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Description:AQUOS 60" LE835 Series Black LED Flat Panel LCD HDTV - LC60LE835U/ 60" Class (60-1/32" Diagonal)/ AQUOS Quattron 3D Technology/ Quad Pixel Plus Technology/ Built-in Wi-FiUltraBrilliant LED System/ AquoMotion 240/ Connected TV with Vudu, CinemaNow And Netf |
Our price: 1949.18 USD |
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Good HDTVs aren't always good-looking. You can have a bright and colorful screen capable of reaching inky blacks while not being visually stunning in its design. As more features become available in less-expensive HDTVs, it's design flourishes that become part of the justification for premium prices. The Panasonic TC-L47DT50 is an ideal example of this premise. At $1,899.99 (direct), this 47-inch, LED-edgelit LCD HDTV is more expensive than our budget Editors' Choice, the 55-inch Vizio M3D550KD ($1,429.99, 4 stars), but offers a similar feature set. What you get for the extra $500: active-shutter 3D, a better-than-average sound system, and one of the prettiest bezels we've seen on an HDTV yet.
Editors' Note: This review is based on tests performed on the Panasonic TC-L47DT50, the 47-inch model in the same series. Besides the screen size difference, the $2,499.99 TC-L55DT50 is identical in features, and while we didn't perform lab tests on this specific model, we expect similar performance.
Design
Simply stated: The L47DT50 is gorgeous. Its bezel is constructed of metal with a glass overhang on the bottom edge that houses a glowing Panasonic logo in the middle its transparent surface. The design is clean and a refreshing change from the usual black bezels on most HDTVs. Behind the bezel, the right edge holds the standard power, input, channel up/down, and volume up/down buttons, and four HDMI inputs and two USB ports are lined up behind the left edge. The composite, component, cable, Ethernet, and optical audio ports face down on bottom edge, and all are easily accessible even if the HDTV is mounted on a wall.
The 9-inch remote is large and fairly simple, with big, rectangular buttons and a large, easy-to-find direction pad. It illuminates with the touch of a button, and has playback controls that even work with online services. It also has dedicated 3D, Internet Service, and SD/USB storage buttons for accessing useful features like 3D conversion, the Viera Connect menu, and media on an SD card or USB drive.
You can connect to online services and apps through Panasonic's Viera Connect service, which accesses the Internet through the HDTV's built-in Wi-Fi or Ethernet port. It supports Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube, and several other streaming video and music services. You can download apps and set up additional services through the Viera Connect store. It even includes a Web browser that supports HTML5, and you can make video calls with Skype if you purchase the optional $130 TY-CC20W Webcam. The browser loaded PCMag.com almost perfectly, though the font looks slightly different than it typically does on computers.
Performance
We test HDTVs with the Konica-Minolta CS-200 chromameter and DisplayMate test patterns, and we analyze color accuracy with Spectracal's CalMAN software. We perform basic brightness, contrast, and color temperature adjustments pretest, but don't otherwise calibrate the screen. Based on our tests, the L47DT50 reached a satisfying but not record-breaking peak white level of 275.58 cd/m2 and a black level of 0.03 cd/m2, for a contrast ratio of 9,186:1. The Vizio M3D550KD , on the other hand, reached respective levels of 364.75 cd/m2 and 0.02 cd/m2, for a nearly double contrast ratio of 18,237:1. Color levels were very accurate, with red and blue spot-on and green edging just slightly toward blue as seen in the chart below. The color squares are the ideal red, green, and blue values, and the colored circles are the screen's measured red, green, and blue values.
I watched the Piranha Blu-ray on the L47DT50, and was suitably impressed by the color balance and contrast. While the dark colors of the deep don't get quite as inky and black as the high-end Editors' Choice Sharp Elite Pro-60X5FD ($5,999.99, 4 stars), it gets satisfyingly dark. The edge lighting resulted in some slight bloom on the left edge of the screen, but not significantly more than similar edge-lit LCD HDTVs.
While the L47DT50 supports 3D, it doesn't come with any glasses. You need to get a pair of active shutter glasses from Panasonic for $80 each, adding to the cost of the HDTV if you want to use it as a 3D TV. I watched a demonstration video of Gran Turismo 5 for the PlayStation 3 in 3D, and the HDTV showed noticeable depth and little crosstalk, but the picture didn't quite pop off the screen like the Pro-60X5FD .
We don't usually consider HDTVs for their sound, because generally even very good HDTV speakers pale in comparison to add-on speakers or even an inexpensive soundbar. However, the L47DT50 is notable for its "8-Train" speaker system, a row of eight dome speakers and a subwoofer mounted on the back of the screen. It can't replace a high-end soundbar and it doesn't offer surround sound, but it's markedly louder and clearer than most other HDTV speakers, with the exception of the Bose VideoWave ($5,349, 4 stars), which is known for its audio prowess.
The L47DT50 consumes an average of 96 watts with no energy saving features enabled and an average of 83 watts with energy saving set to "Standard," which slightly dims the screen but is otherwise very watchable. This is a solid showing, but it doesn't quite hit the 66- and 48-watt levels of the 46-inch Sony KDL-46EX620 ($809.99, 3.5 stars) or the 55-inch LG 55LM6700 ($2,299.99, 4 stars), both LED-backlit LCD HDTVs like the Panasonic.
Sure, there are more impressive HDTVs than the $1,900 Panasonic TC-L47DT50. The LG 55LM6700 , for one, offers up glasses-included passive 3D and a cool motion-controlled remote, or there's the Sharp Elite Pro-60X5FD with its best-in-class picture, but they're both more expensive. You'll need to add to the L47DT50's price if you want 3D glasses, and it doesn't get quite as bright or dark as the larger, less expensive passive-3D Vizio M3D550KD. Still, if you value design and high-quality build, but don't want to spend more than $2,000, the L47DT50 is definitely worth considering. But if your main concern is getting more screen for less money, the Vizio stands as the best low-cost, big-screen option we've tested.
