Best Buy HDTV Reviews

Vizio 32″ LCD HDTV - VX32L

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:58:45 +0000

I work at Sears as a TV salesmen and im a college student. So I know a few things about televisions. I am one of the better part time salesmen in our store but anyways.

Being a college student, I didn’t have alot of money to throw around. Im 18 years old and wanted an HDTV to play my Xbox 360 on. All I have to say is I made the right decision.

Being around TVs for 6 to 8 hours straight can get annoying but it does give you alot of time to look at each set and see the differences in quality and price.

The best two looking television in the 32 range LCD are obviously the Sony Bravia KDL-32S3000 32″ 720p LCD HDTV sets or the Samsungs. Yes they do look better but they by no means look $400 better than the Vizio. So weighing out all my options and wanted to stay under the $700 range it was either the Vizio, Sylvania, or the Olevia. This was the no brainer of the year. The Vizio looks so much better than both these sets and the worst thing is the Vizio is cheaper than the Sylvania.

I also got a great deal on it. For one the signing manager was told to put the old display Vizio on closeout and a new one in its place. I was like I wanna buy this TV tonite so he put the new one outta the box on closeout and left the old one there. So I got a 629 dollar Tv for about 500 plus my associate discount.

Once I brought the TV home I was immediatly satisfied. Going from a 13 inch SDTV (although it was LCD) to a 32 inch HD TV was incredible. After tweakings of the settings my 360 games looked just as good as they do on my uncles Samsung. This shows that if you are technically able you can spend far less on a TV and with some setting adjustments make it look like a 1000 dollar set.

There are some reasons I gave this TV a four though. For one the sound isn’t very good. I use a surround sound system by Yamaha that was about the smae price of the TV haha. If you don’t have a surround sound I do suggest you turn off the Simulated surround sound in the menu. It waill make the TV sound a little better. The only other negative with hte television are in dark movie scenes they tend to look a little muddy. Not horrible but not as good as they should.

All in all at 599-629 (500 with tax for me ) dollars this is a great Televison set. I do suggest if yuou buy this at least buy the 300 dollar Yamaha home theatre system with an included reciever. Yamaha YHT-380BL Home Theater in a Box.

Reviewed By : Daniel R. Donofrio : Feb 28, 2008

Click to see Product Details & Price of Vizio VX32L

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Vizio L37 37″ 1366×768 / 600:1 Contrast Ratio / HDMI / Built in HD Tuner / LCD TV w/Speakers

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:45:35 +0000

Vizio L37 37

To begin, I noticed that there were quite a few reviews from a year ago and saw that many of these reviewers paid well over $1,000 for their Vizio 37-inch LCD. As we probably all know, the prices of plasmas and LCDs are continually dropping (and I sure am glad I resisted the urge to buy one a year ago!). As of this review, the price of this TV is well under $1,000 at every place I can think of where it’s sold.

I’m not usually keen on buying what I think of as “off brands” because they almost always are a pile of garbage. Still, walking down the aisle and comparing the Vizio to the likes of Sony, Sharp, Panasonic, Philips, and JVC left me with the impression that the Vizio was, hands down, the best value. The only TV with the better picture (in my humble opinion) was that of a Sony costing twice the price. The Sony only edged its performance, however. The “look” and “feel” of the Vizio also seemed on par with its “brand name” competitors. Thus, I bought the Vizio.

I knew well enough that when I got home this TV wouldn’t perform as it did in the store since I have no HDTV channel subscriptions at the time. Overall, though, I was not disappointed. The hook-ups were a breeze too. I’ve heard now and then that certain LCDs and plasmas lack even the most basic of inputs (one I’ve heard didn’t even have a cable input), but rest assured that the Vizio has plenty of connections. I’m especially fond of the additional audio/video connection at the left side of the panel. We have a “roaming” Nintendo Gamecube that sometimes docks temporarily at this location before retreating back into my son’s room, and the side inputs surely prevent timely and cumbersome hookup of temporary components as video game consoles, camcorders, etc.

