Projectors Reviews, price and comparision

Vizio recently released their latest crop of passive 3D HDTVs dubbed the E-Series, which include 32, 42 and 47-inch screen sizes. The E-Series main objective is to make 3D not only more affordable but more enjoyable for the average consumer since so many first generation 3D displays were marred by unreasonably high prices and silly active shutter glasses. The 47-inch E3D470VX reviewed here is the largest of its E-Series brethren as well as the most expensive at $899.99, though when compared to comparable 3D displays the E3D470VX is more than competitive in terms of price and performance.

Additional Resources
• Read more 3D HDTV reviews from Home Theater Review's staff.
• Find a 3D ready Blu-ray player, AV receiver, or AV preamp.

Speaking of performance the E3D470VX is a native 1080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a reported contrast ratio of 200:000:1 (dynamic). The E3D470VX's internal 10-Watt speakers feature SRS sound technology, which includes SRS TruSurround HD and SRS TruVolume. The E3D470VX is a passive 3D display meaning it uses passive or polarized glasses to view 3D content much the same way you would at your local theater. Because the E3D470VX is a passive 3D design, the included glasses (two pairs) are both lightweight and comfortable and also easy to replace should they become damaged and/or lost, which is something that can't be said for their active counterparts. Along with its 3D support the E3D470VX also features built in 802.11n WiFi, allowing the E3D470VX to connect freely with the Internet (via your wireless home network) and the various included Apps.

In terms of connection options the E3D470VX has four, 3D compliant HDMI inputs along with component, composite, S-video (yuck), RF and Ethernet inputs as well. There are two USB 2.0 inputs along the side, which are MP3 and JPEG compatible.

Other notable features include: Vizio's Ambient Light Sensor technology, which automatically adjusts the brightness of your image to changing lighting conditions and the full Qwerty keyboard located on the back of the E3D470VX's remote control.

In terms of design the E3D470VX looks like the rest of its E-Series stablemates only larger, measuring in at nearly 45 inches wide by 30 inches tall and 10 and a half inches deep when resting on its included stand. Without the stand the E3D470VX is a touch over three inches deep, which may seem like a lot but remember the E3D470VX is not an LED backlit design. The E3D470VX's total weight with its stand is 45 pounds and 40 pounds without.

Out of the box the E3D470VX does require a little bit of calibration to look its best which isn't difficult to do with the help of a simple calibration disc and the E3D470VX's beautifully rendered on-screen menus. Once calibrated, the E3D470VX's picture, both in 2D and 3D, is a sight to behold, especially considering its sub-$1,000 asking price. Colors are rich and natural in their rendering. Black levels are deep, not class leading but solid with tremendous detail and texture throughout. Whites are largely pristine with only faint traces of a vignette at the edges during brightly lit scenes or when viewing white text cards or test patterns. Motion is smooth and when viewing HD source material, largely artifact free.

The E3D470VX's 3D performance is crisp with virtually zero flicker (to my eyes at least) and suffers from none of the maladies that plague active 3D designs. The E3D470VX's 47-inch display size is just large enough, in my opinion, to make 3D a worthwhile experience. Thanks to the E3D470VX's lightweight, passive 3D glasses, sitting through a two hour 3D film such as Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D (Sony) isn't as torturous nor as nauseating as it is with active shutter technology.

At CES, Sony announced plans to release five new Blu-ray models, three of which are now available: the BDP-S380 ($150), BDP-S480 ($180), and BDP-S580 ($200). We have not performed a hands-on review of the BDP-S380, but here is an overview of its features. Unlike the two step-up models, the BDP-S380 does not support 3D playback, but it does support SACD playback. You can connect to a home network via a wired or optional wireless network connection in order to access Blu-ray BD-Live content and the BRAVIA Internet Video platform. Sony's Web platform includes Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, YouTube, Picasa, and Sony's own Qriocity VOD service. The Entertainment Database Browser uses Gracenote technology to provide actor and production information. The BDP-S380 lacks the DLNA media streaming and Party Streaming music mode offered on the higher-priced models, but it does support the Media Remote App, which lets iPhone, iPod touch, and Android phone users control the player via their mobile device. This model also lacks the Skype capability that will be offered in the not-yet-released BDP-S780 ($250).

Additional Resources
• Read more Blu-ray player reviews from HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Explore Blu-ray movie reviews on HomeTheaterSpot.com.

In terms of video connections, the BDP-S380 offers a single HDMI output, as well as component and composite video outputs. (The component video output is SD-only; beginning this year, manufacturers are no longer allowed to include HD-capable component video outputs, due to copy-protection restrictions.) This player supports both 1080p/60 and 1080p/24  output resolutions via HDMI. Picture adjustments include the ability to choose between preset picture modes and engage noise reduction; Sony has also added IP noise reduction to specifically address the quality of Internet video sources.

Audio outputs include HDMI, coaxial digital (no optical), and stereo analog. The BDP-S380 has onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, and it also passes these high-resolution audio formats in bitstream form over HDMI, for your A/V receiver to decode. The player lacks multichannel analog audio outputs, so the only way to pass decoded high-resolution audio formats is via HDMI.

The BDP-S380 supports playback of BD, DVD-Video, SACD, CD audio, AVCHD, MKV, WMV, WMA, AAC, MP3, GIF, PNG, and JPEG. You can add the player to your home network via the back-panel Ethernet port, or you can purchase and attach the optional UWA-BR100 USB adapter ($80). The BDP-S380 lacks internal memory to store BD-Live content; a back-panel USB port is provided for this purpose. A second, front-panel USB port supports media playback. The player lacks RS-232 or IR ports for integration into an advanced control system.

Read about the high points and the low points of the BDP-S380 on Page 2.

You don't always get what you pay for. Sometimes, an expensive device can be overshadowed by its less pricey competitors. At $299.99 (list), the 3D-enabled Sharp BD-HP35U is certainly priced to be a premium Blu-ray player. It even has the stylish chassis of a premium Blu-ray player. Unfortunately, beyond its shiny surface and hefty price tag lie some issues that make the player pale in comparison with its $200 competitors.

Design
The front of the 2.0-by-15.9-by-7.8-inch (HWD), 5.1-pound player is flat, black, and glossy. A ring of blue LEDs in the center and a small LCD on the left side of the front panel serve as notification lights for the BD-HP35U. The disc tray comes out of the right side of the front panel. Power, Tray Open/Close, and Playback Control buttons sit on the top edge of the left side of the panel, giving you some control without the remote. Finally, there's a USB port under the buttons, ready to accept a flash drive or the included Wi-Fi dongle. The outputs on the back of the player are barebones: HDMI and optical audio are the only outputs, joined by a second USB port and an Ethernet jack. It's odd to see a Blu-ray player without some sort of analog output like component video. The second USB port is important, because the BD-HP35U doesn't have any onboard memory; if you want to access BD-Live features without an Ethernet connection, you'll need both ports, one for a USB flash drive and the other for the Wi-Fi dongle. About that dongle: While the player doesn't come with built-in Wi-Fi, the small dongle that enables Wi-Fi networking is bundled. It's a tiny plastic rectangle that fits unassumingly into the player's front USB port without jutting out too much.

The 6.6-inch remote is simple and functional, with no bells, whistles, or wasted buttons. While the Playback buttons feel a bit small, the number navigation pads are easy to find under your thumb, and a separate column of TV buttons (Power, Input, Volume, and Channel) can access basic HDTV functions if the display is HDMI-CEC compatible. This type of control can be assured with Sharp's HDMI-CEC-enabled LC-60LE835U ($2,799.99, 3.5 stars) 60-inch HDTV that shares the BD-HP35U's 3D capabilities.

The BD-HP35U's on-screen interface is rough and unattractive. It offers very little in the way of graphical flourishes or animations, and only a sparse handful of icons to add variety against the harsh, blocky text of the menus. The menu system looks more like a service back-end interface, like one a repairman would activate when fixing your cable box. Compared with the much more polished interfaces seen in Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic's Blu-ray players, Sharp's menu system just looks, well, ugly.

Unfortunately, the Web apps available on the player are limited; you can access Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, CinemaNow, Pandora, and that's pretty much it. It's a small selection compared with the services you can find on the Sony BDP-S770 ($249.99, 3.5 stars) or Samsung's BD-C6500 ($249.99, 4 stars), for example.

Performance
According to our lab speed tests, the BD-HP35U is a very sluggish player. Like most Blu-ray devices, it has a quick start-up feature that lets the player boot up faster. Without the quick start-up feature enabled, it took an average of 27.3 seconds to turn on and reach the Main Menu screen. With the feature enabled, it took approximately 3 seconds to start. However, the feature made the deck shut down slower, and a full power cycle of turning the player off and turning it back on again took about as much time as it took to start up without the feature. Our older, non-BD-Live test disc (Talladega Nights) took a respectable average of 16.6 seconds to start. Our BD-Live test discs (Predators and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Season 5) took much more time; the Blu-ray Disc disclaimer screen appeared in an average of 47 seconds, and the first video, in the form of the studio logo sequence and FX network trailer, respectively, appeared in an average of 1 minute and 25.7 seconds. If you want to watch a newer Blu-ray Disc, you have time to get a cup of coffee after closing the player's tray. The Sony BDP-S770, in contrast, loads non-BD-Live discs in 15.5 seconds and BD-Live discs in 29.7 seconds.

