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.

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.

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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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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This guide will help you sort through the marketing gimmicks and focus on what really matters.

Contrast ratio: Meaningless

While contrast ratio itself (the difference between the brightest part of the image and darkest) is the most important aspect of the overall picture quality of a TV, the numbers supplied by manufacturers are completely useless. For one, there is no standard way to measure contrast ratio, so companies often just make up numbers to suit the marketing department’s purposes.

Worse still, you can’t judge contrast ratio in a store. The harsh lighting of most retailers masks true contrast ratio. So a cheap LCD in a store may seem better looking than the plasma right next to it, when, in fact, at home the opposite would be true.

Refresh Rate: Meaningful, but becoming meaningless

LCDs suffer from motion blur, which means that objects on-screen seem to blur when they’re in motion. This can be as obvious as a sportsball person blurring as he runs across the screen, or as subtle as a closeup of a face, blurring slightly as it moves around a little.

The most common way of minimizing motion blur is to increase the refresh rate. This means more images on screen per second than a “regular” LCD. You’ll see these numbers in multiples of 60 (like 120 Hz, 240 Hz, and so on). With video-based content, like sports) these higher refresh rates do indeed decrease motion blur. The TV creates new frames to go in between the actual frames of video. With a 120 Hz TV, it creates a new frame for every original frame in the source. With a 240 Hz TV, it creates 3 new frames.

With film-based content (nearly all movies, most TV shows), however, increasing the framerate causes a noticeable artifact, colloquially called the “soap opera effect.” The smoothing of the motion caused by increasing the framerate causes movies to have an ultra-smooth look that makes them look like soap operas. Many find this to be objectionable (myself included).

Where the term starts to become meaningless, is in the constant effort to “one-up” the competition, companies are starting to market 480, 960, and even higher “refresh rates.” These are always done by some clever math and a flashing backlight. In other words, the backlight of the LCD flashes at some rate, increasing the apparent refresh. Flash it twice with every frame of a 240 Hz TV, now it’s 480 Hz! Using this as the example, some companies call this 480 Hz, while others come up with some clever marketing name for it. Will your eye see any difference between 240 Hz and 480 “Hz” using a flashing backlight? Probably not, though the latter will likely be somewhat dimmer.

Look for “true” or “real” 240 Hz models, if you’re interested. The other technologies are largely specsmanship.

For those who want to nitpick, when I say “film-based” I mean 24 frames per second, which is a frame rate option on modern video cameras.

Plasmas, because of how they work, don’t suffer from motion blur and don’t need higher refresh rates.

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Color anything: Meaningless

Pretty much any claim about color is meaningless. All current TV technologies are able to reproduce all the colors supplied on Blu-ray, DVD, and every cable channel. Any additional color is created by the TV is not accurate. You may prefer over saturated colors, but we at HD Guru think a TV should accurately display what’s in the source, not create something on its own. To that end, TVs with adjustable color points or color settings are idea (most mid- and high-end models have this feature).

Viewing Angle: Meaningless

LCD companies like to claim their TVs are viewable at wide angles, with many claiming “178-degree viewing” or similar. This is almost always nonsense. In most cases, yes, an image can be seen at these angles, but the contrast ratio and color accuracy is radically different than what you see straight on (also called “on axis).

The fact of the matter is, only plasma TVs offer a wide viewing angle, with the same quality of image off axis. The next best is IPS-based LCDs, which offer similar viewing angles to plasma, but have historically had a penalty in contrast ratio and black level on axis compared to other LCD technologies.

If you have a large couch, or viewing positions (i.e. “chairs”) that are at an angle to the TV, most LCDs aren’t for you.

TV depth: Meaningless (though read the fine print)

Many TVs are coming out that claim “under 1-inch” of depth. This is sort of true. Part of the TV is likely less than one inch, but not all of it. Most ultra-thin TVs have a bulge at the bottom. In some extreme cases, the TV is so thin that important parts of the TV are in a separate box. This may or may not work for you, depending on how you want to install the TV.

Like anything, read the fine print of the TV’s specs.

Energy consumption: Meaningful

Last year we saw new regulations go into effect that requires TV manufacturers to measure and publish the energy consumption for their TVs. This is, without question, absolutely fantastic. Interestingly, the claimed energy consumption superiority of LED LCDs has been largely marketing hype. While it’s true that the average LED LCD is more efficient than a comparably sized plasma, it isn’t significant enough to offset LED’s higher price.

In other words, if you’re buying an LED to save money, it will take years to recoup the price premium you paid over buying a plasma. If, however, your goal is just to be as green as possible, then absolutely get an LED LCD. Just be sure turn down the backlight.

All CCFL LCDs contain mercury, making them a poor choice if green is your goal.

So what specs do matter?

