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Best Buy’s Sunday Circular: Pre-Holiday Price Premium?

Gary — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:35:51 +0000

By HD Guru

Edited by Michael Fremer

(November 7, 2009) Best Buy’s November 8, 2009 weekly advertising circular boasts that 32 HDTVs are “On Sale!” But of the 32, only four of them (12.5%) are at their lowest price of the year. The others, supposedly “on sale,” are either priced the same as they were as early as last August, or actually cost less between then and now, with the most egregious example being Sony’s KDL-52Z5100, which cost a rather significant $350 less at Best Buy as recently as last week (November 1^st, 2009)!

Why these pricing disparities? HD Guru surmises that Best Buy figures if you need to buy an HDTV right now, you can’t wait for the after Thanksgiving Holiday prices, so you’ll be willing to pay more now for the same set that would have cost you less 3 months ago. What we know that you don’t, is that set makers are currently offering generous dealer incentives in an attempt to maintain or increase their respective market share for the year 2009.

Your Buying Strategy

First, do your homework. Don’t take Best Buy or another retailer at face value when they shout “On Sale!” in their advertising circulars. Go to Camelbuy.com. The site tracks every Best Buy price and clearly displays the highest and lowest prices of the year. Also check out the HD Guru Pricegrabber website (Link) to learn the lowest online prices. Use our negotiating tips (Link) to get the best deal. If you can hold out, wait until “Black Friday” or later when Best Buy and their competitors want to grab every sales dollar to make their respective revenue goals.

The “Real” Sale HDTVs

Below are the four HDTVs that actually are at Best Buy’s lowest price of the year. The “Was” and “Now” price reflects the lowest price from August until the present, not the difference from Saturday to Sunday. A week before the ad breaks, Best Buy often raises prices so they can claim they’ve “slashed” higher “regular” prices, even though in reality the “regular” price they cite is inflated and anything but “regular”. Prices are rounded up to the nearest dollar to save space.

Sam=Samsung

Make/Model Size Was Now Save

Sam/LN32B640 32″ $800 $749.99 $50

Sam/LN37B550 37″ $800 $749.99 $50

Sam/LN46B650 46″ $1450 $1409.99 $40

Sharp/LC19SB27UT 19″ $240 $219.99 $20

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Copyright ©2009 HD Guru Inc. All rights reserved. HDGURU is a registered trademark. The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission. The content within is based upon information provided to the editor, which is believed to be reliable. Data within is subject to change. HD GURU is not responsible for errors or omissions.

120/240 Hz LCD Problems Exposed

Gary — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:41:33 +0000

120/240 Hz LCD Problems Exposed
Uploaded by exploretv. – Technology reviews and science news videos.

By HD Guru

Video Edited by Al Caudullo/Article Edited by Michael Fremer

All display technologies combine a variety of strengths and weaknesses. Whether its excess power consumption, limited viewing angle or washed out black levels, over time, engineers work to address the weaknesses while reinforcing the strengths. For example, liquid crystal displays once suffered from blurring when reproducing rapidly moving objects or people. The problem seemed inherent to the technology.

Tests conducted by HD GURU demonstrated how, in the presence of motion, 1080 lines of resolution (per frame height) dropped to 320 lines or less on displays featuring 60 Hz refresh rates, which was long the standard.

By speeding up the refresh rate from 60 Hz to either 120 Hz or 240 Hz, set makers reduced or virtually eliminated motion blur. LCD set manufacturers accomplished this using a new circuit called ME/MC (motion estimation/motion compensation) that activates when the display kicks up the refresh rate to 120 or 240 Hz.

Few technological improvements come without associated costs and as new 120/240Hz LCDs appeared, many reviewers complained that while the activation of the ME/MC circuit effectively reduced motion blur, it was accompanied by noticeable image degradation that made movies appear like videos, caused in part by a diminution or elimination of film grain. Reviewers invented colorful descriptors like “soap opera effect” or “video effect” to describe what they saw.

Using test patterns on a new test disc that can, for the first time, clearly demonstrate the ME/MC circuit’s image degradation, the HD Guru tested five leading LCD HDTV brands (Vizio, Samsung, Sony, Sharp and LG). Each manufacturer employs a trademarked name such as Motion Flo (Sony) and Auto Motion Plus (Samsung) for its respective ME/ME processing circuit.

The test disc is the new Spears and Munsil Blu-ray disc (link). The “moving wedge” test pattern, recorded at 1080p/24 Hz and played back via a Blu-ray player, consists of a vertical and horizontal wedge pattern made up of slightly converging alternating black and white lines. We tested ten models from the five brands, first shutting off the ME/MC circuit while playing the content at 60 Hz and again after engaging the circuit.

