JVC HD56G787 56-Inch HDILA Rear Projection TV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I love this TV. Great picture. You have to replace the bulbs when they go out but other than that this tv can't be beat.

Click Here to see more reviews about: JVC HD56G787 56-Inch HDILA Rear Projection TV

Click here for more information about JVC HD56G787 56-Inch HDILA Rear Projection TV

Read More...

Toshiba DVR670/DVR670KU DVD/VHS Recorder with Built in Tuner, Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased this unit to replace a 15 year old PROSCAN VCR which was eating my VHS tapes. Before I selected this unit, I read all of the INVALUABLE reviews of VCR/DVD machines on this web site and I'm glad I did. If you have not purchased VCR and/or DVD replacement equipment in a while, there are a number of considerations you need to be aware of.
First, if you want to go from your antenna line-in and/or your cable line-in directly to the back of the VRC/DVD unit to record OTA or cable programs while watching other programs on your TV, then you need a VCR/DVD unit with a tuner. Not all units listed have tuners; this one does. A tunerless unit will require a more complicated hookup and you can only record what you are watching.
Next, there is the issue of analog versus digital equipment. Be sure to pay attention to the statements posted about analog equipment. Also, pay attention to the measurements to be sure the unit you purchase will fit wherever you wish to place it. Some combo units are bigger than stand alone VCRs & DVD players.
Finally, you should be aware of the input/output connections on the back of your TV to be sure they will accommodate the input/output connections on the back of the VRC/DVD unit that you purchase. Some web sites ([...]
Except for the complicated Owner's Manual & the noisy opening & closing of the DVD tray, this unit has met or exceeded all my expectations.
Best regards.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba DVR670/DVR670KU DVD/VHS Recorder with Built in Tuner, Black

Get 8% OFF

Click here for more information about Toshiba DVR670/DVR670KU DVD/VHS Recorder with Built in Tuner, Black

Read More...

Vizio 19" Class 720p 60Hz LED LCD HDTV (M190VA) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I own the 26" version of this TV (I also own a 47" Vizio) and I needed a small TV to use for a convention display table. The reason I purchased this one is that it is unique in that it has forward facing speakers. Most small TV's have downward facing speakers and in a large room they are much harder to hear. This TV is perfect, small, loud volume and has a great picture. I also like how Vizio packs their small TV's because they are easy to re-pack and the box can be used many times. The base plate also comes off easy.
Highly recommend.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Vizio 19" Class 720p 60Hz LED LCD HDTV (M190VA)


Available in black or white, VIZIO's M190VA 19" edge lit RazorLED HDTV is structured with a 0.75" thin profile (maximum depth 2.37") keeping this exceptional TV sleek and thin in design. The M190VA also includes a digital ambient light sensor ensuring that you will always have the best picture and most efficient energy savings by adjusting the brightness based on the lighting conditions of your room. Enjoy ultimate connectivity with five high definition inputs, and when you're not watching TV, the M190VA can be used as a digital picture frame via USB drive, allowing you to enjoy slideshows with family and friends.
An amazing 0.75" ultra thin profile at its thinest point.

Get 6% OFF

Click here for more information about Vizio 19" Class 720p 60Hz LED LCD HDTV (M190VA)

Read More...

Samsung LN46B650 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)**May 1, 2009 Updates at the bottom
**May 8, 2009 Updates at the bottom
**May 14, 2009 -- I've updated my final calibration
I just received my LN46B650 today so I may update this review in time. Feel free to comment with questions and I'll try to respond to them in later updates.
UNBOXING
The box for the LN46B650 comes is not too much larger than the TV dimensions itself. Sometimes you'll see a 32" TV come in a box that could easily fit one much larger. I wouldn't exactly call it environmentally friendly, but the box easily fit through doorways and into the elevator of my apartment building. The box is fitted with Styrofoam at the corners to keep the TV in its place and inflated plastic bags filling in all the empty space. There is the typical screen protective plastic in place and I found that the TV came in excellent condition with no noticeable shipping damage. I did not use Amazon.com's shipping company, the handling of other shippers may vary.
In the box is the stand (which comes with assembly instructions, though mine was already assembled), remote, 2 x AA batteries, a USB flash drive containing multimedia content and the TV instruction manual, a cover for the bottom of the TV in case you wish to mount it on a wall, a cleaning cover,screws for securing the stand to the TV, a power cord and a software CD for connecting the TV to a Windows Vista or XP computer via ethernet connections.
Moving the box by myself was a bit difficult as it is still quite larger, once I got it out of the box though, the TV is very light for a 23 year old male and getting it on the stand was very easy. Once on the stand it snaps in place, you can (optionally) insert screws to keep it locked into the stand.
Inserting the power cord and connecting my components to the TV was easy, but the cable management system for the TV is pretty much non existent -- cables pretty much dangle behind the TV.
DESIGN
There is a lot of debate about whether the Touch of Color Red Design is a good thing or bad thing. Also, you'll see on last year's models that some people claim it's barely noticeable while some people claim it's a major game changer. My TV sits on a black TV stand in a spot in the room that sits in the shade -- I can barely see the red color. However, I feel that if you were to shine a lot of light on it, it would quickly become very noticeable.
The bezel is not quite as thick as I thought it looked in the Amazon.com pictures (which are Samsung's official PR shots). There is a somewhat "fat" pointed chin which I don't think looks too terrible. If you look at the pictures you'll notice that the glass of the bezel extends about half an inch beyond the actual TV bezel, I kind of like it. The neck of the stand is a glass pillar and very nice looking. The stand itself is surprisingly deep compared to the TV stand, but, again, not a bad thing, it's just hard to see in the pictures.
The built in TV controls sit on the bottom right hand corner of the bezel and are impossible to see from more than a foot away. It's a good thing for watching movies, but when I told somebody how to lower the volume on the TV, they couldn't find the buttons. I should also note that the buttons are touch sensitive there's no tactile way to find them or get feedback when pressing them. To the right of the buttons is a red light that turns on when the remote is pressed or the TV controls are pressed. It is otherwise always off unless the TV is in standby.
I should point out that the TV is very glossy and during very dark scenes it is absolutely necessary to shade your windows. Even when the not in dark scenes, I found that the bezel reflects what the screen does not. When I closed my blinds, the TV looks absolutely superb. The bezel is no longer noticeable, dark scenes are fantastic.
The remote is fairly straight forward. The design is just a tiny bit red like the TV bezel, buttons are nice and large and easy to memorize. The backlight button for the remote sits in the top right corner of it and when pressed illuminates the keys fairly well.
There are a good number of connectivity options which are thoroughly explained on the Amazon.com specs or on Samsung's website.
MENUS/SETTINGS
Turning the TV sent me through a few welcome menus that I didn't particularly want. The first thing the TV did was begin scanning for channels -- but I have my cable box connected via HDMI so there was nothing to scan. Stopping the channel scan process was easy, though, and when I got out of the welcome menus and switched to the HDMI 1 source, the TV was easy to use.
The menu layout is not atypical of other HDTVs you may have had the chance to use. Pushing the menu button brings up a series of menus indicated by pictograms for picture, audio, antenna setup, general TV setup, input setup, Application (media/internet functions) and Help. One thing I don't like, is that one feature that I like to be able to adjust on the fly, automotion plus (or refresh rate), is buried in menu -> picture -> picture options -> Auto Motion Plus. It's a pain to get to if you're just trying to adjust the setting for one channel.
The menu gives you very simple descriptions for each setting that you're adjusting. Sometimes they're fairly obvious but I imagine for some people it clears up some ambiguity. For an example, when I highlight "color" the bottom of the menu reads, "Adjusts the color saturation of the picture using the bar on the screen. The closer to 100, the more saturated the color."
I connected my TV directly to my computer network via ethernet cable. I had absolutely no issue in setting this up, the TV detected my network settings without any problems.
One nice feature is that you can rename the sources on your TV to pre-designated alternates. For an example, I named HDMI1 "Cable Set Top Box" and HDMI2 "Game" and Component1 "DVD." It makes things easier for non-technical people. Picture settings are always retained based on the source, if you keep your HDMI source on "movie" mode and adjust the picture settings, every time you watch HDMI these settings will be restored.
FEATURES
I need to start out with my favorite feature on the TV: Customized Auto-Motion Plus. For those of you not familiar with the feature, it's what Samsung calls their 120hz capabilities. If you look at older LCD TV screens you might find that the picture tends to look blurry or judders in fast motion sequences. This technology, found in most middle and high-end LCD HDTVs in 2009, adds in extra frames to smooth out the motion.
On my old XBR4, I could adjust the 120hz to either off, standard or high. On the LN46B650, I can adjust the blur from 0-10 and the judder from 0-10. It's a great feature, I'm still toying around to figure out what I like most for which content.
Other unique features not in other brands is the Internet Content which includes a series of Yahoo Widgets. I must point out that these features are VERY slow regardless of your internet connection. It takes about 20-30 seconds to start them up initially after you turn your TV on and then take about 5 seconds to load from that point on. There is a significant lag when switching through the widgets content. The built in widgets include weather, news, flickr and finance. I've heard there are more widgets coming out soon -- possibly a Netflix widget? -- but as of April 30, 2009, there are none available. I'm praying that future firmware updates to the TV fix some of the slow speed. cnet.com provides a more thorough review of these features.
The TV also comes with a fair amount of material stored in its internal memory and Samsung also includes it on a flashdrive which you can tweak on your personal computer. Pushing the content button on the remote closes whatever your watching and offers you a photo gallery which has pictures of art in slide show form (accompanied by adjustable music), a few recipes (why? Do people actually want to read recipes off of their TV screen? Is somebody putting a 46 inch LCD HDTV in their kitchen? I must say, though, the pictures of the food looks good), games (haven't tried these yet, I don't know if I ever will), children (a bunch of stories that look like flash cartoons with subtitles for kids to read along with), and wellness (a bunch of nature audio tracks and a few piano pieces). There is a total of 189 MB on the TV set aside for this content, you can download more of it off the internet or load it on via USB flashdrive or hard drive. It's really nothing too exciting, I have no intention to use it. But, I will point out, that it's far easier to use and faster than the Yahoo Internet Widgets.
The TV hooks up to an external hard drive or flash drive. I connected my 4 GB flashdrive with a bunch of movies formatted for my iPod on it. The TV played them without any problems, but the stretched content did not look too good -- that's no surprise considering the iPod screen is less than 3 inches in size. Eventually I might try to move some saved HD content to my flash drive.
The Help section of the menu is fantastic for those who are not familiar with HDTV settings.
There is a "product guide" which pretty much explains how to use most of the TV's internet and content features, an explanation of how HD picture quality varies and works -- pretty much a powerpoint presentation -- and how you can use the TV's settings to get the most out of basic features and an explanation of how to save energy with TV settings.
A self-diagnosis section brings up a sample HD picture or audio track to test to see if there is a problem...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung LN46B650 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

