worth the extra money, and which aren’t?

With our New HDTV Buying Checklist, we’ll go through what you should look for, what’s worth spending on, and what’s worth skipping.

Click through for the list, ranked from most important, to least important, on what you should consider when buying an HDTV.

1) Screen Size

If you’re torn between an two TVs of the same price, but one is a smaller TV with lots of features and the other is a large TV but with fewer features, get the larger TV. “My TV is too big” is not something ever uttered by anyone, anywhere. Many of the new features included with TVs (which we’ll discuss in a moment) are available separately, many in inexpensive Blu-ray players.

How big a TV can you get? Check out our HDTV Seating Distance Chart.

2) Technology

Right now there are two basic TV technologies that come in three flavors: Plasma, LCD, and the latter’s subset, LED LCDs. For the most part, plasma TVs have better contrast ratios and black levels than LCDs. For watching TV at night, plasmas are going to look better. They also have wider viewing angles. So if you have a large room, a wide sofa, plasma is a better option.

However, if you watch a lot of TV during the day, and your room has a lot of windows, the added brightness of LCDs, especially LED LCDs, is huge. Along the lines of the size consideration above, if you have a smaller room, LCDs are the only option below 42-inches.

On the horizon is OLED, or Organic Light-Emitting Diode TVs. These will offer even better contrast ratios and black levels than plasma, while being even more efficient and thinner than LED LCDs. They’ll also be really expensive, but the price will come down.

3) Price

You might be surprised that price is our third most important consideration. I’m sure for some of you, it’s #1, and that’s fine. What we’re saying is it’s worth paying a little more for a larger screen size, and to get the technology you want. It’s worth noting that for a given screen size, plasmas are often cheaper than LED LCDs.

Price also ties in to where you buy the TV. Online retailers almost always have lower prices than brick and mortar stores. Just make sure you buy from a reputable online retailer.

4) Contrast Ratio

When it comes to picture quality, contrast ratio is the most important factor. A TV with an excellent contrast ratio has a more natural picture, seems more detailed, and has a realistic “depth” separate from any potential 3D capabilities.

Why is it number 4 on our list? Two reasons. The first is that when it comes to the name-brand TVs, the contrast ratios are pretty good. Some are certainly better than others, but the lower performing TVs from the main brands look pretty good.

The last reason, is you can’t check contrast ratio. All manufacturers lie about their contrast ratio specs and it’s impossible to compare contrast ratios in stores. The only way is to read reviews online, and not all measure contrast ratio.

So while it’s a vital statistic, it’s often pretty good on most top tier televisions, and you can’t really judge what it looks like in a store. If this were a question of picture quality alone, this would be #1, but it’s about the entire TV so it’s #4. For more info, check out my Contrast ratio (or how every TV manufacturer lies to you) article.

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5) Other Features

One of the most touted and advertised features in current TVs is Internet streaming. This includes Netflix, Hulu Plus, VUDU and others that expand the total amount of content available on the TV. These services are fantastic but… you don’t need them in the TV. An external box like an Apple TV or Roku have all the same services, and are $100 or less. The same with nearly every Blu-ray player, and they start around $100. There’s no reason you shouldn’t have Internet streaming features in your TV, but there’s no need to pay extra for it.

However, two Internet features that are easier to find in TVs and not in an external box are Skype and a web browser. If you use Skype, look for a TV (like many Panasonic and Samsung models) with Skype built-in. Most models will require an external camera, but some new models even have that built in (for better or worse). Some new TVs also have a web browser built in. Don’t go ditching your laptop just yet. These browsers are slower than those on a computer, and unless the TV lets you plug in a keyboard, they’re a lot harder to navigate. Still, it’s a cool feature if you don’t have something to surf the web on in your TV room.