We also tested a pair of plasma sets: Pioneer’s Elite Kuro (PRO-141FD) and Panasonic’s TC-P54Z1, engaging the 60 Hz and 72 Hz modes on the Pioneer as well as the 60 Hz and 96 Hz modes on the Panasonic. Regardless of setting, neither produced the picture degrading artifacts seen on all of the 120/240Hz LCDs with ME/MC engaged. See the Panasonic’s image on the accompanying video.

What We See

Minimal amounts of moiré should appear on the moving Wedge Patterns, with the individual black and white lines viewable from one end of the wedge to the other. Some displays did a better job than others (with the ME/MC circuit “Off”) due to signal processing and the given display’s bandwidth. Activating the ME/MC circuit created some nasty artifacts. The wedge distorted, showing flashing blobs that momentarily obliterated the black and white lines as the wedge moved up and down or right and left. This translates to a loss of fine detail such as film grain and overall image alteration.

Why This Occurs

Why does ME/MC produce these deleterious results? Using movie content, for example, the circuit takes the actual film frames that occur 24 times per second and creates synthesized artificial frames between the real ones. The ME/MC chip guesses and reproduces what the created frames should look like. Unfortunately, sometimes the circuit guesses wrong and mis-interpolates the motion present.

In addition, it appears that none of the ME/MC chips available to set makers are capable of processing all of the data within the original film frames needed to produce artifact-free synthesized ones. Therefore, to achieve image consistency, the LCD panel must degrade the actual frame’s image quality to match that of the synthesized frame, which is why the test pattern shows the degradation.

ME/MC Benefits

Artifacts aside, 120 Hz and 240 Hz LCDs produce noticeably smoother motion than do 60Hz sets, or plasma displays for that matter. You will easily notice the smoother wedge movement. Some LCD set owners consider the loss of fine detail a worthwhile tradeoff to get the ME/MC circuit’s smooth presentation.

Alternatives

Currently, prospective flat screen buyers have two alternatives. If LCD is your preference but you wish to avoid the ME/MC circuit’s artifacts, most LCD sets offer a turn off option. The trade-off is lower motion resolution. If you want a feature like LED edge or back lighting, 120 Hz or higher is your only choice as these features are only present on the higher refresh rate sets.The second alternative is to opt for a plasma set. The Panasonic G, V and Z models tested by HD GURU all reproduce full motion resolution HD without the use of artifact-producing ME/MC circuits.

A Final Note

We made the video contained within this article on a Kodak Zx1 at 720p/60 resolution. The footage was edited and uploaded to the servers. Due to limitations of the camera, the need for compression and the upload/download process, the images seen should be taken as a demonstration of the presence (or lack) of image artifacts and not as an exact reproduction of what would be observed in person. We invite and encourage readers to obtain a copy of the Spears and Munsil test disc and perform these tests on your own display or one that you are contemplating purchasing at a willing local retailer.

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Laser 3D “Full HD” TV Coming In 2010

Gary — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:52:58 +0000

(Oct. 30, 2009) The Los Gatos, California based startup HDI Limited announced today it has entered into an agreement with an undisclosed manufacturer to mass produce its laser powered 100″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) 3D television in 2010. In a phone interview, HDI co-founder Ingemar Jansson revealed details of its upcoming entry into the 3D television market.

HDI’s 100″ 3D HDTV is a rear projector less than 10″ deep that uses two proprietary .81″ LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) 1920 x 1080 HD microdisplay chips, according to Jansson.

The 100″ 3D HDTV features three HDI developed technologies: 1) A “Laser Module” made up of 3-1watt (red, blue and green) lasers. 2) An “Image Module” consisting of the two LCoS chips, prisms to split the laser in two for left and right images, and a projection lens. 3) A proprietary rear projection screen that is not the customary Fresnel/lenticular design found in other rear projection televisions.

Unlike the “Full HD” 3D prototypes shown at the recent CEATEC electronics show by Panasonic, Sony, Sharp and Toshiba, the HDI Laser 3D HDTV will not make use of shutter glasses for viewing 3D images. Instead, it uses lower cost circular polarized glasses similar to the ones handed out for 3D movie viewing at your local cinema.

The HDI projector creates the 3D image using field-sequential color that fires each color (R, G, B) 360 times per second, for a total of 1080 fields per second. Cost (according to the press release) is “a street price potentially 60% less than current 2D flat screen” displays. Given that the largest flat panel available today is an 85″ plasma monitor that retails for $30,000; this would put the price at around $12,000.