According to Sharp, the BD-HC35U can only process and output 1080p video at 24 frames per second (fps), the standard rate of film. Because of this, the player failed all of our motion processing tests for 30/60 frames per second video. It still showed the video, but it was jerky and produced tearing in moving text and panning scenes. It performed very well in film motion processing tests with 24fps video, but when watching television shows on Blu-Ray (or any other video recorded at 30 fps), the player shows its faults. For a Blu-ray player, 3D performance can be evaluated so far as its ability to read 3D media; everything after that relies upon the 3D display's ability to show the picture. The BD-HC35U could read the discs and send the picture to our test HDTV, so it passes that test at least.

The blue circle and smart design might make the Sharp BD-HC35U look striking, but under the hood it's a mediocre Blu-ray player with a high price. An unattractive interface with few Web services, slow load speeds, and a bizarre quirk with 30fps video detract from this player's appeal. The $250 Sony BDP-S770 or the Vizio VBR-W200 ($199.99, 3.5 stars) cost less and offer better overall performance, more pleasing menu systems, and a wider array of Web apps.

Typically, 3D capability tends to make HDTVs more expensive. Web apps can also jack up prices. And LED backlighting usually pushes prices up even more. That's why Sony's KDL-46EX720 is such a refreshing surprise. One of Sony's first 2011 models available, this 46-inch set combines 3D, a ton of Web apps, LED backlighting that gives it a thin frame and eco-friendly energy-consumption stats. Add in an excellent picture, and an affordable $1,599.99 (direct) price, and you've got a winner. With its price, performance, and feature set, the 46EX720 is our latest Editors' Choice LCD HDTV.

Design
At just 26 by 42.5 by 1.7 inches (HWD) and 31.3 pounds without its stand, the 46EX720 is remarkably thin and light for a sub-$2000 model. The set is attractively minimalist, with a completely flat, plain black bezel, which is just 1.1 inches thick on the top and sides of the screen and slightly thicker below. There's a metal Sony badge in the center of the bottom edge of the bezel and a few indicator lights on either side. It's not particularly glossy or flashy, but the simple black bezel makes the set look expensive, and it's unobtrusive enough that you'll never notice it while watching the screen.

On the back of the HDTV, the various inputs and outputs are split between a handful of side-mounted ports and a large number of rear-mounted ports. A single HDMI jack, a VGA output, and a USB port sit on a small recessed panel pointing out toward the left side of the screen, while the remaining three HDMI ports, optical audio out, component and composite video inputs, and Ethernet port face straight out the back. The set is a bit awkward for wall-mounting, since the majority of outputs face out toward the wall and can be difficult to reach.

The 8.6-inch remote is large, rectangular, and well-configured. Most settings and features can be accessed by the direction pad and its surrounding Home, Options, Guide, and Display buttons. Playback buttons sit above the pad, and a number pad, Volume and Channel controls, and four color buttons sit below it. On the other side of the remote is a round, recessed alternate Power button that lets you turn the HDTV on or off regardless of where your thumb is placed.

Unlike many other Sony home entertainment products, the 46EX720 doesn't use Sony's familiar XrossMediaBar (XMB) interface in its default form. Instead, it adopts a modified XMB interface that shrinks the current video input to a smaller window, like the Sharp LC-60LE835U ($2,799.99, 3.5 stars), and arranges the various categories and menus in a row along the bottom of the screen, instead of in the middle. Using a smaller video window instead of an overlay makes the screen feel a little cramped, but it works just as well. Media playback and Web apps are all organized in different columns, letting users quickly access their most often-used inputs and services. Sony offers one of the most comprehensive libraries of Web apps on HDTVs and Blu-ray players, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, YouTube, Pandora, Sony's own Qriocity movie and music service, and many others. The HDTV even includes a fully functional Web browser. It doesn't support Flash and browsing with the included remote is awkward, but it still rendered the CNN home page perfectly on the 46-inch screen in my tests.

Besides the standard complement of Web apps, the 46EX720 comes packed with features. It's 3D-capable and features a 240Hz motion-smoothing mode, DLNA compatibility for sharing and playing movies and music stored on a local network, a power-saving motion sensor that can automatically turn off the HDTV if it doesn't detect movement after a period of time. The set will even be Skype-enabled after a system update later this spring, with the use of an optional HDTV-mounted webcam.

Performance
Picture quality is excellent, with a contrast ratio of 1:3897 and generally very accurate colors. Using the DisplayMate software and a chroma meter, we tested the screen's picture quality in the lab and found that it produced red and green colors almost precisely at the ideal levels. The blue channel veered slightly warm, but even that was fairly accurate. With black levels of just 0.07cd/m2, the 46EX720 got satisfyingly dark, especially for an LED-backlit HDTV. If you want better black levels, you'll have to make sacrifices: The 42-inch Panasonic TC-P42GT25 ($1,699.99, 3.5 stars) offers an impressive 0.03cd/m2, but it's a much more power-hungry plasma set, and doesn't offer nearly as many Web services.

If you're an intensive HDTV tweaker, the 46EX720 offers several automatic and manual adjustment settings, right down to individual Red, Green, and Blue Gain and Bias adjustments, for controlling how the HDTV handles each color channel in both bright and dark scenes. There are also several automatic image enhancement modes that claim to improve black levels, white levels, color, and other picture characteristics, but considering how good the screen looks out of the box, they're pretty unnecessary.

3D works very well on the 46EX720. We hooked up a Sony BDP-S470 Blu-ray player and played the Grand Canyon Adventure 3D Blu-ray disc. Visuals popped out with a minimum of crosstalk, thought we saw some small blurring on solid color logos. The HDTV uses a built-in 3D transmitter to work with glasses, so you don't need to plug in any additional devices. Unfortunately, the set doesn't come with any 3D glasses, so if you want to watch 3D movies on the 46EX720, you'll have to pay another $150 per pair for Sony's accompanying active shutter glasses. If you want out-of-the-box 3D (for a much higher price tag), the 65-inch Vizio XVT3D650SV ($3,699.99, 4 stars) uses passive 3D and inexpensive lenses (four pairs are included in the box) to produce its 3D images.

To test power consumption, we played the Mission Impossible 2 Blu-ray Disc and measured how much electricity the 46EX720 consumed. Like many HDTVs, the 46EX720 has a Power-Saving mode. With the mode disabled, the screen consumed 112 watts in our tests. With the mode set to high, a setting that darkens the screen while keeping it watchable, the screen consumed just 67 watts. Even without the power saving mode, the 46EX720 exceeds EnergyStar standards. Assuming an average of five hours of use per day at the national average cost of 11.55 cents per kWh, the screen will cost only $1.94 per month, and a scant $23.28 per year to run without the power saving mode (and $1.16 per month and $13.92 per year to run with the mode on)—that's enough to earn the 46EX720 our GreenTech approval.

With an affordable $1,600 list price, the Sony Bravia KDL-46EX720 is a top-notch value. It's inexpensive for a 3D HDTV, and when you add an impressive array of Web apps, great 2D and 3D picture quality, along with LED-backlighting, which offers excellent power consumption numbers, you've got the makings of an Editors' Choice television. The only thing you don't get is 3D glasses.

If you are a true home theater enthusiast, you are never truly satisfied with your system's performance. A true enthusiast always wonders, "How can my system be made better?" Some take the smart route of tweaking the equipment they have on hand, or better yet address the room in which their theater resides.However, there comes a point in every gear head's life that the upgrade bug bites and bites hard.

Additional Resources
• Read more AV preamplifier reviews by Home Theater Review's staff.
• Explore LED HDTV, Plasma HDTV, or Video Projector options in our review sections.

A home theater receiver is one piece of equipment that most enthusiasts start with in the early development of their system. While an AV receiver is an extremely convenient package, a separate AV preamp and power amp can provide even better surround sound and video processing not to mention better sound quality overall. When shopping for AV preamp, you'll find plenty to choose from if you have a healthy budget. Most home theater preamps will set you back $3,000 to $6,000 and in some instances even more. With the average home theater receiver costing somewhere between $500 and $800, your quest for a dedicated AV preamp may stop here but I urge you to read on.

The Marantz AV7005 Preamp/Processor is a powerhouse, costing a mere fraction of most home theater preamps; retailing for $1,499 there is a lot to love right off the bat. Measuring a little over 17 inches wide by seven and a half inches tall and 16 inches deep the AV7005 is pretty much the same size as your standard receiver though because it lacks an amplifier section it isn't quite as heavy at 22 pounds. The AV7005 features Marantz's new design language and is easily recognizable as a Marantz product thanks to its Spartan front façade that features two large rotary dials, one for input selection and the other for volume that flank the AV7005's porthole style display.

Around back the AV7005's six HDMI v1.4a inputs make the AV7005 3D ready. It has two HDMI outputs, one featuring an Audio Return Channel, and Standby Pass-Through. Audio Return Channel is a feature that I think we will see more of in the near future, for it allows owners of networked displays to stream audio back to the processor on a single HDMI cable. If you have non-HDMI equipped sources or displays, you'll find the four component inputs and two component outputs invaluable. For even older equipment, there are five composite video inputs and two outputs. Marantz left S-Video off the AV7005, but I have long since felt that S-Video is a waste of space on a modern piece of equipment. Sorry, Laserdisc lovers. In terms of audio inputs and outputs the AV7005 features both unbalanced as well as balanced preamp outputs, which include dual subwoofer outs for what Marantz calls a 7.1 plus second subwoofer configuration. There are even preamp outs for height channels as well though they are unbalanced only. There are more analog audio inputs than most would know what to do with including a moving magnet phono input as well as two coaxial and two optical digital audio inputs. In terms of control the AV7005 has RS-232 support, which will allow it to be integrated into an automation or control system from the likes of Crestron, AMX or Control4.

