Philips 42PF9966 42-Inch HD-Ready Flat Panel Plasma TV Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this TV in Dec 2004, so this is the experience after 6 months of living with the unit.
To my surprise, the most prominent feature of the TV is Ambilight. It is able to project a soft light from the back of the TV. You can turn it on/off, adjust the brightness, have it dynamically adjust to the color on the screen etc. I thought it was a gimmick, but have come to the conclusion that I cannot live without it. I used to have to find the appropriate light to leave on while watching TV, now it is perfectly installed into the television.
I have my unit connected to a surround sound system recently. However, before purchasing the audio, I have been very satisfied with the speakers and sound system already in place. The main reason being that you can connect a sub-woofer to the TV, and there by greatly enhance the sound output. It is able to simulate surround sound using the Virtual Dolby Surround feature.
Another pleasant surprise I got was the ease of mounting the TV to the wall. The unit comes with a nice glass stand, but I finally decided to hang it on the wall. It comes with a wall bracket with holes spaced at 16" for standard drywall studs.
You can see the picture of my TV under the "custom image" link!
People supposedly spent around $100-$200 to buy plasma mounts. Similarly, the TV comes with the DVI-HDMI connector cable. This is the higher end video connection if your DVD or set-top box supports it. Again, the cable cost around $100 if purchased separately.
Many of the other cool sounding features are harder to distinguish. Is it sharper? Is it brighter? I don't think many of us can see the difference. All I can say is that the picture quality of the 42PF996 for High-Definition is simply amazing!! Mine is connected to Cable and I can no longer watch non-HD programming.
On the negative side, which has nothing to do with this particular model, do be aware of the following. Normal analog programming (non-HD) looks worse than on our old televisions. High Definition TVs magnify the imperfections. It is very painful to watch analog programming. Note that this unit does not have a built-in HD tuner. Which is not a big deal, because most of us get our HD programming from cable or satellite, which provides the tuner. It is useful to have a built-in tuner for 2 reasons. One is that you want to get HD signal over the air with antenna. Secondly, some cable companies can give you a 'card' in place of a cable box if your TV supports it.
Lastly, Philips customer service has been disappointing. This is not based on 1 phone call, but rather months of calls to resolve some questions.
I am the type that research the TV I buy quite thouroughly before buying, and found it useful to browse through the product manual online before purchasing. As in many other manufacturers, Philips has the manuals online for download: http://www.usasupport.philips.com/productSelector.html
So there should be no surprises regarding how many connections you need, what type of A/V available etc.
Good luck!

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Philips' 42PF9966 plasma television offers a high-performance, widescreen (16:9) image from a casing less than 4 inches deep. The 50-inch set offers astronomical brightness and contrast settings (1,000 cd/m3 and 3,000:1, respectively), as well as an integrated TV tuner for cable or broadcast reception of all your favorite programs. Hook it up to an optional DTV receiver or progressive-scan DVD player and you'll enjoy vivid, detailed images from 1080i, 720p, and 480p sources, which render at up to 720p resolution on the set's native 1,366 x 768-pixel screen.Philips' unique Ambilight feature throws a soft glow on the wall behind the set to relax your eyes and heighten your perception of image detail, brightness, contrast, and colors. Ambilight settings include 6 presets and a user-adjustable setting. Philips invented Digital Natural Motion to eliminate the "juddering" effects visible in moving video images. Digital Natural Motion estimates motion and corrects "juddering" in both broadcast and DVD-based movie material, smoothing and sharpening the images you see.With a plasma screen you get vivid colors like you've never seen before, extremely wide viewing angles (wider, even, than those of most LCD screens), and easy placement due to a plasma monitor's slim profile--the 42PF9966 is a mere 3.9 inches deep, perfect for desk or wall mounting (mounting brackets provided). Brightness tends to be extremely uniform across plasma screens, which are also impervious to the picture distortion and negative color balances that afflict CRT monitors when placed near lighting or sound systems. You do, however, need to be wary of image burn-in (wherein long-held stationary images leave a permanent impression in the screen).This TV also uses the power of the Pixel Plus processor to enhance every single pixel displayed. The result is razor-sharp pixels with incredible detail and depth. A feature called Active Control Plus continually adjusts picture settings at over 60 times per second for all inputs, correcting both sharpness and noise reduction, even adjusting for changes in ambient viewing light.The set pumps 15 watts per channel x 2 RMS, and onboard Dolby Virtual Surround simulates enveloping surround sound from any 2 speakers. FM tuning options include 40 convenient presets, RDS (Radio Data Service) for visual station and song identification, and auto/manual station setting. The unit's .125-inch headphone jack affords private listening.Audio/video inputs include a direct-digital HDMI input, 2 component-video (1 configured for RCA-type RGB+HV computer outputs, with separate horizontal and vertical sync terminals), 3 each S-video, and composite-video connections. A convenient side-panel input (including a headphone jack and an S-video jack) simplifies spontaneous hookups.HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link the set with any AV source (such as a set-top box, DVD player, or AV receiver). HDMI supports standard-definition (SD), enhanced definition (ED), or high-definition (HD) video, plus multi-channel digital audio--all using a single cable. It transmits all ATSC HDTV standards and supports up to 8-channel digital audio, with bandwidth to spare to accommodate future enhancements and requirements.What's in the Box TV, stand, a universal remote control, remote batteries, and a user's manual.

