Supersize your screen for the big game
If you're planning to buy an HDTV to watch the big game between New England and New York, do yourself a favor and get something BIG.
Football looks best in high-def that's blown up monster-size. We've selected a few of the biggest HDTVs we've reviewed in the last year--call 'em our offensive line--and picked the best for you to size up. When a 50-incher is small, you know you're in the pros.
Though you can spend as little as a grand on a 60-incher, we'd recommend digging a bit deeper for the improvements in picture quality. There's also a couple of tips for getting the best TV for your living space here. A TV's for life, not just for the holidays.
Panasonic TC-P65VT30 (65-inch)
Superb all-around picture quality, anchored by the deepest plasma black levels of the year, make the Panasonic TC-PVT30 series one of the the best-performing TVs we've tested in 2011. Read the full review.
Sharp Elite PRO-60X5FD (60-inch)
The pricey Sharp Elite LED-based LCD produces the best overall picture quality of any TV we've reviewed since 2008.
Read the full review.
Samsung PN64D7000 (64-inch)
With picture quality on par with the best TVs we've ever tested, the Samsung PND7000 plasma represents an excellent value for videophiles who don't demand to own the top of the line. Read the full review.
Sony Bravia KDL-60EX720 (60-inch)
The picture quality of Sony's KDL-EX720 shows some flaws, but its efficiency, design, and well-stocked feature list will win plenty of converts.
Read the full review.
Panasonic TC-P65ST30 (46-inch)
If you can live with its homely design, the excellent picture quality and feature set of the Panasonic TC-PST30 series combine to make it one of the best plasma TV values available.
Read the full review.
Looking for specs and more information? Compare these TVs head-to-head. Click through to the reviews for additional screen sizes.
Only TVs we've actually reviewed made the list, but if you have an alternate to suggest, leave a comment.
Supersize your screen for the big game
If you're planning to buy an HDTV to watch the big game between New England and New York, do yourself a favor and get something BIG.
Football looks best in high-def that's blown up monster-size. We've selected a few of the biggest HDTVs we've reviewed in the last year--call 'em our offensive line--and picked the best for you to size up. When a 50-incher is small, you know you're in the pros.
Though you can spend as little as a grand on a 60-incher, we'd recommend digging a bit deeper for the improvements in picture quality. There's also a couple of tips for getting the best TV for your living space here. A TV's for life, not just for the holidays.
Panasonic TC-P65VT30 (65-inch)
Superb all-around picture quality, anchored by the deepest plasma black levels of the year, make the Panasonic TC-PVT30 series one of the the best-performing TVs we've tested in 2011. Read the full review.
Sharp Elite PRO-60X5FD (60-inch)
The pricey Sharp Elite LED-based LCD produces the best overall picture quality of any TV we've reviewed since 2008.
Read the full review.
Samsung PN64D7000 (64-inch)
With picture quality on par with the best TVs we've ever tested, the Samsung PND7000 plasma represents an excellent value for videophiles who don't demand to own the top of the line. Read the full review.
Sony Bravia KDL-60EX720 (60-inch)
The picture quality of Sony's KDL-EX720 shows some flaws, but its efficiency, design, and well-stocked feature list will win plenty of converts.
Read the full review.
Panasonic TC-P65ST30 (46-inch)
If you can live with its homely design, the excellent picture quality and feature set of the Panasonic TC-PST30 series combine to make it one of the best plasma TV values available.
Read the full review.
Looking for specs and more information? Compare these TVs head-to-head. Click through to the reviews for additional screen sizes.
Only TVs we've actually reviewed made the list, but if you have an alternate to suggest, leave a comment.
2012 TVs: Every new HDTV compared
Here's nearly all of the information I've been able to get from CES and since regarding the shiny new TVs of 2012.
I know it's not every TV; minor brands aren't represented, and lack of information from some manufacturers (namely Samsung) prevents me from capturing a few midrange and entry-level models. But as of press time I'm confident that the chart above contains the most comprehensive, current information on forthcoming 2012 models available anywhere.
This information isn't available on manufacturer Web sites yet and occasionally consists of exclusive tidbits told to me by the TV makers directly.