Whether 3D has sufficient allure to drive consumers back to the RPTV from their current fixation with thin flat screens, whether LCD or plasma, remains to be seen.

The HD Guru plans to take a trip out to HDI shortly and make an eyewitness report in a blog post in HD Guru’s soon to launch 3D HDTV website. Stay tuned for an announcement.

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Panasonic TC-P54Z1 -Thin, Beautiful and Fabulous HD GURU Exclusive First Review

Gary — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:04:26 +0000

(October 21, 2009) Panasonic recently released its top of the line plasma model, the 54” TC-P54Z1. It builds on the high performance of the V10 series models by shrinking the depth to just 1 inch, adding an outboard media center, wireless 1080p connectivity and removable “elephant ear” side speakers.

The Z1’s panel takes a cue from Pioneer’s Kuro by eliminating the top sheet of glass from the panel and bonding a very effective anti-reflective coating directly to the top glass, thus eliminating any internal reflections between the top two sheets of glass found on all other plasma panels.

A brushed aluminum-finished bezel flanked by black left/right vertical inserts distinguishes the Z1 from the rest of Panasonic’s 2009 plasma lineup. The TC-P54Z1 package consists of a media receiver, wireless transmitter module, wireless receiver module, a pair of speakers with associated brackets, a table stand and all connecting cables.

Because of the large number of parts, unpacking and setting up the Z1 consumed about an hour, far longer than any other HDTV tested to date. Most flat screens simply require the assembly and mounting of the table stand. Overall, the assembly went very smoothly and the complete system functioned properly immediately thereafter.

The monitor section has but one HDMI input plus a mini HDMI jack for connection to the wireless HD receiver. As an experiment, we connected a source component directly to the HDMI input, but were unable to get a signal to appear on the screen; hardly surprising considering that all switching, functions and user controls reside in the media center box rather than in the display. Outboarding the switching and controls allowed Panasonic’s engineers to shrink the monitor’s depth to just an inch— thinner than Samsung’s LED LCD HDTVs.

The media receiver includes a built-in HDTV over-the-air tuner as well as an Ethernet connection for Panasonic’s Viera Cast internet content providers that include Picasa (photo uploads and downloads), YouTube, Amazon Videos and Bloomberg News. There are four HDMI (3 rear/1 front) and two component video inputs, as well as two composite video/S, a 15 pin sub-D for a PC (front) and RS-232 serial connector (for remote control systems such as Crestron). Also included is a front SD card slot for on-screen digital photo viewing. The front inputs are located under a swing down door (see photo).

The wireless transmitter and a mini “DC” terminal connector attach to the media receiver box via an HDMI cable (see photo).

The accompanying wireless receiver attaches to the back of the monitor panel by two screws and connects via an HDMI cable and another “DC” (Display unit Connector).

The receiver adds about an inch to the overall depth when attached to the back of the display. However we don’t see any reason why one couldn’t mount it beneath the screen ann.

The user interface is similar to the one used on the V10 series (review link). The Z1 has the same features including Digital Cinema Color, a user control for adjusting white balance, 96 Hz display for 24 Hz sources (Blu-ray discs and select DirecTV HD movies) and THX certified viewing mode.

The wireless system, designed by Sibeam (link), sends source signals (up to 1080p) a distance of up to 30 feet from the transmitter to the receiver. Panasonic recommends pointing the transmitter module towards the receiver attached to the monitor.

Unlike competing systems, such as the one Sony offers with its XBR10, the Sibeam 60 GHz (gigahertz) system claims to work within an enclosed cabinet. We put it to the test by placing the transmitter within a Stormcase type thick plastic PC case and latching it closed. From a test distance of 12 feet, the system worked flawlessly, delivering perfect 1080p images to the screen!

The ability to connect wirelessly is a real boon to potential purchasers living in residences with plaster or concrete walls. Now you’ll only just an electric outlet at the panel to wall mount the Z1.

Performance

Primary Color points (red, green, blue) measured in the THX mode were found to be close, but not quite at the HDTV rec. 709 standard. The results are as follows with 709 standard in parentheses R= x.629, y.332 (x.64, y.33) G= x.313 y=.591 (x.30, y.60) B= x.152, y.065 (x.15, y.06).

The Z1 is capable of producing intensely bright images. The factory “Vivid” mode designed for showrooms and not recommend for home use came in at a blazing 80.35 ft lamberts. In the THX factory setting, the level measured 33 ft. lamberts, a brightness perfectly suited for low ambient lighting levels found in many home TV viewing rooms. In the calibrated “Custom” mode, the image brightness read 40.46 ft lamberts, a level that is more than adequate for any normal day ambient room light conditions.

