Overview:
Projectors ShortSpec: Display (projector) type: DLP projector Max resolution: 1024 x 768 Image brightness: 2500 ANSI lumens Analog video format: PAL, NTSC, SECAM Image Size: 2.7 ft 22 ft Weight: 5.3 lbs

[flickr]tag:ASK Proxima C185 - DLP projector(square)[/flickr]

Review:

[wordtube mode='tag', tagValue='ASK Proxima C185 - DLP projector']

[wordbay]ASK Proxima C185 - DLP projector[/wordbay]

Introduction:
Projectors ShortSpec: Display (projector) type: LCD projector Max resolution: 1024 x 768 Image brightness: 1500 ANSI lumens Analog video format: PAL, NTSC, SECAM Digital video input format: HDTV Image Size: 2 ft 21 ft Weight: 7.9 lbs

[flickr]tag:Toshiba TLP-680 Projector(square)[/flickr]

Review:

[wordtube mode='tag', tagValue='Toshiba TLP-680 Projector']

[wordbay]Toshiba TLP-680 Projector[/wordbay]

Introduction:
Projectors ShortSpec: Display (projector) type: DLP projector Max resolution: 1280 x 768 Image brightness: 2000 ANSI lumens Analog video format: PAL, NTSC, PAL-M, PAL-N, SECAM, PAL 60, NTSC 4.43 Image Size: 3.3 ft 23 ft Weight: 6.4 lbs

[flickr]tag:Mitsubishi HD4000 - DLP projector(square)[/flickr]

Review:

[wordtube mode='tag', tagValue='Mitsubishi HD4000 - DLP projector']

[wordbay]Mitsubishi HD4000 - DLP projector[/wordbay]

Overview:
Positives: Attractive styling; can display HDTV sources; PC input; picture-in-picture. Negatives: Inaccurate color temperature in dark areas; corners noticeably brighter than middle; introduces unnatural edge enhancement. Facts: The smart-looking Norcent LT-2090WPL makes a fine choice if you want an HD-capable, wide-screen secondary television.

[flickr]tag:Norcent LT-2090WPL(square)[/flickr]

Review:
Norcent is one of many less familiar brands proffering smaller-screen LCDs, and its LT-2090WPL, a 20-inch wide-screen model, tries to stand out with a slick design and HDTV display capability. If you’re looking for a set for the bedroom or kitchen and insist in HD display capability and a wide screen, this is one of the slicker choices around. With its kitchen-friendly white exterior, the Norcent LT-2090WPL would be at home on countertops or alongside iPods. The company also makes a black version, model LT-2090WBK. The set’s 20-inch-diagonal screen sits above the speakers, and the overall styling is a cut above that of most budget sets, with rounded-off top and bottom edges, glossy black accents along the sides, and a silver strip between the speakers and the screen. Norcent includes a matching tilt stand, and when it’s taken into account, the entire unit measures 20.8 by 17.7 by 7.3 inches (WHD) and weighs 17.6 pounds. The distinctive styling carries over to the unusually large remote, which bends about 35 degrees at two-thirds down its length; it looks like a clamshell cell phone and fits in the hand like an awkward ray gun. While we found the remote easier to pick up from a coffee table, the bend interfered with our ability to reach most of the buttons. We are fans of the dedicated input-selection keys, however. The Norcent’s feature set starts with its ability to display HDTV sources, which not every small-screen LCD can claim. Its 1,366×768-pixel screen is a typical native resolution for LCDs and enables it to show every detail of 720p high-def sources. All sources, including HDTV, computers, DVD, and standard television, are scaled to fit the pixels. Norcent includes a standard TV tuner in the LT-2090WPL, but you’ll need to connect an external tuner, such as a cable or satellite box, to watch HDTV. Picture-in-picture is a nice addition, although somewhat limited. It works only when the main source is the PC input, and we would have liked the ability to view HDTV in the small window and the option to make the small window larger. The picture controls are basic, lacking items such as color-temperature control, although there is an adjustable backlight labeled black level. While we appreciated the independent input memories, we would’ve liked to see a picture preset or two. Aspect-ratio controls include three modes for 480i standard-def sources, but you can’t change aspects with 480p standard-def or any high-def sources. Hidden behind a removable panel, the Norcent’s jack pack offers a component-video input (the sole high-def-compatible input on the set); an A/V input with S-Video; another one without; an audio output; and an RF antenna input. There’s also a VGA-style PC input with audio, but since this set’s recommended resolution is only 1,280×768 and it lacks DVI, you shouldn’t use it primarily as a computer monitor. Overall, the Norcent LT-2090WPL’s input selection is exactly what we expect on an HDTV such as this, and while a digital input would’ve been grand, it’s unlikely to be missed by many people. The Norcent LT-2090WPL offers passable video quality for a smaller LCD. In its default settings, the TV, like many LCDs, is incredibly bright, which helps in high ambient-light conditions, such as a strongly lit kitchen. In such situations, the Norcent’s inability to render a deep black is a less noticeable a problem. It was also more difficult to notice the Norcent’s uneven uniformity–the corners and sides of the screen appeared brighter than the middle–with the lights turned up. Of course, any television’s video-quality issues become less noticeable in high ambient light. The Norcent can show the full range from white to black, but its color reproduction with standard-def sources was not spectacular. While its primary colors measured somewhat close to average, with the exception of a yellowish green, and its color decoding was fine, the Norcent LT-2090WPL’s color temperature was off significantly. This was mostly visible in darker areas, such as the bar scene from the Cop and a Half DVD where Nick McKenna (Burt Reynolds) gets tossed; the shadows under the bar and McKenna’s black pants appeared too blue. The set’s video processing was better than we expected. The Norcent smoothed out jagged lines well, engaged 2:3 pull-down processing quickly, and delivered every line of resolution from DVD sources. It did convey plenty of video noise, primarily visible as moving dots or motes in flat backgrounds, making us wish the set had better noise-reduction circuitry. As Norman (Devon Butler) looks down at McKenna, for example, his yellow shirt and the wood ceiling appeared too noisy. We tried the Norcent with an HD broadcast of the World Cup on ESPN2, Australia vs. Japan, and while we appreciated the details in the grass and the ability to distinguish faces in the crowd–par for the high-def course–we noticed too much edge enhancement. The score and the ticker, for example, had crunchy-looking edges, and faint, unnatural exaggeration was visible along the face of an advancing player during a close-up. In its favor, the Norcent maintained consistent image quality from off-angle, although it tended to wash out a bit. Very few people choose a kitchen LCD based on picture quality, however, so the Norcent LT-2090WPL’s image is probably good enough for just about any cook who wants to follow Oprah while whipping up lunch. We liked the set’s style and mix of features, and while its $529 list price is a bit expensive for such a small off-brand television, the high-def capability might be worth it to some buyers.

