A View for your Room – LCD TV’s

You don’t want to appear to be compensating with a laughably oversized TV several sizes too big for your cramped lounge.

So we’ve put together a roundup of TV sets, ranging from cheap and cheerful LCDs to the serious couch commander’s rig. We prioritised quality over size throughout. From movie buffs to one-room apartment dwellers, there’s some well-priced tech here for your viewing pleasure.

Best for Sport 

Sony Bravia 52NX800

R59 000 | www.sony.co.za

Sports fans need a very specific kind of fix: a big TV with a clear picture, Full HD (1080p) to take advantage of MultiChoice’s new SuperSport HD channel and 200Hz refresh rate for the fast moving game. No TV offers this better right now than Sony’s 52NX800. With Motionflow 200Hz it can refresh fast enough for a Ronaldino strike, while its Bravia Engine 3 does some fancy trick that even makes DStv’s compressed signal look good. With built-in Wi-Fi, it easily connects to your home network and uses Bravia Internet Video to stream various video feeds; while the Edge LED gives it superb, bright backlit colour. This is seriously good TV to watch the World Cup on.

Display: 52in (132cm) / 1920x1080p Full HD / 24p / 200Hz
Contrast: 100 000:1
Special features: Bravia Engine 3, Motionfiow 200Hz, BRAVIA Internet Video, Wi-Fi Integrated, Edge LED
HDMI: 4
USB:1

Best for Overall Performance 

Philips 42PFL7409/98 (7000 Series)

R15 000 | www.philips.co.za

What were those Dutchmen smoking? Whatever it is, can we please get some over here because their TV just came up tops trumping all corners in every test we dreamed up. Philips has been a big player in the local LCD market, but this panel, coming out of nowhere, delivered consistently superior, crisp screen images with solid blacks and balanced skin tones. The package includes a strong suite of features backed with superior build quality and all wrapped in an understated and minimal, but classy body shell. The pedantic would note the lack of networking for streaming files, but the rest of us would just be gawking at the screen.

Display: 42in (106cm) / 1920x1080p Full HD / 24p / 100Hz
Contrast: 80 000:1
Special features: Easylink (CEC), 20W audio
HDMI: 4
USB: 2

Best for Movie Buffs

Toshiba REGZA 40LV655

Rtba |www.toshiba.co.za

Toshiba has quietly pioneered many important TV technologies, but the one that matters to the movie buff is the hardware upscaler, called Resolution+, built into all Tosh’s mid-and upper-range TVs. The results are head and shoulders above the competition, making your standard-definition videos look like dinkum Blu-ray. This is, simply, the most effective way to rejuvenate your large DVD collection. At this price point you’re still getting above Full HD image quality with noticeably fluid images at 100Hz, courtesy of the highly-regarded MetaBrain CPU and the nifty Dolby sound-levelling technology will neutralise Ninja-like decibel ambushes in the ad breaks.

Display: 40in (102cm)/ 1920x1080p Full HD / 24p / 100Hz
Contrast: 50 000:1
Special features: Resolution+ upscaler, MetaBrain CPU
HDMI: 4
USB:1

Best Compact TV 

Samsung LA32B530P7R

R7 000 | www.samsung.co.za

We’re not all rigging up home theatres. You may be fitting out smaller, übertrendy lodgings downtown, where space is at a premium. Even if your eyes are not glued to the round-the-clock soccer-fest you’ll appreciate a quality image when you do click over for the occasional big game, or when she’s curling up with you for TLC with DVD. This well-priced, right-sized set delivers above-average picture quality in full HD, great on-board sound (2x10w concealed speakers) and has enough HDMI plugs for the DSTV/ DVD/PlayStation digital pleasure trifecta. The tradeoffs? It’s not a 100Hz-spec, which you won’t notice unless you’re into fast-paced action, and there’s no picture in picture, which is mostly for channel surfing TV junkies who need a girlfriend.

Display: 32in (81cm) / 1920x1080p Full HD / 50Hz
Contrast: 60 000:1
Special features: 10w x 2 sound, swivel stand
HDMI: 3
USB: None

Best for Features 

Samsung LA40B650T1R

R12 000 | www.samsung.co.za

If all the tech spec is making you totally paranoid, here’s the easy way out. As the market leader both locally and abroad, you can’t go much wrong with this, Samsung’s sixth generation LCD. From the rich, detailed screen images, courtesy of the evolved Crystal image processor, colour management tools and 100Hz Motion Plus system, to the slick design aesthetics, sensible pricing, and reputable after-sales service, you’ll be well satisfied. Techie bragging rights are still yours thanks to the integrated digital tuner (which should replace the much-discussed set-top box for South Africa’s move to digital terrestrial broadcasting… whenever) and the built-in wireless DLNA for joining your TV to a PC network to share your videos, music and photos.

