HDGURU.Com » Plasma

Choosing The HDTV That’s Right For You

Gary — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:50:02 +0000

Black Friday, the day following Thanksgiving is the official start of the holiday HDTV buying season. Despite the ongoing recession and high unemployment levels, analysts at iSuppli and the Consumer Electronics Association predict that 2009 will end with 8 million LCD HDTVs being sold in Q4 (up 7.3% vs. 2008). Here’s our advice.

Size Matters

You need to pick the right screen size for your needs. Generally, LCDs go from 19” up to 65” and plasma HDTVs from 42” to 65”. With 37” screens and smaller you can find LCDs with 720p resolution. At 32” and above 1080p resolution LCD sets are available. With plasma, a 720p class is offered in 42” and 50” screen sizes.

There are a number of considerations when you are deciding on an ideal screen size. First, consider your budget, then the physical limitation of your cabinet or room and seating position. Our exclusive HD Guru viewing distance chart (link) will tell you how close you need to be to see all the resolution with a given 720p or 1080p HDTV. Move further away, you will still get a great picture; however, you will not be able to admire all the resolution within the image due to the limits of human vision.

LCD or Plasma?

If you are considering a screen below 42”, LCD is the only way to go. But if you are seeking out a larger screen size, then you may choose either technology. On a basis of overall image quality, HD Guru and other experts agree that plasma beats LCD (including the LCDs called LED TVs). Why? Simply put, plasma is the only large flat screen technology available today which offers uniform viewing as you move off-axis, meaning everyone in the room sees the same great quality picture. All LCD HDTVs exhibit changes in color, black level and brightness as one moves further away from a straight-on dead center viewing position. There are a number of LCDs that have better off-axis viewing than others and they will be in our upcoming recommended HDTVs list article.

Plasma offers overall better black levels (their blacks always deeper compared to LCD when viewed off-axis) because plasma has the ability to shut off light in the picture at a pixel level. The best LCD black levels are the ones utilizing LED backlights, which include a feature called “local dimming”. This is accomplished by dividing the 2 million pixel images into hundreds of blocks. Be aware a halo may be seen when the image contains adjacent high contrast such as white letters on a black background.

LED TV or LCD TV?

All LED TVs are LCDs. However, a number of TV makers are choosing to refer to their respective LED (Light Emitting Diode) lit TVs simply as LED TVs. The rest of the LCD TVs use thin fluorescent tubes called CCFLs (they’re miniature versions of the bulbs found in light fixtures). An advantage of LED as a light source is lower power consumption as compared to CCFLs. CCFL LCDs use about the same amount of energy as a plasma TVs for a given screen size.

LED TVs are capable of very bright images, making them the preferred backlight LCD technology for daytime viewing, especially in windowed rooms that lack shades or curtains.

There are two types of LED TVs, edge lit and back lit. The edge lit models have the advantage of the thinnest possible profile depth at just over one-inch. LED backlit units are deeper; however, many add a feature called local dimming, creating extremely dark black levels.

There are some disadvantages to current LED TVs. There are white and black uniformity issues at the picture perimeter with many edge lit designs. Also, off-axis brightness tends to fall off a bit more rapidly than occurs with CCFL backlit designs using the same LCD panel.

60Hz/120Hz/240Hz

Standard LCDs have a 60 Hz refresh rate. The motion resolution comes in around 320 lines (per picture height) out of 1080 lines. 120 Hz refresh ups the motion resolution to around 600; while 240 Hz kicks it up to 900 lines or higher. There are circuits incorporated that create more frames to smooth motion, however they come with increased picture artifacts (see related story here link). If you want a LED or LCD TV with the best panel and most features then you automatically get 120 or 240 Hz refresh.

Plasmas have full 1080 line motion resolution without the artifacts found in 120/240Hz LEDs or LCDs. Panasonics V and Z series plasmas offer a 96Hz refresh, which makes the image free of judder normally found in all 60 Hz (LCD and plasma) panels without the artifacts associated with 120/240Hz LED/LCDs.

Special Features

There are a number of added features for people that are looking for the most accurate image reproduction. THX Certified designs provide near ideal color temperature and HDTV color points right out of the box when using the THX picture setting. Many top of the line HDTVs have user calibration controls to allow (with proper test equipment and signals) the fine tuning of the TVs image to near perfection.