On the audio front, the AV7005 can decode and process anything you throw at it. DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Digital TrueHD for Blu-ray as well as Digital Plus, Pro Logic IIz, IIx, II, Virtual Speaker, Dolby Headphone ES Discete6.1, Matrix6.1, Neo:6, 96/24, and Neural Surround. Bottom line, when it comes to surround sound and matrix audio formats the AV7005 has you covered. For your MP3 collection there is Marantz's M-DAX 2, an updated Marantz Dynamic Audio eXpander, which can make compressed music files sound better. Add this with the DNLA compliant Ethernet connection and you are ready to stream music from your home network, Internet Radio, Rhapsody, Napster and/or Pandora account.

Video-wise, the AV7005 includes one of the best upscaling chips on the market, Anchor Bay's 10-bit Video Processor/Scaler. The ABT2015 is Anchor Bay's fourth generation scaling chip, capable of transcoding as well as deinterlacing; all the while scaling any legacy source to 1080p via HDMI for output to your high definition display.

The Hookup
The AV7005 came shipped securely in a double-walled cardboard box. Inside, it was suspended in Styrofoam to protect the corners and wrapped to protect the finish from scratches. Included was, the operation manual, Audyssey setup mic, remote, two AAA batteries and radio antenna.The first thing that I noticed was the size of the manual. It is much thicker than most that I have seen and well worth a read through. I must admit that I usually jump right into a new piece of AV equipment without cracking the manual. This manual, you will want to keep near by. The feature set in the AV7005 is physically deep, and the manual will make it much easier to really tweak your setup.

The remote was a pleasant surprise and had a well-balanced feel to it. The backlit feature makes it easy to navigate while the small LCD window at the top tells you what device you are currently controlling. The remote comes pre-programmed for tons of different AV devices though you can also add your own using the program mode, which is where I was able to quickly setup the remote to control all the gear in my rack. It is also capable of recording and running macros, although I think I will leave that task to my main programmable remote.

Connecting the AV7005 to my Sunfire five-channel power amp was done via five pairs of Transparent Link RCA style interconnects. I found the RCA outputs to be properly spaced for those of us that have bulky connectors on their cables. After connecting the Ethernet and HDMI cables from my Blu-ray player, HD DVR and lastly to my projector it was off to the AV7005's setup menus.

The actual setup could not have been easier. The setup process is automatically launched when you plug in the included Audyssey calibrated microphone to the AV7005's front mounted setup mic jack. The automated setup detects what speakers are connected to the amp, how far they are located for delay purposes, crossover points, speaker levels and overall room EQ.During this setup process I was prompted to sit the microphone at ear level in varying locations within the main seating area. A minimum of three measuring points are required though Audyssey recommends placing the microphone in more than just three listening positions, which I'll discuss later. It took about 10 minutes for the whole process to complete and the results were accurate, at least for my tastes and room. From there all I had to do was rename a few inputs and the setup process for the AV7005 was complete.

One thing that I really like about the AV7005's setup procedure is the way that the on-screen menus are overlaid onto the main video. In the past, setup menus would either be displayed in 480p, requiring an ugly resolution change, or the menu would go to a black screen for the setup process. I found the overlaid setup menu to be a more professional looking. Granted you may not visit the setup often, but this is certainly a more refined way to do it.

Performance
After setup was complete I couldn't help but to jump right into a movie. J.J. Abram's Star Trek (2009) on Blu-ray (Paramount) was nearby so I popped it in - like I was going to wait until the AV7005 burned in. The film's lossless Dolby TrueHD soundtrack offers up just the right mix of wide multi-channel soundstage, wall shaking low frequency effects and plenty of dialogue to properly evaluate the AV7005's prowess as a home theater preamp. After hearing this same film on two different receivers and another preamp, I was pleasantly surprised. The film's soundstage was wide and detailed. The ambient sound especially on board the Enterprise, really give you the feeling of being on board the ship. Compared to my previous AVR, the sound was much more dimensional and realistic.

3D glasses typically come in two flavors. If you have an active 3D HDTV, you use expensive and bulky active-shutter glasses that need to be wirelessly synced with the TV to work. If you watch a 3D movie in a theater or on a passive 3D HDTV like the Vizio XVT3D650SV ($3,699.99, 4 stars), you use passive 3D glasses. This type uses filtered lenses instead of LCD shutters to help display the 3D image. Here, the panel does most of the work and the passive glasses are lightweight, cheap, and often disposable. Gunnar Optiks offers a third type of 3D glasses: passive specs built to last. At $99 (list) they're priced more like active-shutter glasses or brand-name sunglasses, but solid build quality and good looks make them a nice alternative to 3D theater glasses. Unfortunately, since they're not dark enough to be sunglasses, their only real purpose is 3D movies, so it's hard to justify dropping $100 on a pair you're not likely to use very often.

For 3D glasses, the Gunnar Phenom pair is very well-made, it looks and feels as good as Oakley or Ray-Ban shades. The sturdy, all-metal frames have hidden-spring hinges that let your temples spread out comfortably. The nose pads are mounted on thick wire arms screwed, resting just right on the bridge of the nose. In tests, with my oversized skull, the Phenom was remarkably comfortable.

The glasses work with any passive 3D display, including select Vizio and LG HDTVs and theaters that show RealD 3D movies. Whether you want to watch a 3D movie at home or in the theater, the Phenom is a much more comfortable option than the cheap, plastic glasses included with passive 3D HDTVs or those you get at the movie theater. Since the glasses use the exact same filters as any other passive 3D glasses, they don't enhance or alter the 3D experience in any way (except for the benefits of the lens geometry, as explained below). The 3D you see through the Gunnars is the same 3D you'll see through the cheap pack-in glasses.

While Gunnar doesn't recommend the Phenom 3D glasses for use as sunglasses, they're still good for partly cloudy days. According to Gunnar, the 3D lenses are tinted to about 50 percent, while typical sunglasses are generally tinted to about 80 percent. This means the lenses aren't quite dark enough for bright days. The 3D lenses are coated with 100 percent UVA and UVB protection, however, so they can still protect your eyes.

I tested the glasses with the LG 47LW6500, a passive 47-inch 3D HDTV. The TV comes with plastic glasses with flimsy cellophane-like lenses. The flat lenses make the glasses especially susceptible to reflections. In comparison, the Phenom felt supremely comfortable, and the curved lenses with anti-glare coating prevented me from catching stray reflections. Though the Phenom's frames are metal and the lenses are solid, at just 0.6 ounces they're similar in weight to the bundled 0.4-ounce LG glasses .

If you have the inclination (and the money to spend), Gunnar's Phenom 3D glasses are a fine technological fashion statement. They look and feel great, and let you watch 3D movies in theaters or anywhere there's a passive 3D TV. Unfortunately, with lenses that aren't quite dark enough to serve as sunglasses, their real value relies upon 3D content. Unless you watch 3D movies regularly, you probably won't often don these $100 shades.

I'm still amazed at just how thin HDTVs have become recently and Samsung's latest, the 65-inch Class 6500 Series reviewed here, has to be the thinnest LED HDTV I've encountered yet. It's hard to believe that any HDTV can become more svelte, yet if you went to CES this year you no doubt know they can and will. Retailing for $4,499.99 the 65-inch Class 6500 is the big dog among its stable mates which also includes 55, 46, 40 and 32-inch models - all sharing the same features and technology, varying only in size and price.

Additional Resources
• Read more LED HDTV reviews by HomeTheaterReview.com's staff.
• Explore Blu-ray player options in our Blu-ray Player Review section.
• Find on-wall speakers to pair with with UN65C6500.

As for the UN65C6500 (C6500), your four thousand and change gets you an edge lit LED TV that measures just under 60-inches wide by 36-inches tall and a thinner than one inch thickness (not including the base, which is just under 14-inches deep). For an HDTV of this size one would expect it to weigh in excess of 100 pounds yet the C6500 tips the scales at a rather surprising 77 pounds, 84 if you include the base. The C6500 doesn't boast a true 65-inch diagonal screen; instead it measures in at 64 and a half inches - close enough. Still, the C6500 has a native resolution of 1920x1080 and has a reported contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1, in Dynamic mode, and features Samsung's Auto Motion Plus 120Hz Refresh Rate, which like Dynamic picture modes are two features I wish weren't included in the C6500's asking price. Seriously, five million to one. While LED TVs may be leading the charge in the bigger, brighter, better war there's no denying it does have an environmental advantage over traditional LCD and plasma HDTVs. The C6500 exceeds Energy Star's 4.1 compliant standards, meaning it's up to 43 percent more efficient than Energy Star's minimum requirements - not bad.

