No comments about Sony Bravia S-Series KDL-40S4100 40-inch 1080p LCD HDTV + Accessory Kit Bundle with 3 Year Extended Warranty!.

5 comments about Philips 17PF8946 17-Inch LCD Flat Panel HDTV-Ready TV.

1. I'm the type of person who is usually comfortable with electronic equipment that is on the verge of obsolescence. That being said, I'm pleased with the Philips Flat Panel HDTV I purchased with the intent of using it as a computer monitor/TV to sit on a fragile desk in my bedroom. I have watched a total of three movies on it. The sound and picture quality were impressive especially considering I haven't made any adjustments to the factory settings. In fact, I've only had to make a few decisions after being prompted by menus that automatically appear on the screen. The Philips is definitely user friendly.
   
   There are only a few drawbacks to the set which I hate to mention because I'm using it primarily as a monitor when it was really intended to be used as a TV. The screen is prone to etching when images, such as the Menu bar on a desktop, remain static for long periods of time. The speakers also don't work with the computer. Maybe they do with a PC but I had to have a VGA to DVI adapter cable to connect the Mac Mini to the Philips Flat Panel TV.
   
   I still give the Philips 17PF8964 17" model five stars because I was able to connect a progressive scan DVD player to it without reading the instructions. The VGA to DVI adapter cable was also inexpensive and easy to find. And the instruction sheet allowed me to focus on only those few diagrams that pertained to my particular compatibility issue. The set is also very light compared to CRT monitors and TVs with 17" screens. Plus, the sound and picture quality easily surpass that of the "nice" TV bought for the living room years ago. As for the quality of the HDTV component, it'll be at least 5 years before I decide to use the feature...



2. You can't beat the low price on this 17" LCD TV. The picture quality with HDTV or DVD-Progessive Scan sources is excellent. Built-in stereo speakers and FM tuner are handy features, but sound quality is mediocre, so recommend using with home theater audio system for your audio. Generous variety of video inputs. However, only one handles true high definition sources, a standard 15-pin VGA input which accepts either (1) the in-the-box included cable which has the VGA connector on one end and the three component video jacks (standard color-coded RCA type) at the other end, or (2) a cable with VGA connectors at both ends (not included) for hookup to a PC. For more than one high-definition source you'll need a switchbox (I bought one from an electronics store to connect my satellite HDTV and DVD-Proscan player), or a VGA splitter (for two PC's). All in all a great bargain.



3. ...you almost certainly would do better with the Viewsonic 20.1" widescreen LCD, model VX2025WM.
   
   I purchased the Philips 17" LCD Flat Panel HDTV-Ready TV for two reasons: to connect it to my XBOX 360 for High Definition gaming, and because the price was right. I had to return it to Amazon (which is prefectly courteous and professional with such matters) twice: the first set had a nonfunctioning headphone jack (no sound through headphones or any speaker I attached to it), and the replacement set would not display the HD output from my console. I have read of faulty HDAV cables being shipped with XBOX 360 consoles, so I wanted to make sure: I tested three separate consoles, and 3 separate HDAV cables. I tested all the available settings through the console's dashboard. The picture was the same: a screenful of distortion (the sound was fine).
   
   The sound on this TV impressed me. It is not as good as you can get with even a $50 set of desktop speakers, but it is deep enough and loud enough that you wouldn't necessarily need any addition to enjoy what you're watching - something that surprised me, considering what we're told to expect from flat panel TVs.
   
   For regular television, the picture quality is only moderately good. I appreciated the range of adjustable settings, and although the picture is generally very sharp, the colors generally didn't seem very well defined or realistic. The same held true for gaming through the AV components. Watching DVDs was definitely the best aspect of my experience with this product (both iterations thereof). Had I not purchased it primarily as a monitor for my XBOX 360, I may even have been tempted to keep it and be spared the nuisance of returns.
   
   I intended not to star this review, because my encounter with the above two defects in this product was probably singular (although they occured on two different units). I have always had a mixed impression of American-market Philips products, and this unit will just be logged away with the others. The stars are there because the website forces it.
   
