Planet LED TV: January 2011

Monday 31 January 2011

Sony Bravia EX700 52 Inch LED TV

Panasonic VIERA TC-P50G25 50 Inch Plasma TV

Panasonic Viera TCP50G25 50 Inch Plasma TV

As my band of HD TV Buddies expands I am now getting review sin from all over the world! Clearly my reputation in the HD TV market is growing!My latst HD TV review comes all the way from London and my Buddy Brad.

I first met Brad at the CEDIA exhibition in London where he's worked as consultant salesman in the Audio Visual industry for many years. He's just got himself a new Panasonic VIERA TC-P50G25 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV, so he knew I did these reviews, so he kindly sent me one of his new TV.

Here's what Brad had to say about his new Panasonic Viera 50 Inch Plasma, you'll have to excuse the English :>).

I 'm a huge football fan (that's soccer to us) and love my Sunday afternoon or Wednesday evening game on the T.V. I'm a big Chelsea fan, indeed I used to have a season ticket, but it's too expensive these days, so being such a sports fan as soon as I could afford it I decided to upgrade to HD.

To be fair, working in the audio visual industry gave me a great advantage when it came to do my research, so I hope what I found out can help you too. As I knew many resellers around the country I was able to access to pretty much any model I wanted. Indeed, I was quite shocked to find a plasma come out on top, especially when it was the the Panasonic Viera G25 that ticked all of my boxes. I had it in my mind that LCD was the way to go, but my advantageous research (and the complimentary viewings afforded me) pointed firmly to the Panasonic Viera TC-P50G25 Plasma.

What surprised me most was that a friend of mine had an early LG Plasma and he definitely has a screen burn problem, this really turned me off the idea of a plasma initially. In fact, most professional reviews will tell you this is an on-going problem on plasma sets. These so called "expert" reviews will also tell you vieiwng a Plasma in a bright room is another "problem". They are certianly issues I made sure I covered fully as I completed my research and viewings.

To be fair the Panasonic manual warns about screen burn and advises not to leave an image on the screen for long time or to watch 4:3 for extended timespans. However, Panasonic have added some neat features to help overcome this problem.

Firstly there is "orbiting pixel technology" which is extremely clever in that is moves the pixels about but ever so slightly. So slightly in fact that it is completely undetectable to the eye - amazing! especially as it doens'ty impact the quality of the picture. Secondly they have added a "scrolling bar" which can be run across the screen to help cleanse it. Added togethyer these two unique pieces of technology massively reduce the chances of screen burn - so far no issues!

So, what about the Panasonic Viera TC-P50G25 TV itself?

The swivel stand comes as standard as does the back lit remote (with batteries), I really like the back lit controller! There is also a detailed instruction manual and a quick start guide (which I used vry successfully to get me up and running).

To be honest, set up was a breeze. Panasonic have also made the box easy to open, that's got to be a first! There are some plastic clips integrated with the box that flip off allowing you to remove the entire lid with ease!

Getting the screen on to the swivel stand was easier than I thought as well. You need two people, but the set isn't heavy and it does slip on to the stand with ease. So far so good.

The room I've got Panasonic Viera TC-P50G25 Plasma set up in is big - vry big in fact. And...it's bright, very bright, even on our usual cloudy days here in the U.K!

To make absolutely sure on these "plasma issues", once I'd whittled my list down to three TV sets...I called in a few favours (favors - Ed). I chatted up some of the AV Buddies and got some home demos arranged. Of course I undterstand that most people can't do this, but...this was a big purchase for me and I needed to watch my Chelsea games with exactly the right colour (color - Ed) and brightness. My most important facets were to have a bright, clear, crisp picture with deep contrast. And I was worried about thyese issues so as I had the ability to make sure...that's what I did!

In all honesty I needn't have worried, but better safe than sorry - that old English reserve maybe?

The picture was amazing especially for watching my beloved Chelsea and other sport.

Football (sorry - Ed) is a colourful, (ah, I give up, excuse the English - Ed) spectacular sport. In fact it was
watching much of the colour and amazing action of the World Cup that finally decided me it was time to upgrade to HD.Having watched many of the games in HD. So, I was amazed at how bright and vibrant the picture was even when the sun came out! The action was crisp and crystal clear, almost like being there - I was sold.

And, with the new Panasonic anti-glare screen, the glasses natural reflective characteristics are down to virtually none.

