hdtv

Samsung LN46A950: LED-powered LCD delivers deepest blacks

As anybody who pays attention to the ubiquitous Samsung ads that run in CNET's home theater section can tell you, last year I called the picture quality of the company's LN-T4681F a "breakthrough" for flat-panel LCDs. I didn't resort to such highly descriptive language in my review of its successor, the LN46A950, but that doesn't mean I wasn't impressed. It can produce the deepest shade of black of any flat-panel LCD I've reviewed so far.

The extremely expensive A950 series, which also includes a 55-inch version, earns the right to charge so much because it employs LEDs (light-emitting diodes) to create the light behind the screen, whereas most flat-panel LCDs use florescent lights. The difference is that LEDs can be dimmed or turned off in dark areas of the screen.

Last year I noted that the LED-backlit Samsung, while capable of producing some very deep black levels of its own, suffered from some blooming effects--where especially bright objects on dark backgrounds are surrounded by a dim glow--and worse-than average off-angle performance. So did the company correct these issues in its second generation?

Read the full review of the Samsung LN46A950.… Read more

CompUSA.com has the LG 42LG50 LCD HDTV - 42" for $849.99, after $350 Instant savings.

CompUSA.com has LG 42LG50 LCD HDTV - 42" for $849.99, after $350 Instant savings. >> Regular price is $1199.99 >> Sale price is $849.99 >> Savings $350 (29.17%) >> Click here for deal

Counting blurry lines: Should CNET test for motion resolution on HDTVs?

In the course of testing for HDTV reviews here at CNET, I always compare displays directly against one another side-by-side using both normal program material--typically Blu-ray movies, HDTV, and standard-definition material--and test patterns from special discs. I'm always on the lookout for new test patterns, so earlier this summer when I spoke with another TV reviewer, Gary Merson of hdguru.com, about his tests for motion resolution, he was kind enough to pass along a Blu-ray Disc called "FPD Benchmark Software for Professional." It contains a variety of test patterns, most of which I've seen and used before, with one notable exception. A suite of patterns and program material is devoted to testing and demonstrating motion resolution, and I'm considering incorporating it into CNET's regular HDTV tests.… Read more

Record TV in style with a refurbished TiVo HD, $179.99 shipped

Few people would disagree that TiVo is the ultimate DVR. Here's your chance to scoop up a TiVo HD for just $179.99 shipped (plus service). These are refurbished units, but TiVo gives you the same 30-day money-back guarantee and warranty (one year for parts, 90 days for labor) that they provide with new models. Score!

In case you're unfamiliar with this particular model, it offers up to 20 hours of high-def recording, a pair of HD tuners, and a boatload of cool networking features (like movie downloads from Amazon Unbox and music from Rhapsody). The bummer, of … Read more

New Sony LCD TV: thinner than ever

At CES last January we told you "thin is in" in reference to flat-panel HDTVs this year, and Sony, despite neglecting to announce its own thin LCD back then, is never one to be left behind an emerging trend. Now the company jumps on board with what appears to be the thinnest flat-panel display yet, excepting the company's own OLED-based XEL-1.

The newly-announced 40-inch KDL-40ZX1M (price TBD, December) will boast a panel that measures just 9.9mm deep, which translates to about 0.39 inches in the good old U-S of A. There's no word on how deep the TV is with the base included.… Read more

Sony doubles smoothness with 240Hz LCD

Catering to those sensitive souls for whom the smoothness imparted by 120Hz LCD HDTVs is still too rough, Sony will introduce the first HDTV with a 240Hz refresh rate this December. Dubbed the KDL-52XBR7 (price TBD), this 52-inch model is the only one in the XBR7 series to boast the faster refresh rate.

According to Sony's press release, the main advantage of 240Hz compared with 120Hz is the "exceptional motion detail in movies, sports, and video games." Whereas standard 120Hz TVs in Sony's lineup interpolate an extra frame between the real frames, the 240Hz model interpolates three.

… Read more

DirecTV and TiVo: Together again

Great news from a press release I received today:

EL SEGUNDO and ALVISO, Calif., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- DIRECTV, Inc. (Nasdaq: DTV), the nation's leading satellite television service provider, and TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVR), announced today that they have extended their current agreement, which includes the development, marketing and distribution of a new HD DIRECTV DVR featuring the TiVo(R) service, as well as the extension of mutual intellectual property arrangements. Under the terms of the non-exclusive arrangement, DIRECTV and TiVo will work together to develop a version of the TiVo(R) service for DIRECTV's broadband-enabled HD DVR platform. The product will support the latest TiVo and DIRECTV features and services, including TiVo's Universal Swivel Search and TiVo KidZone. TiVo will develop the new HD DVR for an expected launch in the second half of 2009.

I had a TiVo HD DVR (the Hughes HR10-250) that worked with DirecTV's original HD channel lineup, but when DirecTV adopted the new H.264 technology to provide more channels, the HR10-250 became effectively obsolete.

I've previously explained why I've been so disappointed with the replacement DirecTV HR21-700 DVR and, more generally, with the way DirecTV pushed this product on its customers without offering the superior alternative of a true TiVo DVR.

As I mentioned in my HR21-700 review, I suspect that one of the reasons that DirecTV's DVRs are somewhat feature-deficient compared with TiVo DVRs is that TiVo, as a pioneer in the development of DVR technology, owns… Read more

New TiVo-powered DirecTV DVR coming in 2009

DirecTV will release a new TiVo-powered high-def DVR in the second half of 2009, the company has announced. Unlike the last "DirecTiVo" model that was released in 2004, the new model will be able to receive DirecTV's entire lineup of digital and high-def channels.

DirecTV's original TiVo-powered DVRs were among the first satellite receivers with digital video recorders built in (rather than tethered external units). The HR10-250, in fact, was the first high-def DVR available anywhere. Unfortunately, two things happened that put that model on the fast track to obsolescence. DirecTV began utilizing MPEG-4 broadcasts for most of its HD channels--a format that wasn't compatible with the TiVo units. And secondly, the company introduced its own line of non-TiVo DVRs. … Read more

TV power consumption testing vs. specs: Ask the Editors

Q: I am very interested in a TV's power performance, and would like to double check something I found on the site. I saw that on the specs page for the Panasonic TH-50PZ800U plasma, you guys had that the power consumption is 692 watts. Whereas on your 104 HDTVs' power consumption compared chart, the same television is listed as using only 191.22 watts, and is said to be a "good performer." Can you help me out and let me know which one is the correct one or why they are 400 watts different? -- Joe, via email

A:The short answer is pretty simple, Joe: the 692-watt spec cited on CNET, according to that TV's user manual, corresponds to the maximum power consumption, whereas the 191-watt result of our testing reflects a real-world usage scenario. The long answer is a bit more complex, especially for Panasonic plasmas.… Read more