COMPARISON / 37IN TVS

Rise of the giants
NOT SO LONG ago, 32in was the most popular screen size for the average buyer because of its affordability and the fact that it doesnt overwhelm most living rooms. Though it remains the case, the slightly larger 37in panel size is becoming increasingly popular. And with prices dropping to new lows its easy to see why. In Europe, sales of 37in TVs have risen from four per cent in 2004, to 23 per cent last year and are expected to jump to an impressive 40 per cent by 2012. Clearly, the allure of a larger screen without too much more nancial outlay is too much to resist. This months formidable ve all come in at comfortably under a grand and with a bit of hunting on the internet or shopping around on the high street, some can be picked up for almost half that amount.
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Spec check

Hitachi

L37X01

Type: Screen size & shape Tuner: Sound system: Resolution (pixels): HD ready: Quoted contrast ratio: Quoted brightness: Processing: Dimensions: Weight: LCD 37in, 16:9 Digital and analogue Nicam stereo 1,920 x 1,080 Yes 8,000:1 530cd/m

Picture Master full HD

37LT75
LCD 37in, 16:9 Digital and analogue Nicam stereo 1,920 x 1,080 Yes 8,000:1 500cd/m XD Engine 934(w) x 628(h) x 281(d)mm 20.9kg

Panasonic

TH-37PX80
Plasma 37in, 16:9 Digital and analogue Nicam stereo 1,024 x 720 Yes 15,000:1 N/A V-Real 3 917(w) x 617(h) x 95(d)mm 22.5kg

Philips

37PFL5522D
LCD 37in, 16:9 Digital and analogue Nicam stereo 1,366 x 768 Yes 7,500:1 500cd/m Pixel Plus HD 935(w) x 626(h) x 116(d)mm 24kg

Samsung

LE37R87BDX
LCD 37in, 16:9 Digital and analogue Nicam stereo 1,366 x 768 Yes 8,000:1 450cd/m DNIe, Movie Plus 916.5(w) x 618.2(h) x 107(d)mm 16.9kg
927(w) x 684(h)x 366(d)mm 21kg
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Verdict Approx price 800

Hitachi L37X01
BGood motion handling; impressive colours EAverage black levels; some processing options
ONCE ONE OF plasma technologys staunchest supporters, Hitachi is increasingly edging towards the LCD camp. So it comes as no real surprise to nd ourselves faced with a new largescreen in the shape of the L37X01. The set makes a good rst impression courtesy of a reasonable 800 price tag, classy looks and superb connectivity. Its screen features a full HD resolution, from which it produces a good-looking 8,000:1 claimed contrast ratio with the help of a dynamic backlight system. Plus the electronics include Hitachis Picture Master full HD image processing system, an impressive engine designed to improve colour, contrast and sharpness. Whats more, its joined on the L37X01 by Movie Frame Rate Conversion (Movie FRC), a further processing element that adds extra carefully calculated transitional image frames to what youre watching, in a bid to counter LCDs traditional blurring problem when
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showing moving objects. The onscreen menus, meanwhile, feature prodigious user tweaks such as MPEG, chroma and luminance noise reduction settings, line and colour transient adjustments.

Performance

The L37X01s pictures are a classic example of mostly good work set against a single disappointing aw, which concerns black levels. For despite the 8,000:1 contrast ratio claims, we found dark scenes looking distinctly greyed over and at at times. This means that one or two colour tones during dark scenes look slightly off-key, too. Now for the good stuff. Starting with the Movie FRC processing, which provided you stick with the Smooth 2 setting for most sources and the Smooth 1 setting for 1080p/24fps material, genuinely makes motion look impressively crisp and clear. The Picture Master HD processing, meanwhile, also helps the L37X01 produce every dot of
information in an HD sources, and upscales SD to the full HD screen resolution very effectively too. As for colours, aside from the occasional off tone during dark scenes, they are in general unusually natural and enjoy some pretty immaculate blends. The L37X01 is a decent enough audio performer, meanwhile. It lacks that extra bit of raw power that distinguishes the very best at TV audio, but voices sound rich and distinct, treble details are reasonably clear and theres even a solid attempt to inject a little bass into proceedings Z