The C6500 has a surprising number of modern and legacy input options including four HDMI ins, a single component video in, a composite video in, one PC input (D-sub), a PC audio input (mini jack), Ethernet port, two USB 2.0 ports, an optical digital audio out, an additional analog audio out (mini jack), a DVI audio input (mini jack) and an RF input.The C6500 is not a 3D capable HDTV so its HDMI inputs are not 3D compliant; for that feature set you have to look elsewhere in Samsung's lineup.

Along with its vast list of inputs the C6500 features SRS TheaterSound via its dual 15-Watt speakers, which are mounted along the bottom of the display itself. The C6500 is Wi-Fi Ready, requiring Samsung's LinkStick adapter (sold separately) to take full advantage of your home's wireless network and allow you to access Samsung's App Store or services such as CinemaNow or Netflix without having to hardwire the C6500 via its Ethernet port.

Speaking of Apps: the C6500 is app enabled and has access to Samsung's stellar app store that features the latest apps from companies such as Netflix, CinemaNow, Pandora, Blockbuster, Twitter, YouTube, eBay, and Flickr to name just a few. If you're an iPhone or smart phone user, buying and interacting with Samsung's App store will be second nature for the interface is similar and your interaction with your purchased apps is largely the same as those you'd find and download to your phone. Speaking of phones, the C6500 features AllShare (DLNA), which syncs all of your digital devices- be they laptops, tablets or smart phones - with your Samsung C6500 so that you can share music, video clips, photos and even movies on the C6500's 65-inch screen.

Unfortunately, Samsung doesn't support Apple products at this time so if you're a Mac household like mine, Allshare isn't going to do you much good, though $99 buys you an Apple TV these days which you can connect to the 6500VF and interface with it much in the same way you would use AllShare. Look online on some of the enthusiast forums, such as Home Theater Spot, and you're bound to find a few, non-sanctioned, workarounds to the C6500's Apple woes.

Beyond the apps and media syncing, many of the C6500's remaining features such as picture-in-picture, Anynet+, BD Wise, ConnectShare Movie, and the like seem pedestrian, though still very useful and welcomed additions to the C6500 feature set.

The Hookup
Well, I'd like to say I unpacked the C6500 myself and installed atop my console with the help of a friend but I didn't. You see, the C6500 wasn't simply a review unit - it was my publisher's personal LED TV that he bought, sight unseen, to replace an aging 50-inch Panasonic Pro plasma that was recessed mounted, as luck would have it, inside a 58-inch opening. So, using a Chief Video-Wall mount, the installers at Simply Home Entertainment were able to completely cover the opening that once housed the Panasonic Pro plasma without the need for costly repairs or new drywall for an installation that looked not only professional but uber sexy. At 65-inches diagonal and just over an inch thick, the C6500's appearance mounted flush against a wall is more akin to a rear projection display ala Stewart Filmscreen StarGlas than an LED HDTV.

Once mounted and connected to the rest of the home's automation system and network, the sheer act of navigating the menus and later calibrating the C6500 was an absolute breeze. Samsung's on-screen menus are simply the best in the business in my opinion; cleanly laid out, beautifully rendered and organized in a rational, meaningful way that makes even difficult adjustments easy. Out of the box and in its Standard picture mode, the C6500 looks absolutely stunning and is within a few clicks here and there, mainly in brightness and contrast, of being calibrated when compared to my settings after using my copy of Digital Video Essentials on Blu-ray. For the purposes of this review I went ahead and disabled Samsung's Auto Motion Plus 120Hz processing or as my post production friends like to call it "the ruin movie feature."

Performance
I began my evaluation of the C6500 with some NHL hockey broadcast in HD. The ice was rendered beautifully courtesy of the C6500's LED back - I mean -edge lighting. The players' uniforms were rich, nicely saturated and natural in their color rendering as well as brilliantly detailed in their texture, allowing me to read the names on the back of the players' jerseys and even see the weave of the fabric in all but the widest of shots. Edge fidelity, even in the face of rapid motion, was among the best I've seen to date, creating a strong feeling of three dimensionality from a 2D image without the need for cumbersome or costly glasses. I'm not suggesting that the NHL game appeared to be 3D, I'm simply saying there was a great deal of dimension and 'pop' to the image that when combined with the C6500's large screen size gave me a you are there viewpoint on the action.

The first of Panasonic's 2011 HDTVs have arrived, many of which are lower-priced entry-level models. This year's line of LED-based LCDs will have five series, including the entry-level E3 Series. This series offers screen sizes of 42, 37, and 32 inches (Panasonic does not sell LCDs with screen sizes larger than 42 inches). We have not performed a hands-on review of the TC-L37E3, but here is an overview of its features. This 37-inch, 1080p LCD is a 2D-only display that uses edge LED lighting, which allows for a slim profile of 1.7 inches.

Additional Resources
• Read more LED HDTV reviews by HomeTheaterReview.com's staff.
• Explore Blu-ray player option is our Blu-ray Player Review section.
• Look for some low-profile on-wall speakers to complement the TC-L37E3 LED HDTV.

The TC-L37E3 has a 60Hz refresh rate; it does not have the Motion Picture Pro 4 120Hz technology found in the 42-inch E3 model. The IPS (In-Plane Switching) Alpha panel changes the orientation of the liquid crystals to allow for a wider viewing angle; Panasonic claims that this year's IPS Alpha panel has been improved to allow better contrast at wider angles while using less power. The TC-L37E3 is wireless-ready, with the addition of an optional USB adapter. This TV does not have the full VIERA Connect Web platform that will appear on many step-up 2011 models; instead, it has Panasonic's basic Web platform, dubbed Easy IPTV, that includes the six most popular services: Netflix, Amazon VOD, Napster, Pandora, CinemaNow, and Facebook. It can also receive streamed content from DLNA media servers.

The TC-L37E3's connection panel includes four HDMI inputs, with one on the side panel for easy access. You also get one component video input, one PC (D-sub 15-pin) input, and one RF input to access the internal ATSC and Clear-QAM tuners. Two USB ports and an SD card reader are available for media playback. The USB ports also support the addition of a keyboard and/or WiFi adapter; you can also use the back-panel Ethernet port for a wired network connection. The TC-L37E3 lacks a control port like RS-232 for integration into an advanced control system.

As an entry-level TV, the TC-L37E3 includes basic picture adjustments but lacks advanced options like precise white balance, gamma, and full color management. Picture settings include five picture modes (with a Game mode that improves response time for gaming content), three color-temperature presets, noise reduction, and a C.A.T.S. feature that automatically adjusts the backlight brightness based on ambient light (there's also a manual backlight control). As I mentioned above, this model does not include a 120Hz mode to reduce motion blur and film judder, nor does it offer the 24p Direct In mode found in higher-end Panasonic models, which lets you dictate whether to output 24p film content at 60 Hz (which involves 3:2 pulldown) or 48 Hz (which involves 2:2 pulldown and produces less judder). The TV has five aspect-ratio options, and you can configure it to display a 1080i/1080p image with no overscan.

The audio setup menu includes bass, treble, and balance controls, as well as a basic surround mode, an A.I Sound function that equalizes volume level across all channels and inputs, and a volume leveler that deals specifically with the external inputs.

The ECO menu includes a power-saving function that automatically reduces the backlight brightness, as well as options to turn off the TV when no signal is present or no activity occurs for a designated time period.

Here's a common problem that plagues many mass market home theater electronics, especially AV receivers: With so many products all offering similar features, all at similar price points - which product should one choose? What if within a company's own product lineup two pieces, on the surface, seemed identical? What is one supposed to do then? Case in point - the Pioneer Elite SC-35, reviewed here. At the outset the SC-35 appears to be an exact clone of its larger brother the SC-37. Seemingly the only item that separates the two is their asking price, with the SC-35 retailing for $1,600 compared to the larger, SC-37's $2,200 retail price.

Additional Resources
• Read more AV receivers by HomeTheaterReview.com's staff.
• Find a Blu-ray player to connect to the Pioneer Elite SC-35.

Beyond price and a change in model number, both the SC-35 and SC-37 appear identical, both utilize the exact same chassis, both feature the same 140 Watt power output across all seven of their channels, both have the same number of HDMI inputs (six in / two out) and both are 3D ready. I had to consult with Pioneer's own website in order to tell the two apart. The SC-35 lacks some of the SC-37's Internet music capabilities, mainly Rhapsody and Sirius Radio. The SC-35 is not DLNA 1.5 certified nor does it have an extensive list of preferred network formats. In terms of audio capability, the SC-35 utilizes a slightly less sophisticated DSP engine as well as lesser internal DACs and is THX Select 2 Plus certified versus Ultra 2 Plus with the SC-37.The SC-35's MCACC auto room correction is only marginally different from the SC-37 and it has one less listening mode. Lastly, the two have different remotes. Outside of those minor changes, the SC-35 and costlier SC-37 are virtually identical.

Where it counts, sound and image performance, the SC-35 is impossible to tell apart from the costlier SC-37. I had both on hand to do head-to-head comparisons and despite the SC-37 using slightly higher-end DACs and other internal components, I couldn't distinguish the two. Both possessed the same forward, lively sound with a smooth but not wholly organic top end grounded with a taut, texture-rich bottom end that doesn't plunge as deep as some but is still very respectable. The SC-35 is a dynamic powerhouse and has a very nicely defined soundstage for a receiver, though it favors width over depth. The SC-35, like the costlier SC-37, does no harm to the video signal when in the chain and passes 3D signals with flying colors. Overall the SC-35 is a capable AV receiver, one whose superb day-to-day livability matches its performance, all for a price most home theater enthusiasts can afford.