You can tone down the brightnes if you want by watching in the TV's THX mode. This will give you a less bright display than the G25's "Standard" or "Vivid" mode and is probably about comparable with some of the lower end LCDs I looked at. Personally I like it as bright and vivid as you can get it, but...there are numerous controls and settings to get your picture just as you want it.

There is only one downside I have found so far. When a transmission is not in HD, the picture will tend to blur and pixelate on an HD set. And the bigger your screen the more pronounced the effect. I noticed a daramtic effect when watching non HD football (yawn - Ed) particularly on ITV (one of the U.K's mainstream free to air channels - Ed).

I was also also attracted to the Panasonic VIERA TC-P50G25A because of the price, which was an important factor for me (sadly). The Panasonic came up a few hundred quid (that's English money - Ed) cheaper than comparable LCDs.

The bottom line was that the price versus performance equation was compelling with the Panasonic Viera TC-P50G25. Indeed a few LCD models that I looked at were close to double the price.

Finally, the Panasonic VIERA TC-P50G25 has an excellent connectivity package with some very advanced features. Most of the features on the TV and the remote are pretty intuitive and the menu offers good explanations of each setting. The remote itself is thoughtfully and naturally laid out and generally easy to navigate. I like things that are easy to understand and use!

There are four HDMI ports, RCA and component connections as well as a coax input. There is also a PC port next to two USB ports. There is no S-Video though. This shouldn't be an issue unless your DVD player that bit older. But a quick cable upgrade is a simple, effective and cheap solution.

There are other connectivity ports such as Ethernet cable or wireless adapter. However the TV only works with Panasonic's own wi-fi adapter and it's expensive, which is disappointing. A common wifi adapter would have been good as the TV didn't recognise any of the other adapters I tried. But if you do network you can plug directly into some great features such as Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube, Pandora, Flickr and Twitter plus lots more.

Overall, this television has astounding picture quality along with a realistic reproduction which I found to be better than any LCD I checked out in or around this price range. I did check out some LED models and they were oustanding.

However, LEDs are still very much on the expensive side, and the incremental performance is not worth the extra money (in my opinion) at this stage.

For the price, you cannot go wrong or find a better HD TV than the Panasonic VIERA TC-P50G25.

For more great Plasma TV Reviews and Plasma TV Deals visit Planet Plasma TV

Sunday 30 January 2011

Sony Bravia EX700 52 Inch LED TV Reviews

Check out these great artciles about the Sony Bravia EX700 52 Inch LED TV...

http://www.theinfofile.com/technology/sony-bravia-ex700-52-inch-led-hdtv.html
http://www.avidarticles.com/Article/Sony-Bravia-EX700-Series-52-Inch-LED-HDTV/581321
http://www.wefindyouarticles.com/Article/Sony-Bravia-EX700-Series-52-Inch-LED-HDTV/309052
http://www.affiliatedcommerce.com?p=6866
http://eternlive.info?p=68804
http://allbout.info?p=18994
http://articles.pro2sell.com/technology/sony-bravia-ex700-series-52-inch-led-hdtv.html
http://www.webpage2day.com?p=88135
http://uberarticles.com?p=973863
http://www.blacktelevisionstands.com?p=1580
http://www.camera-plaza.com?p=2564
http://whatshotforchristmasgifts.com?p=3797
http://www.newsuperhuman.com?p=38060
http://www.internetmarketingtoolssolution.com/blog?p=19193
http://dailysportsandnews.co.cc?p=1208
http://www.greatarticlesite.com/articledetail.php?artid=107846
http://www.articleheroes.com?p=37483
http://www.high-definition-tv-info.com?p=4315
http://www.addmybiz.co.uk/shopping?p=44216
http://wholearticles.com?p=28254
http://hd-satellitedish.com?p=1501

More great reviews to follow soon...for other LDE TV reviews and amazing LED TV Deals check out Planet LED TV.

Thursday 27 January 2011

Toshiba 55WX800U 55 Inch 3D TV

Toshiba 55WX800U 55 Inch 3D TV

I am in a state of shock! I can't believe what Toshiba have managed to achieve.

What I hear you ask? This...a fully functional 1080p, 240HZ Grade A 3D TV, and a 55 incher at that, at just $1,599.99. It's incredible value and is a massive move in the 3D market that others are going to have to follow.