It features a 45.9" screen (measured diagonally) with a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio. The Touch of Color high-gloss finish is black with red accents. There are built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts (antenna required) and built-in QAM cable TV tuner, which receives unscrambled programs without a set-top box (cable service required). The Ultra Clear LCD panel (1920 x 1080 pixels) provides clear resolution.

Click here for more information about Samsung LN46B650 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

Read More...

Boss DTV20 TV Tuner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)señores vendedores, muy buenas tardes, por favor enviar articulo solicitado en empaque mas pequeño posible.
ante todo muchas gracias

Click Here to see more reviews about: Boss DTV20 TV Tuner

Boss Audio's DTV20 high-definition digital television receiver lets you easily add digital television to your mobile entertainment options.

Digital Television in Your Vehicle The DTV20 receives DTV channels and subchannels, and displays program guides, for full enjoyment of digital television.
Closed-Caption (CC) and V-Chip Compatible Watch television with closed-captioning for hearing-impaired passengers, and restrict what kids can view with V-Chip compatibility.
Auxiliary A/V Input Plug in external A/V devices like video game systems, portable DVD players, etc.
NTSC Output The DTV20 has a standard NTSC output.
Antenna Included A digital antenna is included for reception right out of the box.
What's in the Box Boss DTV20 TV Tuner, Digital Antenna, Power Cord, Wireless Remote

Get 46% OFF

Click here for more information about Boss DTV20 TV Tuner

Read More...