More HDTV Reviews:
Panasonic TC-L55DT50
Panasonic TC-L47DT50
Vizio M3D550KD
Sharp Elite Pro-60X5FD
Sharp Aquos LC-60LE640U
more
CNET Reader Rob asks:
I've been reading your articles on HDTV and find them very informative so, here's something I need cleared up. You mentioned how plasma TVs can control the brightness of individual pixels, made me think they should have a superior picture to LCD -- so I went looking at plasmas. I noticed that they seem to have a "washed out" look, an overall dimmer picture than LCD. Everywhere I go this seems to be the case. What's up with that? Thanks.
A common question, and a huge issue with plasmas, but not how you might think.
I, along with nearly every other professional TV reviewer, have long lauded plasmas for the picture quality, especially when it comes to black levels and contrast ratios. But if you frequent Internet forums, read the comments in articles, or talk to the average Joe, they say their LCD TV looks way better. Plasmas, they say, look washed out and dim.
The problem is not the TV, or the beholder. It's the store. For most people (TV reviewers excluded), the only place to directly compare two different televisions is in a local store. This could be anything from Best Buy to Costco to a specialty retailer. The lighting in nearly every store (especially Costco, and often BB as well) is significantly brighter than what you have at home.
This bright lighting negatively affects your perception of plasma TV performance in multiple ways. At the same time, it plays to LCD TVs strengths.
To start: LCD TVs are brighter, too bright, in many cases. If you're looking at a bright LCD in a brightly lit store, your irises are going to be tiny. As such, a perfectly normal plasma will look dim by comparison. Take these exact same TVs home, put them side by side, and the LCD will look excessively bright, perhaps requiring you to turn down its backlight. Once the two TVs' light outputs are more aligned, the better contrast ratio and black level of the plasma will give its image more "depth." It's important to understand what I mean by "contrast ratio," so check out "Contrast ratio (or how every TV manufacturer lies to you)."
The other way that plays to LCDs' strengths is their better ability to reject ambient light. This has changed somewhat in recent years as more LCDs have moved to glossy screen (which benefits contrast ratio, incidentally). The average LCD, though. is better able to deal with ambient light, so it will appear to have a better contrast ratio under the harsh lighting of a showroom floor, while the average plasma will look either washed out or will have distracting reflections.
This isn't to say all plasmas are like this. Some new Panasonic and Samsung models are rivaling LCDs in their ability to reject overhead lighting. Check out David's review of the Panasonic TC-P55ST50, specifically the "Bright lighting" part toward the end.
Now, if you watch a lot of TV during the day, or have a really brightly lit room, then an LCD is a great option. But if you're looking for the best performance, and you watch TV at night like most of us, plasmas are usually the better option. Is a plasma that does well with ambient lighting the best mix of both? Check out my full article "LED LCD vs. plasma vs. LCD" for a more in-depth comparison.
Coincidence that the higher priced TVs are the ones that look better with the chosen store lighting? I'll leave that to your own tastes on conspiracy theories (FWIW, I think it's a coincidence the stores and manufacturers are all too happy to exploit.)
Bottom line
The takeaway from this article is never to judge a TV in an environment with lighting dissimilar to your home. Costco and other big-box retailers, with their horrific florescent lighting, are the worst places to judge a TV's performance. Best Buy is not much better.
Other than reading reviews where a TV is professionally tested (including measuring black-level performance), the only place even close to offering a decent viewing environment is a local specialty retailer. Their selection may be more limited compared with a big-box store (or maybe not), but in their more reasonably lit showrooms, you can better judge performance of TVs.
Got a question for Geoff? Click "Geoffrey Morrison" below then click the "E-mail" link in the upper right to e-mail, wait for it...Geoffrey Morrison! If it's witty, amusing, and/or a good question, you may just see it in a post just like this one. No, I won't tell you what TV to buy. Yes, I'll probably truncate and/or clean up your e-mail. You can also send me a message on Twitter: @TechWriterGeoff.
We might as well get comfortable with rumors surrounding Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL ) all but inevitable full-sized TV set, since this speculation is here to stay.
The Apple-centric site Cult of Mac has a source that has allegedly laid eyes on a prototype for Apple's HDTV. The "well-placed" source claims to have seen the specific device that Steve Jobs was referring to when he told biographer Walter Isaacson he had "finally cracked it," referring to an integrated TV.
What will it look like?
The device supposedly physically looks like Apple's current Thunderbolt or LED Cinema Display monitors, complete with an iSight camera that will be used for FaceTime video calls, except "much larger." Those monitors feature 27-inch displays, which would be fairly modest for the TV market.
Source: Apple; 27-inch Thunderbolt Display.
Source: Apple; 27-inch Thunderbolt Display.
The report also says that Apple's virtual assistant Siri will make an appearance, which can be used to start a FaceTime call and presumably other functions that weren't mentioned specifically. Not much else was mentioned in the report, like other specifications, pricing, or time frame.
For comparison, here's the mockup our own Dari FitzGerald put together for me last year, based on what I think should make its way into the new device.
Graphic by Dari FitzGerald.
Graphic by Dari FitzGerald.
While Siri didn't make it into the new iPad, that was probably because not all iPads can rely on having network connectivity. For a stationary device that sits on your home Wi-Fi network all day, there's a strong case that Siri will be included. Ambient noise interference could be a challenge if you're sitting across the room, which is why I envisioned integration through an iPhone or other device.
