- In this report
- Overview
- How to judge image quality
- What you need for HDTV
ELECTRONICS FORUMS  Get real-world advice from others about choosing a new TV, digital camera, computer or cell phone. |
March 2007
Get the best picture
Illustration by Roy Scott
Almost a decade after the first high-definition televisions appeared, performance still varies greatly, even within some brands.
Our Ratings (available to subscribers) of almost 100 sets make that crystal clear. Overall scores range from a lowly 35 (for a 32-inch Viewsonic LCD set) to an impressive 78 (for a 62-inch Toshiba rear-projection DLP set). HD picture quality goes from fair to excellent.
Why such variation? HDTVs are complex devices that are still evolving. They have to accept different types of digital and analog signals and adapt them to the display. Also, manufacturers face constant competitive pressure to cut costs.
Whatever the reasons, the wide quality range makes an HDTV a challenging purchase. Although some top-scoring models are costly, high price doesn’t guarantee top performance. Nor does a familiar brand name. And no display technology is consistently the best choice. Here’s how to judge quality and choose wisely.
Put picture quality first
When you’re buying a TV, nothing matters more than picture quality. That’s why it’s by far the biggest contributor to the
overall score in our HDTV Ratings (available to subscribers). Don’t like a TV’s remote? You can buy a better universal remote. Hate the set’s onscreen menus? You probably won’t use
them very often. Need better sound than the TV’s speakers provide? Then hook up a receiver and speakers. But there’s little
you can do to improve a mediocre picture.
We expect better picture quality from HDTVs than from standard-definition sets because HDTV screens have a higher native resolution. An HDTV has many more pixels (the picture elements making up images) than a regular TV, so it has the potential to display much finer detail. The best HDTVs display almost lifelike textures, such as the rough weave of a tweed suit or fine strands of hair.
Some of the top TVs in our Ratings (available to subscribers) have a resolution of 1080p, with 1,920 pixels from side to side and 1,080 from top to bottom. That enables them to display more of the detail in HD signals than sets with 1366x768 or lower resolution (often labeled as 720p sets in stores). The differences are most obvious on 50-inch and larger screens and in close viewing.
But resolution alone doesn’t determine picture quality. Contrast, black level, brightness, and color accuracy are also important. The quality of the content comes into play as well. A 720p set that does everything right can have excellent picture quality. An example is the 58-inch Panasonic set that tops the plasma Ratings (available to subscribers).
use our scores to shop smart
A TV with excellent HD picture quality can display a natural-looking image with deep black, bright white, and accurate colors. Precise, clear detail is a must.
Ideally, we’d recommend that everyone settle for nothing less than excellent picture quality. In the real world, that’s easier said than done. Only 11 of the 98 televisions that we rated in this issue have an excellent score for HD picture quality, and some are expensive. If you’re a true videophile and demand the best, it’s worth seeking out a top-rated set.
A TV with a score of “very good” for picture quality is nothing to dismiss. While the images fall short of perfection, the differences can be subtle, and they may show up only with very demanding video content. Indeed, it can be a challenge for a casual viewer to distinguish an excellent image from a very good one unless comparing two TVs side by side. A TV with very good HD quality is a fine choice for most viewers: More than half the sets in the Ratings (available to subscribers) qualify, including many Quick Picks.
An HD picture judged good has some noticeable imperfections, such as a lack of contrast or overly sharpened details that look unnatural. Still, less-critical viewers might be satisfied with the picture quality, particularly on a smaller screen. You might want to consider a bargain-priced model with good HD picture quality, especially as a second or third set.
There’s no reason to settle for a TV with a fair or poor score for HD. Only two TVs (both LCDs from Viewsonic) were judged fair for HD quality, and none of the tested models received a poor score. Not even a bargain price can make up for the obvious problems with fair or poor picture quality.
While HD picture quality is an important measure, most viewers watch DVDs and standard-definition programming at times. So we also judge how well a model handles 480p signals (like those from a progressive-scan DVD player) and standard-definition signals.
As the Ratings (available to subscribers) show, TVs that do well with HD scores generally have decent scores for DVD and standard-definition, but there are exceptions. We judged a number of sets fair for DVD, regular TV, or both. (Because we judge HD performance using a higher standard, regular TV and DVD scores can’t be directly compared with HD scores. In other words, even excellent standard-definition content won’t look as good as an excellent HD picture.) We strongly recommend that you choose a TV that was judged at least very good for both HD and DVD and good for standard- definition picture quality.
That brings up an important point: Even the best TV can’t make mediocre content look great. If you feed your TV poor-quality signals, say, a rerun of an old standard-definition TV program or a VCR recording, the picture might actually look worse than on your old TV. That’s because an HDTV’s digital circuitry can amplify the flaws in the picture, so you might see blurry action or fuzzy lines.
tips on tweaking
When you get your new TV home, don’t expect picture-perfect images right out of the box. The default factory settings are designed to create a super-bright, colorful image to lure shoppers, but they’re almost always a bad choice for use at home. The first thing you should do is adjust the picture settings. You can tweak them individually, but it’s easier to use a preset mode (if your TV has them; not all do).
