After spending some time with the literally out of nowhere Westinghouse television, I began to wonder if things could get any stranger in terms of what I was going to find next.  Well, along comes a television from none other than APEX to prove that things can always get weirder.  And worse yet, this is actually better than a lot of Sonys and Samsungs I’ve seen.

Today we’re talking about the Apex LD 4008, a forty inch 1080p LCD television with two composite inputs, two component inputs, three HDMI inputs, one S-video input and one PC input.

There aren’t a whole lot of proprietary bells and whistles with this television, but rather, what there IS is a fantastic picture, fantastic sound, and a fantastically easy to work with control setup.  I’m downright stunned by the quality on this no-name from South Nowhere.  This was the first time I could even remember SEEING an Apex in the last several months, and here’s a model that’s easily top of the line.

And considering you can get one of these for six hundred bucks, well, it’s hard NOT to recommend it.

You know, I didn’t think that Westinghouse actually made televisions any more.  Frankly, I didn’t think Westinghouse made ANYTHING any more.  But one thing is abundantly clear–they do.  And you’ll be glad they did.

Today we’re talking about the Westinghouse 42F810G, a forty two inch 1080p LCD with two component inputs, two composite inputs, a PC input, three HDMI inputs, and an optical digital audio output.

I was definitely surprised to get my hands on this one, and I was even more surprised when I discovered that this was a really high quality setup.  The picture was great, the sound equally so, and the only possible low point I could spot on this one was that the controls were sort of oddly set up.  They’re rear-mounted, making them a little strangely placed.  But it’s really a very small quibble on an overall solid system.

The Westinghouse 42F810G is a surprisingly high quality system that surpasses pretty much all of the expectations I had for this one.

Most of Sony’s line of televisions seems to be a good addition for anyone’s home theater setup, so it probably won’t surprise you when I tell you that the Sony KDL32XBR9 is just as good an addition.

The Sony KDL32XBR9 is a thirty two inch 1080p LCD television with Advanced Contrast Enhancer technology, as well as four HDMI slots, two component inputs and a PC input.

Seven inputs is no small amount–it’s more than I usually see–so that by itself would make this a pretty formidable model to discuss.  Of course, it’s not the only card in its hand.  It’s got a beautiful picture, great sound and simple controls. Plus, it’s even got a solid value, as you can get all of this for seven hundred bucks on Amazon, which is a whole lot of television for a comparatively small amount of money.  Sure, you could get bigger for less–and that’s an important distinction to make–but if you do go this route, you likely won’t be disappointed.

The Sony KDL32XBR9 is a fantastic system that will provide plenty of value for you if you’re in the market for a new television.

Panasonic is not a brand I run into very much, for some reason.  Maybe I just plain old haven’t gotten to it yet, but amid the flood of Sonys, Samsungs and LGs, there’s Panasonic, like the mousy girl next door no one talks to who actually has a lot to offer if someone would just pay attention to her.

I know, a little oblique in the metaphor department, but it works.  Today’s model, the Panasonic TCL 37S1 is a thirty seven inch 1080p LCD television with Viera link, Viera image viewer, three HDMI inputs and a PC input.

First off, the picture on this is pure 1080p fantastic, and looks like one of the better setups I’ve seen.  The sound is also really solid quality and the controls are plenty easy to handle.  And when you consider that, with careful shopping, you can get one of these for about five hundred thirty bucks, it’s a solid value, too.

The Panasonic TCL 37S1 has plenty to offer if you’re willing to take the time to discover it.

Samsung has unveiled another display solution with the release of the Samsung SyncMaster P2770HD in Korea. The P2770HD is a PC monitor that comes with a built-in TV tuner and HDMI inputs. It boasts of a full 1080p resolution and a dynamic contrast ratio of 50,000:1. It even comes with a pair of 3-watt stereo speakers and a 5.1 simulated surround sound. Expected to be available internationally as well, the Samsung SyncMaster P2770HD retails for $473 in Korea for now.

(Source) Slippery Brick

No, really…so far, I love LG. In fact, I’m hard pressed to remember the last time I wasn’t satisfied with an LG model’s performance that I tried out.  This is why, of course, I was extra happy to tackle the LG 47LH40.

The LG 47LH40 is a forty seven inch 1080p LCD television with all the great LG proprietary features like the invisible speaker system and the Clear Voice II system and the Intelligent Sensor Mode to keep the power usage down.  It also comes with plenty of ports, including four HDMI ports, USB and PC inputs.