While I’ve had it only a month, I can at least say that I suffered no “out of the box” defects. I continue to be weary since Vizio is a new name, but am actually relieved to see a few Vizio commercials on television. To me, that bears the mark of a legitimate company that intends to stay in business. Seriously, when was the last time you saw an advertisement for an “off brand” like Spectre, Mintek, iLo, Trutech, or Durabrand? I mention these names because they represent the latest slew of junk brands that have replaced such previous names as Apex or Cyberhome. I’ve e-mailed Vizio’s customer service support on two occasions and have received a prompt and informative response, so this speaks volumes about the company’s reputabilty to me!

In short, I am very pleased with the performance of the Vizio in my new media room. Mmmmmhmmmm, that sure sounds good to say! Between you and me, my media room is . . . ahem . . . a recently converted bedroom. It had only one small window, so my chocolate brown wall paint and heavy curtains achieved the movie theater effect quite nicely. One needs only a gallon or two of paint and a few dark window treatments to achieve a budget-friendly home theater. With the substantial savings the Vizio offers, I can now afford one of those nice new “theater seating” sofas I’ve seen recently.

**** Update **** I found that code “10030″ works for programming a universal remote. The Vizio website lists “0030″ but the aforementioned code is what worked for me. Strangely enough, this code is actually a Samsung code. Funny that, because I overheard a salesman the other day mention that Samsung is the parent company of Vizio. If true, then that’s a good thing.

Reviewed By : Frankland S. Strickland

Click to see Product Details & Price of Vizio L37

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Sony Bravia L-Series KDL-32L4000 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 06:16:13 +0000

Sony Bravia KDL-32L4000

I was in the market for upgrading the last of the CRT televisions in the house. For a viewing distance of about 12 feet, I needed something relatively big enough for that distance, that had HD capability, was inexpensive and reliable.

Other flatscreen TVs around the house that I own include a Panasonic Viera 50″ Plasma 85 Series, Sony 37″ Plasma, Sony 32″ Bravia LCD.

SETUP:
The television is relatively light and I was able to connect the base to the television and lift it upon the stand without too much effort. 3 phillips screws were all that was necessary.

After initializing the television for language, the autoprogram feature for channels worked relatively quickly picking up about 66 analog and 111 digital channels.

USE:
The remote is a no frills highly functional remote with standard buttons. The menu system is clear and intuitive. The buttons of the remote are large and it is easy to read, for a farsighted person like myself.

IMAGE QUALITY:
Standard definition and high definition picture quality are excellent for the price. You can choose Custom, Vivid or Standard settings (I chose Vivid). 720p resolution is great for a TV of this size. 1080p does not play a part in resolution until you get up to 46″.

SOUND QUALITY:
With the external speakers, I thought that the sound would have been above average. However, I think this is where the price point reveals itself. Sacrifice sound for everything, else. This is definitely not a deal breaker, you can always opt for an external speaker system or run the TV with a receiver or speaker - if this is your primary TV.

PRACTICAL ISSUES:
2 HDMI inputs allow for a cable box and Blu-ray player. Component input for HDTV is another option.

VERDICT:
Overall, this is a nice value for a television that will be primarily for the guests - or when I want to get away from the crowd in the house. Just keep in mind, the sound is just average in quality.

Reviewed By : Egle Vision : Nov 12, 2008

Click to see Product Details & Price of Sony KDL-32L4000

Samsung HL50A650 50-Inch 1080p Slim DLP HDTV

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:21:29 +0000

Samsung HL50A650

Then this is perfect, especially if you want to pay less than $1200 (that’s right LESS than $1200) for that beautiful picture. If you are ever going to want to wall-mount your TV, then this is NOT for you. I have no such plans so this TV perfect for me. This might just be the perfect TV for you as well.