Our Ratings (available to subscribers) of almost 100 sets make that crystal clear. Overall scores range from a lowly 35 (for a 32-inch Viewsonic LCD set) to an impressive 78 (for a 62-inch Toshiba rear-projection DLP set). HD picture quality goes from fair to excellent.
Why such variation? HDTVs are complex devices that are still evolving. They have to accept different types of digital and analog signals and adapt them to the display. Also, manufacturers face constant competitive pressure to cut costs.
Whatever the reasons, the wide quality range makes an HDTV a challenging purchase. Although some top-scoring models are costly, high price doesn’t guarantee top performance. Nor does a familiar brand name. And no display technology is consistently the best choice. Here’s how to judge quality and choose wisely.
Put picture quality first
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We expect better picture quality from HDTVs than from standard-definition sets because HDTV screens have a higher native resolution. An HDTV has many more pixels (the picture elements making up images) than a regular TV, so it has the potential to display much finer detail. The best HDTVs display almost lifelike textures, such as the rough weave of a tweed suit or fine strands of hair.
Some of the top TVs in our Ratings (available to subscribers) have a resolution of 1080p, with 1,920 pixels from side to side and 1,080 from top to bottom. That enables them to display more of the detail in HD signals than sets with 1366x768 or lower resolution (often labeled as 720p sets in stores). The differences are most obvious on 50-inch and larger screens and in close viewing.
But resolution alone doesn’t determine picture quality. Contrast, black level, brightness, and color accuracy are also important. The quality of the content comes into play as well. A 720p set that does everything right can have excellent picture quality. An example is the 58-inch Panasonic set that tops the plasma Ratings (available to subscribers).
use our scores to shop smart
A TV with excellent HD picture quality can display a natural-looking image with deep black, bright white, and accurate colors. Precise, clear detail is a must.
Ideally, we’d recommend that everyone settle for nothing less than excellent picture quality. In the real world, that’s easier said than done. Only 11 of the 98 televisions that we rated in this issue have an excellent score for HD picture quality, and some are expensive. If you’re a true videophile and demand the best, it’s worth seeking out a top-rated set.
A TV with a score of “very good” for picture quality is nothing to dismiss. While the images fall short of perfection, the differences can be subtle, and they may show up only with very demanding video content. Indeed, it can be a challenge for a casual viewer to distinguish an excellent image from a very good one unless comparing two TVs side by side. A TV with very good HD quality is a fine choice for most viewers: More than half the sets in the Ratings (available to subscribers) qualify, including many Quick Picks.
An HD picture judged good has some noticeable imperfections, such as a lack of contrast or overly sharpened details that look unnatural. Still, less-critical viewers might be satisfied with the picture quality, particularly on a smaller screen. You might want to consider a bargain-priced model with good HD picture quality, especially as a second or third set.
There’s no reason to settle for a TV with a fair or poor score for HD. Only two TVs (both LCDs from Viewsonic) were judged fair for HD quality, and none of the tested models received a poor score. Not even a bargain price can make up for the obvious problems with fair or poor picture quality.
While HD picture quality is an important measure, most viewers watch DVDs and standard-definition programming at times. So we also judge how well a model handles 480p signals (like those from a progressive-scan DVD player) and standard-definition signals.
As the Ratings (available to subscribers) show, TVs that do well with HD scores generally have decent scores for DVD and standard-definition, but there are exceptions. We judged a number of sets fair for DVD, regular TV, or both. (Because we judge HD performance using a higher standard, regular TV and DVD scores can’t be directly compared with HD scores. In other words, even excellent standard-definition content won’t look as good as an excellent HD picture.) We strongly recommend that you choose a TV that was judged at least very good for both HD and DVD and good for standard- definition picture quality.
That brings up an important point: Even the best TV can’t make mediocre content look great. If you feed your TV poor-quality signals, say, a rerun of an old standard-definition TV program or a VCR recording, the picture might actually look worse than on your old TV. That’s because an HDTV’s digital circuitry can amplify the flaws in the picture, so you might see blurry action or fuzzy lines.
tips on tweaking
When you get your new TV home, don’t expect picture-perfect images right out of the box. The default factory settings are designed to create a super-bright, colorful image to lure shoppers, but they’re almost always a bad choice for use at home. The first thing you should do is adjust the picture settings. You can tweak them individually, but it’s easier to use a preset mode (if your TV has them; not all do).
- On the remote control, hit the menu button to access the onscreen video or picture menu. See what picture mode is in use.
It’s most likely Vivid or Dynamic, the settings that are designed to dazzle shoppers in showrooms.
- Scroll through the mode choices. The Pro, Cinema, or Standard mode (names vary by brand) is often best. As you switch from
mode to mode, you’ll see that settings for brightness, color, sharpness, and other attributes change, affecting the appearance
of the picture.
- Play a DVD or DVR recording and freeze on an image containing people and a mix of dark and light areas. See how it looks in various modes, in the room lighting you use most often. Personal taste is a factor; have family members help you choose. The mode that’s best for HD might not be best for DVDs and regular TV. Don’t be afraid to switch to a mode that’s better for whatever you’re watching.
