The Sony Bravia V3000 series was the most popular request in our latest VIP Poll. I have tested and published my findings on the Sony KDL40V3000.
On an interesting note, I see my competitor over at hdtvorg.co.uk has published a review of the Panasonic TH42PX80. Nothing wrong there, except that on closer inspection it is a word-for-word rehash of their own TH42PX70 review. Have a look at the following screen captures from their website.
From hdtvorg.co.uk/reviews/plasma/panasonic_th42px80.htm:
From hdtvorg.co.uk/reviews/plasma/Panasonic_th42px70_2.htm:
Given HDTVOrg’s past history of plagiarism, constant rehashing (check out the “Performance” section of their Samsung PS63P76FD review which is again completely rehashed from the corresponding section in their PS50P96 review, but somehow they forgot to substitute the model name), and the fact that I haven’t seen anything but generic stock photos on their website, I suspect that HDTVOrg actually writes bogus reviews without having seen many (if any) of the TVs himself.
Part of what motivates me to continue reviewing HDTVs is the sense of achievement I get from publishing my reviews way before the likes of What Hifi and Home Cinema Choice (because I’m not afraid of buying the televisions myself if there’s popular demand in our VIP poll). But how can you compete against someone who can fabricate an entire review at the drop of a hat?
On this bombshell, if you’d like to see us buy and review the Panasonic TH42PX80, I have started a fundraising to help me cover my loss when selling the plasma as second hand after the review. I have been in touch with Panasonic, but they told me that they haven’t received their loan stock in yet, and even if they had they would send the pioneer batch to the major publishing houses first.
Panasonic TH42PZ85 is one of the first true HD plasma televisions from their new 2008 range of HDTVs to arrive on UK shores. The TH42PZ85 boasts Panasonic’s latest motion-compensated frame interpolation (MCFI) technologies – “Intelligent Frame Creation” and “24p Real Cinema” – that separates it from the PZ80 series (available at a slightly later date) which is also blessed with a native screen resolution of 1920×1080.
Our Panasonic TH42PZ85B review will pay particular attention to the effects of Intelligent Frame Creation (IFC) to determine if it’s worth paying extra for this technology over the PZ80 series.
In case you’re wondering about the difference between Panasonic TH42PZ85 and TH42PZ85B when shopping around, there is none: the alphabet B at the end of the model name simply denotes the British version which comes with a 3-pin power plug. Europeans, on the other hand, get the Panasonic TH42PZ85E. Picture performance should be similar across the board.
The Toshiba 37XV505DB is the first of their Regza XV range of LCD televisions we managed to get our hands on to review. Replacing the ever-so-popular Regza X series, the new Toshiba XV LCD TVs feature true high definition (HD) 1920 x 1080 native screen resolution, “Luma Sens” technology which automatically adjusts the LCD backlight depending on the ambient light detected to improve blacks and save energy, a full power down mode which consumes even less power (compared to standby), and a dedicated game mode that decreases input lag for better gaming experience.
While researching this LCD HDTV on the internet, you may have come across different model names such as Toshiba 37XV503DB and Toshiba 37XV505DB. They are essentially the same panel (in terms of specifications and presumably picture performance) bar some minor cosmetic differences. However, some retailers have taken advantage of this difference in model name to refuse price-matching requests which may erode their profits.
Remember the Hitachi 1.5 UltraThin LCD HDTVs you saw at CES earlier this year? Well the 1.5 Ultra thin series has now been released in the US in two separate model ranges. First up is the Hitachi Directors series X, and the Hitachi Ultra Vision V series. We will be talking about the X series / directors series here.
The 1.5 ultra thin sets had a huge amount of attention at CES and rightly so, they are just 1.5-inches thick or thin. The Director’s Series Models will be avaliable in four sizes, from 32-inches to 47-inches. On the larger end, we have the 47-inch Hitachi UT47X902, 42-inch UT42X902, and 37-inch UT37X902, all with a 1920×1080 pixel full 1080p HD resolution, 120Hz Reel120 technology and two year warranty.
On the smaller end of the Hitachi X series, we have the 32-inch UT32X812, and UT32X802. The former features the 120Hz Reel120 technology, while the latter does not. Both have a 1366×768 resolution and 2 year warranty. The unrivaled thinness also comes with a great 360 degrees design that is appealing all around. All come with an optional audio video center.
