Nov 20, 2007 5:55 pm US/Eastern
Consumer Reports Picks Top TVs This Holiday Season
(KDKA)
One of the hottest gifts to give and get this year is a new flat screen television.
The reason: flat screens are getting bigger, and they've come down in price as much as 30 percent since last year.
But whether you're longing for an LCD model or pining for a plasma, Consumer Reports has put the most popular models to the test.
They tested 56 large flat screen TVs, both LCDs and plasmas.
Charlie Davidman first calibrates each set to ensure the settings are optimized.
Then, each TV goes through a battery of tests.
"Generally, what we're looking for is a TV that has good contrast, good detail, and good color," said Davidman.
Tests show the differences between LCDs and plasma screens are continuing to narrow.
"LCDs are getting larger," said Consumer Reports'
Jim Willcox. "W
e're seeing a growing number of sets in the 46-to-52-inch size range, which is comparable to plasma. And with plasmas, we're starting to see them reach 1080p resolutions on par with what the best LCD sets offer."
But the plasma's mirror-like surface can cause reflections in brightly-lit rooms, making the picture hard to see.
Also, most LCDs have to be viewed head-on to see a good picture.
If you're off to the side, the picture quality drops off.
Plasmas still have an advantage in things like black-level, high contrast, and very accurate colors.
Experts say they provide the most movie-like viewing.
Panasonic's Model Number TH-50-PZ 700U delivers the best picture of any set Consumer Reports has ever tested. It sells for $2,900.
Tests show another Panasonic plasma with 720-p resolution is almost as good for much less money.
It's 50-inch model number TH-50-PX 75U, which costs $1,700.
If an LCD would work better in your home, consumer reports named a Sony a best buy.
It's the Bravia model number KDL-46-S-3000 for $1,800. It's a 46-inch set with 720p resolution.
The other piece of good news is that flat screen TVs are also more reliable than ever before.
Consumer Reports analyzed survey results covering nearly 75,000 TVs bought in the past three years.
"Overall only about three percent of the sets needed repair," said
Meredith Bachman of Consumer Reports.
Of the brands covered in the survey, the most reliable flat screens were: Panasonic, Sony, Sharp, Samsung, Toshiba, and JVC.
One thing that Consumer Reports does not recommend is buying an extended warranty with your new flat screen television.
The magazine's experts say it's a waste of money -- especially since these TVs are becoming more and more reliable.
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