0302WHC14 Loewe TV s

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40in CRT TV

Loewe Aconda 93102 3,600
Thought normal CRT TVs couldnt get bigger than 36in? Its time you experienced the greatest Loewe of all The Aconda 93102 delivers the greatest 40in pictures out there

Test Scenes

Armageddon
ules are made to be broken, they say and nobody has taken that to heart more than Loewe with its extraordinary Aconda 93102. Lets look at the evidence. First, theres the rule that says ordinary widescreen TVs cant get bigger than 36in across. Pah. The 93102 is a mind-boggling and back-breaking 40in from one corner to the other. Then theres the rule saying that once youve bought a TV, thats the end of the story. Rubbish.
The 93102 uses Loewes unique chassis structure whereby you can add in extra feature upgrade modules providing PC operation and display, web-browsing, wireless sound and so on whenever you like. Finally, theres the rule that says that a TV as complex as this must be a git to set up. Nonsense. Loewe professionally installs every TV it sells. All sounds pretty good, doesnt it?

Nice to meteor

As meteors hit New York, the Loewes speakers deliver all the bass, dialogue and dynamics with truly outstanding prowess

Unconventional beauty

So the Aconda 93102 can talk the talk, but can it walk the walk? Although enormous, the 93102 is definitely not ugly. As you can see, our platinum-coloured sample (glossy basalt is also available) looks delightful even if its curvy screen came as a shock in todays flat-screen-obsessed world. In standard configuration, the 93102 has some interesting connections, most particularly, a roster of multi-channel audio line-outs and two digital audio bitstream inputs. These are there because this TV has built-in Dolby Digital decoding though youll only hear it in action if you attach an amp and speakers, or powered speakers to the passive line outputs. Key among a standard (ie, without modules) features list, thats too long to do justice to here,

Fine and dandy

The scene where Harrys team is introduced to the Armadillo machine on an artificial space landscape is a great demonstration of this Loewes fine-detail response

What a shower!

As the shuttles dodge the oncoming asteroids, the Loewe displays none of the familiar 100Hz motion nasties of smearing and blurring
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Rival Buys

Toshiba 42PW23 1,600
If you thought that rear-pro TVs were purely the domain of smokey pubs, then think again. This 42in Toshiba is a truly outstanding performer selling at an eye-popping price

Philips 36PW9607 2,000

This 36in TV employs Philips groundbreaking PixelPlus technology and the end result, one or two processing side effects notwithstanding, are quite fabulous
is an interactive onscreen instruction manual, 100Hz processing, and twin tuner picture-in-picture capability. A big TV like this needs a big movie to test it out. And they dont come any bigger than Armageddon. Happily, the Aconda rises to the challenge with aplomb. The first thing youll notice is the blisteringly bright colours, which recreate the blazing comets so authentically, youll swear your living room is on fire. The inky blackness of space is supremely rendered, too, as a terrific black level pulls you into the movie as effectively as any asteroids gravity.

Rich and pore

Adding to the immersive feeling that is generated by the TVs sheer size are superb fine-detail levels. Individual pores on Bruce Willis and cos face are clearly visible at least, provided you leave the over-softening noise-reduction off. Fast-moving footage like the shuttles asteroid-belt charge reveals precious few 100Hz motion nasties either, with only a slightly greenish look to flesh tones, and very occasionally, vertical-line structure giving the 100Hz game away.
Panasonic TX-36DT35 2,200
Panasonics latest 36in screen is very high on features, but only rates as reasonable rather than outstanding on the picture-quality front
The 93102s huge Armageddon-friendly pictures are backed up by earth-shattering audio. The TVs built-in speakers deliver a fabulous hi-fi mixture of rich, widely dispersed effects and effortless rolling bass. In fact, plain stereo is so good that you might be in no great rush to make use of the provided multi-channel line-outs or to hookup a separate home cinema system. The Aconda 93102 does have one Achilles heel, though: its price. The sum of 3,600 seems steep when you can get an excellent 42in Toshiba rear-projection TV for around 1,500 these days. That said, the Aconda 93102 does deliver the best 40in pictures around, plus an enormous, uniquely upgradeable features list. So youll just have to figure out how much those benefits are worth to you, wont you? Further Info
Call 7777 or visit www.loewe.de

Good Points

The 93102 delivers simply the best 40in pictures around, aided and abetted by barnstorming sound and an endless features list

Bad Points

All this finery sure doesnt come cheap, and the curvy screen may be a turn-off for some.

