Posted: 2007-06-07 13:13:04
Consumer Reports Buying Guide for LCD TVs
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Slim sets with big screens challenge the plasma TV market.
Once available only with small screens, LCD (liquid-crystal-display) TVs now come with bigger screens suitable for use as a home’s primary set. In fact, the introduction of 37- to 52-inch sets has positioned LCD TVs as strong competition to flat-panel plasma sets. Illustrating the growing importance of this category, some manufacturers - most notably Sony - have stopped offering plasma TVs for the consumer market. LCD TVs still cost more than most comparably sized plasma sets, but the gap is narrowing, particularly in the 40- to 42-inch category.
Slim sets with big screens challenge the plasma TV market.
Once available only with small screens, LCD (liquid-crystal-display) TVs now come with bigger screens suitable for use as a home’s primary set. In fact, the introduction of 37- to 52-inch sets has positioned LCD TVs as strong competition to flat-panel plasma sets. Illustrating the growing importance of this category, some manufacturers - most notably Sony - have stopped offering plasma TVs for the consumer market. LCD TVs still cost more than most comparably sized plasma sets, but the gap is narrowing, particularly in the 40- to 42-inch category.
Though LCDs and plasma sets look similar on the outside, they use different display technologies. LCD TVs have thousands of pixels (the tiny elements that make up an image) that open to let light through or close to block it, somewhat like tiny shutters. Some light tends to leak through even when the "shutters" are closed, one reason LCDs have had trouble displaying deep black levels. Some new sets have addressed this and other weaknesses. They are now able to produce deeper blacks, along with more accurate colors, and they have addressed the LCD’s difficulty in displaying fast-moving scenes without blurring. The growing number of LCD sets with 1080p resolution - the highest currently available - has also raised the bar for picture quality.
Regardless of screen size, LCD TVs are only a few inches thick, giving them a very small footprint. They’re also relatively lightweight - 40 pounds or less for midsized 32-inch models, 75 pounds or so for big-screen 46-inch sets - so they’re easily moved or wall-mounted. But LCD technology, like plasma technology, is fairly new, so long-term reliability of these TVs is still a question. But survey data we have collected regarding the first two years of use show few repair problems for most leading brands.
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
Top-selling brands include LG, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Vizio, and Westinghouse. Prices have been dropping steadily, due in part to the arrival of low-priced brands from China and Taiwan, and store brands from major retailers such as Best Buy, Target, and Wal-Mart, among others.
Most LCD TVs with screens larger than 26 inches or so are high-definition (HD) models. HDTVs can display the sharpest, most detailed images. On most high-def sets, the resolution is 1024x768 or 366x768. Over the past year, a growing number of 1080p HDTVs have arrived, most with screen sizes 40 inches and larger. These 1080p TVs are the first consumer models with the potential to display all 1,080 lines in the most common high-definition format, called 1080i. The improvement is most noticeable on large screens, say, 50 inches and up.
Regardless of screen size, LCD TVs are only a few inches thick, giving them a very small footprint. They’re also relatively lightweight - 40 pounds or less for midsized 32-inch models, 75 pounds or so for big-screen 46-inch sets - so they’re easily moved or wall-mounted. But LCD technology, like plasma technology, is fairly new, so long-term reliability of these TVs is still a question. But survey data we have collected regarding the first two years of use show few repair problems for most leading brands.
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
Top-selling brands include LG, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Vizio, and Westinghouse. Prices have been dropping steadily, due in part to the arrival of low-priced brands from China and Taiwan, and store brands from major retailers such as Best Buy, Target, and Wal-Mart, among others.
Most LCD TVs with screens larger than 26 inches or so are high-definition (HD) models. HDTVs can display the sharpest, most detailed images. On most high-def sets, the resolution is 1024x768 or 366x768. Over the past year, a growing number of 1080p HDTVs have arrived, most with screen sizes 40 inches and larger. These 1080p TVs are the first consumer models with the potential to display all 1,080 lines in the most common high-definition format, called 1080i. The improvement is most noticeable on large screens, say, 50 inches and up.
