HDTV: Adjust the picture for best quality

When you turn on your new high-definition TV, it probably won't look as stunning as it did in the showroom. The default, out-of-the-box settings on most HDTVs are designed to create a super-bright, vividly colored image, but they're almost always a bad choice for use at home. Here in our labs, our engineers fine-tune each set before evaluating the picture. It's likely the TVs in our Ratings would have much lower scores if we didn't.

You don't need an engineering degree to get the most from your HDTV. The easiest way to adjust picture quality is to use one of the preset picture modes. (Press menu on the remote and find picture or video controls.) Most TVs are set to Vivid or Dynamic (names vary by brand), but we've found that modes like Natural, Cinema, or Pro generally provide the most pleasing, natural-looking picture. Play around with the choices and see which looks best. Finding the right mode might be all you need to do.

You can also adjust picture settings individually rather than using a preset mode. One simple method is to set the brightness, contrast, color, and tint controls to a middle or neutral position, then move them up and down until the image pleases you. Also, turn off sharpness, noise reduction, and image-enhancement. This approach generally results in a decent picture.

If you're more adventurous, try these seven steps to better picture quality. You'll find more detail in our article on tuning your TV.

Are you ready for green TV?

Flat-panel TVs, especially plasma TVs, consume a good deal of power—perhaps more than your fridge, as we found when we tested the power consumption of a range of TV types recently. But how much do you care about that?

We ask because some TV manufacturers, when they gather at events like the Consumer Electronics Show, say that energy consumption and other green considerations aren't yet a high-priority concern for a critical mass of consumers. And that, they say, makes them reluctant to compromise on attributes that are clear consumer priorities, like low prices and bright screens, in order to boost greenness.

Yet greener computers and monitors have entered the market. Why? In part because the federal government buys millions of those products every year and insists that 95 percent of them meet environmental standards set by EPEAT—the Electronics Product Environmental Assessment Tool. The standards stipulate that desktops, laptops, and monitors contain fewer toxins like lead and mercury, be Energy Star-qualified, and contain recyclable or reusable parts, among other criteria. Some of the greener models developed to meet EPEAT's stipulations are available to consumers, too; the program's website has a searchable list.

Currently, EPEAT standards are being considered for TVs. But since the Feds don't buy many TVs, the incentive to create the standards wouldn't be there the way it is for computers. Our advocacy colleagues at Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, believe it will be key to have other big purchasers and retailers engage in the development of the standards.

Of course, the biggest driver in all of this is you, the consumer. Are greener TVs on your radar? Would you trade off other attributes, like screen size or price, to get a greener set? Tell us what you think.

Rear-Projection HDTVs: More innovation, fewer choices?

There's a deepening paradox about rear-projection TVs (RPTVs), those video giants with screens that run upwards of 70 inches in size. On the one hand, based on our Ratings of RPTVs (available to ConsumerReports.org subscribers), sets have continued to get better. And as we learned at the Consumer Electronics Show this month, there's still quite a bit of innovation in the category. Mitsubishi and Samsung have been experimenting with alternative backlighting sources for these sets—Samsung already with a growing number of LED-based sets (such as the HL-T6187S rear-projection TV set seen at right), and Mitsubishi poised to launch the first laser-lit rear-projection sets later this year. In addition, both companies have been offering fairly impressive 3D demos when their sets are used with optional 3D glasses and stereoscopic content.

But those pluses aren't enough for most consumers, who can now get a thinner plasma or LCD set of comparable size to an RPTV set at a comparable price. As a result, RPTV sales continue to dwindle; Toshiba, for one, now estimates the total rear-projection market at a paltry 650,000 units, out of an overall digital TV market of more than 23 million sets.

