The LC-80LE632U is one big HDTV. Made by  Sharp, it’s the only TV brand that offers 80-Inch  LED LCD consumer models. In addition to making its own giant LCD screens, Sharp is one of the four remaining TV makers that also assembles its  TVs (LG, Samsung and Panasonic are the other three). All the other flat consumer HDTVs currently top out at 65-Inches. (Note: Panasonic offers very expensive commercial plasma monitors in 85 and 103-Inch screen sizes).

The LC-80LE632U is Sharp’s entry level model within its 80-inch LED LCD line-up. It sports a matte finished anti glare screen coating, Internet apps with streaming video, full array LED backlights, Wi-Fi and 120 Hz refresh rate. To keep the price low, Sharp omits 3D, and its Quattron four sub-pixel LCD panel (red, blue, green and yellow) in favor of the conventional and perfectly acceptable red, blue and green triad pattern LCD screen.

Design

This Sharp breaks no new ground in the styling department with a conventional width bezel and a depth of just under four inches. This behemoth weights in at  slightly over 131 pounds (with included table stand).

The remote control is small and cluttered. While it does contain the usual array of buttons for TV controls such as input, Internet apps, aspect ratio, picture mode and more, it lacks a back light. We did not like the layout especially the location of the menu button, which is just above to the “arrow up” button and caused us to hit it accidentally numerous times.

The TV’s “on screen” menu appears on the right side of the screen. Unlike other televisions which overlay the graphic user interface (GUI) on top of the picture, this Sharp places it to the side by shrinking the image. The shrunken picture creates artifacts called aliasing making valid evaluations impossible while in this mode. Fortunately, when you select a function such as “brightness” the image expands back to fill the screen. We fail to see any useful purpose for the shrink and expand function and found it quite annoying.

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Features

In addition to the aforementioned Internet streaming services (which include Netflix, CinemaNow and Vudu) Sharp includes Aquos Care which allows a Sharp customer service adviser to access the user controls to assist you and diagnose any problems (with a phone call and your permission). As there are no cameras or microphones built into this TV, we have no problem with privacy and welcome this tool to help Sharp diagnosing  consumers’ problems.

The 632 included built-in Wi-Fi, but we found it impossible to set-up by following the instructions within the owner’s manual. A call to Sharp’s customer service provided the proper instructions (which differed slightly from the manual) and we were up and running in minutes.

The Picture settings contained six modes. We settled on “Movie” mode as the basis of our settings, although none of the presets were close to ideal out of the box. The 632 also includes a Color Management System (CMS). We spent hours trying to get it right, but to no avail. This is not unusual as we have found other companies flat panel CMS systems to be an exercise in futility. In the end we could not get the color point to match the industry HD standard called Rec. 709, nor could we tame the red exaggeration (called red push) forcing us to significantly reduce the color control as normal settings resulted in beet red faces.

Another odd behavior was the how the 120 Hz circuit is deactivated. As with other LCD TVs tested, this Sharp made film appear as if video often called the “soap opera effect” (link) when the 120Hz mode was engaged. The control called “Motion Enhancement” has settings for 120Hz High/120 Hz Low and “Off”. We discovered when it set to the “Off” position the 120 Hz circuit was still active. A call to Sharp revealed the “Film Mode” (3:2 pull-down) control also needed  to be in the “Off” position  (along with Motion Enhancement off) to shut off the 120Hz and the eliminate the soap opera effect.

The 632 has four HDMI inputs , two USB ports two composite video inputs (with stereo audio) and one component video input as seen in the photo above.

Performance

We put the LC-80LE632 through our usual battery of tests which include the normal user controls (brightness, color, contrast etc.) gray scale and the color management. While we were able to get decent gray scale with readings of 6391K for 20 IRE and 6485K for 80 IRE .

Color points were not accurate for red and green before or after adjusting the CMS controls. Our post adjustment readings are as follows with the Rec. 709 HDTV standard in parenthesis: Red x .611, y .350 (x.64, y .33) Green x .287, y.534 (x.30, y.60) Blue x.153, y .055 (x.15, y.06)

The HQV test discs were used to test high (1080i) and standard definition (480i) noise reduction, jaggies and film deinterlacing. While the LC-80LE632U passed all HD tests, the standard definition  upconversion tests did not fare well.

The  color bar detail test, revealed a softer image than other contemporary HDTVs we’ve tested. This Sharp passed the Jaggies Pattern 1, but failed Pattern 2, showing jaggies on two of the three bars. The flag jaggies test received a score of 5 out of 10.

Picture detail was on the soft side during the test and raising the Sharpness control improved detail somewhat, but any Sharpness setting added white outlines adjacent to edges of objects making it a lose-lose situation. The Sharp’s noise reduction circuit was quite  effective, passing the noise reduction test.

3:2  film detection (called 3:2 pulldown) was active even with the “Film Mode” in the “Off” position. While this Sharp  also passed the mix of titles with film test, it failed the  cadence tests  creating artifacts with animated and other non-standard cadence content.

Our minimum illumination test (black level) revealed a measurement of .008 ft. lamberts in the screen center, a good reading for a non-local dimming LED LCD. However, the screen edge area was  triple the brightness of the center area measuring .027 ft lamberts . Calibrated, the  white level was a very respectable 25.07 ft. lamberts, providing sufficient brightness with a variety of ambient room lighting conditions. Power consumption at this setting measured 138 watts.

Red saturation noticeably decreased from screen center too, as seen in the photo (above). We also observed a color shift when viewing off center at the optimum distance of  ten and a half feet, meaning persons on the left or right sofa cushions do not see the same image as one does when viewing from the center. We did not observe any other uniformity issues such as vertical bars sometimes seen on some competing brands of LED LCD.

The other picture quality issues were compression artifacts, observed using DirecTV content. While these artifacts (called mosquito noise) become less apparent the further you are from the screen, they are exacerbated  by this TVs massive size we found their appearance more severe that seen on other large screens recent large screen models tested. Blu-ray discs have far less compression and did not display the same degree of mosquito noise artifacts.

Motion resolution measured 600 lines (per picture height) with the 120 Hz mode engaged and 320 lines with 120 Hz circuit off.

Conclusion

This Sharp provides a huge HD image without resorting to dark room conditions required for optimum viewing using a front projection display. Only a rear projector offers similar performance, but trades off form for function with a deep cabinet jutting into the room. While we would like to see significant improvements in color accuracy, signal processing and picture uniformity, we are pleased  Sharp offers this size HDTV for under $5000 ($4430 on Amazon). HD Guru awards the Sharp LC-LE632U a ♥♥♥ out of five heart rating. Did we mention the screen is really big?

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

Updated and Corrected 3/24/2012

Panasonic entered the flat panel market as plasma HDTV company, producing some of the highest-rated displays of the last few years. In 2010, it began to offer 42-inch LCDs. For 2012, they are ramping up its LED LCD line with new 47- and 55-inch screens, featuring very thin bezels, highly styled cabinets, 1.1″ depths, new signal processing, a new track pad remote control and more.

We were extremely impressed by our first look of the new flagship LED LCD WT50 series at the January CES. Using an improved  LCD crystal alignment and a new filter, Panasonic appeared to accomplish something no other LED LCD or conventionally backlit HDTV has done before: near-ideal vertical and horizontal viewing angle performance,  high contrast, great image uniformity, and deep blacks. We felt an early evaluation would be of particular interest to our readers.

Features

The WT50 series is loaded with almost every feature available in 2012:  Active Shutter Progressive 3D, Backlight Scanning, Clear Panel Pro (with 16 zone dimming), plus new signal processing methods called 1080p Pure Direct, Pure Image Creation, Vivid Color Creation and Web Smoother, for enhanced color detail and smooth motion signal processing, among other benefits.

Panasonic includes two remote controls. One is similar to last year’s (and full sized) plus a second Touch Pad controller.

In addition to apps and streaming services (like Vudu, Amazon, Netflix, Wealth TV, Wealth TV3D, etc.) Panasonic offers sports, weather, games, health and fitness, social networks, Skype (with optional camera) and new childrens’ apps and soon, Disney books.