In all, more than 150 TVs occupy the rows and columns above, ranging from groundbreaking big-screen OLEDs to a 24-inch model with, yes, a built-in DVD player. None of them is on sale now.
Chart notes
An entry of "X" or a brief description (such as "1mm" or "4 mode") means the TV has the feature. A blank entry means it does not. An entry of "TBD" means I don't know yet, usually because the manufacturer hasn't yet released the information, typically pricing and availability.
I limited the chart to features I think matter, focusing on those that differentiate one model from the next. For example, I don't list refresh rate (120Hz, 240Hz, and so on) because I don't think it matters enough to justify spending more on any TV. The same goes for numerous other manufacturer-supplied specs, like contrast ratio and viewing angle, that you won't find on these tables. In general you can safely ignore these specs when shopping for a TV.
For the most part I don't yet have in-depth specs anyway, and don't expect to until these models appear on manufacturer Web sites. The same goes for basics like dimensions and number of inputs. What in-depth info I do have (that matters) can be found in the posts and explanations of features linked to from the chart, and in the individual manufacturer breakdowns below. Check LG's breakdown, for example, if you want find out more about "LED+."
I plan to update the tables whenever new details, such as pricing and availability, or the introduction of a new series I deem worthy to include, become known. And when I'm able to review any of these sets, I'll link the charts to those reviews.
All updates will be tracked in the "Changelog" sections of the blog posts linked at the left (and on my Twitter feed); I won't clutter this post with them. Vizio and Toshiba didn't get dedicated breakdown posts of their own, but I threw them into the chart anyway.
As always, please credit CNET if you use this information. And feel free to leave a comment below if you have any feedback.
Update, February 1:
Added "Chart notes" section. -- DK
2012 TVs: Every new HDTV compared
Here's nearly all of the information I've been able to get from CES and since regarding the shiny new TVs of 2012.
I know it's not every TV; minor brands aren't represented, and lack of information from some manufacturers (namely Samsung) prevents me from capturing a few midrange and entry-level models. But as of press time I'm confident that the chart above contains the most comprehensive, current information on forthcoming 2012 models available anywhere.
This information isn't available on manufacturer Web sites yet and occasionally consists of exclusive tidbits told to me by the TV makers directly.
In all, more than 150 TVs occupy the rows and columns above, ranging from groundbreaking big-screen OLEDs to a 24-inch model with, yes, a built-in DVD player. None of them is on sale now.
Chart notes
An entry of "X" or a brief description (such as "1mm" or "4 mode") means the TV has the feature. A blank entry means it does not. An entry of "TBD" means I don't know yet, usually because the manufacturer hasn't yet released the information, typically pricing and availability.
I limited the chart to features I think matter, focusing on those that differentiate one model from the next. For example, I don't list refresh rate (120Hz, 240Hz, and so on) because I don't think it matters enough to justify spending more on any TV. The same goes for numerous other manufacturer-supplied specs, like contrast ratio and viewing angle, that you won't find on these tables. In general you can safely ignore these specs when shopping for a TV.
For the most part I don't yet have in-depth specs anyway, and don't expect to until these models appear on manufacturer Web sites. The same goes for basics like dimensions and number of inputs. What in-depth info I do have (that matters) can be found in the posts and explanations of features linked to from the chart, and in the individual manufacturer breakdowns below. Check LG's breakdown, for example, if you want find out more about "LED+."
I plan to update the tables whenever new details, such as pricing and availability, or the introduction of a new series I deem worthy to include, become known. And when I'm able to review any of these sets, I'll link the charts to those reviews.
All updates will be tracked in the "Changelog" sections of the blog posts linked at the left (and on my Twitter feed); I won't clutter this post with them. Vizio and Toshiba didn't get dedicated breakdown posts of their own, but I threw them into the chart anyway.
As always, please credit CNET if you use this information. And feel free to leave a comment below if you have any feedback.
Update, February 1:
Added "Chart notes" section. -- DK
Supersize your screen for the big game
If you're planning to buy an HDTV to watch the big game between New England and New York, do yourself a favor and get something BIG.
