2 comments about LG 60PG60 60-Inch 1080p Plasma Frameless Edge HDTV.

1. I was originally considering a Panny 800u, but that's not due out til early fall and after reading about the CES award LG took and its stunning design elements, I decided to include it on my list.
   
   My final decision came yesterday when a local sales manager called me to let me know he had gotten is 60PG60 shipment and was hanging his display unit. I asked him what he thought and he said, "OMG...you gotta come see this. I'm hanging it next to the Panny 750u for comparison"
   
   So, I headed on over and his explanation was well founded. With an identical source, the LG was far crisper, brighter, and had deeper blacks. Still not as bright as the Sammy 650 LCD nearby, but that Sammy was more $$, only 50", had far less features, and less dark blacks.
   
   I said... "Wrap it up!"
   
   Purchase Experience
   I purchased my 60-PG60 at Brandsmart; if you are located in Georgia or Florida, I highly recommend them.
   I opted for the 5 year warranty, which was deeply discounted as well.
   
   Set Up and Use
   This sucker is heavy; part of that weight is a very nice and sturdy stand that allows 20 degree movement in either direction; I am using the stand.
   Beneath the stand are several rubber feat that make it darn near impossible to slide into place, so be sure you have someone to help you position it.
   Out of the box, the color settings were fine for me, but I might opt for one of those calibration disks since the LG includes two custom expert settings. I'll need some advice on that from you guys.
   The THX mode is kind of a mixed bag, it looks cool on some movies but not so good on others. Specifically, it looked great on Blu-ray "Night in the Museum," but kind of crappy on DVD The Matrix. I'm not sure if its been calibrated for HD or if the dark greenish nature of The Matrix made it a poor fit for this setting. The standard setting looked great.
   The invisible speakers worked fine, but I find myself listening to things at a setting around 50 rather than about 15 on my Samsung, which means just about nothing, but I figured I'd include it for reference. UPDATE: The sound is definitely interesting. After a couple days use in a live environment, I've found myself really using a range of volume from about 25 to 75. My initial, and a bit stupid, reaction was, "Why do I have to turn it up so much to be able to hear well?" The reality is two fold. First, at the low volume range all was quiet, 2am everyone asleep kind of thing. At the 75 end, dishwasher going, kids yelling upstairs, a vacuum running, and a teenager mucking around with iMovie within earshot. Every other set I've owned get's very loud and somewhat distorted after about 40% of its max volume. I've taken the PG60 all the way up to 75 (or 75% of max) without any distortion. It has evidently been designed to use the full range of its volume capabilities. The main downside I see is that you will likely be adjusting this set's volume more frequently than others due to environment and it would be nice to have some presets to save a bit of time as the volume increments or decrements. A minor quibble since it really doesn't take much time.
   
   Aesthetics
   Obviously this is personal, so take it with a grain of salt, but I think the PG60 is one of the nicest looking sets ever.
   It reminds me a lot of my iMac in that the glass is flush with a recessed matte. Unlike the 700/750 Panny, there are no doors to fold down and, for whatever reason, I just don't like fold down doors.
   Everything is black except for the pivot point on the stand which a sort of brushed aluminum, thus creating even more iMac comparison.
   
   Issues
   The included manual is woeful. There is a better one available online, but it pretty much sucks too. I really wish manufacturers would create one manual per model and explain each feature...oh well.
   The remote is a bit crappy too, mainly because it does not allow rapid access to some features by way of advanced buttons hidden behind a secondary door or some such. This is little more than a nuisance for me because I use a Harmony and can program many of those features directly from Logitech's site, however if the LG will be your primary remote, you might be a bit disappointed. For example, by remote alone, there is no way to go directly to a specific aspect ratio without cycling through them. One caveat, Logitech does not yet have the PG60s in their Harmony database so you'll need to go with last years 60" flagship. It works fine, but you lose access to new features like Just Scan until they get it updated, which should be soon. [UPDATE: Logitech's databases have now include the 60PG60 and you can directly access nearly all functions...yay!]
   
   Someone had asked me to baseline this unit against others...here it is:
   
   Here are my personal baselines for your 1-10 scale:
   
   1) Insignia NS-PDP42
   5) Samsung PN58A550
   7) Panasonic Viera TH-58PZ750U
   9) LG 60PG60
   10) Pioneer Kuro PRO-150FD
   
   My ratings do take into account aesthetics, features, and picture quality. The Pioneer's amazing inky blacks and uncompromising build quality/component selection pegs it as the best of the best IMHO. That said, my eyes are not as good as the instruments used by Elite engineers and my wallet is not as fat as those who might purchase that unit.
   