   Enter the Viewsonic 20" widescreen LCD, model VX2025WM. You can attain HD-pedigree resolutions on an LCD monitor. The XBOX 360 dashboard automatically adjusts its display options to accomodate your screen. You would have to acquire the HDVGA cable - go with Monster; the Microsoft cable results in the oft-cited "washed out effect". Connect a pleasing $50 set of speakers (Creative Labs makes those), and enjoy your HD games in widescreen - your 4:3 games and DVD programs are accomodated as well. The picture is excellent, and it is Big! If you are primarily interested in HD gaming, and DVD viewing through your console or computer, and perhaps replacing your existing monitor while you're at it - and your immediate plans do not include installing HD Television in your home - the Viewsonic 20" Widescreen LCD, model VX2025WM is what you should get, and Amazon has it.



4. I purchased this television to put in a cabinet in the kitchen of my home. I am very pleased with the color, sound and quality of the unit. I have it mounted on a roll out shelf and I purchased a mount so the television can be folded up for storage. The only small problem is that the controls are on the top of the set and I sometimes activate them when I am trying to put the television away.



5. After we have had this TV at about a year and a half, it developed a 2 inch wide transparent green stripe that runs from top to bottom (vertically). Took it to a repair shop and said it would cost appx $200 to repair. I can buy a new TV for that and obviously at that point it is out of warranty. Buyer beware!

5 comments about Panasonic TH-65PZ750U 65-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV.

1. I have had this TV for three weeks now and it is amazing. It has an excellent refresh rate and the picture is great. One warning, you really do notice the difference between regular tv and HD tv. It is also easy to tell the difference between differing HD recordings (some are better than others) and something that has been upcoded. When it is in HD it is amazing. It works well with a Playstation 3 both on movies and games. The PS3 is probably not the best player for movies, though. The SD card slot is a plus and the pictures look great on the big screen. It also can be used as a computer monitor and does a good job as such. In short, a great product. I will update this if any negatives worth noting develop. Only two complaints - one is the price. It is still pretty pricey but that is related to its size. Second - weight. It is a bear. It took three people to mount it on the wall so keep that in mind if you are looking to move it around.



2. This TV has met or exceeded all expectations for a beautiful picture. I run the sound through my home theater system, so cannot comment on that. Vann's beat their delivery commitment by several days right before X-mas, so that was good. The TV is very heavy, so be careful to mount it where you want it the first time.



3. I've been struggling with what TV to buy for our home theater system. I narrowed it down to this TV, the Pioneer 60" KURO, or the Samsung 57" LN-T5781F. We really liked the Samsung, the 500,000:1 contrast ratio really makes that TV pop; however it was a bit more than I wanted to spend. We finally settled on this TV from Best Buy after Best Buy price matched Amazon and threw in some extras. The TV is a pain to get home if you're not using Best Buy home delivery. It wouldn't fit in our Tahoe so we had to get a trailer to drive it home. Once we got home, I had to get help to move it since its a bit heavy (it weighs 180 pounds and the box is awkward to carry). I paired this TV with a Denon AVR-2308CI receiver and watched a couple movies to test it out. The TV looks absolutely fantastic in our home theater area.



4. I compared zillion different TV sets before I ran into this monster plasma. It has clearest and best defined image. Colors are crisp and vibrant, the entire image is 3-dimensional! There is lot of talk about what is superior, but just walk to a decent store and watch this thing and it will speak for itself. The Blu-Ray movie looks like a dream on this set. I watched some animation movies and the whole experience is blowing mind!



5. We bought the TH-65PZ750U both because an independent/non-profit consumer magazine rated its little brother, the TH-58PZ750U, as the top-performing TV in its size class, and because Panasonic TVs in general were rated as having the least-frequent / smallest number of problems/repairs. In my own experience, one can't take for granted getting both high performance and reliability in one product. So with a credible source saying that Panasonic nailed both, we figured we can't go wrong.
   