/ Sockets: Inputs: 3 HDMI v.1.3; component video; composite video; 3 Scarts (2 RGB); S-video; D-Sub PC; stereo audio; PC audio; stereo audio; optical digital audio; headphone jack; SD card reader; USB slot / Contact: 000 www.hitachidigitalmedia. com Picture Sound Features Ease of use Value
The L37X01 is an affable enough LCD screen, but its black level deciencies stop it from achieving Best Buy status

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LG 37LT75

BImpressive recording; good price; easy to use EAverage black levels; poor 1080p/24fps handling
IF YOURE ONE of the many households in the UK that cant afford a Sky subscription, the 37LT75 may be the perfect upgrade for the impending digital age. Thats because its one of the UKs rst Freeview Playback TVs, which means it carries a built-in hard disk recorder (160GB) and twin digital tuners, so you can record, pause, chase and even series-link programmes in much the same way you can with a Sky+ satellite receiver. Whats more, since the TV records the digital tuner directly, the resulting images ought to be identical in quality to the original broadcasts. Excellent. The only real limitation of the 37LT75s Freeview Playback system is that it will only let you record one channel at once, not two. The chassis thats home to this groundbreaking capability is a pretty one and overall the price looks fair, but the connectivity isnt anything special, only providing two HDMIs when wed like to see three. But maybe this is forgivable given the relatively undemanding customer this TV is aimed at. Other aspects of the TVs feature count are really rather good. For instance, you get LGs XD Engine image processing, with its focus on improving colours, black levels, sharpness, motion and noise levels. The set will also take 1080p/24fps feeds from Blu-ray players, despite only having a 1,366 x 768-pixel resolution, and boasts a contrast ratio of 8,000:1 delivered by a dynamic backlight system (which dims the brightness during dark scenes to boost black levels). Accessing all the 37LT75s features and recording, incidentally, is a doddle, thanks to an excellent operating system. looks compared with all LGs nonFreeview Playback TVs to date. The 37LT75 renders HD with impressive precision and detailing for a non-full HD screen. Colours are likeably vibrant, too, for most HD and SD viewing alike, and the sets motion handling is also good, with only minor resolution loss as objects cross the screen. Lastly, the sets audio is perfectly adequate, given how small its speakers are. The 37LT75 falls short of an unreserved recommendation, though, as its black levels are only solid and its 1080p/24fps playback suffers some nasty juddering Z

/ Sockets: Inputs: 2 HDMI; 2 Scarts (1 RGB); component video; RS 232; composite video; D-Sub PC; RF; CI slot; S-video. Digital audio output / Contact: 544 www.lge.co.uk
Picture Sound Features Ease of use Value
Recordings from the digital tuner look identical to the original broadcasts, with no added noise. The screens picture quality is pretty good overall, too. Particularly notable is how much cleaner and more natural standard-def playback
If the Freeview Playback functionality appeals, the 37LT75 adds up to a very attractive package
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Verdict Approx price 900

Panasonic TH-37PX80
BTerrific picture quality; good connectivity EHDMIs not v1.3; non-vibrant colours
PANASONICS 37PX80 IS the only plasma in our group test and thats not surprising, when you consider that Panasonic is the only brand still making gas TVs of this size. The question is, will it be able to withstand the full-on LCD assault? Aesthetically its a bit boring, truth be told, lacking the glossy glamour and slenderness of many of its rivals. But things look up with the discovery among its connections of three non v1.3 HDMI sockets, all capable of handling 1080p/24fps inputs, but not Deep Color compatible. Theres a dedicated PC input too and an SD card slot for direct playback of digital photos. The 37PX80 offers a fairly modest 1,024 x 720-pixel resolution, and we hope the screens V-Real 3 system will translate the UKs various 1,080-line HD sources to this resolution noiselessly, while boosting colour toning, motion handling and black levels. Unusually for a plasma, the 37PX80 also features 100Hz, there
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to increase the stability of the picture when things get moving, especially during camera pans or tracking shots.
One thing is immediately apparent: plasma still rules the roost when it comes to black levels. None of the LCD rivals today get close to the profundity and richness of this screens dark scenes. This immediately gives contrastheavy lms a greater feeling of consistency and, therefore, a more immersive quality. The profound black levels also help pictures generally look more dynamic, especially as the effortless nature of the black response means the set can still comfortably resolve plenty of the subtle shadow details that make dark scenes credible and three-dimensional. The 37PX80 also impresses with its much improved natural and vibrant colours. The effectivness of the V-Real 3 engine, meanwhile, is apparent in