Hold your iHorses
The timeframe is the biggest unknown. JPMorgan Chase's Mark Moskowitz doesn't think we'll see a full-blown Apple HDTV until 2014 but expects it to deliver a "differentiated" experience, notably without requiring "game-changing, content-related deals." He thinks the hardware and software integration, industrial design, and ease of use will be the real selling points.
On the other hand, NPD DisplaySearch director Paul Gagnon expects Apple's foray to be introduced later this year, but that won't ship until 2013, although conceding that he doesn't have any specific evidence. Gagnon does point out that Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn has invested $1.6 billion in Sharp's TV business, which can manufacture displays up to 60 inches.
Cutting in on Netflix?
There have also been reports that Apple has been talking with Epix, a movie-streaming service formed through a joint venture between Viacom's (Nasdaq: VIA ) Paramount Pictures, MGM, and Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE: LGF ) . Although these talks were supposedly related to Apple's current set-top box, or STB, the discussions are said to include future devices.
It just so happens that streaming king Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX ) took a big hit last week, when Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman said Epix would be available to rival streaming providers. Coincidence? Possibly, but also possibly not.
What not to expect
In terms of what type of technology the TV will use, I'd wager that it'll employ an LED-backlit LCD, similar to Apple's monitors. A separate NPD DisplaySearch report notes that LED-backlit TVs continue to penetrate the market and should soon lead to the demise of traditional cold-cathode fluorescent lamps, or CCFLs, by the end of 2014. As more than 80% of the CCFL industry is dedicated to TVs, CCFL technology is on its last legs.
As much as Universal Display (Nasdaq: PANL ) would love Apple to tap OLED technology, don't bet on it in Apple's TV. Even as Apple continues to research OLED technology, and I expect the company to adopt it eventually, it won't be in this device and it won't be so soon. Manufacturing costs remain prohibitively high -- LG is planning on launching a 55-inch OLED TV this month, but it costs nearly $8,000.
LED-backlit is the safest choice here.
Until next time
That mostly summarizes the latest round of Apple HDTV speculation, but this is far from the last you've heard of it. This rumor mill will keep chugging along until Apple's ready to storm into its next frontier.
Meanwhile, there's another massive new industrial revolution that's taking place within the manufacturing world and will disrupt the way products are crafted. There are 3 Stocks to Own for the New Industrial Revolution, and you can find out which companies they are for free. Check it out now while you still can.
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On paper, or on a website, the Samsung UN46D6000 looks like an all-around excellent HDTV, especially for a street price of around $1000 (as of 5/5/2012). While the UN46D6000 refreshes the screen at a rate of 120Hz, Samsung claims that the HDTV's “Clear Motion Rate” technology simulates the smoother motion you might see on a 240Hz set (more on that later). The set's sleek, easy-to-navigate Smart Hub feature provides access to your home network and the Internet. You can even control the set from your iPhone or Android device.
But you can't judge a television by its cover--or its stats. You can judge one by looking at the image quality, and here the UN46D6000 disappointed--especially in tests involving complex motion.
In the PCWorld Labs’ subjective tests for image quality, all four judges noted motion problems in our Mission Impossible III and The Dark Knight tests. When the camera panned over a brick wall in Mission Impossible (chapter 7), judges disagreed on whether the visible distortion was trivial ("minor motion problems") or serious ("wall doing the wave"). But everyone agreed that when the camera approached a skyscraper in a helicopter shot from The Dark Knight (chapter 9), it looked like a disaster. The building vibrated badly, with bits of it going briefly black. It looked like it was having trouble beaming down from the USS Enterprise.
Fortunately (and illogically), these problems are fixable by disabling the UN46D6000's “Clear Motion Rate” feature. Samsung says "Clear Motion Rate" technology uses a combination of the set's refresh rate, response time, image-processing speeds, and LED backlighting to improve fast-moving images. With this "feature" turned off, the Dark Knight scene looked fine. PCWorld's policy is to test HDTV image quality with this and similar features left on their default setting, so my discovery did not improve the set’s overall performance score.
With “Clear Motion Rate” turned on, the UN46D6000 performed reasonably well with less-lively video. Judges complained about minor skin-tone issues, contrast, and saturation. No one in our panel of judges was blown away by great-looking images, but no one was horrified, either.
Unfortunately, the set’s built-in speakers didn't sound very good. With the volume cranked all the way up, distortion was horrible. On the other hand, the cranked-up volume was also way too loud, so you probably would never play it at that level anyway. At 60 percent of volume--a loud but reasonable setting for watching a movie at home--the distortion was still noticeable. Stereo separation in the front tracks was very good, but the set's faux-surround-sound feature was only moderately effective.
That said, the built-in speakers of even the best HDTVs can't recreate today's movie soundtracks. If you really care about audio, you'll need to invest in a separate home theater sound system.
Most of the inputs (including all four HDMI ports) are mounted on the side of the television, where they can be easily accessed. Unfortunately, the VGA, ethernet, and coaxial connectors are on the back and, even worse, face down. Depending on where you place your HDTV, you may need to be a contortionist to access them.
When you first turn on the UN46D6000, a wizard walks you through the initial setup. Its clear explanations help, for the most part, but not always. For instance, when you tell it to look for digital cable stations, it asks you to pick between STD, HRC, and IRC, with no on-screen explanation. You'd have to check the manual to discover that "Most cable systems use STD." Once you've set up the UN46D6000, you can launch the colorful, attractive, and--most important--helpful main menu to change settings. Every option is explained, sometimes with graphics.
A Tools button on the remote control brings up a mini-menu of options you may frequently want to set. The remote is large and somewhat boxy, but felt fine to my hand. The buttons are large and well-placed, with the ones you're mostly likely to use in easy thumb locations. Press the key in the upper-right corner, and all the other keys light up. But you can't program the remote.