Buying your HDTV

HDTVs are in good supply for the holidays and are about 20% lower than last year. Circuit City’s demise changed the market conditions, making Best Buy’s Black Friday doorbuster prices on mid to high end models around the same as you can find today online at our HD Guru Pricegrabber webpage. For brick and mortar stores, check out our” How To Get the Best Deal” (link).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Viewing

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

CEATEC 2009 Part II-More Photos

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mitsubishi Reveals Its HDTV Red and Green Lasers At CEATEC 2009

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

CEATEC 2009

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

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

Panasonic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sharp

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

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

Toshiba

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

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

Sony

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Make/Model Size Circular Online $Difference

Samsung/UN55B8000 55″ $3400 $3009.98 $390

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

Samsung/LN46B640 46″ $1420 $1319.99 $100

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

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

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

Make/Model Size Was Now

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

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

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

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

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

CEDIA 2009 Report and Analysis Part 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Panasonic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best Buy: A New “Dual Price” Strategy?

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

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

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

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

Make/Model Size On-Line Circular $Difference

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

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

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

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

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

LG 32LH30 32″ $499.99 $530 $30

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

The HD GURU’s Hottest Labor Day Week HDTV Deals

Gary — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 15:48:33 +0000

(Sept. 5, 2009) The HD GURU® obtained advanced copies of this Sunday’s September 6, 2009 Best Buy (BB) circular and J&R ads to find the best Labor Day specials on HDTVs. Last week, a number of televisions hit the lowest prices of the year at BB, due to a combination of new TV maker price reductions, dealer incentives and store wide discounts. This week brings additonal factory price drops, lower sale prices and two new combo deals at Best Buy. They are listed below.

HD GURU also checked J&R (www.jr.com) and found two outstanding Labor Day prices on Sony HDTVs with free shipping included (listed below).

Can you do better than Best Buy with on-line etailers? Yes! HD GURU checked out 6 Avenue Electronics website (www.6ave.com) and found a number of HDTVs with even lower prices by email quote. The items are listed with “Email me for the latest price” alongside the price. For example, the Samsung UN46B6000 email quote is $110 dollars lower than 6 Av’s website price or Best Buy’s price (each are listed at $1599.99).

Also, check out HD GURU’s Price Grabber website located on the left hand column of this page for great Labor Day prices from leading etailers. Just enter a model number into the “Product Search” box under “Check Prices”.

Below are the best Labor Day Deals from Best Buy, J&R and another email 6 Ave quote.

Make/Model            Size     Orig.   Now $Savings Store
Samsung UN40B6000 40″    $2200 $1299.99 $900       BB
Samsung PN50B850 50″     $2200 $1699.99 $500    BB
Samsung LN40B630   40″    $1400   $899.99 $500       BB
LG           32LH20      32″    $550     $429.99 $120      BB
Sony KDL-32S5100   32″    $750    $559.99   $190       JR
Sony KDL-40V5100   40″    $1200 $879.99   $320        JR
Samsung UN40B6000 40″     $2100 $1259.99 $840       6ave
(Note: This is a 6ave “email quote” price. BB’s circular price and 6av’s website price are listed at $1299.99 )

Best Buy Package Deals

Sony KDL-46Z5100 (46″) with free Geek Squad Home Theater setup + Sony HTSS360 home theater system + Sony BDPS360 Blu-ray player Orig. price separately, $3150 Now $1649.97 $Savings $1500 (over 47% off original price)

Panasonic TC-P50S1 (50″) plasma + Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray player Orig. $1850 Now $1199.99 $ Savings $650 (over 35% off original separate price total) Note: the DMP-BD60 is also on sale for $199.99 (originally $300)
——
Have a question for the HD Guru?
HD GURU|Email

Christmas In August? Best Buy’s Big HDTV Price Drop

Gary — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:02:35 +0000

(August 29, 2009) Every year the new football season brings with it the start of the HDTV peak sales period. 2009 TV sales volume is around 2008 levels, but with a tilt towards smaller screen size consumer purchases, resulting in lower than anticipated revenues for major retailers and vendors. Best Buy is fighting back this week by dramatically lowering the price of large screen HDTVs and packages, with savings up to 42%!

HD Guru received a copy of Best Buy’s 8/30/2009 Sunday circular. Use this advanced notice to plan a purchase at your local Best Buy or to negotiate with your favorite retailer or etailer. With inventories building on large screen size HDTVs (>39″) dealers and vendors are desperately trying to move more big screens. The result, the lowest prices of the year for 2009 HDTVs. Discounts this big normally occur after Thanksgiving. Below are the best deals (we rounded off “Was” to the nearest whole dollar to save space). Best Buy’s circular lists 33 HDTV models on sale.

