OKEEEZZZZZZ…
its time once again to delve deep into the bowels of technology for the ultimate in multimedia experience at the convenience and liberty of the laziness inducing potato making device of satin known as the couch..
in simpler words,..
“how to buy an LCD for your Bedroom 
“
Same Old Same old Intro.;
i did a research on my own and spent one week in getting details…so to Hopefully answer all the issues and questions of a LOCAL buyer,(people always compare stuff with USA and UK markets, Guys we live in Lahore and buy stuff from hall road, not wall mart).. here goes….
i saw every brand LCD in every size side by side on same Cable reception.and Same DVD signal, and Same HD Setup box Signals. i found these facts after visiting every dealer and official showroom, reading every fine detail up to the power consumptions and base width.comparing all product brochures..
So whose up for Some Competition?
the major market players once again are Samsung , LG, Sony, and slightly below Philips and Panasonic..
Since only those people who can afford an LCD will be interested in buying one, this guide is meant as a comparison of various brands, and models amongst the brands with each other..
The Tech Part of the LCDs..
A very common and misunderstood aspect of an LCD tv is the resolution.Specially for pakistan and most asian countries…
the 32in and upto 40in size LCDs support 1366×768 native resolution.very few ,extremely expensive models support 1920×1080 in the 32-40in category…. 40in and above support upto 1080i on standard signals, and TRUE 1080p on PURE DIGITAL HD signals on the component cable source..
so the theory so far is ….
standard tv CRT supports 640*480 and good quality latest tv like nobel and some Sony support upto 1024×768.(which they dont actually, they support a middle resolution and upscale the rest).
the cable and antenna is a Purely analogue source and will not show more detail than a standard VCD which then scales upto what the CRT will support in hardware..
the VCD used to have a 320*240 reslotion but far better Mpg encoding to produce superior results.
The Svcd supported a max of 352×280 resolution..
most consumer DVD-Video discs use either 4:3 or anamorphic 16:9 aspect ratio MPEG-2 video, stored at a resolution of 720×480 (NTSC) or 720×576 (PAL) at 29.97 or 25 FPS. Audio is commonly stored using the Dolby Digital (AC-3) or Digital Theater System (DTS) formats.
Hd signals on the Sky Set top box in Uk provide a 720p resolution which is 1280×720 and very few channels in TRUE 1080 HD..
Standard Definition Formats
(roughly the equivalent of analog broadcast):
480i - The Resolution is 704×480 pixels, sent at 60 interlaced frames per second or 30 complete frames per second.
480p - The Resolution is 704×480 pixels, sent at 60 complete frames per second.
High Definition Formats (HDTV):
720p - The Resolution is 1280×720 pixels, sent at 60 complete frames per second.
1080i - The Resolution is 1920×1080 pixels, sent at 60 interlaced frames per second or 30 complete frames per second.
1080p - The Resolution is 1920×1080 pixels, sent at 60 complete frames per second.
When you multiply the horizontal pixel resolution by vertical pixel resolution you get the total image resolution
480i - Total image resolution 337,920 pixels
480p - Total image resolution 337,920 pixels
720p - Total image resolution 921,600 pixels (roughly equivalent to a 1 mega pixel camera)
1080i - Total image resolution 2,073,600 pixels (equivalent to a 2 mega pixel camera)
1080p - Total image resolution 2,073,600 pixels (equivalent to a 2 mega pixel camera)
The 720p image format has almost three times as many pixels than either 480i or 480p formats.
The 1080i and 1080p formats have over twice as many pixels (2.25 to be exact) as the 720p format.
The 1080i and 1080p formats have over six times as many pixels as the 480i/480p format.
As you may have realized by now, most digital cameras today have a higher resolution than the highest HDTV picture resolution (1080i or 1080p). If you display a 10 mega pixel picture from your digital camera on your HDTV you will be discarding almost 4/5ths of the information (I.E. pixels).
in the opposite direction, most analogue cable and antenna signals will never be able to fit perfectly on the lcd pixel to pixel thus wasting aprox 3/4 of the LCD resolution..
so what then..