   Picture quality aside, I think the LGs aesthetics and feature set surpasses that of the Kuro. Sacrilege, I know, but there you have it.
   
   The Panny's glare reduction is a bit better than the LGs, but its feature set and picture quality are inferior. The new 850u might be a better comparison, but I haven't seen one in the wild. That said, pricing on the 850u looks to be significantly higher than for the PG60 in that I paid for the 60" what some major folks are charging for the 50" Panny.
   
   Finally, I may be repeating myself a bit, but I cannot overstate the Aesthetics of this set. It really is "iMac-ish" in its form factor. I really like the frameless design and invisible speakers. That is completely subjective and personal though...



2. I was shopping for big screen plasma and watched this in BestBuy. It is very impressive, slick, modern, tv with very nice picture and sound. I am not tv guru so I can't say how cool is it from professional point of view but hidef program on it looks stunning and I ordered one!
   I read about movement artifacts on plasmas and was concerned but I couldn't find any on this set. The picture is silky smooth.

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.

5 comments about LG 47LC7DF 47-inch 1080p LCD HDTV.

1. I've had this TV for a couple weeks now, so although I cannot comment on the reliability of this TV, I can comment on its performance.
   
   When I was shopping for an HDTV, this was the least expensive HDTV that I could find in the 45"-49" size that would accept 1080p over VGA and component inputs (not common) in addition to HDMI. This included plasma TVs.
   
   Overall, the TV is very good in the $1500 price range. It has very good off-angle viewing for an LCD (something LCDs aren't good at). The black levels are average for an LCD, which most people won't have a problem with. With sports, I find that the TV does a very good job with fast motion. The only time I notice blurring or pixelation is when a logo/graphic moves across the screen (Fox does this periodically during football games when doing instant replays).
   
   I have not watched any HD-DVD or Blu-Ray movies yet, so I can't comment on how 1080p looks, but the picture quality with TV programming (720p or 1080i) is excellent. When watching standard def TV (480i), I find that the TV does a good job with scaling.
   
   For all you "green" people, you will like the fact that this TV is Energy Star compliant.
   
   Other comments:
   
   Remote/controls - The remote allows you to choose which input to display. This may not sound like much, but some TVs force you to go through each input in order if you want to change it. With this TV, you simply press the Input button, then use the arrow buttons to highlight which input to select. There is also a set of buttons (on/off, volume, channel, etc.) on the right-hand side of the TV. They aren't very noticeable, so they won't detract from the design of the TV, but are handy if you need them.
   
   Speakers - I find that the built-in speakers are average. If you need to turn up the volume (above 60), I find that the speakers don't get enough power, so you get some vibrating noise. This isn't a big deal if you plan on using a receiver and external speakers.
   
   Stand - The stand that comes mounted on the TV is very basic. It doesn't allow you to swivel, so turning the TV involves turning the stand as well.
   
   Color settings - The TV comes with four preset video settings, plus two custom ones that you can set. The default setting (Dynamic) is set too high and makes all programs look horrible (washed out and jaggy). I recommend using the following settings (which I found on AVSForum):
   
   Contrast 85
   Brightness 40
   Color 60
   Tint 0
   Sharpness 37
   Backlight 17
   Black level high (only available if using HDMI)
   
   cinime 3.2 mode - off
   aspect 16.9
   xd - manual
   xd contrast - off
   xd color - off
   xd noise - on
   color temp - user (all are set on 0)
   
   With these settings, the picture looks significantly better across all types of programming. I would recommend people use these settings as a starting point, then make their own adjustments. The default setting is too far off to watch any TV or movies (regardless of the source resolution).
   
   Another nice feature is each input has its own distinct video setting. That means that the video settings for the Component 1 input can be set differently from the HDMI 1 input. This is nice because you may find that you like different settings depending on your video source. For example, I like using the Dynamic for my Xbox 360, but for cable, I use the above settings.
   
   Documentation - The TV comes with a printed booklet, which is more like a "quick start guide". It also comes with a CD which contains the PDF versions of the owner's manual. Despite it being 113 pages long, it doesn't do a very good job describing the different settings that you can change. It simply lists the different options.
   
