HD Guru

Big Markdowns on 2011 3D TVs

Sony Bundles
Sony changed to a uniform pricing policy for 2012 (except entry models). The models below have just dropped $100 plus they are currently bundled with its $150 retail BDP-S590 3D Blu-ray player, free when ordered together from Amazon direct.

Sony BRAVIA KDL46HX750 46-Inch 240 Hz 1080p 3D LED Internet TV Retail $1600 + $150 Now $1498.00 Amazon Direct

Sony BRAVIA KDL55HX750 55-Inch 240Hz 1080p 3D LED Internet TV Retail $2100 + $150 Now $1998.00 Amazon Direct

Samsung

Samsung also has a uniform pricing policy. Through dealer incentives the models below are at their lowest prices of the year. We do not know how long the current incentive program will stay in effect.

Samsung UN40ES6500 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz 3D Slim LED HDTV Retail $1500 Now $997.99 Amazon Direct 33% off

Samsung UN46ES6500 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz 3D Slim LED HDTV Retail $1730 Now $1197.99 Amazon Direct 31% off

Samsung UN55ES6500 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz 3D Slim LED HDTV Retail $2520 Now $1697.99 Amazon Direct 33% off

Samsung UN55ES8000 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D Slim LED HDTV Retail $3750 Now $2697.99 Amazon Direct 28% off

Samsung UN60ES8000 60-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D Slim LED HDTV Retail $4400 Now $3097.99 Amazon Direct 30% off

All listed TVs above include free shipping from Amazon. Prices listed are for the HDTVs offered by Amazon direct and are sold under its policies . We recommend and affiliate (we may earn a small commission on referred sales) with Amazon because they have among the best HDTV policies in the industry. Amazon direct offers 14 day low price guarantee and 30 Day returns with free return freight. They stand behind their sales. Note: prices are correct as of posting and may change at any time, please verify with our links; Most states do not collect sales tax on Amazon orders with the exceptions of [CO, KS, KY, NY, ND & WA]. You always must pay sales tax (in states that collect it) when buying at a brick and mortar store. Should you buy an HDTV from on-line or from a retail store? Learn all the pros and cons in our article here.

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Sharp LC-80LE632U Review

Gary — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:41:44 +0000

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.

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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Is Your HDTV Under Performing? Here’s a Fix

Geoff Morrison — Fri, 11 May 2012 07:54:46 +0000

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

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

Overscan

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

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

And that “blowing up” is the problem.

Scaling

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

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

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

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

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

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

A few exceptions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source Boxes

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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This Week’s Hottest HDTV Deals

Gary — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:07:40 +0000

credit: istockphoto

We searched the latest Best Buy circular (may6-12, 2012), J&R and Amazon to find the best deals on top quality HDTVs. We list 2012 HDTVs on sale from Samsung, LG and Panasonic with screen sizes from 40 to 65-Inches.

We also checked the remaining 2011 big screen HDTV closeouts and found some outstanding deals from the same vendors, but you better hurry as supplies are dwindling.

The list begins after the break.

2012 Models Deals
Samsung UN60ES8000 60-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D Slim LED HDTV (Silver)List $4400 Now $3197.99 Amazon +free shipping 27% off

LG Cinema Screen 55LM6700 55-Inch Cinema 3D 1080p 120 Hz LED-LCD HDTV with Smart TV and Six Pairs of 3D GlassesList $2300 Now $1709.99 Amazon + free shipping 25% off

Panasonic VIERA TC-P65ST50 65-Inch 1080p Full HD 3D Plasma TVWas $3000 Now $2544.99 Amazon + free shipping 16% off

Panasonic VIERA TC-P60ST50 60-Inch 1080p Full HD 3D Plasma TVWas $2300 Now$1843.67 Amazon +free shipping 12% off

Samsung UN40ES6500 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz 3D Slim LED HDTV (Black)Was 1379.99 Now $1097.99 Amazon + free shipping 20% off

Samsung UN46ES6500 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz 3D Slim LED HDTV (Black)Was $1579.99 Now $1297.99 Amazon + free shipping 20% off

Samsung UN55ES6500 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz 3D Slim LED HDTV (Black)Was $2300 Now 1797.99 Amazon + free shipping 22% off

LG Cinema Screen 47LM7600 47-Inch Cinema 3D 1080p 240 Hz LED-LCD HDTV with Smart TV and Six Pairs of 3D GlassesWas $1750 Now $1299.00 Amazon + free shipping 26% off

2011 Model Closeouts

Panasonic VIERA TC-P65GT30 65-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV Was $3200 Now $1866.96 Amazon 42% off + free shipping

Samsung PN64D7000 64-Inch 1080p 600 Hz 3D Plasma HDTV Was $3400 Now $2199.99 Paul’s TV via Amazon 35% off + free shipping

LG Infinia 65LW6500 65-Inch Cinema 3D 1080p 120 Hz LED-LCD HDTV with Smart TV and Four Pairs of 3D Glasses Was $4500 Now $2398.72 V&A Center via Amazon 47% off + free shipping

