No comments about AU Optronics 15.4 Glossy WXGA LCD Display - B154EW04 V.B.

No comments about LG OPUS 42LB9D - 42" 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV - 10,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio.

5 comments about Panasonic TH-42PHD8UK 42-Inch Plasma HDTV Monitor.

1. Stop spreading the word! I'm worried they'll stop making this killer display at this price.
   
   I have 2 and know lots of other owners. We use them in professional and home settings. There isn't a better deal for picture quality, flexibility and price. Know what you're buying though: you'll need to supply your own tuner & sources, speakers and stand.
   
   This is the ideal display for anyone who wants to work plasma into a serious home theater installation. Everything you need for a well-programmed custom install - direct-select inputs, multiple resolutions and aspect ratio options, full color and greyscale control, modular input boards - it's all there, I could go on. It's true that there are better choices for pure picture quality, but that's a very small and expensive list.
   
   The 50-inch is probably ideal for most large family rooms but the 42 is a great all-around display.



2. I just got this TV 3 days ago. It provides a beautiful crisp image. Navigating the menus is sometimes a bit of a problem, as they're not set up as intuitively as a lot of TVs I've owned.
   
   My only real complaint would be the initial set up of the TV. I pulled it out of it's box, and only then did I realize (my fault probably) that it doesn't come with a stand. Because of that, and because no store near me carried the stand designed to work with that TV I had to get a wall mount. So the TVs price is TV + Stand. And depending on what you want to use the TV for you'll have to get adapters. I went to plug in my R/G/B cables from my X-Box 360 and they wouldn't fit. The R/G/B cables on the TV were for BCN or something like that. So I had to go and buy the adapters for that. Five of them to get full usage of the TVs ports. So price is now TV + Stand + 5 RCA-BCN converters. And theres no place on the TV (that I could find) to plug in regular cable television. I have no idea what kind of converter I'm going to get for that, but I'm sure theres one out there.
   
   If none of that bothers you though, then get the TV. It really is the best image/size/quality that you'll get for this price.



3. I have this TV for almost a year and a half and have no complaints. I bought the optional HDMI and DVI add-in boards and they work perfectly with my home theater PC and cable box.
   
   One thing to remember is that this model has fewer inputs than the consumer models, it does not have an internal tuner or speakers either. So keep that in mind if it matters to you. For me I don't need these extras, plus this model is easier to tweak than the consumer models.
   
   At this point though you may want to upgrade to the TH-42PHD9UK. It's cheaper and one generation newer.



4. We have had this TV for 5 months now and LOVE it!! It has stunning color, amazing clarity and is very simple to use and install. We studied the reviews and chose this one for both it's size and it's cost. We could not be happier with our purchase.



5. I bought this tv like year ago and I can tell you that is the best image I have seen from plasma and lcd. Very sharp and incredible color. 100% recommended.

No comments about LG Electronics LG 50" PLASMA HDT.

No comments about SAMSUNG LT-P468W 46-Inch Widescreen LCD TV HDTV Monitor with Multimedia Input.

3 comments about Olevia 342i 42-Inch LCD HD Ready Monitor.

1. The review in Consumer Reports influenced our decision to buy an Olevia and we are very pleased with the monitor. We aren't TV watchers, but we do watch DVD's and the picture quality from this monitor is very good. It's clear and detailed. Also, the monitor is in a very bright room and the picture is not adversely affected by the brightness. And, the good price also made the buy very appealing!



2. This LCD is packed with great features, fantastic picture quality and connects right to your cable box so you don't need a tuner anyway! It has an easy wheel menu for your settings, you can adjust the picture to the brightness of the room and it's a snap to connect your DVD player and HD and I can even hook my laptop to it for a huge monitor. I can't say enough good things about this product. Olevia is soon to be a force to be reckoned with in the electronics world if they keep coming up with products of this quality and value!



3. for no reason we can identify the video aspect of this display just died and flickers back and forth between red/blue/green/white/black. It was not dropped, there was no power surge, and it was very carefully handled. Just took it off the base to wall mount it and now dead. Would not buy another one.

5 comments about Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK 50-Inch Plasma HDTV.