   Packaging - LG does an excellent job packaging this TV. It's in a normal rectangular cardboard box (like most HDTVs). The difference, however, is that you can take the sides and top off when unpacking the TV... kind of like taking the cover off a dessert tray. This makes removing the TV from the box a one-person job. Although relatively light (about 83 lbs with the stand; 70 lbs without), I still recommend having another person when lifting the TV.
   
   Connections - 1080p is supported over VGA, HDMI and component. The main connections are located on the back of the TV, which you then can route the cables downward. There are also a set of inputs on the left-hand side of the TV (USB - for photos or MP3s, S-video, composite).
   
   Firmware - Many TVs offer the ability to upgrade the firmware simply by downloading the update from the manufacturer's website onto a USB memory stick. Unfortunately, I have no idea if this TV offers the same functionality. The manual doesn't state anything, and I wasn't able to find any information on LG's website. My guess is that it doesn't support this, but I have not verified this with LG.
   
   Tuner - This TV has a built-in ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuner, so if you want to, you can simply connect an external antenna (e.g. "rabbit ears") to get over-the-air (OTA) digital signals (including HD). I tested this functionality, and it comes in very well. The downside with OTA signals is that if the signal isn't strong enough, you will notice pixelation or freezing. This is normal with digital programming, because with digital... you're either receiving the signal or not.
   
   Here's a link to LG's website for more info on the TV. You can find the specs for this TV and the owner's manual here.
   
   [...]



2. Overall, this TV is great; offering 3 HDMI ports, a RGB VHS port, 2 component video ports, etc., it's clearly not lacking.
   
   I'll only delve into what I *don't* like about this TV.
   
   1) Aside from a component and S-VHS port on the side of the TV, everything's on the back. If you are using the TV on a table, this wouldn't be a problem. But if you want to wall-mount, if say your buddy brings over his XBOX360, unless it is one that supports HDMI (and you have an HDMI cable into say your DVD player), you'd have to unmount the TV, hook up an HDMI cable, re-mount the TV. Is it the end of the world? No, but it is a definite pain. Especially considering there are other TV's which have the hook-ups on the side (likely for this very reason).
   
   2) In certain cases (very dark scenes), the TV has almost a 'milky' looking background. It's hard to describe, and I likely wouldn't have even noticed it, until I saw a review on another forum complaining about this. Is it an actual defect? I don't know -- I haven't contacted LG (yet), as it rarely exhibits itself, but when it does, it is annoying.
   
   3) As noted above, it has 3 HDMI ports. UNFORTUNATELY, if you want to use a Harmony remote, you can only program it to 'directly' connect to HDMI1 or HDMI2, NOT HDMI3. I've attempted to work-around this, but have had only limited success. (I could alternatively program the remote to navigate input selection differently, but that would result in increased time to switch to a port.)
   
   Those are really the only two *bad* things I have to say about this TV. Otherwise, it's great. Note that I'm not an expert by any means, and clearly the source used to feed it can also have a direct impact (I use a PS3 for Blu-Ray, HD-A2 for HD-DVD, a NAD T-534 for SD-DVD, and Comcast HD Digital Cable).



3. A word of caution to those considering to buy this television (which I do recommend, it is a great TV at a great price), the wall mount suggested by amazon.com (Peerless ST650P Tilting Wall Mount for 32" to 50" Flat Panel Displays) IS NOT COMPATIBLE with this particular TV.



4. If you are considering this TV, it means you are probably looking for the best bang for the buck. I shopped months before making my decision and, although my original choice was not available, this LG has been GREAT. These are the high points:
   
   Great Price
   Great system options with all of the possible connections
   It has a backlight control (for the wierdos who need "pure blacks")
   1080p looks great on it (I use Comcast Cable and Sony PS3 Blue Ray)
   Speakers work good
   It offers a better viewing angle than most other LCD sets I shopped
   So far (6 months), I have had no problems
   
   I can tell you that once you get 1080p, you will only look for accesories with HDMI connections. I currently use all 3 and 1 one of my component connections. I have a Wii connected by components, and my cable box, PS3, and home theater are connected with the 3 HDMIs. I chose to use the stand instead of wall mounting because a stand makes it much easier to get to the wires in the back, but I don't think it would make a difference unless you have more than 3 HDMI devices.
   
