If you are looking for in depth technical analysis, feel free to check them out, and see below for rankings!
Samsung B7100
Panasonic G10
Samsung B550/B860
Panasonic V10
LG 55LH90
Sharp LC-52LE700UN
LG 60PS60
Samsung B8500
Runco Q-750i
Samsung C7000
Panasonic 54S2
Panasonic 50G25
LG 50PK550
LG 50PK750
Samsung PN50C7000
LG 55LE8500
Sharp 60LE820 Quattron
Samsung PN63C550
Panasonic 65VT25
Chad B's totally subjective comparisons and rankings: (updated 5-1-2010)
"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 sence 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? If so, it gets a point.
Miscellaneous issues: up to -7
Problems such as convergence, flicker, motion artifacts, lines, geometry, etc.
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!
|
"pop" |
color |
viewing angle |
versatility |
shadow detail |
MLL |
depth |
stability |
resolution |
smooth |
24P |
issues |
total |
| Samsung B7100 |
6 |
10 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
-2 |
36 |
| Panasonic G10 |
5 |
9 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
39 |
| Samsung B550 |
3 |
8 |
7 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
36 |
| Samsung B860 |
3 |
10 |
7 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
39 |
| Panasonic V10 |
4 |
10 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
41 |
| LG LH90 |
7 |
9 |
4 |
7 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
-2 |
45 |
| Sharp 700UN |
6 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
36 |
| Pioneer 9G Elite Kuro |
10 |
9 |
7 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
|
49 |
| Pioneer 9G Kuro |
9 |
7 |
7 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
44 |
| Sony 60XBR1 |
1 |
5 |
6 |
4 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
-1 |
29 |
| Sony 34XBR960 |
6 |
9 |
7 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
-7 |
33 |
| Panasonic 800u |
1 |
9 |
7 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
33 |
| LG PS60 |
2 |
7 |
7 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
35 |
| Panasonic S1 |
4 |
4 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
33 |
| Samsung B8500 |
10 |
9 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
42 |
| Samsung UN-C7000 |
6 |
10 |
1 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
-1 |
41 |
| Panasonic S2 |
4 |
4 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
33 |
| Panasonic G25 |
4 |
9 |
7 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
42 |
| LG PK550 |
5 |
9 |
7 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
43 |
| LG PK750 |
3 |
7 |
7 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
|
-1 |
33 |
| Samsung PN-C7000 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
3 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
34 |
| LG LE8500 |
7 |
10 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
-5 |
41 |
Notes:
Samsung UN-C7000 and PN-C7000: 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 issues: poorly implemented 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
