2 comments about Sony VPL-AW10 BRAVIA® 720p high-definition LCD projector.

1. This is a very nice projector for the money. However, there are some shortcomings:
   
   1. No veritical or horizontal lense shift. This makes it a PITA to get perfectly aligned on the screen.
   
   2. It has vertical keystone adjustment. However, it is very close to staight vertical line on both sides, but close attention will show some curve.
   
   3. There is considerable display "bleeding" at the bottom of the screen. Below the screen there is light, but no picture. It isn't too distracting, I'm just a perfectionist.
   
   Overall a good buy for the money. No great, but a good buy.



2. I originally purchased the Mitsubishi HC1500 DLP projector, but had some problems with it. Ordered this one from amazon and put them side by side. This isn't a review so much as a comparison between 3 Chip LCD and SINGLE CHIP DLP (which tend to be in the same price range). I actually liked the HC1500 a lot, but ended up keeping this SONY VLPAW10 for a number of reasons. It's not perfect, and in some areas underperforms the DLP. Here's the comparison.
   
   Single chip DLP projectors create images by having a "chip" filled with thousands of tiny mirrors (1 per pixel on the screen) that can tilt up and down. When they tilt, they send light to the screen, when they don't tilt, the light stays in the projector. This ends up creating wonderfully bright and brilliant images. The only problem with this setup is that there's no color (just the white light is being directed) so the color needs to be introduced by spinning a color wheel in front of the chip. (in this case it's a 7 segment red-green-blue-white-red-green-blue wheel. The problem is that the colors are therefore being created via an optical illusion, which for some people creates a "rainbow" effect where they see color rainbows in the white areas of the image. It's very pronounced when there are credit rolls at the end of movies, or any other times there are high contrast black/white (or light/dark) areas. In a certain percentage of cases, the rainbow effect causes headaches and eyestrain It did so for me. (google "DLP rainbow effect" if you don't believe me. There are such things as 3 chip DLP projectors that don't need the color wheels and don't create this effect, but they aren't even close to being in the sub $[...] price range (they start at SEVERAL thousand dollars)
   
   Three chip LCD screens actually have 3 panels (red green and blue) so they don't need the spinning color wheel, they just project the light through the panels, and the colors line up on the screen if calibrated properly. They are not as bright and brilliant as the DLP images because the light is going through the panels, and not being reflected by mirrors which create more direct light. The LCD projectors also need more space between the pixels than DLP, and this ends up giving you a more visible "screen door"effect where you can actually see the faint black lines of the pixel grid if you sit close enough to the screen (as if you were looking through a door or window with an insect screen on it, hence the term "screen door".
   
   So that's the background, here are the results of my side by side tests (accompanied by the media manager for a major lecture hall at an Ivy League university) who is a specialist in these kinds of things (I myself teach video production, so have some expertise here as well).
   
   The Mitsubishi HC-1500 (1 chip DLP)
   
   Advantages
   
   + about half the physical size of the SONY.
   + Image is brighter
   + colors are more saturated
   + no need for air filter
   + less screen door effect
   
   Disadvantages
   
   - potential for rainbow effect
   - noisy (the spinning wheel makes a high pitched whine which is louder and more annoying than the fan)
   - If you have a small room, you may not be able to fill a large projector screen with an image because this projector cannot throw a large image from as short a distance as the sony
   
   The SONY VLPAW-10 (3 chip LCD)
   
   Advantages
   
   + no rainbow effect
   + quieter
   + can throw larger image from shorter distance
   
   Disadvantages
   
   - Much larger than the mitsubishi
   - Bulb not as bright, need darker room
   - colors are less saturated
   - has an air filter than needs to be changed periodically
   - more screen door effect
   - HDMI input on the rear has a bezel around it that will make it impossible for some of the cables with thicker ends to fit in. I had to change cables to get this to work
   
   
   CONCLUSION
   
   I went with the SONY. It's not perfect, but for my needs it beats the Mitsubishi. I know there are a lot of die hard fans of the HC1500 and I'm sorry - but this is a fair assessment of my needs.
   
   Some ways to mitigate the SONY's disadvantages:
   
   Neither tv will perform great in a bright room, so both of these are really best suited for rooms where you can control the light.
   
