GROUP TEST

FEATURES
HD-ready; analogue and digital tuners; optional satellite tuner; Image+; tilting desktop stand, oorstand and wall mount options; Virtual Dolby Audio; vertical image correction; picture-in-picture; Automatic Movie Detection; Digital Link; 9ms response time Sockets Inputs: HDMI; 2x Scarts (1 RGB); component video; composite video; S-video; PC VGA; stereo audio Outputs: stereo audio; headphones jack Others: CAM slot; aerial Contact 465 www.loewe-uk.com
Image+ is also slicker than most rivals at handling standard-def, making it look cleaner and sharper

Loewe Modus L 37

Self-consciously stylish TV maker Loewe works its magic again at a price

FLAT FACTS

37IN LCD TV 1,700 HD-READY: YES RESOLUTION: SPEAKERS: TV TUNER:
oewes design rst, worry about price later policy means it currently has the most to offer anyone whos styleconscious with a reasonably large wallet (short of really busting the budget with something from B&O). And the 37in Modus L 37 LCD TV ts the Loewe bill perfectly, combining an achingly swish minimalist design, available in platinum or anthracite, with a build quality so good you want to kiss it. But it costs 1,700 roughly double and then some what youd expect to pay for a typical 37in LCD TV nowadays. So heres hoping a sweet design isnt all its got going for it. The early signs arent good, as exhaustive hunting turns up just a single HDMI socket. This is simply not enough on a premium TV these days, even when the set also includes a PC VGA port and a component video option alongside the usual lesser-quality options. Features arent as common as wed like for 1,700 either. In fact, aside from a digital tuner, Virtual Dolby processing and interactive onscreen instructions, the only feature of signicance is Image+, Loewes picture processor targeting colours, contrast and sharpness among other, subtler things. The L 37 sports a 1366 x 768 pixel count (not a full HD array), and a contrast ratio of 800:1 that doesnt sound much compared
with the thousands to one now claimed by many competitors. Heres hoping Loewe is just being honest with its measuring.

Hues that stun

A viewing of Revenge of the Sith Sky HD suggests that the 800:1 is conservative but only a little. For while nighttime shots across Coruscants cities enjoy perfectly decent black levels by LCD standards, theres still more low-contrast grey mist than with many rival sets in this group test. Whats more, the picture loses considerable contrast and colour if watched from the side; an LCD issue other cheaper brands are now tackling with considerable success. Thankfully most other things about the Loewes picture are impressive. Colours, for instance, enjoy a winning combination of bright, vibrant saturations and unusually natural colour tones talents which are all abundantly visible in the crowd scenes where Palpatine returns to Coruscant after being rescued near the lms start. Detailed scenes in Revenge of the Sith, meanwhile, like those in the hangar of General Grievous ship as R2D2 helps ObiWan and Annakin get to the imprisoned Palapatine, look superbly clean, crisp and textured on the L 37. In fact, the set portrays hi-defs extra detail as well as any 37in TV weve ever seen.

1366 x 768 BUILT-IN

ANALOGUE AND DIGITAL SCARTS: 2 (1 RGB) HDMI: 1
The L 37 doesnt just love hi-def, though. Image+ also proves slicker than most rival systems at handling standard-def, making it look cleaner and sharper than usual. This does no harm in this regard, either, that the L 37 handles motion with less resolution loss than most LCD TVs suffer. The L 37 is a solid audio performer fair enough, perhaps, but its hard not to recall that many previous Loewe at TVs have enjoyed near-hi- audio standards.

Paying a premium

If we judged the L 37 on performance alone, wed have no problem with it. Sadly, though, its high price immediately pretty much demands that it be at the very top of the pile in terms of performance and features. And it just isnt!

RATINGS

PICTURE SOUND CONNECTIONS FEATURES EASE OF USE VALUE

VERDICT

Supercool design, but lacks the cutting edge to justify its high price
34 WHAT PLASMA & LCD TV

ISSUE 41

WHP41.gt 34

3/7/07 11:28:51 am

Its rare indeed for us to see dark areas so well populated by subtle shadow detailing and colour shifts
HD-ready; quoted contrast ratio: 7,000:1; quoted brightness: 1,000cd/m2; AVM II processing; PC capable; Signal and Drive contrast adjustments Sockets Inputs: HDMI; 2 Scarts (2 RGB); component video; S-video; 3x stereo audio; PC VGA Contact www.fujitsu-general. co.uk

