5 comments about V VIZIO VX42L - 42" LCD TV - widescreen - 720p - HDTV.

1. We have been using this for a year now.
   When my 52" Projection TV that costs 1400$ broke only after 3 years of use. Repair cost is almost the cost of this LCD TV. My Panasonic is as big as an upright piano and this one fits on top of a medium size table. I am sure the Sony's, the LGs, the Samsung are technically superior. But unless you are very discriminating, the difference for me is not enough to spend the extra hundreds of dollars.
   
   Pros:
   -Price. (It was available for 875$ from Sams Club at the time I bought it last year).
   -2 HDMIs, 2 Components, 2 VGA, S-Video, etc. With HDMI, you have audio and video in a single cable.
   -Works with my Fios TV HDMI, Macmini HDMI, Upconverting Phillips HDMI DVD player, Wii, etc.
   -Viewable even at sharp angles
   -No burn-in as opposed to Plasma
   -Lighter than Plasma displays
   -1080i
   -Excellent computer monitor if you want it big. I use it to watch videocast from Itunes with a wireless Logitech V200 Cordless Mouse.
   
   Cons:
   -It does not look like something you would like to show off. Not very elegant, but looks alright



2. this is our first tv upgrade since our 34'' tube tv. the vizio is awesome quality for the money spent. it's got all the connections and plug-ins needed for every sort of accessory. i use an antenna to pick up HD channels and it is a great picture.
   the settings and menus are easy to navigate and great for minor adjustments for different uses (i.e. games, movies, sports).
   it's relatively lightweight (~50 pounds).
   the remote is easy to use and has all the options on there that make switching from TV to compenent to AV easy as well as changing settings.
   
   if you've got an extra $500, the samsung and sony 42" LCDs looked more vibrant in color in comparison to the vizio, but the Vizio is a much better buy for the money.



3. This is our first HDTV. I was nervous that only getting a 720p set would not be good enough, but I was pleasantly surprised. It has plenty of connections for our TiVo, Apple TV, PS2 and DVD and we have a few left over! It is definitely worth every penny (even though Sam's Club had it for $897).



4. The Vizio VX42L 42" LCD HDTV, brings a sharp vibrant picture to life with just the right number of bells & whistles that will make anyone happy to own this affordable LCD HDTV.
   This has to be the easiest setup for a LCD TV that I have ever seen. Once the source is plugged in Cable, Dish, or DirectTV and all the channels located use the low budget remote to navigate to the menu screen and setup your color scheme for perfect viewing or use one of the several presets. The preset color schemes are not to my liking, spend a moment or two and fine tune your viewing pleasure. Once these items are set you are on your way to enjoyable entertainment.
   Want to be totally blown away by HD clarity watch anything in HD and you will be hooked. Connect a HD DVD via HDMI connection and you will appreciate this set even more. I would have loved the set to have an auto source when a device is turned on but I can get over this.
   Some great features include freeze frame, screen zoom, PIP and the many AV inputs.
   I managed to get this set NEW at an unbelievable price of $700. Do some extensive homework before you buy and I am sure you will find this set comes out on top.



5. Let me first start by saying that yes, Vizio is a value brand. However, after having seen 1080p Samsung units that are twice the price, I can definitively say that the Vizio is able to hang with the big boys.
   
   Straight out of the box, there were some calibration issues, and each input retains its own settings; you'll have to go through the process for each device you have hooked up. After bumping down the brightness and backlighting, image quality is phenomenal. HDTV is crisp, smooth, and rarely jagged. SDTV scales nicely with an OTA antenna, and is much less pixelated than I had assumed it would be. The remote layout does leave something to be desired, but it has all of the important functionality on it (sans backlighting). PIP settings are very useful, although you cannot use PIP on certain combinations of inputs (i.e. component and RGB at the same time). This is not a huge problem, however, since you more than likely will want to flip between the tuner and another input.
   
   I can't comment on how the XBOX 360 or PS3 look on it, but I can tell you that the Wii performs extremely well with component cables. I even have cables with extra thick jack sleeves, and they fit without any issue.
   
   Sound is just as mediocre as any other flat panel tv in this price range; that's why I hooked it up to the surround sound as quickly as possible.
   
   For those worried about the illuminated Vizio logo, it quickly dims after power up; I've not been distracted by it once, plus it looks pretty classy.
   
