If you read my "Buying an HDTV: Online or in-store" article, you'd have found the clear(ish) winner was buying online. The selection and prices pretty much can't be beat.
But as I mentioned in that article, not all online stores are created equal. There are many important factors to look out for when buying online that go far beyond price.
Buyer beware, as they say, as you'll see.… Read more
Every year there are fewer "brick-and-mortar" retailers. Not coincidentally, there are ever more online retailers.
The question is: where's the best place to buy an HDTV? … Read more
Every year, retailers tempt consumers with too-good-to-be-true deals designed to tempt them into the stores and buy...something else.
Chances are, these deals are too good to be true. Before you head out to join the mad rush, here are some so-called "deals" to avoid.… Read more
When "Star Wars" projected a hologram of Princess Leia in 1977, lots of viewers surely dreamed that the technology could one day become real.
Some 34 years later, Japanese display company Burton is working on something akin to George Lucas' vision with a projector that focuses laser light into moving 3D shapes capable of being displayed in air or under water.
If this technology continues to advance, we could one day have 3D experiences without the need for glasses or even a screen. To create the effect, focused laser light excites the naturally occurring oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the air, otherwise known as plasma excitation.
The current prototype can manifest up to 50,000 points of light at 10-15 frames per second, while efforts are already underway to improve that to a film-like 24-30fps. Those cringing at the Unix-esque green scheme can be rest assured this 3D display is not limited to just green: the traditional red, green, and blue color mix can be combined to create full-color 3D moving images. … Read more
A few months ago, I wrote the provocatively titled "Why all HDMI cables are the same."
There was a ruckus. Which I expected.
But the post also generated some great questions. Which I hadn't. So let's take a look at some of the more common and persisting questions from my article, and flush some more of the myths surrounding the decidedly-not-magic HDMI down the drain.… Read more
After reviewing many of the best TVs of 2011, I've decided to give this year's Editors' Choice to the Samsung PND7000 plasma and the Sony KDL-NX720 LED-based LCD TV. Here's why.
Samsung PND7000 series: For the last couple of years our Editors' Choice TVs have been Panasonic plasmas, which have managed to eke out a win against TVs from archrival Samsung. In 2011, the PND8000 and PND7000 plasmas from Samsung showed significant improvement, delivering better black levels than ever before, along with reference color.
When I compared them directly with Panasonic's best plasma, the TC-PVT30 series, I again liked the Panasonic's picture just a bit better, saying, "The PVT30 has superior black-level performance and shadow detail, as well as arguably better video processing. The Samsungs win for color accuracy, 3D performance, and bright-room picture. All three TVs were quite close in nearly every picture quality characteristic I test, and all three rightly earn performance scores of 9."
That said, there's more to my Editors' Choice than just picture quality, and with a virtual tie like this I'll turn to the other category I consider most important: value.… Read more
The reason those TVs no longer qualify is because Energy Star made its requirements more strict this time around compared to the earlier version, designated 4.2, which has been in effect since April 30, 2010. According to Energy Star:
Televisions that meet the new ENERGY STAR Version 5.3 requirements are on average more than 40 percent more energy efficient than conventional models. Larger sets must meet even more stringent levels to qualify as ENERGY STAR. A 60-inch TV will be on average 60 percent more efficient than a conventional model.
In addition to increasing the stringency of the requirements for all screen sizes, the new version incorporates a "hard cap" of 108 watts regardless of screen size. That cap effectively disqualifies most plasma TVs larger than 50 inches, and many other large-screen DLP and non-LED LCD-based sets.… Read more
Not feeling the urge to buy a new TV? You're not alone, according to a new survey by research firm IHS.
The survey of buying behavior during the second quarter of this year revealed that only 13 percent of U.S. consumers who had not purchased a TV during the past quarter are planning to buy a new set during the next 3 to 12 months. That figure is down from 32 percent in the first quarter, the firm says.
One could conclude that the great surge of LCD sales over the last several years (though it's now beginning to slow) would inevitably lead to periods of purchasing decline. It's also possible that the roller-coaster state of the U.S. economy is playing a role. … Read more
Update January 19, 2012: See the latest test results here.
After a year in the lifespans of five 2011 plasma TVs that I've subjected to new long-term tests, all have shown some fluctuation in black level, light output, and color, and in some cases those changes are significant.
A few changes have been for the better, others can be fixed in calibration, and overall none is a "deal breaker" that radically changes my initial opinions of these TVs--all of which scored an 8 (Excellent) or 9 (Outstanding) in the Performance section of the reviews.
Before you read on, know that I aged these TVs in a controlled albeit accelerated process, leaving them on for basically six days a week for up to four months, so far. The charts below encompass a bit more than a year of normal use, assuming the average daily "on" time rate of 5.2 hours. When reading the charts, keep in mind that not all of the TVs have been aged for the same amount of time. See below for more details.… Read more
While Panasonic and Samsung's flagship plasma TVs vie for best TV of 2011, LG's best plasma of the year, the PZ950 series, can't match the picture quality score of even the less-expensive step-down 3D Panasonics. The main culprit is LG's more grayish shade of black, which washes out what would otherwise be an excellent picture. The TV's robust Internet suite and sleek styling help increase its appeal, but won't help its standing in the eyes of dark-room home theater fans shopping for plasmas in this price range.
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CNET's Galaxy S4 giveaway spectacular!
CNET's publishing another supercharged e-book. "Mastering the Galaxy S4" is almost here, so we're celebrating with a huge S4-related giveaway.