Little wonder, then, that the number of manufacturers making rear-projection sets continues to decline. Sony and Toshiba recently defected from the rear-projection TV market, and, based on what we saw at CES this month, there's a strong likelihood that by this summer, there will only be two major rear-projection players left: Samsung and Mitsubishi. Neither JVC nor Panasonic, traditionally strong RPTV players, showed new rear-projection models at the show and a JVC executive this week confirmed that no new sets are on the horizon this year. That leads us to believe these companies will announce their exits from the RPTV market sometime in the coming months.

The slimming of the market means that both LCoS (the technology used by JVC, which markets it as D-ILA) and rear-projection LCD (the format used by Panasonic) would essentially disappear from the market. That would leave DLP as the only remaining rear-projection technology. (LCD and LCoS continue to remain important technologies in the front-projector TV market, however.)

For consumers, the decline of RPTV will mean fewer model to choose from if a projection set does make sense for your needs. (See our buying advice on rear-projection TVs to determine if an RTPV is right for you.) It might also provide good deals on really big sets, as Samsung and Mitsubishi duke it out for the remaining RPTV buyers. We'll continue to monitor the rear-projection business, including testing the likes of those laser-lit Mitsubishis later in the year. But it appears that the handwriting is already on the wall: it's only a matter of time before RPTVs follow in the path of CRT sets and become a historical footnote in the evolution of TV displays.

—James K. Willcox

Super Bowl: Getting a big screen for the big game

There's still time to get a new high-definition TV delivered and set up before Super Bowl Sunday, but the countdown clock is ticking.

Best Buy and Circuit City, two of the biggest players in the TV business, promise they'll have your new set up and running by kickoff as long as you seal the deal by Jan. 26 or Jan. 30, respectively. Online giant Amazon.com has a cut-off date of Jan. 26. P.C. Richard & Sons, a regional chain in the Northeast, takes the prize for last-minute specials, giving procrastinators up to noon on game day to buy a set in a New York or New Jersey store. That's the big picture—with all these deals, there are restrictions and caveats, as spelled out below.

Sears doesn't specifically guarantee delivery by Feb. 3, but a random check of various models on the company's web site showed that we could have some TVs delivered before game day, depending on zip code. That doesn't include setup; you'd have to call Sears to see when you could get an appointment in your area.

Of course, if you're willing and able to haul your big-screen set home from the store and set it up yourself, you have more time and more options. You can order a set online and pick it up at a local store with Best Buy, Circuit City, Sears, and Wal-mart, or you can head over to a nearby Target or a Costco warehouse for a cash-and-carry transaction.

Don't forget that you'll need high-def TV service in place to enjoy the game in all its big-screen splendor. For cable, satellite, or phone-company fiber-optic service, that means a high-def receiver and service package. If you don't already have such a setup, call your provider ASAP to get the ball rolling. Depending on the company, you can pick up the equipment at a local outlet or have it shipped or delivered. For free off-air broadcasts, all you need is a UHF/VHF antenna hooked up to your new TV (all new sets have the required digital tuner). That's assuming you're in a location where you can pull in signals, without tall buildings, trees, or mountains obstructing transmission.

Then there's the actual setup—putting all the plugs in all the right places. If you've paid for installation, which might run you $100 to $150 for a basic setup, the retailer's crew will hook everything up and make sure you have a high-def picture coming in. Doing it yourself isn't that hard, though. You plug the incoming cable into the HD receiver, then use an HDMI cable, or component-video and audio cables, to connect the receiver to the TV. Tune in an HD channel, and you should be good to go. You should also check the TV's settings to make sure you're getting a full-screen picture with optimal image quality.

One final tip: Hang onto your receipts and check prices for a month or two after your purchase. Many retailers offer a 30-day or 60-day price guarantee, and you can collect the difference if your set is sold at a lower price either at the store itself or at a competitor during that period.

Check out Consumer Reports' Guide to Super Bowl Sunday for more HDTV shopping advice, including access to our Ratings of HDTVs and for tips on throwing a great Super Bowl party.

Now, it's on to the players.