I got to watch the “LOST” season finale (Season 4 - on May 29) on this beauty in HD. Absolutely beautiful. This TV was made for shows like that. The 3 women I watched the finale with (who know next to nothing about HDTVs) kept on talking about the quality of the picture. I’ve also found that it works pretty well on the shows / stations that are not yet broadcast in HD, but let’s face it: this TV was meant for HD. HD programming (from Comcast - my cable provider) ranges from “a little better than non-HD” to “breathtakingly beautiful” depending on what you are watching. I’ve had more than a few “Whoah” moments, both in watching HDTV programming and in watching my DVDs on the Samsung DVD-1080P8 (1080p Upconverting DVD Player). So far I’ve just gotten to watch Transformers and bits and pieces of the original Star Wars Trilogy (2004 DVD release) and I have just loved it.

Here is my full set-up:
Samsung HL50A650 50-inch 1080p Slim DLP HDTV - the product I am reviewing.
HDMI 2M (6 Feet) Super High Resolution Cable - currently my only connections to the TV - very inexpensive/cheap through Amazon!
Samsung DVD-1080P8 1080p Upconverting DVD Player - hooked up to the TV with one HDMI cable.
Comcast HD (local cable provider - not through Amazon) - plugged in, coaxial cable from wall to box, one HDMI cable from box to TV.
Prepac BPS-6000 - TV stand for up to 60″ TVs - my girlfriend bought this, but not through Amazon.

Observations / POINTERS / WARNINGS:
- Don’t forget to get an HD BOX from your cable / satellite company. Just because you already have a Cable/Satellite Box doesn’t mean that the box is capable of broadcasting an HDTV signal. It may cost a little extra (over your existing cable/satellite bill - in our case, around $7 extra each month) to get HD programming.
- Don’t forget to CALL your cable company to get that HD box ACTIVATED. Just because you already have a subscription (or an older box) doesn’t mean that just “plugging” in the new box will make it work.
- It may take time for the new programming to load up to your Cable box, so make sure call and get it activated AT LEAST an hour before the show that you want to watch.
- You may want to get a TV stand that is at least 20″ high (many start at lower than this). Many people (including I) like to watch their HDTV a little bit higher up, to get more of the “movie theater” feel and to still appreciate optimal viewing when they’re standing up (not sitting on their comfy couches). The Prepac BPS-6000 starts at 26″ high, which suits me just fine!
- On the remote: The “Source” button is probably necessary (at least initially), The E-mode button is cool, but I just LOVE the P-size button / function. You may too! The P-size button gives you the option to slightly “stretch” non-HD 4:3 programming to fit your 16:9 ratio screen. It does the same for your standard 2.35:1 movie programming (removing letterbox and “stretching” the picture out). You may or may not like this option. If you do use it, make sure to go back to the 16:9 setting before watching HD programming!
- My two very MINOR annoyances with the TV: 1) When the room is pitch black (other than the TV), I sometimes noticed some light from the back of the TV. I usually am too distracted by what’s actually on the TV to notice. 2) When the room is very dark, the picture may actually be too bright for you (at the standard setting). You can easily play around with the “E-mode” or other settings.

That’s it. Enjoy your new HDTV!

Reviewed By : Knighn : June 10, 2008

Click to see Product Details & Price of Samsung HL50A650

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Sony Bravia XBR KDL-55XBR8 55-Inch 1080p 120Hz Triluminos LED LCD HDTV

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:30:51 +0000

Sony Bravia XBR KDL-55XBR8

I actually own one. It is hard to imagine how a picture on a TV based on the current ATSC encoding could look any better. The blacks are “black-black”. The colors are intense. The picture is bright. The only limitation I can see has more to do with the source material than with the TV itself.

I have DirectTV HD and Sony blu-ray, I also have rabbit ears for local TV. I will for the purposes of this review, ignore Analog TV and VCR, both of which are beyond obsolete.