   In terms of the saturation, if you're watching DVD movies, then I think you'll prefer the LCD since it creates more natural colors. The DLP is better for watching HDTV shows where the colors really pop (like CSI Miami). I use it mostly to watch movies, so don't mind the less saturated and brilliant colors.
   
   In terms of the "screen door" effect, I find this is minimized by defocusing the image just a hair. Yes the image is more soft, but this looks more like a projected image in a movie theater, and this is the effect I'm going for when watching movies on my projector, so it works great. It does not work as well to watch sports or news or other material that has lots of CG text up on the screen.
   
   
   One last note, if you decide to buy it, the price of the sony does fluctuate on Amazon wildly ($[...] yesterday, $[...] today !!!). But I see it go up and down on an almost weekly basis. So time your purchase carefully!

5 comments about Toshiba MW20F52 20-Inch Flat TV with DVD and VCR.

1. I started shopping on weekends again at my local and not so local electronics stores perusing the latest TVs and other electronic devices on the market. Toshiba's MW20F52 20" Flat CRT set with DVD and VCR is a very good value. The 24-inch screen is a perfect size to reproduce a pretty vivid and sharp looking picture. That was the first thing I noticed about this set. It took me a minute to realize that the picture source I was watching was from the built-in DVD player. VHS tapes also looked good on this set once I got a demo. The 4-head VHS component was in HiFi and sounded very good. I was really surprised by how well the picture looked. TOSHIBA still makes a good product as this demonstrates. The flat screen held the image pretty true around all the edges and the audio quality was above average delivering good fidelity for both low and high frequencies.



2. Compared to a Sony, which no longer makes/advertises CRT VHS-DVD TV's, this TV is adequate but laking the Sony picture quality. A decent second choice. In my opinion, better than any other brands currently available. Price was good, I'm satisfied in what I could get.



3. This TV with DVD and VCR is exactly what we hoped it would be. We didn't want anything too large, because our den is a relatively small room, but we wanted a good picture and a system that would be easy to set up and use, and we definitely needed the VCR as well as the DVD. It's a great combination, and everything works well. The manual explains the operations clearly, and the remote is excellent. We are very, very happy with this TV. We couldn't be happier, and we highly recommend it.



4. My brother had a stroke 3 years ago, and he needed a tv he could operate w/o always having to reference an instruction manual or searching for various remotes. He likes having everthing right there at his fingertips. He is very happy with his new tv set. Shipping was very speedy and it was in perfect condition.



5. First of all, this set replaced a sony with a smaler screen. It is used in a bedroom, and thoughtfully integrates the VCR and DVD into one easy to operate, albeit hefty unit. The picture is clear and renders colors well, just a tad less sharp than the sony, but close enough. The sound is very full, and with the front mounted speakers, very clear and can be placed inside a cabinet or shelf without muffling the sound. The tuner can render digital and analog signals, allowing this set to work without a converter box after the Feb. 2009 broadcast changeover to digital. This set was purchased for my 88 year old active mother, and she is very happy with it after more than a year of constant use. The remote is intuitive, except some buttons are small, and can be inadvertently pressed. (activating closed captioning for example) This television has been an ideal choice for a smaller combination unit, from one of the more reliable branda.

4 comments about Sony SXRD VPL-VW40 1080p Home Theater Projector.

1. I just hooked up my Sony vpl-vw40 projector and I'm very happy with it. I must admit that I have little experience and don't have an extensive comparison backround, but it is more that I had hoped for. Nice blacks, vibrant colors. Also a very simple remote with intuitive functions. I just had over 20 people over- we watched "Night at the Museum" on Blue ray with a superb full 1080 res and then "Crouching Tiger" on traditional DVD. Upscaling to 1080p was great. Not quite as good as the BlueRay but pretty dang good for making up info. Everyone was amazed at the clarity. I hooked it to a Denon AVR-2308CI Home theater A/V Receiver and Fluance(tm) 5 Speaker SXHTB+ Surround Sound Home Theater System SX-HTB+. The speakers just boggle me. So much for so little. Anyways- there's not any reviews I can see so far on this new projector, so hopefully this will be of use.
   
