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Tag: LED backlight

Review: Sony Bravia KDL-46Z5800

What a TV! Sony’s Freesat enabled Z5800 series of LCD TVs are a thrilling example of how good a cutting-edge, CCFL backlit screen can be.

We recently reviewed the 40-inch model in the Z5800 series and were mightily impressed, so much so we have chosen to review its 46-inch brother, the Bravia KDL-46Z5800.

On looks alone, the KDL- 46Z5800 could easily be dismissed. It’s thin without being really skinny, but is, from the front, just an anonymous black rectangle. There’s little or no flair displayed, save for a glowing Sony logo that you’ll invariably turn off anyway, else it hampers the viewing experience.

It has a relatively drab aesthetic – in essence, the telly equivalent of holidaying in Burnley. However, none of this matters when it’s switched on. In fact, the blandness of the exterior helps draw the eye to the glass itself. And maybe that’s the point – it’s here where the magic happens, after all.

Sony 46z5800

The 46Z5800 casts a colour filled, detail-rich spell, which dazzles, excites and provides AV lobbyists with enough irrefutable evidence to turn any HD-abstainee into a true believer. In picture performance terms, it is, quite simply, the best CCFL-backlit LCD TV I’ve clapped eyes on this year.

It’s a free for all

To be completely honest, Freesat has lost a little of its shine for me since Freeview HD came into the frame (the hardware may be thin on the ground but I know a bigger rollout is now just months away).

I’m a big fan of free high-definition programming, and applaud any such technology on offer, but because I live in London, I’m in the fortunate position of being able to satisfy my needs via a conventional rooftop aerial – a less bothersome route than a satellite dish, and one most can undertake even if they’re in a listed building or rented property.

However, not everybody lives in a Freeview HD-capable area, so Freesat remains a smart and viable option. It’s also one that the Z5800 handles very admirably indeed.

The quality of images delivered via the Sony’s Freesat tuner is remarkable. Often, I’ll gloss over a flatscreen’s TV-viewing performance because digital terrestrial pictures invariably look poor no matter what fancy processing is employed. The transmission signal is usually so broken and muddied that even the greatest panels can look like a unkempt building site.

This is where Sony’s Motionflow 200Hz technology comes in. When enabled, specifically on its ‘Low’ setting, the processing makes both SD and HD programming appear sharp, and aids smooth movement without introducing the sort of edge artefacts often associated with rival brand’s technologies.

Other similar high-frame rate systems can also add a fake sheen to pictures, giving them a camcorder-style feel, but this Sony doesn’t. Dare I say it, I’d be tempted to leave the processing engaged for Blu-ray movie playback, too.

The effect is less impressive with the set’s in-built Freeview tuner, probably because the source’s frailties are harder to gloss over, but that’s a fall-back position anyway. I can’t see anybody shelling out just shy of two grand on a 46in Freesat TV and not have a satellite dish to plug it into. They’d certainly be pleased they did.

That’s not to say the set is faultless, though. For a start, whilst picture quality is superb, audio performance is not. The speakers are functional at best, and I found both of the available sound modes (dialogue and surround) lack any form of dynamism.

I’m not entirely sure that surround does what it says on the tin, either. The soundfield on offer is clean and crisp but as flat as week-old cola.

In addition, AppliCast, Sony’s current internet widget feature, is as useful as a glass jockstrap. The meagre array of RSS feeds and applications on offer is almost insulting, especially in comparison to rival manufacturers’ similar technologies.

There are plenty of good options when it comes to buying network-capable TVs and if that feature is high on your shopping list, you might not give this model a second chance. Sony is apparently addressing criticisms on the tech for future panels, and extra functionality may come down the pipe for this set, but buyers should take these reservations on board.

The Z5800 does, however, offer a full set of media streaming and playing abilities, via Ethernet or USB memory stick. And, unlike other Sony kit I’ve seen of late, this screen can handle the full family of video, audio and photo files through both delivery formats.

In addition, there’s a picture frame mode on the TV that can turn it into a work of art in your living room. And that’s quite apt, because I’m happy to call this TV a work of art. Its picture performance alone demands such praise.

Best of both words

After viewing a mix of Terminator Salvation and Ice Age 3 on Blu-ray, I can safely confirm that it handles dark, murky, shadow-filled or explosive, vibrant, saturated scenes with the same aplomb. The latter, animated movie is awash with stark, vivid blues and greens, and the Z5800 shows them with an intensity that no cinema screen could possibly achieve.