   I chose LCD over Plasma because I was worried about burn in from all of the sports and video games I enjoy. By the way, ESPNHD and PS3 looks awesome on this TV. I will say that non-HD programs don't look so good on the set, but who wants to watch non-HD stuff on a 1080p set anyway? I would definitely buy this set again knowing what I now know about it.



5. While 1080p for this price is a decent value, there are significant drawbacks in picture quality. The black levels are not as good as more expensive brands or plasmas, which impacts movies and cable the most. The backlight is REALLY strong and gets really flashy/painful when bright scenes are suddenly displayed, like commercials. DVDs and Blurays look good but not great due to the black levels; I found the XD engine helpful for movies but it also distorts the overall picture in my opinion. Games look great on this tv; the notorious motion blur on LCDs is still present but not very noticeable/distracting. Overall this is a solid purchase but probably not the best, be sure to shop around for other brands/deals before settling on this one.

5 comments about V VIZIO VX20L - 20" LCD TV - widescreen - 720p - HDTV.

1. Don't listen to any people who do NOT give this 5 stars; it's a great TV.
   One of my favorite things about it is that I'm picking up channels in HD!!!!!!!!!!
   Let's go into video games. The wii can now go into widescreen mode, and the 360, which I mailed to MS for RROD, will be able to play in possibly 1080i.
   I can't wait for my 360 to come back so I can play Gears, Halo 3, and Lost Planet (if you got a 360, I highly recommend these 3 games)in HD!!!! Overall, this TV is the ultimate buy.



2. This Lcd HDTV for the price has great PIP which isn't advertised as much as it should because you can be watching TV while working on computer via internet.
   Specifications
   Panel 20" Diagonal, 16:9 Aspect Ratio
   Resolution 1366 x 768 pixels
   Pixel (Dot) Pitch 0.32475mm (H) x 0.32475mm (V)
   Display Compatibility HDTV (720P)
   Signal Compatibility 480i (SDTV), 480P (EDTV), 720P (HDTV), 1080i (HDTV)
   Colors 16.2 Million (6-bit + FRC)
   Brightness 450 cd/m2 (typical)
   Contrast 700:1 (typical)
   Viewing Angle >160° (horizontal), >140° (vertical)
   Inputs 1x Co-axial RF (ATSC/QAM/NTSC), 1x HDMI(tm)** with HDCP (plus Stereo Audio RCA for
   DVI source), 1x Component YPbPr plus Stereo Audio, 1x RGB PC plus Stereo Audio, 1x SVideo
   (AV-S) plus Stereo Audio (shared in AV-C), 1x Composite Video (AV-C)
   Outputs 1x Headphone Stereo Jack
   Features PIP, Noise Reduction, CC, V-Chip, 3D Comb Filter, Zoom, Freeze, Motion Adaptive De-
   Interlace, Picture Enhancement, MPEG-2 Decoding via DTV input, NTSC Video decoding via
   Video (Composite, S-Video or Component), Progressive Scan Video via HDMI(tm)**,
   Component or RGB, HDTV via HDMI(tm)**, Component (Set-Top Box required), Computer
   640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1366x768 via RGB, Sound Enhancement
   Speakers Built-in, 3W x 2 which sounds better connected to a surround sytem 5.1 then combo is great!



3. For under $300 I have nothing but good things to say about this TV. It supports all of the video outputs that I have. Both my 360 (component) and PS3 (HDMI) games look great on it, and so does "I am Legend" on Blu-ray. The size is perfect for my room and easy to move. All in all, great TV.



4. So far this is my second one i have a 32 inch and this model and both of them are the best, they were both very well priced and are great quality.



5. this hdtv Has very great picture quality and it Show 1080p HD on my Directv Hd Reciver and not to mention the PS3 Looks Great On This Tv With HDMI and the ps3 picture quality is 1080p Full HD,Great Price For 265.I Highly Recommend.The only Thing Bad About This Tv Is The Lack Of Sound quality The Speakers Sound cheap and Has No Bass In Them But i Bought A Surround Sound And Madden 09 looks so Clear And Real and it sound like im Really There with This Tv.

5 comments about Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ800U 46" 1080p Plasma HDTV.