At CES, Sony announced plans to release five new Blu-ray models, three of which are now available: the BDP-S380 ($150), BDP-S480 ($180), and BDP-S580 ($200). We have not performed a hands-on review of the BDP-S580, but here is an overview of its features. The BDP-S580 is a 3D-capable player that also supports SACD playback. It has integrated WiFi for connection to a broadband network, which allows for access to Blu-ray BD-Live content and the BRAVIA Internet Video platform. Sony's Web platform includes Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, YouTube, Picasa, and Sony's own Qriocity VOD service--plus a very limited Web browser (it doesn't support flash and has other restrictions). The Entertainment Database Browser uses Gracenote technology to provide actor and production information. The BDP-S580 can also receive streamed content from a DLNA server, and it's compatible with Sony's HomeShare network speakers--the Party Streaming function lets you wirelessly stream audio to remote zones. The BDP-S580 supports the Media Remote App, which lets iPhone, iPod touch, and Android phone users control the player via their mobile device. This model lacks the 2D-to-3D conversion and Skype capability that will be offered in the not-yet-released BDP-S780 ($250).

Additional Resources
• Read more Blu-ray player reviews from HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Explore Blu-ray movie reviews on HomeTheaterSpot.com.

In terms of video connections, the BDP-S580 offers a single HDMI output, as well as component and composite video outputs. (The component video output is SD-only; beginning this year, manufacturers are no longer allowed to include HD-capable component video outputs, due to copy-protection restrictions.) This player supports both 1080p/60 and 1080p/24 output resolutions via HDMI. Picture adjustments include the ability to choose between preset picture modes and engage three types of noise reduction; Sony has also added IP noise reduction to specifically address the quality of Internet video sources. As for 3D adjustments, you can designate the size of your TV so that the player can tailor 3D graphics appropriately, and you can adjust the depth of the 3D image to suit your preference.

Audio outputs include HDMI, coaxial digital (no optical), and stereo analog. The BDP-S580 has onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, and it also passes these high-resolution audio formats in bitstream form over HDMI, for your A/V receiver to decode. The player lacks multichannel analog audio outputs, so the only way to pass decoded high-resolution audio formats is via HDMI.

The BDP-S580 supports playback of BD, DVD-Video, SACD, CD audio, AVCHD, MKV, WMV, WMA, AAC, MP3, GIF, PNG, and JPEG. You can add the player to your network using either the back-panel Ethernet port or the internal 802.11n wireless module. The BDP-S580 lacks internal memory to store BD-Live content; a back-panel USB port is provided for this purpose. A second, front-panel USB port supports media playback. The player lacks RS-232 or IR ports for integration into an advanced control system.

Read about the high points and the low points of the BDP-S580 on Page 2.

Anyone who claims the launch of 3D has gone well is lying. While 3D may be virtually everywhere that doesn't mean consumers have been buying, but that hasn't stopped manufacturers from trying to sell 3D at seemingly every turn. 3D HDTVs are now in their second generation (or possibly third depending on who you ask) and unlike first gen 3D displays, the second coming features a host of - wait for it - passive 3D displays. Yay. Early 3D sets were costly and required a host of specialty equipment to function properly, not to mention they introduced consumers to the world of active shutter glasses. Cumbersome and expensive, active shutter glasses became a punch line during 3D's initial offering.

Well, that was then and this is now and many manufacturers are over active 3D and are trying to make amends with consumers by offering passive 3D displays, complete with 3D glasses, that are not only easier on the eyes but far easier on their wallets as well. Case in point: the 42-inch Vizio E Series Class Theater 3D LCD HDTV (E3D420VX) reviewed here. At $729.99 retail, the 42-inch E Series HDTV is one of, if not the most affordable, 3D HDTV currently available.

Additional Resources
• Read more 3D HDTV reviews by the HomeTheaterReview.com staff.
• Look for a 3D-capable Blu-ray player in our Blu-ray Player Review section.

The E3D420VX looks decidedly KURO-esq with its shiny, piano black bezel and matte black speakers mounted below. I must say that Vizio has stepped up their industrial design with each product cycle and the E3D420VX is one of the more minimal yet attractive displays out there. Measuring a little over 40-inches wide by 26 inches tall and three inches deep without the stand, the E3D420VX is compact but by no means Kate Moss thin; however for a traditional LCD it's far from bulky. Using the E3D420VX's included tabletop stand adds a little more than an inch to the display's height and a full six inches to its depth. I should point out that the E3D420VX's stand does not allow for any kind of movement or tilt but more on that later. Surprisingly the E3D420VX has an LED-like weight, tipping the scales at a scant 33 pounds.

The E3D420VX is, as its name implies, a 42-inch, passive 3D, 1080p display that uses 3D CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps) back lighting over of the increasingly popular LED back or edge lighting, no doubt a cost saving measure, for Vizio's LED-based 3D sets start at $1,399.99. The E3D420VX is the first of Vizio's newest passive 3D HDTV lineup, featuring Vizio's own Theater 3D technology. The E3D420VX comes with two pairs of polarized glasses. If you need more than two pairs of polarized 3D glasses Vizio sells additional glasses starting at $29.99 (polarized) and topping out at $129.99 (active) on their website. Of course, if you've seen a 3D film in theaters recently you can hang onto those glasses and use them at home for the E3D420VX is RealD compatible. For more on 3D please visit Home Theater Review's, The ABCs of 3D: Key Terms You Need to Know.

Vizio states that the E3D420VX can display 16.7 million colors and has a dynamic contrast ratio of 200,000:1. The E3D420VX is a 120Hz display with a five-millisecond response time and a viewable angle of 178-degrees. The E3D420VX features two internal, 10-Watt loudspeakers with SRS StudioSound, SRS TruSound HD and SRS TruVolume DSP support. In terms of inputs or connection options the E3D420VX does have quite a few including three HDCP and 3D compliant HDMI inputs (two on the back and one on the side); one component input, one composite input, a single RGB computer input, analog audio input, RF input for the internal tuner and a 10/100 Base - TX Ethernet port. The E3D420VX features 802.11 Single Band WiFi capability is built in, meaning if you have a wireless network setup in your home the E3D420VX will be able to access it without any additional dongles or wires. Built in WiFi is not only handy but a benefit when it comes to utilizing the preloaded Internet Apps such as Netflix, Vudu, Blockbuster, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Yahoo, Pandora and more. Surprisingly the E3D420VX does not have any sort of Bluetooth support. E3D420VX has two USB 2.0 inputs with MP3 and JPEG support located along the left side of the display and below the set's hard controls. As far as outputs go the E3D420VX has a single optical digital out and an analog audio out.

Which brings me to the E3D420VX's remote: a small, non-backlit affair that is double sided with one containing all the necessary controls for the HDTV's various functions and the other a small qwerty keyboard for use with the various Internet Apps.

The Hookup
Installing the E3D420VX is an easy enough job for a single person unless you're wall mounting it, in which case I would recommend employing the help of a friend. Making the requisite connections between my 3D enabled Sony BDP-S580 was also a breeze thanks to the E3D420VX's well laid out and cleanly labeled back panel. I also connected my Dish Network HD DVR and Apple TV to the E3D420VX, which utilized all of its three HDMI inputs. I connected all my sources using two-meter length, High Speed, 3D compliant HDMI cables from Planet Waves, including one with a 90-degree termination for use on the E3D420VX's side mounted HDMI input.

Because I didn't have a very long evaluation period with the E3D420VX I didn't bother connecting it to the rest of my reference system, which meant I relied on it for both picture and sound.

Calibrating the E3D420VX was a breeze thanks in part to its wonderful menu with controls for virtually every picture parameter one could think of. Out of the box the E3D420VX isn't what I'd call calibrated though it's far from obnoxious. I used two calibration discs to dial in the E3D420VX's image: first Monster/ISF's HDTV Calibration Wizard on DVD and second, Digital Video Essentials on Blu-ray. I used two different discs because I felt that at the E3D420VX's asking price consumers would be willing to pop for the less expensive, less in-depth HDTV Calibration Wizard. However I also wanted to see how zeroed in the E3D420VX could be when using a far more professional disc such as DVE. Surprisingly, the less expensive HDTV Calibration Wizard produced a very pleasing image and one that wasn't far off from the calibration figures obtained using the Digital Video Essentials disc. I say surprisingly because I've owned a number of Vizio HDTVs over the years and the E3D420VX is the first I've encountered that included such a "professional" level of control when it came to calibration. I went ahead and disabled all of the E3D420VX's picture gimmicks such as its Ambient Light Sensor, dynamic contrast modes and motion processing for their presence was detrimental to the image and with regards to the Ambient Light Sensor completely noticeable and distracting. After about 30 minutes futzing around with the various on-screen menus and making my way through two different calibration discs, I had the E3D420VX pretty much dialed in and ready to rock and roll.

Once the image was calibrated I went ahead and connected the E3D420VX to my home wireless network. Connecting the E3D420VX to my wireless network was a breeze and within two minutes of entering my router's password I was changing my facebook status, reading my latest tweets and watching Netflix streaming content all while watching an episode of Fringe on Fox. Pretty cool - but a bit A.D.D.