the quality of standard-denition pictures after being upscaled to t the HD Ready panel resolution, and also in the sharpness of HD images given the limitations of the 1,024 x 720 pixel count. Motion, too, looks noticeably smoother and less juddersome than on previous Panasonic plasmas, while the 37PX80s sound is far richer and more powerful than wed expected. On the down side, some deep reds can end up looking slightly orange, and HD images dont look quite as pristine as they do on a good full HD TV Z
/ Sockets: Inputs: 3 HDMI; component video; 2 Scarts (RGB); composite video; PC; stereo audio; tuner; CAM slot, S-video; headphone jack, SD card slot / Contact: 357 www.panasonic.co.uk
The 37PX80 proves that plasma is anything but a dying technology, giving LCD a run for its money

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Verdict Approx price 650

Philips 37PFL5522D
BIts cheap; sharp HD pictures; good black levels EColour tone issues; motion blur; has a tendency to exaggerate source noise
THIS IS PHILIPS most affordable 37in screen and, unsurprisingly, it lacks the aesthetic pyrotechnics of so many LCD TVs higher up the companys range, shorn as it is of any sort of Ambilight system or sculpting ourishes. Its essentially just a basic black rectangle. Connectivity pretty much lives up to the entry-level price. There are only two v1.2a HDMIs and no D-Sub PC input, meaning one of the precious HDMIs has to double up as a computer port. The 37PFL5522D sports merely an HD Ready native resolution rather than a full HD one, though its claimed contrast ratio is a goodlooking 7,500:1. However realistic this gure may or may not prove to be, it does at least reveal that the set features a dynamic backlight system like all of its LCD rivals. Perhaps the single most intriguing feature of the 37PFL5522D is its use of Pixel Plus HD processing, which boosted ne detailing in the last three or four generations, and is older than the latest Perfect Pixel Engine system, so you cant help but fear for its quality.
And to some extent, those fears are justied by the 32PFL5522Ds picture performance. Whats immediately noticeable from the outset is how much motion blur there is over fast-moving objects. Its not so bad that pictures become unwatchable, but it can make viewing football uncomfortable and is certainly more of an issue than with any of its rivals, particularly the plasma opposite. The Pixel Plus HD processing also fails to ramp up standarddenition sources to the screens HD Ready resolution as successfully as we remember, leaving Freeview programmes looking rather noisy and soft by todays standards. It also tends to overcook edges with HD and standard-def alike. The nal let-downs nd the viewing angle really quite limited,

and colours dont look as vibrant as they do on any of the other models. Its black levels, though, are the second best in this group, behind the Panasonic. Also, ne HD detailing suddenly bursts into life to leave pictures looking exceptionally sharp and textured, at least until things start moving. And the sets colour toning with HD is generally quite enjoyable (though it drops off when watching standard denition). Its back to averageness with the 37PFL5522Ds audio, though, which features a very overcrowded midrange thats over-run by a far-toodominant, distorted bass element Z
/ Sockets: Inputs: 2 HDMI; component video; 2 Scarts (RGB); composite video; stereo audio; tuner; CAM slot; S-video; headphone jack / Contact: 016, www.philips.co.uk
A solid effort to deliver a good budget option, but its got too many aws to wholeheartedly endorse
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Verdict Approx price 550

Samsung LE37R87BDX
BRich colours; gorgeous design; three HDMIs; good black levels; great price ESlightly plasticky SD skin tones; motion issues
ALTHOUGH THIS MODEL isnt new to our test bench, it is now on sale at its lowest ever price, which could make it the bargain of the year, provided its quality still holds its own against todays more modern rivals. Its certainly the most gorgeous TV in this group test, and belies its relative vintage by sporting three HDMIs alongside a component video input, PC input, and even an optical digital audio output. It seems strong on features, too, with Samsungs Digital Natural Image engine (DNIe) picture processing tackling colour toning and saturation, motion handling, sharpness, detailing and contrast. Inveterate gamers, meanwhile, get a dedicated mode that enhances the screens response time, while a dynamic backlight is built in to boost black levels. The contrast ratio resulting from this system is claimed to be a healthy 8,000:1. Also potentially exciting is a Movie Plus mode, which were told
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inserts extra image frames to reduce LCDs inherent difculties at showing motion clearly.