   Jim



2. Phenomenal. Compared to a 52XBR5, it bests it in just about everything minus that 120hz motionflow the xbr5 has. Great price, much quieter than my PS3 and/or my xbox 360, for it is just about inaudible. Colors do need some tweaking out of the box. I would recommend a calibration dvd. No screendoor effect allows me to sit 8 feet close to a 103" screen. Great flexibility as well.



3. Only one word.....AMAZING.....The picture quality, the blacks, the contrast....all excelent. Thanks to Sony for make another great product.



4. I picked up the Sony VPL-VW40 to replace an aging 720p VPL-HS51 that has worked pretty well for over 3 years. One warranty repair was needed on the HS51 for a problem with the blue filter about a year and a half in, and it's now out of warranty and was also about due for another lamp replacement so it seemed like a good time to upgrade.
   I was a little worried that the VW40 might not be bright enough since it reportedly has a little lower maximum light output than the Epson 1080UB (which I also looked at), but I shouldn't have been worried since I only project an about 85" image (small room). To me the VW40 actually looks slightly brighter than the HS51 if anything. The big difference, though, is in resolution and black level. The image is much sharper and more detailed, especially with a 1080p source. I think it even looks somewhat better on upconverted content. It's also quieter and I can't even hear the fan noise unless I listen carefully for it. One thing I struggled with a bit is the sheer size and weight of the VW40. It's a significant increase in both size and weight from the HS51 and I had to modify my home built ceiling mount to ensure it could handle it. It's over 24lbs while the HS51 was less than 13lbs.
   My reasons for choosing this model over the 1080UB include a couple of main factors. First, I've become accustomed to Sony projectors and I liked the similar features/connections/menus/etc. Secondly, the Sony is an SXRD (LCOS) projector vs the 3-LCD Epson. It has a sealed light path, so the need for a frequently replaced fine particle air filter is largely eliminated as is the danger of getting "dust blobs" in the picture. I've also heard some reports of convergence problems on the Epson. Otherwise, the performance of the projectors is very similar, with the Epson having a slight edge in maximum light output as well as black level, however both are so much better than the previous generation that the difference between them seems minor.
   So far I'm very pleased with the projector's performance, however, since it only comes with a 1-year warranty and my HS51 needed a warranty repair after more than 1 year I went ahead and got the extended warranty on this one, and would probably recommend that others do the same. As such you may want to factor that in to the total cost when comparing this unit with other models that may come with longer standard warranties (I believe the Epson has 2 years). I think you can even add the warranty to a refurbished unit if you want to make up for some of the extra cost, and Sony sometimes has an extra 10% off coupon for refurbished products.

No comments about Optoma EP728 Multifaceted XGA Digital DLP Data Projector- 4 LBS.

5 comments about Sharp Aquos LC52D62U 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV.

1. After 1 month, i am completely impressed with this boob tube.
   
   Havent seen any of the banding problems with the picture, and have been impressed with the ease of use.
   
   From what I have seen, this is one of the better 52 inchers in the market (that's what she said)
   
   Pros: great picture
   
   Cons: I cant afford to get one for each rtoom of my house



2. 
   After a year, still no issues. Baseball and Football look great on this LCD. Cable HD stations look great (I wish there were more offerings). The new Xbox360 is also looking great too.
   
   I've got mine wall mounted with HDMI (30' cables!) and Power going through the wall.



3. We purchased the Sharp to replace a rear projection HDTV in our family room. A large southern exposure that faces the television made daytime viewing unwatchable due to the glare. The Sharp remains bright & vivid despite high levels of light and windows in this room.
   
   The picture quality is extremely good on HD (crisp & vivid.) SD is fair at best. No visible banding on this yet (perhaps I'm lucky.)
   
   The sound is ok, however it seems to suffer from dips and elevations when switching between show & commercial.
   
   Overall I am quite pleased with the set.



4. I have had my Sharp for about 2 months now and have had no problems with it at all. I cannot see any banding, even when looking for it, and no one else who has watched it has been able to see anything either.
   
