0304wv11 Thomson 40WT611

12/2/2003

12:35 pm

Page 96

THOMSON 40TW61 1S

40in rear-projection tv/dvd combi

NEARLY MAN

This Thomson 40in rear-projection/DVD combi looks like a million dollars. But would John Archer shell out 1,500 for it? Lets see.
The rear-projection TV market is on the retreat, forced into a corner by ever-improving and increasingly affordable plasma screens. For now though, 40in rear-projection TVs remain at least 1,000 less expensive than their plasma rivals. Thomsons 40TW611 is, therefore, up against the likes of Sonys awesome KP-44PX2 and Toshibas award-winning 42PW23P (both reviewed in our Feb 03 issue). The competition is extremely fierce, so lets see whether its a case of a French triumph or a Gallic farce. Theres also a subwoofer line out, while the DVD portion boasts an optical digital audio output, plus a composite video output for delivering pictures to a second screen. a picture are shown simultaneously rather than in the normal two runs, potentially boosting fine detail response and brightness. DVM 100Hz doubles the images scanning rate and reduces line flicker, increasing stability and smoothing motion. You can also turn all the DVM circuitry off in favour of straight 100Hz should the DVM processing have a negative impact on certain kinds of footage. Other neat tricks are picture/ teletext splitscreen, an unusual but fairly helpful icon-based teletext navigation tool, contrast boosting, a graphic equaliser, Virtual Dolby audio processing and an optional comb filter. Why is the comb filter optional? Because comb filters can cause interference, especially on composite video feeds.
Attractive curvy design and pleasingly tactile buttons, but its unhelpfully laid-out

OPERATION

Setting the 40TW611 up is a cinch. Onscreen menus guide you through the process well, and the manual is no longer written in the dismal pidgin English that afflicted many past Thomson offerings. Even adjusting the convergence is simpler than usual though its also a bit alarming. The problem is a lack of flexibility. On, say, Toshibas rear-projection TVs you can converge the red, green and blue parts of the image across nine individual points around the screen. But on this Thomson you can only adjust across the whole screen at once. Whats more, you only get three white crosses along the middle of the screen to help you get things right, leaving you little idea if the convergence in the corners is okay. Lets hope this doesnt translate into picture problems further down the line. Joining the integrated DVD deck on the 40TW611s talent list is DVM, or Digital Vision Mastering to give it its full title. DVM is available in two modes. DVM 50Hz is basically a fancy name for progressive scan, whereby the odd and even lines in

DESCRIPTION

The 40TW611 effortlessly turns the traditional rear-projection problem of sheer bulk into a positive. The gorgeous glossy black of the screen frame, the luscious burnished metal of the control panel section, and the imposing grey of the speaker grille at the bottom combine to make the TVs bulk enhance your living room, not detract from it. Extra box-haters will be chuffed to spot a DVD tray tucked discreetly under the left-hand side of the screen, adding to the 40TW611s already substantial home cinema credentials. (If you dont want an integrated DVD deck, the only Thomson rear-pro set without one is a 2,000 52in model.) A search for sockets turns up a few noteworthy ones. Happily, two of the three Scarts can handle RGB.

The DVD section is cleverly tucked away under the screen

PERFORMANCE

The 40TW611s pictures are mostly very good, but are let down by a couple of niggles. The greatest plus is the brightness. The image radiates forth with exceptional vibrancy and this is consistent across the screen, with no hotspots or dull corners. The digital processing is highly effective, too, especially with broadcast fare, delivering smooth edges and decent stability without suffering any serious side effects like motion smearing. Or at least
Despite the built-in DVD, two of the three Scarts take RGB
A P R I L s W H AT V I D E O W I D E S C R E E N E N T E R TA I N M E N T

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SPECIFICATIONS
FEATURES 40in, 16:9 screen;100Hz picture; DVM options adding progressive scan and line flicker reduction; multiple aspect ratios; subwoofer line out; auto tuning; comb filter; noise reduction; contrast expander; picture presets; picture/teletext splitscreen; teletext navigation aid; graphic equaliser; surround effect level adjust; wakeup timer; Fastext; curtain effect; NexTView (where available); max TV volume; manual convergence setting; NTSC 3.58/4.43MHz SOCKETS Front: S-video input; composite video input; stereo audio input; headphone jack Rear: three Scarts (two RGB); composite video output; stereo audio output; digital audio output; RF jack; subwoofer line out DIMENSIONS 970(w) x 1,110(h) x 565(d)mm WEIGHT 62kg CONTACT Thomson www.thomson-europe.com TEST DATA Colour: very good separation, with sharp edges, no tizzing, minor ghosting and minimal bleed. Convergence is less impressive, with corners showing seepage Geometry: very good. No bending normally, though bright images can cause slight kinking Frequency response: fair. Only a little detail visible past 4.8MHz
thats the case with DVM 50Hz progressive mode. The DVM 100Hz looks murkier and noisier, albeit even more stable. Theres a nice punch to the sets black level response, too, joined as usual by rich, natural colours. The fine detail response isnt all it might be, though. Pictures dont look as sharp as they might a feeling backed up by our objective laboratory tests, and exaggerated by haloing around peak colours and hard edges. This manifests itself sometimes as ghosting, sometimes as gentle white or coloured glowing but in both cases it certainly detracts from the pictures overall clarity. During DVD viewing we also became aware of more dotty noise (though less so in DVM 50Hz), and we spotted traces of harmonic smearing, where bright objects leave ghostly echoes of themselves across the screen. The DVD deck itself is reasonably talented. Piping its video output to
an external monitor suggests that any shortcomings in the picture owe more to the TV than the DVD player. That said, a line occasionally appeared across the image about 1cm from the top during DVD viewing. Hopefully, this was just a problem with our test sample, but if you find a similar glitch on your set kick up a fuss.