It's also good value when you consider it has a great jack pack including 4HMDI ports, USB, Ethernet all the card slots and wait for it...integral wi-fi! At last, it's about time this was made standard rather than having to buy and added bit of kit.

It's a great picture and of course at 1080p and 240HZ 2D pictures are stunning, crisp and clear with rich contrasts as well. And I was delighted to hear that the sound is also good on this set. Most sets this thin tend to suffer with sound quality, but Toshiba are claiming new speaker technology and it does sound very good.

All-in-all this is an excellent TV in terms of performance made all the better by a very, very attractive price. If you are thinking of going 3D the Toshiba 55WX800U 55 Inch 3D TV would make an outstanding entry point.

Remember if you want to enjoy the 3D experience you do need active shutter 3D glasses. It is recommended you get the glasses from the same manufacturer as the TV, here are Toshiba's best Active Shutter Glasses.

For this and other great LED TV Offers and 3D TV Offers visit www.planetledtv.com

Monday 17 January 2011

Panasonic Viera TCP54G25 54 Inch Plasma TV

Panasonic Viera TCP54G25 54 Inch Plasma TV

I was an early adopter of HD TV with an LG Plasma TV. The contrast between the new HD TVs and the old Cathode Ray Tube sets was a stunning leap forward. We were into new realms of picture brightness, sharpness, clarity and vibrancy of color. But there were problems in those early Plasmas.

The major problem was, of course, screen burn. When I switch on that old LG now, I can clearly see the frames for the sports news channel burned into the screen. It makes me smile! Light reflection was another issue and it did always just slightly annoy me that I could, when my eyes caught it, see the rear window reflected in the screen.

So, I was somewhat surprised to find out that my brother-in-law had upgraded to a 54 Inch Panasonic Viera Plasma when we visited him and his family in Vancouver over Christmas.

With LED prices continuing to fall, I couldn't find a justification for going Plasma, especially with the problems known to exist with Plasma screens. Also Plasma takes away the 3D option (although I know 3D isn't everyone's cup of tea). Having spent many happy hours viewing at Graham's I was also a bit unsure about such a large screen size in his viewing area.

Once Graham fired up his new "baby" I was won over. I should have known he wouldn't have brought something sub standard as he loves his TV too much, but I was worried. I needn't have been as the 54 Inch Viera Plasma put in a stunning performance as we watched Inception somewhat in awe. It's a great movie for showcasing an HD set anyway, but the TCP54G25 handled it superbly well.

The Panasonic sales blurb suggests that their "new NeoPDP" technology is what gives such a stunning picture. They say it's what causes the deep blacks and white whites coupled with the deep contrast in colors. Its full 1080p HD although Panasonic say that their "600Hz resolution sub drive" provides the beautiful clarity in fast paced action scenes (and it is outstanding). Having seen this set in action (and I've seen a good few), this is a close to LED picture quality as I've seen on a non-LED screen.

I have to admit I also thought that viewing such a big screen relatively close up I would notice some decay in the picture quality, but it just wasn't there to be seen. The picture was brilliant. Crisp and clear, even on the fastest paced scenes and stills with very bright colors.

My first Plasma is definitely on the wane. It's five years old now and has had a lot of use, so to be expected. However this new Panasonic has an amazing screen life of 100,000 hours (quoted on an average viewing day of 8 hours - which is hopefully an over-estimation of the amount of viewing we actually do). Panasonic suggest this model will last 30 years before the picture quality has halved. If that is true it is definitely very good value indeed.

I have to admit I was really surprised by the screen life figures so I did a bit of digging. What I found out was that Panasonic did a deal with Pioneer on some very advanced Plasma technology which they put into the TCP54G25. Clearly the picture performance has benefitted, as for screen life, well, we'll have to see.

The TV itself is feature rich boasting features you normally see on much more expensive sets. It has the ability to play online content via a direct ethernet link. As with most HD sets if you want wi-fi you need to buy a separate adapter. This has become a bit of a bug bear of mine as I really think an HD set should include integral wi-fi!

The Infinite Black and other advanced picture technology is all included. I also liked "Viera Link" which allows you to somehow interlink all the HD devices you have attached. Graham said it was really useful but I didn't get a chance to see how it worked. So it does take a bit of working out! One thing that really did impress me though was the game mode, which was one of the best I have seen. His Boys are both huge gamers and the hilarious skateboard game they were playing on XBox 360 really looked excellent...even if I didn't understand it!