Performance
I began my evaluation of the E3D420VX with some good ol' 2D material by way of the sci-fi cult classic Fringe (Fox) on Fox. Broadcast in HD (1080i), Fringe looked positively cinematic when viewed through the E3D420VX's matte finish screen. I'm a huge fan of matte finish screens on HDTVs for I find images appear more natural, though I know high gloss sells better for it allows for colors to "pop" and brightness to reign supreme. Still, there was plenty to be excited about when watching Fringe via the E3D420VX, for the colors all appeared natural and the black levels were solid and possessed excellent texture and detail. Highlights in the image, especially near the edges of the screen, showcased the E3D420VX's lack of backlight uniformity resulting in a subtle vignette effect. Artifacts were kept to a minimum and largely the result of the compression used in the broadcast and not due to lackluster performance on the E3D420VX's part.

As HDTVs become more and more talented, including features like integrated Wi-Fi, Web apps and video streaming, and energy-efficient LED backlighting, it's hard for any one to stand out. Panasonic's TC-L42E30 42-inch LED LCD HDTV, for example, doesn't have one particular feature that sets it apart. But with a price of just $1,099.95 (direct), a solid selection of Web apps, satisfying picture quality, and excellent power-consumption stats, it's a solid choice for anyone looking to outfit a home theater on a budget. Just don't expect 3D, integrated Wi-Fi, or any other high-end HDTV tricks.

Design
Plain, but functional, the TC-L42E30 comes with a flat black bezel and a flat black base. There are no real aesthetic flourishes beside the Panasonic logo in the center of the bottom edge of the screen, giving this HDTV a very utilitarian feel. Fortunately, what it lacks in form it makes up for in function. The left side of the HDTV holds an HDMI input, a USB port, and an SD card reader, while the right side contains a handful of control buttons. The bulk of the screen's inputs live on the left side of the back panel, and include three more HDMI inputs, another USB port, composite and component video inputs, an Ethernet port, a digital audio output, and a DVI video input.

The 8.4-inch remote is almost identical to the one bundled with the Panasonic TC-P50ST30 ($1,499.95, 3.5 stars), with only a few small differences. Unlike the more-expensive plasma HDTV's remote, the L42E30's remote isn't backlit and lacks a 3D button. Still, it's very well-designed, with large, easy-to-identify buttons with distinctly different shapes for the number pad, the Volume/Channel buttons, and the menu/navigation pad.Audio on the TC-L42E30 is the same sound you get from nearly every other HDTV: two 10-watt stereo speakers providing a decent but not spectacular listening experience. If you really value audio quality or power, consider getting a soundbar or surround sound system to replace the built-in speakers.

Like the TC-P50E30, this set offers plenty of online apps through Panasonic's Viera Cast service, including Netflix, Pandora, Amazon Video On Demand, Napster, CinemaNow, and others. But you'll need to connect the set to your network via Ethernet. (Wi-Fi is only available with an optional adapter.) The TV also includes the Viera Image Viewer, a photo and video player that can load media from an SD card, and the HDTV is DLNA-enabled, so you can play media from compatible networked devices.

Performance
To determine image quality, we use the DisplayMate testing software and a chroma meter to measure brightness, black levels, and color temperature. According to our tests, TC-L42E30 puts out an impressive 473.50 cd/m2 at peak brightness. While it doesn't get quite as dark as the Editors' Choice LG 47LW5600's ($1,699.99, 4.5 stars) 0.01 cd/m2 the TC-L42E30's black levels reached a respectable 0.04 cd/m2, still very good for an LED-backlit HDTV and producing a very impressive contrast ratio of 1:11,838. Colors were generally decent, but the red and green channels tended to run slightly cool, even when set under the Warm color temperature setting.

In my tests, Predators on Blu-ray looked great on the TC-L42E30, with plenty of color and excellent highlight and shadow detail. Like most HDTVs with motion modes that go past 60Hz, the screen's 120Hz mode made the action look smoother to the point of artificiality, with camera pans and movements looking almost superhuman. Once again, I recommend just turning off all motion-smoothing features to make the video look more natural.

We used a power meter to measure the TC-L42E30's energy consumption under an average load— in this case, the Blu-ray of the movie Predators. The HDTV consumed an average of 78 watts, very good for any screen (and far, far less than the 280 watts devoured by Panasonic's 50-inch TC-P50ST30 plasma), but not quite reaching the power-saving levels of the 46-inch Sony Bravia KDL-46EX720 ($1,599.99, 4 stars), which used just 67 watts with its power saving mode enabled. On the other hand, the PTC-L42E30 showed low power consumption while still running the backlight at fairly bright levels, which the Sony could not do. These numbers earn the TC-L42E30 our GreenTech approval.

Considering it costs just over $1,000, the Panasonic TC-L42E30 is a solid 42-inch LED HDTV. It's very bright, can get sufficiently dark, and while its colors aren't perfect, the overall picture will please the vast majority of users. If you're looking for an inexpensive HDTV with plenty of features, pick up this set. If you're open to paying a little more for a better picture and larger screen, take a look at the Editors' Choice, 47-inch LG Infinia 47LW5600 for more screen real estate and incredible color and black levels along with 3D support. If you want to up your Web functionality, consider the Sony NSX-46GT1 Internet TV, the 46-inch version of the NSX-32GT1 (4 stars, $799.99). It's only $100 more than this Panasonic set, but comes with a slick design and integrates Google TV.

The first of Panasonic's 2011 HDTVs have arrived, many of which are lower-priced entry-level models. The X3 Series is Panasonic's entry-level plasma line, and it includes screen sizes of 42 and 50 inches. We have not performed a hands-on review of the TC-P50X3, but here is an overview of its features. The 50-inch TC-P50X3 is a 2D-only plasma with a 1024 x 768 resolution. It does not use the Infinite Black 2 panel found on higher-end Panasonic plasma models, but it does include 600Hz Sub-field Drive to improve motion resolution. It is wireless-ready, with the addition of an optional USB adapter. This TV does not have the full VIERA Connect Web platform that will appear on many step-up 2011 models; instead, it has Panasonic's basic Web platform, dubbed Easy IPTV, that includes the six most popular services: Netflix, Amazon VOD, Napster, Pandora, CinemaNow, and Facebook. It can also receive streamed content from DLNA media servers.

Additional Resources
• Read more plasma HDTV reviews by the staff at HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Explore Blu-ray player option is our Blu-ray Player Review section.
• Look for some low-profile on-wall speakers to complement the TC-P50X3 plasma.

The TC-P50X3's connection panel includes two HDMI inputs, one component video input, and one RF input to access the internal ATSC and Clear-QAM tuners. There's no PC (D-sub 15-pin) input. On the side panel, you'll find two USB ports and an SD card reader that support media playback. The USB ports also support the addition of a keyboard and/or WiFi adapter; you can also use the back-panel Ethernet port for a wired network connection. The TC-P50X3 lacks a control port like RS-232 for integration into an advanced control system.

As an entry-level TV, the TC-P50X3 includes basic picture adjustments but lacks advanced options like precise white balance, gamma, and full color management. Picture settings include five picture modes, five color-temperature presets, noise reduction, and a C.A.T.S. feature that automatically adjusts the panel brightness based on ambient light. This model does offer the 24p Direct In mode, which lets you dictate whether to output 24p film content at 60 Hz (which involves 3:2 pulldown) or 48 Hz (which involves 2:2 pulldown and produces less judder); however, it does not offer the new Motion Smoother function that uses frame interpolation to produce smoother movement with film sources. The TC-P50X3 includes several features to prevent or counteract the effects of short-term image retention, including a pixel orbiter, a scrolling bar, and the option to use gray sidebars instead of black. The TC-P50X3 has five aspect-ratio options.

The audio setup menu includes bass, treble, and balance controls, as well as bass boost, a basic surround mode, an A.I Sound function that equalizes volume level across all channels and inputs, and a volume leveler that deals specifically with the external inputs.

The ECO menu includes options to turn off the TV when no signal is present or no activity occurs for a designated time period.

More on eCoustics: Home Theater Reviews, Plasma HDTV Reviews, HDTV Reviews

I have been sitting on the 3D fence for more than a year and I could never justify spending4,000 on a 65" 3D HDTV due to the lack of content and because my projector set-up is quite superior with 2D content. The Panasonic TC-P50ST30 isn't a perfect looking HDTV out of the box, but you can achieve some jaw-dropping picture quality out of it if you calibrate it properly. And it also hapens to do 3D, quite well I might add.  At its asking price, it is an exceptionally good deal on a really high-end HDTV and it's the first product I've reviewed since 1999 that elicited this response from my wife -- "We're buying this, right?" Don't argue with a genius when she speaks.

Fans of OPPO Digital's media players will tell you that the company offers the best of both worlds. In terms of product development and rollout, OPPO's approach is more like that of a high-end company: The goal is not to release a whole new product line every year and meet arbitrary deadlines; rather, the goal is to make sure that every product released meets high performance and quality standards.

Additional Resources
• Read more Blu-ray player reviews from the staff at HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Find an LED HDTV or plasma HDTV to get the most out of the BDP-93.