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In smaller sizes - screens of 20 inches or less - enhanced-definition LCD TVs are also available. ED sets, which are digital, have picture quality that’s slightly better than standard definition but not as good as HD; these can accept 480p signals such as those from a progressive-scan DVD player. Standard-definition TVs are analog models that can display only 480i signals such as those used for most TV broadcasts. Analog TV broadcasts will cease on Feb. 17, 2009, when all broadcasters must switch to digital. An analog set you buy now will be able to receive off-air digital programming with an external digital tuner (or with a cable or satellite box) and an antenna but won’t be able to display HD quality.
Major-brand LCD HDTVs typically cost $800 to $1,000 for a 32-inch set; about $1,200 for a 37-inch set; and $1,500 to $3,000 for a 40- to 46-inch set, although prices in those larger sizes continue to drop. In all size categories, you’ll see less-established brands selling for hundreds less. A growing number of LCD TVs have even larger screens - up to 50 inches or more - and prices go up along with size.
IMPORTANT FEATURES
LCD HDTVs typically have all the features you expect on a higher-priced television. Most LCD sets with screens 26 inches and above have 16:9 wide screens. Because some TV content is still formatted for the more squarish 4:3 screen, wide-screen sets have stretch and zoom modes that expand or compress an image to better fill the screen. This helps to reduce the dark bands that can appear on the sides or top and bottom of images if you watch content that isn’t formatted for a wide screen. (The picture might be distorted or cut off a bit in the process of stretching or zooming.)
A film-mode feature improves the appearance of movies converted from film to video, including the majority of cinematic movies on DVD and some movies broadcast on cable, on satellite, or over the air. This feature is also called 3:2 pull-down, motion compensation, or brand-specific names such as CineMotion and Film Mode. It helps compensate for the difference in frame rates between film (24 frames per second) and video (30 frames per second), so moving images look less jerky and jagged around the edges. Progressive-scan DVD players have this feature as well. When watching DVDs, try enabling that feature first on the DVD player and then on the TV, using the settings for each device, and use whichever makes the images look smoother.
All TVs have menus with settings that enable you to adjust the video, audio, and more.
With more sources for video available all the time, it's handy to have a feature that allows you to customize settings for each input, such as the one you routinely use for your cable box or the DVD player. For example, you might want sharpness set to its lowest level when watching high-quality DVDs routed through the HDMI input, but a higher sharpness setting to improve the appearance of standard-definition programs coming in through the component-video input.
CableCard slots on HDTVs let you use a card, provided by the cable company for a small rental fee, instead of a cable box. When the card is inserted, the TV can receive scrambled digital-cable content, including high-definition programming. This eliminates the need for an extra piece of equipment and cables, but there is a downside: Current CableCards are one-way, so they don’t provide an interactive program guide, video on demand, or pay-per-view ordering via the remote control. But some TVs have a built-in program guide, such as TV Guide On Screen, which displays eight days of programming in a searchable, interactive format.
Picture-in-picture (PIP) lets you watch two channels at once, one in a small box, the other a full-screen image. It's useful if you want to browse the onscreen guide while keeping an eye on the program you’re watching, or keep track of a sports event while a program is playing. A single-tuner TV requires another device with a tuner, such as a VCR or cable box, to display two programs at once; dual-tuner models can display two programs simultaneously on their own. Don't rule out a TV set solely because it lacks PIP. If you have a digital video recorder with a PIP function, you can have picture-in-picture even if the TV lacks this feature.
One of the most important points to consider with any TV is the number and type of inputs it has. There are several different types of inputs that can handle high-definition signals: HDMI, DVI, component-video, and RF (antenna/cable). HDMI and DVI inputs provide a digital connection to devices such as DVD players, digital-cable boxes, and satellite receivers. HDMI carries audio and video on one cable. DVI carries only video and must be used with separate audio cables; these are much less common than HDMI. The digital-to-digital connection might enhance picture quality, though that hasn’t always been the case in our tests thus far. Component-video inputs are analog; these use red, green, and blue RCA jacks to carry the video and must be used with separate audio cables. Many new TVs have two component-video and two HDMI inputs; some have three or four. The RF input can be used to get digital signals, including HD, from an off-air antenna. Other analog inputs on new TVs include composite-video and S-video, used mostly for equipment such as VCRs. Inputs located on the front or side of a set are more accessible than those in the rear but are also more visible. See if you like the look.