Sony kdl-46x5800

The latest in the Terminator franchise, however, requires deft control over sepia tones and an ability to pick out detail in darkness – a doddle for the display. The HCC proprietary Test Card has been designed to expose TV’s common foibles, and there are some areas where LCD technology can often struggle.

Yet in this instance I noted no problems. Even reds look bold and authentic, before (in ‘Standard’ mode) and after calibration. Our test regime also highlights gradation issues, with some panels exhibiting light banding: the Z5800 passed with flying colours.

While the contrast levels are good, they could’ve been awesome with the adoption of an LED backlight (local dimming, especially). It’s also the only sticking point that I can imagine somebody having when considering this screen over other comparable 46-inchers.

I believe that other issues, such as the audio performance, are almost irrelevant. It’s hard to imagine that anybody willing to invest heavily in a flatscreen of this pedigree won’t be matching it with a well-specified home cinema system, 5.1 or more. Flatscreens per se have rotten audio – it’s a side-effect of having such a thin footprint.

CCFL fights back

So will the Z5800 struggle when placed alongside a 46in LED TV? In picture quality and features, I don’t think so.

However, buzzwords mean a lot in this market, and there is no more attractive moniker than LED at the moment. Therefore, this set may get overlooked. I hope not, though. It’s exceptional.

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by Rik Henderson on December 17, 2009
filed in Laptops
tagged , , , , , ,

Review: Sony Bravia KDL-46Z5800

What a TV! Sony’s Freesat enabled Z5800 series of LCD TVs are a thrilling example of how good a cutting-edge, CCFL backlit screen can be.

We recently reviewed the 40-inch model in the Z5800 series and were mightily impressed, so much so we have chosen to review its 46-inch brother, the Bravia KDL-46Z5800.

On looks alone, the KDL- 46Z5800 could easily be dismissed. It’s thin without being really skinny, but is, from the front, just an anonymous black rectangle. There’s little or no flair displayed, save for a glowing Sony logo that you’ll invariably turn off anyway, else it hampers the viewing experience.

It has a relatively drab aesthetic – in essence, the telly equivalent of holidaying in Burnley. However, none of this matters when it’s switched on. In fact, the blandness of the exterior helps draw the eye to the glass itself. And maybe that’s the point – it’s here where the magic happens, after all.

Sony 46z5800

The 46Z5800 casts a colour filled, detail-rich spell, which dazzles, excites and provides AV lobbyists with enough irrefutable evidence to turn any HD-abstainee into a true believer. In picture performance terms, it is, quite simply, the best CCFL-backlit LCD TV I’ve clapped eyes on this year.

It’s a free for all

To be completely honest, Freesat has lost a little of its shine for me since Freeview HD came into the frame (the hardware may be thin on the ground but I know a bigger rollout is now just months away).

I’m a big fan of free high-definition programming, and applaud any such technology on offer, but because I live in London, I’m in the fortunate position of being able to satisfy my needs via a conventional rooftop aerial – a less bothersome route than a satellite dish, and one most can undertake even if they’re in a listed building or rented property.

However, not everybody lives in a Freeview HD-capable area, so Freesat remains a smart and viable option. It’s also one that the Z5800 handles very admirably indeed.

The quality of images delivered via the Sony’s Freesat tuner is remarkable. Often, I’ll gloss over a flatscreen’s TV-viewing performance because digital terrestrial pictures invariably look poor no matter what fancy processing is employed. The transmission signal is usually so broken and muddied that even the greatest panels can look like a unkempt building site.

This is where Sony’s Motionflow 200Hz technology comes in. When enabled, specifically on its ‘Low’ setting, the processing makes both SD and HD programming appear sharp, and aids smooth movement without introducing the sort of edge artefacts often associated with rival brand’s technologies.

Other similar high-frame rate systems can also add a fake sheen to pictures, giving them a camcorder-style feel, but this Sony doesn’t. Dare I say it, I’d be tempted to leave the processing engaged for Blu-ray movie playback, too.

The effect is less impressive with the set’s in-built Freeview tuner, probably because the source’s frailties are harder to gloss over, but that’s a fall-back position anyway. I can’t see anybody shelling out just shy of two grand on a 46in Freesat TV and not have a satellite dish to plug it into. They’d certainly be pleased they did.

