LCD TV

CNet.com's reviews tend to be very critical, so only a few sets earn a high rating. While some other publications conduct more detailed testing and sometimes have longer and more technical reports, CNet has… an advantage in that it tests a larger number of televisions than others. That gives editors a good basis for comparison. The same team of reviewers generally reviews LCD TVs, so there's a consistency in the testing and ratings process. The 52-inch LN52A650 is singled out for Editors' Choice recognition, though some other TVs actually score higher still. One example is the Sony BRAVIA KDL-55XBR8, which is the best LCD TV the site has ever tested, but is "mind-bogglingly expensive."

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Consumer Reports' editors rate a staggering 56 LCD TVs in a wide range of sizes and resolutions; half of which -- 28 in all -- are recommended, so this report isn't very critical. Although many models are… tested, individual sets get only a few paragraphs of commentary, providing far less detail than most other review resources. However, the magazine updates its ratings on a regular basis, and those ratings are created through competent testing, so it remains a good source for LCD TV reviews and information.

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This article compares seven previously reviewed 37-inch LCD HDTVs with the goal of identifying which ones are the best. Discussion about individual sets is limited, but links lead to the original reviews… upon which this article is based. Testing is comprehensive, but perhaps not as well detailed as at other sites. Ratings are given for value, performance, features and ease of use, but strangely no overall grade is assigned. One set, the Sony BRAVIA KDL-37XBR6, distinguishes itself enough to win the site's Highly Recommended award. The LG 37LG50 just misses, and that's mainly because of poor audio performance because picture quality is terrific. Reviews of other LCD HDTVs in other screen sizes can be found elsewhere on the site.

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Ultimate AV magazine's reviewers put all sorts of home theater equipment through their paces, including LCD TVs. The single-TV reports are detailed, with plenty of information for the technically inclined,… including bench-test results. But while most reviews include helpful comparisons, LCD TVs are not rated or ranked and a buyers' guide on the site is too dated to be of any value. Several current LCD TVs are compared to the Samsung LN52A750, but none are judged to be its equal. The LED-backlit Samsung LN55A950 is in a different league in performance and price, more comparable to -- but a step behind -- the best Pioneer plasma TVs.

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Amazon.com invites owners to share their experiences with potential buyers. Many of the TVs offered get enough user ratings to help visitors get a handle on which ones most buyers consider best. The site is… now among the easiest to use for gathering owner-written reviews and includes both the ratings and number of reviews each LCD TV has received right on the main navigation pages. A box comparing the most helpful positive and negative user reviews is also useful, as is a breakdown of how many users assigned what rating (5-star, 4-star, etc.) to a TV. Lots of TVs are listed here, but many are discontinued. Still, if you have a good idea of which sets interest you, the user information is often helpful and sometimes surprisingly detailed.

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This three-set face-off focuses on low-priced, 32-inch LCD TVs, with an emphasis on brands that don't get as much attention from reviewers: Envision, Olevia and Westinghouse. All sell for less than $700.… The AOC Envision L32W761 prevails. David Birch-Jones calls it "a winner, with solid performance that belies the quite affordable $550 price tag." Color fidelity and overall picture quality are called "remarkable" for a low-priced set. The biggest knock is that out-of-the box picture quality is poor. Helpfully, the review provides recommended settings that turn the set "from an ugly duckling into a magnificent swan."

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While video enthusiast magazines such as Home Theater often subject high-end LCD TVs to rigorous rounds of bench and real-world testing, this article subjects three low-priced alternatives to the same… treatment. Not surprisingly, each of the TVs tested -- the Sceptre x42BV-FullHD, Vizio VU42L (now discontinued) and Westinghouse Digital TX-42F430S -- displays some shortcomings. However, Thomas J. Norton is impressed about how good each is in its own right. None of the sets is recommended over the others. "I could easily live with any of these models, particularly as a second set for the bedroom or den, and never look back," Norton writes.

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While this website isn't very slick, the reviews themselves appear to be objective and competently done. The inclusion of video settings obtained either after a professional calibration or using a… top-quality amateur calibration reference is helpful. The site has been recently updated with a number of new and current reviews, but lots of reviews of now discontinued LCD HDTVs remain. A review comparison table lets you see at a glance where TVs rate compared to each other, but, again, things are made unnecessarily confusing by the inclusion of discontinued TVs. The 42-inch Samsung LN46A750 and its 52-inch version, the LN52A750, earn the highest grades for performance, though price is merely "competitive."

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Like Amazon.com, Best Buy's website allows users to comment on products that they own. Navigation is similarly easy, with the overall rating and number of reviews right on the main navigation page, and only… currently available TVs are listed. However, the product page lacks the review comparison or ratings breakdown found at Amazon.com. One nice feature is a top-line summation of how many customers would recommend the reviewed LCD TV to a friend.

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This list, compiled by Robert Silva, About.com's Guide to Home Theater, features a list of LCD TVs that he considers to be best overall. Unfortunately, the discussion is brief and we are not sure how or why… these specific sets have been selected. Another shortcoming is that some of the TVs here are now discontinued. Silva also maintains lists of top sets in other screen sizes, but most suffer from similar shortcomings. (Note that ConsumerSearch and About.com are owned by the same parent company, but are not affiliated editorially.)

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