If you have an iOS or an Android device, and it can access the same home network as the HDTV (more about networking below), you can control the UN46D6000 via the Samsung Remote app. But once you get past the "Oh, wow!" factor, a remote control phone app has only one advantage over a real remote control: text entry. The Samsung app will bring up your phone's keyboard for some of the UN46D6000's text screens, but not all of them. For instance, you can use it to log into the TV's Social app, but not to search for a movie in Netflix.
Press the remote's Hub button, and you'll be taken to Samsung's "Smart Hub," a screen that gives you access to various entertainment sources coming to you via the Internet, your home network, or the television's USB port. The UN46D6000 doesn't come with built-in Wi-Fi; for network and Internet capabilities, you'll have to either plug in an ethernet cable or buy a separately sold wireless adapter.
Once you're connected to the Internet, the UN46D6000 brings you common streaming options such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, and Pandora. The aforementioned Social TV gives you Facebook and Twitter access, although you have to sign in via a separate Samsung account (which is free).
But one enticing, Internet-based Smart Hub feature disappoints: search. In theory, you can search for a movie or TV show, and find out where you can watch it among your various streaming services. But it doesn't support two popular services that would likely bring up a lot of search results on Smart Hub: Netflix and Hulu Plus.
The network connection that brings the Internet to your TV can also bring content from your computer. If your PC is running DLNA server software, such as Windows Media Player, it can send videos, photos, and music to the UN46D6000. If the computer and server software are up and running, you can control everything else from the TV.
A new feature that you'll find in the Smart Hub, SwipeIt, allows you to view videos and photos that reside on your Android or iOS device. You'll need to install the SwipeIt app on your phone or tablet to do this, and as with the remote control app, the device must be connected to your home network via Wi-Fi. I found this feature reasonably easy to set up, but bringing a photo up on my phone didn't display it on the TV. The trick, implied by the feature's name but not really intuitive, is to swipe upward on your phone's or tablet's screen to send the image or video to the UN46D6000.
Of course, you can also simply copy your music, photos, and videos to a flash drive and plug that into the UN46D6000. This TV has an exceptional slideshow feature, with six transition effects, background music (with a shuffle option), and other settings. It supports a reasonably large selection of video formats (five of the seven I tested), but audio-file support is limited to .mp3. You'll find the list of video formats on page 219 of the large online manual.
Which brings us to documentation. The UN46D6000 comes with a thin, 24-page manual that doubles as a quick setup guide. It's well designed and gets you through the basics, but that's about it. You won't find the real details here. Fortunately, there's more documentation; it's just not on paper. Press the remote's E-Manual button, and you'll get a clear, menu-based help environment where you can probably find the information you need. The Try Now on-screen button will take you from the E-Manual to the right location in the television's menu to do what you've been reading about.
And if that doesn't do it for you, there's the massive, 303-page full manual that you can download as a .PDF from Samsung's site (click "See All Downloads" under the Downloads header on the linked page).
The Samsung UN46D6000 has a lot of cool extras, including connected features, mobile apps, and slick menus for a very reasonable $1000 price. Motion handling is a weak spot, but some of the issues we encountered can be remedied by turning off the “Clear Motion Rate” feature. If it looked and sounded better, it would be a great TV. As it stands, it’s still a pretty good deal for the price.
The 46-inch Sony Bravia KDL-46EX523 doesn’t stand out from the HDTV pack in design, features, or picture quality, but once you look at its price and its range of connected features, it starts to get a little more interesting.
Priced at $990 (as of March 28, 2012), this set has a lot of features that a budget buyer might want, including an edge-lit LED display, full HD support, built-in Internet apps, and Wi-Fi capabilities that make it a good option for people who enjoy Netflix streaming. The major trade-offs include a lack of 3D, a slower-than-most 60Hz refresh rate, and good--but not great--picture quality.
In PCWorld's subjective tests, the Bravia KDL-46EX523 turned in decent scores across the board. Our panel of five reviewers gave it solid scores of Average, noting that colors occasionally looked a little muted and that the set had some motion issues, especially in test scenes containing a lot of panning or fine detail.
Colors on the KDL-46EX523 always seemed to be just slightly off in our tests. In our 720p NASCAR clip, which is designed to test fast-motion handling from an over-the-air broadcast, multiple judges noted that colors appeared muted and a little washed out next to other sets in our test pool. In our 1080i football clip, the field’s green grass seemed a bit too artificial, and the overall scene was noticeably less bright than it was on the other HDTVs in our test batch.
The KDL-46EX523's motion issues were most prominent in our horizontal-panning test, which is designed to bring motion problems to the forefront. All of our reviewers found the horizontal-panning test image to be blurry as it moved across the KDL-46EX523's screen, perhaps largely due to the set's low 60Hz refresh rate. Motion problems were also apparent in our Dark Knight Blu-ray clip, in which the check pattern of Morgan Freeman's suit shimmered and appeared to jump around.
In our testing, picture quality was generally okay. Off-axis viewing angles weren’t a problem up to about 45 degrees, though we did see a loss of contrast and brightness at moderate angles. In some scenes, especially in our Baraka clips, we saw some graininess, noise, and loss of detail, but nothing to be too concerned about considering the price.
The KDL-46EX523’s built-in speakers and audio options are standout features. The set sports two 10-watt rear-facing speakers, which are very loud for built-in units. When we sat approximately 8 feet away from the HDTV, the speakers offered a comfortable volume level at around 60 percent, but presented some distortion at full volume. You can adjust a few individual settings, including the treble, bass, and balance. Sound is deep and full, and the simulated surround-sound feature does a good job of imitating the real deal: In our casual tests, the simulated surround sound seemed to come from areas on either side of the set, though it didn’t exactly wrap around behind our ears.
