Archive for February, 2009

Five Digital TV Antennas Reviewed (Digital Television)

Feb 23

Posted by alan in Antennas, Digital TV, OTA, OTA HD, Outdoor antennas, over the air, over the air HD | 2 Comments

With local television stations switching over to digital, the quality of your over-the-air TV antenna is now more important than ever. HDTVExpert.com recently compared 5 antennas: the Winegard Squareshooter SS-1000, Winegard Squareshooter SS-2000, Channel Master 2016, ClearStream C1, and ClearStream C2.

The clear winners from his tests where the Channel Master 2016 and Clearstream C1 and C2 antennas. In testing reception of UHF digital television stations near Philadephia, HDTV Expert writes:

Among the amplified antennas, the clear winner was the C1, which successfully picked off 13 of 15 available UHF DTV stations and delivered clean reception on all of them. Channel Master’s CM2016 and the C2 tied for second with clean reception of 11 UHF DTV stations and a bonus — New Jersey high-band VHF station WNJB on channel 8, 37 miles away off the back of the antenna.”

The review points out that the ClearStream’s excellent performance was with the UHF band, but was average for VHF. Most digital television stations (91% of them) are in UHF, but there are some that are staying in VHF even after the digital transition June 12, 2009.

The C1 and C2 are designed primarily as UHF antennas, as evidenced by the standing wave ratio (SWR) performance curve that Antennas Direct posted for the C2.”

If you have a local VHF channel but do not live close to its broadcast tower, HDTV Expert recommends the Channel Master 2016:

I should note that low-band and high-band VHF channels, although strong, weren’t as clean through the C1 and C2 as they were through the CM2016. The latter’s yagi design and higher VHF gain made for cleaner images, less multipath, and fewer ghosts. But you might be able to get away with the C1 or C2 if you live close enough to a given VHF station, with the signal coupling into the antenna just by sheer signal strength.”

Only 9% of stations will broadcast in VHF after the transition is complete. Antennas Direct has a list of all VHF stations here.

It should be noted that HDTV Expert was using a preamp, the Channel Master Titan 7778, to assist the antennas.

Links:

Channel Master 2016 (Amazon.com Link)

ClearStream C1 (Amazon.com Link)

ClearStream C2 (Amazon.com Link)

Tags: Digital Transition

Insignia NS-2BRDVD Blu-ray Player Reviewed

Feb 21

Posted by alan in 1080p, Blu-ray, Blu-ray Player Reviews, Blu-ray players, CNET, Firmware Updates, HDTV, Profile 1.1, Profile 2.0 | No Comments

CNET recently took a look at the Insignia NS-2BRDVD Blu-ray player and gave it a rating of 5.8 out of 10 (2.5 out of 4 stars). The Insignia is a bargain Profile 1.1 player with a starting price under $200. A firmware upgrade coming in March 2009 will make it a Profile 2.0 player.

Although the CNET review summary states that the NS-2BRDVD delivered a solid 1080p HD picture, in fact, it failed most of their image-quality testing. For instance, the player could not depict all the resolution of a text pattern provided by Silicon Optix’s HQV Blu-ray test suite. It also performed poorly in two other picture-quality tests.

Some other characteristics CNET did not like were poor DVD playback quality, slow Blu-ray disc loading, and lack of onboard decodng for Dolby TrueHD DTS-HD.

Links

CNET review of the Insignia NS-2BRDVD

Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR7 Reviewed

Feb 12

Posted by alan in 1080p, 52-inch HDTVs, CNET, Sony | No Comments

CNET recently reviewed the Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR7 52-inch 240Hz LCD and found it to be one of the best performing non-LED-based HDTVs out there, assigning it a rating of 8.0 out of 10 ( or 4 out of 5 stars). The Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR7 has a base price of $3,500.

HDTV guru David Katzmaier liked the set’s black levels for a non-LED set, noting it “matched or beat the standard LCDs in our comparison.” Especially excellent was the shadow detail, which “definitely surpassed the standard 120Hz models” CNET has reviewed.

The KDL-52XBR7 also scored high marks for its accurate color reproduction, good video dejudder processing, and a comprehensive set of inputs, including 4 HDMI inputs and one PC.

CNET didn’t like its expensive price tag and found some screen uniformity issues. They also feel that a 240Hz refresh isn’t worth the hype as it only offers “minor improvements to picture quality.”