   Long story short, at under $900, you will not be able to beat this deal in terms of overall quality and value.
   
   Pros:
   Great image quality
   No ghosting
   Works excellently as a computer monitor
   Wii looks fantastic!
   Good PIP functionality
   Value, value, value
   
   Cons:
   Slight light bleeding from upper right hand corner (probably just my set)
   So-so speakers
   Remote layout

5 comments about Toshiba REGZA 42HL67U 42-Inch 720p LCD HDTV.

1. This is the 2nd Toshiba I have purchased and I am very happy with the picture quality. I would recommend this TV even though it is not a 1080p. You can't tell the difference unless you stand very very close



2. I was very wary about buying online but wanted to say that the procedure through Amazon was flawless. I would do it again without a second thought!



3. I have always had a great experience with Amazon until this one - their large delivery service partner - EAGLE were terrible, not only were they an hour late of the time frame given to me, but they were very inexperienced with assembly and installation of the TV. On top of the slow and poor experience, once they assembled the tv, they dropped it on my glass coffee table, damaging both. Trust me, do not get the white glove delivery service. Just sign for it at the door and don't let them in!



4. I have owned this tv for about little over a month. So far, it hasn't given me any trouble. The white glove delivery went smoothly.



5. Go to any store where all TVs are connected to the same signal and you can compare image quality on all brands. For me, nothing tops Toshiba in the price range. This TV is very good.

5 comments about Samsung LNT2342H 23-Inch LCD HDTV.

1. We've been using our first HDTV here for several months here, and are quite pleased. For quality vs. price, we still feel this is a good choice, and we hope the unit will live up to its reputation and expected reliability.
   
   Our biggest complaint is really the user manual, which is confusing in many places and lacks sufficient info in others, like in setup and cabling this TV to other devices. But maybe a good manual hasn't been written yet! Like most, the remote is not intuitive and has buttons that are hard to find.



2. I have been very pleased with this TV. I bought the 26" one first and then bought the 23" for the bedroom. My only problem with it is really my fault. It is a wide screen and I didn't notice that before I purchased them. So all the people look a little bit fatter than they really are. Maybe that's a good thing for all the Hollywood stars and models. I would recommend this TV to anyone.



3. Very good image. Color very good except when viewed at an angle (vertically). Easy to avoid the problem. I personally don't like the extra wide but very short screen, and wish it were a few inches higher/lower.
   I can live with it, but wish Amazon would have provided the actual screen dimensions rther than the fictional size supplied by the manufacturer. While checking it out, someone had asked what the actual screen dimensions were was but no answer had been posted and the info was not available amywhere on Amazon that I couls find.
   Anyway , I'm basically pleased with it. Just be sure that the screen will be close to eye level when viewing.



4. I use this TV for my room (very small room) mainly got it to play my Wii and PS3 in HD, and of course to see some HD movies.
   
   The LCDTV is great; dose what you pay for. And get this when it Scand for channels it found like an additional 20 or so channels, 3 of them are HD. Options/settings/Personalization are great. To be honest I'm not listing all its pros and cons because you're buying what it's telling you. (Example it says 1080i, then you're getting 1080i no buts or ifs about it). One other interesting note you would want to know. As I was playing a Wii game with my friends one of them notice the surround sound (of course using the TV's own speakers) I thought they were lying when they promise surround sound but apparently not.
   
   Only downside is it doesn't have 1080P (but you really don't need it for a 23"). And the contras ratio is something to be desired. Then there's the start up time (takes' a bit of time to turn on). But don't let this discourage you from getting the LCDTV; rather, just be aware of this things.



5. After holding of on getting an LCD TV I finally gave in once one of our analog TVs went on the fritz. After checking out a slew of them from many consumer electronic retailers a Samsung LNT2342H 23-inch LCD caught my eye..the price was good also..under $600 which is around what I wanted to spend. Well the sales guy began to educate me on HDMI connections..upscaling DVD players and how I was going to be amazed at the clarity of high definition digital vs analog. Needless to say I was excited...I couldn't believe how light the box was..set up was a breeze and hooking it up to my cable box was a snap. Within minutes I was viewing an unbelievable picture and I still hadn't gotten an HDMI cable, HD cable box or upscaling DVD player yet. All that was to come in the next couple of days. The HDMI cable is the way to go! They are rather expensive in most retail stores but if you order them online you can get them much cheaper. I ordered one (a 6 foot one) from Amazon for 11.99 and got it within a couple of days. So once I plugged in my HD cable box and upscaling DVD player I was enjoying sight and sound at 1080p! I can never go analog again...LOL!
   
