Entered CNET Catalog: 10/23/2006
SKU: MX-5020HPM
Manufacturer: RegentUSA (Maxent)
Manufacturer description
Maxent, a new line of consumer products from RegentUSA, is a fresh emerging player to the consumer electronics industry. Maxent provides consumers with top of the line quality, performance, and features in its products, which include TVs, DVD players, and other electronic devices. PRODUCT FEATURES: 16: 9 aspect ratio; 16.77 million colors; Native resolution: 1366 x 768 Pixels; HDMI with HDCP x 2 sets; RS-232 control port; Preset picture settings (Vivid, Cinema, Standard, User); Auto video detection/synchronization; Burn-in protection; MotionDSC II video processor; 3-D Y/C Digital Comb Filter.Product summary
The good: Relatively inexpensive; solid connectivity with two HDMI and one PC input; video processing includes 2:3 pull-down.
The bad: Lack of detail in shadows; inaccurate color temperature, especially via HDMI inputs; color decoder pushes red; no tuner included; soft picture via component video and 1080i HDMI.
The bottom line: Although it has enough features for most folks, the less-expensive Maxent MX-5020HPM can't keep up with the picture quality of the competition.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 11/20/2006
Maxent employs the same remote design found on Vizio HDTVs, although the version included with the MX-5020HPM is black instead of silver and lacks the illuminated keys found on some Vizio clickers. The remote is cursed by too many similarly sized buttons and blessed by the ability to directly access numerous functions; we really appreciated the dedicated keys for each input. In addition to the inactive Guide and Swap keys, a few unusual keys are present: 3D comb engages the comb filter to clean up artifacts in composite video sources, while the Q.Acc. calls up just the brightness and contrast controls. The remote can operate up to three other devices.
The full menu system is very basic looking and straightforward, more like a computer monitor's menu than a television's. That said it was still a pain to navigate because, as we've seen on some TV menus such as Philips's, the central OK button annoyingly takes you back a menu level as opposed to confirming a selection. Slightly less annoyingly, you have to wait a second or two for the menu to draw each time before you can make any selections. There isn't much to the Maxent MX-5020HD besides its picture. The panel sports the standard 50-inch plasma native resolution of 1,366x768 pixels, swhich hould allow it to resolve every detail of 720p sources. All sources, whether HDTV, DVD, computer, or standard TV, are scaled to fit the pixels.
Whereas most 50-inch plasmas on the market, notably the Vizio P50HDTV we mentioned above, offer an ATSC tuner to grab over-the-air TV stations, the Maxent MX-5020HPM has no tuner at all. That technically makes it a monitor, and to watch TV--high-def or otherwise--you'll have to connect it to a TV source, such as a cable or satellite box. Since most cable and all satellite subscribers get their TV programming via boxes, the lack of a tuner isn't a big deal for those folks, but some prefer to have the option to watch over-the-air TV, too. Maxent does include a picture-in-picture function however, allowing you to watch sources from two inputs at the same time.
The selection of picture controls in the menu is light, to say the least. You get three picture modes, called Vivid, Cinema, and Standard, that cannot be adjusted. When you tweak the contrast or brightness, for example, you have to be in the fourth User mode, which fortunately allows different color temperature presets, which is a real shame since its color temperature is quite inaccurate (see Performance). You do get a black-level-extension control (best left off to preserve as much shadow detail as possible) and a noise-reduction setting. Provisions for adjusting the position and size of the image are available only with RGB and component-video sources. Aspect-ratio controls include two selections for high-def and standard-def wide-screen sources, and a third Panorama mode for 4:3 standard-def sources.
A good number of menu options address the possibility of burn-in, a.k.a. image retention. There's an image shift that periodically moves the entire picture a few pixels; a Full White mode that puts up a white screen; and a Multi-Color mode that does the same thing with full-screen colors. Frugal TV watchers will appreciate the power-save option, which limits maximum light output.
Connectivity is the MX-5020HDM's strong suit. The panel incorporates a pair of HDMI inputs (one with stereo audio for use with DVI-to-HDMI adapters); two component-video inputs with stereo audio; two A/V inputs with composite and S-video; and a VGA-style PC input with a recommended resolution of 1,366x768 and a matching set of stereo audio inputs. There's also an RS-232 port for custom installation control and service. Nothing major is missing, although some users might wish for a set of easy-access front- or side-panel inputs. The Maxent MX-5020HPM's picture quality left a lot to be desired. Its ability to produce a deep shade of black was spoiled by lack of shadow detail, forcing a compromise that was less-than satisfying. Its color temperature was bluer than that of most HDTVs, especially with HDMI sources, and significant red push impaired saturation.