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Panasonic TH-50PX60U 50-Inch Plasma HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I've had this TV for approximately 2 weeks now - It's my first Plasma TV - replaced a 10 year old 46" LCD television. After visiting every local store and kicking tires - I was sold that Plasma was the way to go. The clarity of the picture - 160 degree viewing angle with no decline in picture quality and sharp picture during fast moving picture ( i.e. sports ) + the vivid sharpness of blacks / reds / oranges / greens / blues made it pretty easy decision.
I went with the PANASONIC b/c of Consumer reports review of last years models. It was rated as best picture for non HD programming over any of it's competitors. Going shopping for these things locally is similar to buying a used car - b/c most stores won't show you anything but a HD signal - but I was able to get one store to show me a digital signal to a couple models and was able to view a DVD of TOP GUN on this and a few other models. Alot of brands will have a significant dropoff in quality from HD to digital signal - NOT this panasonic.
The picture in HD is simply amazing. Clarity / sharpness / at all angles of viewing both near and far away from the screen. The speakers are very good too - I will play a movie through the Home Theatrre - but day to day viewing the speakers will be more than adequate for most viewers.
The picture in non - HD programming - Comcast digital cable signal. About 85 % of the programming is pretty close to the same quality as High Def. Alot of the cable programming seems to be formatted in anticipation of High Def viewing and look very sharp and clear. Occasionally ( maybe 10 - 15 % of cable programming ) you'll get a feed that's not quite as sharp and ther'es a noticeable decline in picture quality from the HD or normal Digital programming. However - I've checked that same programming on my older CRT television - I found that the ( Non-HD programming with poor signal ) picture on the 50" plasma is the same quality as what I'm getting on my 20" non digital television. The only difference is that most of the programming is so much better in quality on this plasma TV that it seems like the picture isn't good for those few broadcasts. BUT - it's not poor picture from plasma Tube - it's just a bad signal that looks worse in comparison to the other channels and/or programming.
*** Don't let a salesperson talk you out of this TV if you have a large pictue window. I almost decided against the Plasma tube b/c a circuit city salesperson said the reflection would annoy me with a large window in the room. We have a west facing picture window in the rear with a tree outside the window. There is reflection on this tube - but it's no different than the reflection you'd get with a standard CRT tube television. We just pull down the shades a bit - and we haven't noticed anything that would be bothersome when viewing a program. We bought it with the assurance that if the reflection was an issue we could swap it out for a LCD or other television. We're keeping the Panasonic Plasma!!!!
I'm totally happy we bought this TV - and have no regrets for choosing the Panasonic. I'd buy this TV again in a heartbeat. The only thing I don't know about is the longevity of this type of tube - but I'll learn that over time. We spent 400 bucks on an in home 4 year service plan to accompany the TV. The marketing says it will last 27 years if viewed 6 hours per day - but I think that's a little optimistic. I did however learn in my research that this technology has been around for 30 or 40 years so I'm hoping that means there won't be any technical quirks to still work out.
Jake