   The picture on this set is gorgeous! The set itself is super nice and I love the remote...very intuitive and easy to use. The source button toggles you from all your connections and the menu button allows you to adjust your screen size within seconds if you needed to. What I have been missing!
   
   Now I want to get a bigger one for my living room..one I can mount on the wall. My kids love it! We watched "Flushed Away" the other day and were so amazed at the colors and clarity! The HDMI connection brings you the best results picture wise and audio wise so ditch all your phono cables and spring for HDMI! I had picked up a $45 RCA upscaling DVD player at Wal Mart and it works perfectly with this LCD TV..you truly do get a 1080p experience with your standard DVDs. It's awesome!
   
   I highly recommend this Samsung..aesthetically it's a gem and the picture speaks a thousand words!

No comments about LG 50PG30 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV.

5 comments about Panasonic TH-50PZ77U 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV.

1. Within a month of purchase screen would get very light after about 10 minutes of the TV being on. After about 5 more minutes the unit would power off entirely and the power LED would just blink seven times. Would have to unplug the TV from the wall to get it to power back on. After doing some google searching for power issues this appears to be an issue with many Panasonic TV's (didn't see this while researching the product pre-purchase). The Panasonic help line was friendly and helpful and tech was out within 4 business days to repair so I give them some credit for that. Tech has to replace one of the system boards to fix. Talking to the repair guy he confirmed this to be a common issue he has seen with Panasonic brand plasmas (appears to not just be this particular model). Luckily mine was under warranty. Beware this product.



2. I lobbied long and hard for a new flat-panel TV and this was the choice in the end. This set balances value, performance, and asthetics. This television has the most beautiful picture I've ever seen first hand in a home. It got the full one hundred hours brea-in and then I used settings found at tweaktv.com. Trust me, broadcast HD, Blu-Ray, and HD-DVD look absolutely stunning and I could not be happier. Amazon's white gloves delivery was as expected and I could not be happier with the overall experience. If you are willing to do the online and on-foot research, Amazon is the best place to buy a television.



3. A little disappointed a newer model came out at the same price a couple weeks after I bought it, but I guess this is the way things go in the electronics world. I love the picture when I have HD signal. SD channels are blah...they looked better on my old tube tv. I was a little surprised by the heat the plasma puts off, but I guess its normal for plasmas. The remote that comes with the tv is great. Had to push one button and it syncs all my other players to it (dvd, cable box, vcr, etc).



4. I was going to get an LCD.
   
   They were the new thing. Plasma had burn-in, dead pixels, etc.
   
   After doing a bit of digging, it turns out that most of the Plasma problems were 1st and 2nd generation issues. And according to Consumer Reports (plug!), this was one of the best. This was reinforced by talking to friends who had bought LCD and Plasma displays.
   
   The display has deep, rich colors, very good viewing angles, and detail in the blacks that an LCD can't touch. All in all, if you're going to spend nearly $2,000 for a TV, this is hard to beat.



5. I jumped to get mine during a one day sale for a rediculously lower price than here.
   
   No dead pixels. Very bright picture. Video reproduction on this plasma is SO much better than most LCDs I've seen.
   
   Using the HDMI ports from a BluRay player and a HD-DVD player I fine tuned mine to the following settings:
   
   Picture Mode: Standard
   Picture: -6
   Bright: +15
   Color: -6
   Tint: -3
   Sharp: +5
   Color Temp: Normal
   Color Management: Off
   All Filters: Off
   
   Those settings are for when 1080 is filling up the whole picture; but I have to lower the Picture and raise the Brightness for 4:3 or video with black bars at the top & bottom.
   
   Blacks are better on Standard-Def tube monitors; but black on Plasma's are
   much much better than the LCD's I've seen. I've attempted to help a few friends set up their LCD's for best black, but resolution deteriorates on most LCD's when blacks look good. On the other hand the Picture and Brightness tuning on this plasma behaves very similar to a Tube monitor. Blacks are still a bit too milky for my taste, but I guess I'll have to raise the room lighting to trick out my eyes. I like this plasma for the price I paid for it.