The Z1 produces very deep black levels. Using our new Konica Minolta LS-100 meter we obtained a minimum black of just .009 ft lamberts, a number that beats most LCD displays and produced a very deep shade of black. How does this compare to the Pioneer Kuro Pro-141FD? The now discontinued Pioneer still beats it, coming in below the accuracy of the meter, which is at or below .003 ft. lamberts (according to Konica Minolta). We did not have an opportunity to compare the Z1’s reading with a V10, however we plan to do so in the near future and will update the review accordingly.

Motion resolution measured a full 1080 lines without the artificial video look seen on all 120/240Hz LCDs tested to date (see the V10 review for more on this phenomena).

Using the HQV standard and high def test discs, we checked out the media box’s signal processing. The Z1 aced the HD and SD deinterlace and 3:2 pulldown tests but fell short on the jaggies tests, smoothing just two of the three moving lines with both standard and high definition tests. According to a Panasonic spokesman, the media box uses the same signal processing as the V10 plasma models, creating a mystery as to why we obtained different results (the V10 passes all the tests).

Gray scale in THX mode measured close to the 6500K standard out of the box with a reading of 6325K at 80 IRE and 6016K at 20 IRE in the Warm 2 color temperature mode. In custom mode, before calibration (in Warm 2) measurements were 6159K at 80 IRE and 5827K at 20 IRE. Post calibration resulted in near perfect readings of 6621K at 80 IRE and 6546K at 20 IRE.

The side speakers are a vast improvement over the downward firing speakers found in Panasonic’s V10 series models and many competitors’ < 2” thin LCDs. They provide far better overall range and clear high frequencies. They can also play really loud without audible distortion.

Energy consumption using the IEC standard test disc measured 192 watts in the THX mode and 240 watts in the calibrated “Custom” mode, the same measurement as the 54” TC-P54V10. The media box with the wireless transmitter uses 30 watts.

Viewing

With the user controls tweaked, we sampled HD and SD content using source material from Verizon FIOS, DirecTV and HD movies from Blu-ray discs via Panasonic’s DMP-BD80. The deep black level and bright whites consistently produced images with punch; undoubtedly due to the real world high contrast ratio the Z1 is capable of producing. Although the Z1 didn’t ace the HQV jaggies tests, we noticed no problems with any source material we threw at it.

The Sibeam wireless circuitry worked flawlessly and transparently, never calling attention to the fact that no physical connection existed between the media box and the monitor. As economies of scale kick in, the price delta for this wireless solution will eventually diminish to where the need for any long HDMI cables between the display and the source may be totally eliminated.

The TC-P54Z1 currently retails for $5499.99 making it $2100 more expensive than the TC-P54V10 with internal tuner and inputs.

Conclusion

The TC-P54Z1’s thin profile, outstanding color, contrast and deep black levels coupled with its perfect motion resolution without associated artifacts seen with 120Hz/240Hz LCDs, combined with plasma’s inherent ability to provide superior off-axis images, place the TC-P54Z1 at the top of the HDTV market. While pricey, if your viewing environment’s construction prevents you from wall mounting a flat panel, the additional cost may be justified. The HD Guru awards the Panasonic TC-P54Z1 ♥♥♥♥♥ our highest rating.

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CEATEC 2009 Part II-More Photos

Gary — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:47:42 +0000

Everyone Dons 3D Shutter Glasses For Panasonic’s Latest 3D HDTV Demonstration At CEATEC 2009

Panasonic’s 103″ 4K Resolution (3840×2160) HDTV Prototype

Panasonic Recommends Viewing At 1.5 Times Screen Size For Its 4K HDTV

Screen Close-up of Panasonic’s 4K 103″ Plasma Prototype

Panasonic’s 1 Inch Thin Z1 Plasma Series (Right Side Row)

Are Available In 46″, 50″ and 54″ Screen Sizes In Japan

The Latest Version Of Panasonic’s 3D (Shutter Type) Eyeware

3D Guy Al Caudullo Shooting Sony’s Chief 3D Camera Engineer Yoshiko Kuriko in 3D

Sony’s 240 Hz Single Lens Camera (Bottom Photo Shows Light Path From Lens To Image Sensors)

Panasonic Chart Predicts Blu-ray Revenue Will Overtake DVD By 2011

Mitsubishi Reveals Its HDTV Red and Green Lasers At CEATEC 2009

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CEATEC 2009

Gary — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:30:34 +0000

(October 15, 2009) CEATEC (Combined Exhibition of Advanced TECnologies) concluded last week in Chiba, Japan. The show’s big highlight, a preview of 3D HDTVs due to launch in 2010. Toshiba and Sharp debuted their respective 3D HDTV prototypes at CEATEC. Like Sony and Panasonic, they too are using the proposed (and expected to be approved) Blu-ray 3D standard for content storage and display. This means there will be no format war! All 3D HDTVs prototypes on display used “Full HD” 1920 x 1080 resolution with frame sequential left-right display using shutter type glasses. Below are the best new HDTV and other products of the show.