Toshiba REGZA 42HL167 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)For the first year, Toshiba has badged all of its LCD HDTV models as "Regza" which stands for Real Expression Guaranteed by amaZing Architecture. And amazing architecture is what you first notice when you get this 42" 1080p LCD HDTV home. The piano black finish is currently in vogue with high end electronics manufacturers, but upon close inspection the black is actually covered with metallic flakes that give it a deep luster and shine. The soundstrip speaker with SRS Wow technology and formidable bass reproduction is recessed neatly along with an accompanying brushed stainless steel strip along the bottom. The TV is solidly connected to a swiveling base which extends several inches in front of the stand in a large crescent shape to lend stability to the set when it is placed on a tabletop or shelf. The inputs are neatly recessed in the back facing downward for ease of access if and when the set is mounted on the wall. All in all, when turned off, this TV serves as a cosmetically appealing centerpiece to a living room or den.
Be prepared: when connected to SDTV (or basic terrestrial cable), the channels appear grainy and washed out. This is because HDTV's all display SDTV fairly poorly; they are equipped to handle much higher resolution sources. So, when connected to a 480i source such as SDTV cable, the picture is poor compared to a CRT TV, whose native resolution is 480 lines of resolution. Prepare, when upgrading to any 1080p set, to purchase a cable or DrectTV package with HD channel programming. If you're hesitant to upgrade to HD broadcasting, probably put off the purchase of any HDTV capable of displaying 1080p, and either buy a larger CRT TV or an HDTV only capable of handling 720p.
Toshiba REGZA LCD TV's incorporate what is called CineSpeed into their panels. This essentially means the set employs an 8 milisecond or faster response time for refreshing the image displayed on the screen. For fast moving situations like sports, or high contrast movies with action packed sequences, this feature is invaluable. All previous ghosting associated with LCD TV's has been eliminated, and even bright white objects moving across a dark background look smooth, true to their color, and leave no trail. DynaLight dynamic back light control makes the black truly black, and the whites vivid (almost comparable to plasma TV's with 10,000:1 contrast ratios). Other features unique to this Toshiba Regza TV are ColorBurst wide color gamut and PixelPure 3G 14-bit internal digital video processing. These options, together, make the picture displayed from 1080 p sources unbelievably clear and flawlessly reproduced without overscanning.
In response to a review posted for this TV, VGA is a virtually obsolete connection. Most high end computers use either DVI (which is also mediocre) and higher quality media center PC's with Windows Vista premium use an HDMI compatible graphics processing unit with an HD rated display. Few TV's allow a 1080p source from a VGA connection. XBox 360's downfall was not using HDMI compatible hardware - this is additionally where the Playstation 3 far exceeds the XBox 360 in terms of hardware with built in blu-ray that incidentally looks outstanding in 1080p with this TV, but also using HDMI as a connection method. This set is comparable in terms of response time and dynamic contrast ratio to the higher priced LG 42" 1080p model, and beats it in terms of picture tweaking options. The Sharp 42" Aquos 1080p HDTV has a horrible (1,200:1) contrast ratio and is almost not worth purchasing unless you plan on sitting directly in front of the TV. Also, if you plan to sit 2 inches in front of your TV, you probably aren't intelligent enough to own one - the difference between 720p/1080i and 1080p is only noticeable based on how close you are sitting to the television and 2 inches would be close enough to notice jagged edges in even ultra XHD or cinema digital which displays beyond 1080p. Close enough, all smooth lines look jagged and that is the nature of the pixel - pixels are square, therefore all curved lines are composed of a series of straight edges.
Also, LG's comparable 42" 1080p HDTV is less than 100 dollars more expensive than this Toshiba, and for the record, LG is only in its second generation of LCD TV's whereas Toshiba is in its 3rd generation (this is the first year for the Regza badge).
If you're upset about the component inputs and the VGA not handling a full 1080p signal, buy a 1080p upconverting DVD player (under 100 dollars now) with an HDMI output (I suggest Samsung's DVD1080P7 which has an optical out if you want to hook up to a home theater system). This TV has 3 HDMI inputs and can more than handle all your AV needs. In all, this Toshiba model outdoes Sony's XBR Bravia, Sharp's Aquos, LG, and Samsung models. The dynamic contrast ratio, coupled with the Pixel Pure 14bit processing power produces a sharp, clear picture with unbelievable smoothness, clarity, and vivid realistic color reproduction. In addition, this is one of the only TV's in the under $2,000 range that includes a remote that can be used as a practical universal remote. Some techies love their fancy touchscreen universal remotes a la Logitech Harmony 1000, but this remote is solid, has great range, and is a fitting match to the solid TV it is paired with. Not at all the cheap hunk of plastic you get with the current Sharp LCD TV's on the market.
The price of this TV, which encompasses a design quality shared with $3500 Toshiba Regza sets, unique Toshiba features like CineSpeed and Colorburst, 1080p native resolution, and 3 HDMI inputs make it the best value under $2,000 and comparable to much more expensive sets. Whether an audiophile or just someone looking for a great affordable LCD HDTV, this set delivers.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba REGZA 42HL167 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Click here for more information about Toshiba REGZA 42HL167 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Read More...

LG M2362D 23-Inch Widescreen 1080p LCD TV Monitor (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this a few weeks ago, and so far it's met all of my expectations.
First of all -- things that I had trouble finding out in advance: There is a headphone jack on the side, which can be used as an analog audio out (I'm pretty sure it came with a cable even -- 3.5mm to audio RCA connector) -- in addition to the optical digital audio out which is on the back. I haven't tested this yet, so I couldn't say if there is an actual difference in sound quality between either of the sources. I also don't know if it can output sound through both at the same time.
Also, although the stand and "frame" are glossy, the actual screen has a matte anti-glare coating which I find works very well.

As a TV: It looks great! I have it hooked up through component cables to my comcast dvr .. no issues at all. Plugged it in, and it just worked. The default display setting for some reason was the "vivid" color profile.. I played around with settings a bit, but I decided I like the vivid profile the best anyway.
One feature that I really like is that it can be set to adjust the aspect ratio automatically based on the programming. So when I switch to non-HD channels the aspect automatically adjusts, so I don't have to see any stretched faces. I don't have to ever press the aspect button to change it. Of course if you prefer to set it manually, it lets you do that too.
As a computer monitor: I'm currently using DVI. It looked great when I first plugged it in. Some of this might be my video card, but it automatically selected the best resolution, etc. It was possibly a little too blue-ish for my taste (probably only because I have it right next to a gateway lcd which is a little brighter and has more "warm" tones, which I prefer -- if the second monitor wasn't sitting right next to it, I think I'd have gotten used to it immediately). I adjusted the display settings, which helped a bit, and then adjusted the video card settings which helped a lot more. The second I told windows to use my video card color/video settings rather than windows, it looks PERFECT. I also adjusted the gamma on the monitor, I like my display to be very bright.
I can't comment on the sound (my dvr and computer's audio goes directly to my receiver), or the remote (I use a logitech harmony, it was very easy to set up). I also can't comment on the built in hdtv tuner, I never hooked up an antenna or cable line directly to the tv, and it won't pick up any channels without one or the other.
The only con that I can think of right now is the fact that there are no dedicated buttons for changing the input mode. You have to scroll through them -- although with the exception of the TV input (coaxial) it will not select sources that are not plugged in, which is nice. I would have liked if it wouldn't select "TV" unless I had something plugged in to that input, but it's not that big of a deal.
Oddly, even though there aren't any dedicated input buttons, my harmony remote was still somehow able to get it to switch directly to component from any other input.. This did not work with any of the other input sources though, just component. Maybe there is a hidden functionality in there somewhere, though.. I might look into it one day.
Oh, it also takes a little longer than I would like to "wake up" but I am very impatient in general, this might not bother most people.
Anyway, I think this is a great monitor and a great tv, and I am VERY happy with my purchase! I just wish I'd been able to afford the 27" instead!

Click Here to see more reviews about: LG M2362D 23-Inch Widescreen 1080p LCD TV Monitor (Black)

W62D Series supports Full HD 1080p resolution and features a built-in TV tuner that employs MPEG4 technolgy for rendition of movies, games, drama, and sports-just as vivid and realistic as an HDTV. Also, SRS TruSurrond HD with rich bass and realistic sound maximizes the impact of movie and games, whiletwo HDMI connectors and various connecting terminals support convenient viewing of HD movies, high definition graphic games, and video clips.

Get 6% OFF

Click here for more information about LG M2362D 23-Inch Widescreen 1080p LCD TV Monitor (Black)

Read More...

HDMI 3-In 1-Out HDMI Auto Switch with 55cm Pigtail Support 3D Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased this product because it was the only solution I found that didn't require me buying another HDMI cable. I was expecting that I would need to manually switch between cable and dvd player which was fine. However, when I received the switcher a few days later, I plugged it in to the TV and attached the cable and dvd player cables to the unit (which is very small)I found that the unit switched itself, sensing where the signal was coming from. Amazing considering the price.
Dollar for dollar, this thing cannot be beat. This is one of those rare purchases that far exceeded my expectations. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with this.