Football looks best in high-def that's blown up monster-size. We've selected a few of the biggest HDTVs we've reviewed in the last year--call 'em our offensive line--and picked the best for you to size up. When a 50-incher is small, you know you're in the pros.
Though you can spend as little as a grand on a 60-incher, we'd recommend digging a bit deeper for the improvements in picture quality. There's also a couple of tips for getting the best TV for your living space here. A TV's for life, not just for the holidays.
Panasonic TC-P65VT30 (65-inch)
Superb all-around picture quality, anchored by the deepest plasma black levels of the year, make the Panasonic TC-PVT30 series one of the the best-performing TVs we've tested in 2011. Read the full review.
Sharp Elite PRO-60X5FD (60-inch)
The pricey Sharp Elite LED-based LCD produces the best overall picture quality of any TV we've reviewed since 2008.
Read the full review.
Samsung PN64D7000 (64-inch)
With picture quality on par with the best TVs we've ever tested, the Samsung PND7000 plasma represents an excellent value for videophiles who don't demand to own the top of the line. Read the full review.
Sony Bravia KDL-60EX720 (60-inch)
The picture quality of Sony's KDL-EX720 shows some flaws, but its efficiency, design, and well-stocked feature list will win plenty of converts.
Read the full review.
Panasonic TC-P65ST30 (46-inch)
If you can live with its homely design, the excellent picture quality and feature set of the Panasonic TC-PST30 series combine to make it one of the best plasma TV values available.
Read the full review.
Looking for specs and more information? Compare these TVs head-to-head. Click through to the reviews for additional screen sizes.
Only TVs we've actually reviewed made the list, but if you have an alternate to suggest, leave a comment.
Super-size your screen for the big game
If you're planning to buy an HDTV to watch the big game between New England and New York, do yourself a favor and get something BIG.
Football looks best in high-def that's blown up monster-size. We've selected a few of the biggest HDTVs we've reviewed in the last year--call 'em our offensive line--and picked the best for you to size up. When a 50-incher is small, you know you're in the pros.
Though you can spend as little as a grand on a 60-incher, we'd recommend digging a bit deeper for the improvements in picture quality. There's also a couple of tips for getting the best TV for your living space here. A TV's for life, not just for the holidays.
Panasonic TC-P65VT30 (65-inch)
Superb all-around picture quality, anchored by the deepest plasma black levels of the year, make the Panasonic TC-PVT30 series one of the the best-performing TVs we've tested in 2011. Read the full review.
Sharp Elite PRO-60X5FD (60-inch)
The pricey Sharp Elite LED-based LCD produces the best overall picture quality of any TV we've reviewed since 2008.
Read the full review.
Samsung PN64D7000 (64-inch)
With picture quality on par with the best TVs we've ever tested, the Samsung PND7000 plasma represents an excellent value for videophiles who don't demand to own the top of the line. Read the full review.
Sony Bravia KDL-60EX720 (60-inch)
The picture quality of Sony's KDL-EX720 shows some flaws, but its efficiency, design, and well-stocked feature list will win plenty of converts.
Read the full review.
Panasonic TC-P65ST30 (46-inch)
If you can live with its homely design, the excellent picture quality and feature set of the Panasonic TC-PST30 series combine to make it one of the best plasma TV values available.
Read the full review.
Looking for specs and more information? Compare these TVs head-to-head. Click through to the reviews for additional screen sizes.
Only TVs we've actually reviewed made the list, but if you have an alternate to suggest, leave a comment.
Supersize your screen for the big game
If you're planning to buy an HDTV to watch the big game between New England and New York, do yourself a favor and get something BIG.
Football looks best in high-def that's blown up monster-size. We've selected a few of the biggest HDTVs we've reviewed in the last year--call 'em our offensive line--and picked the best for you to size up. When a 50-incher is small, you know you're in the pros.
Though you can spend as little as a grand on a 60-incher, we'd recommend digging a bit deeper for the improvements in picture quality. There's also a couple of tips for getting the best TV for your living space here. A TV's for life, not just for the holidays.