[wordtube mode='tag', tagValue='Norcent LT-2090WPL']

[wordbay]Norcent LT-2090WPL[/wordbay]

Norcent is one of many less familiar brands proffering smaller-screen LCDs, and its LT-2090WPL, a 20-inch wide-screen model, tries to stand out with a slick design and HDTV display capability. If you’re looking for a set for the bedroom or kitchen and insist in HD display capability and a wide screen, this is one of the slicker choices around. With its kitchen-friendly white exterior, the Norcent LT-2090WPL would be at home on countertops or alongside iPods. The company also makes a black version, model LT-2090WBK. The set’s 20-inch-diagonal screen sits above the speakers, and the overall styling is a cut above that of most budget sets, with rounded-off top and bottom edges, glossy black accents along the sides, and a silver strip between the speakers and the screen. Norcent includes a matching tilt stand, and when it’s taken into account, the entire unit measures 20.8 by 17.7 by 7.3 inches (WHD) and weighs 17.6 pounds. The distinctive styling carries over to the unusually large remote, which bends about 35 degrees at two-thirds down its length; it looks like a clamshell cell phone and fits in the hand like an awkward ray gun. While we found the remote easier to pick up from a coffee table, the bend interfered with our ability to reach most of the buttons. We are fans of the dedicated input-selection keys, however. The Norcent’s feature set starts with its ability to display HDTV sources, which not every small-screen LCD can claim. Its 1,366×768-pixel screen is a typical native resolution for LCDs and enables it to show every detail of 720p high-def sources. All sources, including HDTV, computers, DVD, and standard television, are scaled to fit the pixels. Norcent includes a standard TV tuner in the LT-2090WPL, but you’ll need to connect an external tuner, such as a cable or satellite box, to watch HDTV. Picture-in-picture is a nice addition, although somewhat limited. It works only when the main source is the PC input, and we would have liked the ability to view HDTV in the small window and the option to make the small window larger. The picture controls are basic, lacking items such as color-temperature control, although there is an adjustable backlight labeled black level. While we appreciated the independent input memories, we would’ve liked to see a picture preset or two. Aspect-ratio controls include three modes for 480i standard-def sources, but you can’t change aspects with 480p standard-def or any high-def sources. Hidden behind a removable panel, the Norcent’s jack pack offers a component-video input (the sole high-def-compatible input on the set); an A/V input with S-Video; another one without; an audio output; and an RF antenna input. There’s also a VGA-style PC input with audio, but since this set’s recommended resolution is only 1,280×768 and it lacks DVI, you shouldn’t use it primarily as a computer monitor. Overall, the Norcent LT-2090WPL’s input selection is exactly what we expect on an HDTV such as this, and while a digital input would’ve been grand, it’s unlikely to be missed by many people. The Norcent LT-2090WPL offers passable video quality for a smaller LCD. In its default settings, the TV, like many LCDs, is incredibly bright, which helps in high ambient-light conditions, such as a strongly lit kitchen. In such situations, the Norcent’s inability to render a deep black is a less noticeable a problem. It was also more difficult to notice the Norcent’s uneven uniformity–the corners and sides of the screen appeared brighter than the middle–with the lights turned up. Of course, any television’s video-quality issues become less noticeable in high ambient light. The Norcent can show the full range from white to black, but its color reproduction with standard-def sources was not spectacular. While its primary colors measured somewhat close to average, with the exception of a yellowish green, and its color decoding was fine, the Norcent LT-2090WPL’s color temperature was off significantly. This was mostly visible in darker areas, such as the bar scene from the Cop and a Half DVD where Nick McKenna (Burt Reynolds) gets tossed; the shadows under the bar and McKenna’s black pants appeared too blue. The set’s video processing was better than we expected. The Norcent smoothed out jagged lines well, engaged 2:3 pull-down processing quickly, and delivered every line of resolution from DVD sources. It did convey plenty of video noise, primarily visible as moving dots or motes in flat backgrounds, making us wish the set had better noise-reduction circuitry. As Norman (Devon Butler) looks down at McKenna, for example, his yellow shirt and the wood ceiling appeared too noisy. We tried the Norcent with an HD broadcast of the World Cup on ESPN2, Australia vs. Japan, and while we appreciated the details in the grass and the ability to distinguish faces in the crowd–par for the high-def course–we noticed too much edge enhancement. The score and the ticker, for example, had crunchy-looking edges, and faint, unnatural exaggeration was visible along the face of an advancing player during a close-up. In its favor, the Norcent maintained consistent image quality from off-angle, although it tended to wash out a bit. Very few people choose a kitchen LCD based on picture quality, however, so the Norcent LT-2090WPL’s image is probably good enough for just about any cook who wants to follow Oprah while whipping up lunch. We liked the set’s style and mix of features, and while its $529 list price is a bit expensive for such a small off-brand television, the high-def capability might be worth it to some buyers.