Some LCD sets have a memory-card slot. This enables you to view still photos or videos from a digital camera. You can connect a camera or camcorder directly to the TV if it has a PictBridge, USB, or IEEE 1394/Firewire input. A VGA input lets a TV accept signals from virtually any computer; DVI inputs are compatible mostly with newer midrange computers. A headphone jack is handy if you want to listen to TV without disturbing others.
An illuminated remote - either backlit or with glow-in-the-dark keys - is handy in a dimly lit setting. Backlit is preferred since glow-in-the-dark keys fade quickly.
In addition to such universal features, others are more specific to this type of set. The location of the speakers is one example. On some LCD models, the speakers are on both sides of the screen; on others they’re below it. That affects the width of the set and could determine whether it will fit into a niche in an entertainment center, for example. On some LCD TVs, speakers are detachable. That can be a plus if you want to fit the TV into a particular space or position the speakers away from the screen. A panel's ability to tilt and swivel also varies, so see whether a given model can be adjusted as much as you’d like.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Consider what level of picture quality you're willing to pay for. The best LCD TVs are capable of excellent HD picture quality, although blacks might not be quite as deep as on a good plasma set. For a main TV or one you'll watch often, we’d strongly recommend an HD set with resolution of at least 1024x768. On screens larger than 30 inches or so, 1366x768 has the potential to offer better quality, though native screen resolution in and of itself doesn’t guarantee a certain level of picture quality. 1080p sets with 1920x1080 resolution generally cost hundreds more than a comparable model with a lower resolution; check our Ratings to make sure the 1080p set maximizes its potential. It’s probably not worth paying the premium for a 1080p set for screens much smaller than 50 inches. The quality difference isn’t as noticeable below that size. We’d recommend a standard-definition LCD TV only for small sets used for casual viewing—in the kitchen, for example—where you wouldn’t want the cable or satellite box you generally need to receive HD signals. The picture quality almost certainly won't be as good as what you’ll get with an HD set.
Check the viewing angle. Viewing angles have improved, so many new LCD TVs display a better image from off-center than older sets did - a must if the TV will be watched by several people at once. Before buying, see how the picture looks if you step off to the side or move up and down. With some, you’ll see a dimmer, somewhat washed-out image as your viewing position angles away.
Don’t get hung up on specs. Ads touting high contrast ratios and brightness (in cd/m2, or candelas per square meter) might sway you to one set or another. Manufacturers arrive at specs differently, so they might not be comparable. Try adjusting sets in the store yourself to compare contrast and brightness, as TVs are often optimized for bright retail environments, not home viewing.
Consider reliability. Our user surveys have found few repair problems during the first year or two of use for LCD sets from JVC, Magnavox, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sanyo, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba. Dell LCDs have been more repair-prone. Look for easy-to-use inputs. On many LCD televisions, the connections are on the side or rear of the panel and might be difficult to reach. A few larger models might have a separate control unit to which you connect all your external audio/video devices, such as a DVD player or cable box. You then have only one cable going from the control box to the panel itself. That’s a plus for wall-mounting.
Consider a set that doubles as a computer display. If you need a computer display as well as a TV, check connectivity options. An HD set with high native resolution is best for computer use. A standard VGA connection works with all computers.
Be aware of the logistics. You might want to consider having the biggest-screen LCD sets delivered. The cartons are too large to fit in many vehicles, and they can be awkward to carry. You might be able to handle a basic hookup of a cable box or satellite receiver and a DVD player on your own. If you’ll be connecting more devices - a DVR, DVD recorder, VCR, and digital receiver and sound system - it gets trickier, so you might want to consider professional installation at some point. Ask the retailer to recommend an installer or contact the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (800-669-5329 or www.cedia .net) to find one in your area. Figure on paying from $300 to $1,000 for labor, plus $100 to $250 for mounting brackets.