Heading up the plus points are the sets black levels, which suffer slightly less from LCDs perennial greying over problems than most similar TVs. Dark scenes thus look that bit more three dimensional and natural, and dark colours retain a little more vibrancy. HD pictures also look extremely sharp and packed with the sort of ne detail minutiae that makes the format so enjoyable, while colours are rich and dynamic at all times and seldom look unnatural in tone. Not that the LE37R87BDX only likes HD, mind you. It also suppresses noise well from SD sources, as well as retaining good colour toning with them (something many rivals oddly fail to achieve). The only price to pay for this is the slightly plasticky appearance of skin tones at times.
Fetching the LE37R87BDX up short of Best Buy status, though, are its slight problems handling motion. In standard mode, without the Movie Plus feature active, objects clearly lose resolution as they cross the screen. Yet if you turn Movie Plus on, while moving objects look sharper they also suffer distracting ickering over their edges and blotchy skin tones. So basically you can never get motion looking quite as good as youd like. Still, with some reasonably strong audio from its hidden speakers to complete the performance, the set still offers a good amount of fun Z
/ Sockets: Inputs: 3 HDMI component video; 2 Scarts (one RGB); S-video; composite video; PC; stereo audio; tuner; CAM slot. Outputs: optical digital audio; stereo audio; headphone jack / Contact: 303 www.samsung.co.uk
Has its issues, but its balance of design, performance, features and price still make it one to check out if youre on a tight budget

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conclusion

IF YOURE AN LCD fan, this group test brings both good and bad news. On the upside, its abundantly clear that the technology is not only continuing to improve with every new generation, but that the increased quality is ltering even further down the price scale. On the downside, our favourite TV of the ve models on test doesnt actually use LCD technology at all, being a plasma. But were getting ahead of ourselves. The TV to claim that distinctly unprestigious spot at the bottom of our league table is the Philips 37PFL5522D. This may seem surprising, given the exceptional quality of TVs further up the Philips range, but the bottom line is that, in trying as hard as possible to hit a lower price point, the 37PFL5522D has cut one or two corners too many to really keep up with its rivals today. From here on in, our ranking decisions get much harder, with third and fourth positions causing particular trials and tribulations. After much debate, though, weve decided that fourth spot should go to the Samsung 37R87BD. This undoubtedly seems harsh on such

an elegantly designed set thats now available for pretty much a song, but it is starting to show its age just a little, especially in the picture processing department. Beating the Samsung into third place, then, is Hitachis L37X01. In many ways this is a very polished performer, with most aspects of Picture Master HD processing boding extremely well for future Hitachi LCD models. But as we stand today, the brand really does need to improve its black level response if its to totally win our hearts and minds. Our silver medallist is LGs 37LT75. This isnt wholly without its aws in the picture performance
department, but its certainly no slouch either. But what really makes it such an appealing proposition (to anyone without a Sky+ receiver) is its superbly integrated and very effective built-in HDD recording system. And unlike Skys recorder, the service is free. Armchair sleuths will doubtless have gured out by now that this leaves Panasonics 37PX80 as our ultimate winner. On the evidence weve seen, even though it struggles to compare with LCD in sheer resolution terms, plasma still seems to have the upper hand when it comes to portraying a picture perfectly suited to TV and movie viewing and thats what counts Z
Colour: Frequency response Lab summary: Reading

Reading

Black levels could be better, but everything else looks good
A fair set of results that just about reects our subjective experiences
These good results, dont do justice to our subjective experience
A mixed bag of results overall, in keeping with our viewing experience
These are very good lab results for such an affordable LCD TV

Verdict

Picture Sound Features Ease of use Value OVERALL
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