With standard 480 source, the mosquito filtering is poor or non-existant. I am not sure if this is because of the TV, because of the upscaling of the DirectTV HD-DVR or because of the original network processing. However with true HD source (either 720P or 1080i), the results are stunning. The 3-D processing (two dimensions of the picture and one dimension of time) to interpolate intermediate frames is just stunning. With any other TV, I have learned how to see the macro blocking when the compression is running at the limit, but this TV does an incredible job of not only smoothing out the inter-frame judder, but it remarkably sharpens the picture for those interpolated frames as well. When I pause a picture with the DVR, you can see macro blocks, but as soon as you press “play”, you can actually see the motion processor cutting in.

The results with a good blu-ray disk are, well, get your popcorn and 64 oz cup of soda because it is better than a movie theater since it is brighter.

I have two complaints, both of them “nits”. The first is that it takes way too much effort to set the sleep timer. Obviously Sony did not anticipate that a lot of users would use this TV to fall asleep on the couch with. Its not a big deal, but other TVs have a one button sleep button - the height of lazy, I’ll admit. The other thing is that the “universal” remote doesn’t know how to control the DirectTV HD-DVR. Like all other universal remotes, you still need a remote caddy in your La-Z-Boy to keep all of your other ones…

Of course the obvious down side is the $7,000 price, but YGWYPF.

Reviewed By : R. D. Smith : Nov 20, 2008

Click to see Product Details & Price of Sony KDL-55XBR8

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Samsung HL56A650 56-Inch 1080p Slim DLP HDTV

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 14:54:24 +0000

Samsung HL56A650

I have been eyeing up a Sammy DLP set for quite some time. I initially planned on getting the Samsung HLT6187S for the 61 inch goodness and the LED light source. However, as I continued to procrastinate the price of those sets began to rise as they became harder and harder to find. At that point I thought I may as well jump up to the HL61A750 since it is the successor to my dream TV. Well, unfortunately my old lady voiced her opinion that the 61 inch was “too big” for our modest apartment, but said she backed up my decision either way. But me being the sensitive man I am I couldn’t stand to make her unhappy and grudgingly started looking for a 56 incher.

My searches would soon bring me face to face with the glorious glow of the Samsung HL56A650. Honestly, if they had a LED powered 56 incher in this series I would have gotten that one instead. I can imagine the reason for this was to lower the price to increase market saturation but I wish they could at least had both versions or a maybe an LED upgrade kit (does that even exist or did I just make that up?).I had a DLP projector a few years back and I’ve priced the lamps for the TV and they are MUCH cheaper than the ones for my old projector. Even so I was considering buying a replacement lamp and keeping it in the closet when the stock lamp eventually dies so 1) I can capitalize on the lower price while they are in abundance and 2) I won’t be weeks without my pretty tv while I wait for the replacement to come in the mail.

Alright enough babble, onto the actual TV itself, I order the TV the 16th, and received it on the 24th. CEVA only sent one person out with the TV so being the testosterone filled he-man that I am, I offered to help him bring it up to our 3rd floor apartment. After careful inspection of the unit and waiting for me to be satisfied, he took all the packaging to the garbage after I told him I didn’t have space to store it in case of it being defective. The TV settings were so-so out of the box but after using the calibration disc we picked up previously Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics [Blu-ray] the picture was outstanding once we threw on a bluray disc.

The television is very attractive even when its not turned on, with its stylish piano black finish and thin bezel. Any other 56 inch tv would overpower our living room but the design of the tv allows it to stay amazing low key. Then you turn the picture on and POW! Your eyeballs explode from resolution overload. The remote is pretty slick looking as well, with a piano black finish that matches the TV (and the PlayStation 3 80GB Motorstorm Pack).

I actually thought I was going to be underwhelmed by the sound quality and want a home theater system immediately but I have been pleasantly surprized. Not that the speakers are that great, but they get the job enough that I can allow my wallet to recover the beating buying this behemoth has done before I invest in completing my home theater set up. One thing that kind of surprized me about this tv was that even though there are 3 hdmi hookups, there is only one antenna hook up which I forgot all about. I was actually anticipating hooking an antenna up to the second port to get some free high def channels.