Performance features include ISFccc Calibration settings, a color management system, 24 Hz input, 240 Hz refresh, plus a scanning backlight.

No test photos have been retouched or color corrected to compensate for camera errors or room lighting

Set-Up

We were given an opportunity to spend around three hours with the TCP55WT50 at Panasonic’s New Jersey headquarters. The unit was a pilot production sample with the certification required for sale, but it appeared a side trim piece was missing. Given our usual review methodology requires days not hours, we condensed our testing, using the factory preset color management while negating our full battery of a 2D and 3D sources (cable, satellite, disc, streaming). After optimizing the main user controls, such as color, brightness and contrast etc., we checked factory-default color points, minimum black level , white level (light output), motion resolution, as well as  jaggies, noise reduction, motion resolution test etc. We used  the HQV standard and HD test discs along with the FPD motion resolution test disc and our HD signal generator. We plan to do a more in-depth test once a production sample becomes available around April.

The WT50 uses new Panasonic 3D Bluetooth glasses that were unfortunately not on hand, so all of our test results are in 2D mode. We saw impressive 3D demos at CES but we will reserve judgment until we get our hands on a production sample and the new glasses.

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Test Results

The WT50 produced a retina-searing image of 85.4 ft. lamberts in the “Vivid” picture mode. This mode is designed for brightly-lit showrooms, not home viewing environments so we switched over to the Cinema picture mode for the majority of our testing and viewing.

In the Cinema mode the TCL55WT50 produced a maximum brightness of 28.71 ft lamberts with a full white 100IRE signal, more than adequate for almost any home. The minimum black level produced an amazingly low 0.002 ft lamberts. This is the lower limit of our Minolta LS100 light meter and the lowest black level we have seen since the last generation of the Pioneer Elite plasma! Please note this is with the LEDs “on” (some sets turn them off when fed a black test signal). To date we have not received a sample Sharp Elite LED HDTV, however our esteemed colleagues at Home Theater magazine measured it with the LED backlight “on” at 0.011 ft lamberts, a level over five times higher than the WT50.

These measurements produced an outstanding contrast ratio of 14,355:1. We checked color temperature, in the warm mode using factory  Cinema defaults, and measured a near ideal 6440K to 6517K from 20 to 100 IRE levels.

Color points were close to the HD rec.709 standard. Without making adjustments to the unit’s color management system, the readings are as follows: (rec. 709 in parenthesis for comparison) Red= x.643, y.336 (x .64, y.33) Green= x .316, y .619 (x .30, y .60) Blue= x .158, y.070 (x .15, y. 06)

We also checked the signal processing via the HQV discs (both HD Blu-ray and SD DVD). These tests include jaggies, color bars, noise reduction, deinterlacing, 3:2 film conversion in HD. The WT50 passed every one. Ditto for passing all the standard definition tests, which also includes animation cadences. These tests make many other TVs produce unwanted picture artifacts.

Picture uniformity, a big issue with competing LED LCDs, wasn’t perfect but was among the best we’ve seen to date on a LED LCD. There were no vertical bars (called jail bars), no bright spots (called flashlighting) and just some slight dimming near the edges while viewing near black or gray test signals.

Motion resolution came in at full 1080 lines (per picture height) with the frame insertion 240 Hz mode “on,” even at its lowest setting. With the circuit “Off” it measured 330 lines, the same as other LED LCDs operating at the 60 Hz position.

Viewing Tests

Aside from the excellent results above, the real tests came while viewing movie content. With limited time remaining, we confined our viewing to movie Blu-ray discs. The TC-P55WT50 produced excellent images with great detail, solid uniformity and deep, detailed dark areas. Shutting off all the room lights confirmed the WT50′s deep blacks.

Three things made this TV stand out from every other LED LCD flat panel we’ve tested to date: the viewing angle, the black level and the signal processing. No matter if we stood up or sat, viewed straight on or at an angle, the WT50 produced a fine image with no color shift or increase in black level. This is a LCD first, with no need to sit at dead center for the best image. I’d even go so far as to say, in this regard, it made us forget we were watching a LED LCD and not a plasma, which are known for their outstanding viewing angle.

The black level is lower than any 2011 HDTV we tested, being one-half of the best level we tested on a Panasonic VT30 (0.004 ft lamberts). We like to emphasize this was with the LEDs on, not off, as other sets simply shut down the light source, a condition that is only worthwhile when the screen fades to complete black during a program, Star filled space scenes and similar content requires the LED backlight to be on at all time. This would mean the black level is higher than shutting of the LED, but shutting off backlight (as some HDTVs do) distorts the image by burying dark detail into black.

Panasonic’s signal processing advances were evident when we selected the lowest motion enhancement setting. We’ve often complained about the “soap opera effect” which on other  LED LCDs (and CCFL LCDs)  made film-based material appear look like it was shot on video. The Panasonic did not. This attribute alone makes the WT50 worthy of consideration for every movie buff.

Final Thoughts

Panasonic’s TC-L55WT50 sets new performance benchmarks against every other HDTV. In addition its fresh styling, svelte form factor, $2,999 retail price and many Internet features makes it a worthy contender for best LED LCD of the year.

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

Ditch those cables. Wireless is the way to be

Up for test are three of the latest wireless HDMI transmitters: Actiontec MyWirelessTV Multi-Room Wireless HD Video Kit, Vizio XWH200 Universal Wireless HD Video & Audio Kit, and the Rocketfish RF-WHD210 4-Port Wireless HD Kit.

Tested in room and throughout the house, find out if these cableless wonders really work.

I tested at 1080p using Blu-ray from an Oppo BDP-93.  I tested them in two different setups. One placed the transmitter in one corner of my house, the other in the opposite corner (about 50 feet, through several walls). The Vizio and Rocketfish are designed for in-room installs, so I did this as well, with the transmitter in my rack and the receiver on my projector, about 15 feet, line of sight.

In all three cases, each device was able to send a 1 pixel on/off pattern (full 1080p resolution).

Actiontec MyWirelessTV

The Actiontec has an industrial cable-router look to it, but they’re small enough to conceal easily. While there’s only 1 HDMI in/out (with an additional out on the transmitter for a local TV), you can add additional receivers for additional TVs running from the same transmitter. They also transmit IR codes.

It uses H.264 compression for the video, which it does on the fly and according to Actiontec with “virtually no latency.” It broadcasts on the 802.11 WiFi channels so there’s potential for it to bump into other wireless traffic, but I was using my WiFi during the test, and didn’t see any hiccups. I did get a weird result when talking on my cordless phone near the transmitter, where the phone’s signal cut out. Correlation doesn’t necessarily mean causation, but it was an amusing coincidence otherwise.

The MyWirelessTV receiver and transmitter take a few moments to lock together, but once it does the signal seemed fine. The farther the distance, the longer it takes to sync up. There were some additional compression artifacts visible, most noticeably right after a major scene or shot change (when a lot of the image changes at once). This, too, increased with distance. When used within a single room, there weren’t any noticeable artifacts. I wouldn’t say “no latency” but it did have the least lipsync delay of the three products here.

One aspect to keep in mind: the MyWirelessTV wants to get you signal, even if that means dropping the resolution. So if it doesn’t work at a certain distance at 1080p, it may send 480p instead. Switch the source’s output to 1080i, and it may work fine.

It worked across the house, though, so I’ll call that a win. The occasional compression artifacts were a disappointment, but in all it looked good and detailed, and no worse than what you’d normally see watching HD on cable/satellite.

The Actiontec MyWirelessTV Kit is currently $225.99 at Amazon.com. HDGuru.com awards the MyWirelessTV a ♥♥♥.5 out of ♥♥♥♥♥ heart rating.

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Rocketfish RF-WHD210 4-Port Wireless HD Kit

The Rocketfish has a swoopier design than the Actiontec, but is still more computer accessory than home theater accessory, at least in the looks department. It was the only one in this bunch with hard power switches, which is nice from a power consumption standpoint. It has 4 HDMI inputs on the transmitter, and comes with a remote for the receiver end to switch between them.

Both the Rocketfish and the Vizio are designed for in-room transmission. Just for kicks (and because I had it setup), I tried them across the house. No such luck. They use the WirelessHD, or WiHD, standard. This operates in the 60 GHz range, well above pretty much anything else you have in your house.