   We've been using this TV for about 4 months and are very pleased. The picture looked awesome right out of the box. The only adjustment we've made since then is to back off the "Picture" setting because we found it to be very bright; not a flaw, just preference. I am particularly fussy about picture quality, and until now preferred smaller screens because the big ones just didn't look good to me. But the TH-65PZ750U changed that. The HDTV picture is incredible. The colors are vivid but not embellished, the level of detail is stunning, and the edges are nice and crisp. In fact, with a good HD source, the TH-65PZ750U is able to give the illusion of looking out a window or "being right there". But it also excels with regular non-HD sources as well.
   
   On top of all that, the TV itself has a nice gloss-black frame that looks really sharp. Obviously a matter of taste, but some of the gray-plastic frames on other TVs make them look cheezy and could be of detriment to the "wife-approval factor". Ours is being used as a monitor connected to a home theater system, so I am unable to comment on the TV's built-in tuner or sound quality.
   
   So if you want top-shelf picture quality from a company with a good track record for reliability, the Panasonic TH-65PZ750U is definitely worth putting at the top of your short list.

5 comments about Samsung LN-S2341W 23-Inch LCD HD-Ready TV.

1. I was having trouble getting it to play DVDs through the component video connections, so I called Samsung's customer service. The girl I talked to gave me no useful information. By reading through the manuals of both my DVD player and the TV, I learned that it would work if I used an HDMI cable. I haven't had any problems since.



2. This LCD TV displays brilliant color when watching HD TV. It does not have the pip function for TV as advertised. It does not have audio out. You can defeat that by hooking up your cable box to your Home Theater System. I also would recommend using a HDMI cable to connect the TV to your cable box, it provides a superior picture than using the component cables (less image artifacts). I have an XBOX 360 connected and the games are beautiful. There is a problem watching XBOX 360 dvd on the LCD but I use the xbox for gaming. If using a Home theater system with a DVD make sure you buy Widescreen format DVD's and configure your DVD player accordingly



3. I use analog cable only with this unit in a bedroom location.
   Pros: Picture is very good given the analog signal source. Plenty of audio for our bedroom setting. Unit looks good.
   Cons: The remote must be pointed within a very narrow angle range towards the receiver for it to pick up the remotes signal. The onscreen channel numbers are very small and hard to read at a distance. I have found no way to increase font size. Long delay in unit turn on with remote make you keep pushing the power button and hoping you have it pointed at the proper angle. Would rate it at between 3 and 4 out of 5.



4. This product is nothing more than an expensive computer monitor. It does NOT recieve digital or HDTV channels. That simple. I purchased an expensive HDTV antenna to capture the "hidden" channels. Forget it. It only picks up the ancient analog channels. I could do that with my 20 year-old tube TV. The HDTV logo on the front is misleading....no, it's an outright lie. If I could give this zero stars, I would.



5. this was my first flatscreen/hdtv...its been really reliable, great tv, i dont understand all the other reviews about it not supporting alot of their other devices....i have hooked up alot of things to it n it all worked perfectly, it has such a clear picture...the only downside which i wish i had been better informed of when i bought it is that it does not have an atsc(digital) tuner, it only has an analog tuner...but other than that its a great tv

No comments about Sony Bravia W-Series KDL-40W4100 40-inch 1080p LCD HDTV + Accessory Kit Bundle with Wall Mount & 3 Year Extended Warranty!.

5 comments about Sharp Aquos LC65D93U 65-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV.

1. This is an amazing TV. We needed something large to fill up a big room but didn't want to go with a plasma because of its reflective screen. That's when we found this Goliath of a TV and waited patiently for its price to drop. HDTV Picture quality is the best you'll see for a TV this size. SDTV is okay, but not worse than any other lcd on the market. My only (minor) complaints are: no side inputs (really would come in handy) and the sound quality isn't so great (get a home theater system).
   
   Pros:
   Best picture quality of any 65in LCD out there
   120hz 1080p goodness
   Auto brightness sensor that adjust the amount of light in the room
   TONS of inputs
   Very easy setup
   
   Cons:
   No side inputs
   Sound isn't too great (again, if you're going to get a TV this size, you should be buying a home theater system as well)
   Universal Remote isn't all that great (get a logitech harmony)



2. Great TV. A bit heavy, but less than one would think for its size. Mine is wall mounted on a 200lb rated mount so I have plenty of leeway. Bought the TV from amazon and it was delivered by a company called CEVA. First one came with a shattered LCD, but a replacement was soon shipped after refusing the first one. Second one came completely in tact. Very happy with the purchase, though I never would have thought I'd own a TV that cost 4x what I paid for my first car!!! Then again, I never thought I'd be paying as much for gas as I do milk, either. Guess that's life for you!!