Background:
Projectors ShortSpec: Display (projector) type: LCD projector Max resolution: 1024 x 768 Image brightness: 3500 ANSI lumens Analog video format: PAL, NTSC, SECAM, NTSC 4.43 Digital video input format: HDTV Image Size: 3.3 ft 42 ft Weight: 17 lbs

[flickr]tag:ViewSonic PJ1165(square)[/flickr]

Review:

[wordtube mode='tag', tagValue='ViewSonic PJ1165']

[wordbay]ViewSonic PJ1165[/wordbay]

Introduction:
Positives: Excellent brightness and contrast; optical zoom lens; quick start-up; sharp focus; great online resources. Negatives: Huge and heavy; no mini audio input connector; uneven focus in spots; loud fan; manual shutdown procedure. Facts: The InFocus X2 is the projector to get when brightness and the ability to give a show with the lights on counts for everything.

[flickr]tag:InFocus X2 Digital Multimedia Projector(square)[/flickr]

Review:
The InFocus X2 digital projector may not be the smallest, lightest, or least-expensive budget projector on the market, but it is one of the brightest, and it can pump out a lights-on presentation in most boardrooms. Based on a 0.55-inch Texas Instruments digital light processing engine, this SVGA projector is tops in the budget class for brightness, uniformity, and contrast, but it has a frustratingly uneven focus and a cumbersome shutdown routine. At about $900, the X2 puts out more light per dollar than any budget business projector, and the $300 replacement lamp is rated for 4,000 hours of low-power use, or a reasonable 7.5 cents per hour. The X2 could be a good choice for users who care more about power than portability. The InFocus X2 is an anonymous-looking projector that stretches the bounds of portability. At 12.9 inches by 9.8 inches by 4.2 inches (DWH) and 6.8 pounds, the X2 is big for a portable projector, and it’s nearly 2 pounds heavier than the Hitachi Performa CP-RS55 (check back for a review of the Hitachi projector). Add in the cables and the remote control, and you have a cumbersome 7.8-pound travel package, and the InFocus X2 doesn’t come with a bag. The recessed lens can zoom in and out by 10 percent, but the focus and zoom adjustment rings are so close together that they’re easily confused. Five feet from the screen, the projector can create a 39-inch diagonal image, which is on the small side compared to that of the Sharp PG-B10S or the Sony VPL-ES2. Happily, for such a bright projector, it has minimal light leakage. The projector works in 4:3 or 16:9 mode and has a variety of color-coded connectors for VGA-in and VGA-out, S-Video, and composite video, but the projector’s audio connections are odd. The X2 has a miniplug output and stereo RCA inputs, but not the more convenient miniplug input. The projector does come with an adapter for connecting a notebook’s audio to the projector’s 2.5-watt speaker, but those little adapter bits are easy to lose. The miniplug input would be a better feature. It does have a unique 12-volt output for powering a motorized screen, but this feature is more trouble than it’s worth for most users, because the motorized screens tend to be complicated to set up and use. The projector comes with a variety of cables, including a handy combination VGA-USB cable. Getting the X2 started is a surprisingly quick task. The image appears in only 22 seconds, but it takes another 15 seconds for the projector to build to full brightness. The unit’s 12-button control panel is oddly designed--it’s missing a power button--and isn’t intuitive. There’s a separate on/off switch below, but you’ll need to use the remote control for proper shutdown, then turn the fan off manually when the projector has cooled down. While we like the remote control’s ability to navigate a PowerPoint show, make the screen go blank for quick notebook changes, and call up a variety of special effects, the unit lacks a laser pointer, an indispensable tool for giving presentations, so you’ll have to juggle yet another tool. Changing the lamp takes a couple of minutes and involves snapping open a hatch, removing two bolts, and extracting the module by pulling on its power cable. The business projector tests show that performance is the X2’s strong suit with 1,776 lumens of brightness, a phenomenal 97 percent uniformity, and a 516:1 contrast ratio, meaning that whites are white and blacks are black. Unfortunately, the projector’s color balance isn’t as satisfying, particularly its greens, which look a bit yellowish. The image was always rock solid without any flicker, ghosting, or streaking, but full-motion video appeared somewhat jumpy. The X2’s exceptional ability to display sharp type makes for a good PowerPoint machine, but the focus is maddeningly uneven, with a soft spot in the upper-left corner. Be warned: this is one loud projector--loud enough to drown out normal conversations held next to the projector--but its low-power mode can quiet it a little. Although its output drops to 1,432 lumens in low-power mode, it still outshines the brightness of its competitors’ full-power modes. InFocus backs the projector with a two-year international warranty--a step down from Sharp’s three-year policy. The lamp is covered for only 90 days or 500 hours of use, which is par for the course. The company’s Web site is a treat for novice and expert presenters alike, with courses on making presentations, PowerPoint templates, glossaries, and projection calculators. There’s also a series of how-to guides for different connections, FAQs, manuals, and software downloads. To get personal attention, you can call InFocus’s free, toll-free hotline (available 24/7 for the life of the product), go to the company’s online chat room, or use the site’s e-mail link, but only if you register the machine.