Panasonic TC-P65VT30 (65-inch)
Superb all-around picture quality, anchored by the deepest plasma black levels of the year, make the Panasonic TC-PVT30 series one of the the best-performing TVs we've tested in 2011. Read the full review.
Sharp Elite PRO-60X5FD (60-inch)
The pricey Sharp Elite LED-based LCD produces the best overall picture quality of any TV we've reviewed since 2008.
Read the full review.
Samsung PN64D7000 (64-inch)
With picture quality on par with the best TVs we've ever tested, the Samsung PND7000 plasma represents an excellent value for videophiles who don't demand to own the top of the line. Read the full review.
Sony Bravia KDL-60EX720 (60-inch)
The picture quality of Sony's KDL-EX720 shows some flaws, but its efficiency, design, and well-stocked feature list will win plenty of converts.
Read the full review.
Panasonic TC-P65ST30 (46-inch)
If you can live with its homely design, the excellent picture quality and feature set of the Panasonic TC-PST30 series combine to make it one of the best plasma TV values available.
Read the full review.
Looking for specs and more information? Compare these TVs head-to-head. Click through to the reviews for additional screen sizes.
Only TVs we've actually reviewed made the list, but if you have an alternate to suggest, leave a comment.
Super-size your screen for the big game
If you're planning to buy an HDTV to watch the big game between New England and New York, do yourself a favor and get something BIG.
Football looks best in high-def that's blown up monster-size. We've selected a few of the biggest HDTVs we've reviewed in the last year--call 'em our offensive line--and picked the best for you to size up. When a 50-incher is small, you know you're in the pros.
Though you can spend as little as a grand on a 60-incher, we'd recommend digging a bit deeper for the improvements in picture quality. There's also a couple of tips for getting the best TV for your living space here. A TV's for life, not just for the holidays.
Panasonic TC-P65VT30 (65-inch)
Superb all-around picture quality, anchored by the deepest plasma black levels of the year, make the Panasonic TC-PVT30 series one of the the best-performing TVs we've tested in 2011. Read the full review.
Sharp Elite PRO-60X5FD (60-inch)
The pricey Sharp Elite LED-based LCD produces the best overall picture quality of any TV we've reviewed since 2008.
Read the full review.
Samsung PN64D7000 (64-inch)
With picture quality on par with the best TVs we've ever tested, the Samsung PND7000 plasma represents an excellent value for videophiles who don't demand to own the top of the line. Read the full review.
Sony Bravia KDL-60EX720 (60-inch)
The picture quality of Sony's KDL-EX720 shows some flaws, but its efficiency, design, and well-stocked feature list will win plenty of converts.
Read the full review.
Panasonic TC-P65ST30 (46-inch)
If you can live with its homely design, the excellent picture quality and feature set of the Panasonic TC-PST30 series combine to make it one of the best plasma TV values available.
Read the full review.
Looking for specs and more information? Compare these TVs head-to-head. Click through to the reviews for additional screen sizes.
Only TVs we've actually reviewed made the list, but if you have an alternate to suggest, leave a comment.
Supersize your screen for the big game
If you're planning to buy an HDTV to watch the big game between New England and New York, do yourself a favor and get something BIG.
Football looks best in high-def that's blown up monster-size. We've selected a few of the biggest HDTVs we've reviewed in the last year--call 'em our offensive line--and picked the best for you to size up. When a 50-incher is small, you know you're in the pros.
Though you can spend as little as a grand on a 60-incher, we'd recommend digging a bit deeper for the improvements in picture quality. There's also a couple of tips for getting the best TV for your living space here. A TV's for life, not just for the holidays.
Panasonic TC-P65VT30 (65-inch)
Superb all-around picture quality, anchored by the deepest plasma black levels of the year, make the Panasonic TC-PVT30 series one of the the best-performing TVs we've tested in 2011. Read the full review.
Sharp Elite PRO-60X5FD (60-inch)
The pricey Sharp Elite LED-based LCD produces the best overall picture quality of any TV we've reviewed since 2008.
Read the full review.