1. I'm incredibly pleased with the purchase. The only thing I wasn't really aware of is how much heat the plasma TV produces. One quirky thing is that the component video in uses BNC connectors, not RCA-style connectors. Additionally: this item is too large to ship via UPS, it was shipped via freight. Getting status information via the web was not possible, but the freight company delivered the HDTV on the earliest estimated delivery date.



2. I've had experience with several HDTVs and this one is the best especially at this price. This is actually a commercial model TV which is a good thing. You don't have to pay for extra speakers and a tuner you won't use and its a generation ahead of consumer models in display tech.
   
   Forget having to tweak the settings all day using a setup DVD to get the best picture, this thing looked amazing out of the box. I barely had to change anything to get a perfect picture. My old Sony HDTV required hours of tweaking to get anywhere near the image quality.
   
   I've never seen a better picture than this TV displaying from an HD-DVD. Its simply like you are looking through a window.
   
   In regards to the person saying you have to buy an add-on board for 'consumer' component inputs, he is wrong. This TV comes with the component input board and you just have to buy BNC->RCA adaptors to connect up to it. Whoever made him buy a consumer component input board just robbed him of 120 bucks when he could of just bought the BNC adaptors for 5 bucks.
   
   However you DO have to buy an HDMI input board if you want HDMI. It is recommended with this set because of this (from Panasonics info page): "Up to 2,048 shades of gradation (4,096 shades via HDMI or DVI connection)". I'm not sure why that is.



3. This plasma is awesome! I compared all the 50" plasma out there and the picture on the Panasonic is by far superior. The blacks are true black, no green or red haze as on some models. Keep in mind there is no tuner or speakers, but if you cannot get over the air reception or are always going to use cable or satellite and have surround sound, who cares! I recommend purchasing the optional HDMI input card for the ultimate picture. You can't go wrong with this one!!!



4. I purchased this model based on the other reviews and haven't regreted my decision at all. The monitor works perfectly adjusting the picture when the HD locals drop out of the HD format, sports have regained my interest, although now I can see the replays and judge how accurate the NFL refs have
   the call (they have a lot of improvement ahead). For anyone buying a HD TV check out the internet sites as to what to expect from content providers (DBS talk is good for sat.) and for me the best HD is being provided by Dicovery HD channel, simply stunning..



5. I work in Visual Effects at a top shop. We have ten "Flame" compositing systems, and we use this screen in every suite. The reason? They are THE BEST. Period. End of story. I am in teh Motion Picture Academy (the "Oscars" folks) and so I get movies from the studios to watch before I vote. This means I need what I call a "critical viewing" setup at home. When the time came two years ago for us to go big and flat at home, the coice of a screen was a no-brainer. Not only did our Vid Techs choose this after extensive research, but Consumer Reports chose it as the top pic for three years now. It is great. I do suggest you tape over the Panasonic logo with black tape to reduce visual distraction.
   
   Here's the BEST thing about this screen. It is a MONITOR, meaning it has no video tuner or audion amplifier. Most folks feed their TV from a cable or satellite box, so a tuner is unneccessary. They also often use a home theater audio amp, so the speakers and audio amp in most plasmas (and other types of screens) is a waste. That means you will eb spending around $1.000 for stuff YOU WILL NEVER USE! Get a MONITOR, not a television. Besides the already mentioned quality, and ruggedness, you will save enough to upgrade the rest of the system... While you're at it, check out the OPPO brand DVD players. They embarrass players costing 5 times as much and up-res to HiDef BEAUTIFULLY!!! (for about $150!)
   
   Hope you like the screen. We do!

2 comments about Sony WEGA M-Series KLV-23M1 23-Inch Widescreen HD-Ready Flat Panel LCD Television, Silver.

1. I was looking for a smaller LCD TV for the bedroom, and in two years of looking none really impressed me. Although there were several HDTV sets that were either larger or cheaper, I went with the Sony KLV-23M1 for its excellent picture/sound quality and nice design.
   
   The resolution on this model is 1366x768, a true 16:9 ratio unlike the crop of 1280x768 sets out there. The picture is vivid and crisp, with above-average grays and blacks and bright whites. Do yourself a favor and pick up a home theater calibration disc to get the most out of your purchase, Digital Video Essentials and the Avia Calibration DVDs are the best out there.
   
