ThinkPad X200 Tablet Save Extra 5%
- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 61 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
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14 out of 14 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Best Overall Performer"
Pros: Wide viewing angle, no screen door, brightness, very close viewing distance possible, colors, standard definition cable images, quick source selection on remote, narrow horizontal width to screen size
Cons: Some pincushion, needs another component input and another HDMI input
Summary: After owning this set for three months, I LOVE this TV. I don't think CNET's editors rating methods are weighted correctly. Short story - buy this TV without reservation, it's awesome.
Four months ago, I knew absolutely zero about HDTV. All I knew was that I wanted to watch my wide screen DVDs on a widescreen TV. So I started shopping. I spent a minimum of 30 hours (probably closer to 50) looking at ALL the technologies at seven different stores, talking to everyone I could, friends, acquaintances, HDTV websites and salesmen and then diving back into looking at the TVs again and again. First thing you need to know - trying to make a decision based on what a TV looks like in the store is very risky. In many places, great TVs may only look good, even awful and poor TVs can look OK. Watch yourself.
OK - after all my work I had boiled it all down to one of three sets: the JVC LCOS, the Sony KDF55WF655 LCD and the Toshiba 52HM94 DLP and started watching them exclusively.
I axed the Toshiba for two reasons. I have a lot of ambient light and I watch football. The DLP did not cut it for watching on Saturday afternoon. It just could NOT get bright enough.
I loved the Sony. This is an excellent set, great picture, beautiful even when off but... the Sony's quality depended on two things - that you sat in it's sweet spot and not too close. After hours of looking at this set (literally) the screen door effect just finally got to me. If you never plan to sit anyone closer than 7 feet to an LCD or more than 30 degrees off center - the Sony may be the TV for you. It wasn't for me.
When I got the JVC home, all my work came to fruition. With the TV in the corner at a 45, anyone in the room can see the same quality image. The viewing angle is that good. You can sit from as close to 4 feet with an HDTV source and 6 feet with a quality DVD player ( I own a Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi hooked to the TV via component). With no Screen door effect to worry about and the awesome colors of this set, the image seems to have weight, substance. Every person coming to my house to see this set uses the word beautiful at least once. With a test pattern - I can definitely see the pincushion effect but even knowing where I need to look, it just isn't a big deal while watching anything else other than test patterns. Nature, moving images, camera lenses and angles do more to straight lines that than any pincushion effect present. I usually watch with friends about 10 feet away, but with a true HDTV signal, I can sit just 4 feet from the screen, dead center and get a good as theater viewing.
Try that with any other TV product out there. Nothing else is like this set in this price range. That's probably why SONY's $13,000 flagship qualia uses the LCOS technology instead of the LCD in their consumer sets.
Finally, after owning this set for months, I went back to the best stores to view the Sony and the Toshiba. After just a few minutes I went back home on a cloud, knowing I had made the best decision for my needs.Updated
don't listen to the naysayers that contend this set has a poor picture with a standard analog cable signal. It has excellent performance on an anolog cable even if you use a splitter.
- 2 replies to this review
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I have had the same set for over a yr and it is still awsome. compared with DLP but it couldnt hold a candle to the jvc. Only prob with all flat screens is the bulb will cost $400 to replae after approx 4 yrs.
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Hey, did you notice that the blacks werent as great as they should be? Also, did you get the TV calibrated, what are the correct settings for this TV?