That’s not to say the set is faultless, though. For a start, whilst picture quality is superb, audio performance is not. The speakers are functional at best, and I found both of the available sound modes (dialogue and surround) lack any form of dynamism.

I’m not entirely sure that surround does what it says on the tin, either. The soundfield on offer is clean and crisp but as flat as week-old cola.

In addition, AppliCast, Sony’s current internet widget feature, is as useful as a glass jockstrap. The meagre array of RSS feeds and applications on offer is almost insulting, especially in comparison to rival manufacturers’ similar technologies.

There are plenty of good options when it comes to buying network-capable TVs and if that feature is high on your shopping list, you might not give this model a second chance. Sony is apparently addressing criticisms on the tech for future panels, and extra functionality may come down the pipe for this set, but buyers should take these reservations on board.

The Z5800 does, however, offer a full set of media streaming and playing abilities, via Ethernet or USB memory stick. And, unlike other Sony kit I’ve seen of late, this screen can handle the full family of video, audio and photo files through both delivery formats.

In addition, there’s a picture frame mode on the TV that can turn it into a work of art in your living room. And that’s quite apt, because I’m happy to call this TV a work of art. Its picture performance alone demands such praise.

Best of both words

After viewing a mix of Terminator Salvation and Ice Age 3 on Blu-ray, I can safely confirm that it handles dark, murky, shadow-filled or explosive, vibrant, saturated scenes with the same aplomb. The latter, animated movie is awash with stark, vivid blues and greens, and the Z5800 shows them with an intensity that no cinema screen could possibly achieve.

Sony kdl-46x5800

The latest in the Terminator franchise, however, requires deft control over sepia tones and an ability to pick out detail in darkness – a doddle for the display. The HCC proprietary Test Card has been designed to expose TV’s common foibles, and there are some areas where LCD technology can often struggle.

Yet in this instance I noted no problems. Even reds look bold and authentic, before (in ‘Standard’ mode) and after calibration. Our test regime also highlights gradation issues, with some panels exhibiting light banding: the Z5800 passed with flying colours.

While the contrast levels are good, they could’ve been awesome with the adoption of an LED backlight (local dimming, especially). It’s also the only sticking point that I can imagine somebody having when considering this screen over other comparable 46-inchers.

I believe that other issues, such as the audio performance, are almost irrelevant. It’s hard to imagine that anybody willing to invest heavily in a flatscreen of this pedigree won’t be matching it with a well-specified home cinema system, 5.1 or more. Flatscreens per se have rotten audio – it’s a side-effect of having such a thin footprint.

CCFL fights back

So will the Z5800 struggle when placed alongside a 46in LED TV? In picture quality and features, I don’t think so.

However, buzzwords mean a lot in this market, and there is no more attractive moniker than LED at the moment. Therefore, this set may get overlooked. I hope not, though. It’s exceptional.

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by Rik Henderson on December 17, 2009
filed in Laptops
tagged , , , , , ,

Review: Sharp LC52LE7000E LCD TV

The LC52LE700E is Sharp’s first affordable mass-market LED TV and very own prospective OLED-killer.

While the company has dabbled with LED-backlighting before, with its super high-end XS1E range of screens, they cost two arms, a leg and half a lower intestine, so it’s welcome to see the brand finally bringing its own form of the technology to the wider marketplace.

The cost reduction can partly be explained by the fact that the screen features a backlight consisting of so-called UltraBrilliant white LEDs, rather than the RGB array used in the XS1E.

These new LEDs, proprietary to Sharp, feature a unique ‘double dome’ light amplifier lens for extreme high brightness and multifluorescents for improved colour fidelity. And by adopting a full array of LEDs distributed evenly behind a diffuser, the backlight has best-in class uniformity.

Rival manufacturers, such as Sony and Samsung, have latterly adopted side-firing LED systems, allowing for even thinner screens, but risking issues with brightness uniformity.

Interestingly, the Sharp doesn’t employ any local dimming. Another cost-cutting measure?

Local dimming requires the LED bulbs to be individually driven depending on screen content. When areas of the screen are dark, the bulbs in that zone switch off (or dim). When brightness is called for, they shine brighter. It’s a system that allows for both deep, bold blacks and bright, brash whites on the same image.

While this particular screen does have a full set of white LED bulbs behind the LCD panel, it doesn’t switch off in zones. However, Sharp argues that its UltraBrilliant LED System has other plus points – it’s capable of high brightness, and offers environmental benefits including longer life expectancy and lower power consumption.