The Sony Bravia KDL-46EX523 has a fairly basic design, punctuated by a two-color bezel: Your typical shiny black plastic borders the top, left, and right sides of the screen, while a slate-colored brushed-aluminum finish decorates the bottom. A silver Sony logo sits in the center of the brushed aluminum, and a Bravia logo resides in the upper-left corner. A few small LEDs on the lower-right corner indicate power and whether the timer is turned on.
With a screen measuring just under 2 inches thick, the KDL-46EX523 has a slim shape that should work well for wall mounting. If you'd rather not wall-mount this HDTV, however, it does come with a wide, rectangular, shiny black plastic stand that swivels 20 degrees to either side. The HDTV sits low on the stand, and doesn’t adjust vertically.
The set's buttons are located just behind the screen, on the lower-right side. Here you can control the power, channels, volume, and input; you'll also find a Home/Menu button for maneuvering through the menus.
A few ports--two USB 2.0 ports, one HDMI-in, one RGB/PC-in (VGA), and a headphone jack--sit on the left edge of the screen. The remaining ports are on the back-left area of the set; you get three additional HDMI-out ports, a digital audio-out (optical audio), a cable/antenna hookup, audio-in, a composite video hookup, a component-in (with audio), and an ethernet port. All ports are clearly labeled.
The KDL-46EX523 comes with a large, black remote with a flat back and a scooped, concave front where the buttons reside. The flat back, shiny and peppered with matte dots, has only two features: the Sony logo and a large, green-lined power button. (The back of the remote will blend right in if you have a minimalist living room, I guess.) The remote's front buttons include dedicated media buttons (for Netflix, Internet TV, and Qriocity), four programmable hot-buttons, and basic menu buttons such as Sync Menu, Display, Guide, Options, Home, and Return.
When you turn on the Sony Bravia KDL-46EX523 for the first time, you see an initial-setup wizard. It’s basic, but it hits all the major options: viewing environment, language/region, time, tuning for channels, network setup (wireless or wired), and automatic scanning for any software downloads.
The on-screen menus are sleek, attractive, and easy to navigate. Pressing the Home button on the remote brings up the main menu system, which resizes whatever you’re watching to about half the width of the screen; you can keep an eye on the programming while browsing the menus. From the main menu system, you can access the full boat of settings (picture and display settings, audio options, network setup, and input selection), Web applications, streaming services, and a list of customized favorites.
If you'd rather not go to the full menu system, you can press the Options button on the remote to pull up a truncated menu that lets you deal with the basics: adjusting picture and sound, adding a channel to a list of favorites, or selecting preset scene modes. From this menu, you can also program the picture-in-picture display, which lets you pick from a traditional small box or larger side-by-side viewing.
The KDL-46EX523 comes with a number of scene presets that optimize the display and audio for assorted content types (movies, sports, music, games, general, and an auto-selector among them). More-granular picture adjustments include the basic backlight, brightness, color, hue, temperature, and sharpness adjustments, as well as advanced settings for custom-mode users. Among the advanced settings are controls for black-level optimization, gamma adjustment, and white balance.
This set comes with a wide variety of Internet content, in addition to widgets, a built-in Web browser, and Skype. However, because neither a mic nor a camera is built in, you can use Skype only with a separately sold Sony microphone/camera attachment. Content-wise, the set offers Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, Netflix, and YouTube, as well as niche channels like NHL Vault and Internet radio channels such as Pandora and Slacker.
As the sub-$1000 price suggests, this isn't Sony's highest-end HDTV. Its refresh rate is only 60Hz, and it doesn't have all the bells, whistles, and advanced picture-adjustment settings that hard-core videophiles may be looking for.
However, it does offer a good blend of wireless connected features and decent performance for the price. Its interface and menus are easy to use, it has a built-in on-screen manual, and its ports are clearly labeled. On top of that, it sports a sleek design and a slim profile, so it should fit nicely into any living room.
The overall picture quality is just about average, with muted colors, motion-blur issues in some panning scenes, and a moiré effect in some highly detailed patterns. But the set produces good, loud simulated surround sound. In short, the Sony Bravia KDL-46EX523 won't win any prizes for design, performance, or picture quality, but it is an affordable model for users with basic needs who like to have a little Netflix as well as spending cash on the side.
The 46-inch Sony Bravia KDL-46EX523 doesn’t stand out from the HDTV pack in design, features, or picture quality, but once you look at its price and its range of connected features, it starts to get a little more interesting.
Priced at $990 (as of March 28, 2012), this set has a lot of features that a budget buyer might want, including an edge-lit LED display, full HD support, built-in Internet apps, and Wi-Fi capabilities that make it a good option for people who enjoy Netflix streaming. The major trade-offs include a lack of 3D, a slower-than-most 60Hz refresh rate, and good--but not great--picture quality.
In PCWorld's subjective tests, the Bravia KDL-46EX523 turned in decent scores across the board. Our panel of five reviewers gave it solid scores of Average, noting that colors occasionally looked a little muted and that the set had some motion issues, especially in test scenes containing a lot of panning or fine detail.
Colors on the KDL-46EX523 always seemed to be just slightly off in our tests. In our 720p NASCAR clip, which is designed to test fast-motion handling from an over-the-air broadcast, multiple judges noted that colors appeared muted and a little washed out next to other sets in our test pool. In our 1080i football clip, the field’s green grass seemed a bit too artificial, and the overall scene was noticeably less bright than it was on the other HDTVs in our test batch.
The KDL-46EX523's motion issues were most prominent in our horizontal-panning test, which is designed to bring motion problems to the forefront. All of our reviewers found the horizontal-panning test image to be blurry as it moved across the KDL-46EX523's screen, perhaps largely due to the set's low 60Hz refresh rate. Motion problems were also apparent in our Dark Knight Blu-ray clip, in which the check pattern of Morgan Freeman's suit shimmered and appeared to jump around.