One downside to WiHD technology is that it’s practically like using Infrared. You might be able to put the transmitter in a cabinet, but it is extremely susceptible to physical interference. I walked between the transmitter and receiver, and the picture cut out, only to resume when I moved away. To be sure I wasn’t crazy (or specifically, crazy about this) I moved back and forth. Sure enough, standing directly between the two resulted in picture loss. It resumed immediately as I moved. In-room and practically line of sight needed.

The picture, though, was perfect. No noticeable artifacts. There were a few frames of delay, so if you’re susceptible to lipsync issues (and your receiver can’t compensate), wireless HD might not be for you. If you don’t use a receiver (using the TV’s speakers), then I feel bad for you, but you’ll be fine in this case as the audio will get the same delay as the video.

The VRocketfish RF-WHD210 4-Port Wireless HD Kit is currently $199 at BestBuy.com. HDGuru.com awards the RF-WHD210 WiHD Kit a ♥♥♥ out of ♥♥♥♥♥ heart rating.

Vizio XWH200 Universal Wireless HD Video & Audio Kit

The XWH200 is much cooler looking than the Actiontec and Rocketfish, with a pyramidal shape that I wouldn’t mind putting someplace visible. Your tastes may vary. They’re a lot smaller than they seem in pictures; the receiver isn’t much longer than a Blu-ray case, the transmitter only an inch or so bigger.

In addition to sharing the WiHD technology standard, the Vizio also has for HDMI inputs, selectable via remote. After hooking them up, the receiver and transmitter synced immediately.

The XWH200 wasn’t quite as susceptible to interference as the Rocketfish, but if I stood directly in front of the transmitter, they’d lose sync.  I’d advise against putting the transmitter or the receiver in a cabinet. They’re mountable, which I’d recommend instead.

Picture quality was great, with no visible artifacts. There was a lipsync issue, so if you’re using a receiver for your audio, and doesn’t have a lipsync adjustment, this could be an problem. It’s slight, and not as bad as the Rocketfish.

The Vizio XWH200 Universal Wireless HD Video & Audio Kit is currently $178 at Amazon.com. HDGuru.com awards the XWH200 WiHD Kit a ♥♥♥ out of ♥♥♥♥♥ heart rating.

Conclusion

Generally, given how cheap short HDMI cables are, I’d say just hardwire everything. It’s the most stable connection, and is always perfect picture quality. On the other hand, there are some instances where running wires is less ideal. Through a wall, for example is potentially problematic and expensive. Not just the labor, but in the need for better made cables (if you’re running wires through a wall, I don’t recommend cheap HDMI cables, too many potential problems).

That’s where wireless offers a solution. For similar money (or maybe less) than a decent long HDMI cable, one of these wireless transmitters would be an excellent solution. The Vizio performs and aesthetically looks slightly better than the Rocketfish, and is a bit cheaper. They’re pretty similar, though. The Actiontec is almost a different product, given that it can work quite a distance from the transmitter. This opens up far different installation possibilities. If you don’t mind a slight decrease in overall picture quality (due to the additional, but mild, compression artifacts over long distance), then it’s a great solution. In room, it’s better suited to installs within cabinets, though it’s possible there will be some interference with cordless phones (and maybe your house’s WiFi).

Geoff Morrison   @TechWriterGeoff
Check out Geoff’s book.

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Copyright ©2011 HD Guru Inc. All rights reserved. HDGURU is a registered trademark.

Reviewing the Revue now that it’s $99 and a few, I have things to say, some of which are new.

At $300 (or a $300 premium), Google TV in its various forms has been the kind of joke we tech folks adore. Lots of things to write about, all of them bad, and the chance to add some clever puns to repertoire.

But not me, I am not punny.

For $99 though, the Revue goes head to head with the likes of Apple TV, Roku, LG and others. Well now you’ve got something worth checking out. Again.

Right off the bat, it’s easy to see the Revue offers more than the King of the DMR space: the Apple TV. A web browser, a keyboard, extensive search functions, these are all well above the functionality of the Apple TV.

But the beauty of Apple’s beauty is in its simplicity, something Google TV is trying to not be. It’s practically a reactionary product, at least it was when it came out. Now, more DMRs are adding features Google did “first,” with mixed results.

At a new, more competitive (as in, realistic) price, all these extra features seem like an added bonus. An added bonus if and only if it works as well or nearly as well as the Apple TV does for what it does.

Game on.

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Setup

Setup is a more extensive process than the point-and-shoot Apple. Beyond the normal network and TV setup stages, you tell the Revue what TV service you use, what the cable/satellite box model is, plus what TV and receiver you have.

This is because the Revue likes to integrate itself into your system, a sort of central hub of content. You plug the HDMI from your cable/satellite box into it, and there’s an included IR blaster to let it drive your system. While this does add an extra level of complexity, and slows down the overall “I just want to watch TV” navigation, it does allow for the Revue’s best feature: Picture-in-Picture (Dual View).

Say you’re watching a movie, and you want to know what else the director has done. Press the Dual View button, navigate to the Chrome app, and Google search till your heart’s content.

The search function also searches local listings, so if you heard of a TV show you want to check out, the search will list the show’s website, plus what channel and when it’s playing next. If you want to set a record, though, you have to navigate through your DVR’s interface.

One of the major shortcomings of Google TV is that it doesn’t search all the available content sources. For this search to be truly useful, when I type in Sports Night I’d want to know if it’s playing on cable, plus that it’s available to stream from Netflix or Amazon. Instead, you have to navigate separately to their specific apps and search again. It’s this “almost a good thing” that has plagued Google TV from the start.

Unlike Sony’s TV that had integrated Google, the Logitech’s keyboard/remote is excellent. Wireless, with a built-in touchpad, it makes navigating the web and searching easy. It’s more lap-based than hand-held, but for what it does that’s OK. One unfortunate quirk, the touchpad doesn’t allow you to tap-to-click, something anyone who’s used a laptop does intuitively. It does allow you to use two fingers to scroll, so the lack of a tap is totally troubling. (Update: Or I’m wrong, see Alvin’s comment below)

Picture me this

The Netflix interface is of the new variety with big, high-res cover art and search functions. The picture quality is excellent, though, with one of the best scalers I’ve seen in a DMR. Standard definition content looks exceptionally detailed with very little noise. It’s probably the best looking streamer going, up there with the better streaming Blu-ray players.

Amazon Instant Video isn’t quite as user friendly as Netflix. It’s “interface” is merely access to the Instant Video portion of Amazon’s actual website. Navigating isn’t difficult, but it’s not fast or particularly easy. That said, the stock AIV interface found on most DMRs blows, so by default this is a step up. HD content is excellent, with little extraneous noise and lots of detail. My AT&T U-verse still looks better, but not by much.

The web browser is a little on the slow side, especially on pages with a lot of graphics. I wouldn’t use it in place of a computer, but in place of nothing, it works great. You still can’t watch video from NBC, ABC, CBS, or Fox, and Hulu says “coming soon” just like it did when I first reviewed a Google TV product nine months ago.

The Revue can stream music and some video from your computer. The interface isn’t too elaborate, but it gets the job done. Mostly. There is no global “shuffle” feature, so you can’t set it and forget it (for a party, say). You can search, though, which is cool.

Who’s it for?

I use DMRs to stream from Netflix, Amazon/iTunes, and to bring music from my computer to my theater. Additional features aren’t worth much to me. This takes for granted, though, my smartphone or the occasional tablet I review. If I didn’t have such convenient access to the Web, would the browser capabilities of the Revue be a draw? Unequivocally, yes. If you want web access in your TV room, plus streaming features, the Revue is a great product. I wouldn’t recommend letting its tendrils reach out to all your other gear, but that’s just me.

Is it worth upgrading or converting from an Apple TV if you don’t care about Web browsing? No, and there’s a lot of extra goop to navigate around if you’re just using it as a streamer. Perhaps that’s the biggest irony of the lower price point. It’s easier to overlook all the extra “features” promised with Google TV, and just judge it as a DMR+browser with some extra stuff. Stuff that, amusingly, is forgettable.