Click Here to see more reviews about: HDMI 3-In 1-Out HDMI Auto Switch with 55cm Pigtail Support 3D

Get 70% OFF

Click here for more information about HDMI 3-In 1-Out HDMI Auto Switch with 55cm Pigtail Support 3D

Read More...

Sharp Aquos LC46D64U 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If you want a 46" HDTV, buy this one!
I had a Sharp LC42D62U and then upgraded to the LC46D64U recently; the original LCD was great but there are several improvements made to the new 64 series. The 64 series LCD's are incredibly slim and have a smaller bezel. They really look awesome wall-mounted due to the small profile. No other LCD is currently available that is this slim and has this picture quality. The 64 series TV's also add several tone and picture corrections, an analog PC input, a USB 2.0 port for firmware upgrades, an RS-232 control port and three HDMI 1.3 inputs. The picture quality actually seems to be slightly better which is amazing because the 62 series looked fantastic (specifications indicate a better backlight system).
I am a professional AV systems design engineer and part of my job is to keep up on new TVs. This unit is currently the best we've seen for a consumer model and we specify it all the time. I highly recommend this unit or any of the 64 series.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sharp Aquos LC46D64U 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Sharp AQUOS LC-46D64U 46" LCD TV LC-46D64U LCD Flat Panel TVs

Click here for more information about Sharp Aquos LC46D64U 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Read More...

ViewSonic VT2430 24-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I began my search for an LCD HDTV/Monitor over a month ago and purchased 4 other similar items before purchasing this ViewSonic VT2430 and returned the previous 4 for poor performance. I was actually looking for a unit which included a DVD player for use in training lectures. But, I couldn't find the right combination so I decided to settle on a unit without the DVD player, since those that are built in are all cheap players. This way, by keeping the TV and the DVD player separate I can always update the player as needed (BlueRay!).
I looked at a LOT of HDTV/Monitors and chose the VT2430 for its native 1920x1080 pixel resolution. This works out perfectly with the 1920x1080i signals coming via my cable. And...the pictures are absolutely stunning! More so than I even expected, even already knowing the quality of Viewsonic monitors. And there are plenty of options for modifying and managing the images from all inputs. One reason for returning a Toshiba unit was that it's native resolution is 1680x1050 pixels, which, when fed a 1920x1080 pixel signal (HDTV) stretches the image vertically...without any way of correcting the distortion. In fact, the manual states that "image size adjustments are not available with 720i and 1080i signals"! VERY poor planning as most cable signals are either 790i or 1080i.
The PC image obtained with the VT2430 is absolutely awesome. I'm typing this review with this monitor with the resolution set at 1920x1080, a perfect match with my PC. There are at least 10 other resolution settings that work as well - just lower resolution results. Regardless of the resolution sent from my PC, the VT2430 automatically adjusts for the best picture with each setting. Very neat.
The audio was another problem I found with all of the other units I tried. Most of them were either too low in volume or, when the volume was turned up became very distorted. Not so with the VT2430. Plenty of clean sound at all volume settings, including loud enough for filling the rooms where I do my training.
The image I get from my (LG) DVD player, which upgrades to a 1080i output via an HDMI cable, is very good. I also have a BlueRay player which puts out a 1080p signal, which, again, perfectly matches the resolution of the VT2430, for a beautiful picture.
The overall picture of this monitor is far more accurate, clean, and viewable than any of the other monitors I looked at. The dynamic range is very wide, including the darker colors and grays and blacks, not quite up to my 52-in Samsung (Over $2,300!), but closer than any other comparable sized monitor.
Physically, I like the fact that the monitor can be tilted back for watching from higher positions. Also, the flat stand can be quickly removed for transporting in its original box, which I do often when I'm training.
Great monitor. I would recommend it to anyone. I would, however, downgrade its rating by 1/2 point for not having a DVD player. But, that is not what it is! ViewSonic does sell an LCD HDTV/DVD Combo monitor, but it has a lower pixel rate designed more for 720i resolution, which is OK for most uses at this smaller size. But, having been a TV studio tech in charge of adjusting and maintaining studio monitors, I became too picky and always need(!) the best.

Click Here to see more reviews about: ViewSonic VT2430 24-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV


Great for use in small spaces such as bedrooms, home offices and dorm rooms, ViewSonic's stylish, high-performance 24-inch VT2430 widescreen HDTV provides a Full HD 1080p resolution that delivers 100 percent of your HD signal for incredibly precise images. The integrated ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuner and multiple connectivity options including HDMI with HDCP give you all the inputs you need for game consoles, DVD and Blu-ray players and computers. And its fast 5 ms (millisecond) response time produces blur-free fast action movies, sports and games.

Additionally, the VT2430 can be used as a computer monitor, enabling you to stay productive with your PC--as well as watch streaming Internet video amazingly crisp detail. Other features include an anti-reflective coating on the LCD screen to reduce glare, digital ATSC tuner for watching over-the-air HD programming, and a QAM tuner for tuning into unscrambled cable channels.

Key Features
Experience a new dimension in movie viewing and gaming with Full HD 1080p resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio for optimum richness and clarity in picture quality.
Vivid graphics, clear text, stunning TV with high brightness of 300 nits, ultra-high dynamic contrast ratio of 8000:1, and 1920 x 1080 optimum PC resolution provide vibrant video and crisp data images in the living room or on the desktop.
ClearPicture electronics eliminate noise, increase contrast and detail and optimize color for rich, vibrant images. High-definition images look amazing and even standard television images are unbelievably smooth and sharp.
3D digital comb filter performs field-by-field comparisons of the television image to accurately separate the color from the black-and-white information and remove both horizontally and vertically hanging dots, as well as dot crawl, resulting in a razor sharp image.
Plug-and-play connectivity with integrated HDTV tuner and one HDMI input for HD set-top boxes, DVDs, game consoles and camcorders.
Versatile OptiSync connectivity with support for HDMI with high-definition content protection (HDCP) and analog (VGA) signals, plus component, S-video, composite, and TV/cable input (see a larger schematic image of the rear jack pack).
Integrated stereo speakers complete the multimedia experience.
Warranty: One year on parts and backlight

Specifications
Size: 23.6-inch LCD screen (diagonal)
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Input signal: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
Contrast ratio: 1000:1 (typ) static; 10,000:1 dynamic (typ)
Response time: 5 ms (milliseconds)
Brightness: 300 cd/m2 (candela per square meter)
Viewing angles: 160 degrees horizontal, 160 degrees vertical
Speakers: 2 x 5 watts (10 watts total power)
TV mode features: Auto scan, set channel, channel delete, label, favorite, fine tune
Video mode features: Picture (contrast, brightness, color, tint, sharpness, color temperature), sound (volume, balance, bass, treble), input menu (TV, AV, S-video, YCbCr, YPbPr, HDMI, VGA), parental control (caption, change password, V-chip temporary disable), setup menu (time out, language, memory recall)
PC mode features: Auto adjust, contrast, brightness, H position, V position, fine tune, color temperature, picture mode
VESA mount: 100 x 100



ViewSonic Model Comparison


Learn More
Which Size HDTV is Right for My Room?