Other than those couple of gripes I really have nothing bad to say about the television. The main reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is the lack of an LED light source or even an option for one in the 56 inch model. But don’t let that be a deal breaker, this is a great tv that gives you more picture for buck than LCD or plasma.

Reviewed By : J. D. Mitchell : June 30, 2008

Click to see Product Details & Price of Samsung HL56A650

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Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ800U 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:36:26 +0000

Panasonic TH-46PZ800U

I purchased this TV about a month ago and I was holding off on my review because I wanted to break in the set first (yes, you should still break in plasmas in spite of what the manufacturers say). I am at about 250 hours on the set, and I have to say that it is the most realistic looking picture that I have seen in a flat panel. I would even put it right up there with the Pioneer Kuros. Fleshtones are incredible and there is no oversaturation of colors. I simply used the THX mode and made basic adjustments using the DVE calibration disk on Blu Ray.

I had initially purchased a Samsung LN46A650 LCD. I liked the set but I just felt that it wasn’t quite as sharp as my Samsung 42 inch 720p plasma. Also the colors were a touch too oversaturated. Amazon returned the set with no hassle and delivered the Panasonic in its place.

Initially the Panasonic also did not look quite as sharp as my 42 inch Samsung although the picture was less noisy. However, right around 200 hours or so, the picture really sharpened up. Now that the set has some hours on it, the picture is just amazing! The only other set that I have seen with a better picture (and not by much)is a 60 inch Kuro. The only thing that the Kuros have over this Panasonic is that they are a touch sharper.

This Panasonic is a phenominal buy if color decoding and a realistic picture is most important to you. If you’re looking for a panel that has a bright, punchy picture with colors that are slightly cartoonish but that pop, go with the Samsung LN46A650 lcd.

PROS: Phenominal color decoding, incredibly realistic looking picture, fantastic price
CONS: Picture could be just a touch sharper, speakers are mediocre

Reviewed By : Everyday HT Guy “Chris” : July 10, 2008

Click to see Product Details & Price of Panasonic TH-46PZ800U

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Samsung LN46A950 46″ 1080p LCD HDTV with 120Hz refresh rate and LED backlighting

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 03:32:36 +0000

Samsung LN46A950

This TV replaces a rear-projection 55 inch Mitsubishi. That TV was bleeding edge at the time, but now its firewire, separate HD input, and lack of 1080p have already made it near obsolete. This new TV operates with its features all streamlined. All channels are on the same input (if you didn’t have an older HDTV then this won’t mean much).

The picture — well what’s there to say. It looks great. If you’re super super nit-picky then you may notice some blooming in dark scenes with white lettering or high contrast. But the deep black level makes up for it. And at this point in time, LEDs are not as small as a pixel - will they ever be? The screen is quite shiny, which causes some reflections during the day.

I don’t notice the off-center difference that much as my viewing area is fairly narrow. And by default it comes with auto motion turned on which I personally detest. It makes film look like video. I turned it off for all inputs. I DO like the cinema look and I believe it comes pretty darn close to the settings you’d achieve using a calibration tool like Avia. I have not done this yet, so this is just a guess, but it looks good for a preset!

I hooked up the ethernet cable and the instant weather and news is nice, but the picture slideshow coming from my desktop (this needs software that runs a ’server’) doesn’t display my 12 megapixel images large enough. They look like tiny thumbnails. The TV is supposed to be capable of much larger images. What gives?

However, those are little annoyances at features. The picture quality is amazing with HDTV and with a bluray player viewing 1080p material. The input selection is huge and works great with my older non-upscaling dvd player and my older 5.1 receiver.

great tv.

Reviewed By : Rocketscience : Nov 1, 2008

Click to see Product Details & Price of Samsung LN46A950

Samsung LN46A950 46″ 1080p LCD HDTV with 120Hz refresh rate and LED backlighting

Samsung LN52A650A 52-inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:24:12 +0000

Samsung LN52A650

I’ve had the LN52A650 for just over two months now and what can I say. It is absolutely the best price performing LCD on the market today (in my humble opinion) in the 52″ class. Even Consumer Reports recognizes this model and I often use CR as a benchmark when making purchasing decisions.