3. First let's get the one big negative out of the way: If you use HMDI inputs, the tv will NOT output sound from the optical digital out, period. This means I have to buy a new receiver with more inputs so I can route all my components directly to my home theater speakers, rather than just using the tv's inputs, a major inconvenience. The Samsung 63" plasma I tried has a similar issue, so do your homework (I returned that for other reasons). The tv's own speakers are mediocre at best.
   That said, the picture quality is amazing. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that the source makes or breaks the image you get. SD programming depends on the channel and quality of the original image. Shows that were originally recorded in SD are going to be a bit grainy no matter which HDTV you buy. I have seen baseball, football and basketball on HD channels and the picture is clear and crisp, with no issues of pixelization when images move fast. On the other hand, watching wrestling does have that problem on certain channels. Again, the source determines the quality. Just remember, not everything on HD channels was FILMED in HD. In fact except for sports most programs on cable HD were filmed in SD and are being upconverted, which will never give the same quality (there is some silk screen effect and slight pixelization with fast movement but nothing bad). My upconverting DVD player makes my regular dvd's look just as good as they did on my Sony 35" CRT display. PS3 games are so clear and bright it's like I upgraded to a PS4, my jaw just dropped. But far and away the most stunning visuals came from watching Planet Earth on Blu-Ray. I didn't know such image quality could exist. I also watched Resident Evil Apocalypse on Blu-Ray, and everything was perfect: no grit, no blockiness during fast scenes or explosions. You can have sidebars when the source is 4:3 format, or you can have it stretch the image to fill the screen. While the feature is standard this model does it without the images LOOKING stretched. No fat heads or other such problems, everything just looks natural. There are no banding issues, with brightness always looking even. I've had the tv for over 2 weeks and don't have one bad thing to say about it. I was paranoid about having buyer's remorse when choosing a set this expensive and even with a very critical eye I can't find any problems. I got it from Amazon directly for $4K (must have been their last one because they don't offer it now) so I can only say Amazon was great as always and I know by experience they have the best customer service, bar none. When I returned the defective Samsung 63" Plasma I bought early this year they went out of their way to accomodate me, so buy with absolute confidence. Just know that other vendors who sell here have their own return policies and Amazon can't help you if you go that route. Sorry to write a short novel but I want to give as much info as possible. I will check the comments section for a while if you have any questions and answer ASAP.



4. This TV is beond words after reading the other three review's I decided i'd try it noing amazon would take it back. Well the tv is on my wall and it's not going back. This TV is great and you could never beat the price or the extended coverage on it. I looked at Another store for a 58 inch that was running $5800.00 with extended coverage running $1000.00. To find a 65 inch for $3990.00 is greast if you have the room i set about twelve feet and even outside on my deck and watch the race and the Olympic's. best purchaes ever the Sharp 65d93u is out of this world. A+



5. The TV is superior to any other 60''+ tv i reviewed. The picture is flawless and leave your guests speechless when they watch their first HD football game! It comes with 3 HDMI connections, more than its competitors. Set up was EASY. MY only complaint was that the factory presets for color/brightness were poor. This was easily fixed by getting settings online. Although I received this TV from Amazon in a timely manner, it was extremely difficult contacting a live person at Amazon to address shipping and delivery concerns. After 2 days of emails and aggravation I was able to obtain the Amazon phone number. The price was excellent, although I see the price has increased significantly from when I purchased it in June 08.

5 comments about Toshiba TALEN 65HM167 65-Inch 1080p DLP HDTV - EOL August 2007.

1. This is my first HDTV. It's huge! I am very happy with it. I researched a lot of HDTV's before choosing this one. I already own a Toshiba Theater view, which I am also happy with, I purchased years ago, so I trust the name. I use it for gaming as well, and it looks great. My HD channels are sparkling sharp, when they are broad casted correctly, of course. 1080p ready for the future. Plenty of ports for me. WOW sound really does make a difference. Delivery was excellent! No complaints.