   I purchased a Sony DVP-NS975V DVD player at the same time, and results are noticeably better than the Sony DVP-NS725P it replaced. The 975 makes use of the HDMI (all-digital) input on the TV, and is an aesthetic match to the set to boot. With this particular TV there's no HDTV tuner built-in, so you'll have to purchase one seperately. Everything looks fantastic if you decide to go with one though, and in some instances this TV looks better than the plasma TV we purchased two years ago!
   
   Sony wisely moved the speakers from the sides of the TV to the bottom, which makes for a cleaner-looking set that fits better into your home. There's a surround mode that's sounds pretty good, and there's a surprisingly good amount of bass from such a small cabinet. The speakers are clear and can be cranked quite high if you so desire.
   
   The set upscales input to match the native resolution, and does quite a nice job of it. There's little to no motion blurring caused by fast action, a problem with older LCD TVs that didn't have a high enough pixel response time.
   
   The design of the TV is very nice, with rounded corners, a sharp-looking front, and nice touches like a little door covering the buttons on the front that blends in with the bezel. I also liked how half the inputs were on the left-rear side of the TV and half on the right-rear side. They're hidden by removeable doors that have holes feeding into a cable guide on the back of the TV, making cable clutter less of a problem.
   
   Some things I didn't like included the slow speed with which the TV switches inputs. You'll push the button on the remote or the TV, and it'll take a couple of seconds for the input to switch over. In addition, flipping through regular broadcast channels also takes a little bit longer than on my 27" Sony CRT TV. When you've got over 100 channels, the extra fraction of a second becomes noticeable. There's also only one component video input, which meant I had to go get a switchbox to hook up all my game consoles. Finally, the rubber on the bottom of the stand can damage some wooden finishes, my significant other was a little angry when it dulled the finish on a nice Ethan Allen chest.
   
   So is it worth the Sony price premium? It's made in Japan, which is a plus. I've been using Sony products for 20 years, and none of the ones made in Japan have given out prematurely. The design is very nice, and the performance also rocks. Although it's not perfect, I'm still very happy with it and ended up keeping it over the four other sets I bought to try out. Recommended.



2. Got this Sony WEGA 23" LCD about two years ago. It's been great.
   
   Very stylish looking. Still looks good today.
   
   Picture quality is outstanding, stood out above the rest at the store when they were all turned on. I've have friends comment how clear the picture is when they've come to my house.
   
   The stock sound is great for a 23". I didn't realize this until I purchased another LCD TV and its stock sound was terrible.
   
   Overall, been a great TV and still working great.
   
   I recently purchases another LCD TV from a less established brand (Mintek) and was disappointed in the picture quality and the sound (especially compared to my Sony sitting next to it). The experience has enhanced my brand view of Sony Quality.
   
   -J.Clark / San Jose, CA

5 comments about Mitsubishi LT-46131 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV.

1. I got this tv a little over a week ago and it is extrememly nice. I have no complaints so far and am very pleased. The picture quality is excellent, especially on Xbox 360



2. This is one awesome television. The picture is great via Direct TV and DVD. I don't have cable so I can't give an opinion there. There is one setting that greatly reduces the fuzziness found on most sets when not watching a true 1080 P or I picture.
   
   The closed captioning takes a bit to turn on. (7 button presses on the remote). I use a Harmony 880 that has the ability to program a sequence of commands so I made an ACTIVITY (macro) to allow me to press one button instead of seven. Otherwise, this would be an inconvenience.
   
   I have owned two Mitsubishi TVs. One lasted 17 years. The other is still going after 18 years. I have owned one Sony. The front input panel stopped working after 3 years. The TV quit completely after 7 years. Hopefully, this new Mitsubishi will be like the others I have owned.
   
   I have not yet been able to tune to an over the air (OTA) HDTV broadcast. I am 28 miles from my closest station so I think I will need a serious antenna.