Specifications

52-inch LCD screen
94lbs
1080p
DLNA Networking
3,000:1 contrast ratio
Motionflow Technology
Bravia Engine 2
18 months warranty
7 analog audio inputs
2 component inputs
3 composite inputs
1 digital optical audio out
1 ethernet input
4 HDMI inputs
1 PC video input
1 S-video input
1 USB 2.0 input

Links
CNET review of the Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR7

Official Sony site for the Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR7

What Is the Optimal Viewing Distance From Your HDTV?

Feb 12

Posted by alan in HDTV | No Comments

Click to enlarge.

If you’re unfamiliar with the term optimal viewing distance, essentially it means a distance from your television at which your eyes best observe the details offered by the resolution of your television. Each resolution (480, 720, and 1080) has its own optimal distance, but there can be other factors involved in how well you view detail, such as the quality of your eyesight.

A classic article on the subject is Carton Bale’s “1080p Does Matter – Here’s When (Screen Size vs. Viewing Distance vs. Resolution).” To help people understand optimal viewing distance, Bale created a chart (seen at the top of this article). Discussing the difference between 720p and 1080p at normal viewing distances, Bale reaches the conclusion:

If you are a videophile with a properly setup viewing room, you should definitely be able to notice the resolution enhancement that 1080p brings. However, if you are an average consumer with a plasma on the far wall of your family room, you are not likely to be sitting close enough to notice any advantage.

The 720p vs 1080p question is becoming a moot point, as production of 720p HDTVs has all but halted in favor of 1080p. But it may be interesting to know whether you are sitting too far away from your HDTV to take advantage of all that HDTV has to offer.

Blockbuster Total Access to Add Online Video Game Rentals

Feb 11

Posted by alan in Blockbuster, Blockbuster Online Total Access, Video Games | No Comments

Blockbuster has announced it is adding video game rentals to its online Blockbuster Total Access movie rental service. The upgrade will require a $5 monthly increase and allow customers to rent games for the Nintendo Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, and Xbox.

Bob Barr, Blockbuster’s Vice President, noted the popularity of video game rentals at their store:

With this pilot program, we’re laying the groundwork for offering BLOCKBUSTER Total Access customers easy online access to the movies and games they want, through an integrated subscription offering. Plus, according to their plan, they’ll continue to be able to exchange their by-mail rentals both for free in-store movies as well as half-price in-store game rentals. A combination video game and movie online offering — with in-store exchange privileges — is a tremendous value and convenience offering not available through anyone other than Blockbuster.”

The service will only be available to select markets at first, but will expand to a wider audience in the second half of the year.

Customers who currently have the 3-movie plan will still be limited to only three items out at once. There will be a limit of one online game rental at a time. So, it looks like Blockbuster may make a little additional money by decreasing the pace of movie rentals.

Review of Patton on Blu-Ray: An Incredibly Detailed Classic

Feb 11

Posted by alan in Blu-ray, Blu-ray Movie Reviews | No Comments

My first Blu-ray movie was The Dark Knight, a movie filmed with high-def in mind. It was, needless to say, visually spectacular, especially the scenes filmed in IMAX.

Many classic films are now slowly being transferred over to the Blu-ray platform. One of the first classics I tried on Blu-ray was the Godfather series. While the movies had been painstakingly restored for their digital transfers, I have to admit, I am disappointed by their grainy, almost standard-def picture (the movies are still great, though).

I wrote off the quality as the result of the classic film format and thought I should probably focus on modern movies for my high-def experience. And then I watched Patton.

I am utterly astounded by how sharp and vivid the Blu-ray version of the WWII classic is. There are now two movies I would recommend to introduce yourself to Blu-ray with: Kung Fu Panda and Patton.

And as I was watching Patton (a great movie, by the way. 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture), I realized that the movie had never been viewed better than it is today, not even when it was originally shown on the big screen.

If the sharp HD-quality of the picture wasn’t impressive enough, the colors also seemed to pop off the screen. Take, for example, the famous opening scene when General Patton, played by George C. Scott, stands before an American flag and addresses the troops. There are brief close-ups of his hands as he salutes, and you get to see all the incredible detail of a jeweled golden ring he’s wearing as well as the various medals and decorations on his uniform.