5 comments about Sylvania LC155SL8P 15-Inch LCD HDTV.

1. I bought this for the kitchen and have it hanging under the corner cabinet...it's bright, clear, and easily seen. The kitchen spots, even though aimed at that corner, don't show any glare on the screen. I'm very happy with this purchase and find no problems to relate. Good value.



2. I expected a better picture and the ability to pick up my digital cable channels since it states it has those capabilities. The picture was grainy and the colors bled. The housing is cheap. Definitely a waste of money. I am returning it.



3. Unlike most other new TVs with ATSC tuners, this unit will NOT properly tune the free Digital HD or SD channels that are included by many cable tv providers now.
   
   The documentation leads one to beleive it will work properly. A call to their support line confirmed it will NOT.



4. A nice little TV for the Sewing Room. Particularly good audio for a small set.



5. I do not have this particular model but have own TWO 14" Sylvania LCD TVs and you need to be warned. After three years of use, both within a matter of three months (!), had their transformers go out. This means their power and the ability to stay on is gone. These TVs I believe are made for Sylvania by Funai and they are garbage. I paid $300 for each of these TVs and now neither works. That is horrible durability and value for the money. And repairing them is no easy or inexpensive task: at least $200 for each with no guarantee of future durability. Maybe we should just go back to the tried and proven tube technology. Stay away from these.

5 comments about Westinghouse LTV-27W2 27" Widescreen Progressive-Scan LCD TV.

1. I purchased this tv in February of 2006. Approximately two weeks after the manufacturer's 1-year warranty expired the tv died as well. Apparantly the tv's power supply module bit the dust.
   
   I tried contacting Westinghouse through their on-line support web site. After getting no response from their e-mail system I contacted the company via their support telephone network. To the company's credit I was able to connect with a representative almost immediately. The agent was extremely polite and sounded sincere when he said he regretted that he could do nothing for me because the unit's warranty had expired. Instead he suggested I contact a local "Geek Squad" agent since Westinghouse has an established agreement with the organization and they are "familiar" with the product.
   
   Given this turn of events I would be very circumspect about purchasing this or any other Westinghouse electronic product without an extended warranty. The item is far too costly to become a throw away, yet at the same time one needs to be careful not to be taken to the cleaners by repair organizations.



2. I just had EXACTLY the same problem as another reviewer. I bought the TV in February of 2006 and in March of 2007 (1 month after the warranty runs out), the tv died. Westinghouse tech support suggested I buy a new power cord which I did and it still didn't work. They then told me it is probably the power supply module and I should send it out to be fixed.
   
   The Westinghouse tech support people were very nice but told me since it isn't under warranty I'd have to pay to fix it. I agree with the other reviewer who said this is far too expensive a tv to be a throwaway. It makes me very suspicious when products die just outside their warranty periods, especially since this exact same thing has happened to someone else. I own a few other Westinghouse products that have been fairly reliable, it could be that this specific model is defective. If thinking about purchasing this model- I definitely would NOT.



3. Elegant style, decent sound, superb HD picture describes this offering from Westinghouse. If you are looking for a main set in a big house, I probably would not buy this screen size, but for an office, den bedroom-more than adequate. This is my third LCD purchase of a Westinghouse product, and I would love to see a 60" with companion sound be offered. I am a professional videographer and I purchased this unit for color-quality check of my video projects and it fits the bill handsomely-and I got it refurb from Ecost for $300! Watch out though-mine came with no manual of power cord_I am currently resolving this dispute from Ecost, so no biggie. Got it in three days standard DHL service!
   
   For the above reasons, but it.



4. A Westinghouse LTV-27w2 purchased December 2005 seemed to have been an excellent buy until the power supply quit on November 2007. It has been so far impossible to have the set repaired unless I accept and agree to a $150 to $450 repair estimate, plus shipping charges. Stay away from Westinghouse, historical big name reduced to fly-by-night operation.



5. I would give this a 0 star rating. After using it for a little more than a year vertical lines have appeared on the sides. They line up with where the screen is set for a standard screen. If I set the picture size to Full or Zoom they will go away in a couple of weeks. Now the TV is turning off. There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason for it. Sometimes it happens after a couple of minutes sometimes it takes hours. I bought this set when it first came out and it cost me around $1000.00. I took the TV it replaced and put it in my basement office and it is still going strong at 20 years old. Just think what this will do to your wallet as well as the environment if all these TVs only last a few years. I will never consider buying another Westinghouse product.