[wordtube mode='tag', tagValue='InFocus X2 Digital Multimedia Projector']

[wordbay]InFocus X2 Digital Multimedia Projector[/wordbay]

The InFocus X2 digital projector may not be the smallest, lightest, or least-expensive budget projector on the market, but it is one of the brightest, and it can pump out a lights-on presentation in most boardrooms. Based on a 0.55-inch Texas Instruments digital light processing engine, this SVGA projector is tops in the budget class for brightness, uniformity, and contrast, but it has a frustratingly uneven focus and a cumbersome shutdown routine. At about $900, the X2 puts out more light per dollar than any budget business projector, and the $300 replacement lamp is rated for 4,000 hours of low-power use, or a reasonable 7.5 cents per hour. The X2 could be a good choice for users who care more about power than portability. The InFocus X2 is an anonymous-looking projector that stretches the bounds of portability. At 12.9 inches by 9.8 inches by 4.2 inches (DWH) and 6.8 pounds, the X2 is big for a portable projector, and it’s nearly 2 pounds heavier than the Hitachi Performa CP-RS55 (check back for a review of the Hitachi projector). Add in the cables and the remote control, and you have a cumbersome 7.8-pound travel package, and the InFocus X2 doesn’t come with a bag. The recessed lens can zoom in and out by 10 percent, but the focus and zoom adjustment rings are so close together that they’re easily confused. Five feet from the screen, the projector can create a 39-inch diagonal image, which is on the small side compared to that of the Sharp PG-B10S or the Sony VPL-ES2. Happily, for such a bright projector, it has minimal light leakage. The projector works in 4:3 or 16:9 mode and has a variety of color-coded connectors for VGA-in and VGA-out, S-Video, and composite video, but the projector’s audio connections are odd. The X2 has a miniplug output and stereo RCA inputs, but not the more convenient miniplug input. The projector does come with an adapter for connecting a notebook’s audio to the projector’s 2.5-watt speaker, but those little adapter bits are easy to lose. The miniplug input would be a better feature. It does have a unique 12-volt output for powering a motorized screen, but this feature is more trouble than it’s worth for most users, because the motorized screens tend to be complicated to set up and use. The projector comes with a variety of cables, including a handy combination VGA-USB cable. Getting the X2 started is a surprisingly quick task. The image appears in only 22 seconds, but it takes another 15 seconds for the projector to build to full brightness. The unit’s 12-button control panel is oddly designed--it’s missing a power button--and isn’t intuitive. There’s a separate on/off switch below, but you’ll need to use the remote control for proper shutdown, then turn the fan off manually when the projector has cooled down. While we like the remote control’s ability to navigate a PowerPoint show, make the screen go blank for quick notebook changes, and call up a variety of special effects, the unit lacks a laser pointer, an indispensable tool for giving presentations, so you’ll have to juggle yet another tool. Changing the lamp takes a couple of minutes and involves snapping open a hatch, removing two bolts, and extracting the module by pulling on its power cable. The business projector tests show that performance is the X2’s strong suit with 1,776 lumens of brightness, a phenomenal 97 percent uniformity, and a 516:1 contrast ratio, meaning that whites are white and blacks are black. Unfortunately, the projector’s color balance isn’t as satisfying, particularly its greens, which look a bit yellowish. The image was always rock solid without any flicker, ghosting, or streaking, but full-motion video appeared somewhat jumpy. The X2’s exceptional ability to display sharp type makes for a good PowerPoint machine, but the focus is maddeningly uneven, with a soft spot in the upper-left corner. Be warned: this is one loud projector--loud enough to drown out normal conversations held next to the projector--but its low-power mode can quiet it a little. Although its output drops to 1,432 lumens in low-power mode, it still outshines the brightness of its competitors’ full-power modes. InFocus backs the projector with a two-year international warranty--a step down from Sharp’s three-year policy. The lamp is covered for only 90 days or 500 hours of use, which is par for the course. The company’s Web site is a treat for novice and expert presenters alike, with courses on making presentations, PowerPoint templates, glossaries, and projection calculators. There’s also a series of how-to guides for different connections, FAQs, manuals, and software downloads. To get personal attention, you can call InFocus’s free, toll-free hotline (available 24/7 for the life of the product), go to the company’s online chat room, or use the site’s e-mail link, but only if you register the machine.

Background:
Projectors ShortSpec: Display (projector) type: DLP projector Max resolution: 1024 x 760 Image brightness: 2000 ANSI lumens Analog video format: PAL-D, PAL-H, PAL-I, PAL-M, PAL-N, PAL-B/G, SECAM L, SECAM K1, NTSC 3.58, NTSC 4.43, SECAM B/G, SECAM D/K Digital video input format: HDTV Image Size: 3 ft 9 ft Weight: 7.7 lbs

[flickr]tag:HP Digital Projector vp6320 - DLP projector(square)[/flickr]

Review:

[wordtube mode='tag', tagValue='HP Digital Projector vp6320 - DLP projector']

[wordbay]HP Digital Projector vp6320 - DLP projector[/wordbay]

Introduction:
Projectors ShortSpec: Display (projector) type: DLP projector Max resolution: 1024 x 768 Image brightness: 2100 ANSI lumens Analog video format: PAL, NTSC, PAL-M, PAL-N, SECAM, PAL 60, NTSC 4.43 Digital video input format: HDTV Image Size: 3.3 ft 25 ft Weight: 6.4 lbs

[flickr]tag:Mitsubishi ColorView XD400U - DLP projector(square)[/flickr]

Review:

[wordtube mode='tag', tagValue='Mitsubishi ColorView XD400U - DLP projector']

[wordbay]Mitsubishi ColorView XD400U - DLP projector[/wordbay]

Overview:
Positives: Inexpensive for a 60-inch plasma; excellent feature set including four HDMI inputs and a computer input; menu color temperature controls; accurate color decoding. Negatives: Imprecise picture controls; no independent input memories; false contouring visible in gradations; subpar detail in shadows; inaccurate color temperature. Facts: The Vizio VM60PHDTV’s excellent value proposition will outweigh its picture quality issues for most viewers.