Here’s the part that’s annoying. There are certain specs that matter a great deal, but you’ll never see them supplied by a manufacturer. These numbers, if reliably measured, would tell you almost everything you’d need to know about a television. In order, they are:

Contrast ratio
Black Level (minimum luminance level)
Brightness (maximum luminance level)
Accuracy of Color and color temperature
Actual viewing angle (what angle do you lose brightness and color accuracy)
Audio (actual volume potential, without distortion)

It’s worth nothing that while they don’t publish their actual specifications, THX Certified TVs have to meet minimum requirements for color and color temperature accuracy and other specifics.

These numbers, if supplied, plus more subjective factors like video processing performance, would make it easy to judge one TV from another. Too bad manufacturers will never publish specs like this. Why would they? It would be too easy to see what TV was “best.” Fortunately, the better TV review websites (ahem, like this one) do publish these numbers.

And if that’s not gratuitous self promotion, I don’t know what is. Speaking of which, have you seen my book…

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

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HD Guru managed to take several close up  photos of  LG’s  upcoming  white OLED 55-Inch HDTV (55EM9600) at the recent CES, much to the dismay of the dozen or so LG personnel that keep shooing other photographers away from it.  We bring you three different snaps with varied source material.

While these photos can’t truly convey how vivid this OLED produced HD images, you can clearly see how  inky dark the black pixels are compared to brightly lit adjacent ones. The photos also shows how deeply saturated  the colors are at the pixel level, as well as  in our full screen photo  here.

These snapshots will have to do until we can pry more answers from LG sources regarding availability, price and production specifications. Stay tuned.

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LG has released new information on its upcoming 55EM9600 55-Inch OLED HDTV. This new big screen technology was first displayed at last month’s 2012 Consumer Electronics Show.  We’ve put all the information in the form of questions and answers covering topics including: white pixels, viewing angle, energy efficiency, wear and more. Read all the  latest news after the jump.

What is the difference between Red, Green, Blue OLED and LG’s White Ones?

White OLED uses RGB color layers which are applied to the organic layer and act as color filters for the light being emitted.  In contrast, RGB OLED requires separate red, green and blue elements be created individually for each pixel.  This is a more complex arrangement which is more costly and difficult to scale to different screen sizes.

Why Not Make A RGB OLED Panel?

Using W OLED technology is more efficient to manufacture and create various screen sizes without sacrificing picture quality

Presidents Week HDTV Sale

Today’s Blu-ray Movie Deals

Big Markdowns on 3D TVs

Are There Any Advantages To Picture Quality Using White?

Both types of OLED provide expanded color gamut, infinite contrast, ultra-fast response times and thin, lightweight design possibilities.  However, we believe that WOLED offers more natural color reproduction and better off-axis viewing than RGB type.

Do The Color Filters Cut Down of Viewing Angle?

No

Are RGB OLEDs More Difficult To Make?

Yes, the manufacturing process allows WOLEDs  to be more easily adapted to different screen sizes and is more efficient overall.

Does White Have Better Color Stability Than RGB? Are They Energy Efficient?

Specs have not been finalized, but there’s no question that WOLED will be very energy efficient, perhaps THE most energy efficient flat-panel display technology to date.  Regarding panel life, while long-life testing is still underway, we believe our WOLED will perform quite well vis-à-vis other displays.

The Upcoming LG OLED Has Standard 2K HDTV Resolution. Is 4K Possible?

WOLED can be adapted more easily to 4K resolution.

HD Guru will continue to hound LG and other industry sources to bring you the latest news  on this exciting new big screen technology.

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It’s that time of year, where manufacturers and retailers are selling 2011 models for cheap to make room for the 2012s.

Should you buy now and save money, or wait a few months for the latest and greatest?

We look at each manufacturer and help you decide.

Alphabetically…

LG

Most of LG’s new models will be available in later this month or in March, with the more expensive models in April or later. Thinner bezels are the big change, with the new control schemes a bonus novelty.

Unless you’re waiting for OLED (allegedly later this year), there are only marginal picture quality improvements. Go for a leftover 2011. Here are our picks:

LG Infinia 47LW5600 47-Inch Cinema 3D 1080p 120 Hz LED-LCD HDTV with Smart TV and Four Pairs of 3D Glasses Was $1700 Now $999.99 free shipping

LG Infinia 47LW6500 47-Inch Cinema 3D 1080p 240 Hz LED-LCD HDTV with Smart TV and Four Pairs of 3D GlassesWas $1900 Now $1029.99 free shipping Vann’s via Amazon

LG Infinia 55LW5600 55-Inch Cinema 3D 1080p 120 Hz LED-LCD HDTV with Smart TV and Four Pairs of 3D GlassesWas $2400 Now $1319.99 free shipping Tiger direct via Amazon

LG Infinia 65LW6500 65-Inch Cinema 3D 1080p 120 Hz LED-LCD HDTV with Smart TV and Four Pairs of 3D GlassesWas $4500 Now $2399.00 Free Shipping Huppins via Amazon

Panasonic

The big news with Panasonic is the expansion of their LCD and LCD LED lines. Gary has checked out the WT50 series and said they look great, with extremely wide viewing angles. Well worth spending on when they’re released sometime this spring. The lower LCD lines are similar to last year’s models.