With LCD models, 120 Hz refresh or higher is vital. All LCDs exhibit a blurring with objects in motion, and higher refresh rates help combat this. It’s worth checking out Beware Of Phony LCD HDTV Refresh Rates

If you’re curious what other features and specs matter, check out Which HDTV Specs Matter? Meaningful and Meaningless Numbers

6) Reliability

Generally speaking, LCD and plasma HDTVs are quite reliable. That’s not to say, though, that they’re all equally reliable. Gary has found that manufacturers that make their own TVs, and are therefore directly on the hook to repair them, generally more reliable TVs. They also know the importance of brand loyalty. They want you as a return customer. A no-name brand that exists merely to import no-name TVs doesn’t care if you hate their product and will never buy from them again. They won’t be around long enough for you to buy from them again, which brings us to…

7) Service

If something does go wrong, how can you get it repaired. Returning it to the store isn’t always an option (not least because if you got it online, there isn’t a store). Check the return and repair policies of the store and the brand before you buy. Do you have to ship it back yourself, or will the store/brand take care of it. Do they offer in-home service?

7-up, 7-down (Conclusion)

Of course there are other factors that determine the best TV for you, but these seven are the most important. Sort these out, and you’ll get an amazing television.

Geoff Morrison @TechWriterGeoff
Geoff’s book is now in paperback

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Copyright ©2012 HD Guru Inc. All rights reserved. HDGURU is a registered trademark.

The once great and expanding Best Buy (BB) has begun a path to self-destruction, with a recent quarterly loss of  $1.7 billion.

Circuit City, Silo, Crazy Eddie, Incredible Universe and the Good Guys have already passed on as US consumer electronics chains.  This Best Buy loss reflects a withdrawal from Europe and the closure of 11 UK superstores, its European online store, and of course, lower overall US same store sales.

But there’s more to it than that.

Let us say first that we would hate to see Best Buy disappear, largely because in many markets this  would leave Wal-Mart and/or Target as the only local stores that sell TVs. However, Best Buy’s recent announcements of 50 super store closings, 400 planned layoffs at its Minnesota headquarters and the resignation of CEO Brian Dunn (with reports that he is alleged to misuse company assets in the course of a relationship with a female subordinate) do not bode well for Best Buy’s survival. When Circuit City began its downward spiral, it too cut staff and closed stores, only to accelerate its demise with lower revenues and mounting losses.

In our opinion, Best Buy created many of its own problems by continuing the same old business model in a new Internet economy. A few examples:

Best Buy maintains a two-price policy for many items, an in-store price and a lower Internet price. Best Buy continues to run its website as if it is its own competitor, not a part of the same company. This policy puts folks without Internet access at a price disadvantage. It also teaches BB brick and mortar shoppers to look at products in person, then check the bestbuy.com or other online competitors’ price, only to inevitably buy the item online. This is called “showrooming.”

Worse,  if you let a blue-shirt BB salesclerk know you want to pay the lower online price, he/she has to perform a rigmarole to permit the customer to pay the online price while in-store. Remember, this is often Best Buy’s own price! Best Buy needs to have a one-price policy. Why should online shoppers have a price advantage only to continue a policy that results in bad will from in-store shoppers?

Best Buy continues to devote significant floor space to music and movies, disregarding the shift to streaming movie services, iTunes and Amazon pricing. Recently, we were denied a Wal-Mart price match on a 3D Blu-ray disc, even though it is Best Buy’s policy to match Wal-Mart disc pricing. We finally bought the disc at the Wal-Mart price when we made the purchase at another BB located next to a Wal-Mart. Why does one store honor this policy and the other does not? It’s either bad training or a directive by a given store’s manager to inflate profit margins. Ultimately, we blame it on poor oversight by BB executives.

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High Margin or Low Margin Items

HDTVs are low margin items. Currently Best Buy stores offer every major brand of TV except Vizio. They also sell their store brands, Dynex and Insignia, competing directly against the name brands and reducing revenue, as the BB store brands are priced below the major TV manufacturers’ comparable products. Is Best Buy a TV maker or a retail store? We fail to see the logic of cannibalizing a sale, requiring store back-end support such as warranty parts and service. By doing this BB generates lower revenue. They also offer a free two-year warranty, negating the sale of extended warranties to Insignia TV buyers.