   My only complaint is the location of the A/V jacks on the back which makes it so you pretty much have to unmount the TV from the wall in order to change something. The simple solution for that, though, is just to run more wires than you need right now. Wires are cheap.



5. I purchased my 52 inch Sharp Aquos from Circuit City in April of this year. I am aware that this particular model has been around for some time, and was pleased to have found a dealer that was clearing out its inventory. I purchased the floor model for $1,360. For that price I was able to afford the warranty, HDMI cables and etc... I knew it was a steal and can't complain about any negatives because of the price I was given. I was only shopping for a 42" but once I got the the store, the large LCD's (playing the Transformers movie) really got my attention.
   
   I connect Comcast DVR to an HDMI input for 1080i quality. I watch sports and the picture quality is absolutely amazing. I used to laugh at commercials that advertised Televisions that allowed you to "make the call" whether an athlete goes out of bounds or being able to see strands of hair. I scoff no longer!!! I can literally see individual blades of grass on a football field.
   
   I connect my XBOX360 to the Component input and the quality is very good. I previously had a Olevia 27" LCD that I used for games and I like the Olevia better than the Sharp for gaming. The colors on the Olevia were richer. But, the contrast for the Sharp is better. Go figure.
   
   I connect my Apple computer to the other HDMI input for 1080i quality. Once again, I like how my Olevia looked in this mode better. The Sharp is exactly that: too sharp. Words are hard to read and motion (grabbing windows and moving them) hurts my eyes. Overall it is difficult to sit close to this screen (maybe because of its sheer size).
   
   Currently, I have no HD/Blue Ray player. so all of my movies are played back at 480p. Between the Olevia and the Sharp, the Sharp fares much better in upscaling the image. The Sharp looks great in every mode, but to me does the best in watching SD and HD television. I feel the most awe when in those modes, followed by movies, and finally the Xbox. The Computer connected through HDMI is really not as good as it should be.
   
   The 2 really big negatives are:
   
   1. The strands or bands everyone else complained about. Mine are not that bad. But, I noticed that I have one bright green vertical strand and one barely visible purple strand. I realized finally that these strands correspond to the exact placement of the picture being displayed in HD being upscaled from SD. In other words, when watching sports in HD the picture will either display in full screen or in 4:3 where the picture will fill top to bottom but not left to right. Whenever a commercial comes on, the picture will display the green band purple band to the outside of the picture. When the game comes back on, the bands disappear.
   
   2. Changing the brightness, contrast, or any other picture related setting will change the setting for ALL MODES of operation. For instance, if I want to increase the contrast while playing video games, and then immediately switch to watching cable, the contrast will continue to be increased. I switch back and forth between modes more than 5 times a day and this problem is the worst in my opinion.
   
   
   Overall this television is very overwhelming, beautiful, full of color and contrast, yet not overly clear in all modes. The band problem is a hit-or-miss problem for some people. If you watch a lot of TV and movies, you will love this TV. If you play a lot of games on PC or Console, this is not your first choice, but maybe top 10.

5 comments about Sharp Aquos LC26D43U 26" LCD HDTV.

1. I wanted to buy a small tv for the bedroom. 26 inches screen is just the right size for a small room. I picked Sharp and can't stop watching it even having much bigger panasonic in the living room. The quality picture is perfect, easy to use all the options in the menu.



2. Very disappointed in the picture quality, even after using an HDMI cable.
   Colors very bland and washed out, picture not very clear. Absolutely nothing outstanding about this expensive TV. Even less than mediocre. Small size screens are usually a lot clearer, but not this one.
   Was looking to buy a 46" & 52" for my other rooms, went with Samsung for both.
   Wow, what a difference!



3. Great product, excellent picture, easy to install. I really like the HDMI connections. Connects easily to Direct TV receiver. I would reccomened to anyone.



4. Received TV quickly. Plugged TV in and setup was easy. After 5 days we had to unplug the TV and when we plugged the TV back up the TV no longer worked. There was no picture and no sound. Strangest thing I've ever seen. Seemed unbelievable.
   
   Brought the TV in for service and the whole board controlling video and audio sound was burnt out and had to be replaced.
   
   After only having the TV for 5 days I thought Sharp should have taken the TV back.
   