The connectivity on this set is basic, indeed there are only 3 HDMI ports, when 4 seems to be the norm on most sets today. Panasonic argue that Viera Link ensures 3 is all you need!

During our stay in Vancouver Graham's new Panasonic 54 Inch Plasma TV provided us with plenty of great entertainment. After all those winter nights up there are so dark and wet! Coupled with some nice red wine (so very expensive in BC) my preconceived prejudices were blown away.

I really wouldn't have thought of going out and buying a big screen plasma until I saw this one in action. But, watching the TCP54G25 it has definitely made me think again on this, especially so given the mid range price. If you can afford to go LED all well and good, but for the price you pay for a Plasma such as this, the price v performance gap is definitely much more marginal nowadays.

For more great Plasma TV Deals click here.

Wednesday 12 January 2011

LG Infiniatm LX9500 47 Inch 3D TV

LG LX9500 Infiniatm 47 Inch 3D TV

Since the incredible box office success of 3-D movies like Star Trek, Avatar and Monsters Inc, the demand for 3D TV at home has definitely been on the increase. This can be witnessed by the number of 3D TVs now availabe and the marked increase in content being released on 3D Blu Ray and via Satellite.

In my opinion, some of the early 3D TVs were put out to market a little too early, before the technology was 100% sound. For example, if you were watching fast paced action and an image came out of the screen towards you it could blur quite significantly. I found this to be a particular problem in the lower corners of the field of vision.

However, the pace of technological progress continues unabated. Indeed, the next quantum leap appears to be here with LG's new Infiniatm range. The range boasts a 480Hz screen refresh rate that takes things to a new level!

The new LG Infiniatm LX9500 47 Inch 3D TV takes picture quality to a new and stunning level. What's changed? Well, it's still 1080p (the current maximum), but with a screen refresh rate doubled to 480Hz it brings a stunning new picture clarity. It's true I have a habit of "biggin" up LED and HD TV, but LG have produced something worth "bigging" up here!

I honestly didn't believe pictures could get better over the top of the range Samsung 240Hz 1080p, but LG have managed it. And it is most noticeable in the 3D space.

Obviously the competition will have to catch up to 480Hz as well. But, a current top of the range Samsung at 240Hz is still hovering around $5k. At the time of writing the LX9500 comes in at just $3.3k. How have LG managd it?

Based on that LG are going to be tough to beat in this new higher end LED/3D market. And, LG are doing all they can to dominate. I was having a Skype chat with my HD Buddy in the U.K, Brad. Sky TV are the biggest satellite broadcaster over there and have just announced that they have made LG thier 3D TV partners in the U.K. Sky dominate the satellite market in many Euroipean countries and this deal will give LG a massive sales kick in Europe.

The LG Full LED 3D TV Infinia LX9500 is a stunning piece of kit and surprisingly easy to use and set up. In truth, it's about time LED set up was made a little simpler.

The LX9500 is a direct lit model as opposed to edge lit. Normally direct lit TVs are thicker but at 31mm this set again moves technology a step forward. It also comes with LG "Netcast" included. This gives you direct Internet Entertainment access, at last! I was also very impressed that for the price you also get two pairs of active shutter 3D glasses included.

Not only does this allow you to get right into the amazing world of 3D sports, video games, documentaries and blockbuster movies, but it saves you $200-300 into the bargain! It was already a good deal!

LG call the new TruMotion 480Hz "A revolution in picture quality", and I am inclined to agree. 3D motion blur is almost completely eliminated giving you a far clearer over-all picture in 3D, particularly fast action sequences and when images do seem pop out of the screen at you...as I said this has been a slight issue on early 3D sets.

And, I think 2D pictures are improved as well. To be fair it's not as amrked an improvement as the 3D pictures but it's just as amazing. In a way that doesn't really do the picture quality justice but I have run out of superlatives. I think I'm going to have to "tone down" some of my older writings as my descriptions are not keeping pace with the pictures improvements!

The color just screams off of the screen and the blacks are so black with a contrast that is infinitely sharp. This is an amazing viewing experience, and all at just over $3k.

If you're considering going 3D then definitely check out the LG Infiniatm LX9500 47 Inch 3D TV - I'm sure you will love it. It really does offer great quality and I think it would be extremely difficult to find anything better to get you in to 3D in the current market - have fun and remember it does have an "off" button.