When a blue shirt sells a TV he pushes an ISF calibration and an extended warranty. I never hear a sales clerk explain the advantages of improved audio. Worse, the clerk can’t provide a demonstration as none of the TVs on display are connected to a sound bar or a surround sound system. These items are  sitting on their own on a distant shelf. As one can never perform an audio demo online, Best Buy loses this opportunity for consumer benefit and increased revenues and profits. They will happily push a $100 HDMI cable that offers no increase in performance, when a $200 soundbar will benefit the consumer significantly, and for years to come.

The massive Best Buy TV department continues to employ overly bright lighting and poor demonstration material via an antiquated RF signal distribution system, making it impossible to see the difference between a 720p low-contrast HDTV and a top quality 1080p model. Except for observing the cosmetics of a given HDTV, a Best Buy demonstration of HDTV image quality is futile. Give consumers a home-like viewing environment with a high-quality signal and they will be able to see a difference between the store brand and a higher end TV.

Another area where Best Buy can make more profits and provide a service to its customers is the selling of high quality audio/video furniture and DVD cabinets. Right now most of the furniture and racks Best Buy offers are inexpensive and often poorly made and of dubious aesthetics.

You can only see and feel the quality of good furniture in a store. Best Buy offers assembly and system set-up along with delivery, giving them a huge advantage over online retailers, as nearly all A/V furniture is shipped unassembled.

Good News

Best Buy has put into place a very thorough installation and set-up department with its Geek Squad services. This needs to be expanded, with better-trained employees able to explain their services to customers. You simply can’t get an online etailer to offer assembly, wiring, Smart TV setup and audio system installs.

Overall, Best Buy needs to give the customer a better shopping experience, and with that will come higher revenues and profits. They should stop fleecing consumers with overpriced HDMI cables and accessories that any consumer with can find vastly cheaper online . Instead, they should concentrate on selling higher margin products (such as audio and furniture) that consumers will want to hear or see in person, along with the convenience of delivery, assembly and installation.

Best Buy better make changes quickly. Many analysts believe it has to start turning around in months, not years. Otherwise, they will face the fate of Circuit City and disappear.

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Ever since the LED TV was introduced 2009, TV makers promoted and advertised it as a new technology. They do appear different than plasmas or LCD HDTVs. The cabinets are far thinner and the pictures are brighter, especially when in the dealer showroom picture setting. This year, LG and Samsung will be introducing the first large screen OLED TVs.  Why would anyone want one if they already own an “LED” TV?  Isn’t it the same, except for the letter “O”? Read on for the answer.

In a word: No. LED TVs are simply LCD TVs that use a different type of lamp called Light Emitting Diodes in place of fluorescent lamps (called CCFLs) for illuminating the picture. While plasmas and the old style CRTs use phosphors which are light emissive, LCDs do not create light, they require a light source.

The 2009 Samsung ad above reads, “A Whole New Species of TV”. This was quite inconsistent for the TV industry, as it was first time a television maker referred to the technology by the type of light bulbs used.  LCDs were never called CCFL TVs prior or after LED TV debuted.

With LCDs, the CCFL lamps are always placed directly behind the panel.  LED lamps are placed on around the panel under the screen bezel (2012 ES Samsung, LG and Toshiba LED models and many other brands) or like CCFLs, behind the LCD panel (select LGs, Sonys, Vizios, Sharps and EH Series Samsungs).

The TV makers claim the LED models provide better contrast.  The claim is aided by the TV makers designing the LED lamps to shut off completely when the content fades to black. Some LED TVs can shut off a region of the LED lamps, depending the portion of the image that is black.

Power consumption is lower in LED TVs compared to CCFL bulb equipped LCDs, making LED sets more energy efficient. However, the difference in power consumption is unlikely to make up for the higher cost of the larger LED models over a comparable, lower priced CCFL LCD over the products lifetime.