As we noted above, we were disappointed about the Maxent MX-5020HPM's lack of control over color temperature, which meant we were stuck with the panel's out-of-the-box color temp. Unfortunately, it was incredibly blue with HDMI sources, averaging about 17,000K (the standard is 6,500K). That's why we decided to do all of our evaluations in component-video, which had a much more tolerable, albeit still very blue, color temperature (see the Geek box below). Check out the Tips & Tricks section above or just click here to see our full user-menu settings.
While we don't expect that many users in this price range will want to spring for a professional calibration, it definitely makes a big difference. We were able to achieve an excellent grayscale when we calibrated the set using its service menu. After we exited the service menu, the black level of the set behaved much better, but when we turned it off and then on again, the same shadow-detail issues that we noted below appeared again.
After setup, we settled back to watch The Bourne Supremacy on HD-DVD, delivered via component video at 1080i from our Toshiba HD-A1 DVD player. We were able to compare the Maxent's image directly to that of the Panasonic TH-50PH9UK that we had on hand. In short, the Panasonic made the Maxent look pretty poor.
In its default settings, darker areas of the MX-5020HPM's picture, such as letterbox bars, were every bit as deep as on the Panasonic. The Maxent's biggest problem was its inability to reveal nearly enough detail in shadows. In other words, it "crushed" black details, making all shadowy areas of the picture, such as the night scene in the bungalow at the beginning of Bourne, an indistinct mass of black instead of a realistic gradation from shadow into blackness. Our first reaction was to increase the brightness control, which affects shadow detail, but when we set it to the optimal level (around 90, according to the control) the black areas washed out to an unacceptable level, appearing light gray instead of black.
The level of black also fluctuated according to program material, which again impaired shadow detail. In predominantly dark scenes, such as the helicopter shot over nighttime Berlin, blacks became lighter, whereas in scenes with lots of light, such as the market in Goa where Bourne's girlfriend Marie shops among the colorful fruit and vegetables, the letterbox bars darkened considerably. The best compromise we found left black levels significantly brighter than we'd have liked yet still obscured shadow detail, especially in scenes with some light areas.
Colors on the Maxent MX-5020HPM were also problematic. As we mentioned, the color temperature on the HDMI inputs were very blue, which discolored all areas of the picture. We preferred component-video, although again it was quite blue. We also found that the set exhibited significant red push, which caused skin tones to grow too ruddy and many other areas of the image to become discolored. The only solution here was to reduce the color control nearly all the way, which robbed the picture of much saturation. Colorful scenes, such as the Goa marketplace, appeared much more realistic on the Panasonic than on the Maxent.
The Maxent also resolved less detail according to test patterns than the Panasonic did, at both 1080i and 720p via component-video, and at 1080i via HDMI (sharpness at 720p HDMI was about the same). The softness of the image wasn't nearly as noticeable as the black-level and color issues, but highly detailed areas, such as the pattern on an old woman's sari, definitely appeared less distinct on the Maxent.
In its favor, the Maxent's noise-reduction feature did clean up the noisier parts of the picture somewhat, such as the sky above the beach where Bourne jogs, or the papers Marie finds on which he records his disorientation. At the high NR setting, the Maxent's picture looked just as noisy as the Panasonic's on those scenes, for example, whereas lower settings made it look noisier.
We checked out the Maxent's standard-def video processing using the HQV disc, played via component-video at 480i, and the results were average. The set resolved every line of the standard-def source, engaged 2:3 pull-down quickly, and removed some jagged edges from moving diagonal lines. Its noise reduction was so-so, and highly detailed areas such as the stonework in a bridge looked somewhat soft.
| TEST | RESULT | SCORE |
| Before color temp (20/80) | 10,179/9,606K | Poor |
| After color temp | 6,695/6,410K | Average |
| Before grayscale variation | +/- 32,547K | Poor |
| After grayscale variation | +/- 87K | Good |
| Color of red (x/y) | 0.633/0.324 | Average |
| Color of green | 0.261/0.608 | Poor |
| Color of blue | 0.143/0.068 | Good |
| Overscan | 3.5 percent | Average |
| Black-level retention | No stable pattern | Poor |
| 2:3 pull-down, 24fps | Yes | Good |
| Defeatable edge enhancement | Yes | Good |
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25out of 25 user reviews
Excellent Tv
Pros: It looks very nice.