As appears to be generally the case with LG systems, this has a fantastic picture and excellent sound quality matched with easy to use controls.  They manage to pack so much value into these things that it’s not even funny.  And considering that you can get these for about a thousand bucks on Amazon, you’re definitely getting a prime value in the making.

Most of the time, whenever I review a Samsung, I wind up sighing and shaking my head because I have a pretty good idea going in how the end review will end up.  I know I’ll probably be happy about the clear picture and the great sound, but hate the controls.  And today’s review target, the Samsung LN37B530, will prove to be no exception.

The Samsung LN37B530 is a thirty seven inch 1080p LCD television with two ten watt speakers, three HDMI inputs, one Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) input, and one PC input.

And the worst part is, exactly what I expected came to pass.  The picture and sound on this one really are great.  They compare nicely and favorably to the similar LN37B550. And yes, I still hate that ridiculous subcutaneous control scheme on most every Samsung that comes down the pike.  It annoys me to no end.

But, especially considering that the Samsung LN37B530 is available for just over six hundred bucks on Amazon (always, depending on where you shop), it’s a flaw that’s easily overlooked in favor of a great value.

This might sound like a Black Friday deal to you, but I assure you it is not, as far as I know.  What would you say if I told you you could get a fantastic LCD television from LG for right around eight hundred bucks?  That’s exactly what you’ll be getting with the LG 47LH30.

The LG 47LH30 is a forty seven inch 1080p LCD television with three HDMI inputs, a component input, a PC input, a combination input, invisible speakers, and a whole host of proprietary LG features like Clear Voice II and 24p Cinema Mode.

And it really shows, frankly–the picture and sound on the LG 47LH30 are clear, beautiful and crisp as mountain stream water in fall flavored with peppermint.  That sounds like hyperbole, I know, but it’s really not that far off.  The whole experience is beautiful.  And when you consider you can get your hands on it for, like I said above, eight hundred bucks at Amazon and it’s not even Black Friday, well, this is definitely one to keep your eye on!

LG, folks…it’s rapidly climbing to the top of my list when it comes to good buys in television.  And today’s model of choice, the LG 42LH90, is a prime model at or at least near the heavily cluttered top of LG’s phenomenal food chain.

The LG 42LH90 is a forty two inch 1080p LCD television with LED backlighting, as well as a host of other accessories like an intelligent system for reacting to ambient light levels in the room and, in turn, generating the correct amount of light for the best viewing experience possible.  Plus, it also features four HDMI ports and SRS TruSurround technology.

It’s a fantastic television, let’s be thoroughly honest here.  It has a fantastic picture and equally fantastic sound, along with profoundly simple buttons for controls that anyone can find right out of the box.  I resent virtually any move to hide controls that doesn’t involve a sliding panel of some sort, so this sort of thing is definitely welcome.

But considering that they’re asking fully eighteen hundred dollars for one of these, depending on where you shop, it had better be good.  Thankfully, the LG 42LH90 does deliver in terms of quality, though on terms of value, I’m not so sure.

Oh man…normally I don’t have much a problem when it comes to recommending Sony, but this model definitely is the exception.  It proves, handily, that even the best barrel of apples on Earth can have a rotten one or two snuck in.

The Sony KDL46S5100 is a forty six inch 1080p LCD television in the Bravia line, and as such comes with Bravia Sync and Bravia Link capability.  Plus, it also offers three HDMI ports, two component inputs and a PC input.

Now, I don’t know where they get off calling this a 1080p.  When I saw the horrible picture, packed full of more artifacts than the entire Tomb Raider series, I truly couldn’t believe what I was seeing.  Oh, sure, the sound was actually really good, but the picture was just horrendous.  It was almost like it couldn’t keep up with the image it was processing, so it was slipping a bit in the hertz cycle or something.

I usually have an easy time recommending people take a look at a Sony, but not this time.  This is just incredibly inferior to most of Sony’s own lineup.  And considering they’re charging about twelve hundred bucks for this is just an insult.

You may never have heard of a Haier television before.  It’s not quite as big a name as Sony or Samsung or Sharp.  But what it is, especially the HL42R, is a surprisingly good value for a company you’ve never heard of before.