Display: 40in (102cm) / 1920x1080p full HD / 24p / 100Hz
Contrast: 100 000:1
Special features: Anynet CEC, DLNA networking, digital terrestrial tuner
HDMI: 3
USB: 2

Best for Gaming, Best Built-In Sound

LG Scarlet 32LH70YR

R10 000 | www.lge.com

The Scarlet range represented a high-water mark for LG’s decades of electronic know-how, but we had mixed feelings. This mid-sized model sports a class-leading 100 000:1 contrast ratio, a frenetic 2.4ms response time, and a smartly tuned sound system, with preconfigured cinema, sports or gaming profiles that actually work. Overall image quality is above average but then, sadly, this model trips over the same stumbling block as its predecessors: at full stretch the screen image is slightly sticky and not as smooth as you would expect its price and pedigree. Sure, gamers could turn off the 120Hz frame interpolation mode, so it’s not a total deal breaker, and you’re well compensated with the swathe of high end features like Bluetooth connectivity and ClearVoice II which dynamically cranks up sound volume over the changing ambient noise levels. Overall LG’s styling has been a hit and miss affair but they still hold the unofficial crown for the slimmest profiles… erm, for those who like to watch their TV sideways on.

Display: 42in (106cm) / 1920xl080p Full HD / 24p / 120Hz
Contrast: 100 000:1
Special features: Bluetooth,Simplink (CEC), slimline design (39.7mm), gaming preset
HDMI: 4
USB:1

Best for Styling 

Loewe 40in Individual Compose

R82 000 www.loewe co.za

It’s got no especially advanced features and no big talking points. Speakers cost extra. The remote is too big and too heavy. Many features seem almost a little backward. Then, while you’re working out the nature of this beast, it wins you over with stealth tactics: poise and personality. Its striking design – the heavy chromed base, in particular – speak volumes even before you’ve turned it on. It’s confidently aloof, as much German engineering is prone to be, but it did produce the most fluid 200Hz reprocessing we’ve ever seen. Unfortunately the overall picture quality is underwhelming, especially with this shocking price tag. So it’s quirky and charming, very European, and definitely one for the purists.

Display: 40in (102cm) / 1920x1080p full HD / 24p / 200Hz
Contrast: Unknown
Special features: lmage+, HDMI CEC, colour-coded or wood grained side panels
HDMI: 2
USB: 2

Best for Plan B TV set

HiSense LCD32V68P

R5 000 | www.hisense.co.za

With so much World Cup soccer to watch, you’d better guard against losing control of the lounge to random soapies and chick flicks, pre-teens on a PlayStation date, and other guests and relatives with no sense of timing. You’ll need a backup plan. This is your reserve TV, your fallback plan, but you needn’t compromise completely: you’re still getting full HD, made all the sweeter by the outrageous price tag (around 30% cheaper than most competitors!) Poor contrast ratios of 1:1000 and slow 8ms response times mean this TV will never make prime time, but if you’re stuck on kitchen duty or hammering in the garage, at this price it can’t be beat.

Display: 32in (102cm) / 1920xl080p Full HD / 50Hz
Contrast: 1 000:1
Special features: Low, low price
HDMI: 3
USB: 3

Extra Information

Remote Chance

HDMI is the familiar plugging system which carries all digital audio and video signals between your home theatre boxes. It was also designed to carry instructions between the components using a system called CEC (Consumer Electronics Control), and this has appeared under different names on the current crop of TVs (LG’s Simplink, Toshiba’s RegzaLink, Samsung’s Anylink etc). The effect is that you can now control your TV, DVD Player and other home theatre pieces with a single remote. In practice it’s proved a headache to set up each daisychained device to be controlled by a single remote i.e. your TV remote doesn’t have a play button to start the DVD player, for example, so you might want to stick with your universal remote until CEC matures a bit.

More info at HDMI.org

Tipping the Scales

In contrast with the early panel TVs, which simply stretched your movie image across your display, the latest Full HD TVs include extremely powerful upscaling processors which carefully resample the image on the fly. Upscaling technology is built into both DVD players and TV sets and works best when upgrading standard definition DVDs and satellite feeds for your large HD screen.

Not sure if your upscaler is working properly? Test it like this: set your DVD player to play a standard-definition disc (480p) and check the screen image, which should now be using the TVs built-in upscaler hardware. Now set the DVD player to show first 720p, then 1080i and then 1080p. If the first image wins then your TV has the superior upscaler and you should switch off upscaling on the DVD player.

Step away from the screen

Work out what would be the right size TV for your lounge, so you can avoid giving yourself whiplash as you cast your eyes back and forth across a too-large screen. Avoid eyestrain and repetitive strain injury by following these installation guidelines:

• 32in (82cm) – Sit at least 2.5m back
• 40in (102cm) – Sit at least 3.1m back
• 42in (106cm) – Sit at least 3.7m back
• Measure up your viewing area at tinyurl.com/46uldz

How we roll: 200Hz

Movies are typically filmed at 24 frames per second, and this was digitally converted to the 50Hz signal-to-frame rate ratio for the first LCD TVs. Current full HD models (1920×1080) run at 100Hz using a technique called motion interpolation, basically adding fake extra frames between the original film’s frames to create smoother onscreen motion, especially useful for fast action sequences.

The first 200Hz LCDs have now hit the shelves, and two techniques are being used: some manufacturers are simply inserting more frames as before, but others are using the effect of strobing the LCD or LED backlight at extremely high speed, fooling the eye into believing it is seeing more frames than before, and motion therefore appears smoother still.

Text by Gavin Dudley. This article was taken from the May-June 2010 edition of Stuff magazine.