Fujitsu P63XHA51ES

The biggest TV in this group test is a frustrating mix of the good and the indifferent
hile most of our big TVs in this styleconscious group test arent shy about their design choices, weve included Fujitsus 63in P63XHA51ES, the largest screen, on account of its subtlety. Fujitsus argument is if youve already got a 63in screen to accommodate, you dont want it to contrast with your living room dcor. So the bezel of the P63XHA51ES wears a delightfully shy and retiring matt silver nish that looks sharp, but blends with almost any dcor its placed with. Aside from its design the P63XHA51ES doesnt make much of an effort to blend in to a home environment. For it doesnt sport a built-in tuner (analogue or digital) or any built-in speakers. You can buy optional speakers for this screen, but theyll set you back the rather scary sum of 500. Before we get too down about all this, though, its worth saying that theres a good chance anyone spending 8,500 on a 63in screen will probably have a source like a Sky HD box to feed it, and so wont miss the tuner. And they might very well also have a separate audio system, too. However, Fujitsu once again shoots itself in the foot by only providing a single HDMI among the P63XHA51ESs connections a near criminal act on a screen crying out for high-quality sources. At least it does provide a PC port and a component video jacks.

Interesting features of the P63XHA51ES are pretty much restricted to its AVM II image processing engine. This motionadaptive de-interlacing system delivers enhancements such as reduced jaggedness around contours, reduced MPEG noise, reduced mosquito noise, and smoother, clearer handling of moving objects.
deft this screens is with colours during hidef viewing, with immaculate colour blends and emphatically natural tones. Strangely, though, these tones tend to lose some of this naturalism especially in the green department when you switch to standard-def.
63IN PLASMA 8,500 HD-READY: YES RESOLUTION: SPEAKERS: TV TUNER: SCARTS: HDMI: 1

SCREEN

Peaks and troughs Not fan of SDTV
As with other Fujitsu screens weve seen recently, the P63XHA51ES isnt particularly comfortable with standard-def, but pretty much rocks with hi-def. The most immediate hi-def impact comes from its sharpness, as the phenomenally detailed shots across Coruscants city in our Revenge of the Sith hi-def test movie are reproduced with breathtaking accuracy a feat made all the more impressive by the size of the screen youre witnessing it on. Black levels are also very respectable. While weve seen even deeper, richer representations of dark interiors like those in General Grievous ship during the opening scenes, it has been rare indeed for us to see dark areas so well populated by subtle shadow detailing and colour shifts. This makes the picture look unusually full of scale and almost addictively immersive. Once youve picked up on the subtle background details, you also notice how Theres one other more general weakness that affects both high and standard-def alike: vibrancy. When placed alongside Pioneers PDP-607XD elsewhere in this group test which also costs 3k less despite being only 3in smaller theres just no denying that while natural, the Fujitsus colours are less saturated and dynamic. This mix of highs and lows means we just cant give the P63XHA51ES a wholehearted recommendation.

1366 x 768 OPTIONAL

2 (2 RGB)
A sometimes great performer let down by its price, features and connections
WHAT PLASMA & LCD TV 35

WHP41.gt 35

3/7/07 11:28:54 am
HD-ready; analogue and digital tuners; ALiS screen; Picture Master Full HD; 7-day EPG; noise reduction; lm mode; TruBass; Black enhancement; colour management; ECO mode; screen saver Sockets Inputs: 2x HDMI; 3x Scarts (2 RGB); S-video; PC VGA; component video; composite video; stereo audio Output: stereo audio; headphones jack; digital audio Others: CAM slot; USB; aerial; SD card reader Contact 000 www.hitachidigital media.com

Sadly any dreams about the P50T01U being a bargain to end all bargains are compromised by the sets pictures

Hitachi P50T01U

Amazingly cheap it may be, but unfortunately this stylish set isnt amazingly cheerful
50IN PLASMA TV 1,300 HD-READY: YES RESOLUTION: SPEAKERS: TV TUNER:

1280 x 1080 BUILT-IN

ANALOGUE AND DIGITAL SCARTS: 3 (2 RGB) HDMI: 2
s with all the TVs in this group test, the 50in P50T01U is a deeply appealing looker. A matt black bezel gives it a slightly less ash, but more authoritative, look than most rivals, with a dash of panache coming from an artfully tapered silver outer trim. But its the P50T01Us 1,300 price that catches the eye, potentially making it a serious bargain. The TVs connections and features set about making that potential a reality. As well as two HDMIs and a set of component jacks, the P50T01U offers three Scarts, a digital audio output, a common interface slot revealing a built-in digital tuner, and both Secure Data card slot and USB port options for direct digital photo viewing. The only aw is the lack of a PC input, leaves an HDMI as the only connection to a computer. Features are headed up by Hitachis Picture Master HD system, an image processing engine designed to improve colours and detailing while keeping a lid on noise levels. The P50T01Us version boasts a new 16-bit colour engine too claimed to produce better skin tones and subtler blends and can handle 1080p inputs. Note, though, that the TV converts 1080p inputs to 1080i for playback. There are user-options galore in the P50T01Us onscreen menus, from stalwarts like MPEG noise reduction to such esoteric
fodder as line and colour transient improvements. Aggravatingly, though, it takes ages to access some of them thanks to the onscreen menus sluggish response.