3. Working in the industry I have seen tons of televisions. The first day I saw the Mitsubshi LT-46131 I knew it was something special. I have owned this television for about 4 weeks and I am extremely pleased with it. Once calibrated (a few adjustments in the picture menu) the picture quality is absolutely breath-taking. It may not be the final word in black levels, but what it lacks in black-levels it makes up for in picture quality and detail. Don't get me wrong the black-levels on this television are good, just not the best available. The Sony XBR is better than the Mitsubishi in this regard, however the Mitsubishi bests the Sony in color reproduction and is equal to the Sony in picture detail. You can currently find this TV online for just under $3K with great financing offers. This television is a steal, did I mention firewire? Every night I come home the first thing I do is fire this puppy up (right after I kiss my wife), and I'm blown away everytime I tune in a high-def channel. I am no hi-def novice, this is my 4th high definition televison, previously owning a Panasonic PT-53WX52, Panasonic PT-50LC13, Vizio P50HDM and finally my beloved Mitsubishi. The Mitsubishi absolutely trounces my previous televisions, including the highly regarded Vizio. I know HDMI 1.3 is on the horizon but the picture quality of this set is hard to resist. Regular cable looks ok on this television but it needs a quality hi-def signal to really shine. This television is also among the best LCD's in terms of fast moving objects. When watching basketball and football games it's hard to detect any motion blur. I could not have made a better choice in a television. Mitsubishi is a class act.



4. I strongly suggest you do not purchase this HDTV if you intend to use it with a cable card. There is a defect in the chip causing pixelation on the HD channels. Brand new set has to go in for repair replacing the entire circuit board taking approximately 1-1 1/2 weeks "IF" the part is available. Can't imagine how long the unit will be gone and I've only had it 2 weeks! Customer service at Mitsubishi lacking - had to call 4 times - VERY LONG WAIT TIMES ON PHONE AND APPOINTMENTS WITH AUTHORIZED REPAIR SERVICES. Spend a few bucks more and go with Sony. This is my last Mitsubishi purchase!



5. I owned this TV for 3 weeks. Here is how I feel about this TV:
   
   What I like about it (from the best):
   1. No dead-pixels, clouds or banding issues. Not just for mine. Other owners reported similar quality.
   2. Better than average SD (480i) performance
   3. 1080p input via HDMI and DVI
   4. POP, there is no Picture in Picture but this TV can do split screen viewing very well with the exception of viewing two RF channels or two 1080p sources.
   5. Swivel stand
   6. Lots of freedom in tuning color
   7. IEEE 1394 port, for recording digital feeds great if you can find a cheap AVHD
   7. DVI-I interface, a rare find these days. 1:1 pixel mapping at 1080p
   8. Can level sound volume. Reduces the panic when changing channels
   9. On screen TV guide so you see which channel is playing what.
   10. Built-in Cable Card
   
   What I hate about it (from the worst):
   1. Black crush! While the black is black, so is dark gray and dark blue! Comparing the TV side by side with a Sony, the details in the shadow area is completely missing on the Mitsubishi.
   2. Overscans on HDMI. So a 1920x1080 image will be scaled up. Kind of defeating the purpose of having a 1080p TV. In fact, a PC output is HORRIBLE through HDMI due to scaling.
   3. Only 1080i via Component - no 1080p for XBOX 360 Platinum/Core.
   4. DVI image is missing a few rows/columns. The real resolution is like 1916x1076.
   5. VGA (via DVI-A) is only supported up to 1366x768.
   6. Cannot automatically expand 4:3 HD program to 16:9 while keeping 16:9 programs untouched.
   7. Poor User Interface. I cannot believe people praise about its UI. The interface is slow and non-intuative. It takes a full second after I press "INPUT" for my choices to show up. The menu dedicates an entire icon for rarely used function like naming my input source but to adjust color, I have to cycle through a dozen video options in 2 levels. The menu only provide the most basic configurations.
   8. Frequent mode change in split screen. If the video mode of one of the sub-window has changed (e.g. from SD to HD, 480i to 480p), the entire screen will flash. Most serious during channel change.
   9. According to an online source, this TV fails 3:2 pull down test for 1080i programs. (but it works for 480i!)
   10. Heavy. Close to 100 lb with stand.
   11. Will not display if a program is 1080i or 720p. I wonder why?
   
   What I see is Mitsubishi's first serious attempt in the LCD HDTV market. I think they have a lots more to learn and improve.

No comments about Sony FWD42PV1A/S 42-Inch PlasmaPro EDTV Display Silver.