The screen also debuts the brand’s latest Full HD glass. Dubbed the X-Gen LCD Panel, it utilises a new pixel design that permits more light to pass through even while minimising light leakage.

Aesthetically, there are some ramifications of adopting a Full Array backlight, but these are minimal. Yes, the 52LE700E has a rather weighty posterior, chiefly in comparison to the Samsung 7000 and 8000 screens, but as that is entirely down to the rear-mounted LED array, it’s a fair trade off for white level performance.

Sharp lc52le700e

What can’t be so easily forgiven is the 52LE700E’s anonymous, bland face – it’s so devoid of expression and character, it could be one of Sir Alan Sugar’s assistants on The Apprentice. It’s hard to imagine this set standing out in a crowd of other LED TVs. And that might be a problem for sharp.

Fully-loaded however, as all parents would say of their similarly characterless, fat-bottomed offspring, ‘It’s what’s on the inside that counts.’ and they’re right. Good news, then, that sharp certainly hasn’t skimped on the feature count.

Apart from the backlight, there are a number of things added to this high-end model that impress, certainly in a home cinema sense. To begin with, there’s a healthy array of expert picture adjustment modes, including a full set of individual colour bars to slide up and down as you wish.

Traditionally, picture calibration on sharp panels has been an awkward and mainly subjective affair, often leading to frustration with the basic controls, such as contrast, brightness and sharpness.

And the preset modes on the 52LE700E are, quite honestly, dreadful (although our Tech Labs reckons the Low preset is reasonably accurate for white balance). Thankfully, these additional sliders help, and you’ll want to put aside a good afternoon to play with them.

The 52LE700E also offers a decent selection of noise reduction and picture processing options, including a 100hz mode. The latter is a major selling point for Sharp, but not for me – I’m rapidly going off frame-doubling technologies (or quadrupling, in some cases).

Granted, they provide smooth motion, but when they’re enabled, I always feel they create some strange shimmering effects around moving objects and add a general sheen of artificiality to pictures. such a stylistic amendment might be fine for standard-definition DVB-T broadcasts and normal DVD – indeed, there’s often a vast improvement – but anybody who considers switching on their 100hz or 200hz processing for Blu-ray and hi-def content should be locked up in a loony bin.

Movies are meant to look like movies, not handycam video diaries. ‘Nuff said.

Some manufacturers allow for different grades of frame-multiplying technology. Samsung, for example, gives several options ranging from ‘Off’ to ‘High’. Often, using the lowest mode gives the best results. however, controlling the 100hz processing of this sharp set is simply a case of choosing between ‘On’ and ‘Off’ – not exactly state-of-the-art.

Blu-ray playback doesn’t suffer here, though, as the 52LE700E will automatically detect that your deck is outputting 1080p24 and alter its processing accordingly. I still advise that you turn off other processing modes (like digital noise reduction) and whack up the sharpness a tad when watching HD video, but at least you can be safe in the knowledge that the panel won’t be adding any peculiar artefacts.

Bright star

So, back to the backlight – or, more specifically, the contrast level. For all of my enthusiasm, I have to be honest and say that the blacks produced on this flatscreen aren’t the very best I’ve seen – I found them looking a bit grey in a completely darkened room – but they’re impressive in higher ambient light conditions. And at least sharp seems to have stopped any bleed from its LED bulbs.

The occasional problem with local dimming of light spilling from the edges of zones is avoided here. and, as previously enforced, where better black levels may be found elsewhere, you’ll struggle to find better brightness.

That’s why the 52LE700E’s contrast level (measured at over 80,000:1 by our Tech Labs) is so high – because of the vibrancy of its whites, which also benefit the set’s colour response.

I am particularly impressed with its green fidelity – a necessity for a sports fan like me. Reds are slightly muted and orangey – it is, after all, still an LCD TV – but they look vaguely natural and make for convincing HD and SD viewing.

I do have a major gripe about the latter, though. The Freeview tuner in this set is the poor relation. Terrestrial digital broadcasts can be problematic at the best of times, but they don’t usually look quite so Lego-esque. There’s all manner of edge enhancement and digital noise errors going on.

Admittedly, low bitrate Freeview channels never look good when blown up to 52in, but I’m still somewhat disappointed. You can get around some of the issues by softening the picture, but I can see a phone call to Sky or Virgin Media on the horizon.