False bargain

Sadly any dreams about the P50T01U being a bargain to end all bargains are deeply compromised by the sets picture performance, as a number of problems immediately make their presence felt. Black levels, for instance, leave the space-based scenes in Revenge of the Sith looking rather washed out by todays plasma standards. Motion is also awed, not by the smearing often witnessed with rival LCD technology, but by the sort of dot noise over skin tones for instance, as the pilots move around in their cockpits during our test lms opening space battle that used to be common on plasma TVs but which we really dont expect to see so overtly now. Colours, meanwhile, seem rather muted, not doing justice to the vibrant palette of this movie. And also, switching to standarddef introduces slightly more video noise than expected. Hitachi hasnt completely lost the plasma plot, of course. The P50T01Us unusual 1280 x 1080 pixel count (created using the digital trickery on a ALiS screen) reproduces with

aplomb all the amazing ne details present in the computer-generated oors and walls of Revenge of the Siths fantasy backdrops. Colours, meanwhile, compensate somewhat for their lack of vibrancy with startlingly natural tones, even with skin. Theres some compensation for the greyness over dark scenes, too, in the form of decent shadow detailing in low-lit areas, while the sets speakers are likeably potent and clear.

Failure to save

All in all, the P50T01U might just about do enough to persuade a few people that its worth investigating given the lowness of its price. But for us, the clearly superior quality available elsewhere in this group test suggests that your best bet is to save a little more money for something better.
Plenty of inches for your buck, but the picture quality leaves a little to be desired
36 WHAT PLASMA & LCD TV

WHP41.gt 36

Skin tones are outstandingly credible, with only the very rarest tinge of orange to complain about
HD-ready; analogue and digital tuners; 7-day EPG; Vreal 2 processing; claimed contrast ratio: 10,000:1; 1080p compatible; Deep Black Filter; Viera Link; 3D colour management; noise reduction; Owner ID security; pseudosurround audio Sockets Inputs: 2x HDMI; 2x Scarts (2 RGB); component video; PC VGA; stereo audio Outputs: Stereo audio; headphones jack Others: CAM slot, RF aerial Contact www.panasonic.co.uk

Panasonic TH-50PX70

Panasonic turns to the dark side for its latest plasma TV and were happy to follow
f there was one thing we could have changed about Panasonics otherwise outstanding previous plasma generation, it was their looks. Their penchant for a slightly plasticky silver nish cheapened them. So its gratifying to nd the brands new 50in TH-50PX70 sporting a slick, superbly robust all-black livery wrapped around a surprisingly slender bezel, resulting in a set we have no qualms about including in this best dressed round-up especially given the really gorgeous oorstand option thats available as an option. Focussing on more prosaic matters, the 50PX70s connectivity is decent, in that it provides two HDMIs, a component video input, a D-Sub PC input and Scarts. But there are no composite video or 4-pin Svideo options. The HDMIs, incidentally, will take 1080p in its 50/60Hz congurations (though not 24Hz), and are Viera Link enabled, meaning you can control Panasonics other Viera Link equipment (such as its new DVD recorders) connected to the TV using the its remote. The 1366 x 768 screen is driven by various different processing technologies, most notably Panasonics new V-Real 2 system. Included among the many pictureboosting elements this system contains is 1080p processing that both handles 1080p sources and upscales lesser resolutions to

1080p; a digital optimiser that removes common noise types from pictures before they have chance to appear; and motion pattern noise reduction for tackling false contouring with moving objects. Also key to the 50PX70s likely image success is Panasonics legendary Real Black Drive, which here joins forces with a new Deep Black Filter to boost black level response. The result is a claimed contrast ratio of 10,000:1 and black levels during Revenge of the Sith were are among the nest weve seen on a at TV.
like those of the lms various Lightsabres blaze forth with a level of punch that wouldnt shame brighter LCDs. Great subtlety in the sets colour blending, meanwhile, prevents objects and skin in particular from looking articial and at. The 50PX70 also handles motion well, so that moving objects retain their sharpness, and even proves unusually adept at upscaling standard-def sources to t its HDready screen.
50IN PLASMA TV 1,650 HD-READY: YES RESOLUTION: SPEAKERS: TV TUNER:

Tiny aws

With some well-rounded audio to seal the home cinema deal, really the only minor quibble we can raise about the 50PX70s pictures is that just occasionally camera pans can look stuttery. But this really amounts to precious little in the face of all the brilliant stuff the sets got going on.