The Logitech Revue is priced on Amazon for $99.99. HDGuru.com awards the Revue a a ♥♥♥.5 out of ♥♥♥♥♥ heart rating. Geoff Morrison
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Besides Apple, most big companies have relegated their “smart TV” interfaces to other products, like incorporated into TVs and Blu-ray players. Thus, the standalone streamers are left to Apple and companies like Roku, Boxee, Western Digital and others.

LG, with their Smart TV Upgrader, takes aim at Apple TV and Roku directly. How does it hold up? Let’s find out.

Off the bat, they got the form factor right. It’s nearly identical in size to the Apple TV, and just slightly smaller than the Roku (reviewed here). The design is subtle, but looks good with a faux-brushed metal finish.

You get the expected HDMI output, plus optical for those inclined towards that style of digital audio transmission. A USB connection is an added bonus, giving the Smart TV Upgrader the ability to play music, video, and photos from flash drives.

The stubby remote is similar in size to the Roku’s, though the button clicks are far more precise. The center button has a touch/motion functionality. This works marginally better than wishing. There’s a slight sluggishness to the controls and interactions. It’s not a big deal, but it’s not as polished as the Apple TV.

In the setup menus you can chose 24 Hz playback, and you’ll need to enable wireless, as wired is the default. Not much else to setup, really.

The software version on install was ST.8.79.151.F. I manually updated this to ST.8.79.168.F via the user menu. Annoyingly, my settings were lost in the update, requiring WiFI password re-entry.

The main user interface is attractive, and is similar to those found on other current-gen LG products.

Streamin’

A streaming device is only as strong as it’s apps. Netflix is here, of course, but just as important is Amazon Instant Video. For those looking for higher quality, VUDU is here as well.

The streaming section of the Smart TV is identical in looks and functionality to the BD670 I reviewed a few weeks ago. The Netflix interface is of the newer variety as well, with large cover art and search.

Scaling up standard definition Netflix content is pretty good, better than the Apple TV, and similar to the performance to the better Internet-connected Blu-ray players (a good thing). I checked the most recent Star Trek movie, and found decent detail in the captain’s face during the opening scene. HD playback is decent as well. The beautiful BBC series Sherlock looked quite detailed, though perhaps a touch noisy.

The Amazon Instant Video interface is far better than the original interface, with more easily navicable sections. It continues to seem as if no one at Amazon has ever used Netflix, as the interface still needs a lot of work.

Video quality wise, the Amazon feeds of the same titles (I checked Sherlock and Farscape) was a little less noisy, but had noticeable jaggies, even on the HD Sherlock. I don’t know where in the process this artifact is being created, as the Netflix versions had no such jaggies.

VUDU is the other major provider, and the only one that offers true 1080p content (the others are upconverted SD or 720p). Checking Star Trek again, this time HD, there was only a little noise but lots of detail. Not quite Blu-ray, but way better than the content picture quality from the other providers.

You also get Napster and Pandora on the audio side. CinemaNow is available, but as there is no HD content, I don’t consider it a serious provider.

Apps. Everyone’s got apps

LG Apps is their App Store, which has a bookshelf aesthetic.  The light gaming and info apps here are mostly filler, and none seemed overly exciting.

The biggest separator of the Smart TV Upgrader over the Apple TV is a built-in web browser. Boxee and Google TV pride themselves on a similar feature. What’s lacking here is any convenient way to navigate. The ineffective thumbpad sensor on the remote combined with no physical keyboard to type URLs, means this feature looks cool on the box, but remains a cumbersome novelty.

If you have a smartphone or tablet, you can download the free LG Remote app. This lets you use your portable as a controller. Sadly, the most obvious advantage of a smart phone/tablet — a real or virtual keyboard — is not available with the app. So even though the touchpad screen makes moving the cursor easier, typing URLs is still tedious.

The two screens of the LG Remote app. You toggle between them with the icons at the top. The screen on the left acts like the arrows on your remote. The screen on the right acts like the thumbpad on a laptop.

Your own media

Smart Share is LG’s DLNA interface. It saw the computers and files on my network instantly (though on my computer’s end, this was previously set up). Music playback works, though there is no search feature and no way to shuffle through your entire music collection, only per album. Apple TV still wins over any other media streamer in this feature.

Lastly is Media Link, included in the Smart Share section. This media manager requires downloading the third party Plex software. It’s exceedingly clunky, enough so I that I can’t imagine anyone using it. After an hour of trying to get it to run correctly, I gave up. If I can’t get something running in an hour, I don’t see how most consumers will. If you use Plex and love it, let me know and I’ll be happy to give it another try.

Conclusion

LG faces some stiff competition in this product space. The Apple TV, despite its 720p output, remains the benchmark. For those who don’t partake of the Apple, Roku is a viable alternative. The Smart TV Upgrader does look better than either, in terms of SD scaling, but lacks the elegant simplicity of the Apple and the open architecture of the Roku. It does, however, have a modicum of DLNA functionality, which is more than I can say Roku (save your comments, I covered my feelings about the Roku in that review).

So where does that leave the Smart TV Upgrader? If you don’t plan on using it as a music streamer, and don’t care about Apple-ness, the LG offers better picture quality. That said, at full MSRP, it is not worth $30 more than an Apple TV. Current web prices, though, have it at $21 less than the Apple, which is much more reasonable. So in that case, it’s a good deal, given the caveats above.

The LG ST600 Smart TV Upgrader is priced on Amazon for $76.99 (41% off MSRP of $129.99). HDGuru.com awards the Smart TV Upgrader a ♥♥♥   out of ♥♥♥♥♥ heart rating.

—Geoff Morrison
Follow me on Twitter @TechWriterGeoff

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Is it any good? We take a look.

The first takeaway from the DMP-BD75 is how small it is, at less than an inch-and-a-half tall and just over 7-inches deep. On the back are the barest of connections: HDMI, composite/analog stereo, and Ethernet. On the front is a USB connection for playback of images and video from flash drives. The lack of component video outputs isn’t surprising, now that the analog hole is closed. The lack of an optical or coaxial digital output for audio is interesting, though I guess forgiven considering the player’s price.

Setup is fast and easy, and it drops you into the new and stylish main menu. There was a reminder on screen to check for new firmware. My version was 1.07 and it upgraded to 1.19.

The remote is standard Panasonic fare, with big buttons but no backlighting. There is a dedicated Netflix button, which is great. Pictures are worth some words or something, so here’s a picture of the remote:

Pretty Menus

Pansonic’s menus have lagged behind the competition for several years. This isn’t a big deal performance-wise, but from a user experience standpoint, Samsung kicked their ass. Thankfully with the new models Panasonic has revamped the menus, much for the better. They’re easy to navigate, and while lacking the outright attractiveness of some of the competition, they’re no longer an eyesore. It’s important to note that while this player has Internet streaming and DLNA capabilities, it does not have the full Viera Connect interface of other new Panasonic models.

Boot times were pretty quick, not too surprising given this player’s billing as “Ultra-Fast Booting.” It takes about 20 seconds to get to the main menu. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl takes roughly 45 seconds. Inglourious Basterds takes about 1:10. Resident Evil: Apocalypse took about 35 seconds.

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Scaling and Deinterlacing

With DVD content, the DMP-BD75 was pretty good. Using the video tests off the HQV Benchmark DVD, the rotating bar test pattern showed small jagges at the start of the green area, which is decent. The flag test on this same test had small, barely noticeable jaggies on the flag and there was some noise in the bricks in the background. In all, I’d give this a B-/B compared to other Blu-ray players. The upconversion of DVDs is very good, with lots of detail and minimal noise.

Using the Spears & Munsil Benchmark Blu-ray, the SD Bridge pattern had minimal jaggies. The HD rotating bar pattern on this disc looked excellent, with only slight jaggies as the bar approaches horizontal. The HD Ship test didn’t look quite as good, with small jaggies visible on most of the horizontal rigging. C+/B- overall on this disc.

The DMP-BD75 was able to pick up the 3:2 sequence with 480i and 1080i content, as you’d expect.