Click this link for a special Internet Deal on the LG Infiniatm LX9500 47 Inch 3D TV.

Monday 10 January 2011

Sony LED TV - Bravia Range Review

Did you know that the first ever LED TV was a Sony? It's true the Sony Qualia hit the streets in 2004 a fact that surprised me as I thought LED TV was far more recent.

And, if you've watched LED TV you'll understand why all the TV manufacturers were racing to get to market first. It's generally accepted that a LED lit screen is "twice as good" as the standard Cathode Ray lighting in terms of brightness and color density. Don't ask me how they measure that though!

Local Dimming has been sold as a marvel of LED TV, and to be fair it is very clever. This is a feature of RGB Dynamic LED TVs. In simple terms this is where the black areas of the screen actually turn off to give you the blackest blacks possible and consequently amazing contrast. Most sets these days are RGB Dynamic. You can also get Edge-Lit and Full-Array sets. These offer a very slight lessening in picture quality (it's hardly noticeable in all honesty) and are slightly better on power consumption.

The Bravia brand is where Sony sell all of their TVs in the current market and it is without doubt a brand of some stature selling millions of dollars' worth of Sony LED TVs each year. So given the popularity of LED TVs, and the fact that enthusiasts seem to favor Sony, I thought I'd take a look at the Bravia range.
The 32 Inch KDL32EX600 is the starting point for the Bravia range. With a feature list that would be at home on a much larger model this amazing little TV comes with full 1080p HD. This is unusual on such a small screen. The trade-off is a lower refresh speed (60 or 120 Hz, it's not made clear), but with full HD and on the smaller screen it still leaves you with a brilliant and crisp picture. And with a price tag of around $6-700 for a Sony LED TV, this set is a real winner.

If you have a smaller viewing area or want a TV in the bedroom or kids room, this is a great set to buy.

The full Sony Bravia range goes from the 32 Inch screen through the following screen sizes 40, 42, 46, 50, 52, 55 and 60 inch screens. The jewel in the crown is the new Sony XBR60LX900 60" 3D 240Hz LED HDTV. This is a stunning piece of television kit there is no doubt about that! The list of features is extensive and it comes with integrated wi-fi (Samsung please take note), but the price tag is a bit severe at $4,499. This is only marginally cheaper than Samsung's top of the range 65 Inch 3D offering and LG come in cheaper with their top end offering. Having said all that, the reviews I've read rate this particular LED very highly indeed.

The most popular screen size for any LED TV purchases seems to be the 46-52 inch range. My brother-in-law has just upsized to a 55 inch screen and personally I think it's a bit overbearing for the viewing room size. We have a similar sized room and I think our 46 inch is just right. However, as far as the Bravia range is concerned if you were to push me for my favorite model, I'd have to say, for price versus peformance, it would be the Sony Bravia EX700 52 Inch LED TV. Now at around $1,700-1,800 it is an advanced TV at a very reasonable price.

Indeed, if you look around the last pre 3D LED TV releases there are some absolute bargains to be had right now. I think this is for two reasons. Firstly the new range of 240Hz and 3D TVs are now being released and secondly, we're not quite out of the economic woods just yet and stores are still very keen to make any sales they can. So, it's my belief that this is probably the best possible time to get a new LED TV. In fact I wouldn't even accept the tag price...I'd ask for a deal! Although I think it would be difficult to beat online prices such as those at Amazon.

In fact it's probably the best possible time to get a new LED TV. To be honest I wouldn't even accept the tag price in the Store...I'd ask for a deal! Although I think it would be difficult to beat online prices such as those at Amazon.

When all is said and done, you will always do well if you buy a Sony LED TV. It's a front runner brand that offers a solid track-record and their TVs always perform well in terms of both reliability and quality and of course picture quality.

To conclude, if you want a new LED or 3D you won't go wrong with any Sony model, but for the newer and more advanced models do expect to pay a small premium. Looking at prices, Sony and Samsung are on a par in most screen sizes for both features and quality. LG are certainly on the move and do currently have a price advantage, but for what they are starting to deliver...they will surely have to increase prices to offer the same level of performance and functionality.

Like no-one ever got fired for buying IBM in the 70's, you won't go wrong with a Sony LED TV. Top notch technology, great crystal clear, brilliant pictures with all the connectivity and functionality you could need and very reliable to boot.

Check out the latest Sony LED TVoffers.