Panasonic

With the largest booth at CEATEC, Panasonic lead the 3D revolution with the unveiling of its prototype 50” 3D plasma HDTV. The images were crisp and bright. Panasonic invited members of the world press to a special 3D information panel. During the presentation, Panasonic executives revealed many details about its up coming 3D HDTVs.

Panasonic reconfirmed a 3D launch in 2010, but will still not pin down a specific date. The 50” prototype, demonstrated the viability of this screen size for full 3D display, a move that implies a line of 3D HDTVs in 2010 will be at this popular size and larger.

In addition to 3D capability, next year’s Panasonic plasma HDTVs incorporate new phosphors that produce improved 2D images, with higher brightness and shorter decay times, resulting in better energy efficiency.

Panasonic’s executives said the company plans to create an entire line of 3D imaging products including camcorders, digital still cameras (under its Lumix brand) as well as 3D capable Blu-ray players and HDTVs.

Panasonic’s president Fumio Ohtsubo discussed 3D adaptation, explaining 3D HDTV will follow traditional consumer acceptance patterns, beginning with early adopters, with sales increasing year to year, leading to mass market acceptance.

Panasonic believes plasma will provide the best large screen 3D image, however, it plans to release smaller screen sizes using its own LCD panels in the future, at a time when many consumers make the shift over to 3D capable displays.Panasonic plans to sell its own manufactured 3D shutter glasses for its 3D HDTVs .

Panasonic made another major announcement, by displaying an HDTV prototype using its newly developed “Neo LCD Eco” IPS Alpha panel. The 42” prototype consumes far less energy than its current LCD models, while producing deep inky blacks, as seen in the photo. These new panels will ship within Panasonic’s 2010 model line to be debuted at the 2010 International CES in Las Vegas.

Panasonic will also lower energy consumption on its plasma HDTVs in 2010, a prototype of its next gen 50” displayed, uses one-third the energy as its 2007 model (see photo).

Emphasizing its corporate commitment to greener products, Panasonic announced plans to introduce energy saving LED light bulbs that consume just 7 watts to create the same amount of light as a 60 watt incandescent light bulb. It is also planning to introduce LED lamps that will enable consumers to change the overall color of the light produced, such as reddish warmth for the winter months or a cooling blue tint during the summer. Panasonic did not provide as date for these innovative lamps to hit the stores.

Sharp

Sharp showed its prototype 60” 3D LCD HDTV (photo) and announced its next gen LCD panel for 3D HDTV called UV²A Technology, which stands for Ultraviolet-induced Multi-domain Vertical Alignment. According to Sharp’s CEATEC press release, UV²A promises a 60% higher contrast ratio, higher optical efficiency with 20% higher aperture ratio meaning more light from the backlight will emerge through the LCD panel, two times the speed of conventional LCD panels (this is a necessity Full HD 3D which requires using shutter glasses). Sharp added these new gen LCDs will increase production efficiency from simplification of the panel structure.

Sharp opened its new 10th generation LCD plant on October 1, 2009 in Sakai City, Osaka, Japan. It is the first factory to produce panels using the UV²A Technology.

Toshiba

Toshiba introduced for the Japanese market its new Cell Regza 55” LCD LED backlit HDTV. Incorporating a 3-terabyte hard drive, the Cell Regza HDTV can record up to eight terrestrial digital channels simultaneously. The Cell part of the Cell Regza name is Toshiba’s Cell Broadband Engine which provides ultra high speed signal processing.The 55” Cell Regza LCD HDTV will ship in Japan this December at a price of about $11,000 US.

Toshiba staged a very impressive demo if its prototype 3D Cell Regza HDTV (photo), with one of the brightest LCD 3D images seen to date. Like the offerings from the other TV companies on the show floor, the 3D Cell Regza HDTV displays “Full HD 3D” using shutter glasses for viewing 3D images. No price or availability was given for Toshiba’s 3D entry into the USS market, however it appears Toshiba is ready to join the 3D fray.