[flickr]tag:Vizio VM60PHDTV(square)[/flickr]

Review:
We’ve come to count on Vizio for offering good-performing HDTVs at extremely competitive prices, but when we first heard about the VM60PHDTV we were still surprised. This is a 60-inch plasma that costs as much as many like-size rear-projection HDTVs: $2,999. That information alone is enough to catapult this television to new heights of big-screen plasma popularity, because people who want a really large picture can now afford to go flat too. The closest competitor we can think of in terms of price is Panasonic’s 58-inch TH-58PX600U, which costs at least $500 more. Sure, it’s a better performer in a lot of ways, but the Vizio still holds its own and offers an excellent feature set to boot, including an unprecedented four HDMI inputs. If you can stomach the bronze coloring and don’t demand the ultimate in picture quality, the VM60PHDTV is hands-down the best value in big-screen flat panels today. Design The first thing we noticed about the Vizio VM60PHDTV was the color of the frame. Unlike most flat-panel HDTVs, which tend toward black or silver, the brushed metallic frame of this HDTV is bronze (the color looks more like silver in our photos, but trust us). The color isn’t particularly unattractive, but at the same time it’s much less neutral than many flat panels, and thus may not go with as many decorating schemes. Overall, we’d have preferred black. One unique styling cue is the clear plastic bar that runs along the bottom of the panel, serving no other purpose but to deflect sound from the down-firing speakers into the room. It provides a simple and elegant solution for people who’d rather not see speakers, but still want to hear them. Of course you can detach the bar if you’re using an external audio system or simply dislike its looks. There’s a light-up Vizio logo that we wished we could turn off, but otherwise the set’s face is free of features. The included, matching pedestal stand has a slick-looking glass top and lifts the panel 2 inches from a TV stand or tabletop. You’d expect a 60-inch plasma to be physically imposing, and the VM60PHDTV doesn’t disappoint. The panel weighs a massive 179 pounds with stand attached, and measures 56.3×37.2×13.4 inches deep. Divested of the stand, the panel itself measures 56.3×34.4×4.9 inches. Vizio sells a variety of wall mounts, including tilt and swing-out versions. With a panel this big, we definitely recommend professional installation if you’re going the wall-mount route. Vizio includes the same remote as ever, although this time it’s black instead of silver, and fully backlit. As always, we’ll complain about the sheer number of keys and the fact that many serve more than one purpose, and laud the ability to directly select inputs and easily control picture-in-picture. The clicker can command three other devices aside from the TV itself. Features The native resolution of the Vizio VM60PHDTV is 1,366×768, the same as many other, much smaller displays. It’s worth noting that 1080p would probably lend some extra sharpness at this screen size, depending on your seating distance, but of course it would probably double or triple the Vizio’s cost. As with all other fixed-pixel displays, the Vizio VM60PHDTV converts all incoming sources, whether HDTV, DVD, standard-def TV, or computer, to fit the native resolution. We count picture-affecting features among any display’s most important, and the Vizio VM60PHDTV has a decent selection, but we were disappointed by a couple of things. While there are four picture presets in addition to a custom mode, you can’t adjust any of the preset modes, and the custom mode is not independent per input. As a result, you can’t adjust the display differently for different sources. This is especially disappointing in a television that can accommodate so many different sources. In addition to the standards like contrast, brightness, and the rest, Vizio throws in some additional options. There are three color temperature presets–we found Standard to be the most accurate, although it was still way too red–as well as a Custom mode that lets you adjust the grayscale somewhat, although we wished it provided better control (see Performance). There are also options for Noise Reduction; Fleshtone (we left it off to avoid tinting skin too red); and Dynamic Contrast (again left off to preserve shadow detail). The selection of aspect ratio modes is rather small–you get just two choices with HD sources and four with standard-def. Vizio throws in the requisite conveniences, starting with a picture-in-picture mode that allows a good number of combinations between the two windows–while you can display any of the HDMI sources next to any other, you can’t use picture-in-picture at all with the RGB computer input. The ATSC tuner is on board but, as expected from a TV built to hit a low price point, CableCard is not. Perhaps the most impressive part of the Vizio VM60PHDTV’s spec sheet is its connectivity, highlighted by four HDMI inputs. That’s more than any display we’ve tested, regardless of price, and allows the connection of pretty much all the digital gear you could want. The back panel also sprouts two component-video inputs; two A/V inputs with composite and S-Video; a VGA input for computers (1,366×768 resolution); one RF-style input for antenna or cable; an optical digital audio output; and a standard analog audio out. The only things missing inputwise are a DVI input for PCs and side or front-panel inputs for temporary connections. Performance While certainly not the best plasma display on the market from a picture quality standpoint, the Vizio VM60PHDTV holds its own without any major hiccups. We could wish for better black-level performance, more accurate color, or less false contouring, but–considering the price–this display delivers surprisingly good images. During our normal regimen of adjusting the VM60PHDTV to deliver the best picture in our darkened theater, however, we did notice one very frustrating issue: All of the picture controls actually have more than one “step” within the same number. For example, while setting the brightness control, we noticed that when we pressed the button once, the black level of the image changed, and the little bar graph went up slightly, even though the number readout didn’t change at all. As a result there were two brightness settings for some numbers. Worse, the difference between the two settings was often rather large. We eventually got the image the way we wanted it, but, as a result of the inexact and rather course controls, our published picture settings won’t be as accurate for the VM60PHDTV as for other sets we’ve reviewed. The Vizio has a difficult time with color because its grayscale is not linear. In all of the color temperature presets, the bottom end of the scale (the darker areas) was skewed toward red while the top end (brighter areas) was skewed toward blue (see the Geek Box for details). Because the settings for Custom color temperature only adjust the high end of the scale, and because of the general imprecision of the controls, it was impossible for us to properly optimize the grayscale to 6,500K. We ended up just adjusting the darker areas to be more accurate and letting the lighter areas veer into blueness, because, to our eyes, this was less-objectionable than having incredibly red dark areas. Nonetheless, after our adjustments, the color temperature did improve quite a bit. After setup we were able to compare the Vizio VM60PHDTV directly to a pair of 50-inch plasmas we had on hand, the Panasonic TH-50PH9UK and the Pioneer PRO-FHD1. Both outperformed it in most ways, but again, the Vizio wasn’t bad. The numerous dark scenes in the Hulk HD DVD showed off the Vizio’s strictly OK black-level performance. The star field as Hulk is flown beyond the stratosphere, along with the night sky and shadowy rocks in the final lakeside fight between Hulk and his father, appeared a couple of shades lighter than on the other plasmas. We also noticed that details in the shadows, for example, the cracks between the rocks and their highlights in the moonlight, weren’t as distinct on the Vizio as they were on the others. As w
e mentioned, the Vizio’s nonlinear grayscale did adversely affect color accuracy. Skin tones in midlight areas, like the close-up of Jennifer Connelly, for example, as she serves Bruce Banner lunch and spars with her father, appeared a bit too red. We attempted to compensate by backing off the color (Saturation) control, but that made colors appear too dull and unsaturated, so we settled for the reddish skin tones. We did appreciate the set’s accurate color decoding, although primary colors, especially the somewhat yellowish green, could be improved. The grayscale’s fluctuations also showed up in gradations from light to dark, like the pop-up menu on the disc, the sides of the sand dunes during Hulk’s escape into the desert, and the edge of a flashlight beam when Connelly searches outside her cabin. We saw distinct bands, otherwise known as false contouring, in these areas that should show as smooth transitions. The bands were more severe than on either of the other plasmas, and as noticeable as any we’ve seen on HDTVs we’ve reviewed recently. With an HDTV this large, it pays to keep a close eye on seating distance, and we’d recommend sitting no closer than about 10 feet from the Vizio VM60PHDTV. When we sat closer, we started to notice the telltale roiling motes of low-level noise, especially in dark areas; noise that wasn’t visible on either of the other two plasmas. From 10 feet or farther, the noise wasn’t nearly as noticeable. In terms of detail, the Vizio VM60PHDTV looked plenty sharp, and all of the fine areas of the excellent HD DVD came through well. The texture of the desert sand, Connelly’s eyebrow hair, the pinpoints of stars in the sky; all looked as sharp as we expected. We appreciated the lack of edge enhancement with Sharpness reduced to zero, and, according to our tests, the Vizio deinterlaced 1080i sources properly for display on the big screen. The Vizio handled 1080i and 720p sources equally well. We noticed one other unusual issue that’s somewhat worrisome, although we weren’t able to test it fully. Even after 60 or so hours of use, the set seemed more prone to temporary image retention than other plasmas we’ve reviewed. In other words, still items on the screen, such as the progress bar that appeared when we scanned forward on the HD DVD, would remain as after-images that were noticeable in dark areas. Of course, the after-images disappeared when we played bright moving content for a few minutes, but with most other plasmas they’re less noticeable and disappear more quickly. We don’t consider this kind of temporary image retention an issue unless it’s still prevalent after a couple hundred hours of use, and we’ll update this section accordingly. When faced with lower-resolution material, specifically 480i delivered via component-video from the HQV test disc, the Vizio VM60PHDTV presented a mixed bag. While it delivered all of the vertical resolution of the DVD, horizontal resolution was quite soft, and we could see the softness in highly detailed areas like the stone bridge (increasing the sharpness control didn’t help). Diagonal filtering, on the other hand, was superb; the set smoothed out jagged edges in moving lines, such as the waving American flag, as well as any HDTV we’ve tested. The noise reduction did a mediocre job; we saw more snowy motes of noise than in the other plasmas, even when it was fully engaged. We did appreciate that 2:3 pull-down was quick and effective. Despite the fact that the manual suggests using 1,024×768 resolution when connecting a PC via the VGA input, we were able to go up to the panel’s native resolution of 1,366×768 and the results were great. DisplayMate indicated that the panel fully resolved that setting on both horizontal and vertical axes, and 10-point Arial was perfectly legible.

