HDTeleVision Review

If a report by Digitimes is accurate, LG will quit production of plasma HDTVs this year.

However, LG has vehemently denied the rumor and demanded that Digitimes either pull the article from its Web site “or add a statement from LG that this story was speculative and completely without merit,” The New York Times’ Gadgetwise reports.
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Panasonic TC-32LX85 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV-The Best Way to Watch Movies at Home

Coming from a company known more for its plasma HDTVs, the Panasonic TC-32LX85 is a pleasant surprise in the 32-inch LCD category. Attractively designed and well appointed with generous connectivity, it is also a good performer overall, although by no means perfect. I was particularly impressed with the set’s color accuracy, which is something I really don’t expect from entry-level displays. Compared with the competition, the LC-32LX85 represents a compelling value in small LCD screens when you consider its performance characteristics.

Technical Details

* 1366 x 768 Resolution
* 10000:1 Contrast Ratio
* 178 Degrees Viewing angle for maximum viewing capacity
* Viera LinK HDAVI Control lets you operate all of your home theater components by pressing a single button on your TV’s remote control
* Inputs include: 3 HDMI (1 side), 2 Composite video 1 S Video, 2 Audio inputs (for video), 1 Component . SD Memory card slot (SDHC compatible).

Design
Basic in its design, but simultaneously elegant looking, the TC-35LX85 has a glossy black finish, with a 3′ wide bezel surrounding the screen on all sides. It is a small and unobtrusive television that will fit into just about any decor nicely. Side panel AV inputs are neatly tucked away behind the right side of the screen.

The remote control is identical to Panasonic’s current plasma line of HDTVs, with an excellent ergonomic design. It is on the large side, but slender enough to fit in the hand comfortably. Unfortunately, the remote is not backlit. The internal menu graphical user interface is also quite simple and intuitive to use and navigate.

Features
The Panasonic TC-32LCX85’s offers a fairly comprehensive feature package for an entry-level 32-inch LCD TV. Its native resolution is 1366×768, or around 720p, whereas many higher-end models have a 1080p native resolution. At this screen size, however, the benefits of 1080p resolution are nearly impossible to discern with moving video, whether standard- or high-definition. If you plan on regularly using your 32-inch LCD TV as a computer monitor, however, you might want to consider a 1080p model.

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The Olevia 2 Series LCD HDTVs, engineered to provide exceptional video and audio, will impress even the toughest critics.With high contrast ratios and fast response times, rapid-action viewing such as sporting events or adventure films is displayed with super clarity and truly come alive! With a super-wide 178-degree viewing angle, images look spectacular wherever you are seated. These LCD HDTVs are perfect for home or office viewing and can double as a computer display with support for TV resolutions up to 1080i, and PC resolutions up to 1360 x 768 through HDMI and VGA. To further enhance your experience, Olevia’s surround sound audio processor creates an awesome listening environment while watching TV, movies or playing games.
Ranked 4.02 / 5 | 1004 views

[metacafe width="380" height="345"]http://www.metacafe.com/watch/733468/olevia_2_series_32_inch_lcd_hdtv[/metacafe]

Other series:
Olevia 37″ 720p LCD HDTV – 237T

The Olevia 2 Series LCD HDTVs, engineered to provide exceptional video and audio, will impress even the toughest critics. The Olevia 2 Series HDTVs display exceptionally crisp, rich and vibrant images with unsurpassed clarity for viewing high definition digital programs as well as standard analog TV channels. With high contrast ratios and fast response times, rapid-action viewing such as sporting events or adventure films is displayed with super clarity and truly come alive! With a super-wide 178-degree viewing angle, images look spectacular wherever you are seated. These LCD HDTVs are perfect for home or office viewing and can double as a computer display with support for TV resolutions up to 1080i, and PC resolutions up to 1360 x 768 through HDMI and VGA. To further enhance your experience, Olevia’s surround sound audio processor creates an awesome listening environment while watching TV, movies or playing games. RS-232 control enables you to connect your Olevia HDTV to a home entertainment system. Once you see the new Olevia, you’ll agree that you’ve never seen HDTV like this!

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November retail sales figures are coming in for the discount chains, and according to a report by TWICE, the news is a bit grim. WalMart posted a 6.5 percent gain over last year, with consumer electronics, clothing, and home goods doing well.

So much for the good news. Costco was down 3 percent, and sales were down 6.1 percent at Target. The report also cites data from MasterCard for the first two weeks of November, in which consumer electronics and major appliances were down 22.1 percent over last year, following a 19.9 percent drop in October.

Now, these statistics are based on total dollars, which changes the picture a little. With prices for some electronics falling 10 to 20 percent this year, the same level of unit sales will produce a smaller total revenue. We’ve also seen evidence of buyers scaling down their expectations, and choosing to purchase smaller TV sets than in prior years.

But I think that the fact that WalMart posted the gains is a telling detail. People are looking to stretch their dollars as far as possible, and that means leaving the specialty stores behind. WalMart provides one-stop-shopping for deeply-discounted products in just about all categories, including top brand flat panel HDTVs. Everyone has been tightening their belts – including the retailers — which means that the bargains are going to stick around for a while.

Now comes news from Sharp that the company plans to build in DVD players into some larger screens offered for sale in the United States. And these are not small sets; the new models are 42″ and 32″ according to a report in TWICE. What sets these apart from other combo models is that the DVD players will be high-def Blu-ray.

It’s an intriguing move on Sharp’s part. American consumers still view Blu-ray as too expensive and not enough better than standard DVD to be worth three or four times the cost. So maybe this is a strategy to try to get more Blu-ray players installed by bundling them with the TV. The fact that the sets are 32″ and 42″ are not surprising. Adding a standard DVD player only adds a small cost to the total for the set, so it makes sense to add one to an inexpensive set that only costs a few hundred dollars. A Blu-ray drive could double the cost of a small set, however, so the only way to make it a reasonable step up is to add it to a more expensive larger display. The TWICE article says that no pricing was announced, but that the 42″ model is expected to cost “less than $2,000“. That would have been an attractive price point for a 42″ LCD HDTV a couple of years ago, but not today. If Sharp hopes to sell many of these combo sets, they’ll have to be closer to $1,000.