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OLED

This really is a new large screen technology. The flat panel is made up of millions of tiny LEDs. The “O” in OLED stands for “organic” which means there is carbon within the molecules of the emissive (light producing) layer of the panel.  Large screen OLED panels need no lamps, it’s a self illuminating device. OLED HDTVs can be thinner and lighter than the skinniest LED LCDs. OLEDs have the following advantages over LCD TVs regardless if lit by LED bulbs or CCFLs.

They provide very wide and consistent color no matter where you are seated in the room. LED LCDs tend to get significantly dimmer as one moves away from center and many exhibit color shift (there is one exception the new WT50 Panasonic which we reviewed here).

OLEDs are quite energy efficient, besting all other flat panels in low power consumption, however with the cost  expected to be at least $8,000 at introduction you’ll never realize a savings at first generation prices. They do make very bright images that should “pop” against the other flat panels at TV stores. The 55-Inch OLEDs shown at the 2012 attracted attendees like moths to a light bulb on a summer night.

The greatest attribute of OLED is the ability to have the deepest blacks of any flat panel technology. Unlike LED which at best can only dim the image in regions, OLEDs can produce a very low luminescence level down the individual pixel. This ability coupled with bright whites is why OLEDs are expected to have the highest contrast. OLEDs are very fast devices, changing intensity faster the best plasmas and the fastest (240 Hz) LED LCDs, meaning no motion blur.

OLEDs can make more colors than CCFL or LED panels however; HDTV is limited to a specific color palette which a number of plasmas and LED HDTV already can meet or exceed.

In just a few months we expect the first large screen OLED HDTVs to be offered for sale in the US. LG is expected to be in the 55-Inch size class while the Samsung is now rumored to be a 65-Inch screen. We’ll see how many LED TV owners are surprised to learn their sets are not same technology or capable of the same performance when this truly new big screen technology arrives.

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We’ve compiled a finalized listing of LG’s 2012 HDTVs model line. The models include LED LCDs, CCFL LCDs, plasma HDTVs and  Blu-ray players. We’ve included major features, prices and shipping dates. The only omissions are the upcoming 55-Inch OLED and its 4K 84-Inch LED LCD, both are expected in ship in the second half of 2012, as LG has not yet provided specifics.

All the models are shown with the suggested retails. We’ve added links for Amazon direct’s discounted deals.  LG allows dealers to discount its 2012 HDTVs.

Samsung’s ES Series and Sony (HX, XBR) are sold under their respective new one price policies which prohibit its dealers (online and b&m) from offering discounts making LGs 2012 an even better value.

The LG LM6700 models are the 2012 version of the highly rated 2011  LW5600 3D LED LCD . Follow the link for our review. We will be testing a number of 2012 LGs soon.

(BI=Black Frame Insertion)

Plasma

Model         Avail              Description                                                                                                   Sug. Selling Price

60PM9700  Now         1080p, Smart TV, 3D, MM R/C, Trublack filter, WiFi, 4x HDMI, 2x USB         $2399.99

50PM9700  Now          1080p, Smart TV, 3D, MM R/C, Trublack filter, WiFi, 4x HDMI, 2x USB        $1699.99

60PM6700  Now          1080p, Smart TV, 3D,  WiFi, 4x HDMI, 2x USB                                                          $1799.99

50PM6700  Now          1080p, Smart TV, 3D,  WiFi, 4x HDMI, 2x USB                                                           $1199.99

60PA6500   Now          1080p,  3x HDMI, 1x USB                                                                                                    $1499.99

50PA6500  Now          1080p,  3x HDMI, 1x USB                                                                                                     $  899.99

50PM4700  Now          720p,   Smart TV, 3x HDMI, 2x USB                                                                               $  899.99

42PM4700  Now          720p,   Smart TV, 3x HDMI, 2x USB                                                                                $  699.99

50PA4500  Now          720p,  2x HDMI, 1x USB                                                                                                       $   749.99

42PA4500  Now          720p,  2x HDMI, 1x USB                                                                                                       $   549.99

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LED-LCD

60LM9600  Sept   Cinema Screen Design, 3D, Polaris LED, 480HZ(240Hz+BI), Smart TV           $4199.99