Sony

Sony again showed its shutter glass type 3D “Full HD” LCD prototypes, however the big news: its prototype 240 Hz, single lens 3D video camera. The camera uses a huge lens and a beam splitter to capture 3D images. This 240 Hz rate is up to ten times the rate of pro 2D HDTV video and film cameras. The resulting 3D pictures are both novel and distinctive.

The demo employed Sony’s commercial SXRD 4K front projectors and the same type of passive 3D glasses used today in movie theaters around the world. Unlike other 3D demos, the 240 Hz camera produced 3D images with depth extending from the screen and rearward, like one is looking through a window. No content appeared in front of the screen plane. In 3D tech terms, the Sony camera can only capture images with a 0 or positive “Z axis”. In other words, you don’t see any object appearing inches from your face. On the other hand, we were surprised to see this unique camera’s ability to produce viewable pictures, albeit in 2D, without seeing the double images (left and right views superimposed) one normally observes when trying to view 3D content without using the associated 3D glasses. HD Guru will publish more photos of this novel camera prototype in CEATEC photo montage to be posted shortly.

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Best Buy Continues Its Schizo “Dual” Price Strategy + Next Week’s Best HDTV Deals Revealed

Gary — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:42:58 +0000

(October 3, 2009) The HD GURU obtained an advanced copy of next week’s Best Buy’s (BB) weekly circular, and thoroughly researched its HDTV weekly “sale” prices to let readers know which models are “real” deals (see the list below). Unfortunately, most of the HDTVs advertised “On Sale” at Best Buy this coming week, actually are priced higher than in the recent past! The website camelbuy.com (LINK) does an excellent job of tracking Best Buy prices.

In addition, BB, known primarily as a “brick and mortar” retailer appears to be continuing its test of a lower “online” HDTV pricing strategy. Next week, prices on select Samsung and Panasonic HDTVs are as much as $300 less on its website than in BBs latest (Oct. 4, 2009-Oct.10, 2009) weekly sale circular.

The following HDTVs are priced lower at bestbuy.com than in its weekly sale advertising. Circular prices are rounded up a penny or two to save space.

Make/Model Size Circular Online $Difference

Samsung/UN55B8000 55″ $3400 $3009.98 $390

Samsung/LN46B550 46″ $1200 $1059.99 $140 (Now $1159.99 10/4009 on line a $40 difference)

Samsung/LN46B640 46″ $1420 $1319.99 $100

Samsung/PN50B450 46″ $850 $799.99 $50 (Raised 10/4/09, now the same price)

Panasonic/TC-P42X1 42″ $700 $599.99 $100

The following HDTVs are at the lowest price ever at Best Buy, as listed in its 10/4/09-10/10/09 weekly circular.

Make/Model Size Was Now

Sony/KDL-52Z5100 52″ 240Hz LCD $2800 $1799.99

LG/55LH90 55″ 240Hz LED LCD $2800 $1999.99

LG/47LH90 47″ 240Hz LED LCD $2200 $1399.99

You should use the HD Guru Pricegrabber search box (located on the left side column of this page under “Check Prices” or LINK) to get the best “online” deals and/or use Best Buy’s blowout prices to help you get a better price from your local retailer, if that’s from whom you choose to buy. For tips on how to negotiate like a pro, go to our article here (LINK).

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CEDIA 2009 Report and Analysis Part 2

Gary — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:39:32 +0000

(Sept. 28, 2009) Samsung chose CEDIA to unveil the remainder of its 2009 HDTV line to its dealers. The showings included Samsung’s new 2009 LED backlit LCDs, the B8500 series (bottom photo) and a new 65″ CCFL (cold-cathode fluorescent) backlit LCD (top photo).

The 8500 series consists of two models, the 46″ LN46B8500 ($3599.99) and the 55″ LN55B8500 ($4499.99). These two LCDs (note: Samsung refers to them as LED TVs in the USA) are the 2009 replacement for the well received A950 LED backlit models. Features of the 8500s include: true 240 Hz refresh, white LED local dimming backlights, 2ms rated panel response time and a “rated” dynamic contrast of 7,000,000:1 (to restate the HD Guru’s position, dynamic contrast is a meaningless spec, though HDTV makers keep publishing a spec.).

Features include 1.6″ depth (a new record for backlit LED displays), Internet connectivity for access to Yahoo, Flickr, YouTube and other web based content and widgets. The 8500s are shipping now.

The LN65B650 is a CCFL backlit LCD (Samsung calls it an LCD TV). The 65″ size is new for Samsung and according to industry sources Sharp manufactures the 65″ LCD panel within the LN65B650. A Samsung representative would not confirm who makes the panel.