Copyright © 2003-2007 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
For full access to Ratings and recommendations of appliances, cars & trucks, electronic gear, and much more, subscribe to ConsumerReports.org.
BACK TO: Consumer Reports: Buying Guides
Major-brand LCD HDTVs typically cost $800 to $1,000 for a 32-inch set; about $1,200 for a 37-inch set; and $1,500 to $3,000 for a 40- to 46-inch set, although prices in those larger sizes continue to drop. In all size categories, you’ll see less-established brands selling for hundreds less. A growing number of LCD TVs have even larger screens - up to 50 inches or more - and prices go up along with size.
IMPORTANT FEATURES
LCD HDTVs typically have all the features you expect on a higher-priced television. Most LCD sets with screens 26 inches and above have 16:9 wide screens. Because some TV content is still formatted for the more squarish 4:3 screen, wide-screen sets have stretch and zoom modes that expand or compress an image to better fill the screen. This helps to reduce the dark bands that can appear on the sides or top and bottom of images if you watch content that isn’t formatted for a wide screen. (The picture might be distorted or cut off a bit in the process of stretching or zooming.)
A film-mode feature improves the appearance of movies converted from film to video, including the majority of cinematic movies on DVD and some movies broadcast on cable, on satellite, or over the air. This feature is also called 3:2 pull-down, motion compensation, or brand-specific names such as CineMotion and Film Mode. It helps compensate for the difference in frame rates between film (24 frames per second) and video (30 frames per second), so moving images look less jerky and jagged around the edges. Progressive-scan DVD players have this feature as well. When watching DVDs, try enabling that feature first on the DVD player and then on the TV, using the settings for each device, and use whichever makes the images look smoother.
All TVs have menus with settings that enable you to adjust the video, audio, and more.
With more sources for video available all the time, it's handy to have a feature that allows you to customize settings for each input, such as the one you routinely use for your cable box or the DVD player. For example, you might want sharpness set to its lowest level when watching high-quality DVDs routed through the HDMI input, but a higher sharpness setting to improve the appearance of standard-definition programs coming in through the component-video input.
CableCard slots on HDTVs let you use a card, provided by the cable company for a small rental fee, instead of a cable box. When the card is inserted, the TV can receive scrambled digital-cable content, including high-definition programming. This eliminates the need for an extra piece of equipment and cables, but there is a downside: Current CableCards are one-way, so they don’t provide an interactive program guide, video on demand, or pay-per-view ordering via the remote control. But some TVs have a built-in program guide, such as TV Guide On Screen, which displays eight days of programming in a searchable, interactive format.
Picture-in-picture (PIP) lets you watch two channels at once, one in a small box, the other a full-screen image. It's useful if you want to browse the onscreen guide while keeping an eye on the program you’re watching, or keep track of a sports event while a program is playing. A single-tuner TV requires another device with a tuner, such as a VCR or cable box, to display two programs at once; dual-tuner models can display two programs simultaneously on their own. Don't rule out a TV set solely because it lacks PIP. If you have a digital video recorder with a PIP function, you can have picture-in-picture even if the TV lacks this feature.
One of the most important points to consider with any TV is the number and type of inputs it has. There are several different types of inputs that can handle high-definition signals: HDMI, DVI, component-video, and RF (antenna/cable). HDMI and DVI inputs provide a digital connection to devices such as DVD players, digital-cable boxes, and satellite receivers. HDMI carries audio and video on one cable. DVI carries only video and must be used with separate audio cables; these are much less common than HDMI. The digital-to-digital connection might enhance picture quality, though that hasn’t always been the case in our tests thus far. Component-video inputs are analog; these use red, green, and blue RCA jacks to carry the video and must be used with separate audio cables. Many new TVs have two component-video and two HDMI inputs; some have three or four. The RF input can be used to get digital signals, including HD, from an off-air antenna. Other analog inputs on new TVs include composite-video and S-video, used mostly for equipment such as VCRs. Inputs located on the front or side of a set are more accessible than those in the rear but are also more visible. See if you like the look.