Netflix and Streaming

The Netflix interface is the newer variety, with big art and search. Like most new Netflix-streaming devices, the DMP-BD75 will output a 1080p signal with Netflix content. Scaling performance is quite good, most notably the most recent Star Trek, which is only available in SD. It looked a little better than most of the dedicated network streamers. There was no chroma upsampling error, which was an issue with some early Netflix-enabled Panasonic BD players.

Presumably due to the price, though not likely due to any hardware limitation, there are only three Internet content providers other than Netflix. You get VUDU, CinemaNow, and Napster. Notably absent is Pandora and Amazon Video on Demand, found on other Panasonic products. This is somewhat limiting, and an odd choice given that it wouldn’t require more hardware or memory space to include these missing and rather important services.

Conclusion

For under $100, it’s hard to find fault with the DMP-BD75. Sure it could use more streaming providers, it’s not 3D, and it doesn’t have wireless, but in reality, for a value oriented Blu-ray player it’s excellent. It gets people in the door of not only Blu-ray, but Netflix as well, while doing a great job scaling SD content. What more could you ask for $100?

The Panasonic DMP-BD75 Blu-ray Player is priced on Amazon for $89.17 (11% off MSRP of $99). HDGuru.com awards the DMP-BD75 a  ♥ ♥ ♥ ½  out of 5 heart rating.

Geoff Morrison  Follow me on Twitter @TechWriterGeoff
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Copyright ©2011 HD Guru Inc. All rights reserved. HDGURU is a registered trademark.

Is it worth getting? Read on…

Even taking the price into account, the BD670 is pretty plain looking. With all the stellar designs coming from arch-nemesis Samsung, I would have thought a little more care would have gone into making the players attractive. Not that it really matters.

There are hard buttons on the front for basic navigation. The remote is decently laid out, with the disc controls in a raised hump about where your thumb rests. They look like they’d glow or be backlit, but nope. There’s no dedicated Netflix button, like some other players have. Not a huge deal, but it would have been a timesaver.

The player launches to its home screen almost instantly. Here you can stream photos and music from your computer, or access your favorite apps, which you download from the LG Apps store, also here. The popular streaming services are under Premium, which is a little unintuitive. The menus and Apps store are a little sluggish, but I’ve used worse.

Out of the box, my player’s driver version was H90301 and the SW Version was BD.8.62.211.E. I was able to upgrade this to H90358 and BD.8.62.280.E manually. One odd setting was a toggle between 60 Hz and 24 Hz, not both. What this actually does is enable 24p when it’s available, not that it converts everything to 1080p/24 (which would be weird and occasionally bad).

Stream me up, Scotty

The Netflix interface is of the newer variety, with big cover art and search. Interestingly, the menu looks soft, like it’s upconverted SD. Not a big deal, but add that to the overall sluggishness, and the interaction with the player isn’t as good as other gear.

Like many new Netflix streaming devices, it will output 1080p 60 or 24, though it is doubtful it is a real 1080p stream (likely scaled from 720p, to my knowledge Netflix hasn’t specified).

Picture quality is decent, though a bit noisier than some other devices I’ve reviewed recently. Star Trek (the new one) had decent detail at the beginning on the captain’s face, but was noisy in the space scenes. The Spy Who Loved Me, in HD, looked noisier than I have seen before on the snow chase scene at the beginning, but in all looked quite detailed.

In addition to Netflix, you get VUDU, Amazon Video on Demand, Pandora, and a bunch of other services. The inclusion of Amazon is welcome, as not all streaming devices give you a way to buy/rent current TV/movie content.

Discs

Upconverting quality from DVDs is again decent. Like with Netflix, the image is detailed, but noisier than other players I’ve reviewed. Even with the player in the 24Hz mode, it won’t output DVDs at 1080p/24. Oh well.

Using the HQV Benchmark DVD, the rotating bar test looked ok. The jaggies were small, but they started in the “yellow” area, around 20. The flag test on the same disc had small jaggies on the flag, and some noise in the bricks behind. In all, performance was average, at best.

As you’d expect, the BD670 had no problem picking up the 3:2 sequence with 480i and 1080i.

Blu-ray performance was much better, with the rotating bar on the Spears & Munsil disc looking excellent, almost no visible jaggies. With the 1080i “Ship” test on this disc, there were some small jaggies in the rigging, but overall above average performance.

Loading Blu-ray discs from off went fairly quickly. I clocked 46 second for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, 1:10 for Inglourious Basterds, and 22 seconds for Resident Evil: Apocalypse. All times were about average for Blu-ray players in this price range.

There is no 2D-to-3D conversion on the BD670, but it was able to handle 3D Blu-rays just fine, as a few clips from Despicable Me 3D proved.

Conclusion

While the BD670′s performance doesn’t set any benchmarks, it performs well (sluggish navigation aside). Mostly, though, it’s the inexpensive nature of the player, with its inclusion of streaming and wireless for a low price that sets it apart.

The LG BD670 3D Blu-ray Player is priced on Amazon for $166.99 (27% off MSRP of $229) with free shipping. The HDGuru.com awards the BD670 a ♥♥♥½   out of ♥♥♥♥♥ heart rating.

—Geoff Morrison – Follow me on Twitter @TechWriterGeoff
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Copyright ©2011 HD Guru Inc. All rights reserved. HDGURU is a registered trademark.

Samsung’s 2011 D8000 LED LCD is their top of the line series, offering the most features and highest performance of any of their 2011 LCD models. The 55-inch, 240 Hz refresh rate design provides excellent screen brightness with outstanding energy efficiency.  New for 2011 is an LED dimming circuit Samsung calls “micro dimming” for deep blacks, a QWERTY remote control, built-in Internet browser, updated graphic user interface and improved 2D and 3D performance claims.

Initial Impressions

Samsung made a number of internal and external changes from last year’s UN55C8000. We liked a number of the new attributes: 3D performance, signal processing, and the wide selection of user picture controls. However, we spotted two performance issues: screen uniformity and poor vertical viewing angle, detailed below.

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Styling

Cosmetically, Samsung trimmed the frame around the active picture area to an astonishing 0.94-inches, giving this HDTV an almost all-image appearance once powered-up. It is one of the best-looking TV designs of all time. The display sits on a four-legged, chrome-finished swivel stand (included). Samsung cleaned up the rear by making all connections built-in, sans component and composite AV inputs which, like last year, still require included dongles. With a panel depth of just 1.2 inches the 8000 is one of the slimmest sets available.

Connectivity

All the UN55D8000′s inputs are located on the rear of the TV. They include four HDMI inputs, one each component and composite input (as mention, these require the supplied dongle), 3 USB ports, 1 D-sub 15 PC input, F-type antenna input and an Ethernet jack (there is also built-in Wi-Fi).

Remote

The new-for-2011 remote control is an asymmetrical, wedge-shaped dual-sided affair. The A-side has the standard TV controls with a numeric keyboard, and the usual source, menu, volume, channel +/-, tools, etc. buttons. There’s a backlight for this side. New for 2011 is an “E-manual” button for an electronic user manual.

Now, we have no problem with a built-in electronic copy of the user manual. However, Samsung has foolishly followed Sony’s 2010 lead and decided not to include a complete printed user manual. In its place is a very sparse 23-page pamphlet that covers heady topics like remote battery insertion and connections. In our opinion, the exclusion of a real manual is inexcusable for a $3600 (retail) TV. Internet connected HDTVs have many controls and we hate the idea of needing to find an explanation of functions by entering the E-manual, then exiting, attempting the function and then reentering the E-manual for more information. Kind of reminds us of shampoo instructions (shampoo, rinse, repeat) and is not idea for the operation of a TV.

To their credit, Samsung customer service says they will send a bound. printed. full 325-page owner’s manual if you call 1-800-Samsung and make a request.

Back to the remote. Flipping it over over reveals a QWERTY keyboard. Most notably, it requires “pairing” to sync to the TV. Samsung’s supplied instruction pamphlet neglected to include the words, “the remote must be within eight inches of the TV to pair with the 8000,” a fact we learned only after failing to get the darn thing to work and making a call to Samsung’s customer service (which happens to be located in the USA). The representative was very well trained and helpful.