CES 2008: Mitsubishi Unveils LaserTV

During a CES press event that was long on theatrics but short on details, Mitsubishi unveiled its much-awaited—and oft-delayed—rear-projection microdisplay TV that uses a laser light engine, instead of a conventional UHP lamp. Dubbed LaserTV, the DLP-based set can display a much broader range of colors than current high-definition televisions, the company claimed.

Lasers can produce far more accurate light than conventional lamps. While an average TV can display only 40 percent or less of the visible color spectrum, laser TVs can produce twice that, Mitsubishi said. Like LEDs, the use of colored lasers obviates the need for a spinning color wheel, which can cause the rainbow effect. Lasers will also likely last the life of the set and are more energy efficient than high-powered lamps.

Unfortunately, the company didn't offer many details about LaserTV, other than promising availability by year's end—which is what they said last year, too. The set on display was a 65-inch DLP model, but there was no information about what screen sizes will be offered or how much the sets will cost.

Perhaps the biggest issue, however, is that the demand for any rear-projection technology has been in a rapid free-fall, with some TV manufacturers pegging 2008 demand at only 650,000 units. That's a far cry from the more than 23 million flat-panel LCD and plasma TVs that sold this year—and one reason why more manufacturers, most recently Sony, have exited the category.

During the event, Mitsubishi also showed off the set's ability to present 3D images, teaming up with 3D technology company RealD, which provided 3D shutter glasses and custom 3D content.

—James K. Willcox

Flat-panel TVs take center stage

Like a fashion model married to a rich mobster, TVs this year promise to be thin, stylish, and connected. At least that's the conclusion after the first day's press conferences at the Consumer Electronics Show here in Las Vegas.

Flat panels are getting thinner, with several companies here at the show vying for the bragging rights to the thinnest TV (making a micrometer an unexpectedly in-demand item among some journalists). The width of the bezels surrounding the screen is shrinking as well, enabling larger screens to fit into smaller spaces. Meanwhile, manufacturers are striving to differentiate their TVs with superior sound, a challenge given the ever-decreasing amount of cabinet real estate to house speakers.

There's also a heightened focus on design, with several companies using highly stylized cabinet designs, unique trim accents, and splashes of colors, perhaps in acknowledgment that TVs are morphing into lifestyle products. It will be interesting to see if the now-standard high-gloss piano black gives way to something more daring in the coming year.

But perhaps the most notable TV trend so far at the show is the growing number of TVs with some form of connectivity, either to the Internet or to other devices in the home. Some manufacturers are looking to deliver this content wirelessly, via several competing standards, while others are turning to wired technologies such as home AC power lines to send and receive audio and video throughout the home. We expect to see even more of these types of TVs this fall, when manufacturers refresh their lineups.

Higher-performance features such as 1080p resolution and 120 Hz technology in LCDs are migrating from pricey step-up models to more mainstream sets. In LCD, 1080p resolution is making its way into sets as small as 32 inches, although it's arguable what the real benefit will be to the average consumer (game players notwithstanding).

Here's a quick overview of some of the highlights from the first day's press conferences. We'll providing regular updates about the various announcements made throughout the show this week.

HDTVs: Best Black Friday Specials

To help you get the best TV at the best price the day after Thanksgiving, we've scoured countless Black Friday circulars, websites, and online forums to find the best deals available.

You may want to begin your shopping before Friday if you have time. As we've noted, a number of retailers have already jump-started Black Friday with pre-holiday specials—like a $99 price for Toshiba’s HD-A2 HD DV, an offer that was immediately matched by Best Buy, and Sears' $770 price on a 42-inch Hitachi "1080" (1280x1080) plasma (model P42H401). Other such deals may crop up before the doors open on Friday; check retailers' websites.

Without further ado, here are our best Black Friday deals on HDTVs. We list only brands that have had one or more recommended models in our Ratings over the past year, though untested models, of course, may differ. In some cases, as noted, we've tested the model, and comment on its performance. (Note: Our test results and comments on those models are accessible only to ConsumerReports.org subscribers. Click here to subscribe and get instant access to that detailed information, as well as to our latest LCD TV Ratings, plasma TVs Ratings, rear-projection TV Ratings and Ratings for front projectors.)