Samsung PN64D7000 (64-inch)
With picture quality on par with the best TVs we've ever tested, the Samsung PND7000 plasma represents an excellent value for videophiles who don't demand to own the top of the line. Read the full review.
Sony Bravia KDL-60EX720 (60-inch)
The picture quality of Sony's KDL-EX720 shows some flaws, but its efficiency, design, and well-stocked feature list will win plenty of converts.
Read the full review.
Panasonic TC-P65ST30 (46-inch)
If you can live with its homely design, the excellent picture quality and feature set of the Panasonic TC-PST30 series combine to make it one of the best plasma TV values available.
Read the full review.
Looking for specs and more information? Compare these TVs head-to-head. Click through to the reviews for additional screen sizes.
Only TVs we've actually reviewed made the list, but if you have an alternate to suggest, leave a comment.
Sony Bloggie Live HD Camera (Silver)
The Sony Bloggie Live HD seems like a last-ditch effort to keep the minicamcorder category relevant as smartphones and point-and-shoots and other small video devices squeeze them out of the market.
The Live's big hook: built-in Wi-Fi that let's you live stream video to Qik.com for others to watch while simultaneously recording in full HD to the device. The Wi-Fi can also be used to directly connect to your smartphone so you can view, transfer, and upload clips and photos using your phone's data service. You can also use it to upload to sites like Facebook and YouTube as well as Sony's newest cloud service, PlayMemories Online.
The wireless capabilities are definitely cool (though not without issues), so if all that sounds good and you're after better than "good enough" video results from a shoot-and-share video camera, you'll want to keep reading.
The video quality from the Bloggie Live can be very good as long as you and your subject aren't moving much. When shooting at 1080p, video is reasonably sharp and detailed without looking crunchy. Color and exposure are good as well. However, that's when viewed at smaller sizes on a computer screen. Blown up on a larger HDTV, the video is less impressive. Also, it doesn't handle movement--of the subject or of the device--very well at 1080p, creating a lot of judder. That's unfortunately typical of this type of video camera, though. Maximum recording time in full HD is 75 minutes, by the way, with clip lengths limited to 2GB or 29 minutes (which is typical, too).
The Bloggie Live does have a 720/60p setting, which smooths things out some if you're shooting action or doing a lot of panning left and right, but it's at the cost of sharpness and fine detail. Again, it's fine at small sizes, but not good on a large HDTV. The low-light video is noisy and grainy with readily visible artifacts. I've seen much worse, though, so all in all the Bloggie Live does OK indoors and in darker conditions. There is an LED lamp next to the lens that will brighten close subjects some, but don't expect it to light a full scene.
Photo quality is pretty good as long as you have plenty of light. Shooting is completely automatic; just press the shutter release on top and you're done. If you press the release while recording video, it will capture a photo at whatever resolution you're recording at, roughly 2 megapixels at 1080p or 0.9 megapixel at 720p. (Note: You can't capture photos while live streaming.)
The Live does have autofocus and an auto macro mode for both video and photos, but it's a blessing and a curse. You can shoot something as close as 4 inches from the lens out to infinity. But depending on your movement or your subject's, your video might pulse in and out of focus. The AF isn't all that fast, either, and it's even slower in low-light conditions. Also, if you're shooting in complete silence, you will hear a faint ticking sound picked up by the stereo microphone while it's trying to focus.
I know this sounds like a lot more bad than good, but even with all these issues, the video is still better than you'll get from your average--or even above average--smartphone. At least right now.
As for the Wi-Fi functionality, it's cool, but it largely depends on where and how you plan to use it. The live streaming requires a strong and reliable wireless connection, and, at least in the case of my review camera, as few other wireless signals as possible.
I tried several times to connect and stream using three public hot spots in New York City (there's a built-in minibrowser for agreeing to terms of service) and almost as soon as I would connect, it would drop the signal. And then pick it up again. And then drop it. This also happened in CNET's New York office where there are more than a dozen networks I can connect to from my desk. I would connect to a network and I could be standing right next to the router and the connection would drop out. However, in my home, where there's just one wireless network, it locked on and stayed connected.
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