Once we got the remote “paired” we had a big problem with the keyboard for entry into the Internet browser. Entering hdguru.com would show up as hddguuruu.com requiring multiple backspaces and reentries. We requested a replacement remote to determine if the double key entry is limited to our sample and we’ll update when we try another unit.

We have other complaints about the QWERTY side. There is no backlight and many of the function keys are so small we couldn’t read them without turning up the room lights. Overall we feel the remote needs to be larger for easier operation and requires larger keys. A nice concept but a poor execution.

Features

The list is quite impressive. It includes Internet streaming (VUDU, Netflix and Blockbuster) and other applications using an open platform. This means new services and apps can be added via a software update. Other capabilities include 3D with new Bluetooth RF-sync glasses , Skype video (with optional camera), a wide array of custom picture controls, fine control of its 240Hz processing, and multiple options for enabling sectional picture dimming.

There are four picture modes, and numerous additional settings including de-judder, color temperature, gray scale (2 or 10 point), gamma, color management, noise reduction and others.

There are also adjustments for gray scale, color points and gamma, although all require precise test equipment to set properly. We recommend hiring a qualified ISF calibrator with high quality test gear (those cheapo do-it-yourself kits don’t cut it) or simply leave the gray scale controls at factory default in the Warm 2 setting (they were very accurate with our review sample, measurements are listed below).

The motion estimation/motion compensation (ME/MC) circuits perform two functions, reducing motion blur and smoothing native 24Hz-based content. With 24 Hz-based content found on Blu-ray discs and a number of scripted TV shows, you may engage the anti-judder circuit without activating the anti-blur circuit. The result will be smooth motion as the TV repeats the same frame ten times, eliminating uneven/jerky pans known as “judder”. With the anti-blur circuit in the “off” position motion resolution drops to 330 lines (per picture height). Engaging anti-blur will increase the motion resolution to 1080 lines PPH while at the same time inserting synthesized frames that give a video a look often referred to as the “Soap Opera Effect” or SOE. Many viewers find SOE objectionable (though some folks love it). It’s your choice, though personally we don’t like the SOE so we kept the anti-blur control set to “off”.

There are a host of controls geared to producing deeper blacks by reducing the light output of the LEDs, or in some cases shutting them off, and another control that simultaneously increase the white level. All these controls help the image achieve a higher contrast ratio, but it comes at the expense of burying black and light details. They’re labeled, Dynamic Contrast, Shadow Detail, Motion Lighting, Cinema Black, Black Tone, Smart LED and HDMI Black Level. We made our picture evaluations with all set to the “off” position except HDMI Black level which we set to “Low” (update: the 8000 automatically sets this control with video sources such as a Blu-ray player, regardless of what the menu reads, according to Samsung TV labs, we corrected the the text to reflect the actual setting)

Operation

The “Movie” picture mode comes closest to the ideal settings for the UN55D8000, so we stuck with it throughout our testing except to measure maximum image brightness, where we used the Showroom mode labeled “Dynamic.”.  The 8000 passes the Energy Star 4.0 certification, which requires the “Standard” mode as the default “Home” setting. The entire Energy Star program is befuddling and in our opinion arbitrary, with upcoming elements soon to have profound a profound impact on image quality and consumer choice as it pertains to TVs. We plan to cover the issues in a future article.

Back to our measurements, the 8000 read blazing 87.34 ft. lamberts in the “Vivid” mode and a bright 41.17 ft lamberts using our calibrated “Movie” mode settings. LED LCDs are the most energy efficient TVs on the market and this Samsung was no exception, using just 86 watts with the IEC test disc (again in the “Movie” setting). Be aware the UN55D8000 is one of the most expensive TVs on the market today, currently selling for $2699.66 on Amazon, due in part to the cost of the LED edge lighting. So if you are expecting a return on your investment because it’s energy efficient, you may be in for a long wait.

The long list of picture controls made tweaking the settings a time consuming affair.

Standard Defintion Tests

Like last year’s C series 8000 model, the UN55D8000′s signal processing does an excellent job upconverting standard definition 480i signals to 1080p, acing all the HQV SD tests including detail, jaggies, waving flag jaggies, 3:2 pulldown detection and multi-rate film cadence. Only the mixed video titles with required a switch over to Film Mode “Auto 2″ position, while other film mode tests require “Auto 1″ to pass. We find this a minor bug and recommend sticking with Auto 1 for standard definition content.

There were a few minor problems worth noting. With 480i content you must have the image expanded, cutting off about 2.5% of the picture (with HD content you can engage the “Screen Fit” mode with 1:1 aspect ratio).

The user menus for the Noise Reduction modes always cover about 75% of the image, making the determination of which setting to use very difficult. We would like to see Samsung give these adjustments the small setting bar at the bottom as it does with the other adjustments.

High Defintion Tests

Checking the HQV Blu-ray test disc, the UN55D8000 passed all the tests (noise reduction, deinterlacing, jaggies and film resolution loss) although we again had to move the control to the Film Mode Auto 2 to eliminate some noise in the last test. We never saw noise in any observations of real content, returning the control to position “1″ for all our content viewing evaluations.

Color was close to the Rec. 709 standard (noted in parenthesis) measuring:

Red x0.647 y0.333 (x0.64, y0.33)

Green x0.296 y0.602 (x0.30, y0.60)

Blue x0.151 y0.054 (x0.15, y0.06)

Black level is dependent on setting of the dynamic black circuits. Activated they can shut off the LED edge lighting providing a completely black image. If set to the “off” position the minimum black level measured 0.015 ft. lamberts, not terrible but not nearly as deep as we’ve measured with plasma technology such as the recently tested Panasonic TC-P50ST30, which came in at 0.008 ft. lamberts and sells for less than half the price. The 55-inch version of the ST30 is still about $1,000 less.

Gray scale in the Warm2 mode was so close to ideal we doubt if anyone would see a visual benefit to a full gray scale calibration (assuming other samples are as accurate). The 8000 measured 6521K at 20 IRE (x0.312, y0.330) and 6521K at 80 IRE (x0.312, y0.330)

Prior to our review, reports appeared on the Internet indicating the component video input would not accept signals above 480i. We tested component video inputs with our Sencore 403 signal generator and Panasonic BDT-350 Blu-ray player and found the complaint erroneous. The 8000 accepts 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p/60 signals via component video cable, although we recommend connections via HDMI for the best signal quality (analog cables exhibit the loss of high frequencies seen as fine detail as cable length increases). HDMI cables do not. http://hdguru.com/all-hdmi-cables-are-the-same-or-are-they-full-test/4373/

3D

Samsung made 3D performance improvements over its 2010 LCD models. The result is a vast reduction, but not  complete elimination of, crosstalk (seen as ghost images). We observed crosstalk only on our toughest 3D tests which include the church exterior near the beginning of Monsters vs. Aliens and African Safari on DirecTV N3D. The TV and glasses now use radio signals to sync up. This allowed the active shutter glasses to operate continuously regardless if we faced the TV. We sampled the new standard (regular battery) and deluxe (rechargeable) 3D Samsung glasses and found both lighter and far more comfortable than last year’s models. We never observed any picture flickering during our tests.

Overall Performance

With bright, well-lit scenes found in most scripted TV series, the UN55D8000 produced outstanding high definition images with vivid colors, high contrast and (with the Auto Motion Plus ME/MC 240 Hz circuit engaged) no visible motion blur. However there were two problems we encountered that knocks down our overall rating of this display. They are vertical dispersion and screen uniformity.

There is a very noticeable drop of in image contrast, seen as a drop in brightness and rise in black level, whenever we stood up from our 9-foot viewing distance. This is a concern for anyone wanting to mount these TV at anything other than eye level.

The other problem is the lack of screen uniformity, which was quite disturbing in dark scenes.  Above are examples of this using frames from Minority Report and the splash screen of our 2010 Panasonic BDT-350 Blu-ray player. Another example, Chapter 8 at 26:23 in  I Am Legend with Will Smith walking around inside the abandoned building. The lack of uniformity reveals itself in three ways: five dark vertical strips (see Panasonic splash screen above), a lightening of the right and left edges (slightly more prominent on the left) and at times some faint horizontal brighter stripes we believe are the light wave guides.