Overall

Top-quality pictures and features to spare, but the price is far from right

Ratings

Style Ease of use Features Picture Sound Value Overall

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035 EHC 22 Loewe Aconda

6/1/04

11:03 am

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>>Reviews CRT TV
Key Features 32in 16:9 CRT Built-in 80GB hard-disk recorder High-definition tube 100Hz processing Analogue tuner Nicam stereo Dolby Virtual Surround Digital Motion Interpolation Plus Fastext Retro-fittable modules Picture-in-picture Connections 3 x Scart input (two RGB) Stereo audio output S-video input Composite video input Stereo audio input RF input Dimensions 855(w) x 625(h) x 575(d)mm

Loewe Aconda 9381DR+

Loewe upgrades its Aconda 9381 with the addition of an 80GB built-in hard-disk drive. Danny Phillips salutes the change
UILDING A HARD-DISK RECORDER INTO A TV seems like such a clever and logical idea that were surprised more manufacturers arent doing it. So far, only Philips has dared venture into the hard-disk equipped TV market, but now Loewe wants a piece of the action. The German brand has incorporated an 80GB hard-disk drive into the chassis of its Aconda 9381 set, resulting in the 9381DR+. The benefits are obvious. While watching a TV programme, you simply press record and the set stores it internally without the need to fiddle with any extra equipment. You can also pause live TV if you get any interruptions, then pick up where you left off without missing a scene. But the best part is that the hard-disk doesnt add anything to the price of the standard 32in Aconda 9381. And you get plenty of other features for the money, such as 100Hz processing, Digital Motion Interpolation (DMI) Plus (which makes movement appear smoother) and Dolby Virtual not to mention the Media Plus chassis that lets you upgrade the set with various modules, offering goodies like terrestrial or satellite digital TV and Dolby Digital decoding. Aesthetically, the Acondas glossy black finish is a step back in time, and looks gorgeous. Its also available in an equally attractive shade of platinum. A front flap hides S-video, composite and stereo audio inputs, plus volume and channel buttons. Around the back there are three Scart sockets, two of which accept RGB. All three are capable of outputting composite and S-video to an external recorder, should you want to archive hard-disk recordings. Which leads us nicely to the all-important hard-disk functionality. Recording is easy. Press a button on the remote and a box appears onscreen asking you to select a duration in increments of 30mins. When complete, a list of recordings can
A great TV, but the hard-disk side needs simplifying

Verdict

Sales Web www.loewe.de
EASE OF USE LOOKS FEATURES PICTURE SOUND VALUE
VERDICT Wonderful performance and a wealth of features, plus the integrated hard-disk is a great idea. But the user interface needs a little work to make it easier to navigate.
be called up by pressing one key on the remote. While this is generally sound, the Acondas function-over-fanciness menu system doesnt make it a particularly intuitive or fun experience to access and playback recording. So to picture performance, which is the Loewes forte. RGB pictures from a DVD player are simply awesome devilishly deep and vibrant, with a crispness that borders on clinical. The striking colours are shepherded into edges with no bleed, and the contrast range is impressive. Only one caveat to report, and thats Digital Motion Interpolation Plus. It does a great job of steadying the picture but this comes with increased image smearing and lag. Hard-disk recordings from a digital set-top box in Very High mode are as clean and noise-free as they would be live. Its only when you move down to the Medium and Standard modes that you notice a drop in quality. The Loewes sonic capabilities dont let the side down. It copes magnificently with busy movie soundtracks, with lashings of bass and sharply reproduced top-end detail. By incorporating a hard-disk recorder into one of its finest TVs, Loewe has created a must-have product on paper. But in practice, a touch of refinement wouldnt have gone amiss in the hard-disk department to make it more user-friendly.

Overall

BEST RIVALS
What we like about this CRT TV Picture quality Sound Stylish looks What we dont like about this CRT TV Unhelpful menus DMI image lag The remote control
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