Heavenly shadows

Outer space looks as vast and inky as it should, while the dark interiors of Annakins pad on Coruscant gain authenticity from the TH-50PX70s ability to reproduce even the most subtle shadow details without compromising the black level depth. The quality of the V-Real engine is also evident in how startlingly crisp and detailed hi-def pictures look. You can, for instance, make out individual ridges in the wall where R2D2 accesses a schematic of General Grievous ship in the opening scenes. The 50PX70 also boasts the best colours Panasonic has ever produced on a plasma TV. Skin tones look outstandingly credible, with only the very rarest tinge of unwanted orange to complain about, while rich hues
ANALOGUE AND DIGITAL SCARTS: 2 (2 RGB) HDMI: 2
Panasonics plasma keeps getting better and better. And the price is right too
WHAT PLASMA & LCD TV 37

WHP41.gt 37

3/7/07 11:28:55 am
HD-ready; analogue and digital tuner; 75/100Hz switchable; 7-day EPG; event timer; PureBlack 2; PureDrive II; Direct Colour Filter 2; picturein-picture; Dynamic HD converter; noise reduction Sockets Inputs: 2x HDMI; 3x Scarts (2 RGB); stereo audio; component video; composite video; S-Video; PC VGA Outputs: subwoofer; stereo audio; digital audio; headphones jack Others: RS-232; CAM slot; RF aerial Contact www.pioneer.co.uk

The screens penchant for the ner things in hidef isnt blighted by any signicant grain or dot crawl side effect

Pioneer PDP-607XD

After a long wait, Pioneer breaks its plasma size barrier to a glorious effect
60IN PLASMA TV 5,500 HD-READY: YES RESOLUTION: SPEAKERS:

1365 x 768

OPTIONAL TV TUNER: ANALOGUE AND DIGITAL SCARTS: 3 (2 RGB) HDMI: 2
hen you look as cool, sleek and opulently glamorous looking as a Pioneer plasma TV, it really doesnt matter how big you are. In fact, wed say that Pioneers TVs look better as they get bigger. So that makes the brands biggest ever TV, the 60in PDP-607XD, the Pioneer we most want to have in our living room. Especially as its also a sparkling performer. Before telling you just why its so much fun to watch, theres some nitty gritty to get through. Starting with connectivity there are two HDMIs, a component video jack, a PC VGA port, the usual Scart and S-video standards, a subwoofer line out, and a digital audio output for piping soundtracks received through the HDMIs to a receiver. The HDMIs are fairly unusual in that they can take the ultra-pure 1080p/24Hz hi-def video format offered by one or two high-end Blu-ray players. But the TV will not take the 1080p/50Hz or 60Hz modes used out by most upscaling DVD players. Other key features of the PDP-607XD include a built-in digital tuner; optional professional picture calibration by an Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) engineer to suit your living room conditions; various Pioneer screen build technologies including a deep wafe rib structure to reduce crosspixel light/colour seepage, and a Crystal Emissive layer to boost contrast and
brightness; and Pioneers Pure Drive image processing engine. The net result of all this rocket science is some truly sensational image quality.

High-quality hi-def

The PDP-607XD eats our Revenge of the Sith test movie for dinner, revelling in the spectacular detailing visible in the forests of Wookie planet Kashyyyk. Whats more, the screens penchant for the ner things in hidef isnt blighted by any signicant grain or dot crawl side effects. Also immensely pleasing is how rich and colourful the PDP-607XDs pictures are. Brightness can be a problem on big plasma TVs, but here the rich colours of the volcanic action on Mustafa look terrically vibrant. Just as important is the subtle naturalism with which the set shows skin tones during the low-lit scenes in the Galactic Senate. Pioneers uncanny knack with showing motion is also retained by this new plasma giant. The countless space ships during the opening sequence all zip by with remarkable smoothness and not a trace of plasmas old motion noise problems, and unlike with LCD screens moving objects retain practically all their resolution. With some good, deep, well detailed black levels underpinning all the strengths weve alluded to so far, there really isnt

anything serious negative to say about the PDP-607XDs hi-def pictures. Whats more, if you cough up the extra 250 required for the PDP-607XDs optional speakers (it ships without speakers included), youll nd these pristine images joined by near hi- stereo audio prowess. Outstanding.