I had a 50" plasma tv that had everything, but with the economy I had to sell it, and downgrade, but I can't really notice much of a difference other then the the TV itself like Maxent written on the front other then Samsung.
Cons: NONE that I could find.
out of 25 user reviews
After 1 1/2 yrs it's toast
Pros: Not a bad picture--for 1 1/2 years until it took a dump
Cons: After 1 1/2yrs of ownership I called mfg to get service suggestions for the Phoenix area only to be told there was no TV service in Phoenix area but I could go to Camp Verde or Tempe.
The TV shop I called today about Maxent never heard of them and said he probably wouldn't be able to get a schematic to even work on it. Thanks COSCO for bringing in large pallets of worthless TV's from China.
out of 25 user reviews
Sweet Deal!
Pros: Super bright and sharp.
Cons: No tuner, but who needs one anymore?
out of 25 user reviews
Absolute junk
Pros: If I could turn it on I might have some. Useless TV's
Cons: This is the third unit I have had replaced in less than 6 weeksand one of them actually had the screen shatter while watching a movie. The other two the power supplies failed. No waranty in Canada.
out of 25 user reviews
If you want HD but think most HD Plasmas are out of range.
Pros: 50"s, has 2 HDMI connections, Good intruduction to HD for consumers on a budget.
Cons: Grayscale tends to be a little artifacty and pixely. Not the greatest color balance. No tuner.
out of 25 user reviews
The best buy I did this year !
Pros: Great picture at a good price
Cons: Nothing that I've noticed
Now I can see dark scenes in movies and the look real (I use the movie preset with minors changes)
I also like to watch sports and everything is just perfect.
out of 25 user reviews
Good for me
Pros: Great for the price!!!
Cons: Don't sit too close!!!!
out of 25 user reviews
Fantastic picture and price.
Pros: Great price at Costco. Beauutiful picture when you compare it to Panasonic, Samsung, and Visio
Cons: None to speak of. The built in speakers are mediocre at best, but I pipe the audio through a home theater.
out of 25 user reviews
In my opinion, the best bang for the buck.!
Pros: Just a great overall picture quality at an even better price.
Cons: Aside from a crappy remote there's nothing really negative I can say about this set
And as far as the 1080p thing goes.... the 1080i with the 2:3 pull down is good enough for me. I dont need to be able to count every damn hair growing out of Sean Connery's ears. (heh)
I admit the remote sucks, but for the price of this set compared to others within the same picture quality... You can't beat it.
Now, I've only had this unit for a little over 2 months thus this rating might be a bit premature, but I have friends who have had their sets of more commonly known brands
for quite some time now, and they love it.One friend in particular stated that he could have purchased 3 mx-5020hpm for the price of his one.
I think Maxent hit a home run with this one.
Also I dont blame the editors one bit for their poor reviews. These guys get to see the best of the best. If hand over the keys of a Mercedes Benz to a guy... you think he's going to want to drive anything else after that?
For an average Joe like myself my Honda does me good.
out of 25 user reviews
wow for the $$$$
Pros: $1347.99 out the door
Cons: no remote codes for universal cable remote
out of 25 user reviews
Excellent TV for Cheap!
Pros: Great Picture... Great Design!
Cons: Sound could be clearer...
The sound is OK... just not great. But I would completly recomend this TV to anyone.
And dont go out and pay 600$ more for a Panasonic. Maxent's Screen is made by Panasonic so the picture is exactly the same!
out of 25 user reviews
Harsh picture
Pros: Low price - many inputs
Cons: Picture quality
Color fidelity is marginal with a greenish-yellow bias. Pure yellows have a greenish tinge. The picture has a harsh contrast, particularly in darks scenes or scenes with uneven lighting. Very little detail in darker areas. On top on this, there is a well documented problem with "floating black" where the shade of what should be deep black can vary from deep black to light gray depending on brightness of the overall scene. No amount of fidgeting in the menu could remedy these issues.
DVD playback was also mediocre (with an OPPO 970 and an inexpensive Cyberhome CH1600) - and this was after a lot of fussing with various adjustments.
Yesterday was my 3rd day of ownership and I decided not to keep it after my eyes started to bother me while watch an HD NBA game due to the harsh contrast.
I gave the Maxent a try despite mixed comments online after this month's Consumer Reports gave it a fairly good rating. I've just lost a lot of respect for CR's TV ratings.