In our testing, picture quality was generally okay. Off-axis viewing angles weren’t a problem up to about 45 degrees, though we did see a loss of contrast and brightness at moderate angles. In some scenes, especially in our Baraka clips, we saw some graininess, noise, and loss of detail, but nothing to be too concerned about considering the price.
The KDL-46EX523’s built-in speakers and audio options are standout features. The set sports two 10-watt rear-facing speakers, which are very loud for built-in units. When we sat approximately 8 feet away from the HDTV, the speakers offered a comfortable volume level at around 60 percent, but presented some distortion at full volume. You can adjust a few individual settings, including the treble, bass, and balance. Sound is deep and full, and the simulated surround-sound feature does a good job of imitating the real deal: In our casual tests, the simulated surround sound seemed to come from areas on either side of the set, though it didn’t exactly wrap around behind our ears.
The Sony Bravia KDL-46EX523 has a fairly basic design, punctuated by a two-color bezel: Your typical shiny black plastic borders the top, left, and right sides of the screen, while a slate-colored brushed-aluminum finish decorates the bottom. A silver Sony logo sits in the center of the brushed aluminum, and a Bravia logo resides in the upper-left corner. A few small LEDs on the lower-right corner indicate power and whether the timer is turned on.
With a screen measuring just under 2 inches thick, the KDL-46EX523 has a slim shape that should work well for wall mounting. If you'd rather not wall-mount this HDTV, however, it does come with a wide, rectangular, shiny black plastic stand that swivels 20 degrees to either side. The HDTV sits low on the stand, and doesn’t adjust vertically.
The set's buttons are located just behind the screen, on the lower-right side. Here you can control the power, channels, volume, and input; you'll also find a Home/Menu button for maneuvering through the menus.
A few ports--two USB 2.0 ports, one HDMI-in, one RGB/PC-in (VGA), and a headphone jack--sit on the left edge of the screen. The remaining ports are on the back-left area of the set; you get three additional HDMI-out ports, a digital audio-out (optical audio), a cable/antenna hookup, audio-in, a composite video hookup, a component-in (with audio), and an ethernet port. All ports are clearly labeled.
The KDL-46EX523 comes with a large, black remote with a flat back and a scooped, concave front where the buttons reside. The flat back, shiny and peppered with matte dots, has only two features: the Sony logo and a large, green-lined power button. (The back of the remote will blend right in if you have a minimalist living room, I guess.) The remote's front buttons include dedicated media buttons (for Netflix, Internet TV, and Qriocity), four programmable hot-buttons, and basic menu buttons such as Sync Menu, Display, Guide, Options, Home, and Return.
When you turn on the Sony Bravia KDL-46EX523 for the first time, you see an initial-setup wizard. It’s basic, but it hits all the major options: viewing environment, language/region, time, tuning for channels, network setup (wireless or wired), and automatic scanning for any software downloads.
The on-screen menus are sleek, attractive, and easy to navigate. Pressing the Home button on the remote brings up the main menu system, which resizes whatever you’re watching to about half the width of the screen; you can keep an eye on the programming while browsing the menus. From the main menu system, you can access the full boat of settings (picture and display settings, audio options, network setup, and input selection), Web applications, streaming services, and a list of customized favorites.
If you'd rather not go to the full menu system, you can press the Options button on the remote to pull up a truncated menu that lets you deal with the basics: adjusting picture and sound, adding a channel to a list of favorites, or selecting preset scene modes. From this menu, you can also program the picture-in-picture display, which lets you pick from a traditional small box or larger side-by-side viewing.
The KDL-46EX523 comes with a number of scene presets that optimize the display and audio for assorted content types (movies, sports, music, games, general, and an auto-selector among them). More-granular picture adjustments include the basic backlight, brightness, color, hue, temperature, and sharpness adjustments, as well as advanced settings for custom-mode users. Among the advanced settings are controls for black-level optimization, gamma adjustment, and white balance.
This set comes with a wide variety of Internet content, in addition to widgets, a built-in Web browser, and Skype. However, because neither a mic nor a camera is built in, you can use Skype only with a separately sold Sony microphone/camera attachment. Content-wise, the set offers Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, Netflix, and YouTube, as well as niche channels like NHL Vault and Internet radio channels such as Pandora and Slacker.
As the sub-$1000 price suggests, this isn't Sony's highest-end HDTV. Its refresh rate is only 60Hz, and it doesn't have all the bells, whistles, and advanced picture-adjustment settings that hard-core videophiles may be looking for.
However, it does offer a good blend of wireless connected features and decent performance for the price. Its interface and menus are easy to use, it has a built-in on-screen manual, and its ports are clearly labeled. On top of that, it sports a sleek design and a slim profile, so it should fit nicely into any living room.
The overall picture quality is just about average, with muted colors, motion-blur issues in some panning scenes, and a moiré effect in some highly detailed patterns. But the set produces good, loud simulated surround sound. In short, the Sony Bravia KDL-46EX523 won't win any prizes for design, performance, or picture quality, but it is an affordable model for users with basic needs who like to have a little Netflix as well as spending cash on the side.
May 8 2012, 1:24pm CDT | by Shane McGlaun
This is interesting, Cult of Mac has a source that claims to have seen the new Apple TV in action. We aren't talking about the little set-top box that has been around for a while, rather the source... Full Story below
Quote:
"the Apple HDTV looks like Apple’s current lineup of LED-backlit Cinema Displays but is ‘much bigger.’ It has a built-in iSight camera for making free FaceTime video conference calls. And it has Siri, the iPhone 4S’s voice-activated virtual assistant."
Source: Softpedia
This is interesting, Cult of Mac has a source that claims to have seen the new Apple TV in action. We aren't talking about the little set-top box that has been around for a while, rather the source claims to have seen the rumored Apple HDTV set in action. According to the source, the version viewed was a prototype unit and looks a lot like the current crop of LED backlit Cinema Displays.