DVD s are more close to the wide screen 16:9 ratio of lcds than anything, thus when they are played, they will either adjust almost perfectly on the 1366x resolution, or scale up to the 1080i/1080p resolution via DVD player itself..there seems to be no issue cuz both the signals are in 16:9 and will adjust by scaling easily.. similarly, both the Blue ray and now extinct HDDVD will play perfect pixel to pixel on the 1080p capable 40+.
LCds or downscale to 720p maintaining the same Wide screen format and thus showing no Visible degradation in the picture quality..
on the other hand, Pakistani and most Asian cable Tv signals are not only Plain analogue and SD, they are 4:3 as compared to the LCD of 16:9.. this is where the Rendering Engines of the brands kick in..
First.. Sony
Sony as again, comes in a variety of Extremely overpriced LCDs, playing host to their global monopoly of Brand name, and also to the Bravia Name..
Currently available models series include..
S series,.. the lowest end Series, with sizes in 32 till 40
V series…medium range
D series,.. for style conscious
W series.. for those who want Both quality and Style to match
X series.. for the Enthusiast, who want the absolute best..
since S series is the most commonly selling model due o its price, the S is a center of a lot of attention,among sony fans… however, sadly, its just showboat and hype with no substance.. the S series with the S300-310 Models Suck..their picture is blocky, jerks, and colors and contrast are bland.. what more can be wrong?.. oh yes, ugly stand and poor speakers..(NOTE that this is all comparative to what is being reviewed here, otherwise for casual Tv watching Sony is quite good..)
Even with the new design and paint finish of the 400 series and the BE2 engine, the S lacks the essentials to make it a best buy in buget segment..
..
the V has quite good pic quality but is too expensive for its own good.
the W is great in both performance and styling, somehow,, it is not
advertised enuff, otherwise it would be a best seller..
the X, still king of the Hill, but still King of the bill of credit card or bank balance
All Sony have One Inherent Problem, (except the S Series wich is total Opposite in this problem).. that their Bravia Engine Smooths out the picture Too much.. .bravia seems to over exert the coomb Filter and noise reduction.
Last time i went on this project…my uncle had just bought a 46in X series, and was watching the Marine Orignal master dvd on it and at first i didnt notice cuz had jaw opened at marvel of the 46 in Lcd, however later i realized that , me being a hardcore wrestling fan, John Cena`s biceps had no clarity and definition as much as he appears in the cable on ten sports..no cuts and veins visible on his arms and the villian`s facial expressions usually didnt change much cuz frankly, i cudnt feel any visible changes in the muscle of facial expression ,simply because , excessive smoothing out…
This time, i took the Samsung Demo HD with me to check it out.. and what do you know.. hey presto, the BE2 is still doing the same.. although the motion flow has been OOmphed up,and the Picture isnt as smudgy as it was in the previous incarnation, it is still annoying to NOT see the actual details in the video.. this is however a minor quirk, .. most people will tend to like this, (maybe, either cuz they dont realise that, or they are sony fans) ..unfortunately there was no blu ray movie at hand to test the HD, but the PC HD signal was still Astonishingly Clear..
Coming to the LG,..
LG is not a newcomer to public now, as they have made some brilliant and award winning LCDs,.and have made really great LCD of both their Standard series, and the Panther, Not to forget the Beautiful and elegant SCARLET series with full HD.
all LG Panthers and Scarlet’s have great styling and look VERY monstrous as compared to same sized competitors. which is a great thing, cuz the bigger they are…….that’s cuz of their Better utilization of the LCD real estate into styling… Panther has Solid Black Borders and a Wine Glass shaped Base.. Scarlet is popular for their Minimalistic Border,..Touted by LG as “Borderless Beauty”..(so much porn comes to mind on reading this)
the pics and pixel edges seem very clear and prominent, so you can actually make out the borders and picture clarity improves …i actualy was in doubt my self when looking in comparison, which made LG more and more pixelly and in comparison, sony more and more smudgy.. but when observed alone, perhaps you will actually appreciate the depth of colors DUE TO the clarity of pixels resulting in a sharper and more focused result., mind you that this is only HD i am talking about.. not the SD cable, cuz on cable, there is virtually no difference at all in the Sonys and Samsungs and LGs.
the audio on the LG is however weak..BOTH the Panther and The Scarlet.. not only are the speakers small and underpowered, they are very deeply under mounted and thus don’t produce adequate clarity..the sound lacks bass and treble, which pretty much leaves out much to expectation, however for general cable viewing, they are pretty good and also donot distort at all even on full volume..that’s a plus no matter what else you say about them..