If the Maxent is your first HD set, you might be impressed. But believe me, it's the HD and not the Maxent. I've seen a few other HD TVs in home settings (as opposed to showrooms) and the Maxent is near the bottom of the barrel. I submit this review to save others from making my mistake.
to replace the Maxent.
50HM66 picture quality is impressive, rivalling my Panasonic plasma but with a distinctly different look - more film-like as opposed to digital. And the picture quality is very good to excellent over all inputs and channels. With the Maxent, every time I changed channels or DVDs, I'd tweak the settings trying to a watchable image.
The DLP works in my bedroom where viewing angle is not an issue. And reliability, including lamp-life, is an unknown. But considering the low price and high PQ, I'm very happy with the Toshiba. I love the Panasonic as well.
out of 25 user reviews
Awesome set for an incredible price!
Pros: I can't believe what a great picture this monitor gets.
Cons: Don't use with component hook-ups.
Although my opinion hasn't changed about the quality of the picture of this set, that said, I have been trying to contact customer service about the PIP mode. Specifically, I cannot change the channel of PIP. Does anyone have experience with this? Since this is a monitor and the channel changing functions do not work with the remote, and my cable box remote does not support PIP, how do you change the PIP channel? The customer service phone # doesn't answer, rather it "lets" you leave a message and doesn't call you back. I wonder if there really is anyone working in customer service. Their hours are not user-friendly.
out of 25 user reviews
bought maxent 3 days ago
Pros: very easy to use nice picture in hd value for the money
Cons: heavy , not very good speaker on the tv itself
out of 25 user reviews
Great Monitor at a Great Price
Pros: Sharp, bright picture, and a ton of inputs
Cons: It doesn't have an expensive name on it!
out of 25 user reviews
Very Disappointed
Pros: Great cabinet styling
Cons: Poor picture quality
out of 25 user reviews
Just the best looking 50" plasma
Pros: A great price for a 50" gem
Cons: I have none. Who needs built-in tuner(s)?
This set is a nice 50". Looks just great and has all kinds of inputs as well as two HDMI. Speakers are good, not great, but not bad either. And with a nice big set like this, you'll want to get a home theater sound system anyway to add to the enjoyment.
With an estimated 30 year screen life, this TV will do you for a long time. At least till 3-D TV comes along.
Dish network and their 622 HD pvr goes hand and hand with this set. Switching from HD to SD, the dish 622 handles the picture size itself to fill the TV.
I shopped till I dropped. Googled till I was sore, and looked at most all 50" plasma's in person all over town. This set was an easy winner. And the price, shockingly low for such a nice 50" plasma.
Just couldn’t be happier!
The professional reviewers we obviously paid to deliver a poor rating on this set, as I suspected all along in their reviews.
Somethings up and fishy when they give this all around great set a poor rating. But go by the owner reviews here, not the so called "pros". I'd give it a ten if it had even more HDMI inputs and removable speakers. But this set, as is, looks sharp! Both picture and cabinet wise.
out of 25 user reviews
Really, reall, really great picture! So different than the reviews.
Pros: low price (1499), great picture, nice appearance
Cons: poor sound quality, not so great remote.
out of 25 user reviews
Reviewer not always agreeable
Pros: 2 HDMI, price ($1499 at costco), Great Picture, VGA input
Cons: New brand, no tuner (but you don't need one if you have a cable set top box)
http://reviews.cnet.com/Maxent_MX_32X3/4505-6482_7-31484768.html?tag=sub
out of 25 user reviews
Large size for less money= poor performance
Pros: Huge size, and true black shadows, 2 HDMI's
Cons: Poor color, somewhat grainy imaging even in HD from HD source. The red colors are way oversampled.
out of 25 user reviews
Editor's don't know everything...
Pros: Price and Picture
Cons: None So far!
out of 25 user reviews
Great HD Picture, easy to use, great value!
Pros: Awesome HD Picture, Does SD decently, Lots on Inputs, Bright colors...
Cons: Flickers when changing between resolution sources, needs more calibration options, non-removable speaker.
out of 25 user reviews
Pretty good and better than the review
Pros: inexpensive, lots of inputs, no tuner to buy, great picture
Cons: can't use both HDMI inputs at once, very poor on component cables and standard def settop box
out of 25 user reviews
Excellent value, great performer!
Pros: Crisp picture, wide range of connectivity, good black-level for movie viewing
Cons: no tuner, weak speakers
out of 25 user reviews
Monster deal!!!
Pros: EVERYTHING.....
Cons: Unknown name.