55LM9600 Apr    Cinema Screen Design, 3D, Nano Full LED, 480HZ (240Hz+BI), SmartTV      $3599.99

47LM9600 Apr    Cinema Screen Design, 3D, Nano Full LED, 480HZ(240Hz+BI) , Smart TV     $2899.99

72LM9500  May         3D, 1080p, LED+,240Hz(120Hz+BI),  Smart TV                                                  $6499.99

55LM8600  Apr         Cinema Screen Design, 3D, 240 Hz (120Hz+BI), LED+,  Smart TV               $2899.99

47LM8600  Now         Cinema Screen Design, 3D, 240 Hz (120Hz+BI), LED+, Smart TV               $2299.99

55LM7600   Now         Cinema Screen Design, 3D, 240 Hz (120Hz+BI), LED+, Smart TV              $2299.99

47LM7600   Now         Cinema Screen Design, 3D, 240 Hz (120Hz+BI), LED+, Smart TV             $1949.99

55LM6700  Now         Cinema Screen Design, 3D, LED+, Smart TV                                                         $2299.99

47LM6700 Now         Cinema Screen Design, 3D, LED+, Smart TV                                                          $1749.99

55LMG620  Now        3D, Smart TV w/Google TV, 1080p 120 Hz (60Hz+BI),  Edge LED               $2299.99

47LMG620 Apr        3D, Smart TV w/Google TV, 1080p 120 Hz (60Hz+BI), Edge LED                  $1699.99

65LM6200  Now        3D, Smart TV, 1080p 120 Hz (60Hz+BI), Edge LED                                             $3599.99

55LM6200  Now        3D, Smart TV, 1080p 120 Hz (60Hz+BI), Edge LED                                             $2099.99

47LM6200 Now        3D, Smart TV, 1080p 120 Hz (60Hz+BI), Edge LED                                             $1499.99

42LM6200 Now        3D, Smart TV, 1080p 120 Hz (60Hz+BI), Edge LED                                             $1299.99

60LS5700  Apr           Smart TV, 1080p 120 Hz (60Hz+BI), Edge LED                                                   $2599.99

55LS5700  Now          Smart TV, 1080p 120 Hz (60Hz+BI), Edge LED                                                   $1879.99

47LS5700 Now          Smart TV, 1080p 120 Hz (60Hz+BI), Edge LED                                                   $1299.99

42LS5700   Now          Smart TV, 1080p 120 Hz  (60Hz+BI), Edge LED                                                  $1099.99

55LS4600   Now          1080p 120 Hz (60Hz+BI), Edge LED                                                                         $1649.99

47LS4600   Now          1080p 120 Hz (60Hz+BI), Edge LED                                                                         $1099.99

32LS3500   Now          720p, 60 Hz Edge LED                                                                                                     $  459.99

26LS3500   Now          720p, 60 Hz Edge LED                                                                                                     $  329.99

22LS3500   Now          720p, 60 Hz Edge LED                                                                                                     $  299.99

42LS3400   Now          1080p, 60 Hz Direct LED                                                                                                $  719.99

32LS3400   Now          720p, 60 Hz Direct LED                                                                                                   $  429.99

CCFL LCD

47CM565  Now          1080p, 3D, 60 Hz, CCFL                                                                                                      $  999.99

47CS570   Now            1080p, 60 Hz, CCFL                                                                                                            $  899.99

42CS570   Now            1080p, 60 Hz, CCFL                                                                                                             $  699.99

42CS560   Now            1080p, 60 Hz, CCFL                                                                                                             $  629.99

37CS560  Now            1080p, 60 Hz, CCFL                                                                                                              $  499.99

32CS560   Now          1080p, 60 Hz, CCFL                                                                                                               $  449.99

32CS460   Now            720p, 60 Hz, CCFL                                                                                                                $  349.99

Blu-ray Players

BP220  Now                2D, Wired Internet, Premium content                                                                    $   89.99