I don’t think the 52LE700E’s audio performance is worth getting excited about, either. The low-slung speakers seem underpowered, and the various virtual surround modes just make the sound murky.

Some form of bass response would’ve been welcome, too. Pah.

Stiff competition

But, for those with a home cinema set-up, neither of the problems above matter too much. And the sharp 52LE700E ticks more in the positives box than the negatives.

It is undoubtedly a good TV, and I truly believe that owners will get many years of excellent viewing from it. Does it manage to match up to its rivals, though? I’m not sure.

The LED backlight provides brighter pictures than a CCFL TV is capable of, but it doesn’t really hold a candle to a local dimming alternative.

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by Rik Henderson on November 18, 2009
filed in Laptops
tagged , , , , ,

Toshiba ‘Space Chair’ ad redefines armchair viewing (video)

There’s something wrong when an advertisement is more memorable than the product. Nevertheless, here we have Toshiba’s Space Chair ad campaign promoting its new 2010 REGZA SV LCD TV series, Toshiba’s first with LED backlight and local dimming. The campaign will later expand to include a second take featuring the Satellite T Series of 11-hour CULV laptops set for introduction in 2010. The ad follows the journey of “an ordinary living room chair” to the edge of space before falling back to Earth where the ground crew relied upon a GPS beacon to locate the craft. A few facts about the shoot:
  • A helium balloon lifted the chair and Toshiba’s own IK-HR1S ultra-compact 1080i camera to a height of 98,268 feet above terra firma
  • FAA regulations required that the weight of the rig had to be less than four pounds
  • The chair is made of biodegradable balsa wood at a cost of of about £2,500
  • The rig was launched in Nevada’s Burning Man Black Rock desert
  • The temperature dropped to minus 90 degrees at 52,037 feet
  • The chair took 83 minutes to reach an altitude of 98,268 feet and just 24 minutes to fall back to earth

Truly amazing stuff. Now buckle up and click through for the show.

Continue reading Toshiba ‘Space Chair’ ad redefines armchair viewing (video)

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Toshiba ‘Space Chair’ ad redefines armchair viewing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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by Thomas Ricker on November 16, 2009
filed in Laptops
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Toshiba ‘Space Chair’ ad redefines armchair viewing (video)

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/design/Space_Chair_ad_redefines_armchair_viewing_video’;

There’s something wrong when an advertisement is more memorable than the product. Nevertheless, here we have Toshiba’s Space Chair ad campaign promoting its new 2010 REGZA SV LCD TV series, Toshiba’s first with LED backlight and local dimming. The campaign will later expand to include a second take featuring the Satellite T Series of 11-hour CULV laptops set for introduction in 2010. The ad follows the journey of “an ordinary living room chair” to the edge of space before falling back to Earth where the ground crew relied upon a GPS beacon to locate the craft. A few facts about the shoot:
  • A helium balloon lifted the chair and Toshiba’s own IK-HR1S ultra-compact 1080i camera to a height of 98,268 feet above terra firma
  • FAA regulations required that the weight of the rig had to be less than four pounds
  • The chair is made of biodegradable balsa wood at a cost of about £2,500
  • The rig was launched in Nevada’s Burning Man Black Rock desert
  • The temperature dropped to minus 90 degrees at 52,037 feet
  • The chair took 83 minutes to reach an altitude of 98,268 feet and just 24 minutes to fall back to earth

Truly amazing stuff. Now buckle up and click through for the show.

Continue reading Toshiba ‘Space Chair’ ad redefines armchair viewing (video)

Filed under: ,

Toshiba ‘Space Chair’ ad redefines armchair viewing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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by Thomas Ricker on November 16, 2009
filed in Laptops
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Review: MSI X600-055UK

The X600-055UK is the second machine we’ve seen from MSI’s ultra-slim X-series range, following on from the smaller X340.

With a 15.6-inch screen, this machine is a more rounded package, while still providing excellent mobility. The 15.6-inch screen features a glossy Super-TFT coating, which is reflective in direct sunlight.

With LED backlighting, it’s also a bright panel, however, and so is easy to view in most conditions. There’s enough space onscreen for comfortable multi-tasking and the 1366 x 768 pixel resolution and 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio prove ideal for watching films.

You’ll find a mid-range ATi Mobility Radeon HD 4330 graphics card supporting the display. It provides the X600 with enough performance to handle basic graphics tasks with ease and you’ll even be able to play older games.