[wordtube mode='tag', tagValue='Vizio VM60PHDTV']

[wordbay]Vizio VM60PHDTV[/wordbay]

We’ve come to count on Vizio for offering good-performing HDTVs at extremely competitive prices, but when we first heard about the VM60PHDTV we were still surprised. This is a 60-inch plasma that costs as much as many like-size rear-projection HDTVs: $2,999. That information alone is enough to catapult this television to new heights of big-screen plasma popularity, because people who want a really large picture can now afford to go flat too. The closest competitor we can think of in terms of price is Panasonic’s 58-inch TH-58PX600U, which costs at least $500 more. Sure, it’s a better performer in a lot of ways, but the Vizio still holds its own and offers an excellent feature set to boot, including an unprecedented four HDMI inputs. If you can stomach the bronze coloring and don’t demand the ultimate in picture quality, the VM60PHDTV is hands-down the best value in big-screen flat panels today. Design The first thing we noticed about the Vizio VM60PHDTV was the color of the frame. Unlike most flat-panel HDTVs, which tend toward black or silver, the brushed metallic frame of this HDTV is bronze (the color looks more like silver in our photos, but trust us). The color isn’t particularly unattractive, but at the same time it’s much less neutral than many flat panels, and thus may not go with as many decorating schemes. Overall, we’d have preferred black. One unique styling cue is the clear plastic bar that runs along the bottom of the panel, serving no other purpose but to deflect sound from the down-firing speakers into the room. It provides a simple and elegant solution for people who’d rather not see speakers, but still want to hear them. Of course you can detach the bar if you’re using an external audio system or simply dislike its looks. There’s a light-up Vizio logo that we wished we could turn off, but otherwise the set’s face is free of features. The included, matching pedestal stand has a slick-looking glass top and lifts the panel 2 inches from a TV stand or tabletop. You’d expect a 60-inch plasma to be physically imposing, and the VM60PHDTV doesn’t disappoint. The panel weighs a massive 179 pounds with stand attached, and measures 56.3×37.2×13.4 inches deep. Divested of the stand, the panel itself measures 56.3×34.4×4.9 inches. Vizio sells a variety of wall mounts, including tilt and swing-out versions. With a panel this big, we definitely recommend professional installation if you’re going the wall-mount route. Vizio includes the same remote as ever, although this time it’s black instead of silver, and fully backlit. As always, we’ll complain about the sheer number of keys and the fact that many serve more than one purpose, and laud the ability to directly select inputs and easily control picture-in-picture. The clicker can command three other devices aside from the TV itself. Features The native resolution of the Vizio VM60PHDTV is 1,366×768, the same as many other, much smaller displays. It’s worth noting that 1080p would probably lend some extra sharpness at this screen size, depending on your seating distance, but of course it would probably double or triple the Vizio’s cost. As with all other fixed-pixel displays, the Vizio VM60PHDTV converts all incoming sources, whether HDTV, DVD, standard-def TV, or computer, to fit the native resolution. We count picture-affecting features among any display’s most important, and the Vizio VM60PHDTV has a decent selection, but we were disappointed by a couple of things. While there are four picture presets in addition to a custom mode, you can’t adjust any of the preset modes, and the custom mode is not independent per input. As a result, you can’t adjust the display differently for different sources. This is especially disappointing in a television that can accommodate so many different sources. In addition to the standards like contrast, brightness, and the rest, Vizio throws in some additional options. There are three color temperature presets–we found Standard to be the most accurate, although it was still way too red–as well as a Custom mode that lets you adjust the grayscale somewhat, although we wished it provided better control (see Performance). There are also options for Noise Reduction; Fleshtone (we left it off to avoid tinting skin too red); and Dynamic Contrast (again left off to preserve shadow detail). The selection of aspect ratio modes is rather small–you get just two choices with HD sources and four with standard-def. Vizio throws in the requisite conveniences, starting with a picture-in-picture mode that allows a good number of combinations between the two windows–while you can display any of the HDMI sources next to any other, you can’t use picture-in-picture at all with the RGB computer input. The ATSC tuner is on board but, as expected from a TV built to hit a low price point, CableCard is not. Perhaps the most impressive part of the Vizio VM60PHDTV’s spec sheet is its connectivity, highlighted by four HDMI inputs. That’s more than any display we’ve tested, regardless of price, and allows the connection of pretty much all the digital gear you could want. The back panel also sprouts two component-video inputs; two A/V inputs with composite and S-Video; a VGA input for computers (1,366×768 resolution); one RF-style input for antenna or cable; an optical digital audio output; and a standard analog audio out. The only things missing inputwise are a DVI input for PCs and side or front-panel inputs for temporary connections. Performance While certainly not the best plasma display on the market from a picture quality standpoint, the Vizio VM60PHDTV holds its own without any major hiccups. We could wish for better black-level performance, more accurate color, or less false contouring, but–considering the price–this display delivers surprisingly good images. During our normal regimen of adjusting the VM60PHDTV to deliver the best picture in our darkened theater, however, we did