Lcd & Flat Panel Televisions

My Aunts, mother, and myself went together last October to purchase my grandparents a new television. They are getting up there in years and have a hard time of seeing and hearing the television clearly. We had been searching for a television that would allow my grandparents to see clearly and was not to cumbersome to be moved if needed. Then we found the Magnavox 42″ HDTV.

-Television Features-

Model#: 42MF521D/37

Screen type: LCD WXGA Active Matrix TFT

We’d been thinking about an HDTV for a long time. It must have started sometime in 2005 when a friend and I went to a Red Sox game that was shown in HD at a local theater, in lieu of actually being able to secure tickets for Fenway Park. That had been the first time that I’d seen a full baseball game in HD, and from that point on, I was hooked. However, it took over a year until a combination of price drops, Massachusetts’ tax-free weekend and discount coupons combined to create an opportunity to purchase said TV.

Product MPN
MPN:52MF437S/37

Key Features
Flat Panel Type:LCD TV
Screen Size:52 inch
Display Resolution :1920 x 1080 pixels
HDCP Support:With HDCP Support
Weight:87.1 lb.

Display Capabilities
Broadcast Format Displayed:1080p (HDTV) • 1080i (HDTV) • 720p (HDTV) • 480p (EDTV) • 480i (SDTV)
Broadcast Format Supported:1080p (HDTV) • 1080i (HDTV) • 720p (HDTV) • 480p (EDTV) • 480i (SDTV) • 576p • 576i
Built-in Tuner:ATSC • NTSC • QAM
Native Aspect Ratio:16:9

Image Quality
Comb Filter:3DYC / 3D Digital
Display Resolution:1920 x 1080 pixels
Brightness:500 cd/m�

Connectors
Front Input Connectors:S-Video x 1 • Audio (RCA) x 1

Audio Features
Audio Type:Virtual Surround
Audio Leveler:With Audio Leveler

Speakers
Number of Speakers:2 Speakers
Speaker Power:2 x 8 Watt

I waited for months watching deals before I finally jumped on this one. I got it from Costco on sale for ~$1750 shipped.

I bought it because it had basically all the features I wanted, and the weak points were the lowest things on my priority list. Size, 1080p, fast response, contrast ratio, and 3 hdmi ins were my biggest wants. There’s also a variety of composite, component, and s-video ins, including a set of inputs on the side where they can be easily accessed.

Product MPN
MPN:20MF500T

Key Features
Flat Panel Type:LCD TV
LCD Response Time:16 ms
Screen Size:20 inch
Contrast Ratio:500:1
Digital TV Standard:EDTV-Ready Television
Display Resolution :640 x 480 pixels
Weight:17.6 lb.

Display Capabilities
Digital TV Standard:EDTV-Ready - Requires separate receiver to view EDTV signals.
Broadcast Format Displayed:480p (EDTV) • 480i (SDTV)
Broadcast Format Supported:1080i (HDTV) • 720p (HDTV) • 480p (EDTV) • 480i (SDTV) • 576p • 576i
Built-in Tuner:NTSC
Native Aspect Ratio:4:3

Image Quality
Comb Filter:2D Y/C
Display Resolution:640 x 480 pixels
Brightness:450 cd/m�
Viewing Angle:160

Connectors
Headphone Jack:With Headphone Jack

Audio Features
Audio Type:Virtual Surround
MTS Stereo:SAP / MTS Stereo
Audio Leveler:With Audio Leveler

Speakers
Number of Speakers:2 Speakers
Speaker Power:2 x 3 Watt

Product MPN
MPN:32MF231D

Key Features
Flat Panel Type:LCD Television
Screen Size:32 inch
Contrast Ratio:800:1
Digital TV Standard:HDTV Television
Display Resolution :1366 x 768 pixels
HDCP Support:With HDCP Support

Display Capabilities
Digital TV Standard:HDTV - HDTV receiver is integrated.
Broadcast Format Displayed:720p (HDTV) • 480p (EDTV) • 480i (SDTV)
Broadcast Format Supported:1080i (HDTV) • 720p (HDTV) • 480p (EDTV) • 480i (SDTV)
Built-in Tuner:ATSC • NTSC
Native Aspect Ratio:16:9

Image Quality
Comb Filter:3DYC / 3D Digital
Display Resolution:1366 x 768 pixels
Brightness:500 cd/m�
Viewing Angle:170
Adjustable Color Temperature:With Adjustable Color Temperature

Connectors
Rear Input Connectors:S-Video x 1 • Component x 2 • Composite x 3 • HDMI x 1 • Audio (RCA) x 3 • RF x 1
Front Input Connectors:S-Video x 1 • Composite x 1 • Audio (RCA) x 1
Headphone Jack:With Headphone Jack

I first heard of this TV in Consumer reports, where it scored very well.

I purchased one of these on sale at Target for $799 in January. I was very disappointed with the picture quality from the QAM tuner and the other inputs. I was not expecting good performance on standard definition channels, but even high definitions channels were very pixelated. I already have a Sony HDTV, so a side by side comparison was easy. Even my wife, who claims to be oblivious to the benefits of HDTV, was very critical of the picture.

We bought the Philips 32″ Model 32PF7321D LCD-TV (identical to the 32PF7421D except in cabinet color) 3 days ago and it is INCREDIBLY GOOD. What a happy entertainment choice!

Essentially this is an upgraded version of the lower-priced Magnavox 32MF231D and costs $400 more. It’s worth the difference. The Philips has no smell, seems to run cooler and delivers better sound. The SD - Standard Definition - images on the Philips and Magnavox are unmatched by other LCD TVs however it does not clean up cable or satellite signals quite as well as the HP LC3200 but it’s very close. That discontinued HP is still available from some internet outlets.

What does a professional with electrical engineering degrees purchase? This one found the Sharp LC-32D50U to offer everything needed with quite a lot in mind. I even found it to excel over more expensive and newer offerings. Read on for a look into HDTV LCD TV. This Sharp Aquos may very well be what you have in mind.

What works - and not badly:

Product MPN
MPN:32MD357B

Key Features
Playable Disk Types:VCD • SVCD • DVD-R • DVD-RW • DVD+R • DVD+RW • CD (Audio) • CD-R • CD-RW

Combo Features
Combo Type:TV/DVD
Playable File Formats:MP3 • WMA • JPEG • MPEG1

Image Quality
Comb Filter:3DYC / 3D Digital

Connectors
Rear Input Connectors:S-Video x 1 • Composite x 1 • HDMI x 2 • Audio (RCA) x 1 • 1 x D-Sub (RGB PC)
Front Input Connectors:S-Video x 1 • Composite x 1
Rear Output Connectors:Coaxial Digital
Headphone Jack:With Headphone Jack

Audio Features
Audio Type:Virtual Surround

Speakers
Number of Speakers:2 Speakers
Speaker Power:2 x 5 Watt