Photo and video editing tasks are carried out with aplomb, making this lightweight laptop a surprisingly adept multimedia choice. The widescreen display creates plenty of space for the user interface, with a decent keyboard that proves comfortable even over longer periods of use. Unlike the X340, there’s no sign of flex when typing and the keys move with a reassuringly accurate action.

A numeric keypad is crammed in alongside and, although it’s not the largest we’ve seen, it aids data entry nonetheless.

Despite measuring just 25mm at its thickest point, the chassis is remarkably tough. The plastics are strong and the screen remains free from vibrations when typing, but the left-hand side of the palm rest heats up after prolonged use, and the display flexes slightly in the centre.

CULV processor

As with the smaller X340, this machine uses an Intel CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) processor, but this is the first system we’ve seen to feature a CULV Core 2 Duo chip.

Running at 1.6GHz, and backed by 4096MB of DDR2 memory, performance is akin to regular Core 2 Duo processors, proving easily able to carry out intensive tasks and run multiple programs smoothly. Battery life is also good, letting you work for 248 minutes.

There’s no optical drive, but there is plenty of storage space on offer, thanks to the 500GB hard drive. There’s also a 2-in-1 flash memory card reader, making it easy to access photographs from most digital cameras.

Networking features come in the form of 802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet.

Providing excellent performance in a large yet thin and light chassis, the X600- 055UK offers a great compromise between size and power. As with much more expensive systems, you’ll be able to work on the move without resorting to a smaller and slower form factor.

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by Tech Staff on November 12, 2009
filed in Laptops
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Samsung SyncMaster XL2370

The 23-inch Samsung SyncMaster XL2370 is thin, smooth and easy. It’s like its own Samsung SyncMaster of the P2370 is a thinner, pretty sister. The XL2370 has an LED backlight, which perform better with movies and games. It is available in about £300.

1 Comment by Matthew Bell on November 12, 2009
filed in Electronics
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Review: Sharp LC-32LE600E

Flatscreen TVs increasingly come loaded with extras; four or five HDMI inputs are de rigueur, video-capable USB ports are becoming common, and it’s even possible to bag wireless home networking and limited internet browsing.

Sharp has eschewed all of that on its latest LCD TV and continues to concentrate on keeping the price as low as possible in the belief that most TV buyers just want two things: a flat screen and a good price.

That’s exactly what’s on offer from the 32-inch LC-32LE600E, but it’s also got something very special up its sleeve: an LED backlight. And here that new technology is going for a song.

Excluding the fact that it uses an all-new (certainly at this price) Full Screen LED backlight (more on how that differs from other LED backlight TVs in the Value & Ease of use section), Sharp’s LC-32LE600E LCD is bereft of almost all distractions.

Selling on Sharp’s website for £749, we spotted the LC-32LE600E for as low as £450 via a cashback deal. If that’s a mighty tempting price, do allow for some surprising omissions that you may or may not be able to live without.

Sharp lc-32le600e

Just two HDMI inputs adorn the rear, with a third on a side panel – that’s the fewest we’ve seen for some time. It also lacks a USB slot or any form of home networking (such as Digital Living Network Alliance, or DLNA), so it’s just not possible to get MP3, JPEG or DiVX video files into the LC-32LE600E.

More surprisingly, given that the LC-32LE600E is aimed at mainstream consumers, is that it’s not particularly slim. It measures just over 9cm in depth, but Sharp hasn’t abandoned aesthetics altogether in its quest for the best possible picture/price equation.

A feather-light TV, from the front the LC-32LE600E sports a slim, gloss black screen surround and silver strip beneath that constitutes an interesting, though muted, new look for Sharp LCD TVs.

It’s also worth mentioning that the LC-32LE600E has several ‘eco’ features. If used, Sharp claims that its ’standard’ and ‘advanced’ power saving modes can allow the set to consume 40 per cent less power than normal LCD TVs.

Sharp lc-32le600e

If you like the sound of this LED TV, but would prefer a slightly more comprehensive version, head for Sharp’s LE700E Series, which features 100Hz processing to rid the screen of any motion blur (although this can introduce other video nasties).

Like the LE600E Series, it’s available in 32-inch, 40-inch and 46-inch sizes, and adds a 52-inch version.

sharp lc-32le600e

As well as employing LED backlighting, Sharp has fitted the LC-32LE600E 32-inch LCD TV with its latest X-Gen panel, which, it claims, has a wider pixel aperture.