BP320  Now                2D, WiFi, Premium content                                                                                         $  119.99

BP520   Now                3D, WiFi ready, Smart                                                                                                    $  129.99

BP620   Now                3D, WiFi, Smart                                                                                                                 $  149.99

SP520   Now                 Smart upgrader, WiFi, Premium content                                                              $    79.99

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Though 2011 was a rough year for all HDTV makers, Vizio had a worse year than most. On one hand, there’s Samsung, LG and Sharp, who were rewarded by an increase in US market share of 17.9%, 35.2% and 60.09% respectively (Q4 2010/Q4 2011). Vizio, once number one in US market share  (Q4 2010), found the bottom fall out with a whopping 44% drop in volume during the same 2011 period! Learn more past the break.

While Panasonic, Sharp, Samsung and LG all make their own panels and assemble their own HDTVs, Vizio makes nothing. They buy LCD panels and parts from outside companies and use factories mainly owned and operated by Taiwanese company AmTran to assemble these parts into TVs. Vizio earns thin margins for its dealers and itself, relying on warehouse clubs, Target and Wal-Mart for sales volume. “Samsung triumphed in the price war that raged in the US LCD market in the fourth quarter of 2011,” said Tom Morrod, senior analyst and head of TV Technology for IHS. “The company was able to offer a range of price-competitive sets with a rich choice of features that U.S. consumers wanted. This allowed the company to outperform the competition during the all-important holiday selling season.”

2012

We anticipate Vizio’s problems will continue this year. Out of around fifty HDTV models Vizio debuted in 2011, they have chosen to carry-over almost all of them for the 2012 model year. Samsung, LG and Panasonic revamped their respective lines with new features including enhanced Internet connectivity/apps, new thin styling, more LED and 3D models, gesture and voice control (LG, Samsung), and built-in HD Cameras with face recognition (Samsung).

Sharp has found a new niche with its 60+ inch screens and continues to add features while offering very aggressive prices. Panasonic has finally entered the large screen LCD market with its own innovative 47- and 55-inch screens exhibiting deep blacks and outstanding viewing angles (review link). Just-introduced 2012 plasma models offer improved performance and new features as well.

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Do You Want New and Improved or the Same Old TV?

With new features, sizes,  svelte styling and other improvements from Samsung, LG, Panasonic and Sharp consumers need to decide if they want the latest and greatest in HDTV or a carry-over from a failed 2011-model mix from Vizio. Consumers will once again vote with their wallets. We just begun to test the 2012s and plan to publish a number of reviews during the next few weeks.

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Yesterday, Panasonic provided a press demonstration of its new 2012 plasmas and LCDs. The big news: a dark room, side by side comparison of the new VT50 against the 2011 VT30 plasma; other new plasma tech demos and a new white 32-inch LCD. News out of Korea claims a May debut date and a price on LG’s upcoming 55-Inch OLED, our industry insider says the information is wrong. Details after the break.

Panasonic

The TC-P55VT50 is due to ship next month. Panasonic now has officially posted the retail price of this model and other models . For the list go here.

Panasonic explained how the 2012 plasmas can reproduce many more shades of grey (see photo) as well as why the new plasmas have deeper blacks (photo above).

The biggest news: in a side by side comparison of last year’s VT30 and the new VT50 showed far deeper blacks (top photo). We measured .004 ft. lamberts on our TC-P55VT30 after 200 hours of break-in. The demo VT50 model’s blacks were deeper, we estimate about one-third the brightness of the VT30 which would put the blacks below .002 ft lamberts and at last, equal or beat the best Pioneer Kuro level. SpectraCal was demonstrating its latest ISF CCC auto calibration software, and you can see the sensor probe dangling in the middle of the screen and its software display in the lower left of the photo.

Panasonic on increased the number of equivalent gradient steps of black to white from 6144 in 2011  to 24,576  on its 2012 GT and VT series models resulting in better dark detail.  For more on Panasonic’s 2012 plasma technologies go here.

The latest Panasonic LCD is a 32-Inch model for designed for kitchens (photo above) and finished in white.