The process involves careful selection of components and a lot of testing. Once the product arrives on the market, the company pays close attention to customer issues and works quickly to resolve them with firmware updates. At the same time, OPPO prices its products in the realm of the reasonable, perhaps a bit higher than the mainstream manufacturers but generally lower (often significantly so) than high-end specialty companies. That win-win combination has earned OPPO a loyal and passionate following that has been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new BDP-93, which replaces the acclaimed but now-discontinued BDP-83.

The BDP-93 is OPPO's first Blu-ray player to support 3D playback and streaming video-on-demand. Like its predecessor, the BDP-93 is a universal disc player that supports playback of the SACD, DVD-Audio, and HDCD formats, as well as AVCHD, MP4, DivX, MKV, FLAC, and WAV files. This Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player offers BD-Live Web functionality and BonusView/picture-in-picture playback, and it sports dual HDMI outputs, for compatibility with non-3D-capable AV receivers. The BDP-93 offers bitstream output and onboard decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, with 7.1-channel analog audio outputs. OPPO's Web platform includes Netflix and Blockbuster OnDemand, and you can add the player to your network via a wired or wireless connection (a USB WiFi adapter is included). The BDP-93 has an MSRP of $499 and can be purchased directly via OPPO Digital's website or through authorized retailers like Amazon.

Setup
As I opened the box and gazed upon the meticulous care with which the BDP-93 was packaged, I knew I was in for something beyond the mainstream. The chassis is larger and heftier than the new designs from companies like Samsung and Sharp, but its dimensions (16 x 12.2 x 3.1) and weight (10.8 pounds) certainly aren't unwieldy, and its brushed-aluminum faceplate and stylishly minimalist front-panel design lend an air of elegance. Two LCD panels sandwich the center-aligned disc tray, while the buttons for power, eject, and transport control are flush with the unit's face, essentially disappearing into the design. The accompanying remote control is also a bit larger than average, but it boasts full backlighting and an intuitive button layout.

The BDP-93's connection panel sports dual HDMI 1.4 outputs, as well as component video, composite video, optical digital, coaxial digital, and multichannel analog audio outputs. I began with a basic setup of HDMI running directly from the player to the Samsung UN46C8000 3D TV. Upon power-up, the BDP-93 walks you through an Easy Setup Wizard in which you designate a primary HDMI output (more on this in a minute), select a video output resolution, set your aspect-ratio preference (if you have a 16:9 display, you can decide whether or not to add black bars to 4:3 content), and select the best audio setting for your display ("compatible" offers a standard-resolution signal that includes secondary audio, while "advanced" is ideal if your receiver has high-resolution audio decoding). Once the Easy Setup Wizard is complete, the BDP-93's Home Menu appears, which includes eight icons: Music, Photo, Movie, My Network, Netflix, Blockbuster, Internet, and Setup Menu. It's not the most attractive interface I've encountered on a Blu-ray player, but it's clear and easy to navigate.

The primary benefit of having two HDMI outputs is that it eliminates the need to upgrade to a 3D-ready A/V receiver. Older, non-3D-ready HDMI receivers don't understand the EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) that identifies the 3D display, and they won't pass a 3D video signal due to lack of bandwidth or video buffer. With two HDMI outputs, you can send the 3D video signal directly to your display via one output and send the audio signal directly to your receiver via the other. If this is how you plan to connect the BDP-93, then you don't have to do any special configuration in the setup menu: Some 3D Blu-ray players require you to turn off the video signal through one of the HDMI outputs, but the BDP-93 handles this automatically. If you connect HDMI 1 to a 3D-capable TV and HDMI 2 to a non-3D-capable receiver, the BDP-93 will automatically detect a 3D signal and output a 2D blank screen to the receiver, along with the audio signal.

You can also output a full AV signal from both HDMI outs (yes, that includes 3D), allowing you to use the BDP-93 with two different systems. The catch is, only HDMI 1 uses the high-end Marvell QDEO DE2750 video processor; HDMI 2 uses a more basic processing chip. As I mentioned above, you must dictate which HDMI output you want to be the primary one. If you select HDMI 1, then that port will use the Marvell chip to upconvert signals to 1080p, while HDMI 2 puts out all signals at their native resolution. If you designate HDMI 2 as the primary, then you can get 1080p/60 through both HDMI outputs simultaneously, but again HDMI 2 uses a more basic processing chip, not the Marvell chip. (We'll compare performance in the next section.)

Like all newer Blu-ray players, the BDP-93 can be configured to output Blu-ray films at either 1080p/60 or 1080p/24, and this player also has a Source Direct mode that allows you to output all signals at their native resolution--which is ideal if you already own a high-quality external video processor. Other setup options include the ability to choose between multiple HDMI color spaces (auto, RGB video level, RGB PC level, YCbCr 4:4:4, and YCbCr 4:2:2), enable Deep Color up to 36 bits, and designate NTSC or PAL. A Picture Adjustment menu includes controls for brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, sharpness, and noise reduction (the Marvell chip adds color enhancement and contrast enhancement for HDMI 1). Using these controls, you can configure three different picture modes--for instance, one for DVD, one for Blu-ray, and one for VOD. The BDP-93 also offers multiple zoom modes, including a stretch mode that vertically stretches the image for use with a projection system and anamorphic lens.

As for 3D setup, the BDP-93 is configured to automatically detect and output a 3D Blu-ray signal, but you can disable this if you don't have a 3D TV. The only other 3D setup tool is the ability to enter your TV's screen size so that the player can optimize output, particularly menus and graphics, for your screen size. The BDP-93 does not let you change the type of 3D output signal--for instance, you can't get checkerboard output for compatibility with older 3D TVs. (Panasonic players are currently the only ones I'm aware of that let you change the 3D output signal.)

On the audio side, the player has Dolby True-HD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoders, and it can pass these formats in bitstream form over HDMI for your receiver to decode. In my case, my HDMI-equipped receiver died right before this player showed up for review, so those multichannel analog audio outputs came in quite handy. Within the setup menu, I turned off the HDMI audio and set the speaker size, level, and distance for the analog outputs. The menu also allows you to select a crossover point between 40 and 250 Hz and to downmix the analog signal from 7.1 to 5.1, LT/RT, or stereo. I went with 5.1. Other audio setup options include the ability to set an LPCM rate limit for the coaxial/optical outputs (48, 96, or 192), select DSD or PCM output for SACDs, and enable HDCD decoding. The BDP-93 sports a Pure Audio mode that allows you to turn off the video processing and video output to reduce possible interference and improve audio performance.

The BDP-93's back panel includes an Ethernet port for network connectivity, and the package also includes a USB WiFi adapter for a wireless connection. This adapter can connect to a back-panel or front-panel USB port, both of which also support the addition of a USB drive for media playback or BD-Live storage. The BDP-93 does have 1 GB of internal memory to store BD-Live content. The player also offers an eSATA port to connect an external hard drive and access a complete media library; however, it doesn't officially support DLNA media streaming from a networked media server. Interestingly, the Home Menu does include a My Network section that the owner's manual calls an "experimental feature" for streaming networked media content; the company directs people to the OPPO Wiki for information on how to configure and use this feature. I don't have a DLNA-capable server, so I did not test this function.

Finally, the BDP-93 offers both an RS-232 port and an IR input for integration into a more-advanced control system.

Performance
I was fortunate to have four other 3D Blu-ray players in-house when the BDP-93 arrived, so I began my evaluation by doing some speed comparisons. Going up against models from Samsung, Panasonic, Sharp, and Toshiba (all priced under $300, but none with dual HDMI outputs or universal playback), the OPPO was actually one of the slower players to go from power-on to the "No disc" message. It took about 28 seconds, whereas the Panasonic and Toshiba models did it in about 10 seconds. However, when it came to loading discs, the OPPO was consistently the fastest. With DVDs, the load times were similar amongst most of the players, with the BDP-93 having an advantage of just a few seconds. The discrepancy grew with Blu-ray discs, particularly Blu-ray 3D discs and discs like Iron Man (Paramount Home Video) that sport Java-heavy menus. The BDP-93 loaded the Monster House Blu-ray 3D disc (Sony Pictures) 13 seconds faster than the closest competitor.

Read more about the Oppo BDP-93's performance on Page 2.

April 14, 2011 • by John R. Delaney

If you've been waiting for prices to drop below the $300 mark before taking the HDTV plunge, the wait is over. Priced at $299 (list), the Hannspree ST32AMSB is a great deal for anyone looking for a small-screen (32-inch) no-frills TV. You don't get much in the way of features or cutting edge technology with this set, but it offers good 720p HD image quality with wide viewing angles. And did I mention it's less than $300?

Design
There's nothing fancy about this TV; the 32-inch panel has a maximum resolution of 1366 by 768, which means it can only display HD content in 720p, rather than full 1080p HD, a common limitation for models in this size and price range. The screen uses CCFL backlighting, which accounts for the thick (3.6-inch) cabinet. The glossy black top and side bezels are almost 2 inches wide, and the bottom is 3 inches, giving the set a decidedly clunky look. Narrow bezels would go a long way to giving the ST32AMSB a more streamlined, stylish appearance. The oval stand is also done up in a shiny black finish and does a good job of supporting the 24-pound TV, but it does not swivel.