   Sound is satisfactory. Remote control is easy to use. Non HD channel's clarity is decent but can't be stretched to fit so there is a black border around the picture. But that does not diminish your picture watching.
   
   Basically, we are happy with the set.
   
   I'd recommend the TV to a friend.



5. I do not know how I did it but this TV did not have the one feature I needed on it. (I will not debate where that issue lies)
   Although it was stated at the time of order the TV was in stock and would ship in 2-3 days it did not ship for 9 days after the order. The cross country shipping took longer than expected.
   The TV arrived with a plastic shrink wrap over the manufacturers standard packing like you would get if you bought it at a retail store. That does not seem to be a safe way to ship an LCD via UPS ground but it appears to have made the voyage in proper working order.
   The LCD TV had been opened and the box had some sort of stickers or labels removed after being cut off the cardboard.
   My return was processed after being threatened with a 20% restocking fee and told if it was not in "as new" condition the refund was not going to be given. Nowhere was that mentioned when I checked the "stores" policy. The only information given about a restocking fee was if an item was returned with out an RMA which I was given.
   When all was done the refund was given and no restocking fee was applied. This is the last time I will order something such as a LCD TV online. I would rather pay $50 more with a local big box retailer and take it home the same day, be able to return it without shelling out big $$ shipping to return.

3 comments about Toshiba REGZA 46RV530U 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV.

1. I bought this television to replace a 42" Samsung plasma TV that the picture went out on after less than two years. I didn't have the extended warranty, and was told it would cost approximately $600-$1000 to repair. After talking to my local dealer, who sells Toshibas, he convinced me to go with the Toshiba brand. As everyone knows the screens for all plasmas and LCD's are made in only a couple of factories. The dealer told me that the screens are graded either number 1,2, or 3. He told me that Sony and Toshiba are the only manufacturers to use only number 1 graded screens, reducing the chance for dead pixels and other flaws. He also told me that Sony and Toshiba still manufacture their sets in Japan, not China. This dealer told me that since a lot of people bring their TV sets in for repair,he has seen a major reliability problem with the big-screen televisions from other manufacturers. He said he has been selling Toshiba for several years now, and claims that not a single Toshiba has been brought back into him for repair. So with this information, I decided to go with the Toshiba brand. Also, with a lesson hard learned,I bought the extended warranty on my new Toshiba. The big-screen televisions are too expensive to replace every couple of years, and the extended warranty is an insurance policy against such re-occurring major expenses. Now as far as the television goes, at the time I bought my plasma TV, plasma televisions were much brighter and sharper than the LCD models, but things have changed. The picture on my Toshiba LCD is excellent. And as far as brightness goes the new LCDs are brighter than the old plasmas. Also if you are trying to decide between a plasma and a LCD,you may have read somewhere about the screen coatings on the plasmas that cause reflections, this is definitely true. On my plasma, if there was any light at all coming in to the windows in front of the television,the picture was difficult to see. This is not a problem with my LCD. You may also have heard about image burn in on the plasma screens,this also is true. I have a Sony Play Station3 that would leave a static image on the screen and if I left it on for too long, I definitely would notice a ghost image on the screen. Another thing nice with the Toshiba is that all of the rear inputs are to the side of the television and not in the middle. On some televisions with the rear inputs in the center of the television if you try to use a wall mount some of the mount brackets may interfere with the input connections. So in summary I say, buy Toshiba, go with LCD, and get the extended warrenty for peace of mind.



2. I love this TV. No problem at all with the free shipping. Extraordinary picture. Don't settle for anything less than 1080i.



3. Purchased this tv in July and so far its everything as advertised great picture and sound quality is so good I disconnecred my sound system.

No comments about LG 19LG30 - 19" LCD TV - widescreen - 720p - HDTV - gloss piano black.

2 comments about Sharp Aquos LC46SE94U 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV.