Get 35% OFF

Click here for more information about ViewSonic VT2430 24-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Read More...

Samsung HLR5667W 56-Inch DLP HD TV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Like the previous review says, your jaw will drop. The picture on this TV is clear, bright and lifelike, and the images are eye-popping. DVD's are amazing, even in 480P. I'm using the DirecTV HD TiVo as my satellite source, and an over-the-air antenna for local HD channels. DirecTV's HD choices are limited, but the picture on those (compressed) channels is beautiful. But the piece-de-resistance is the non-compressed local HDTV broadcasts. Just amazing. Our local CBS affiliate does their news in HD, and it makes the boring local news riveting just for the picture. Getting strong signals from an antenna can be challenging, but it's worth it if you can do it.
The set has more options than you'll ever need, but I particularly like the surround-sound simulation mode that plays a simulated 5.1 image over the set's 2 speakers. It actually creates sounds that seems to come from behind you. Of course, you can hook it up to your home theater for the real thing (over an optical connection).
I have noticed no rainbow effects that some say appear on DLP's, and the picture is plenty bright, even in my room that has a wall of windows behind me and skylights above me.
In short, if you can afford this TV, you shouldn't hestitate to buy it. Amazon has a great sale on it now (July 2005), so it's even less painful. Besides, amortize it over the 10-15 years you'll enjoy this TV, and it's a bargain.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung HLR5667W 56-Inch DLP HD TV

Get the sharpest and clearest images possible from HD and standard TV and your favorite DVD movies with the 56-inch Samsung HLR5667W DLP projection TV. This relatively lightweight TV weighs less than 85 pounds and measures just under 16 inches deep, helping you to avoid sacrificing precious real estate in your home. It has a built-in analog/digital (NTSC/ATSC) tuner that will receive free over-the-air HDTV signals and is Digital Cable Ready, so you can enjoy digital cable without an additional box or remote. It also offers a good range of connections for DVD, DTV, PC, HDTV sources.
DLP (which stands for Digital Light Processing) uses an optical semiconductor to recreatesource material with a fidelity analog systems can't match. While other technologies lose a certain amount of light in transit, the microscopic mirrors in a DLP projection system bring more light from lamp to screen. It also features better color uniformity over time--no burn-in, screen aging or color-shifting possible. It's the leading display technology for products like small portable conference room projectors and professional venue entertainment systems.
This DLP set employs the latest Digital Micromirror Devices (DMD), which have switching speeds twiceas fast as previous generation microdisplays and up to 1,000 times faster than competing technologies. When combined with Samsung's new Cinema Smooth720p light engine, the result is a crisp, bright picture with deep, rich colors that are closer to film.
The HLR5667W features a widescreen picture aspect ratio (16:9; standard TVs have a 4:3 aspect ratio), which is the ideal screen format for viewing widescreen video from DVD players and the growing availability of broadcast programming off digital HDTV tuners (HD content is always widescreen), cable boxes and satellite receivers.
The HLR5667W's 3D Y/C digital comb filter constantly analyzes the three dimensions of picture height, picture width, and picture changes-over-time, to reduce dramatically edge image artifacts while improving transition detail. Powered by SamsungÕs Cinema Smooth technology, the 3:2 pulldown cinema video processing feature detects and compensates film--which is shot at 24 frames per second (fps) compared with video's 30 fps rate--to video for a smooth theater-like experience at home.
The Samsung Digital Natural Image engine (DNIe) Video Enhancer refines all analog NTSC and wideband video inputs for an overall improvement in picture quality. DNIe improves contrast, white level, picture detail and incorporates digital noise reduction to improve lower quality video inputs. The Automatic Digital Format Conversion System is compatible with 1080i and 720p HDTV formats, 480p EDTV and 480i SDTV formats. This system will accept any DTV, analog TV, or XGA computer RGB input. All video signals are converted to a 16:9 wide-screen pixel count (1280 x 720) progressive display for flicker-free images.
The 30-watt stereo audio system (two 15-watt speakers) delivers ample sound for sports and movies. It features the following video and audio connections:
AV in (RCA): 3 (1 side, 2 rear)
S-Video In: 3 (1 side, 2 rear)
RF In: 2
Monitor and Sound Out (RCA): 1 rear
Component Video Input (Smart Input): 2 rear (480i,480p,720p,1080i)
DVI Audio In: 1 (rear)
HDMI: 1 (rear)
PC In (D-Sub 16-pin): 1 (rear)
Monitor: 1 (rear)
D-Net (IEEE): 2 Rear
G-Link (Mini Jack): 1 rear
POD Slot (CableCARD): 1 rear
AnyNet (Mini Jack): 1 rear
Other features include:
Watch two sources at once with 2-Tuner Picture-in-Picture. You can select from a small, movable, re-sizeable window in the corner of the screen, or share the screen with Side-by-Side Split Screen.
TV Guide On Screen interactive program guide provides listings for cable-ready, cable box, digital cable and over-the-air broadcasts directly on your TV.
Five pre-set aspect ratio modes--Normal, Wide, Panorama, Zoom 1 and Zoom 2--stretch your image to fill the screen naturally and with less distortion.
For the times when digital cable features require a set-top box, such as Video-On-Demand, you can connect that box to a second input.
1-year warranty for parts and labor
What's in the Box Samsung HL-R5667WDLP TV, remote control, two AAA batteries, printed instruction book

Click here for more information about Samsung HLR5667W 56-Inch DLP HD TV

Read More...

Samsung PN42C430 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After researching HD plasmas for about a month, I was all set on an LG model from a different website because it was the least expensive 42 incher with the best reviews I could find, but then I came across this model on Amazon for a hundred and fifty dollars cheaper (This was onsale for under $500 then..I dont think it is anymore). This is the least expensive 42 incher I've been come across, and I'm very satisfied with the quality. After watching a lot of movies with dark scenes, I was concerned because if I increased the brightness the colors seemed to wash out - well, after selecting the 'dynamic' picture setting instead of 'standard' that has been resolved - the colors are crisp and dark scenes are sharp and more visible.
I was concerned that this tv might have the ugly red stripe on the base of the tv like some pictures of other samsungs I've seen, but thankfully it does not. The tv frame and base are a sexy piano black. My opinion on why it's inexpensive is because it has the fewwest inputs on it. It only has 2 hdmi inputs. Perfect for an hd cable box and a ps3. This tv also has 2 sets of component inputs, which are ideal for a vcr or other video game system that isnt in hd (like a wii).
I don't have digital cable, just a plain old basic cable service and the QAM tuner picked up all the digital channels, but they're not in hd so I'm still thinking of getting a comcast hd box, even though I despise the significant compression comcast utilizes with its signal. Compare comcast hdtv to a blu ray and you'll notice how compressed the comcast video signal is (tiling and pixelating and motion blur is evident from the comcast signal).
All in all, at this price point, this can't be beat.
Anyway, feel free to ask any questions on this new model via the comments section and I'll be happy to respond.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung PN42C430 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV (Black)

Get a true cinematic experience without going to the cinema with a Samsung plasma HDTV. This Samsung PN42C430, with Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio makes sure every frame is saturated with dense, rich color. Samsung is also ENERGY STAR compliant so you are assured that your 42 -inch plasma HDTV is helping the environment by using less enery while saving you money.

Click here for more information about Samsung PN42C430 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV (Black)

Read More...

Samsung LN52A750 52-Inch 1080p DLNA LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)[...]
Amazon tracking indicated it would take 2 weeks to arrive. CEVA tracking listed it at two days earlier. I received the call for delivery in less than a week - and this included the holiday period!
CEVA showed up with it yesterday. The heavy cardboard box had an 18" gash/tear in it and my heart sank. They removed the box and I noticed the screen was supported about 8" from the cardboard and there were no signs that whatever caused the gash had touched anything. We quickly plugged it into the wall and ran it thru some of the built-in menus. Relief - everything worked fine. With the 30-day return guarantee there was nothing more to worry about.
The previous day Amazon had delivered a new Onkyo receiver to replace my older Yamaha. I had already disconnected the Yamaha and wired all the components and speakers to this new receiver (to take advantage of its HDMI capabilities). It now only took a couple hours to make the final connections with the receiver, cable sysem, over-the-air antenna, HTPC and network.
Every single system worked perfectly, even though it sometimes took a few minutes to discover the correct input settings on each device to get everything communicating. The biggest surprise was the quality of the picture. After reading everything I could find on various forums I expected to have some tweaking to do before obtaining the best images. While critically inspecting the imagery for each type of input I could not see a need to adjust anything! Just for experimentation I did make a few selections of alternate settings, but always wound up returning to the original. I'll likely use an Avia program to verify adjustments later, but can't imagine any improvement.
The "halo effect" feature on the upper and lower bezel was obvious (albeit faint) to see, but it was not distracting. In fact, if there were a switch available to turn it on and off, I'd still leave it on - it's neat! The red bezel highlighting (the TOC) is so subtle that it is nearly invisible. If I didn't know it was there I'd likely not have even noticed it. Perhaps it would be more visible in a room with bright daylighting?
Another neat feature is the touch sensitive controls on the lower right bezel. They are invisible until you touch the area, causing them to temporarily sequentially illuminate. I haven't fully explored this feature yet.
Another nice feature was discovering that I could hook up the computer to HDMI connection #2 and play computer games without any special adjustments. There was no lag or any problem except that I'll need to upgrade the computer's video card in order to take the display all the way up to its full resolution. Nevertheless, the Samsung must have been upscaling the image since it was extremely sharp. (Same thing with the 480i DVDs we played on it - very sharp). When not in use we intend to leave the computer hooked up so the Samsung will continuously display it's screensaver which cross-fades family photos like a huge digital picture frame.
The Samsung has a TOSLINK out connection which I connected to the receiver. This vastly simplifies audio connections since all audio sent to the TV can be amplified from a single connection to the receiver. If you can connect everything via HDMI there will be significantly fewer wires and a much more simplified operation.
The only thing I would have preferred is if the base would swivel. I understand the 650 models swivel, can't imagine why Samsung wouldn't include that feature here.
We're very happy with this purchase.
EDIT- 6-18-08
After nearly 3 weeks of use we are even more impressed with this TV.
I have upgraded the video card on the attached computer so that it can now attain full 1080p resolution, only to find the text too small to be readable at a normal viewing distance of about 12 feet with my 60-yr-old eyes. Backing off the resolution makes the text large enough to read while retaining its razor-sharpness.
The attached computer is connected with a wireless hub to my home network, allowing it to stream pictures, music, or movies from any of the computers. The TV must be upconverting the movies to 1080p because they are displayed more clearly than when sent to a regular computer monitor.
The hub also provides a patch cable to the TVs' network port, which allows it to run all the InfoLink connection functions (weather, news, stocks) without the need to even configure that connection.
We added a PS3 a week ago to view blu-ray movies. What an incredible picture! Even though we are using inexpensive $3 HDMI cables, there was no flickering or other problem as reported on another Amazon review. My son tested out his new Metal Gear PS3 game and was impressed with the image and game play. We used the default settings and did not even switch to "game" mode.
We've now had time to run THX and TVBlink video calibration tests and were not surprised to find that all the default settings were already set to the optimum values for our personal tastes.
The set is now mounted on one of those entertainment center "stalks" which allows it to be easily rotated (for easier access to the rear connections). This mounting has taken care of the only complaint we had about this set - its' lack of a swivel base.
Edit - 7-16-08
After 6 weeks of use I must say that this has proven to be one awesome piece of electronics. I simply cannot believe how great this set has performed. The color and details have greatly exceeded my highest expectations. We have begun replaying our old DVD library because the upscaling capabilities built into this set appears to make them very comparable to the Blu-Ray movies we've viewed. It's like seeing a new movie!
It is quite a kick to be using the computer while watching the nightly news in HD via the PIP function.
A lot of people have calibrated their sets using the published settings on AVSforum.com. We tested all of those settings and found that they each resulted in a darker picture that has lost details in shadowy areas and the colors are dull, without the "pop" of the factory settings. Keep in mind that our entertainment area is in a dark, windowless room which should make viewing dimmer features easier. We tried compensating the calibration with various picture adjustments but were unable to attain comparable performance. After a week of trying to perceive any improvements we reverted our settings back to the original, tweaked, factory settings.
Several people have made similar observations, leading us to a conclusion that either there is a wide discrepancy between personal preferences and/or each of these sets have varying image displays. We have no doubt that many people do see improved performance after calibrating their sets - but before you spend a lot of money on professional calibration try the AVSforum settings first to verify if you see any improvement.The only complaint we have is that we've now been spoiled by what this set can do. We picked up a new Samsung T260HD computer monitor (which also includes an HDTV tuner). This is a 26" monitor that has a similar TOC bezel to match the LN52A750. You can read our review here on Amazon - in a nutshell, we are disappointed with it's performance.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung LN52A750 52-Inch 1080p DLNA LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

Enjoy pre-loaded HD content, including cooking, fitness, children's entertainment, and a photo gallery on the LN52A750 52" Full High Definition TV with 1080p Resolution. Full 1080p HD resolution and 50,000:1 dynamic-contrast ratio offer stunning image detail and vivid colors. Auto Motion Plus 120Hz and Ultra Clear Panel technology work together to offer the smoothest motion and boldest bright and dark tones. Stay connected to your home network via the DLNA networking feature. The InfoLink feature provides RSS web content from USA Today. The WiseLink USB 2.0 input and user-friendly interface gives you access to pictures and playlists from a specially designed Wheel Remote. Ultra clear panel allows you to enjoy crisp image details, natural skin tones, excellent shadow detail and vibrant colors. SRS TruSurround XT is a patented SRS technology that solves the problem of playing 5.1 multichannel content over two speakers. TruSurround delivers a compelling, virtual surround sound experience through any two-speaker playback system, including internal television speakers and headphones. It is fully compatible with all multichannel formats up to 5.1 channels. High-resolution HD-Grade 1920x1080 pixel resolution has built-in image scaler to handle inputs from a variety of digital and analog audio/video sources. Wide Color Enhancer optimizes a color's hue resulting in more natural colors. Fast 4ms response time minimizes blurring of moving video. Entertainment Mode allows customized picture settings, optimized for different content. SRS TruSurround XT Down firing speakers CATV/VHF/UFH 75-ohm, F-type Antenna Connections - 4 HDMI High Definition Multimedia Interface, 2 Component video inputs (rear), 1 S-video input (side), side and rear composite inputs, PC input (rear), Wiselink Pro (USB 2.0), RF antenna inputs, and Headphone Dimensions -52.0 x 33.9 x 13.3 / 52.0 x 31.7 x 4.2 without stand Weight -66.4 pounds.

Click here for more information about Samsung LN52A750 52-Inch 1080p DLNA LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

Read More...

VIZIO VF550M 55-Inch Full HD 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Before I get into the nitty gritty, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I'm a review junkie. Sue me. So when I know I want something like a new HDTV I research high and low to not only find the best price, but I also want pretty darn close to the best product out there on the market. From professional reviews to consumer reviews here on Amazon, I do my best to soak it all in. With that being said, in my experience I've never been disappointed with something I've bought that I've done extensive research on...
And that holds true with the Vizio VF550M.
I bought my set at Costco during the Thanksgiving Weekend Sale. One of the first things I noticed right out of the box was how big it really was. I upgraded from a 46" LCD and the size was noticeably (and awesomely) huger. Yes... huger. When I saw the VF550M display at Costco it just didn't look that big because it was set next to other 50-60 inch sets and in the middle of a huge warehouse. However, while setting it up I realized it was the perfect size for the further viewing distance in our family room. The set-up was easy enough. I mounted the tv with the VideoSecu Adjustable Tilt TV Wall Mount (bought on Amazon) which I was very pleased with. We ran the cables through the wall to my devices to hide them... and I must say, it looks beautiful mounted to a wall. I would definitely recommend mounting this set. I didn't care too much for the remote that came with the TV so I opted to upgrade to the Logitech Harmony 670 remote (also got on amazon).
The picture on this TV was just as good or better than any other HDTV I have ever seen. The black levels are great with the DCR feature. Blu-Ray looks amazing on the big screen. I will admit I jumped on the 120hz bandwagon and as of right now I couldn't be happier with it when it comes to watching sports- but thats all I use 120hz (or "Smooth Motion Effect") for.
PROS
-BIG
-Great 120hz feature for Sports
-Good out of the box sound
-5 HDMI ports!
-Stunning picture
CONS
-Don't care for the remote


Click Here to see more reviews about: VIZIO VF550M 55-Inch Full HD 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV

Taking your home theater to the next level, VIZIO brings you the stylish VF550M. This full high definition, 55-inch LCD HDTV combines the latest technology--full high-definition 1080P resolution for crystal clear images and 120Hz Smooth Motion technology provides a fluid, blur-free, lifelike picture. The innovative design and cutting edge sound technologies complete the HD experience.

1080P Full HD Full 1080P High Definition resolution gives you over 2 million pixels, making the clarity and detail of your picture razor sharp.
120Hz Refresh Rate A 120Hz refresh rate limits motion judder, creating smooth transitions between frames, for crisp, clear images.
ECO HD ECO HD exceeds the current Energy Star Guidelines by 15% below Energy Star 3.0, saving you money on your utility bills while limiting the impact on our planet.
Built-In Speakers Four built-in 10-Watt speakers provide room-filling sound.
SRS Audio Technologies SRS TruVolume evens out dynamics to limit volume inconsistencies between programming. SRS TruSurround HD delivers immersive virtual high-definition surround sound out of the unit's two speakers.
178-Degree Horizontal Viewing Angle The VF550M features a viewing angle of up to 178-degrees, resulting in a crisp and clear picture that is easily visible from just about anywhere in the room.
Ultimate Connectivity The VF550M has a whopping nine high-definition inputs, five of which are HDMI. No matter how big your entertainment system is, you should be covered.
VIZIO VF550M Inputs
HDMI with HDCP: 5 (1 side)
RF Connector for Internal Tuner: 1
Component YPbPr plus Stereo Audio: 2 (1 side)
S-Video: 1
Computer RGB: 1
Composite Video: 2 (1 side)
USB Port: 1 (service only)

VIZIO VF550M Outputs
SPDIF Digital Optical: 1
Headphones: 1 (side)

One-Year Warranty VIZIO provides a one-year warranty on its products for extra peace of mind in your purchase.
What's in the Box VIZIO VF550M, VIZIO Remote Control VR2P, Power Cord, Safety Strap, Screen Cleaning Cloth, User Manual, Quick Setup Guide, Registration Card, 2 AA Batteries for the Remote Control

Click here for more information about VIZIO VF550M 55-Inch Full HD 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV

Read More...

iSymphony LC26iH56 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV, Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The price seemed too good to be true when I ordered it, and in fact it was. The screw holes to attach the TV stand were drilled into the back, but the female machined metal parts were not installed, so the stand could not be attached. I tried to contact customer support and they had no idea what they were talking about. It's a company they hire out- not iSymphony. Any way, they had me go to an auto parts store to try to buy new screws, because they said I needed bigger ones and weren't authorized to send them to me. The new screws were about 4 times too wide, and no way that was going to work.
I hooked it up without the stand anyway to see if I'd opt for a replacement vs return. For the price, the picture looks pretty awesome, however this TV has one green dot/ dead pixel on the left side. Hopefully this TV is just uniquely bad. Since the picture is so nice, I decided to try to replace it.
Oh one other thing I'm noticing. No audio output- so external speakers might be difficult without splitting wires or being creative some other way.
Will update this review when I see how the replacement experience goes.
UPDATE: Amazon is telling me I might not be able to get a free replacement, but they don't know why. The customer service rep was extremely helpful, but he couldn't figure out why he couldn't get it to process. He said he's got three people working on it. :)
I over-nighted the original TV, but now who knows if or when I can get another one.
Alright Amazon customer service is awesome!!! Amazon definitely gets 5 stars from me! The guy finally figured it out and sent me out another TV next day!!! But... of course the stand doesn't connect again. No green dot this time, so it's time to find some screws that will hold the stand.


Click Here to see more reviews about: iSymphony LC26iH56 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV, Black

The iSymphony LC26iH56 is a 26-Inch 720p HD LCD Television. The TV has 1366 x 768 native resolution and wide-screen (16:9 aspect ratio) for a complete home theater experience. The super high picture quality has been realized by VIORE engineering with high brightness for a vivid and brilliant picture and with high contrast for deeper blacks and brighter whites. The ATSC TV tuner is integrated for over-the-air HDTV broadcast reception. HDMI input is provided so that the digital signals for both video and audio will be transferred without any degradation from Blu-ray Disc Player, DVD Player, Game Player, or Cable/Satellite Box. A VGA port is also provided so that you can use the TV as a computer monitor.

Get 18% OFF

Click here for more information about iSymphony LC26iH56 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV, Black

Read More...

Samsung LN46A850 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First off let me provide some basic info so you have an understanding of the use, location, and expectations for this TV. Let me state that this is the first HDTV we have ever owned. This is a replacement for a functioning 25" Zenith color console with a rotary dial (only has a flat UHF and VHF input) that we purchased new 25 plus years ago. We have basic cable (Time Warner) that was hooked up to the old TV through a VHS and DVD (separate) player. We started researching HDTV's last year. After information overload from all of the various manufactures as to why they were better we settled on the Samsung brand just to start narrowing it down. After that we took up the Plasma vs. LCD. We settled on the LCD and then quickly narrowed it down to the 46" model based upon our living room layout. We have three interior and one exterior wall, with the exterior wall facing east and is all glass. We have a fireplace at the end of the room and that is where the TV has always set. After all of that was done we were ready to pull the trigger and purchase the LN46A650 but waited for a while ($$). By the time we were ready to purchase, Samsung had just released the 850, 860, and 950. Jump back into research to see what the differences were. Well thin is what we needed to help with the room arrangement so we quickly changed to the 850 (ToC red) / 860 (ToC blue) model. We purchased the 850 on Cyber Monday. It arrived the following Monday.
1. CEVA Logistics, Just after placing my order I received a confirmation from Amazon with the tracking #. Goggled CEVA, placed the tracking # in the main web page to locate the TV and there it was, at the warehouse outside of Harrisburg Pa. I checked it several times that week and followed it through their system. I received a phone call from the local agent on Friday who setup a delivery time on Monday (7 days after the order) for a delivery between 9 and 1. They arrived at about 10:00 with a small urban type delivery truck. The two deliverymen were college aged and friendly. They met me at the door and we inspected the package together. They advised me before stepping into the house that they were only to unpack and check that it powered on. They did just that and there were no issues. I tried to tip them but they politely refused and went on their way. I am mentioning this here as some reviews were all over the place on them.
2. The TV, It was easy to hook up. Screwed in the cable to the back and turned it on. It went through a couple of quick menus and then it was searching for channels. It even tells you on the screen where it is in the process. We only get about 60 basic cable channels so I was quite surprised when it said that it was up to about 150 and still going. Once it reached the end it stated "removing scrambled channels" which brought the number back down. It found all of the HD channels that Time Warner provides free and I never new they were there.
3. Navigating the built in menu system is fairly easy. Once you get the hang of the remote you can set up the entire TV in about 30 minutes (in my case).
4. I will say that the remotes are pretty particular that they are pointed at the lower left side of the screen. One remote has everything on it. The second remote in the box that is pretty basic. It will turn the TV off and on; change the channels and the volume.
5. ToC, this is a non issue in this model. You can barely see it at all and there is no glare that we can detect at all through the sides that affect the picture.
6. The black bezel is extremely glossy and looks spectacular. When our room has all of the lights on you can see the reflections off of it but it has not interfered with our viewing. We mostly have one light on in the room at the far end in the evening and it is not noticeable. Daytime viewing, in the morning the room is brightly lit as it gets the rising sun. The screen is not affected from it.
7. Factory defaults, from the start we left them alone till we had a better feel for the TV. We have been tweaking here and there and believe that everyone can customize to their tastes. The picture is just exceptionally clear and the TV does a great job of adjusting the straight 4:3 broadcast into what ever format you want. I think that there are 5 different settings here (4:3, 16:9, zoom 1, zoom 2, wide fit) and you can set to your tastes.
8. DVD Player, Hooked it up to the TV with component cables as the connection. The player is a 2001 model and is pretty basic. We placed a Star Wars DVD in because of the THX calibration (Google it) and was utterly amazed that it looked that good. We did not do a calibration and left all of the settings alone. The TV has a built in surround sound emulator that can be turned on and off if you do not have external speakers. The sound was absolutely great compared to what we had before. I am sure that it does not match a true 5:1 or 7:1 but in no way is it weak as other reviewers have claimed.
9. Update on DLNA (12-20-2008),(additional info posted under comments, 1-19-2009) You do not need to install the software if you have Vista Home Premium, Vista Ultimate, or Windows Home Server. The DLNA hooked up while I was trying to figure out the instructions in the manual. That is about the only good I can say about this at this point. The instructions in the user manual are almost worthless. It makes it seem that you have to install the software which is not the case if you have any of the 3 OS above. The DLNA found my extensive home photo library and that part works OK. The USB on the side of the TV will not support anything but FAT 16/32 formatted keys. It will not allow the running of an external hard drive on the port. Home Movies and an extensive music library will not play on the TV. DLNA supports a very limited set of formats and codec's. Nothing that I have will run in either of these two categories without an error message "format not supported". How many folks will want to convert hundreds of gigs of home movies and music? After doing a little research I am finding that there is software that will sit between your storage devices and the TV that will convert on the fly. It will be till January sometime that I have a chance to try that out.
Final Thoughts on DLNA, I am disappointed that Samsung did not choose formats that more closely resembled what the general population has sitting on their home computers. The use of converters and the shortcomings here are a major let down as compared to the rest of the TV. I will say that my photo library looks stunning on the TV. Samsung has a way to go to support home movies and music. While this is a major shortfall it does not take away the viewing quality that this TV produces when watched. Just be aware that you need to be somewhat Techy to get DLNA working.

10. Infolink, The INFOLINK found everything the first time. News, Sports, Weather, and Stocks etc can be programmed fairly easy.
Final comments, the channel search found double channels on all of the major broadcast affiliates (NBC, ABC, FOX, ETC). It is easy to go through the menu system and tell which is analog and which is digital. Delete the analog as you can see a major difference in the quality. One can hit an "info" button on the remote and it will give you all of the technical stuff on the channels. I really like the feature that tells you which format the broadcasts are in, 4:3 or 16:9, and the resolution 420i, 720P, 1080i. The HD channels and shows themselves are clearly awesome as you see features on the shows that you have never seen before, blemishes on the actor's faces, individual strands of hair, subtle makeup differences in shades ETC. The swivel stand is nice and the TV itself is not that heavy. It comes with a micro fiber cleaning cloth. Only time will tell if this model will give us the longevity that we are accustomed to. We are totally pleased with our purchase.
Thanks
GM


Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung LN46A850 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color

Samsung's 850 Series has the Touch of Color design with a slim depth and narrow bezel and features a built-in tuner, full high definition 1080p resolution with Auto Motion Plus 120Hz.A fast 4 ms response rate with a Ultra Clear Panel produces smooth-motion scenes for sports and action movies and a dynamic contrast ratio of 50,000:1 makes for deep blacks and crisp lines.Superb connectivity and networking with 4 HDMI 1.3 ports (3 rear/1 side).Turn your LCD into a full-scale home viewing gallery and watch your favorite photos in a slide show and listen to your MP3's with WiseLink (USB 2.0). Samsung's InfoLink provides RSS feeds of customizable stock quotes, weather, and brief news articles.

Click here for more information about Samsung LN46A850 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color

Read More...

FUSION HDTV7 USB Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I don't have the FusionHDTV7, but I do have two FusionHDTV 5 (Gold and Lite) cards.
These cards have been nothing but trouble since I've owned them for 4+ years.
They continually crash my system cause the driver software is unstable.
DVico used to update their driver software and respond to tech support queries, but no more.
If you buy this product don't be surprised if they don't respond to any problems. You've been warned.

Click Here to see more reviews about: FUSION HDTV7 USB

Click here for more information about FUSION HDTV7 USB

Read More...