No comments about Sony Bravia XBR-Series KDL-46XBR5 MotionflowTM with FHD 120 Hz 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV With A 3-Year Extended Warranty Service Plan & High Speed HDMI Cable (2 meters).

5 comments about Mitsubishi LT-52144 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV.

1. Great TV. The Non-Glossy screen while not as pretty as the Samsung's functions excellent in a room with a lot of windows. The picture is great particularly when watching CARS in 1080i; although the Miss USA pageant was never so enjoyable as it is in HD. When it gets a good signal (non-broadcast 1080) I never see any pixelation or blurring in really fast motion otherwise the picture is always perfect (Broadcast and On Demand (the latter usually having the best quality)).
   
   What is particularly important is until Comcast gets more channels in HD, this TV makes SD (480) look great too. An added bonus is while a tad deeper than most flat screens at nearly 6 inches, you can get a lot of screen when more limited by width and height; and if you are going 1080, you are probably going to want the screen closer to you any way so an inch more depth is no problem (Most 52" TVs are nearly 54" wide while this one is only 48")
   
   Only complaints are: 1) the HDMI ports on the back are hard to access if you are using thick monster cable. If you get a less thick cable, no problem. 2) The screen doesn't tilt forward and back on its base (but does swivel to face more left or right); if you are wall mounting I suppose that doesn't matter.
   
   Great TV and amazing for the current price.



2. + Great Picture, stunning color. As good or better than XBRs
   + Perfect size and sleek design. Is really smaller than the 46" XBRs
   - 120Hz Processor? Merely a 120Hz refresh rate? -Doesn't smooth out movement the way the XBRs do, very misleading :(
   [...]
   - HDMI inputs are a tight fit
   - Speakers do suck. Sounds hollow. -A compromise for the sleek design.
   + Great Value.
   
   --Other alternative, Toshiba s 120Hz Regza line:
   http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-REGZA-52XV540U-52-inch-1080p/dp/B001418XJO/ref sr_1_3?ie UTF8&s electronics&qid 1209440193&sr 8-3



3. I just took delivery yesterday from Amazon. The pricing is the lowest on the net and comes with free "White Glove" service (The delivery is inside your house and set up). The set-up is very simple and we were up and running in 15 mins.
   
   The picture is exceptional and the HD is terrific! I would rate this set as a 5 star, but as one other reviewer said, the sound system is horrible. The sound is "Tiney" if that is a word? Tried all the sound settings and nothing helps. Perhaps it is the small speakers with this set? I would recommend to anyone considering this set to also purchase a good sound system to go with it. I am!
   
   Other than the sound being so terrible, the set is the best I have seen. I have checked the net and sen all the sets at COSTCO, SAMS and Best Buy, and this picture is the best and so very awesome. Perhaps the 120hz helps, but I would not hesitate to recommend this set, but to also recommend an external sound system. As two of us here have mentioned it, you should be aware of the failings of these poor quality speakers that come with this set. That said, at this price, you can get a great sound system and still come out ahead.



4. I purchased this TV less than a week ago, only after getting a great deal. So far, I'm pleased with the overall product. It is a very silm TV, as far as LCD's go. The frame design is very thin and plain; for some, this may be a good thing, for others, not so much. The speakers are absolutely terrible! As far below mediocre as the sound is, Mitsubishi could have saved some weight on the total unit and left the speakers out altogether. I would highly recommend using this TV with some sort of external A/V system.
   
   I have yet to purchase a Blu-Ray disc player, or even an up-converter for my current DVD player, however, I did see the HD performance at the store. It was comparable to all others; that is except for Samsung. Samsung seems to have all other brands beaten in terms of overall picture quality and clarity.



5. Extremely bright when using the brilliant setting. This TV delivers more contrast with this setting than any other TV I looked at. I love it. My only complaint is that this setting has such a high contrast that some things don't look right. Pin Striped suits or shiney hair will dance all over the screen and distract. This only affects a handful of movies that I have watched though.

No comments about Mitsubishi LT-52246 52" Diamond Series 1080p LCD HDTV with 120Hz refresh rate.