LCD HDTVs

• Olevia 32-inch LCD (no model listed) for $420 at Kmart
• Vizio 32-inch LCD (VXLHDTV32) for $599 at Sears
• Olevia 37-inch LCD (537H) for $600 (a tested model, image above, that we recommend) at CompUSA
• Olevia 37-inch LCD (237T) for $549 at Target
• Vizio 37-inch LCD (unspecified model) for $600 at BJ's
• Sharp 42-inch 720p LCD (LC-42D43U, a larger sibling to a 37-inch Sharp that performed decently in our tests) for $800 at Circuit City
• Olevia 42-inch LCD (242T) for $700 at MicroCenter and BJ's (unspecified model)
• Sharp 46-inch 1080p LCD (LC-46D64U) for $1,300 at Circuit City
• Sony 46-inch Bravia LCD TV for $1,500 at Sears. LCD sets from Sony have consistently been among the best performers in our tests.
• Olevia 47-inch 1080p LCD for $1,000 at BJ's
• Westinghouse 47-inch 1080p LCD TV (TX-47F430S, a tested model with very good picture quality) for $1,300 at Best Buy
• LG 47-inch 1080p LCD TV (47LC7DF) for $1,500 at CompUSA
• Vizio 52-inch LCD TV (unnamed model) at Sam’s Club for $1,889
• Sharp 52-inch 1080p LCD (LC-52D64U) for $2,200 at Circuit City

Plasma HDTVs

We saw a lot of deals on Panasonic models. Though we have not tested all of the sets on special, models from this brand have consistently been among the best in our tests.

• Panasonic TH-42PE7U 42-inch 720p plasma for $900 at Best Buy
• Panasonic 42-inch TH-42PX75U 720p plasma (its 50-inch sibling was a CR Best Buy) for $1,000 at CircuitCity
• Panasonic 50-inch 720p plasma (unspecified model) for $1,200 at MicroCenter.
• Panasonic 720p 58-inch plasma (unspecified model) $500 off at Costco

Other good deals in plasmas:

• LG 42-inch 720p plasma (42PC5D, a CR recommended model) for $900 at Sears
• Philips 50-inch 720p plasma (unspecified model) for at Wal-Mart for $1,398
• Samsung 50-inch 720p plasma (HP-T5044) for $1,300 at CompUSA ($100 cheaper than Best Buy, Circuit City, or Sears)
• Vizio 50-inch 720p plasma (unnamed model) for $1,000 at Costco

Rear-projection HDTVs

• Mitsubishi 65-inch 1080p DLP rear-projection HDTV (WD-65733, a follow-up to a discontinued model) for $1,500 at Best Buy

It's likely that many retailers will follow Black Friday promotions with still more sales. If you don't get the deal you're looking for, keep checking our Electronics Blog, ConsumerReports.org site and others for new deals, additional promotional events, and online specials as we get closer to Christmas. And next year, it will likely pay to start checking for Black Friday bargains two weeks before the actual holiday.

—James K. Willcox

Plasma TVs on Black Friday: How Low Can You Go?

A sneak preview of the Black Friday circulars from the largest electronics retailers shows that plasma TVs will once again be at the center of promotional activity this Thanksgiving weekend. And you won’t have to settle for a little-known off-brand to get a great deal: Leading the Black Friday charge are sub-$1,000 42-inch plasmas from Panasonic, consistently one of our top-rated brands.

Best Buy, for example, is offering Panasonic’s TH-42PE7U model at a doorbuster special price of only $900. We couldn’t find that model number within Panasonic’s model listings (apparently it’s a Black Friday special made especially for Best Buy), but Panasonic plasma TVs in our Ratings have been top-notch. If you venture to Circuit City for its six-hour special, you’ll see the TH-42PX75U—the smaller sibling of a CR Best Buy model—for $1,000.