The Haier HL42R is a forty two inch 1080p LCD television that comes with two HDMI inputs, two component inputs and a PC input.

So it doesn’t exactly come with a whole lot of bells and whistles, but what it DOES come with is a decent picture (there are a few artifacts when you get in close) and the sound is pretty good.  Plus the controls are very simple to operate.  But what this actually represents is something particularly exciting–a 1080p flatscreen television that weighs in at right around six hundred bucks, depending on where you shop.

Stop and wrap your head around that for a second–a nice, fairly big, fairly simple to use forty inch 1080p for six hundred bucks?  That’s no small accomplishment, and no shame at all.  In fact, for the value-minded, the Haier HL42R should be the answer to their prayers.

If you are still looking for a handy LCD HDTV in the market, check out this one from LG Electronics. The LG 47LH55 47-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV boasts of 240Hz TruMotion technology that should address motion blurs for fast paced scenes. It also features a full HD 1080p resolution and an 80,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for deeper blacks and picture detail. It even comes with an Intelligent Sensor which adjusts automatically to the lighting conditions of the room for better picture delivery.

Price: $1,138.99

(Source) Amazon

So once again, Sony steadfastly refuses to disappoint me, putting out a high quality television system that feels a lot bigger than it looks and generally provides value like no tomorrow with the Sony KDL46XBR9.

The Sony KDL46XBR9 television is a forty six inch 1080p LCD television with Bravia Link and Bravia Sync technology, a networked TV guide program, and a superabundance of ports, including four HDMI inputs, one HD component input, one HD combination input, and one PC input.

This one is a lot like an earlier model we covered here, the Sony KDL46Z5100, in that it too has a beautiful picture and very fine sound quality.  The interesting departure from that earlier Sony is that this one actually manages to FEEL like it has just as big a picture as the KDL46Z5100, but in a slightly smaller overall unit, giving you the feeling like you’re saving on space yet not needing to compromise on picture quality.

Ordinarily, this retails for about twenty six hundred bucks but Amazon’s actually knocking just over a grand off the price bringing this down to just over fifteen hundred.  And even though that’s a pretty big price tag, you’re still coming away with incredible value.

Normally, when I talk about Samsung hardware, I usually have a problem with something.  Well, I always have a problem with the controls, but I mean besides that.  This time around I have a problem with something other than the controls, and it’s actually pretty disturbing. Read on.

The Samsung LN40B530 is a forty inch 1080p LCD television with two ten watt speakers, SRS TruSurround, and three HDMI inputs), one Anynet+ input, and one PC input.

First, I actually don’t have a problem at all with the controls.  They’re side-mounted rocker controls, not those strange subcutaneous ones mounted on the front.  The sound is at least fair, which I generally don’t expect out of Samsung.  Generally, their sound is high quality.  But the biggest problem with this one is that the picture was oddly washed out, which is definitely not something I expect in a Samsung, and especially not in a Samsung 1080p.

And considering that this washed out wreck with merely fair sound costs nine hundred bucks, I can’t even look like recommending it.

Sometimes even a company like Sharp, who I rely on to put out lots of choice hardware, can let me down.  That’s okay in the long run–you can’t win ‘em all, plain and simple. And the Sharp LC40E67U is just proof of that old maxim.

The Sharp LC40E67U is a forty inch 1080p LCD that comes with four HDMI inputs, two component video inputs, a PC input and an RS-232 port.  Plus it comes with something called Vyper Drive game mode that improves game display.  Plus, it’s got an expected product life of sixty thousand hours.

Well, the one I was working with must have been pushing the end of that particular envelope because, while the sound was pretty sharp and clear, as I usually expect from Sharp, the picture on the model I was working with seemed surprisingly washed out, especially odd for a 1080p.  The controls, on the other hand, work just fine.

So maybe your mileage may vary on this one.  But what I experienced was a Sharp with decent sound, good controls and a picture that had seen better days.  Especially bad news considering they’re charging at least five hundred fifty bucks for it used.  There are much better Sharps out there, especially for the money.

Sharp, especially the Sharp Aquos, has given me a lot of excellent televisions to discuss over the last few months, and the Sharp Aquos LC52E77U is another in a lengthening series of excellent pieces to mention.

What makes is so fantastic?  Well, first off, it’s got an incredible picture.  The sound quality is excellent for a standalone television unaugmented by a home theater kit, and the controls are easy to use right out of the box.