Patton is filled with epic shots of battlefields, lavish interiors, desert warfare, and crisp military uniforms, and it all seems as it were originally intended for the high-def experience. It’s a reason to get excited for more classics to come the Blu-ray platform and be seen like never before on the big screen you’ve got at home.

Review of Samsung LN46A650 46-inch 120Hz LCD

Feb 11

Posted by alan in 1080p, 120hz, 46-inch HDTVs, HDTV, LCD, Samsung | No Comments

CNET recently took a look at the Samsung LN46A650 (edit: the 52-inch version, which has the same hardware inside), a 46-inch 120Hz 1080p LCD. They gave the set their coveted Editors’ Choice award and assigned a rating of 8.0 out of 10 (or 4 out of 5 stars).

They liked the set’s excellent black levels, highly accurate color reproduction, and the 120Hz dejudder processing. They also like the set’s novel ability to display weather, news, and stock market info on-screen, and that it is relatively energy effecient compared to similar LCDs.

They didn’t like the expensive price tag and the red-tinged frame around the front panel. They also noted that screen relfects light when there’s bright lighting in the room. They also discovered artificats when dejudder modes were used.

Links

CNET review of the Samsung LN46A650.

Samsung’s Official Site for the LN46A650

Sony Bravia KDL-46V5100 46-inch 120Hz LCD Now Available

Feb 11

Posted by alan in 1080p, 120hz, HDTV, LCD, Sony | No Comments

The Sony Bravia KDL-46V5100 has arrived a little early and is now available for order on Sony’s official website. The price is $1,899.99.

The KDL-46V5100 is a 120Hz 1080p LCD that weighs in at a slim 56.2 lb. It has 4 HDMI inputs, 2 composite inputs, 2 component inputs, 5 analog audio inputs, and 1 optical audio out.

It also comes with Sony’s unimpressive Motionflow technology, integrated speakers, and HD tuner.

Link

Sony Bravia KDL-46V5100 at Sony.com.

Tags: 46-inch HDTVs

Review of Panasonic Viera TC-37LZ85 37-inch 1080p LCD

Feb 10

Posted by alan in CNET, David Katzmaier, LCD, Panasonic | No Comments

CNET recently reviewed the Panasonic Viera TC-37LZ85 37-inch 1080p LCD and gave it a 6.6 out of 10 (or 3 out of 5 stars) rating. The 37-inch screen size is something new for Panasonic, who was previously known for its plasmas, whose smallest and most popular size was 42 inches.

Reviewer David Katzmaier liked the reproduction of deep blacks in the set, but liked the shadow detail even more. The set delivers good off-angle viewing, and has excellent screen uniformity. It comes with a good range of inputs, including 3 HDMI inuts, two component inputs, and one SD card slot.

Katzmaier didn’t like the inaccurate grayscale that produces a reddish tine to picture. The inability to adjust color temperature is almost inexcusable. The set also lacks a PC input.

Overall, the Panasonic Viear TV-37LX85 is well-priced for its performance, making it a solid value.

Panasonic Viera TC-37LZ85 Remote Control

Link:

Panasonic Viera TC-37LZ85 37-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV at Amazon.com

CNET reviews the Panasonic Viera TC-37LZ85

CNET Reviews Panasonic TH-50VX100U 50-inch 1080p Plasma

Feb 10

Posted by alan in 1080p, 50-inch HDTVs, CNET, David Katzmaier, HDTV Reviews, Panasonic, Plasma | 1 Comment

CNET’s David Katzmaier recently reviewed the Panasonic TH-50VX100U 50-inch Plasma and gave it a rating of 8.4 out of 10 (or 4 out of 5 stars). This set is an HDTV monitor marketed by Panasonic’s professional division. It lacks a tuner, speakers, and other extras found on most consumer HDTVs. CNET noted that it was “one of the best-performing televisions we’ve ever reviewed, delivering a picture that approaches that of the current picture quality champion, Pioneer’s Kuro Elite.”

The list price for the TH-50VX100U is $4,995. There is also a 65-inch version of the set, the TH-65VX100U, that goes for $9,995.

CNET found the black levels of the set to be superb, producing excellent shadow detail. They also liked that it handles 1080p/24 sources proerly, and that it has an external scalar mode that can disable all video processing. The set also offers a large range of picture adjustments.

The didn’t like the expensive price tag, inaccurate reproduction of colors, and the scarcity of inputs, with only one component input and no standard def input.