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Featuring Panasonic's 9th generation gas-plasma screen, the 50-inch TH-50PX60U features a width-to-height 16:9 aspect ratio similar to movie theater screens, providing a theater-like experience at home. Its maximum of 29 billion colors and over 3,000 shades of gradation provide exceptionally fine detail for outstanding HDTV reproduction. The set's built-in ATSC (DTV) tuner pulls HD signals (480p/720p/1080i) right from the airwaves, and its QAM tuner is fully compatible with unscrambled HDTV cable reception. A standard analog NTSC tuner receives standard-definition (SD) programming. It also includes a Secure Digital (SD) memory card slot, enabling you to take an SD card directly from a digital still camera or camcorder and insert it directly into the TV for quick and colorful photo slideshows. A plasma screen renders vivid colors like you've never seen before (as in, up to 29 billion in this case), extremely wide viewing angles (wider, even, than those of most LCD screens), and easy placement due to a plasma monitor's slim profile--the TH-42PX60U is a mere 3.7 inches deep, one of the slimmest plasmas around--perfect for desk or wall mounting. Brightness tends to be extremely uniform across plasma screens, which are also impervious to the picture distortion and negative color balances that afflict CRT monitors when placed near lighting or sound systems. The TH-50PX60U features a 1366 x 768-pixel resolution and an amazing contrast ratio of 10000:1. (The higher the contrast ratio, the greater a TV's ability to display subtle color details and not get washed out by ambient room light.) The 3D Y/C digital comb filter constantly analyzes the three dimensions of picture height, picture width, and picture changes-over-time, to reduce dramatically edge image artifacts while improving transition detail. Other features include V-Chip parental controls, on/off sleep timers, closed-caption decoding, aspect ratio control, and video input labeling. The TV's internal stereo speakers are powered by 10 watts per channel (for 20 watts of total power). It features the following connection options: Component (Y/Pb/Pr): 2 inputs (with 2 audio inputs) HDMI: 2 inputs Composite (RCA audio/video): 3 inputs (1 on the front), 1 output S-Video: 3 inputs (1 on the front) HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any AV source with an audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV). HDMI supports standard-definition (SD), enhanced definition (ED), or high-definition (HD) video, plus multi-channel digital audio--all using a single cable. If a component doesn't have an HDMI connection, you'll also get great picture reproduction using the three-jack component video (Y/Pb/Pr) input, which provides separate connections for luminance (Y), blue color difference (PB) and red color difference (PR). This results in increased bandwidth for color information, resulting in a more accurate picture with clearer color reproduction and less bleeding than you would get with S-Video or composite (RCA yellow video plug) connections. Component video output is available only for DVD playback. What's in the Box Plasma TV, remote control (with batteries), pedestal base, power cord, printed operating instructions

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VIZIO VT470M 47-Inch Full HD 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this TV to move up from a 37". I wanted 1080p capability and 120hz which I hoped would help with motion blur. Taking it out of the box I noticed it was much lighter than my older TV, good I suppose. The 'Java' finish is nice but not terribly noticeable, I was hoping it would stand out more for as much as they talked it up. The next thing I noticed was how incredibly chintzy the stand was. My old Olevia had a stand that was made out of solid tubular steel and weighs about 20-lbs. The Vizio stand is made out of the cheapest thinest steel China can make, and is a pain to attach as well. If the TV weren't so light, I wouldn't trust it, the stand just does not feel sturdy.
Set-up was incredibly easy, just plug and play, the on screen menu is as intuitive as it gets and I was playing around with the settings in no time. The problem, however, is that allot of those settings and extra features just aren't all the great. First there is the SRS TruSurround HD which accomplishes nothing other than making everything sound really echoed and weird, strike one. Then the SRS TruVolume, which is supposed to level out the volume levels in TV commercials and action movies, I have had it on and off a bunch of times, I really can't tell the difference, strike two. Lastly the Smooth Motion feature, which I don't really understand, it comes factory set to medium, but can easy be turned off, which you will be doing quickly if you buy this set. Essential what it does is increase the frame rate of whatever you're viewing, it works just fine but I can't understand exactly why anyone would want to use it. Seems like a pointless feature, but at least it does what it claims, strike two and a half?
Now to the screen itself. Fortunately this is the redeeming value of the set, value being the key word. I really doubt you could get a better quality screen for twice as much money. The blacks are black, the colors are vibrant. The refresh rate is fast, movement is crisp. It really is a beautiful picture. The image on the screen will be as sharp and clear as whatever video source you put in. If your interested in this product as a high-def monitor, you will not be disappointed. As a high-feature TV however, it falls just a bit short. Three stars.