Some LCD sets have a memory-card slot. This enables you to view still photos or videos from a digital camera. You can connect a camera or camcorder directly to the TV if it has a PictBridge, USB, or IEEE 1394/Firewire input. A VGA input lets a TV accept signals from virtually any computer; DVI inputs are compatible mostly with newer midrange computers. A headphone jack is handy if you want to listen to TV without disturbing others.
An illuminated remote - either backlit or with glow-in-the-dark keys - is handy in a dimly lit setting. Backlit is preferred since glow-in-the-dark keys fade quickly.
In addition to such universal features, others are more specific to this type of set. The location of the speakers is one example. On some LCD models, the speakers are on both sides of the screen; on others they’re below it. That affects the width of the set and could determine whether it will fit into a niche in an entertainment center, for example. On some LCD TVs, speakers are detachable. That can be a plus if you want to fit the TV into a particular space or position the speakers away from the screen. A panel's ability to tilt and swivel also varies, so see whether a given model can be adjusted as much as you’d like.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Consider what level of picture quality you're willing to pay for. The best LCD TVs are capable of excellent HD picture quality, although blacks might not be quite as deep as on a good plasma set. For a main TV or one you'll watch often, we’d strongly recommend an HD set with resolution of at least 1024x768. On screens larger than 30 inches or so, 1366x768 has the potential to offer better quality, though native screen resolution in and of itself doesn’t guarantee a certain level of picture quality. 1080p sets with 1920x1080 resolution generally cost hundreds more than a comparable model with a lower resolution; check our Ratings to make sure the 1080p set maximizes its potential. It’s probably not worth paying the premium for a 1080p set for screens much smaller than 50 inches. The quality difference isn’t as noticeable below that size. We’d recommend a standard-definition LCD TV only for small sets used for casual viewing—in the kitchen, for example—where you wouldn’t want the cable or satellite box you generally need to receive HD signals. The picture quality almost certainly won't be as good as what you’ll get with an HD set.
Check the viewing angle. Viewing angles have improved, so many new LCD TVs display a better image from off-center than older sets did - a must if the TV will be watched by several people at once. Before buying, see how the picture looks if you step off to the side or move up and down. With some, you’ll see a dimmer, somewhat washed-out image as your viewing position angles away.
Don’t get hung up on specs. Ads touting high contrast ratios and brightness (in cd/m2, or candelas per square meter) might sway you to one set or another. Manufacturers arrive at specs differently, so they might not be comparable. Try adjusting sets in the store yourself to compare contrast and brightness, as TVs are often optimized for bright retail environments, not home viewing.
Consider reliability. Our user surveys have found few repair problems during the first year or two of use for LCD sets from JVC, Magnavox, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sanyo, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba. Dell LCDs have been more repair-prone. Look for easy-to-use inputs. On many LCD televisions, the connections are on the side or rear of the panel and might be difficult to reach. A few larger models might have a separate control unit to which you connect all your external audio/video devices, such as a DVD player or cable box. You then have only one cable going from the control box to the panel itself. That’s a plus for wall-mounting.
Consider a set that doubles as a computer display. If you need a computer display as well as a TV, check connectivity options. An HD set with high native resolution is best for computer use. A standard VGA connection works with all computers.
Be aware of the logistics. You might want to consider having the biggest-screen LCD sets delivered. The cartons are too large to fit in many vehicles, and they can be awkward to carry. You might be able to handle a basic hookup of a cable box or satellite receiver and a DVD player on your own. If you’ll be connecting more devices - a DVR, DVD recorder, VCR, and digital receiver and sound system - it gets trickier, so you might want to consider professional installation at some point. Ask the retailer to recommend an installer or contact the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (800-669-5329 or www.cedia .net) to find one in your area. Figure on paying from $300 to $1,000 for labor, plus $100 to $250 for mounting brackets.
Copyright © 2003-2007 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
For full access to Ratings and recommendations of appliances, cars & trucks, electronic gear, and much more, subscribe to ConsumerReports.org.
BACK TO: Consumer Reports: Buying Guides
2006-10-17 13:34:25