thomson is on the verge of rear-projection greatness
opens up the soundstage, it makes dialogue almost intelligible. All thats missing from the Nicam performance is a bit more bass, which would avoid the slightly compressed feel to the midrange. You might also argue that a TV with a built-in DVD deck ought to have Dolby Digital audio but at least you can attach your own separate surround sound system.

VERDICT

WHATS GOOD Looks; price; features; sound WHATS BAD One or two picture glitches OVERALL Killer looks but a solid rather than spectacular performance PICTURE.777 SOUND.7777 FEATURES.7777 EASE OF USE.7777 VALUE.7777 OVERALL.7777

CONCLUSION

Ultimately, the 40WT611s inner qualities dont quite live up to its stunning exterior but they get close. Its just a couple of glitches away from giving the established rear-pro players a run for their money, especially given the price. Thomson is on the verge of rear-projection greatness, but for the time being wed probably shell out a bit more for a Toshiba or Sony set s
A few potent action scenes convinced us that the 40WT611 is a sonic star. Particularly gratifying is the wealth of detail in the soundstage, showing impressive sensitivity from the speakers. Dialogue is exceptionally coherent, too provided you avoid Virtual Dolby mode. Although this really

0302WHC25 Sony TV Group

20/12/02

1:09 PM

Page 48

Rear-projection TVs

Sony KP44PX2U

Test Scenes

Minority Report
eah, yeah, we know the argument: Its not what someone looks like on the outside that matters but what theyre like on the inside. But frankly, we think thats rubbish or at least only part of the story. Lets face it, people, if you saw someone who was a great person and gorgeous, youd want them twice as much, and thats that. Which rather tortuously, we admit brings us to the KP-44PX2U. Sonys new rear-projection TV is out to win heart as well as head, by combining high-end talents with positively lust-inducing aesthetics. Swoon at the white-silver bodywork, pant at all the minimalistic elegance, sigh at the monolithic magnificence of the sculpting. If you thought a 44in TV could only ruin your living room, think again.

A big heart

A search for a lovable heart behind the supermodel exterior reveals, among other goodies, 100Hz pictures; Virtual Dolby pseudo surround processing; single-tuner picture-in-picture facilities; and BBE, another audio process designed to make sound more authentic.
Also, unlike the other televisions in the test, the Sony can automatically converge its own red, blue and green components to optimise its pictures. Neat. Tom Cruises futuristic shenanigans in Minority Report find the 44PX2U a polished performer. The film has a deliberately washed-out look, but some scenes, like when Cruise views his family holoclips, ram home how vibrant and solid the 44PX2s colour reproduction is. Its exceptionally natural in tone, too, with even the films tricky fleshtones looking spot on. The movies persistent darkness presents no problem to the 44PX2 either, with a cracking black level response and expansive contrast range making dark scenes like the spider attack look almost like a painting, theyre so vividly portrayed. Cruises face looks much more stable than his characters personality, too, as the TVs 100Hz processing goes about its flicker-removing business. Were not talking perfection here, though. Minority Report is a very sharp disc, but some of the movies fine detail and deliberately grainy tone is lost on the 44PX2U.

Sonic-boom boys

The whole robot factory sequence, with its awesome sonic guns and industrial noise, is delivered with power and accuracy

Eight-legged freaks

As the camera pans over the top of the tenement building while the spiders search it, the Sony copes well with both the panning motion and the numerous different colours and textures

On the wrong lines

The odd burst of bright red, meanwhile, occasionally reveals upwards colour seepage, while bright scenes like the tussle in the robot factory would have benefited from the inclusion on the 44PX2U of Sonys DRC picture processing to reduce the effect of horizontal blanking lines. Sonically, theres plenty of meat on the 44PX2U. Its soundstage can swell to meet big set-piece moments like the breath-taking car chase. Theres loads of fine detail, too, with our only negative comments being that the bass sounds a fraction unnatural and dialogue occasionally seems marginally detached from the screen. Of course, we expect youll hook the set up to a dedicated home cinema system anyway. Tallying the pros and cons columns up, the numbers clearly add up to the 44PX2U being a winner. Its a superb performer the best 100Hz rear-pro set around at a tantalising price and clad in a body that, you should be warned, is likely to make your own look a little below par.

Good Points

Very good pictures and excellent sound, wrapped up in the body of a goddess

Bad Points

Picture could be sharper

Overall

A beautifully engineered and sterling performer at a gobsmackingly low price

Ratings

Style 5555555555 Ease of use 5555555566 Picture 5555555556 Sound 5555555555 Features 5555555555 Value 5555555556 Overall 5555555555 Further Info
Call or visit www.sony.co.uk
What Home Cinema February 2003