notice one very frustrating issue: All of the picture controls actually have more than one “step” within the same number. For example, while setting the brightness control, we noticed that when we pressed the button once, the black level of the image changed, and the little bar graph went up slightly, even though the number readout didn’t change at all. As a result there were two brightness settings for some numbers. Worse, the difference between the two settings was often rather large. We eventually got the image the way we wanted it, but, as a result of the inexact and rather course controls, our published picture settings won’t be as accurate for the VM60PHDTV as for other sets we’ve reviewed. The Vizio has a difficult time with color because its grayscale is not linear. In all of the color temperature presets, the bottom end of the scale (the darker areas) was skewed toward red while the top end (brighter areas) was skewed toward blue (see the Geek Box for details). Because the settings for Custom color temperature only adjust the high end of the scale, and because of the general imprecision of the controls, it was impossible for us to properly optimize the grayscale to 6,500K. We ended up just adjusting the darker areas to be more accurate and letting the lighter areas veer into blueness, because, to our eyes, this was less-objectionable than having incredibly red dark areas. Nonetheless, after our adjustments, the color temperature did improve quite a bit. After setup we were able to compare the Vizio VM60PHDTV directly to a pair of 50-inch plasmas we had on hand, the Panasonic TH-50PH9UK and the Pioneer PRO-FHD1. Both outperformed it in most ways, but again, the Vizio wasn’t bad. The numerous dark scenes in the Hulk HD DVD showed off the Vizio’s strictly OK black-level performance. The star field as Hulk is flown beyond the stratosphere, along with the night sky and shadowy rocks in the final lakeside fight between Hulk and his father, appeared a couple of shades lighter than on the other plasmas. We also noticed that details in the shadows, for example, the cracks between the rocks and their highlights in the moonlight, weren’t as distinct on the Vizio as they were on the others. As w
e mentioned, the Vizio’s nonlinear grayscale did adversely affect color accuracy. Skin tones in midlight areas, like the close-up of Jennifer Connelly, for example, as she serves Bruce Banner lunch and spars with her father, appeared a bit too red. We attempted to compensate by backing off the color (Saturation) control, but that made colors appear too dull and unsaturated, so we settled for the reddish skin tones. We did appreciate the set’s accurate color decoding, although primary colors, especially the somewhat yellowish green, could be improved. The grayscale’s fluctuations also showed up in gradations from light to dark, like the pop-up menu on the disc, the sides of the sand dunes during Hulk’s escape into the desert, and the edge of a flashlight beam when Connelly searches outside her cabin. We saw distinct bands, otherwise known as false contouring, in these areas that should show as smooth transitions. The bands were more severe than on either of the other plasmas, and as noticeable as any we’ve seen on HDTVs we’ve reviewed recently. With an HDTV this large, it pays to keep a close eye on seating distance, and we’d recommend sitting no closer than about 10 feet from the Vizio VM60PHDTV. When we sat closer, we started to notice the telltale roiling motes of low-level noise, especially in dark areas; noise that wasn’t visible on either of the other two plasmas. From 10 feet or farther, the noise wasn’t nearly as noticeable. In terms of detail, the Vizio VM60PHDTV looked plenty sharp, and all of the fine areas of the excellent HD DVD came through well. The texture of the desert sand, Connelly’s eyebrow hair, the pinpoints of stars in the sky; all looked as sharp as we expected. We appreciated the lack of edge enhancement with Sharpness reduced to zero, and, according to our tests, the Vizio deinterlaced 1080i sources properly for display on the big screen. The Vizio handled 1080i and 720p sources equally well. We noticed one other unusual issue that’s somewhat worrisome, although we weren’t able to test it fully. Even after 60 or so hours of use, the set seemed more prone to temporary image retention than other plasmas we’ve reviewed. In other words, still items on the screen, such as the progress bar that appeared when we scanned forward on the HD DVD, would remain as after-images that were noticeable in dark areas. Of course, the after-images disappeared when we played bright moving content for a few minutes, but with most other plasmas they’re less noticeable and disappear more quickly. We don’t consider this kind of temporary image retention an issue unless it’s still prevalent after a couple hundred hours of use, and we’ll update this section accordingly. When faced with lower-resolution material, specifically 480i delivered via component-video from the HQV test disc, the Vizio VM60PHDTV presented a mixed bag. While it delivered all of the vertical resolution of the DVD, horizontal resolution was quite soft, and we could see the softness in highly detailed areas like the stone bridge (increasing the sharpness control didn’t help). Diagonal filtering, on the other hand, was superb; the set smoothed out jagged edges in moving lines, such as the waving American flag, as well as any HDTV we’ve tested. The noise reduction did a mediocre job; we saw more snowy motes of noise than in the other plasmas, even when it was fully engaged. We did appreciate that 2:3 pull-down was quick and effective. Despite the fact that the manual suggests using 1,024×768 resolution when connecting a PC via the VGA input, we were able to go up to the panel’s native resolution of 1,366×768 and the results were great. DisplayMate indicated that the panel fully resolved that setting on both horizontal and vertical axes, and 10-point Arial was perfectly legible.