Samsung UN65D8000 65-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D LED HDTV $5500 Now $3248.00 Amazon 40% off + free shipping

All listed TVs above include free shipping from Amazon or its listed linked affiliates .Except as noted above, HDTVs are sold by Amazon direct and are sold under its policies . We recommend and affiliate (we may earn a small commission on referred sales) with Amazon because they have among the best HDTV policies in the industry. Amazon direct offers 14 day low price guarantee and 30 Day returns with free return freight. They stand behind their sales. Note: prices are correct as of posting and may change at any time, please verify with our links; Most states do not collect sales tax on Amazon orders [with the exceptions of [CO, KS, KY, NY, ND & WA]. You always must pay sales tax (in states that collect it) when buying at a brick and mortar store. Should you buy an HDTV from on-line or from a retail store? Learn all the pros and cons in our article here.

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How To Improve Your HDTV Image

Gary — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:57:50 +0000

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

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

We’ll begin with the basics after the break.

Room Lighting

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

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

Viewing Distance

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

Sources and Connections

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

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

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

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

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

User Controls

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

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

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

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

Professional Calibration

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

Are You The One In Five?

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

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How To Avoid Online HDTV Dealer Scams-HD GURU Investigates

Gary — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:12:13 +0000

credit: istock photo

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

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

Avoidance

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

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

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

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

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

The Scam

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

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

Abe’s of Maine

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

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

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

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

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

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

When 30 Day Returns means No Returns!

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

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

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

* Please read complete policy for details.

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

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

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

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

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

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

While a negative one provides more detail:

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

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

Bottom line

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

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

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New HDTV Buying Checklist

Geoff Morrison — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:25:27 +0000

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

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

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

1) Screen Size

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

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

2) Technology

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

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

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

3) Price

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

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

4) Contrast Ratio

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

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

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

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

5) Other Features

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

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

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

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

6) Reliability

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

7) Service

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

7-up, 7-down (Conclusion)

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

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

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IKEA To Enter The US HDTV Market

Gary — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:41:09 +0000

IKEA just announced it is throwing its unassembled hat into the ring with four TV’s with 2.1 sound systems, disc players, all in an integrated cabinet. The cabinet is designed by them, the TVs, on the other hand, will be supplied by Chinese electronics company TCL.

More info after the jump.

It’s called the UPPLEVA TV, which apparently translates from Swedish to English as “Experience TV.” The US LED LCD models debut in April 2013, with screen sizes of 24 to 46-inches, the largest screen size currently offered by TCL.

21st Century Console TV

Back in the late 20th century, the major US TV makers would combine a CRT TV with a stereo system into a massive wooden cabinet, called console TVs. They became a centerpiece in living rooms across America.

The new IKEA version includes an integrated remote for control of the TV, audio, disc player, and a cable or satellite box. The larger screen models will be Smart TVs, providing Internet streaming of movies. The sets will be carrying a five-year IKEA warranty.

We expect this combo will appeal to folks with limited space like students, young couples and those on tight budgets. Also, those who like meatballs or ABBA.

Compared to the Upcoming Apple iTV

A number of news outlets have been comparing the Uppleva to the rumoured Apple iTV. Based on all information published regarding the Apple product, the only comparison is both happen to be televisions. Apple iTV is rumoured to combine cloud TV services like a video iTunes with speech recognition and Siri vocal responses.

The Uppleva TV is based on the TCL-branded Smart TVs, and will be similar to the purchase of an HDTV, sound bar and disc player from the same brand, allowing the use of a single remote control. The major TV companies (i.e. Samsung, Panasonic, LG etc.) all make components that you can operate with a single remote control. In addition, the IKEA cabinet will take care of cord management and includes all the necessary cables and connectors.

Ready To Assemble

All the IKEA models are full HD 1080p, and will be available with either a black or white finish. Smart TV models include built-in Wi-Fi and an ambient room light sensor. In addition to the Blu-ray player, the system includes a wireless subwoofer, a radio tuner, and USB jacks for connectivity to an iPhone and other smartphones, or MP3 players and iPods.

Cabinets will be in white, black, beech or walnut finishes.

While the Uppleva TV, disc player and speakers will be factory assembled, like most other IKEA furniture the cabinet ships unassembled, requiring buyers to screw all the cabinet parts together. Most TV chain store furniture comes this way too, so this is not unusual. As we’ve mentioned before, placing a flat TV on top of a deeper cabinet does not take full advantage of the space savings LED TVs afford.

When we receive more specific information from IKEA, probably closer to the 2013 release, HD Guru will publish and update. The first Uppleva TV models will ship in Europe later this year.

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Is Best Buy On Life Support? An Analysis

Gary — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:02:26 +0000

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

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

But there’s more to it than that.

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

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

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

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

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

High Margin or Low Margin Items

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

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

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

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

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

Good News

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

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

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

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Are OLED and LED TVs The Same?

Gary — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:52:54 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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