The evidence for that is in the sheer brightness of scenes in our test disc, Matrix Reloaded on Blu-ray, which features mixed brightness scenes aplenty.

The opening dream scene of Trinity falling out of an exploding building at night puts the LC-32LE600E’s strengths at the fore; Trinity and Smith’s black clothes are true black, but still contain plenty of detail.

In another key scene – Neo’s all-put fight against a legion of Agent Smiths – motion is handled well; the movie’s famous bullet-time shots are just as clear, though more rapid shots can produce some headache-inducing blur. It’s not serious, but it is common.

Still or slo-mo shots of the busy crowd scenes on Zion are pin-sharp, colours are powerfully, though carefully, handled and well saturated, and the many shadowed areas of the picture are inky black most of the time – though in some scenes the brightness can seem uneven.

If the ‘local dimming’ of Full LED tech performs well in adding an extra dose of realism, there is a flaw in the LC-32LE600E’s lack of any significant picture processing circuitry.

And it does cause a slight lack of high definition detail. That’s noticeable during the faster camera work on Zion; as a shot pans quickly across an excitable crowd there is noticeable blur.

People are indistinct, while during a slow pan across, and into, the many levels of Zion, there’s noticeable and distracting blur and judder.

50Hz processing

The LC-32LE600E could benefit from a 100Hz engine and a film mode that removes Blu-ray judder – common features on many TVs. The latter is included in the onscreen menus, and found on other sizes in this 600E range, but it can’t be activated on the LC-32LE600E.

Put simply, this set doesn’t render The Matrix Reloaded perfectly, but the LED lighting proves almost as good as higher-end sets and it creates a richness that’s rare at this size – and particularly at this low price.

But in many ways the presence of Full LED backlighting on the LC-32LE600E without any significant picture processing is a bit like having the crown jewels – and then displaying them under clingfilm.

Freeview problems

Though DVD is treated well, digital TV pictures from Freeview can seem unrealistic, with artefacts creating a picture where objects seem a tad divorced from backgrounds.

Despite its myriad of ‘missing’ (but in reality rather minor) features, it is a decent 100Hz engine that the LC-32LE600E could benefit from most. It’s not a crime; pay a few pounds more and you’ve got a choice between the various models in Sharp’s step-up LE700E Series that all possess 100Hz engines.

Sharp has shaped the LC-32LE600E to hit a particular price point, but there’s nothing wrong with that. In introducing LED tech – and Full LED, at that – at this price, it should catch-on in the mass market.

Videophiles after a good value slice of the latest screen tech should investigate, while those after something a little more versatile for the living room should look elsewhere.

sharp

In keeping with this set’s rather basic specification, there’s little to get excited about from its onboard audio.

You’ll find the LC-32LE600E two stereo speakers on the set’s undercarriage, and with a slim-ish frame there’s no room for them to produce much in the way of bass.

That’s the main problem, especially if you’re going to watch a lot of movies, because with general TV, sound is acceptable.

The detail present in dialogue-based fare is impressive though background effects aren’t, while the lack of low frequency sound makes treble thin and unconvincing. The size of the TV doesn’t allow for effective stereo, of course, though Sharp has loaded on a Dolby Digital Plus Surround Sound module.

Sound issues

As usual, this quasi-surround mode isn’t quite what’s billed. It’s designed to take the 7.1 channels of sound found on most Blu-ray discs and faithfully deliver them through 2 channels.

And although this clearly isn’t as impressive as a home cinema (it’s not even close and can even lessen the level of dialogue in the sound mix) there is an effective separation that does make sense during movies. Just don’t expect real surround sound.

If you’re after a home cinema sound proper, you’ll have to use … well, you guessed it. Luckily, the LC-32LE600E’s rear connections panel does include an optical digital audio output, so you can route sound from the set’s integrated Freeview TV tuner (and every other source) from the TV straight into a home cinema amplifier.

Since being promoted throughout 2009 by the likes of Samsung as an all-new category of flatscreen TV, LED is starting to catch on.

But don’t fall for the hype; LED backlighting is merely a tweak to existing LCD technology.

There’s also a crucial difference between Sharp’s LED system and those used by the likes of LG and Samsung, whose attempts tend to be much slimmer than has been achieved on the LC-32LE600E.