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This 47-inch LCD Television is feature rich with full 1080p High Definition resolution and 120Hz Smooth Motion technology for beautifully bright and clear images, and includes a built-in multi-media feature enabling you to enjoy music and photos directly from your HDTV. Plus, the fashion forward design and dramatic java brown finish complements any room's decor.

1080P Full HD Full 1080P High Definition resolution gives you over 2 million pixels, making the clarity and detail of your picture razor sharp.
120Hz Refresh Rate A 120Hz refresh rate limits motion judder, creating smooth transitions between frames, for crisp, clear images.
ECO HD ECO HD exceeds the current Energy Star Guidelines by 15% below Energy Star 3.0, saving you money on your utility bills while limiting the impact on our planet.
Built-In Speakers Four built-in 10-Watt speakers provide room-filling sound.
SRS Audio Technologies SRS TruVolume evens out dynamics to limit volume inconsistencies between programming. SRS TruSurround HD delivers immersive virtual high-definition surround sound out of the unit's two speakers.
176-Degree Horizontal Viewing Angle The VT470M features a viewing angle of up to 176 degrees, resulting in a crisp and clear picture that is easily visible from just about anywhere in the room.
USB Multimedia Features Plug portable hard drives, flash thumb drives or other USB devices into the VT470M and enjoy MP3 audio and JPEG photo files.
With MP3s, you'll get repeat and shuffle playback modes along with standard controls. When in Music Mode, the screen goes darker to conserve energy. As for your JPEGs, you can browse through them or enjoy a slide show, complete with background music.
The VT470M also features a Pause Live TV feature. This feature allows the viewer to pause the program being watched and then to resume watching it at the point the TV was paused, up to 29 minutes (uses a high speed USB 2.0 device with a minimum of 1Gb of memory plugged into the USB port).
VT470M Inputs
HDMI with HDCP: 4 (1 side)
RF Connector for Internal Tuner: 1
Component YPbPr plus Stereo Audio: 2
Computer RGB: 1
Composite Video: 1 (side)
USB Port: 1

VT470M Outputs
SPDIF Digital Optical: 1
Headphones: 1 (side)

One-Year Warranty VIZIO provides a one-year warranty on its products for extra peace of mind in your purchase.
What's in the Box VIZIO VT470M, Detachable Stand Base, 4 Thumbscrews (to attach Stand), VIZIO Remote Control VR4, Power Cord, Screen Cleaning Cloth, User Manual, Quick Setup Guide, Registration Card, 2 AA Batteries for the Remote Control