When testing this issue with our signal generator using a full raster pattern, the unevenness can be seen with signal up to 75 IRE (out of 100 maximum), though they’re most noticeable below 50 IRE. Critical viewers could find this issue to be a major annoyance with select movie content, while folks that aren’t as picky may not care.

Final Thoughts

The Samsung UN55D8000 has a lot going for it, Internet applications, thin bezels, excellent signal processing, accurate color, and good 3D performance. However we find the poor uniformity a deal breaker for readers seeking the highest quality HDTV. Taken as a whole we award the Samsung UN55D8000 ♥♥♥ (3 out of 5) rating.

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Copyright ©2011 HD Guru Inc. All rights reserved. HDGURU is a registered trademark.

The Panasonic TC-P50ST30 is HD Guru’s first 2011 model test. It’s also the first “second generation” Full HD 3D TV to come our way. This 50-inch 1080p HDTV plasma retails for $1499.95, making it one of the lowest priced 3D TVs in its size class.

Initial Impressions

While we (and others) picked the 2010 VT25 series model as last year’s 3D TV benchmark, Panasonic has improved many aspects of their TV’s performance. The ST models offer new styling, a sleeker form factor, a new “open” Internet platform renamed “Viera Connect,” and a number of plasma panel improvements (we elaborate here).

Styling

The 2011 ST series has updated cosmetics to put it at a high tier of mid-price plasma style. Cleaner corners and bottom edge provide a sleeker, more modern appearance. Dark and conservative, we doubt anyone would object to the understated exterior, as it should blend into almost any room decor. The TC-P50ST30 includes a swivel stand.

The ST30, at least compared LED LCDs, doesn’t break any new ground in terms of depth or bezel thickness. The unit measures 2.2 inches depth from top of the set until about an inch from the bottom where the rear bulges another .6 inch bringing the maximum depth to 2.8 inches. By comparison last year’s TC-P50GT25 measured 3.5 inches deep.

Connectivity

The plasma includes a side mounted SD card slot (for videos and photos), two USB connectors and one HDMI input. The rear features two more HDMI inputs (sadly one less than last year), a LAN (Internet) connector, one component video input and one composite video input (both with associated L/R audio inputs). There is also an F-type antenna input and an optical digital audio output. Panasonic includes a Wi-Fi USB dongle for wireless Internet connectivity.

Remote

The remote control is largely a carry-over from the 2010 3D models. The one major change is a new “3D” button.  This gives access to manual 3D format selection (the set has auto-detection too). Also new for 2011 is a 3D effect adjustments that allows users manual control over perceived depth. For our tests we left this in the default position, finding this satisfactory, as it presumably would be with properly authored 3D content. Overall we found the remote comfortable with large, easy to press buttons.

Features

We were pleasantly surprised at the expanded features within this entry level 3D model. The ST30, in addition to new Internet streaming services such as Amazon and Netflix offers expanded array of applications including current and promised upcoming games and services.  Panasonic includes Skype video calling with its optional  video camera/microphone , the ability to view 3D video content via an SD card (not tested) and more user calibration controls than with last year’s non 3D S series, including the ability to fine tune gray scale (with proper know-how and test equipment). The ST30 comes with a new anti-reflective filter that does an effective job attenuating overhead sources of light such as a ceiling fixture. Like any other TV we recommend to avoid uncovered windows or lamps opposite the TV screen.

Panasonic includes many picture adjustments. A new one is “Motion Smooth” which ads frame insertion to make filmed images have fluid motion. Like the motion estimation/motion compensation (ME/MC) circuits found in all 120 Hz and higher refresh LCDs and LED LCDs, it makes film based material appear as a video source. While we prefer the circuit set to the “off” position (default is “weak” mode), there is a benefit in the form of a reduction of phosphor lag, seen as a green trailing edge using our FPD motion test disc. We were unable to find any normal TV content during our evaluations that produced lag in the “off” position.

Other picture adjustments include C.A.T.S. which uses a light sensor to change image brightness based on ambient room lighting changes. Automatically changing image brightness is maddening by its very nature and recommend the “off” position. Black extension, AGC and Contour Emphasis controls (located under the “Pro” settings menu) manipulate the image to make the dark areas darker while the AGC and Contour  make lighter picture areas brighter. We recommend the “Off” settings (0 for the AGC).

Under the Advanced Picture settings are “Black Level” which makes dark details to become too black in the dark setting, we recommend “light” mode; and 24p “Direct In” which allows viewing a 24Hz source (i.e. Blu-ray movie with a player that offers 24Hz output) at 48 Hz. Like in prior years we see flicker at 48Hz and therefore don’t recommend this setting.

Operation

The ST30 has five picture modes (Vivid, Standard, Game, Cinema and Custom). The TC-P50ST30 Panasonic has Energy Star 4.0 certification, so if you choose “Home” when you turn it on for the first time, the TV is set to the Standard picture mode We found it set too dark at the factory default (50) and increased the contrast control to achieve acceptable brightness. Regardless, we used the “Custom” mode for our evaluations as it is the only mode that allows adjustment of all the picture controls.   The showroom “Vivid” mode provides the brightest image (at the expense of accuracy) coming in at a factory default of 47.04 ft lamberts.

Post picture calibration in the Custom mode the image a very adequate 37.11 ft. lamberts, fine for most room ambient light conditions.

With all user settings completed we began our test and viewing evaluations.

Standard Definition

We ran through our standard test regime beginning with the HQV standard defintion DVD tests for signal processing via the 30′s sole composite video input.

The TC-P50ST30 passed all tests (vertical detail, jaggies, waving flag jaggies, picture detail, video noise reduction, motion adaptive noise reduction, 3:2 pulldown detection and filmed content that’s mixed with video titles). The only fails were of a few of the multi-rate film cadence, such as Vari-Cam, an insignificant failure as these formats are generally limited to news gathering and animation, which by their nature are low resolution.

We found the noise reduction very effective (an improvement over last year’s models), and could not see any picture degradation using it, thereby we recommend the maximum setting. We were pleasantly surprised to find that Panasonic provides separate memory settings for on-line streaming content as well as for each picture mode and input. Too bad none of the on-line movie services such as Amazon Video on Demand offer streaming of test signals. We will continue to fine tune the streaming user settings and plan to publish them if and when we can nail them down.

High Definition

Checking the HQV Blu-ray test disc, the TC-P50ST30 passed all tests (noise reduction, deinterlacing with and without motion, jaggies and 3:2 pulldown detection). However, please note “Auto” film detect mode produced unwanted noise in the test signal. Changing the film detect mode to “On” produced a noise free passing grade.

Our FPD motion resolution test confirmed full 1080 line (per picture height) motion resolution.

Color was quite accurate with color points very close to the HD Rec. 709 standard (noted in parentheses)

Red  x .624 y .324 (x.64 y.33)

Green x.303 y .603 (x .30 y.60)

Blu x .151 y.058 (x.15 y.06).

Minimum illumination (the brightness of black) comes in at .008 ft lamberts, quite dark especially for the TC-PST30s price. We never observed fluctuating blacks (also called floating blacks); though we speculate the activation of one of the “black level” settings mentioned above could produce the effect. We will post our picture settings shortly.

Out of the box color temperature in the Warm 2 setting came in at 6059K (x.321 y.336) at 20 IRE and 6075K (x .320, y 3.44) at 80 IRE. Post calibration measurements were excellent at 6588K (x.311, y.330) at 20 IRE and 6488K (x .313, y.329) at 80 IRE.

Power consumption using the industry standard IEC test disc came in at 210 watts using the calibrated settings. While this is far than energy consumption than an LED LCD which typical measure around 100 watts calibrated, keep in mind they cost far more than this Panasonic, making it doubtful you will realize a net savings over the life of the TV.

3D

Panasonic made a number of changes for 2011 3D plasma to improve 3D performance. We are still working on obtaining 3D test patterns to quantify results; in the meantime we must rely solely on observations of our 3D content which include DirecTV channels N3D, ESPN3D, 3Net and a growing library of Blu-ray discs.