1. The 46PZ800U is everything I was hoping for in a HDTV. Beautiful picture, easy to hook things up to, and a great looking addition to my living room. The size was perfect for a long narrow room (17x11.5). The CEVA delivery people assembled the stand and then placed it in its permanent location, had me connect my HD cable box to it. (yes I was excited about getting the TV. Got the HD cable box 2 days ahead of time, Blu-ray player and HD dvd player were sitting here waiting along with the cables to hook them up)We tested the TV and then when everything was working they asked for my signature. Overall the whole experience was great and I would reccomend Amazon as a Wonderful way to get a new Panasonic TV. PS price on Amazon was over $300. better than any other price I saw for this model.either in store circulars or on-line. Last, I chose this model mainly because of the over 5000 gradients of color, the single sheet of glass construction, and the THX certification.



2. I bought the Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ800U 46" 1080p Plasma HDTV because of the THX certification and the reviews on cnet, I was not disappointed. The picture is highly adjustable, but the four preset options are very good for watching different inputs. For example when you select the game input it automatically increases the brightness and color, for watching BR movies it gives you a warmer setting. The only disappointing part was the delivery. The delivery guys were dirty, leaving marks on the floor and walls. They didn't know if they were supposed to attach the stand, and when they decided it was necessary they did not seem to take great care with the TV. In the end everything worked great.



3. This TV is superb. HD images are amazingly clear, and the color is awesome!
   
   When I was looking to buy an HDTV, I was worried about how bad standard def images would look. SD images looked pretty bad on a lot of the HDTVs I had seen. However, this TV does a fine job cleaning up SD images, and I don't notice any artifacting unless I'm only 3 or 4 feet from the TV. This is pretty important, because a lot of programming is still only available in standard definition.
   
   This TV also has great sound. I know that's not something you normally look for in a TV. However, I live in an apartment, and I don't plan on getting a kickin' sound system anytime soon, because I don't want to disturb my neighbors. The speakers on this TV perform nicely instead, and the bass is pretty dang good.
   
   Overall: highly recommended.



4. I purchased this TV about a month ago and I was holding off on my review because I wanted to break in the set first (yes, you should still break in plasmas in spite of what the manufacturers say). I am at about 250 hours on the set, and I have to say that it is the most realistic looking picture that I have seen in a flat panel. I would even put it right up there with the Pioneer Kuros. Fleshtones are incredible and there is no oversaturation of colors. I simply used the THX mode and made basic adjustments using the DVE calibration disk on Blu Ray.
   
   I had initially purchased a Samsung LN46A650 LCD. I liked the set but I just felt that it wasn't quite as sharp as my Samsung 42 inch 720p plasma. Also the colors were a touch too oversaturated. Amazon returned the set with no hassle and delivered the Panasonic in its place.
   
   Initially the Panasonic also did not look quite as sharp as my 42 inch Samsung although the picture was less noisy. However, right around 200 hours or so, the picture really sharpened up. Now that the set has some hours on it, the picture is just amazing! The only other set that I have seen with a better picture (and not by much)is a 60 inch Kuro. The only thing that the Kuros have over this Panasonic is that they are a touch sharper.
   
   This Panasonic is a phenominal buy if color decoding and a realistic picture is most important to you. If you're looking for a panel that has a bright, punchy picture with colors that are slightly cartoonish but that pop, go with the Samsung LN46A650 lcd.
   
   PROS: Phenominal color decoding, incredibly realistic looking picture, fantastic price
   CONS: Picture could be just a touch sharper, speakers are mediocre



5. I looked at HDTVs for almost a year and this is the one that caught my attention.I seriously considered Samsung LCDs and Pioneer Plasma and found this Panasonic delivers the best performance for the money. I have it hooked up to HD satellite and love it. Movies look great and HD football is amazing. Individual grass blades and clean motion contribute to my enjoyment of a terrific picture. The blacks are black and contrast is vivid, I couldn't be happier with my purchase. I am looking forward to purchasing a Blue-Ray player to add to the fun. thanks

5 comments about Samsung LNT1953H 19-Inch LCD HDTV.

1. Unlike other reviews I found the picture quality to be above average; not outstanding or decent but above average. My main problem with this good looking TV is the sound quality. The Samsung makers put all their focus and efforts into the sleek look and design along with picture quality but overlooked the second most important feature of any television - the AUDIO! I put both the TV remote and Cable remote on full blast and it still wasn't loud enough and I'm not hearing impaired or hard-of-hearing. I'm also not an audiophile either. The idiots at Samsung also put the tiny speaker in the top rear of the TV rather than the front where it counts the most! I don't know what they were thinking but I hope all of their TVs aren't made like this one...as this is my first Samsung and I was sold by the sleek design and picture quality on display at the store.
   
