0308wv21 JVC 28 TV

12/6/2003

11:32 am

Page 42

roundup

JVC AV-28X37HKE

28in widescreen Nicam TV

Specification
FEATURES 28in, 16:9 TV; 100Hz processing; DigiPure Pro; motion smoothing; noise reduction; Nicam sound with pseudosurround option; multiple aspect ratio support; teletext with splitscreen view; picture presets and colour temperature adjustment; Movie Theatre mode; Hyper sound; sleep timer; child lock SOCKETS
Side: S-video input; composite video input; stereo audio input; headphone jack Rear: three Scarts (one RGB); stereo audio out; RF input

RGB-bargy

This 28in JVC set looks a treat and is packed with digital processing prowess. Lets hope its picture doesnt let the side down.
JVCs TV designers clearly subscribe to the If it aint broke, dont fix it school of thought. The latest incarnation of the companys InteriArt TV range, the 28in AV-28X37HKE, closely resembles the previous couple of generations. And you know what? It still doesnt look the least bit dated or dull. What makes the whole thing work is the way the outer chassis curves inwards, while a rigid, forward-jutting, different-shadeof-grey inner frame cuts across the front, offsetting the curves and colour of the rest perfectly. It looks a treat on the (included) stand, too. The only subtle difference in this latest InteriArt generation is a slight extra curve on the inner frame that makes the screen jut further forward than the speakers. Connectivity is fair to middling. There are three Scarts, but only one takes RGB feeds. There is a full set of front AV inputs, though, tucked just behind the screen frame in order to preserve the sets aesthetics.
DIMENSIONS 854(w) x 508(h) x 493(d)mm WEIGHT 39kg CONTACT JVC 5000 www.jvc.co.uk TEST DATA Colour: excellent. Zero bleed, zero tizzing, zero ghosting and superbly hard edges Geometry: fair. Some outward bending over the bottom half of the picture Frequency response: fair. Not much detail beyond 4.8MHz
Given that the AV-28X37HKE is just 650, its a surprise to find 100Hz picture processing. In fact, 100Hz is just the start. Youve also got DigiPure Pro to play with. This techno wizardry eliminates garishly harsh edges from high-contrast, crisp images and sharpens soft edges on low-contrast sources. It also makes movement look smoother. Other handy features include noise reduction, a Movie Theatre mode that further improves the motion and colour of PAL movie sources, plus pseudo-surround sound.

PERFORMANCE

Recent JVC 100Hz TVs havent done much for us, but first impressions of the AV-28X37HKE suggest that things are moving in the right direction. The biggest area of improvement is motion; theres far less smearing and image lag than on previous JVC models. We also thoroughly enjoyed the sets approach to colours. Full-on reds and blues look gorgeously saturated and reasonably tightly contained. Theres a rather tasty bit of contrast, too, plus profound blacks despite all the digital processing. The longer we watched the AV-28X37HKE, though, the more apparent a couple of problems
became. The worst and most bizarre is overexposure with RGB digibox feeds. Even controlled images, such Sky News studio-shot footage, can look really washed-out, particularly on flesh tones. And no amount of playing with the contrast, brightness or even DigiPure Pro settings sorts this out. Non-RGB Sky feeds are better, although they inevitably lack RGBs extra solidity and cleanliness. The other quibble with the picture is that its a touch soft. More positively, the speakers are adept at handling even challenging movie soundtracks. They sensibly work within their own limitations, not presenting an especially dynamic or forceful soundstage, but avoiding harshness, distortion or cabinet rattle and keeping dialogue clear. Even the pseudo-surround sound processor isnt as bad as many weve encountered. In the final analysis, at 650, JVCs AV-28X37HKE is well worth auditioning as long as the majority of your viewing isnt digital TV. If this is the case, its RGB glitch might prove hard to take.

What we think

WHATS GOOD Non RGB picture; sound; looks; price WHATS BAD Digital TV via RGB; only one RGB Scart PICTURE. PICTURE (RGB) SOUND. FEATURES. EASE OF USE. VALUE.77777.77777.77777.77777.77777.77777

Also consider.

PANASONIC TX-28PL1 No digital processing, just cracking 50Hz pictures Reviewed Sept 02 THOMSON 28WX211S Fantastic 50Hz images, but lacks the JVCs ease of use Reviewed Sept 02

Verdict 77777

JVCs best 100Hz TV for ages except with digital TV

Big, comfortable, uncluttered and easy to handle
42 August 2003 s WHAT VIDEO WIDESCREEN ENTERTAINMENT