We found the TC-ST30s 3D performance the best we have seen to date. Crosstalk, the big 3D bugaboo seen as ghost images, was completely absent from every piece of content we sampled. We tried to find a scene that is crosstalk prone on other 3D TVs, including the church against the sky in Monsters versus Aliens and the speed skating competition from the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics (both have dark foreground against a light background) but we never once observed it. There is no screen flicker either. We also sampled Panasonic’s new rechargeable 3D glasses along with the legacy 2010 models. We saw no difference in the image quality, however the new glasses are lighter, more comfortable and rest closer to the face, better isolating one from ambient room light.

Final Thoughts

The TC-P50ST30 sets a new value/performance proposition for large screen HDTV.  Currently priced at under $1200 (link) it costs hundreds of dollars less than an entry level 46″ 120 Hz 3D LED LCD while providing better image quality and wider viewing angles. If you are looking for a big screen TV that’s about as future proof as you can buy today — thanks to updateable Internet apps and 3D capability — the TC-P50ST30 should be the short list of HDTVs you consider. HD Guru awards the TC-P50ST30 a ♥♥♥♥ (out of 5) hearts rating.

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As cool as it is, the Apple TV has a lot of limitations. Fortunately, it’s not the only digital media streamer on the market. Featuring 1080p and hundreds of content partners, Roku’s HD, XD, and XDS seem like the solution to the Apple blues.

Roku’s three identical-looking models have access to the same content and overall functionality is the same. The base model HD is 720p from HDMI, but still has wired and Wi-Fi and analog video outputs (composite only). For $20 more, the XD adds 1080p output and 802.11n. For an additional $20 the XDS adds in dual-band Wi-Fi, component video output, and a USB port to play back music, videos, and pictures

The price difference between the players is so slight, that I can’t see a reason for just getting the HD. Comparing the XD and XDS, for most people, will come down to the USB port. A significant feature, which we’ll get to in a moment.

For this review we picked the middle-of-the-line XD partially because the XDS seemed unnecessary, and partly because we had to buy our review sample and Gary’s  cheap.

Setup is Apple-easy, with simple menus leading you through the few aspects of setup. One feature that’s not in the setup but is worth enabling is 5.1 audio output. Most streaming programs are 2.0, but this is slowly changing so it’s worth having this active.

I connected with Ethernet, even though the XD has Wi-Fi. I did this because where the Roku sits on my rack it has a line of site to my wireless router. So this would tell you zip about how it performs in your house, with your router and so on. Also, and this is largely personal preference, I like giving network streamers as much bandwidth potential as possible.

The remote is cheap-ish, but the buttons have a soft feel and overall it works just fine. Compared to the damn stylish metal remote that comes with the Apple TV, the Roku feels amateurish. But, it bounces off my screen so I don’t have to point the remote at the Roku in my rack behind me. This is more than I can say for the Apple remote.

The main Roku interface has “Channels” that represent different content partners. To start there’s Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, and Hulu Plus. Additional Channels are downloadable via the Roku Channel Store. This is where Roku is definitely a step above the Apple TV. There are well over 100 different Channels available, ranging from sports content (NBA, UFC, NHL), to news, music (Pandora, SiriusXM), and lots more. Amusingly, in the Channel listing on the store when I was doing this review, these Channels were next to each other: PodNutz, Church on Video, TBN, Bikini Destinations. Amusing juxtapositions are amusing.

I couldn’t hope to review all of the available content, so I’ll focus on the big ones: Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and Pandora.

The Netflix interface is unique, not the boilerplate jobs found on nearly every Blu-ray player. It features big cover art and more importantly, the ability to search. There are a few things that are easier on the Apple TV’s implementation of Netflix, namely finding specific episodes of a TV show, but in all Roku’s interface is very good. Picture quality seems to be as good as the source material. If there was a difference in picture quality between the Roku and the ‘TV, I didn’t see it.

Even though Netflix announced they would soon be doing some content in 1080p, no specific programs have been announced. As nearly all streaming content is 720p, the 1080p nature of the XD (and XDS) is mostly optimistic. (Edit 3/25/11: My bad, turns out the 1080p is PS3-only at the moment and there is some content.)

Amazon Video on Demand is Roku’s access to current episodes and movies. Prices are largely better than iTunes, with some HD shows available for purchase for $0.99, as opposed to Apple’s rental at that price. Picture quality is quite good, and is unlikely different enough from iTunes to declare one better than the other in this regard.

If you sign up for Amazon Prime, you get access to “5,000 movies and TV shows.” If you’re already a subscriber to Prime, then this is a neat bonus. If you’re not, don’t waste your money for this (though the “free” 2-day shipping is cool).

Selection is very similar to Netflix, but the Netflix versions had less noise and seemed sharper. Worse, and this is a moronic oversight, in the Roku Amazon interface there’s no way to tell what movies are in HD until you play them (or go online, as they’re labeled as such on Amazon.com). All told, even for only $6.58 a month (billed yearly), I don’t see why someone would get this over Netflix, unless you buy a lot of stuff on Amazon.

Hulu Plus is the service where you get to pay a monthly fee for the privilege of watching shows with commercials. Ok, it’s not quite as bad as that, and if you really want to stop paying for cable it’s a pretty good deal. Image quality is decent, recent shows are in HD that is a little softer and nosier than what I get on my U-verse, but in all not bad. There is a fair amount of classic programming too, but I didn’t find anything that I wanted to watch so bad I couldn’t wait for a disc from Netflix.

The Pandora interface is spartan but attractive, with song info and the ability to thumbs up/down. There are several other Internet radio providers (though notably not Slacker), so if you do a lot of your music listening this way, the Roku offers a lot of options.

The real question, given the 1080p output, is where’s VUDU? You’d think this would be the most logical pairing in CE. Most likely this is due to the limited on-board storage of the Roku (i.e. none). Maybe in some future generation.

One major problem
In terms of hours of use, the vast majority of time spent using my Apple TV is having it stream music from my computer. Playing my music collection on my main audio system, and controlling the whole thing with my iPod touch is amazing. Sure there are other ways to do this, but none are as easy as the Apple TV. The Roku offers no such ability, which to me limits its use significantly. If you don’t think you’d use an Apple TV like this, then the Roku is fine. With my money, though, this one feature would drive me to the Apple.

The XDS’s USB media playback feature goes some way towards addressing this issue, but not entirely.

If you’re the adventurous type, there’s a 3rd party private (i.e. unsupported) Channel that should let you stream your own music. You can read about it on Roku’s forums. As it’s not a “real” Roku solution, and appears to be a bit of a hack, I didn’t review it.

Ok, two major problems.
You can’t turn it off. WTF? Even though it only draws a few watts, it’s still a power vampire. Not having at least a standby mode is inexcusable.

A word on bandwidth
With any streaming video you’re going to need an Internet connection fast enough. Most providers recommend at least a 2.5 mbps connection, but in reality you should have more than this, especially for HD. I had fairly regular buffering issues with AVoD, though I can’t say this was a Roku issue as Netflix was fine.

Conclusion
If you listen to the marketing, Roku’s advantage over the Apple TV is 1080p. This isn’t technically false, as the XD/XDS do have the ability to output 1080p. The reality is there’s not enough 1080p content for this to be relevant. Maybe in the future, but we’re not reviewing this in the future (or are we?!? mind… BLOWN!).

So it comes down to what the Roku can do now. Netflix is a wash, Amazon Video on Demand is the equal to the iTunes store, and in some ways better. Hulu Plus is definitely great if your goal is to free yourself from cable. The other available content is cool, but in my book, it doesn’t offset the inability to stream music from my computer to my audio system. For my money, I’d get an Apple TV, but if someone was to pick the Roku instead, I certainly couldn’t say they chose poorly.

HDGuru.com awards the Roku XD Digital Media Receiver: $79.99 a ♥♥♥ (out of five hearts) rating.

Roku HD ($59.99)
Roku XD ($79.99)
Roku XDS ($99.99)

More info:
Connected TVs Explained: What You Need To Know About Google TV, Netflix, HULU and Other Services Before You Buy
Cut The Cable? Connected Devices, Digital Media Receivers, and Blu-ray Players Explained

Geoff Morrison

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Copyright ©2011 HD Guru Inc. All rights reserved. HDGURU is a registered trademark.