Make/Model            Size     Was Now       $ Savings
Samsung UN46B7100 46″    $2900 $1799.99 $1100
Samsung UN46B8000 46″    $3200 $2099.99 $1100
Samsung UN55B6000 55″    $3500 $2399.99 $1100
Samsung LN55B650 55″ $3000 $2299.99 $700
Samsung LN46B650 46″     $2100 $1499.99 $600
Samsung PN58B550 58″     $2600 $1899.99 $700
Samsung PN50B550 50″     $1600 $1099.99 $500
Samsung LN40B640 40″ $1500 $999.99   $500
Samsung LN52B550 52″     $2000 $1499.99 $500
Sony KDL-40XBR9   40″       $2300 $1499.99 $800

Package Deals

Panasonic TC-P54S1 54″ Plasma w/DMP-BD60K Blu-ray
player was $2300 Now $1649.98 $ Savings $650

Sony KDL-52XBR9 52″ 240Hz LCD w/BDPS560 Blu-ray player and HTSS360
5.1 Home theater system was $4000 Now $2499.97 $ Saving $1500

Sony KDL-46XBR9 46″ 240Hz LCD w/BDPS560 Blu-ray player and HTSS360
5.1 Home theater system was $3500 Now $1997.97 $ Savings $1500

One more deal. Beginning tomorrow, J&R (www.jr.com) will have the Panasonic Blu-ray player DMP-BD60K for $199 (was $299) HD GURU is currently evaluating its sister model (DMP-BD80K) with similar video performance and the preliminary test results are excellent.
——
Have a question for the HD Guru?
HD GURU|Email

Panasonic Ushers In The 3D HDTV Era—Will Ship 3D Displays & 3D Blu-ray Players in 2010

Gary — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:22:55 +0000

(August 21, 2009) The HD GURU obtained Panasonic’s roadmap to large screen 3D HDTV. It includes 3D plasma HDTV displays and Blu-ray players planned to ship next year. In addition, Panasonic Japan, Twentieth Century Fox and Lightstorm Entertainment (James Cameron’s production company) announced today a partnership that will use the upcoming Fox 3D movie AVATAR as a vehicle to promote and launch 3D home video (PDF Link to press release).

Panasonic’s Executive Vice President Bob Perry provided the HD GURU with details about its 3D HDTVs and Blu-ray players. He revealed there will be “multiple 3D compatible plasma models” available in 2010 with the smallest at least 50″ diagonal. The Panasonic Blu-ray 3D player will be backwards compatible with 2D Blu-ray discs as well as DVDs. Panasonic will include all 3D processing within the Blu-ray player (as opposed to an external converter) and the signal will be delivered to the 3D plasma HDTV via a single HDMI 1.4 cable (white cable in photo of prototype Blu-ray 3D player). The 3D is “Full HD” (1920 x 1080) with left and right image frames alternating at 120 Hz. Perry explained plasma is an ideal TV technology for “Full” 3D HD as its rapid refresh permits the display of the highest quality 3D images. (Current 3D flat panels show no more than half HD resolution and will only display 3D content via a PC). Perry added he expects a three year industry transition to 3D compatible displays.

To date, Panasonic is the only TV manufacturer to announce the production of 3D displays, a system to deliver “Full HD” 3D movies and the cooperation of a major movie studio.

Panasonic has multiple studio support for its system, but Perry would not reveal specifically which ones are on-board. However, when HD GURU was shown Panasonic’s latest 3D demonstration of its prototype 103″ 3D plasma, trailers included Disney’s 3D hit “UP”. So it is a safe bet to figure Disney (along with Fox) are in Panasonic’s 3D camp.

Viewing 3D content on the Panasonic plasma requires shutter glasses. Panasonic showed its latest prototype (see photo). Unlike the passive glasses currently used in movie theaters, shutter glasses electronically “blink”, alternating the left and right eye views in sync with the content. Shutter glasses provide the highest quality 3D presentation, according to 3D industry sources. The new glasses are comfortable and easily fit over my eyeglasses, a marked improvement over previous designs.

The Fox Connection

In a press release out of Japan, Panasonic announced details of its partnership with Fox and Camaron’s Lightstorm Entertainment. Panasonic is its exclusive audio visual partner providing products and technology to help create the live action 3D movie AVATAR. For those of you not familiar with AVATAR, the press release states “In the epic action adventure AVATAR, James Cameron, the director of TITANIC, takes us to a spectacular new world beyond our imagination. On the distant moon Pandora, a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption and discovery as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization. ” Beginning today, the trailer can be seen in theaters nationwide and on the Internet.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Panasonic will be launching a global advertising campaign tied to AVATAR. It includes a nationwide truck tour of Panasonic’s 3D plasma and Blu-ray player as well as advertising and AVATAR product sales tie-ins. AVATAR will be released to theaters worldwide on December 18. Panasonic will be showing the AVATAR 3D trailer in the truck tour, and to the trade beginning with the IFA consumer electronics show in Germany on September 4.

——
Have a question for the HD Guru?

HD GURU|Email