Super Bowl screens: Football-friendly HDTVs
David Katzmaier,
Senior Editor
January 26, 2009
Just about every HDTV looks great displaying high-definition football, but there are a couple of key ingredients that separate "great" HDTVs from those that make you say "Boom!" No, we're not talking about motion resolution, 1080p, or even black levels this time: we're talking about sheer size coupled with the capability to reproduce an accurate color of green.
The human eye is more sensitive to green than to any other color, but an accurate green eludes many HDTVs. Manufacturers often pump up green, making it too yellowish, bluish, or even neon-looking to catch the eye during football and baseball games, and while that may look attractive on the showroom floor, it doesn't help at home when you stare at it for four hours on a Sunday afternoon. Below you'll find four HDTVs that are both big enough for the big game in high-definition, and accurate enough with green to make you feel like you're sitting on the 50-yard line.
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| Price | Check Prices | $5,795.00 | $3,224.00 | $3,859.00 to $4,999.99 | $2,009.00 to $3,799.95 | Check Prices |
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| Review date | May 23, 2008 | September 30, 2008 | April 29, 2008 | October 16, 2008 | September 23, 2008 | July 18, 2008 |
| The Bottom Line | With the accuracy of its THX mode and great black-level performance, the Panasonic TH-50PZ800U is one of the best-performing HDTVs available. | The Pioneer Elite PRO-111FD represents the pinnacle of flat-panel HDTV picture quality. | If you don't mind its red frame, the Samsung LN52A650 LCD TV will reward you with a massive feature set and excellent picture quality. | Although not quite the best HDTV we've tested so far, the wallet-busting, LED-powered Sony KDL-55XBR8 comes mighty close. | Although its THX mode isn't as accurate as we'd like to see, the massive LG 60PG60 60-inch plasma TV still delivers a good picture. | Samsung's HL61A750 61-inch rear-projection HDTV delivers excellent overall picture quality, and, compared to flat-panel options, it's a real bargain. |
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| Features | ||||||
| Sound Effects | BBE BBE ViVA HD3D | SRS WOW TruBass SRS Focus | SRS TruSurround | Info unavailable | SRS TruSurround XT | SRS TruSurround XT |
| Input Video Formats | 480i 480p 720p 1080i 1080p | 480i 480p 720p 1080i 1080p | 480i 480p 576i 576p 720p 1080i 1080p | 480i 720p 480/60p 1080/24p 1080/60i 1080/60p | 720p 1080i 1080p | 480i 480p 720p 1080i 1080p |
| Analog TV Tuner | NTSC | NTSC | NTSC | NTSC | NTSC | NTSC |
| Weight | 99.2 lbs | 88 lbs | 76.7 lbs | 72.8 lbs | 114 lbs | 70.1 lbs |
| Image Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | 16:9 | 16:9 | 16:9 | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Digital TV Tuner | ATSC | ATSC | ATSC | QAM ATSC | QAM ATSC | ATSC |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 |
| Sound Output Mode | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo |
| Speaker System | Woofer 2 speakers | 2 speakers | 2 speakers | Subwoofer 2 speakers | 2 speakers | 2 speakers |
| Radio | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| TV Tuner | 1x analog 1x digital | 1x analog 1x digital | 1x analog 1x digital | 1x analog 1x digital | 1x analog 1x digital | 1x analog 1x digital |
| DVD | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 50 in x 15.2 in x 33.3 in - With stand | 56.7 in x 3.7 in x 28.5 in - With stand and speakers | 50.2 in x 12.8 in x 34.1 in - With stand | 58.7 in x 5.8 in x 31.6 in - Without stand | 57.5 in x 3.3 in x 36.4 in - Without stand | 54.7 in x 14.4 in x 37.8 in - Without stand |
| Battery | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Remote Control | Remote control - Infrared | Remote control - Infrared | Remote control - Infrared | Remote control - Infrared | Universal remote control - Infrared | Remote control - Infrared |
| Technology | Plasma (PDP) | Plasma (PDP) | TFT active matrix | TFT active matrix | Plasma (PDP) | Projection - DLP |
| Diagonal Size | 50 in - Widescreen | 50 in - Widescreen | 52 in - Widescreen | 55 in - Widescreen | 60 in - Widescreen | 61 in - Widescreen |
| Digital Television Certification | HDTV | HDTV | HDTV | HDTV | HDTV | HDTV |
| Progressive Scan | Progressive scanning (line doubling) | Progressive scanning (line doubling) | Progressive scanning (line doubling) | Progressive scanning (line doubling) | Progressive scanning (line doubling) | Info unavailable |
| HDCP Compatible | Info unavailable | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Display Format | 1080p (FullHD) | 1080p (FullHD) | 1080p (FullHD) | 1080p (FullHD) | 1080p (FullHD) | 1080p (FullHD) |
| PC Interface | VGA (HD-15) | VGA (HD-15) | VGA (HD-15) | VGA (HD-15) | VGA (HD-15) | VGA (HD-15) |