But it’s not just a great experience–it’s also plenty of sweet hardware backing the play.  It’s a fifty two inch 1080p LCD TV with five HDMI ports, two component ports, a PC input, and an expected lifetime of sixty thousand hours.

Sixty thousand hours.  That’s the equivalent of nearly SEVEN YEARS of nonstop operation.  Assume an eight hour day of watching TV every day and you up that expected runtime into two decades.  The sheer durability of this piece, along with its incredible technical profile, actually makes it worth the nineteen hundred bucks they want for it at retail.  Of course, as always, shop around–you can get a used one on Amazon for just over a grand.

All things considered, though, this is an excellent piece I’d easily recommend to anyone.

In general I’ve always approved of Sony’s line of big-screen TVs.  There’s so much to like about them, and they usually bring a great value overall.  Sometimes their pricing is a little on the high side, but in general, they’re worth the money.  The Sony KDL 46S5100 is no exception.

The Sony KDL 46S5100 is a forty six inch 1080p LCD television that comes with an assortment of Bravia specific features like Bravia Linkand Bravia Sync, plus a whole legion of ports, including three HDMI inputs, two component inputs, and one PC input.

That set of ports and such will do nicely in just about any contingency up to and including using it as a PC monitor, but it also has an amazing picture and excellent sound, plus the controls are easy to operate and understand.  And the price is actually pretty good when you consider what all you get–you too can get a Sony KDL 46S5100 for just over eleven hundred bucks, or about nine hundred fifty if you buy on Amazon.

I know that I just took Sony to task a couple days ago for their less than quality KDL, but today I’m here to praise Sony for the high quality they’ve put out in the form of the Sony KDL46X5100.

The Sony KDL465100 is a forty six inch 1080p LCD television with an integrated TV guide package (not specifically released or endorsed by TV Guide, at least I don’t think there’s a connection), Bravia widgets and internet video packages, and a whole slew of ports including Get versatile HD connection options with four HDMI inputs, one HD combination input, and one PC input.

The sound and picture on this one are absolutely beautiful (frankly, “breathtaking” might be a better word for that incredible 1080p picture) and the controls are smooth and easy to operate.  Of course, this had better be a great setup for what they’re charging for it–this sucker retails for about twenty two hundred bucks, but as always, your mileage may vary.  In fact, Amazon took about a third off the price and knocked it down to seventeen hundred.

Still, if you’re not afraid of that monster price tag then you’ll do just fine with this positively amazing TV.

Samsung is a strange line of television–seems like for every problem I have, I find something interesting to counter it.  And this model is no different in its study of contrasts.  Today we’re talking about the Samsung LN4B5750, a television that shows that you generally can’t have everything.

The Samsung LN4B5750 is a forty six inch 1080P LCD television that comes with four HDMI ports, two component jacks, one PC input slot, and two composite video inputs; two ten watt bottom speakers and SRS TruSurround HD for that little extra burst of surround sound joy.

And the sound is, doubtlessly, the very best feature on this television.  It’s very clear and very precise.  But there’s a strange anomaly, at least with the one I saw, that left me unable to get a lot of enjoyment out of this television.  The picture is oddly compressed.  I’m not sure what the deal was or why I was watching a flattened, vaguely squashed picture, but man, it did NOT bode well.

Maybe with some tweaks the problem can be taken care of, but until those tweaks are made, if you do get the Samsung LN4B5750, I’d keep the receipt handy.

It’s odd how sometimes a television might sound vastly better than it looks, or look vastly better than it sounds, but that’s exactly what will go on today with the Sony KDL46W5150.

The Sony KDL46W5150 is a forty six inch 1080p LCD television that comes with four HDMI inputs, one component input, one composite input, and a PC input.

Like I said, this is a strange one in that it sounds a whole lot better than it looks–sometimes I question whether some of these I look at are 1080p, because they get horrible artifacts and stutters in the video and suchlike, and you really wouldn’t expect that kind of thing out of the 1080p.  Maybe they’re not properly calibrated or something, I’m really not sure what accounts for big quality differences like that.  Suffice it to say that they’re there, whatever it is that’s causing the differences.

The sound is great, the picture poor, and the controls easy to handle.  You’d expect more than this out of a seventeen hundred dollar television (depending on where you shop), but that’s what you get from the Sony KDL46W5150.