LG OLED News

According to Maeil Business News out of Korea is the LG 55EM9600 55-Inch OLED (link) will make its retail  sale announcement at the Cannes Film Festival (May 16-27) at a price $7928.91 (at the current won exchange rate).  This article conflicts with our latest information.

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A well placed industry source told the HD Guru the 55EM9600 OLED will make a later debut, sometime in Q3 at a price that has not yet been determined . We will keep tracking OLED developments as LG and Samsung race to win the honors of first large screen OLED to market.

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Buyers beware: top TV makers are quietly substituting industry standardized refresh rate specifications with their own artificial rate numbers, deceiving prospective buyers into purchasing an HDTV over a possibly better performing (but more honestly labeled) competing model.

These numbers, created by the marketing department, do little to explain a TV’s actual hardware capabilities.

Don’t get ripped off, read the following guide to help sort through the hype.

What is Refresh Rate?

Initially all LCDs (including LED LCD TVs) suffered from blurring with fast motion or panning in content. This is referred to as “motion blur.”  To reduce motion blur, manufacturers developed televisions that refresh (show) a new image faster than the standard rate of 60 times per section (stated as Hz or hertz). Using a technique called frame insertion, the TV creates new additional images that are inserted between the real, original image frames.  Television makers now offer HDTVs with refresh rates of 60, 120 or 240 Hz. The higher the rate, the less motion blur.

TV makers advertise these higher rates as a step-up feature, with 120 Hz TVs providing better motion performance than a 60 Hz version, and 240 Hz having less motion blur than 120Hz models. These numbers have been around long enough that prospective buyers see a number such as 120 or 240 on the box and assume it is the TV’s refresh rate. As such,  they expect to pay more for a higher refresh rate model.

TV makers use another technique to reduce perceived motion blur, called a scanning backlight or “black frame insertion,” often along with some additional, unspecified signal processing. These methods don’t change the refresh rate at all, instead they scan or turn off the backlight in a way that mimics some of the performance benefits of faster refresh Unfortunately, this doesn’t keep the biggest brands using their own made-up terms like “120 Clear Motion Rate” or 240 SPS “Scenes per second.” There is a significant hardware difference between a true 240 Hz refresh rate TV and a 240 “SPS” model that goes far beyond what the identical numbers imply. For example, a 240 SPS television likely has a 120 Hz refresh, but adds a “black frame insertion” feature that flashes the backlight in a way to justify calling the TV “240.”

TV makers claim their new ratings give consumers a better idea of how the TVs handle motion. They are implying that a “120 Clear Motion Rate” television is equivalent to a competing HDTV that actually displays a new frame 120 times per second by using a higher cost LCD panels and faster processors.

A number of 2012s models only supply this new rating on the TV box, and on TV makers’ respective websites, making it impossible for an informed and curious consumer to find out what their actually does. A number of TV makers have completely stopped listing the actual standardized refresh rate on certain models.

To say this another way, it would be like a car maker stating a car’s engine is a “6- cylinder equivalent,” based on some undisclosed testing criteria, but not actually disclosing how many cylinders the car actually has. Here are the specific deceptive manufacturer terms, broken down by company.

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Sony

Sony uses the term Motionflow XR followed by a 240, 480 or 960 depending on the model. We contacted Sony to explain what these numbers mean.  A spokesperson cited three functions to determine the “XR” number:

“Frame insertion (interpolation),  LED backlighting blinking (line blinking), and Image Blur reduction via signal processing. So, for example, a Motionflow XR 960 can be found by multiplying the native refresh times four (240 x 4=960) or as Sony told us: “With frame interpolation, four distinct images in the same time period of 1/60th of a second. 240 Hz times 4 = 960″

We don’t understand this explanation, as it implies the TV creates at least 15 frames for every native frame, and we know of no TV signal processor with that kind of capability. 240 Hz is the most interpolation of any signal processors we are aware of available in any HDTV. Sony would not supply us with any type of test procedure used to determine how the Motionflow XR rate is created.