On the plasma side of things, check out Gary’s article on the upgraded VT, GT, ST series. However, the lower end plasma models are similar to last year’s.

You can read about all the new HDTV lines in our Panasonic CES Show Coverage. Here are hot deals on remaining 2011s

Panasonic VIERA TC-P60S30 60-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Was $1600 Now $1143.45 Free Shipping Amazon Direct

Panasonic VIERA TC-P65GT30 65-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTVWas $3200 Now $2299.98 Free Shipping Amazon Direct

Panasonic VIERA TC-P65ST30 65-Inch 1080p 600 Hz 3D Plasma HDTV Was $3000 Now $2063.84 Free Shipping Amazon Direct

Panasonic VIERA TC-P46ST30 46-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV Was $1300 now $931.55 Free Shipping Amazon Direct

Panasonic VIERA TC-L42E3 42-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LED-LCD HDTV Was $850 Now $599.00 Free Shipping Amazon Direct

Panasonic VIERA TC-P65VT30 65-inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV, Black Was $4000 Now $2799.98 Free Shipping Amazon Direct

Panasonic VIERA TC-L37E3 37-Inch 1080p LED HDTV Was $800 Now $584.53 Free Shipping Amazon Direct

Panasonic VIERA TC-L32C3 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV Was $400 Now $299.99 Free Shipping Amazon Direct

Samsung

Samsung mentioned some slight performance improvements, most notably for plasma. The 8000 LED models will have a built-in camera along with speech recognition (similar to LG).

With the LCDs, performance will be similar to last year’s models, though it’s probably worth it to get a 2012 plasma. No shipping info yet, but expect this spring for most models.

Samsung UN55D8000 55-Inch 1080p 240Hz 3D LED HDTV (Silver) Was $3600 Now $1903.99 Free Shipping, Amazon Direct

Samsung UN46D8000 46-Inch 1080p 240Hz 3D LED HDTV (Silver) Was $2800 Now $1621.44 Free Shipping Amazon Direct

Samsung UN46D7000 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D LED HDTV (Silver)Was $2300 Now $1449.00 Free Shipping Amazon Direct

Sharp

The entry-level 632 big screen is carry over, but new big 3D models are coming. If you want 3D, you should wait for these new models. Most are shipping in this month or next. If you don’t care about 3D, get a 2011 closeout.

HDTVs On Sale

Today’s Blu-ray Movie Deals

Big Markdowns on 3D TVs

Sony

Sony discontinued two lines of LCDs (Google TV and NX), and the entire XBR line is carried over until July. The only changes to the other 2012 models are mostly cosmetic and/or additional streaming offerings.

Sony BRAVIA KDL40EX720 40-Inch 1080p 3D LED HDTV, Black Was $1300 Now $699.00 Free Shipping Amazon Direct

Sony BRAVIA XBR55HX929 55-Inch 1080p 3D Local-Dimming LED HDTV with Built-In Wi-Fi, Black Was $3600 Now $2607.93 Free Shipping Amazon Direct

Sony BRAVIA KDL55NX720 55-inch 1080p 3D LED HDTV with Built-in WiFi, Black Was $2900 Now $1599.00 Free Shipping Amazon Direct 45% off

Sony BRAVIA KDL46NX720 46-inch 1080p WiFi 3D LED HDTV, Black Was $2100 Now $1299.00 Free Shipping Amazon Direct

Sony BRAVIA KDL46EX720 46-Inch 1080p 3D LED HDTV, BlackWas $1600 Now $964.36 (40% 0ff) Free Shipping, Amazon Direct

Sony BRAVIA KDL55EX720 55-Inch 1080p 3D LED HDTV, Black Was $2400 Now $1409.99 Free Shipping, Amazon Direct

Sony BRAVIA KDL60EX720 60-Inch 1080p 3D LED HDTV, Black Was $3100 Now $2175.99 Free Shipping, Amazon Direct

Toshiba

Toshiba’s new models are mostly styling changes. You should be able to find 2012 models with similar features and performance. Here are two hot deals:

Toshiba 40E210 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Black Was $700 Now $399.99 (43% off)Free Shipping, Amazon Direct

Toshiba 32C110U 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV, Black Was $400 Now $259.99 Free Shipping, Amazon Direct

Vizio

The 21×9 monitor is new (again), and should be available in March. Generally, though, the new models have little performance changes, and only minor cosmetic changes. There are also several carry over models.