However, the source claims that Apple HDTV is "much bigger" than this computer displays. Other tidbits the source drops include that the TV has an integrated camera for video calls and rocks Siri. The camera is said to be able to track the users face as they walk around the room. There are no tidbits on price or launch at this time.
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Dec 29 2011
Shane McGlaun
Leading our review center, Shane knows technology inside out. His
extensive experience in testing computer hardware and consumer
electronics enable him to effectively qualify new products and trends. If you want us review your product, please contact Shane.
Shane can be contacted directly at shane@i4u.com.
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It was really just a matter of time.
A source is telling Apple (Nasdasq: AAPL) watcher CultofMac.com that a prototype exists. It essentially looks like a supersized version of the 27-inch LED-backlit Thunderbolt Display that is currently available as a monitor, complete with the iSight camera that will let owners use FaceTime to video chat from their living rooms.
Obviously the brain of this smart television will be much smarter. The source claims that Siri -- the digital assistant that was introduced with the iPhone 4S but didn't make its way to the new iPad -- will also be part of the new TV.
This all sounds great, but we all know how unnamed sources have a funny way of being wrong more often than they're right. And even if Apple has carved out a prototype, that obviously doesn't mean that the company will actually be putting it out.
However, the pressure on the company to put one out is mounting. The majority of Apple's revenue is being generated by the iPhone. The world's most valuable company needs to overcome flattish Mac sales and declining iPod sales. Even iPad sales -- which are still growing at a brisk pace -- fell short of the 13 million that analysts were targeting in the company's latest quarter.
An Apple HDTV would be nice. In time for the holiday shopping season would be ideal.
What if it's not what consumers want?
Learning from Google TV's mistakes
Google (Nasdaq: GOOG ) is in the process of giving Google TV another go. Korea's LG -- the world's second largest manufacturer of televisions -- is confirming that it will roll out smart TVs fueled by Google TV later this month.
We all know had badly the first generation flopped. Google had marquee partners attached to the launch, but the dot-com darling fumbled its end of the bargain. The interface was too limited and not intuitive enough, though that has been largely corrected through eventual software updates. The bigger problem -- and one that remains a sticking point -- is that Google has failed to play nice with the content creators.
Google TV wanted to do to televisions what Android did to smartphones, but the market dynamics have never been the same. Developers race to have their apps ported and made available on Android. Video creators, on the other hand, want tighter control of how their content is being consumed.
Will Apple be able to roll out a TV that plays broadcaster and network streams? Will Apple succeed in rolling out the ideal television service where folks only pay for the channels and content they watch?
It's not a matter of seeing how big Apple dreams. Unlike smartphones, where app developers want the same thing that consumers wants -- access -- there's a disconnection between what video consumers want and what video creators are offering.
Tinseltown can't afford to give viewers a choice of channels or free access to Web streams, because that would undercut the money that studios are presently making through costly cable and satellite television companies.
Your Apple HDTV may look great, but paying a premium for an appliance that doesn't excel at delivering the video streams that buyers want is going to flop.
Shortcomings beyond the thorny content issue
Apple is trying. It just may not like the answers that it will hear. CBS (NYSE: CBS ) admitted late last year that Apple approached the media giant, but CBS passed on Apple's offer of a revenue-sharing arrangement in a streaming TV service.
However, even if Apple were able to magically get cable networks and production studios to sacrifice revenue in order to give consumers what they want, there are plenty of other reasons why the Apple HDTV will never come close to the iPhone or even the iPad.
It's great that a prototype is reportedly out there, but Apple has a lot of work to do and obstacles to clear if it wants to succeed.
Thinking different
The next trillion dollar revolution will be in mobile, but the best investing play isn't necessarily Apple. If you want to cash in on the upcoming trend, a new report will get you up to speed. Yes, it's as free as this article, but it won't last forever so check it out now.
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CNET Reader Rob asks:
I've been reading your articles on HDTV and find them very informative so, here's something I need cleared up. You mentioned how plasma TVs can control the brightness of individual pixels, made me think they should have a superior picture to LCD -- so I went looking at plasmas. I noticed that they seem to have a "washed out" look, an overall dimmer picture than LCD. Everywhere I go this seems to be the case. What's up with that? Thanks.
A common question, and a huge issue with plasmas, but not how you might think.
I, along with nearly every other professional TV reviewer, have long lauded plasmas for the picture quality, especially when it comes to black levels and contrast ratios. But if you frequent Internet forums, read the comments in articles, or talk to the average Joe, they say their LCD TV looks way better. Plasmas, they say, look washed out and dim.
The problem is not the TV, or the beholder. It's the store. For most people (TV reviewers excluded), the only place to directly compare two different televisions is in a local store. This could be anything from Best Buy to Costco to a specialty retailer. The lighting in nearly every store (especially Costco, and often BB as well) is significantly brighter than what you have at home.
This bright lighting negatively affects your perception of plasma TV performance in multiple ways. At the same time, it plays to LCD TVs strengths.
To start: LCD TVs are brighter, too bright, in many cases. If you're looking at a bright LCD in a brightly lit store, your irises are going to be tiny. As such, a perfectly normal plasma will look dim by comparison. Take these exact same TVs home, put them side by side, and the LCD will look excessively bright, perhaps requiring you to turn down its backlight. Once the two TVs' light outputs are more aligned, the better contrast ratio and black level of the plasma will give its image more "depth." It's important to understand what I mean by "contrast ratio," so check out "Contrast ratio (or how every TV manufacturer lies to you)."