   The other minor details I have with this poorly made product (which I'm surprised no one else mentioned) aside from taking some time to turn on is the annoying sound it makes every time you turn it on and off. Also, when you put on the MUTE you have the annoying words moving up and down the bottom left-hand side of your screen...if you're watching a movie in mute you're eyes are glued on those moving words...almost hypnotized by them...no joke!
   
   So overall, beautiful exterior design, great picture and but poor sound.



2. We recently purchased this television to use in our kitchen. This was an awesome deal. It was advertised as "open box" used but was in pristine like new condition. Plugged it in, attached the cable and it works perfectly. The picture is perfect and even came with its own wall mount. This television retails for almost double in our area stores. Not a noticeable blemish on it. It also was shipped and received quickly. My wife and I are perfectly happy with this purchase from Amazon.com.



3. This TV was a gift and it was well received. It looks great, great audio and video.



4. I like this TV a lot i bought it to take advantage of my Xbox 360's component inputs and it doesn't disappoint. I also bought it to replace my desktops monitor and i works wonderfully for that also. The fact that i am using it for both stipulated switching between them flawlessly, however there is a flaw, due to the need to make it receive exceptional antenna signals from the TV tuner it always picks up {Air} as one of the current inputs and so switching between them is a bit more frustrating then originally anticipated. This is just me rambling though i still love the TV and think its a wonderful investment for anyone!!!



5. I purchased this TV in March of 2008. Just in the last month or so, I started having problems with the power connection. From what I can tell, it isn't the cord, but the connection on the TV. I was able to jiggle it around and get it to connect, but any bump to the TV and the connection is gone. I have a new 40" Samsung that is working great, but I'm very disappointed with my 19".

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!

2 comments about Dell 19 inch Widescreen E198WFP Flat Panel Monitor.

1. Having previously owned a Dell monitor (15") I am quite disappointed with the E198WFP. The resolution is not up to snuff, and I've researched until I'm blue in the face to try and find out how to get it to display at the advertised resolution of 1440x900. Updated drivers don't do the trick. In the meantime I'm stuck with a less-than-pleasing display. My 15" Dell was far superior. I'm guessing that at the price, this is a model that Dell has discontinued from it's product line. I can see why. My advice? Look at other flat panels and leave this one alone!



2. I picked up this monitor to replace a 17"CRT Dell monitor. Actually my wife got it for my Anniversary present. Beautiful on movies, google earth, internet and my topographical programs for hiking. I ordered an Radeon 9550 video card right after I got this monitor and once installed it automatically adjusted the screen to 1440x900. I also love that it comes with a DVI cable in the box. These things run from $30 on up. Very happy with the monitor and I'm sure with the 3 year warranty I will have it a long time.

2 comments about Vizio VW26L 26 inch LCD HDTV.

1. I just purchased this TV from a local vendor, just to use in a bedroom (so I didn't need a huge size). I admit, I was worried about the quality of an unknown brand (unknown to me, at least), especially since the price was great. But as soon as I hooked it up (easy!), I discovered that the picture quality is excellent, the sound is superb, and the channel capability exceeds my much-larger plasma in the living room (a different manufacturer)--this TV detects channels outside my viewing area, allowing me to see NBC, for instance, from all the surrounding cities. It simply assigns extra channels these "-x" numbers. For example, I have 10 or 11 channel 26's, so if I click on "26" on the remote, I go to channel 26-1. Then when I click the channel up key, it goes to 26-2, 26-3, and so forth, showing me all the channels from Baltimore, DC, and even Richmond to the south--something my Tivo box doesn't do (since it can't assign more than one channel 26), my other analogs don't do, and neither does my big plasma TV do this. So it's just nice to see the channels that the cable company offers, if you have the capability to assign multiple channels to the same number. And the TV did it automatically at that. :)
   
   In all, it's got great sound, excellent picture quality, and digital receiving, so it really is a great buy all around.



2. I purchased this tv for my bedroom about 2 months ago and it works great. I have my computer pluged into it and i have my xbox playing hd threw it. In my house every room we have a hd vizio in it just a gret quality tv for a great price. But dont buy it thinking it has pip( picture in picture) like i did. That got me very mad, evedently this tv doesnt have all the great feateres the bigger vizios have, like the one in my front room. Still great tv great price.

No comments about Sony Bravia XBR KDL-40XBR6 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV.