Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Not only did I find the Panasonic Viera TH-50-PZ800U to be one of the best Plasma’s of this size, but it has 100 000-hour lifespan and 24p that will give you the most for every dollar. If I did have one complaint, it would be the price, but when you compare the quality with other TV’s of this size, it is a great deal.

The 24p frame rate is fantastic and when you use Blue Ray and set the picture options to 48Hz the movement of the frames is flawless. Best of all, the TV will automatically switch back afterwards. It is also a user friendly model for gamers with its game mode feature. This option adjusts the quality automatically and there is no need to tweak the settings. It also has an added anti-image retention that you won’t live without after you’ve used it.

The Deep Color feature makes the pictures look extremely real so long as you enable this with your Blue Ray. Otherwise, leave this feature off. In my opinion, the Real Black system with the 30 000:1 contrast ratio gives this set an unmatched picture quality. The anti-glare and anti-reflection with this television gives you the most use out of the TV and you won’t have to constantly adjust the set in order to see the picture clearly. The built in card slots and 4 HDMI inputs make it simple to use for a variety of different uses. I find this television is really hard to share.

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Image Width and Ratio

How come that on some channels the image seems as it comes from a labyrinth mirror? It’s all a question of ratios. On your old CRT unit the aspect was 4:3, which essentially means that for each 4 horizontal inches your screen would be 3 inches wide. However since images are precise this is translated to lines or pixels. In the case of High Def sets, the aspect is 16:9.

In the case of wide screen monitors, the ratio can even be 16:10. So if say in a standard definition Larry King’s face takes up 40 lines by 30 (as an example) if the same image will be distorted because of simple math. To keep a 4:3 ratio with a width of 16 you have to multiply by 4. So in order to keep the native ratio of 4:3 it would have to be 16:12. Since its 16:9 the image is shrunk on the vertical scale, thus sometimes resulting in a “fattening mirror” effect.

In order to correct this, you have to program your HD receiver to distinguish the native aspect ratio of a program and adjust the image by placing bars of solid color to each side of the image.

If you do not yet own an HD receiver, you can set this in your TV’s view or zoom menu. It is also advised to do this if you have a standard DVD player or previous generation gaming console. For your computer hook up, it’s best to set your video card to your TV’s native resolution in order to obtain best quality.

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Canadian Gamers Say “Oui” to the Wi

Gamers in Canada have clearly spoken when it comes to choosing the gaming console they most enjoy playing on their HDTVs. According to a recent poll conducted by Ipsos Reid, 35% of Canadians that currently own or plan to purchase an HDTV for video games are planning to hook it up to a Wii console. The findings of this poll essentially give the Nintendo Wii the crown when it comes to selecting the most popular console amount high-definition gamers in Canada.

The Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360 were not too far behind the Wii. According to the poll, 28% of HDTV owners and future HDTV owners plan to use their televisions to play Xbox 360 games while 25% plan to use it for a Playstation 3. The Playstation 2, the X-box, and the Nintendo Gamecube were also included in the poll. The Playstation 2 was cited by 29% of gamers, while the original X-box was selected by 17% of gamers and the Gamecube by 12%. 10% of gamers said they planned to use their HDTVs for “other” consoles.

The poll also examined where gamers were getting their information about HDTVs. TI found that 62% of Canadians were using the Internet to determine what they should purchase and where they should buy it from. 48% said they actually visited retail stores to help them make their decisions, while 37% spoke to salespeople at these stores. Only 31% use brochures and flyers to help them gather information.

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The Truth About Up-Scaling DVD Players

In one short sentence, it’s not a magical player that will make that old Top Gun DVD look sharp on that new big screen HDTV.

When you watch a DVD, you must consider the disc itself. A standard DVD is, well, a standard DVD. And no matter how much you spend for an up converting unit, this will not change. In order to watch movies at your set’s true potential I suggest either a BluRay DVD player with the appropriate BluRay disc, or a movie broadcast in HD on your cable or satellite feed.

The true and unique purpose of up converting DVD players is to scale your old DVD’s in a manner that will make them worthy of your new TV by respecting resolution and aspect ratios. This is caused by the fact that older DVD’s were shot in standard definition. This will adjust the original DVD content to your TV by respecting the original image specifications, therefore making sure that the image is not distorted or out of proportion.

Also don’t forget that in order to most benefit from this type of equipment, you must use appropriate hook up cables (HDMI works best but component cables work as well) and to properly configure both the DVD player and the TV set. Some models include neat features such as a USB port or a media card reader. This is neat for connecting a hard drive or watching photos without the hassle of connecting your camera to the TV.

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What’s The Best Bedroom HDTV?

Is the old TV in your bedroom about to fade away? Considering a newer and slimmer replacement? What would be your best option for a small room?

That old clunker weighs a ton and has to go? There are so many choices when it comes to mid-sized (20 to 32 inches) flat screen TV’s, here’s what to look for.

First take a look at the room that will be the host of the unit. Size and brightness is important. Also don’t neglect to measure the distance from which you will be watching TV most frequently. For a bedroom, calculate the distance between your headboard and the TV’s placing. For example in a 12 by 16 master bedroom, where you will be 9 to 10 feet away, a 32 inch set would be ideal. For a guest room perhaps a 26 inch one will be sufficient.

Also, take importance in the content that you will be watching. Will you mainly watch movies or news or sit-coms? This is important as the quality, mainly the resolution and contrast of the set will play a big factor. Don’t forget to grab as well a receiver for that TV.

When it comes to choosing a set, you can usually save money by buying a lesser known or budget brand since this is a secondary unit that will see less usage time and therefore last longer, since TV longevity is calculated by hours of use. Expect to spend roughly 400 to 600 dollars for the TV.

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Choosing Audio For Your HDTV

If an image is worth a thousand words, what is the value of good sound to a sharp and fluid image?

So you just got a new HDTV but you didn’t expect it to sound just like your old set from yesteryear? Just like image quality, sound evolved in the past decade. Given the technology available to the mass market, it is easily feasible to bring that theater experience home and apply it not only to movies but also to broadcast programming.

But how to choose the appropriate equipment? There are two categories, Home Theater in a Box or separate components.

HTIB, as it is often referred to, is a usually less expensive and simpler approach. All the components are paired together by the manufacturer and come in a single package, hence the name. This is advantageous as they usually cost roughly 400 dollars for a decent unit that covers all the bases: five surround speakers, a sub-woofer, a receiver and all the necessary wiring. Some even incorporate a DVD player. On the downside, they often don’t have enough inputs to connect peripherals such as HD boxes, gaming consoles and others.

A more complex but rewarding alternative is to buy all the components separately. This will allow you to customize your home theater to your needs by considering your room size, accessories to hook up and also cost. A decent set will cost roughly 800 dollars or upwards, with no real limit. In this instance, you will need to buy a good receiver, a sub-woofer, a set of surround speakers and all the wiring. Don’t forget also a DVD player.

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Samsung to Begin Offering a New Series of LCD HDTVs

Samsung will begin selling its “next generation” LCD HDTVs next month. Of course, this has many television aficionados rather excited, considering that many people consider the company’s current 81 Series to be one of the best televisions currently on the market. Is it possible that Samsung has improved upon that design?

The new series, which is called the Series 9, will incorporate some new technology that may very well improve upon the design. Although the new series will use LED backlights, it will be able to turn on and off quickly in order to provide better black levels. According to a press release put out by the company, the new sets will actually be able to produce true black. This is because it will be able to completely shut off the light source to the pixel in question, which means there won’t be the grayish black color that is commonly associated with HDTVs.

The ability to produce truer blacks appears to be the only major area of improvement for the new series. Therefore, most people won’t be clamoring to replace their new sets with one from the new series. Still, if you are in the market for a new television set, you might want to check this one out. The suggested retail price for the 46 inch model is $3,199 and the suggested retail price for the 55 inch model is $4,199.

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Samsung LN46A650 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color

Overall, I am very pleased with the Samsung LN46A650. When comparing this TV to the 5 series, I discovered that the 5 series didn’t have a refresher rate of 120 Hz. The 7 series is almost identical except it has a USB port for an MP3 player and extra gig of cache. The LN46A650 is definitely worth the money.

One of the first things I noticed about this TV was its excellent picture. Every detail was sharp and defined and the overall color was true and flawless. The other great point is that you can still see the picture perfectly in a bright room so there is no need to hide in a dark basement in order to watch a good TV.

The Samsung LN46A650 has a TruSurround feature that should be a definite must to catch the sound of the TV up to its picture. As an added benefit, the 4 HDMI inputs is a great feature since it saves those with separate HDMI components from having to play around with connectors. The TV can also be hooked directly to the internet through its Ethernet card.

On the downside, I noticed that poor signals coming from the TV stations are extremely noticeable because the TV itself is that detailed. This problem should straighten itself out if you subscribe to digital, or even better, HD channels. With that being the entire reason to buy a TV like the Samsung LN46A650, I’m sure everyone will be pleased with it.

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Samsung LN32A450 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV

For a 32″, I feel the Samsung LN32A450 really fills the space and is a good quality buy for the money. I found that in comparison to other brands in the same price range this one gives the most bang for each buck.

The Samsung LN32A450 TV is like others in the Samsung line in that it has a variety of settings for the picture. For anyone used to working with this kind of thing, it will be a huge benefit over other brands. For those who don’t have a lot of interest in this type of thing, the automatic settings work great. The only other thing you will notice with this TV is that Standard Transmission stations appear pixelled, but if spend money out for an HDTV you will more than likely have intentions of paying for HD channels so this shouldn’t be an issue.

The motion response time of this model is 6ms and is positively excellent. Whether you watch a movie or play a video game, you won’t see the jerking or smearing that is often seen with the TV’s in this price range. Speaking of video games, the HDMI upconvert sits at 720p to eliminate ghosting. While other LCDs have been famous for dark blacks and whites that are too bright, I simply didn’t notice that with this model.

I feel the quality and sound the Samsung LN32A450 has is far superior to other brands in this price range. The added benefits of having an easy set up and extras like ‘favorite channel’ functions are just the icing on the cake.

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What Do You Think About HD?

It seems that the majority of people agree that HDTV is nice to have, and most also have plans to buy an HDTV at some point in the future, but lots of people don’t want it because it’s too expensive.

I gave this some thought, after all, when compared to other things we buy, it’s not all that expensive. A new car could set us back as much as $70,000 in today’s world, doing up and decorating just one room will cost around $15,000, and household utilities like washing machines will cost around $1000, and we’re much happier to buy one of these when it’s needed than an HDTV.

For those of you who know a bit of economics, I think HDTV is income inelastic. In normal English, this boils down to the fact that HDTV isn’t a necessity, and there are alternatives which seen as being almost as good, in this case, normal TV sets.

Many people who’ve never used HDTV before just don’t appreciate how good it really is, and how much extra quality you actually get for the extra money you pay.

I appreciate that you’re not now going to run to the nearest shop and exchange all your bank details for a TV, but do yourself a favour, and next time your TV conks out, visit someone who has HDTV and see for yourself how good it is.

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