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Westinghouse SK-32H590D 32-Inch LCD HDTV with Built-In DVD Player Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this TV for home use. I was looking for a self-contained unit that would perform well on its own without the need for added components. This is my second LCD TV purchase and, while electronically savvy, I'm not obsessive about every detail (I have not spent hours looking for burned out pixels with a magnifying glass or cycled through every menu option searching for bugs). Thus far, I am very pleased with this television. For a videophile, this might be a good second/bedroom/kids TV. This would also be a good TV for an office training room.
I looked at several different models before settling on this model. I initially looked at the Westinghouse LTV32W432 with built-in DVD player but the reviews were lackluster and the unit appeared to have some quirks (like DVDs always commencing with subtitles). The SK-32H590D32 appears to be the successor unit and Westinghouse seems to have corrected all of the issues from the LTV32W432.
I found the picture to be first-rate for a sub-$1000 LCD TV. I looked at a 32" Sony Bravia ($1200) and several other models in stores and the picture on this unit easily compares. It is worth noting that, if you only have analog cable, the picture on this TV (or any other LCD/Plasma TV) will be a touch grainy. That said, digital cable and DVDs on this model are strikingly clean and clear.
The audio seems more than adequate for a self-contained unit. It's not THx Dolby Digital theater surround sound, but it has decent depth, is clear, and has simple adjustments for treble, bass and balance.
Esthetically the TV has a nice look with a simple Westinghouse logo and a DVD slot on the front (the DVD slot has a blue LED inside which you can toggle on or off). Note that the TV is, more or less, matte black with a small polished metal bar on the bottom and not grey as it appears on the Amazon page. It has a fairly low depth profile - 5.9 inches without stand - which is amazing considering the it has a front loading DVD. The unit is also relatively light (less than 50 lbs) and has an X screw holes on the back for wall mounting (for first time flat screen TV buyers, note that if you want to mount this unit on the wall, you will need to buy a wall mounting bracket separately). This TV also has all of the controls - volume, channel, mode - cleanly mounted out of view on the right side (for when the remote inevitably gets misplaced).
The remote and menus are simple and easy to use. The TV started up out of the box with a few simple questions (day, date, cable station search) and was ready to watch. The single, simple remote for both TV and DVD was refreshing (might be a good TV for a less than technically savvy person - elderly parents or inept officemates come to mind). I found the menus/settings much like the Microsoft Windows "Start Menu" (thus being familiar) and found them intuitive and easy to use.
All-in-all I found this to be a good sub-$1000 LCD TV and, so far, think it was very much worth the price.
2010 Update: DVD player broke after 2 years - unrepairable.


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The Westinghouse SK-32H590D is a 32" widescreen DVD combo featuring an integrated ATSC/NTSC/ClearQAM tuner and front slot-load DVD/CD player. Designed to fit cleanly and stylishly into any space, this deceptively thin combo unit offers such top-of-the-line features as Pixel Direct technology for a short signal path, SpineDesign side connectors for easy accessibility and Autosource automatic source detection. And two (2) HDMI connectors to ensure maximum connectivity now and in the future.

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Sharp AQUOS LC40D68UT 40-Inch 1080p LCD TV Review

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(More customer reviews)When it came time for me to upgrade my TV's, I researched very thoroughly for a TV that has as little lag as possible as my fiance and I game HEAVILY. I had read on some forums that Sharp TV's in particular are among the best, and now that I purchased one I must agree. Any HD resolution, set on game mode, has zero lag. Button presses are instantaneously shown on-screen. So your Wii, Playstation 2 and 3, Xbox, XBox 360...all of those play fantastic. If you play old school games, the lag is next to zero. It's so minimal that I can still pull off combos and counters easily in Street Fighter Alpha 3 or Darkstalkers for the Playstation 1. And this TV has another big plus: it can play standard definition games (240p) through component cables. What this means is that you can play, for instance, playstation 1 games (at their 240p resolution), on a playstation 2 over component cables. The TV does all the process work, and on "Game Mode", it's fantastic to play. 480i plays fantastic as well.
Picture quality is great, and if you're not on "game mode', the lag is still very minimal. GET THIS TV if you game, you won't regret it!
The only downside to me is that it doesn't have s-video inputs for other old-gen games, as composite is blurry as it always is on HD.
If I have time I'll do a video review of this product to show how little (or zero) lag this TV actually has.

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The AQUOS LC-40D68UT offers high performance at a top value. With a 16:9 aspect ratio, Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 and fine color purity, it's a solid choice to carry you into the high-definition future. Sharp's high performance LCD Panel provides a high dynamic contrast ratio, 6ms response time, and wide viewing angles. Built-in ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuners set you up for broadcast or digital cable content, and 4 HDMI, 2 HD Component, and a PC input give you plenty of connectivity. The LC-40D68UT is housed in an attractive black cabinet to match any room, and the included table stand easily removes for wall mounting applications.
A solid choice to carry you into the high-definition future. Click here for a larger image

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