The other way that plays to LCDs' strengths is their better ability to reject ambient light. This has changed somewhat in recent years as more LCDs have moved to glossy screen (which benefits contrast ratio, incidentally). The average LCD, though. is better able to deal with ambient light, so it will appear to have a better contrast ratio under the harsh lighting of a showroom floor, while the average plasma will look either washed out or will have distracting reflections.
This isn't to say all plasmas are like this. Some new Panasonic and Samsung models are reviling LCDs in their ability to reject overhead lighting. Check out David's review of the Panasonic TC-P55ST50, specifically the "Bright lighting" part toward the end.
Now, if you watch a lot of TV during the day, or have a really brightly lit room, then an LCD is a great option. But if you're looking for the best performance, and you watch TV at night like most of us, plasmas are usually the better option. Is a plasma that does well with ambient lighting the best mix of both? Check out my full article "LED LCD vs. plasma vs. LCD" for a more in-depth comparison.
Coincidence that the higher priced TVs are the ones that look better with the chosen store lighting? I'll leave that to your own tastes on conspiracy theories (FWIW, I think it's a coincidence the stores and manufacturers are all too happy to exploit.)
Bottom line
The takeaway from this article is never to judge a TV in an environment with lighting dissimilar to your home. Costco and other big-box retailers, with their horrific florescent lighting, are the worst places to judge a TV's performance. Best Buy is not much better.
Other than reading reviews where a TV is professionally tested (including measuring black-level performance), the only place even close to offering a decent viewing environment is a local specialty retailer. Their selection may be more limited compared with a big-box store (or maybe not), but in their more reasonably lit showrooms, you can better judge performance of TVs.
Got a question for Geoff? Click "Geoffrey Morrison" below then click the "E-mail" link in the upper right to e-mail, wait for it...Geoffrey Morrison! If it's witty, amusing, and/or a good question, you may just see it in a post just like this one. No, I won't tell you what TV to buy. Yes, I'll probably truncate and/or clean up your e-mail. You can also send me a message on Twitter: @TechWriterGeoff.
1 day
Toshiba
Most people never change their TV’s user settings. This is sad, as most TVs look their worst with the standard “out of the box” factory presets.
Our tips on picture optimization will go a long way to getting you a better TV picture for little or no cash.
We’ll begin with the basics:
Room lighting
Before making any adjustments, you should be aware that proper room lighting is very important in getting a better HDTV image. The two biggest obstacles to a better picture are screen reflections and high ambient light levels.
You can solve the first problem by moving any lamp that is opposite the screen, or angling your seating or the TV so that fixed lighting does not reflect towards you while you're watching.
As for the room's overall ambient light levels, try to bring them down as much as you can. For daytime viewing, this means closing blinds or opaque curtains. For evenings, lower any light dimmers, use lower output light bulbs or simply shut off some lamps. (Check out HD Guru's article on high ambient light issues for more on this topic.)
Viewing distance
If you think about it, it makes sense that there are maximum viewing distances where people with “normal” eyesight can see all the resolution of a given HDTV screen size. The larger the screen, the farther away you can sit, but it's very easy to find yourself out of range. Sitting outside the maximum distance will cause you to lose detail. For the maximum viewing distance for your chosen screen size (that is, how close together your TV and your couch need to be), check out our HDTV seating distance chart.
Sources and connections
If you want to see a high-definition image, you’ll need an HDTV signal, source box and an HD connection. Sounds very basic, but you would be amazed how many times we’ve seen people viewing their HDTVs using a standard defintion cable box or the wrong connection.
If you use cable TV, you’ll need a high-definition cable box. Satellite users require an HD receiver. Over-the-air antenna users get HD automatically by tuning to your local high-def channels.
In addition to the HD box you’ll need to learn which channels are in high definition, as many cable providers send the same content on two channels, one in standard-def 4:3 aspect ratio (you’ll see bars to the left and right of the picture) and one in high-def 16:9 aspect ratio.
Next, you must make sure the output of the set top box (STB) is set to 1080i. Consult the box owner’s manual or call your cable/satellite provider for instructions to adjust your specific STB.
Last, you need an HDMI cable for the best connection between the STB and your HDTV. They are inexpensive from Amazon and Monoprice.com, and we have written extensively on a how dealers try to sell you overpriced HDMI cables that perform no better than quality inexpensive ones. There is no reason to buy a 2-meter HDMI cable for $40, $50 or more, when you can spend $6 to $8 for it, including free shipping. (Hi-Speed is the designation for HDMI cables that are capable of handling all HDTV signals including Blu-ray 3-D.)
User controls
All LCD and plasma TVs have controls for brightness (black level), contrast (white level), color (saturation), tint and sharpness. Optimizing these controls will produce the best image, with the deepest blacks and “punchiest” whites possible.
There are several discs you can buy that will explain these controls and provide test signals so you can set them correctly for your viewing environment.
The most popular discs are the Disney WOW: World of Wonder ($25.99), Spears Munsil High-Definition Benchmark ($25) and Digital Video Essentials ($14.50). For more on setting these controls check out our “setting up your new HDTV article” here. For a comparison and review of these test discs, go to our test disc review here.
The backlight control is an additional control available on most LED LCD HDTVs. Our set-up article covers it. For more on backlight control go here.
Professional calibration
For the best image possible, an ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) calibration will optimize advanced controls — such as fine tuning the TV's color temperature to the industry D6500K standard — in addition to optimizing other controls usually found under the “advanced” heading in the TV’s user menu. The quality of an ISF calibration is dependent on the calibrator’s test equipment (which includes a color analyzer or a spectroradiometer), skill and experience. For a list of calibrators in your area go to the ISF website here.
Are you the one in five?
According to a Nielsen survey, one in five HDTVs is not being fed a high-definition image and therefore have never had TVs tweaked to maximum performance. By following our recommendations, you’ll see a real improvement in your HDTV’s picture quality.
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