The Scarlet is a Piece of Beauty, and if for nothing else, if one is related to Micheal Jackson or Donald Trump, one should just buy it for the exquisite styling and beauty.. the scarlet , owing their name to the border color, have almost a border less frame.. very very thin bezel and Solid Black Screen..the screen itself is HD ready, 1080p.. something LG was lacking in previously, and has touch screen tv control panel..a nice touch, like the LG chocolate mobiles.. the Pic Quality is exceptional… not still the A550 of Samsung, but very very close ..
the Scarlet has ALL the Shaskaz you could imagine and then some more..
and now the Samsungs..
The samsung LCD series has been revamped from the 3 year old S and R series to the A series, called as 3,4,5,6,7 series..which are in sequence respectively of their features and quality.
The 3 series is as basic as it get.. 15000DCR contrast ratio, and 720p picture..
4 series has 30k DCR ratio
the 5 Series has 40k contrast ratio DCR..and is 1080p ready..
what is very confusing, is that despite the theoretical spec variations, there is almost invisible level of difference in pic quality of the 4 and 3 series, and other than that, and the DNIE tech, there are almost same number in ins and outs on the back, and the only visible difference is in the stand, (3 is ugly) and LCD design(again, 4 is better),, even more strange is the price difference. only 10k between them is too negligible for a consumer who is already willing to spend this much on a TV..
The 5 series oozes quality.. from its Mirror gloss finish to great looking Stand, and Marvelous Picture reception, there is nothing in the market that can compete it in ITS PRICE BRACKET..(the Sony X series is almost twice the price)
Note that, the 3,4,5 series available here are already at end of their product cycle internationally, meaning they will last around a year more in our country…. they will soon be replaced by the 6 and 7 series, and soon the 720p format will be removed from their product line up.. however, since there is no 1080p media in Pakistan, not even 720p to be accurate, this will take at least 3 years and possibly more to completely phase out the 720p LCDs…especially considering that a Blu ray movie costs 3500rs here and a Writable DVD costs 40rs with 2 or more films on it
So what should I Buy? 
Style and appearance:
in the end, it all boils down to Brand favoritism and choice of styling.. no matter how much sparkling the picture is, if the LCD itself doesnot appeal to your eyes, every spec means diddly squat..
Signal Source:
Always look very very close at the most common of media you will be using at home..If you watch lots of DVD movies, then the smoothness and response rate of the LCD is very important..in that Samsung is the CLEAREST winner… with the LG and the Sony with the BE2 engine a second place.. if you only need to watch Cable, then any LCD will do well, just choose the one which suits your tv lounge or your bedroom..
Speakers:
the last most important consideration is Sound.. DO NOT think in any instance that the commonly available PC speakers like edifier or creative will work with your LCD.. they wont, they suck, and they ruin your entertainment experience..ALWAYS, either get a home theater system, starting from 20k of Sony and samsung, upwards, to 40k for some Elegant and powerful Philips models…..OTHERWISE get yourself an Amplifier and Some Custom made Speakers for your audio listening pleasure.. cz nothing has more sex appeal than a HQ sound setup with a quality LCD and HD video signal.
The Evolution or Revolution?
LCD have come a LOOOOOOONG way from being just the simple tool of watching news to a Full HD media center of your house, and with All LCD carrying 3x HDMI and a VGA input, there is absolutely no limit to your imagination what you can do with your rig..
i watched Transformers Movie and Forbidden Kingdom.. also the HD WMV clips from microsoft website..from my PC in HD on my LG 42in Panther, and this was even better than Cinema, ..cuz cinema was never available on your bed , with an attached Bathroom :
Moral of the Story:
Buy an LCD NOW, cuz with TV soo good, You`ll Slap your Mama..
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