If you want to buy either of these plasma sets, plan to be among the first in line when the stores open at 5:00 a.m. on Friday. Best Buy says it will have at least 15 sets per store, while Circuit only states that quantities are limited. Neither chain will offer rainchecks or substitutions on promotional items like these.

You won’t be disappointed if you’re looking for a bigger screen. At both Circuit City and Best Buy, the 50-inch Samsung HPT5044 plasma set will be $1,400, while a 50-inch Zenith (Z50P3) will be only $1,000. We haven’t tested this particular Samsung, but its plasma TVs have consistently done very well in our tests. We haven’t tested any Zenith plasmas.

LCD sets will be well-represented in the stores as well. Among the sale items you’ll find at Circuit City are the Sharp 46-inch LC-46D64U, a 720p set, for $1,300 and the 52-inch LC-52D64U with 1080p resolution for $2,200. (All TVs mentioned in this blog are 720p unless specified as 1080p.) Several LCD sets from Sharp, one of the biggest names in LCDs, have done very well in our recent Ratings, though others—especially older sets—have been middling.

[11.15.07 Update: As pointed out in the comments below, the Sharp LC-46D64U is a 1080p set.-Ed.]

Here are some additional HDTV deals at Circuit City for Black Friday:
• a 42-inch Sharp LCD (LC-42D43U, Sharp’s budget line) for $800
• a 32-inch Sharp LCD HDTV (LC-32SH12U) for $600
• a 40-inch Polaroid LCD (PLD 4011-TLXB) $700 (Polaroid has been a lower-rated brand in our tests)
• a 32-inch Element LCD TV, $400
• a 50-inch Samsung SlimDLP rear-projection HDTV (HL-T5075S), $800 (Samsung has been one of the better-rated rear-projection TV brands)
• a 65-inch Toshiba rear-projection DLP set for $1,500 (Toshiba has been a top-rated rear-projection brand in our tests)

In other deals, Circuit City will be offering a Samsung Blu-ray player (BDP-1400) for $378, a $180 JVC MiniDV camcorder, a $100 Mio portable GPS, and $300 Compaq Pentium notebook PC with 1GB of RAM and a free printer and router, and $230 Acer Pentium D desktop PC with a 17-inch LCD.

Here are some additional Black Friday HDTV deals being offered at Best Buy:

• a 47-inch Westinghouse 1080p LCD (TX-47F430S) for $1,300 (a CR-tested model, this one has very good overall picture quality)
• a 42-inch HP 1080p LCD (LC4276N) for $997 (a low-rated CR model)
• a 37-inch Dynex LCD for $630
• a 32-inch Philips LCD (32PFL5332D) for $600
• a 26-inch Magnavox LCD TV/DVD combo $480
• a 65-inch Mitsubishi 1080p DLP rear-projection HDTV (WD-65733) for $1,500 (we recently tested a step-up model, the WD-65734, which did very well).

Other electronics deals include:
• a $200 Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD player (with 7 free movies)
• a $400 Samsung BD-P1400 Blu-ray player (with 7 free movies)
• a $150 Panasonic MiniDV camcorder (PV-GS80)
• a $400 Sony notebook computer with a 15.3-inch screen, 1GB of RAM and a 120GB hard drive
• a $200 eMachines Celeron desktop PC with a 17-inch monitor, 1GB of RAM and a free a Canon all-in-one color printer
• a $400 Compaq Pentium desktop computer with a 17-inch widescreen monitor and Canon all-in-one color printer
• a $120 TomTom One LE GPS
• a $75 Samsung 1080p upconverting DVD player
• a $99 500-watt 5.1-channel Sony receiver
• a $200 300-watt Harmon Kardon 5.1-channel 1080p receiver

As always, we’ll continue looking out for the best deals on our best-rated HDTVs.

—James K. Willcox