2. This television is absolutely phenomenal!! The clarity is unbelievable and it is very easy to set up as well as navigate the menus. I strongly recommend buying generic HDMI cables as I have seen no noticeable difference between the so called "high quality" ones and the generic. PS3 and my HD-DVD players both look great. Playing the Nintendo Wii is an experience all in its own. The set has a multitude of options for connecting any device you can think of except S-video but honestly, who ever used S-video? Can't say enough great things about this set. You won't be disappointed.



3. First let me say I am a Toshiba fan. I have 3 other Toshiba tube units, one 15 years old and still running.
   
   So far so good very good picture and a pleasure to watch. I bought mine late November 2007 and added a HD Sat Receiver mid December. To really appreciate this set you must have a HD receiver pushing HD. If you are not watching HD then you are stretching your standard def picture to 65".
   
   This unit has 3 HDMI inputs that makes playing XBox 360 and Playstation 3 a very easy experience switching sources and one HDMI for other expansion.
   
   Now if I do not run into bulb issues this set will be perfect.



4. I bought this hdtv in August 2007 after shopping for a hdtv for about 2 and a half years, mainly waiting for prices to drop and for 1080p models to come out instead of then current 720p models. It has been 5 months and I have NO bulb issues as of yet, but I have the bulb set to low power and do not turn it off and on frequently. The 1080p display is wonderful with an HDMI cable, I have this oneInspire 1080p (6.6ft) 2M HDMI PS3 Cable 1.3b Certified. Screen size is just the right size for watching football and using a PS3 for both gaming and Blu-ray movies.The HDMI inputs on this set are 1.3 even though it is not mentioned anywhere in the description. I am happy with my Toshiba.



5. My Sony Wega 50" was dying (some sort of mirror issue causing blue streaks in the picture. Its apparently very prevelant in this model, but I have not gotten much response from Sony for a post warranty fix and from what hear its close to $1000 to repair). I was also 2 years + into my second bulb ($400). So I've had my eye out for a larger HD tv for several months now. I dont need PIP (comes with brighthouse DVR) and dont really care about sound since I pipe the cable/DVD audio to my reciever. I was just looking for a big, clear 1080p set. I saw this model in this week's circuit city flyer (Jan 27, 2008) for $1399!. I got the tape measure out to make sure it would fit in my built-in media space and went to CC to check it out. With standard HD inputs (probably 1080i). This set appeared to have the best picture of all the projection units on the wall (with the exception of a Mitubisi 75" unit that the salesman said was playing a 1080p HD DVD). I measured it out, and with my existing tv stand it fit in the media space with about 1 inch to spare on all sides. We loaded it my truck and took it home. In 20 minutes I had it fired up (well, almost, I needed to go buy an HDMI cable for $35). I've only got 1 day on it, but its a stunning picture and makes a huge difference from my 50" Sony. My viewing distance is probably longer than most (maybe 15' to the couch)
   
   Anyway, if you are looking for a decent DLP set with a big picture and dont need a lot of useless bells and whistles get down to CC and check this one out.
   For $1600 I'd probably look around a bit more, but at $1399 this set tripped my price trigger and I'm quite happy with it.

No comments about Panasonic TH-50PH10UKA 50" Dual HDMI Plasma HDTV.

No comments about Sony KDL-46W4150 46" BRAVIA W-Series 1080p LCD HDTV + Accessory Kit w/ 3 Year Extended Warranty.

1 comments about Panasonic PT-56LCX70 56-Inch 720p LIFI HDTV.

1. Wow, The picture on this set blows away DLP sets! No color wheel to breakdown or add rainbow artifacts, and the light source will last much longer than other types. The three LCD panels have better contrast than DLP sets, and are much larger, there by reducing the obvious pixels that our DLP had. Panasonic has a winner here, too bad that rear projection TVs are going away, they are much less costly than Plasma or other direct view tvs. We don't mind that it won't wall hang, the set is attractive and has a small foot print anyway.