I waited well over a year for the technology to mature and for true market competition to bring HDTV’s within my price range. After agonizing over the LCD vs. Plasma decision, I was gunning for the Sony 52″ XBR4/XBR5. Needless to say, Amazon offered a terrific deal on this Samsung model plus free shipping. So I made several trips to Best Buy just to compare the various brands. It was pretty easy to walk away feeling that Samsung hit a home run with their ToC line and I did the deal through Amazon. I received the TV through a third-party shipping company (CEVA) in less than a week. Totally happy with Amazaon since they honored the 30-day post price guarantee and knocked off another $150!

Now if you want a thorough technical review, you’ll find plenty of knowledgeable people in these reviews. Do your research like I did. But just let me tell you that you will be in awe when you hook this up to your cable or satellite dish. I have Verizon FIOS and even standard defintion looks great, while HD is utterly breathtaking. I mistakenly bought into HD DVD (just like Betamax), but when I played the Bourne Identity, it was like we were right there on the set!

I have it hooked up to my 5.1 Sony AV Home Theater system and I’m pretty delighted with the audio signal from Verizon FIOS. We only use the TV audio when I connect my camcorder for home movies, and it’s sufficient.

Friends and family alike will be impressed, not only with the beautiful, sharp images coming from the flat panel display, but with the overall packaging and ToC design. It is a beautiful piece to add to anyone’s family room.

I watch mostly sporting events and the Action Motion Plus feature does the job. I have noticed some blurred images, especially with soccer matches where the camera view is so wide that player detail is very small. I’ve watched golf, tennis, hockey, baseball, football, etc. and the picture is just fabulous.

On the downside, my wife and I have become couch-potatoes…big time. I can’t wait to add the Playstation 3, primarily for Blu-Ray and for some games. My biggest problem now is finding time to get to the gym!

Reviewed By : T. M. Caridi “TC” : Nov 4, 2008

Click to see Product Details & Price of Samsung LN52A650

Samsung LN46A850 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 14:37:37 +0000

Samsung LN46A850

I had essentially decided that next week i was going to make the leap and get either the 650 or the 750 from Amazon (probably the 650, because since i have a Mac computer i probably wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the 750’s ‘computer content sharing’ capabilities, is that right? I’m still not sure how that sharing thing works to be honest with you, so any personal experience info anyone might have is welcome…)

So anyway, then i happen to be in a local store today and what do i see? an ‘850′? What is an 850??
i asked the guys in the store what the difference was between the new ‘850′ and the ‘650/750′ and they said, honestly they had JUST gotten the tv in and it wasn’t even in their system yet so THEY didn’t even know the difference.

i looked at the picture on all three…650/750/850….i could not tell the difference…all of them are still simply beautiful and bright and wonderful…i stood there just grinning…my wife had to pull me away…

looking at the ’sticker specs’ of them in the store they ‘looked’ to me to be pretty much the same under the hood (of course the 750 has that alleged ‘computer content sharing capability that the 650 does NOT have. I couldn’t tell if the 850 has the computer sharing thingy or not)…but other than that they seem exactly the same

…so tell me…please… what IS the difference between the 850 and the 650/750? Does the 850 even have the ‘computer content sharing’ capability of the 750? is there some other element that the 850 has that i’m just missing…?

650?
750?
850?

ahh Samsung, why do you torture me so? (in a good way i suppose)

either way…SOMETHING is going down next week…NFL season is coming up and seeing my Vikings on a big clear HD screen will be a thing of beauty…and that DOES look to be Viking star #42 Darren Sharper on the image of the 850…is it destiny?

Reviewed By : Derek : Aug 23, 2008

Click to see Product Details & Price of Samsung LN46A850