TV Reviews

If you are looking for in depth technical analysis, feel free to check them out, and see below for rankings!  Latest entries in italics.

Chad B's totally subjective comparisons and rankings: (updated 3-30-2011)

"pop" and impact: 1 to 10 points

Main contributing factor: modified ANSI contrast

Lesser contributing factor: light output, ABL

The modified ANSI contrast ratio is a measurement of the difference between the darkest blacks and the brightest images when both are displayed at the same time.  High ANSI contrast is essential to providing a punchy image with a high "wow" factor.  A set with poor performance in this regard may look washed out and bland with regular program material, even if it does well with MLL.

Color: 1 to 10 points

Main contributing factor: color decoding, color gamut

Lesser contributing factor: grayscale tracking

I place most emphasis on accurate fleshtones with this test, though other things come in to play as well, such as neon greens or poor grayscale tracking.  A display has to have a combination of measurably accurate colors and subjectively natural colors to do well.

Viewing angle: 1 to 7 points

This shows how well the image holds up for viewers not seated directly in front of the screen.  To a varying degree, LCD sets tend to have less color and contrast to the sides or above and below.

Versatility: 1 to 7 points

Main contributing factor: glare, light output, panel darkness

Lesser contributing factor: seperate day and night memories

This shows how well a display is able to handle any room in the house.  All displays look their best in a light controlled room, but what happens when the curtains are open during the day?

Shadow detail: 1 to 5 points

Main contributing factor: gamma (darker end)

Lesser contributing factor: brightness stability

This tests how well you can see dark images.  For example, dark suits may turn into a black blob, with no detail visible. On the other hand, dark images may look too washed out without a sense of depth.   I feel that lack of visible shadow detail is a more serious issue than washed out shadow detail, though, so lack of shadow detail will get the lowest scores.

MLL: 1 to 4 points

This is the set's minimum luminance level; determined by how deep the blacks appear to be with a 0% signal in an entirely dark room.  A truly dark fade to black in a movie is an awesome experience, and contributes a sense of power and "wow" factor.

Depth and dimensionality: 1 to 3 points

Main contributing factor: gamma

Lesser contributing factor: stability

Does the display have a good sense of natural depth in the image?

Stability: 1 to 3 points

Some sets may show visible pumping as their backlight, iris, or ABL (automatic brightness limiter) changes with the picture content.  It may also cause shadow detail to fluctuate from scene to scene.

Resolution and detail: 1 to 3 points

Most 1080P sets do very well with this test, so it's really just a test of if it is perfect or merely very good.  A "dot by dot" or pixel perfect aspect ratio helps here.

Smoothness / naturalness: 1 to 3 points

Some displays add a sence of graininess, dither, or texture to the picture, which can cause a "dirty screen" or "silkscreen" effect.

24P: 1 point

Can the display show 1080P/24 at a multiple of 24 without flicker or uncorrectable calibration issues (color shifts, black level shifts)?   If so, it gets a point.

Miscellaneous issues: up to -7

Problems such as convergence, flicker, motion artifacts, lines, geometry, etc.

PQ total:

For the hardcore videophile.  If you have the TV in a totally dark room (100% light controlled) and always watch perfectly on axis (absolutely straight ahead at eye level), then use the PQ total rather than the grand total. PQ total does not have versatility or viewing angle factored in.

Rated sets are ones that I have either owned, reviewed, or calibrated enough of in different situations to have a good handle on their performance.  In most cases, the ratings will be the same for a different size set in the same model group.  All ratings are for after a thorough calibration.

These are not end-all, absolute rankings; they are my subjective, possibly imperfect, but informed opinion!

rankings AVS forum thread

Notes:

Samsung PN-C7000-C8000 ratings revised based on improved results from larger sizes and latest firmware; smaller sizes may have poorer performance

Samsung UN-C7000, PN-C7000, LG LX6500, Panasonic VT25: 3D compatible, requires optional glasses

Pioneer 9G Elite Kuro: includes 500M and 600M with patched firmware

Sony 34XBR960 issues: convergence, geometry, and purity issues vary from sample to sample but are always there

Sony 60XBR1 issues: slight convergence, geometry, color uniformity, and focus issues may or may not occur

LG LH90 issues: glowing halo effect around certain objects esp when viewing in dark room or off axis

Samsung UNC7000 and B7100 issues: some cloudiness, or uneven illumination, to the set's blacks

LG PK750 and PK950 issues: improperly functioning calibration adjustments

LG LE8500 issues: horizontal lines in picture distracting at times; square glowing around certain objects esp when viewing in dark room or off axis

LG LX6500 issues: black bar fluctuation with letterboxed material

LG 55LHX issues: dirty screen effect (screen uniformity during pans and motion), possibly worse on later builds and can be distracting