There's a Hannspree logo in the center of the lower bezel and an LED power indicator and remote sensor off to the left. The right side of the cabinet holds seven buttons (Power, Volume Up and Down, Channel Up and Down, Input, and Menu), all of which are clearly labeled. The ST32AMSB has only two HDMI ports, which means you'll be swapping cables if you want to connect a cable box, a gaming console, and a DVD or Blu-ray player (another budget model, the 32-inch Sceptre X322BV-HD ($399, 2.5 stars), gives you three HDMI ports). The connections are at the rear of the cabinet where they are difficult to reach. Also around back are two sets of component A/V jacks, an optical audio output, a coaxial antenna/cable jack, a VGA (PC) and PC audio inputs, and stereo audio out jacks. There's also a USB port back there, but if you mount this set on a wall you can forget about using it; it should have been located on the side of the panel for easier access. The ST32AMSB lacks an Ethernet connection and doesn't come with built-in Wi-Fi, which means no Web apps.

The two 10-watt speakers embedded in the lower bezel aren't very loud, but they do deliver clean, distortion-free audio. Just don't expect booming bass from the small, down-firing cones.

The 7.6-inch black remote is slightly tapered and fits comfortably in the hand. It has 40 buttons (including a 4-way rocker), responsive buttons that unfortunately aren't illuminated. The usual assortment of keys include a number pad, four color-coded keys for selecting DVD, Audio, Cable, and TV modes, Menu, Mute, and Last Channel buttons, and a set of DVD-player controls.

Image and audio settings are fairly basic; there are five Picture modes (Cinema, Sport, Vivid, Game, and User), but it's hard to tell the difference between most of them. Sport, Vivid, and Game are all oversaturated and way too bright. Cinema mode is your best bet for movie and TV viewing, but you may want to bump the backlight level up a notch or two for best results. In addition to backlighting you can adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, hue, sharpness, and color temperature settings. Advanced settings include noise reduction, adaptive luma (auto color balance), and flesh tone, but there are no advanced color, gamma, or white level settings that you get with more expensive high-end sets like the Mitsubishi LT-55265.

You can adjust several audio settings, including Surround (which I found was best left in the Off position), Treble, Bass, and Balance. There's an equalizer that offers six presets (Rock, Pop, Live, Dance, Techno, Classic), none of which are ideal for movies or TV. Fortunately, you can simply turn the equalizer off.

Performance
The ST32AMSB turned in mixed results on the DisplayMate HDTV diagnostic tests. In terms of color accuracy, reds and blues were very close to the CIE 1976 chromaticity standard for those colors, but greens were slightly oversaturated. That said, color quality was still quite good on my Blu-ray and TV program tests. Skin tones looked natural and there was no evidence of tinting. The panel doesn't do a very good job of displaying blacks, as evidenced by its relatively high black level measurement of 0.13cd/m2. My test clips from the movie 2012 on Blu-ray Disc showed a significant loss of shadow detail in darker scenes, and in one particular scene it was impossible to see the stripes in a dark pinstripe suit.

The ST32AMSB passed all of the HQV high defintion performance tests save for one; it struggled with the Random Noise test. Setting the Noise Reduction feature to medium helped reduce the frequency of artifacts but did not eliminate them completely. Bumping it up to high didn't help either and produced a smoothing effect that looked like a homemade video. Predictably, it had the same problem with noise reduction on the standard definition tests. That's not to say the picture was terribly noisy, but in both cases background noise was noticeable. This carried over to my Blu-ray and satellite box tests as well.

The ST32AMSB drew an average of 53 watts during my testing, which is significantly lower than the Sceptre X322BV-HD (93 watts), another 32-inch CCFL-backlit HDTV. Still, it can't touch the Westinghouse LD-3255 ($429, 3 stars), an LED-backlit 32-inch model that used just 38 watts of power. Based on five hours of daily use using the national average cost of 11.55 cents per kWh, the ST32AMSB will cost 93 cents a month, or around $11 a year, to operate.

At just under $300, the Hannspree ST32AMSB is one of those deals that is hard to pass up, especially if it's discounted even further, which is likely. Even if you already own a larger, more feature-rich HDTV, this set works nicely as a second set for the bedroom, dorm room, or any area that doesn't warrant a big screen TV. Sure, it has some performance issues, and you don't get many features either, but at this price it's tough to complain.

If you've been waiting for a full-featured, big-screen LCD TV--and by big, I mean 5-feet-plus on the diagonal--that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, the Vizio XVT3D650SV may well be the answer to your prayers. For $3700 (as of April 7, 2011), this 65-inch LED­-backlit set delivers good image quality and 3D support, plus tons of user controls and great connected-TV features, all easily accessible via Vizio's usual first-rate user interface and a nifty Bluetooth remote with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

Okay, $3700 isn't dirt cheap, but only a few years ago an LCD TV this size would easily have set you back more than $5000. Plus, there's so much to like about this set--and relatively little to complain about.

It is not, however, the greenest set around--in our tests, average hourly power consumption ran 123.6 watts when in use and 0.8 watt even when turned off, which is high for an LED-backlit set. The audio is just adequate, but otherwise its only real flaw is the lack of media playback support, despite having three (!) USB 2.0 ports. ...

Review by M. David stone • December 9, 2010

The Epson PowerLite home cinema 8700 UB projector ($ 2,199 direct) is Epson's top-line model in their home theater projector included category of entry level top and bottom Pro cinema models in square brackets. The Pro cinema models are generally reserved for enthusiasts willing to shell, money for AV professionals to install and the settings to their viewers, and in fact optimize their entire home theater, including the system screen and audio. The LCD-based 1080p, the 8700 UB is directly on the threshold, the higher level, with Pro-cinema-level performance to a decidedly moderate price. It is also our editors' choice for inexpensive home theater projector.

Physically similar to the entry level editor ' choice Epson PowerLite home cinema 8100 ($ 1499 direct, 4 star), the 8700 UB to 5.4 by 17.7 15.5 cm (HWD) and 16 pounds is relatively large. That leaves plenty of room on the back for plug, the two HDMI ports for video or data signals containing only a RCA phono plug for composite video signals, and an S-video connector three RCA phono connectors for component video, a VGA connector for a computer (it supports no component video).

There is also a 12v trigger port can you use to automatically reduce and a screen to increase, enabling the projector on and turn off and a RS-232 port, allows you the projector from a computer to control. There is no audio connections, because there no integrated audio system is.

Setup
If you buy the 8700 UB, you are sure order cables at the same time, when you need them. The only things that is combined with the projector Epson is a power cord and a remote control. Provided that you have the cables you need, but is usually standard fare Setup. Introduced the projector, connect the cable, have on the screen, and adjust the manual zoom, focus and both horizontal and vertical lens shift. All four controls change settings only slowly adjust easily to make enough and with just the right amount of resistance.

Both the 2.1 x zoom and lens shift, the controls value are special mention, as it enormous flexibility you in where you can the projector and still get the image size and the desired position. The horizontal lens shift can the image about half screen width in both directions from the center position move. The vertical lens shift can move up or down it from the center position almost a full screen after. The combination makes the right spot for the projector will find extremely easy.

Finally Setup benefit as with nearly every projector, to explore the menu options and may change the settings. However provide excellent image quality, the default settings, leave little reason for all but the most demanding enthusiasts with the settings play.

Performance
There are several independent features that the 8700 UB contribute a different image quality. The default settings are THX mode, for example provides excellent color fidelity and brightness appropriate for movies in a dark room theater. Other settings, including dynamic and living room modes offer greater brightness for higher ambient light and at the same time good color fidelity. These other modes are also the viewer a good choice for watching sports or play video games in the family room. Epson prices projector at 1600 lumens in brightest mode.

Display dark for Theater an Auto-Iris provides blacks exceptionally, in particular in dark scenes. The black is a little brighter in bright scenes, where the Auto-Iris, but always still properly black opened. Just as important, the IRIS adjustment is fast enough, so I see no lag in my tests between cut to a new scene and the brightness change - a common problem with auto-IRIS.

A further plus is how well treated the 8700 UB shadow detail, maintaining detail based on shading in dark areas, in scenes which many viewers have problems. Similarly, it did a great job with skin tones even in scenes that tend to many projectors, Posterize (Posterize) (shows a sudden change in color where it should gradually shade).

Value reference is also an extension resolution mode that Epson asks Super resolution. The mode visibly improves the sharpness of the DVDs played on a 480i composite video connection and even showed a significant improvement in some scenes for Blu-ray discs to 1080p. Even better, it has created all the elements. So although the improvement has been subtle to none in most HD scenes, enabled the fact that the function sometimes helps and hurts never makes it value having and leave.

As should be clear, an impressive collection of functions and performance provides the 8700 UB, by the relatively low price even more impressive. It offers not the 3D support can be found in some current DLP projectors, but who is projectors 3D in today's low prices very limited, and may never much of it is in any case can.

Very much is on the positive side, and far more practical as well, that the 8700 UB comes with a coupon for a free replacement lamp, that a $300-element is. (Alleged lamp life is 4,000 hours, whether in the standard or eco mode.) Whether you a true enthusiast on a limited budget or would like to mention only a great projector at an affordable price - not one that you insert and a high image quality is preserved without modification - 8700 UB to recommend both easy and one simple picking an editor's choice.

VERGLEICHSTABELLE
Compare the ViewSonic PJD2121 side by side with several other projectors.