Several 1080P 42 inch LCD displays are now $999 and under

[HDTV1080P]

Several 1080P 42 inch LCD displays are now $999 and under

I am starting to notice that several 1080P displays are now being priced below $1,000. For example some Walmart’s and other discount department warehouse stores have one or more 1080P displays under $1,000. One Walmart I was in had 3 1080P’s for under $1,000. Between $900-$1,000 range.
Home Theater magazine in their July 2008 issue reviewed 3 different models of 42 inch LCD 1080P displays that sale for $999 at discount retail stores. The review starts on page 36 and ends on page 44. Now if one does a lot of BLU-RAY watching none of the under $1,000 1080P displays offers true 24fps refresh rates. All the under $1,000 displays have 60HZ refresh rates. 1080P on a 60HZ display still has a very good BLU-RAY picture but without the natural film quality improvement that true 24fps refresh rate displays can offer. For only $1,350 and up one can now purchase a name brand Sony or other 1080P display that refreshes 1080P/24 correctly at multiplies of the original frame.
Also these under $1,000 displays do have poor black levels and contrast ratios when comparing them to other high-end LCD displays. Of course if everyone could afford the best quality they would go purchase a Pioneer Kuro which is the best in picture quality for a flat panel. Then one would have everything from true 24fps refresh rates with the deepest blacks and best ANSI contrast ratio compared to any other brand in the industry.
A Pioneer Kuro would be ideal for ones main home theater room. For those looking to keep cost down upgrading all the other TV’s in the house to a under $1,000 1080P can still have very good results for average everyday uses. I was very impressed that the Westinghouse for $999 has 4 HDMI inputs. That is incredible amount of inputs for such a low cost display. The Pioneer Kuro and other high-end brands need to start placing 5 or more HDMI inputs to justify some of the higher costs. I would like to see 8 HDMI inputs on a display one day. For example one HDMI input for a HD satellite receiver or HD cable box then another HDMI input for BLU-RAY player, then for people that own two D-VHS machines or in the future 2 BLU-RAY recorders a couple more HDMI inputs. That equals 4 HDMI inputs being used. Some people that have both cable and satellite could use a 5th HDMI input if they were already fully loaded with other devices using the HDMI inputs. Of course 4 HDMI inputs will be enough for most consumer needs. 2 HDMI inputs is fine for some people that only have a HD DVR and a BLU-RAY player.

Home Theater’s “Warehouse Wonders” info (Three 42 inch 1080P’s for $999 each)

Sceptre X42BV 1080P ($999) (2 HDMI inputs)

Quote

“The Sceptre’s peak contrast ratio measured 1,192:1 (37.7 foot-lamberts peak white, 0.031 ft-L video black).”

“Perhaps the Sceptre’s greatest strengths were its clarity and detail. All of the sets did a reasonable job in reproducing crisp native 1080i/p program material, but the Secptre offered a little something extra. Measurements did, in fact reveal the set’s exceptional 1080I HDMI detail It was as good as or better than any display I’ve tested—at any price. At other resolutions and from other inputs, the resolution was about average for this group of sets.”

“Overall, I liked what I saw from the Scepter. If the red color fringing could be corrected, the mid-brightness emphasis brought down a bit, and the 480I issue improved, this would be my favorite set in the group.”

“As noted above, the Sceptre’s picture pops more impressively than the Westinghouse or VIZIO when adjusted for the same peak brightness level due to its slightly elevated mid-brightness region.”

Scepture X42BV Highlights

Poor color out of the box
Superior detail
Compromised 480I deinterlacing
Occasional red-edge artifacts



VIZIO VU42LF 1080P ($999) (2 HDMI inputs)

Quote

“The VIZIO’s main shortcoming is its black level and shadow detail. The set’s contrast ratio was 748:1(28.4 ft-L peak white, 0.038 ft-L video black), a middling result in today’s LCD market.”

“The VIZIO does a lot of things well. On most material, it can hold its own with the other sets here, with good resolution, fine color, and a well-chosen gamma.”

“It has the widest acceptable off-axis viewing angle. But its black level, contrast ratio, and shadow detail are a bit behind the curve.”

VIZIO VU42LF Highlights

Best out-of-box color and off-axis performance

Good resolution

Least impressive blacks and shadow detail


Westinghouse TX-42F430S ($999) (4 HDMI inputs)

Quote

“The peak contrast ratio measured 1,217:1 (37.7 ft-L peak white, 0.031 ft-L video black).

“If you need a lot of HDMI inputs, the Westinghouse, with four of them, might just be your ticket”.

“In dark scenes, this display fell midway between the VIZIO on the bottom and the Sceptre on the top in the quality of its blacks and shadow detail. In other words, it’s about average for an LCD set. It’s acceptable but not impressive.”

Westinghouse TX-42F430S Highlights

Strengths outweigh its few shortcomings

The most generous input complement

Color-temperature uniformity could be better

UPDATED: WEB LINK
http://hometheatermag.com/lcds/wareh...lcds_compared/