As stated in the press release “LCD 650 Series TVs will deliver Auto Motion Plus™ 120Hz refresh rate, fast 4ms response time for motion clarity and high dynamic contrast ratios for deeper, more natural blacks. The LN65B650 will also include expansive networking and connectivity capabilities including Samsung’s Medi@2.0 Suite, the unique Touch of Color™ design, and it will meet the latest Energy Star® qualifications. ” The rated dynamic contrast ratio is 100,000:1 The 65″ retails for $6000 and ships this month.

Samsung introduced its latest front projector (photo) from its “Joe Kane” series. The A600 boasts a glossy black finish, low noise, under 13 pound weight, 220 watt lamp, inputs include two HDMI, component video, composite, S-video and a 15-pin VGA connector.

The A600 is “Full HD” using a 16:9 Texas Instruments 1080p DLP chip with a six-segment color wheel, 1000 ANSI Lumen rated brightness and a 3,000:1 rated contrast ratio. The A600 retails for $1795.

Panasonic

Panasonic announced the release of its 2009 58″ and 65″ S1 and V10 series plasmas along with prices. (TC-P58S1 $2295.95; TC-P65S1 $3199.95; TC-P58V10 $2699.95; TC-P65V10 $3999.95.) You can find these HDTVs for far less by checking out at the HD Guru Pricegrabber website by clicking this (LINK) or under the “Check Prices” banner in the left side column of this page. The HD Guru Pricegrabber website currently offers the TC-P65S1 for as low as $2249.

Panasonic’s finally unveiled at CEDIA its 85″ plasma monitor (photo). Unlike its 103″ version, the 85″ operates on a standard 120 volt AC outlet. The image was bright and clean. Panasonic’s Pro division sells it and with sales geared to commercial installs such as conference rooms. It retails for $30,000, a far cry from the 65″ S1 streeting at under $2300.

Panasonic displayed to the CEDIA crowd its new 3D truck which housed a 103″ 3D Full HD Plasma and featured new 3D demo content, including the trailer for the upcoming movie, AVATAR.

LG brought its upcoming wireless and wired LCD flat panel HDTVs to Atlanta. The top-of-the-line 55LHX combines slim contemporary design, LED backlighting with local dimming, wireless HD reception and it’s the first LCD in the US to receive THX certification. The LHX has a rated dynamic contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1 and is 240 Hz with a scanning backlight. The 55″ 55LHX retails for $4799 and should be in stores next month. The image looked quite impressive and could be one of the best LCDs ever. We look forward to reviewing when it becomes available.

The LH model has wireless 1080p connectivity and 120 Hz refresh, but uses standard CCFL backlights instead of LEDs. The LH85s have a rated contrast ratio of 80,000:1. They’ll be available later this fall as a 47″ model (47LH85, $2399) an as a 55″ (55LH85, $3199).

The SL90 series (photo) is an LED edge-lit, 120 Hz, LCD HDTV besting Samsung’s LN6000 series product by .05″ with a depth of just 1.15″. According to the press release “LG uses a special film lamination technology for better color tuning, gradation and reduction of glare – all in a sleek, minimalist package. The lamination process completes the flat surface, virtually eliminating the visible line between the screen and the bezel when the set is turned off. “

The SL90s have a rated dynamic contrast ratio of 3,000,000:1 and like the others listed, has LGs proprietary “Picture Wizard” for easy set up of the user picture controls without tools or test discs. It also includes ISF CC for expert calibration with proper measuring devices. The SL90s will be available later this fall in the 47″ and 42″ screen sizes with retail prices of $2,599 and $2099 respectively.

The SL80 models are 1.8″ at their slimmest point, have 240 Hz with scanning CCFL backlights and the same flat all-glass face as the SL90 models. They’re available now in the 42″ ($1599), 47″ ($1899) and 55″ ($2799) screen sizes.

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Best Buy: A New “Dual Price” Strategy?

Gary — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:33:45 +0000

(Sept. 20, 2009) Best Buy (BB), known primarily as a “brick and mortar” retailer, appears to be testing a new “online” HDTV pricing strategy. Prices of select Panasonic, Sony and LG HDTVs are as much as $200 less “online” than in BBs latest (Sept 20-Sept 26, 2009) weekly circular.

The HD Guru® visited a local Best Buy and verified that the in store price tags match the circular’s listed prices, and that they are, indeed, higher than the online ones. When asked about the pricing discrepancy, a blue shirted clerk replied that he was unaware of it, adding that he would “price match” Bestbuy.com’s online prices, if he could verify them. Isn’t that wonderful?

