Best TV Review

Best TV knows a good TV when we see one. The LG 47LH90 is a beautiful 47″, power saving, HD driven machine. It has a 1920 x 1080 display resolution (full HD), 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, LED Backlight Technology, and a 178 degree viewing angle. This TV is said to bridge the gap between LCD and plasma technology, making it an extremely close competitor. This LG LED comes equipped with 4 HDMI outputs (so you can have your dvd player, xbox, etc all hooked up at once), and a USB port so you can load digital pictures or music right onto the screen. It has deep, rich black levels and a matte screen to dramatically reduce light and reflections. This TV stays true to the sharp display quality expected from LG (and now LG LED TVs).

This television series (the 42″ LG 42LH90, 55″ 55FH90 are nearly identical to the 47″ in terms of picture quality, performance, etc) features the new LED-Backlight technology. Older LED models used an edge-lit approach, lining the edges of the screens with LED’s. Now, new developments have led manufacturers to move the LED’s behind the screen. These LED lamps can dim or even shut off individually to create a vibrant, rich picture quality. This technology also drastically reduces the energy consumption of the set. Also, this model is only 5 inches deep.

The LG 47LH90 is one of the highest quality TV’s on the market today, a Best TV favorite!

Estimated Cost: $2,199.95

Here at Best TV, we know how confusing it can be when walking into an electronics section, walking over to the televisions, and being bombarded with numbers, phrases, and “specs.” TVs with 1080i resolution use to dominate the HD world, offering the best picture at the time. However, in the past couple of years the new bully on the block – 1080p – has made it difficult for the 1080i’s to survive. In fact, you will rarely find a new 1080i television – you will find either 720p or 1080p.  This is basically due to the fact that 720p visually looks the same as 1080i in most cases (until you get into the 42″+range). Also, if a person wants to spend more money on a better picture, they will most likely be shopping for a large TV, and will most likely be willing to spend more to get the best. This leaves only a small piece of the pie willing to buy a 1080i resolution set, and manufacturers know this. Keeping this in mind, Best TV takes a look at both:

1080i:

The “i” stands for interlaced, which means that of the 1,080 lines of resolution, the even lines appear, then the odd lines, then the even lines, etc. This all happens extremely fast, around 0.033 seconds. Although it is fast, it is not as fast as a 1080p display, which shows all of the lines at the same time. The 1080 part comes from the number of horizontal lines in the display, 1920 x 1080. 1080i and 720p are considered standard HD definition.

1080p:

This technology has the same amount of pixels as 1080i, 1920 x 1080. However, the “p” means the display is progressive, meaning all of the lines are produced at the same time, taking about 0.016 seconds to display the image (twice as fast as interlaced) . 1080p can supposedly display over 2,000,000 pixels, double the resolution of a 720p display. 1080p is commonly referred to as “ultra HD,” “full HD,” or “true HD.” This is the latest and greatest technology, and dominates the high-end TV market.

1080p obviously offers a better picture, but also comes with a much higher price. Also, 1080p technology really only applies to Blu Ray DVDs and Blu Ray video games – everything else (cable TV, regular DVDs, etc) is displayed in regular HD (720p or 1080i). In the future there will definently be more use for a 1080p set, but that will be years from now. 720p resolution offers a better picture than 1080i when it comes to viewing action movies, sports, video games, etc. This is true up until about 52″ and above, because at that point the image suffers, in which case a 1080i set would be preferred. Lets break down that information one last time:

Best TV Summary:

1080p > 1080i if using Blu Ray technology

1080i > 1080p displaying everything else

720p > 1080i on screens under 52″

1080i > 720p in screens over 52″

LCD technology is constantly competing with plasma technology to achieve the best picture quality.  When you open up an ad and skim the TV section, you will see the term “LED” followed by “LCD,” because the technology is created solely for LCD TVs.  Now, before we at Best TV Review can discuss what LED exactly is, we must discover what LCDs generally use to create a picture.  They all depend on a backlight, in one way, shape, or form to light the LCD panel itself.  Most of them rely on a fluorescent backlight, also known as CCFL.  However, many manufacturers are beginning to employ the LED technology instead.  What LED brings to the table is not only the fact that it uses less energy, but the fact that it delivers deep, rich black levels that rival (or even surpass) those of top plasma TVs.  The price reflects the level of performance, which is higher than regular LCD TVs.

To clear up some questions we get here at Best TV, when talking about LED backlights, today’s televisions use one of two major versions.  The first is referred to as “local dimming.”  What this basically does is allows the backlight to dim or turn off in different areas of the screen.  Let’s not forget that black levels are the most important factor in HDTV picture quality.  The second version is called “edge lit.”  The name comes from the arrangement of LEDs along the edge of the screen, which allows for extremely thin designs.  In recent tests, the local dimming technology out performed the edge lit in terms of performance and picture quality.

If you are interested in purchasing a TV with new LED Technology, Best TV Review recommends the following Energy Star Qualified choices:

Under $1,500: 32″ Samsung UN32B6000V

1080p resolution – 120 Hz refresh rate – 4 HDMI inputs

$1,499.98 at Best Buy (follow the link under my “Affiliates” tab)

Under $2,000: 47″ LG 47LH90

1080p resolution – 240 Hz refresh rate – 4 HDMI inputs

$1,799.99 at Best Buy (follow the link under my “Affiliates” tab)

Under $2,500: 47″ LG 55LH90

1080p resolution – 240 Hz refresh rate – 4 HDMI inputs – 2 HD inputs

$2,499.99 at Best Buy (follow the link under my “Affiliates” tab)

Under $3,000:  55″ Samsung UN55B6000

1080p resolution – 120 Hz (Auto Motion Plus) – 4 HDMI inputs – Swivel Stand

$2,899.99 at Best Buy (follow the link under my “Affiliates” tab)

Over $3,000: 55″ Samsung UN55B8000

1080p resolution – 240 Hz refresh rate – 4 HDMI inputs, 2 USB ports

$3,599.98 at Best Buy (follow the link under my “Affiliates” tab)