Introduction:
Note: This product is part of the Sony KLV-U100M BRAVIA series. .

[flickr]tag:Sony KLV 32U100M - LCD flat panel display - 32″(square)[/flickr]

Review:
Quick Take: Sony released two series of entry-level BRAVIA-branded flat-panel LCD HDTVs in 2006, and the two lowest-priced models comprise the Sony KLV-U100M series. It consists of two televisions: the 32-inch KLV-32U100M ($1,700) and the 40-inch KLV-40U100M ($2,800). They differ from their somewhat higher-priced–by $200, to be exact–brethren, the KDL-S2000 series, because these two lack an ATSC tuner. In fact, they don’t have a tuner at all; to watch television on either one, you’ll need to attach an external tuner, such as a cable or satellite box. Otherwise, they behave just like normal TVs, which leads some observers, us included, to wonder whether anyone needs a TV with a built-in tuner, anyway. Aside from lacking tuners, both the KLV-32U100M and the KLV-40U100M have the following important specs: 1,366×768 native resolution One HDMI input One PC input Adjustable backlight control We expect their image quality will be identical to that of the tuner-equipped KDL-S2000 series, but we’ll know more once we have a chance to check out a review sample.

[wordtube mode='tag', tagValue='Sony KLV 32U100M - LCD flat panel display - 32"']

[wordbay]Sony KLV 32U100M - LCD flat panel display - 32″[/wordbay]

Quick Take: Sony released two series of entry-level BRAVIA-branded flat-panel LCD HDTVs in 2006, and the two lowest-priced models comprise the Sony KLV-U100M series. It consists of two televisions: the 32-inch KLV-32U100M ($1,700) and the 40-inch KLV-40U100M ($2,800). They differ from their somewhat higher-priced–by $200, to be exact–brethren, the KDL-S2000 series, because these two lack an ATSC tuner. In fact, they don’t have a tuner at all; to watch television on either one, you’ll need to attach an external tuner, such as a cable or satellite box. Otherwise, they behave just like normal TVs, which leads some observers, us included, to wonder whether anyone needs a TV with a built-in tuner, anyway. Aside from lacking tuners, both the KLV-32U100M and the KLV-40U100M have the following important specs: 1,366×768 native resolution One HDMI input One PC input Adjustable backlight control We expect their image quality will be identical to that of the tuner-equipped KDL-S2000 series, but we’ll know more once we have a chance to check out a review sample.