These on-line unadvertised deals are hot: the Panasonic plasmas are at the lowest prices ever at Best Buy and are equal to, or just slightly higher than the best prices we found online. You should use the HD Guru Pricegrabber search box (located on the left side column of this page under “Check Prices”) to get the best “online” deals and/or use Best Buy’s on-line blowout prices to help you get a better price from your local retailer, if that’s from whom you choose to buy. For tips on how to negotiate like a pro, go to our article here (Link). Circular prices are rounded up a penny to save space.

Make/Model Size On-Line Circular $Difference

Panasonic TC-P50S1 50″ $999.99 $1200 $200

Panasonic TC-P50X1 50″ $799.99 $900 $100

Panasonic TC-P42X1 42″ $599.99 $700 $100

Panasonic TC-L32C12 32″ $399.99 $450 $50

Sony KDL-40VE5 40″ $1099.99 $1300 $200

LG 32LH30 32″ $499.99 $530 $30

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CEDIA 2009 Report and Analysis Part 1

Gary — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:32:12 +0000

(Sept. 14, 2009) The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association’s 2009 trade show concluded in Atlanta, Georgia yesterday. The low attendance was indicative of the soft economy, accompanied by fewer companies displaying than in 2008. Regardless of these factors, a number of new products were debuted to this important segment of the consumer electronics industry. We will cover the show with multiple parts. Today we highlight JVC.

JVC brought three significant products to Atlanta. The GD-463D10 is the first large screen 3D LCD monitor offered in the USA and is designed primarily for post production and other commercial use. Unlike the Mitsubishi DLP 3D projection televisions or the Panasonic’s 103″ prototype (which require active “shutter glasses”) the JVC uses a process called “circular polarization” to produce immersive 3D images. The required 3D glasses are passive (no electronic shutters) and are similar to the ones handed out at 3D movies. They provide a distinct left and right image for each eye continuously, at a resolution of 1920 x 540.

The JVC 3D LCD provided a bright clean image. We viewed clips of recent 3D productions including parts of the NBC series “Chuck” as well as U2 concert footage. However, it must be stressed there is currently no 3D live commercial programming (i.e. movies, TV series episodes or music videos) available today to consumers (other than the very poor performing “old style” anaglyphic red/green type glasses) . This format is not directly compatible with the proposed Panasonic/Sony Blu-ray “Full HD” system, though it is conceivable that a convertor box could be offered in the future. HD Guru requested a review sample, once one becomes available and we can obtain licensed 3D source material (we’re working on it), other than PC video games. The GD-463D10 retails for $9153

Blu-ray Recorders

JVC has broken the logjam holding up the US availability of Blu-ray recorders with two models made primarily for the US industrial market. According to sources, CE companies’ reluctance to offer Blu-ray recorders here is due to the desire not to ruffle the feathers of the Hollywood studios, while ironing out 3D home video standards. For those readers with HD camcorders that want to edit and distribute HD home videos to friends and family on discs playable on Blu-ray players, these recorders are the first and only free standing solutions, finally freeing prospective purchasers from reliance on BD recording drives within a PC.

The SR-HD1250 features USB, SD HC card slot and IEEE-1394 inputs for compatibility with a variety of HD camcorders. The SR-HD1250 includes a 250 GB hard drive ($1995, October).

The SR-HD1500 features a 500 GB hard drive and adds a RS-232C terminal, MOV file compatiblity for Apple Final Cut Pro as well as footable from JVC’s GY-HM100 and GY-HM700 ProHD camcorders when using the SP (19/25) mode ($2550, October).Perhaps we will see consumer model Blu-ray recorders appear from other vendors soon (they are currently sold in Asia, England and Australia), now that JVC has broken the ice.

Front Projectors

JVC introduced its next generation DILA front projectors with six new models. All use JVC’s .7″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) LCOS chip. JVC’s top of the line DLA-R35 and DLA-HD990 offer a record high 70,000:1 native contrast ratio. The other models contrast ratios are DLA-HD550 30,000:1; DLA-RS15 32,000:1 and DLA-RS25/DLA-HD950 50,000:1. All models are THX certified . (What THX certified means to you is a subject we plan to cover in an upcoming article).

The demonstration of the DLA-RS35 was quite compelling, producing some of the very best high contrast images we have seen out of a home front projector.

All models ship this month the DLA-R35/DLAHD990 are priced at $10,000. The DLA-RS25/DLA-HD950: $8000; DLA-RS15: $5,500.00 DLA-HD550: $5,000.00

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