1. PROS
   
   Video:
   
   Consistent high picture quality across all resolutions, but at times consistently over saturated at 480i analog. With available custom user settings, the SE94 allows one to set a custom preset 480i color compensation. All the following were reviewed via Cable TV setting, DVD player or using the [...] test DVD.
   
   color balance
   image movement
   still
   sharpness
   free of artifacts: jaggies, ghosting, image runs, especially in fast motion video
   
   These are the settings I've tested:
   480i via analog TV signal or digital
   480p standard DVD output and digital TV
   720p Broadcast HD digital
   1080i Broadcast HD digital
   1080p DVD output upconverting
   
   Sharp's advanced video features are set at default, most are OFF. The test DVD showed a small amount of red color bleed and slight staggering in anti-aliasing tests, but no moire patterns.
   
   I compared the video with input provided by a Sony NS700H/B DVD Player. The video is inferior via composite but there is little difference in images between component and HDMI inputs. I compared audio RCA cables instead of component cables on the component jack and was surprised by a slightly degraded picture, so slight it would not be noticed unless it was compared against HDMI.
   
   HDMI offers some convenience features: it auto selects the HDMI input once signal is detected, and turns off the device automatically once the TV is turned off.
   
   Tuner:
   
   Includes NTSC, ATSC and QAM tuner. The QAM tuner allows access to 'open' digital channels, not advertised by the cable company.
   
   Shipment:
   
   Via Amazon ordering, deliverer carefully followed sign off instructions to the letter: allowed me to examine the condition of the box at delivery, open box, and examine contents before I signed off on the delivery.
   
   Setup:
   
   Quick and easy. Attach speakers then mount stand, all screws or bolts supplied with tools. Plug into AC and cable coax, and the SE94 automatically detects signal and begins EZSETUP process. Follow onscreen instructions and when done, the TV is ready to watch cable or air broadcasts.
   
   For Input jacks, equally easy. Just snap on the cables as color coded or the HDMI, then select INPUT from the remote until you receive signal from the device. On HMDI devices, it auto detects signal and auto selects that input first.
   
   Setup is unique per input. The SE94 remembers the volume and video setting of each input.
   
   Packing:
   
   Very durable and sturdy. The lower half of the box serves as a stand until you can assemble the enclosed stand. Importantly, the styrofoam pads never go farther than the metal frame of the LCD panel, and thus do not touch the glass panel anyway. It would be wise to save the box in case this TV needs to be returned, its very customized to the TV and difficult to provide the same protection for shipping as this box.
   
   Instructions:
   
   The Sharp manual is not as well written as a Sony manual. It seems to require more careful reading, whereas Sony's has always been user friendly.
   
   Cables:
   
   None supplied. I used or bought cables elsewhere.
   
   Faux leather trim:
   
   Is almost invisible, other TVs with shiny metallic borders often get dulled by fingerprints, the faux leather appears cleaner longer because it hides dirt better.
   
   
   CONS
   
   Remote layout poor but provides access to all the TV's functions: related or frequently used buttons are not grouped logically together and often small; it can't be operated without looking at the keys, e.g. the universal controller has a toggle that lights up LEDs when its set for DVD, VCR, TV etc., whereas on a Sony, these are all unique buttons, and easier to find and press.
   
   Bands: Using the detailed [...] TV tests, slight bands were detected on my SE94 using 'grey scale' test, its otherwise most invisible. On some LCD TV forums, there are reports of sizable bands in the SE94 series that are annoying and can be seen in regular video. Just how common these are is unknown.
   
   Volume is a tad weak: at 15Wx2 its rated stronger than many competitor LCD TVs yet it output is weaker compared to my old analog TV. The emulating 'Surround' algorithm of Sharp is not as 'surround' as the SRS algorithm.
   
   CONCLUSION:
   
   Given the audio issue, I'd rate it 4.5 Stars versus 5. The video is so stellar, it more than outweighs the audio drawbacks. Buyers should be cautious that reports of banding has been reported in the SE94 series, and it can be very troublesome.



2. Very good picture. The high-def image looks amazing. I've only had two small problems with it. First, I'll sometimes hear a high-pitched noise when changed from a digital channel to an analog channel. This goes away if I switch back to digital, then to analog again. Second, I've had the picture not display when turning the TV on. To fix this, I turn the TV off, wait for a few minutes, then turn it back on.

No comments about TOSHIBA TDP-XP2U DLP Mobile Projector.