All the rest…

We’ve discussed all the heavy hitters. If you’re considering a TV from a company we haven’t listed, check out our An HDTV by Another Name article.

Conclusion

Similar to we said last year, unless you want the latest and greatest, now is an excellent time to buy a “new” TV. Last year’s models offer nearly identical performance and features in most cases, yet will be several hundred dollars less expensive (if not even less).
Gary Merson
and
Geoff Morrison   @TechWriterGeoff
Geoff’s book is now in paperback!.

Have a question for the HD Guru?
HD GURU|Email

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

Updated 2/16/12

The retail prices and release dates for the entire 2012 Panasonic Plasma HDTV line have been leaked.

How about a $1,799 60-inch and an $799 42-inch?

All the numbery goodness after the jump.

Scarsdale, NY retailer Value Electronics has posted the retail pricing and release dates on their website, and is currently accepting pre-orders.

Expect some variation in pricing/availability from other retailers. Check out our coverage of Panasonic entire 2012 HDTV line, as well as in-depth looks at their plasma models and LCD models.

VT50 series
TC-P55VT50
55-inch: $2,499
Available 5/7/12

TC-P65VT50
65-inch: $3,699
Available 5/14/12

GT50 series
TC-P50GT50
50-inch: $1,799
Available 3/12/12

TC-P55GT50
55-inch: $2,099
Available 3/19/12

TC-P60GT50
60-inch: $2,599
Available 4/14/12

TC-P65GT50
65-inch: $3,299
Available 4/23/12

ST50 series
TC-P50ST50
50-inch: $1,399
Available 2/20/12

TC-P55ST50
55-inch: $1,699
Available 2/27/12

TC-P60ST50
60-inch: $2,099
Available 4/14/12

TC-P65ST50
65-inch: $2,999
Available 4/23/12

UT50 series
TC-P42UT50
42-inch: $799
Available 2/24/12

TC-P50UT50
50-inch: $1,099
Available 2/24/12

TC-P55UT50
55-inch: $1,399
Available 3/17/12

TC-P60UT50
60-inch: $1,799
Available 4/14/12

Gary Merson
and
Geoff Morrison @TechWriterGeoff
Geoff’s book is now available in paperback!

Have a question for the HD Guru?
HD GURU|Email

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

Vizio once again displayed its new line off-site at a Las Vegas Hotel. While Vizio continues to be in the number one or two LCD HDTV sales position, they remain the only top five TV company to opt out of a booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center, a real inconvenience and a time killer.

Prior to CES Vizio was very hush-hush, not releasing any product information. You can’t blame them. With only nine 2012 new model announcements I may have skipped the trek all together. Three entry level 3D sets are carried over from the 2011 line and a Vizio spokesman said it has not yet decided on the rest of the 2012 line-up or if they would carry over more models from last year. By comparison, during last year’s CES Vizio introduced 50 new 16:9 HDTVs.

For the third year in a row, Vizio showed its CinemaWide 2.37:1 aspect ratio TVs.

The CinemaWide models v3.0 will be available in the 50-Inch diagonal, 58-Inch and 71-Inch screen sizes (see photo). All include passive 3D functionality.

One would think a company that has been showing the same TV since 2010 would provide some sort of price information, but alas it appears Vizio can’t seem to nail it down, although the spokesman said they will start shipping soon. We’ll see, I am still waiting for that smart phone Vizio was going gaga over at last year’s CES.

All the CinemaWides have a screen resolution of 2560 x 1080 with an aspect ratio of 2.37:1, requiring some new fangled signal processing accommodate the resolution HD and SD source material. All the wide ones have Internet connectivity for streaming or surfing while viewing.

The Theater 3D models listed below are passive 3D using either LG’s film patterned retarder or a glass patterned retarder on the surface of the LCD panel. All have Vizio’s Via platform with streaming movies and TV programs from Hulu Plus, Netflix and Vudu. Via also has apps and Yahoo widgets.

Two new models in the R3D series (47 and 55-Inch) add Google TV functionality.

HDTVs For the Big Game On Sale

Blu-ray Movie Deals From $5.49

Big Markdowns on 3D TVs

We asked about any picture quality improvements but no information was provided in the press releases or during the demo. Styling wise, we have to acknowledge Vizio’s brave efforts to resist the thin depth, thin bezel trend seen on the 2012 Samsungs, LGs and Panasonics and simply continue with its wide bezel and deep cabinet design (photo). If the was any new styling on the 2012s I really couldn’t spot the differences.

For more on Vizio, check out our articles here and here.

Have a question for the HD Guru?
HD GURU|Email

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