Sony has begun removing the true refresh rate in its specifications on the Sony website and substituting its proprietary a Motionflow XR number. For example its new KDL55EX640 only lists the TV as Motionflow XR240. Is this a 60 HZ model with backlight blinking and image blur processing, or a 120 Hz model with just backlight blinking? There is no way to tell definitively, unless you do what we did: We called to Sony customer service. They revealed this series has a native refresh rate of just 120 Hz.

Vizio

Vizio has begun to state on its boxes a number followed by SPS (Scenes Per Second). Nowhere on the box does it state a 240 SPS TV has a native refresh rate of 120 Hz (see top photo).

Considering we are still waiting for a response from a Vizio spokesperson for another inquiry we made over three weeks ago, we did not waste our time asking the company spokesperson another question that would be go unanswered at press time.

Samsung

Samsung uses the term “Clear Motion Rate” (CMR) followed by a 120, 240,480, 840 or 960. They too are dropping the true refresh rate on their website and on the product boxes of its 2012 models. (Verified by checking our  Costco and BJs warehouse clubs).

Samsung did supply us with a white paper that describes how they determine their methods for interpolating the CMR number. This method uses proprietary test signals (they did supply us with these test patterns). However, the description of test procedure lacked specificity and requires an unknown number and size of mirrors spinning with unknown rapidity on an unknown sized  turntable. These, and other omitted information, make duplicating Samsung’s tests impossible.

An example of Samsung’s box is its UN46EH6050. It states “Clear Motion Rate 120,” however we learned this TV has true refresh rate of 60 Hz.

Sharp

Sharp uses the term AquoMotion, such as AquoMotion 240. It is double the actual refresh rate. An AquoMotion 240 LED is really a 120 Hz refresh HDTV.

LG

According to the LG website, their TruMotion120 Hz and 240 Hz refresh rates on its 2012 HDTVs are actual refresh rates. We will have to wait for an explanation of its 480 Hz set when it ships later this year.

Panasonic

Panasonic lists the native rate on its 240 Hz panels and also lists “backlight scanning 1920″ as 240 refresh times 8 sections. Its lower end product such as the new E5 series the Panasonic website product  lists the panel drive as “60 backlight scanning” accurate except for omitting the “Hz” after 60. Its mid line ET5 model lists the panel drive as “360 backlight scanning” not mentioning this is a 120 Hz panel with three scanning sections to derive the 360 number.

Who Is Responsible?

We checked with a Costco spokesperson to determine who orders these misleading numbers on cartons, while omitting the lower true refresh rate. Is it the store or the vendor? The Costco spokesperson stated the vendor generates the text on TV boxes, Costco only makes requests regarding font style and size, but with no input on what specs the TV maker prints on the carton. If the vendor omits the refresh rate on the box, it’s not at the request of Costco.

What About Plasma

Plasmas create a picture in a completely different way than LEDs and LCDs. They do not suffer from motion blur. Plasma TV makers use a number based on the sub-fields plasmas use to create a frame. This number is typically 600. While this itself is somewhat misleading (it’s not 600 frames per second), it is marketed honestly, as we’ve only ever seen “600 Hz Sub-Frames” listed on boxes. If this is ever changed to 600 Hz, we promise to expose that as well. It’s worth noting that because plasmas don’t suffer from motion blur, this number is irrelevant anyway.

What to Do?

We were pleased to discover Best Buy, in its store signage, website, and circulars, continue to list accurately the true refresh rates of the HDTVs it carries. Amazon does this most of the time as well, but not in every case (such as the listing for the Sony EX640). If you see the words or initials SPS, Scenes Per Second, AquoMotion, Motionflow XR, Clear Motion Rate, or CMR you now know these numbers do not reflect the actual refresh rate of an HDTV. At best, they  are at least double the true number. The spec should read X Hz refresh rate.  Check and verify this important specification before purchasing your next TV. In all future HD Guru LCD TV reviews, we will list the actual refresh rate numbers, as well as the marketing claims.

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