TV Reviews

Despite the rise and rise of LCD technology, for many high spec TV enthusiasts Plasma TV's are still top dog when it comes to home cinema viewing.

However, amongst the technorati there is often a little snobbery when it comes to LG, South Korea's little gem of a TV manufacturer. It is the world's second largest producer of TV sets, yet many still adhere to the old favorites, Samsung and Panasonic, when it comes to Plasma TV's.

In this case, we feel the techno-savvy would be amis to let the LG PK950 series of slim design plasma tv's slip by unnoticed. At only 2 inches thick they are almost half the thickness of plasma TV's from 2009.

The image the TV produces has a good level of deep blacks when watching sci fi movies, partly due to its new 'skin glass' system that protects the screen, reducing glare and reflections, and partly because there is a shorter distance from outside glass to the TruBlack filter. In fact the distance has been reduced by 70% from 2009 models.

The LG PK950 Plasma TV is one of the few sets that actually handles 1080p/24 sources properly.

The Magic Wand controller is very user-friendly, though a little gimmiky, making it easy for you to manipulate your TV's many streaming and interactive features and picture controls.

For gaming the screen has an excellent response time and very little motion/phosphor trailing, something that a lot of plasma TV's suffer from quite badly.

All in all the LG PK950 Plasma TV is a brilliant TV without too many bad points, one being that sometimes you get a very slight image retention - something plasma owners are quite used to, but something that is also on it's way out due to technology advances. Still, this TV is a true contender for Samsung's and Panasonic's top end TV's, outstripping them in many respects.

The Sony KDL-32EX500 1080p LCD HDTV uses advanced technology to ensure that images are clear and vibrant and motion is always smooth and lifelike, which can make watching HD television shows, HD games and HD Blu-ray movies more enjoyable than ever before.

The KDL-32EX500's panel resolution has the highest definition that is currently available, at 1920 x 1080p.

Sony's BRAVIA Engine 2 technology includes a full digital processor, which produces sharp, vibrant images.

The Advanced Contrast Enhancer ensures that fine details in shadows, as well as contrasts among deep blacks during dark scenes, are reproduced accurately.

An Ambient Sensor adjusts the color depending on what the lighting is like in your living room, or wherever you are using the KDL-32EX500.

The KDL-32EX500 uses advanced Motionflow 120Hz technology to ensure that both movies and television shows are reproduced with smooth, seamless motion.

Most TV programs are filmed at 30fps. Most 60Hz HDTVs can accommodate this by just by doubling the frame speed.

However, movies are usually filmed at 24ps.

24 doesn't easily divide into 60, so 60Hz HDTVs must use complicated video processing to show them. This tends to cause the picture to become jerky.

Because the Sony KDL-32EX500 can play videos at 120fps. Since both  30 and 24 can be divided into 120, the KDL-32EX500 can easily play both movies and TV shows without negatively affecting the picture.

The KDL-32EX500 has four HDMI inputs, which can be connected to HD satellites, HD gaming consoles and Blu-ray disc players.

There is a PC input in the rear panel which allows the LCD screen to be converted into a 32 inch computer monitor.

A USB port on the side allows you to connect the KDL-32EX500 to a laptop, portable audio player or thumbdrive/flashdrive.

With BRAVIA Sync technology, you can use the HDMI cable to transmit control functions via the HDMI cable when you combine the KDL-32EX500 with some other BRAVIA video or audio products.  "One touch-play" reduces operations that used to take several steps to only one.

Sony BRAVIA EX 500 Series 32-Inch LCD TV, Black

Sony's 52 inch widescreen edge-lit LED-based LCD TV weighs 79.6 pounds (36kg).

Everyone knows Sony make good TVs, so let's hit off with the bad points of this LCDTV, seeing as there are only a few.

For one it's quite expensive, not giving you much change from $1500, so it's squarely aimed at the serious enthusiast. Some movies show a slightly blue tinge to the blacker areas and the glossy finish to the screen reflects light from your room and windows - though most people would shut these I guess if they were settling down for a blockbuster movie.

The good points of the Sony KDL-52NX800 are many. As you'd expect from Sony the design of the TV itself is cutting edge, utilizing what they call monolithic architecture that is easy to see from its slim profile and how it rises from the base like a techno-henge..

The remote, an all too often overlooked device, fits nicely in your hand and allows you to zip easily through the no-nonsense menu system. One feature we really liked was the inbuilt WiFi connection to allow easy updates and wirelessly connect to Netflix and Amazon on Demand etc - though the Netflix streaming isn't the best we've ever seen.

All in all, this is a very beautiful TV and only the full on nitpickers will turn away from the Sony KDL-52NX800.