A few quid more

The only time the PDP-607XD struggles is with standard-def sources, as a slight green undertone creeps into the colour palette, and theres noticeably more video noise. But youd expect some problems pushing standard-def to 60in, and in any case, anyone buying a screen this expensive (5,500 is a lot for 10in more picture than you get from Panasonics 1,650 50PX70), and large will surely be feeding it as heavy an hi-def diet as possible.
Overall, a beauty thats too pricey, despite the quality
38 WHAT PLASMA & LCD TV

WHP41.gt 38

3/7/07 11:28:56 am
The rst TV weve seen with the potential to deliver HDMI 1.3 benets like Deep Colour and lip synch correction
HD-ready; analogue and digital tuners; colour adjustments; backlight adjust; black stretch; dynamic contrast mode; DNIe; Movie Plus mode; noise reduction; 1:1 1,080-line playback; xvYCC compatibility; Deep Colour; SRS TruSurround XT audio; Home Theatre PC mode; Anynet CEC HDMI Sockets Inputs: 3x HDMI; 3x Scarts (2 RGB); S-video; PC VGA; composite video; component video Outputs: digital audio; headphones jack Others: RF aerial; CI slot Contact www.samsung.co.uk

Samsung LE-52M87BD

Possibly the prettiest TV ever and the beauty is more than skin deep
f youre looking at a group of TVs based around style as a unifying concept, you have to include one from Samsung. And today that something is the brands new agship LCD TV, the 52in LE-52M87BD. Happily, Samsungs trademark gloss black nish and taste for subtle curves extends to 52in extremely well. In fact, the bigger this design gets, the more we like it. But the LE-52M87BD isnt trading on looks alone. Its choc-a-bloc with connections, including three HDMIs, a PC VGA port, Scarts, a component video input, and a digital audio output for shunting on digital soundtracks received by the HDMIs. Then theres its extensive feature count. As well as a digital tuner it carries a 1920 x 1080 full HD screen, backed up by 1080p compatibility, and a 1:1 pixel mode that shows 1,080-line sources with no overscanning, for extra clarity. The LE-52M87BDs HDMIs, meanwhile, are compatible with the CEC industry standard, meaning you can use the TVs remote to control any CEC-compatible sources connected to them. Even better, the HDMIs are also v1.3 in specication, making this the rst TV weve seen with the potential to deliver HDMI 1.3 benets such as the Deep Colour extended colour palette (from discs that support it) and automatic lip synch correction.

On board to improve picture quality are Samsungs Digital Natural Image engine processing, and a Movie Plus mode which tackles LCDs problems showing motion without losing resolution using an enhanced 3:2 pull-down progressive scan technology that inserts extra image frames. The TV also claims a contrast ratio of 15,000:1 the highest yet from an LCD TV, raising hopes that we might nally have an LCD with black levels to rival plasma.
Plus mode active, the ght between ObiWan and General Grievous suffers from movement looking rather ill-dened. But with Movie Plus activated, a quirk of the processing can cause ickering around the edges of moving objects and an overall slightly unnatural look to proceedings. The pictures aggression regarding colour and brightness can also lead it to slightly emphasise noise in standard-def sources but this is true of many other LCD sets too.
52IN LCD TV 2,500 HD-READY: YES RESOLUTION: SPEAKERS: TV TUNER:

1920 x 1080 BUILT-IN

Power of the dark
The opening space battle of Revenge of the Sith does enjoys remarkable black levels by LCD standards. Theres practically none of LCDs greyness and, even better, dark scenes contain loads of scale-giving detail. Providing an exceptional counterpoint to these revolutionary LCD black levels is Samsungs best colour performance yet. The saturations during colour-rich scenes like those on Mustafas volcanic surface are extreme, yet the set also retains a generally natural tone with subtle fare like skin tones. The LE-52M87BD also uses its full HD resolution and size to deliver exceptional sharpness. You can actually make out the texture in R2-D2s metallic surface. The 52M87BD suffers a couple of weaknesses, though. First, its motion handling is hit and miss. Without the Movie

Good, not great

The best summary of the LE52M87BDs performance is mostly spectacular but occasionally awed. With its sumptuous looks and its extra cost over similar-sized plasma screens being mostly justied by its resolution and features, its a TV that has to nd a way onto your shortlist.

ANALOGUE AND DIGITAL SCARTS: 3 (2 RGB) HDMI: 3
Jaw-dropping pictures and an outstanding features count to match
WHAT PLASMA & LCD TV 39

WHP41.gt 39

3/7/07 11:28:57 am