Those ‘edge’ LED TVs try to create much more dynamic and realistic brightening and darkening of video by lighting the screen only from the sides – an approach that also guarantees a product with a lot less depth.

Sharp’s Full Screen LED backlighting is a lot more direct; it goes one stage further by placing hundreds of LEDs in rows behind the screen, which together provide more than 90 per cent of the light.

Able to switch light on and off in small areas of the screen depending on the needs of the video source, the realism it creates on the LC-32LE600E can be spell binding; the extra bulk is worth it. And here those LEDs output pure white light, different from the coloured light emitted by the LEDs in RGB Dynamic LED tellies from Sony.

As usual from Sharp, the TV remote is rather poor. The main body is ergonomic, but the buttons for even major functions are far too small.

sharp lc-32le600e remote control

Onscreen menus lack the pizzazz of other brands, and its PC-like drop-down menus prove uncomfortable and unnatural to work through, largely because the text on the screen is too small. That said, actions such as tuning in Freeview TV channels is simple.

There’s not much going on in terms of features so the lacklustre onscreen menus and cranky remote are not a catastrophe, but everyday controls on the remote, such as the central navigational buttons and the main menu buttons, are hardly thumb-friendly – especially in a blacked-out room.

It’s no good for cinema rooms, and neither is the LC-32LE600E suitable for the technophobic.

lc-32le600e

Usually a brand that concentrates on value rather than top-of-the-range technology and versatility, Sharp has continued that strategy with the LC-32LE600E.

With new tech at old prices creating an extra dose of realism, Sharp’s smallest LED set is a step in the right direction, but it’s no giant leap.

We liked

Mixed brightness scenes are rendered with some pizzazz; light and dark areas of the same image sit alongside each other to startling effect.

Deep blacks and eloquently presented colours that swim in realism are enough to convince us that Full Screen LED backlighting works well, though it perhaps needs to be combined with 100Hz – as it is on Sharp’s LE700E models – to eliminate motion blur.

The LC-32LE600E is also a good looking TV on the outside, cleverly making up for its obvious lightweight build with an understated, if hardly ground-breaking, styling.

We disliked

Everything on the LC-32LE600E works well. Trouble is, there’s little tech aside from LED backlighting to get stuck into.

We now consider four HDMI inputs to be the absolute minimum; three seems meagre. Similarly, some kind of nod to the age of multimedia would seem appropriate; a simple USB slot that could read photos and MP3 music would assuage us.

Picture-wise, the LC-32LE600E is in need of some decent picture processing to bring out levels of detail the excellent LED backlight deserves, as well as a 100Hz engine to rid the panel of blur.

Sound-wise, there’s little to complain about aside from saying that the slightly fatter Full Screen LED tech – when compared to thesuper-skinny Edge LED tech – could accommodate some meatier speakers if designed differently.

Though simple enough to navigate, the onscreen menus are not slick enough and not helped by the fiddly remote control. It’s not a disaster, but it does take the shine off this LCD in terms of its everyday user-friendliness.

Final verdict

Blu-ray and broadcast HDTV channels look great, and even DVDs are carried off with some aplomb. Freeview isn’t quite so convincing, though it’s the LC-32LE600E’s lack of almost any other notable features that put it at a disadvantage when compared to other similarly priced LCD TVs.

None of its cons are so serious as to prevent this 32-inch LED set from representing something of a watershed; the moment when standard LCD died-off and was replaced by its souped-up LED version. And on the LC-32LE600E, at a remarkably low price.

This review was written in conjunction with:

What Video & Hi-Def TV magazine

What video

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by Jamie Carter on November 11, 2009
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Review: LG 32SL8000 LCD TV

We’ve seen the ‘one pane’ design before from LG, but on this 32-incher it’s particularly effective; a single sheet of glass stretches right across the front of the TV and, with no need for a dedicated border, the illusion is of a ‘borderless’ TV.

It’s not – a black screen surround instead sits under the glass – but an upward curved edge on the TV’s top and a simple dark aluminium strip along the bottom helps create a classy, understated look.

Don’t think its svelte design means it takes up less room than similarly sized sets, because that’s not the case, but the LG 32SL8000 does remain a prime candidate for wall hanging.

We say almost because, although it’s less than 5cm deep, the inputs on the back would then be hard to reach. Housed in a slight recess are three HDMI sockets, though the ’side panel’ – in reality another recessed area almost alongside – presents a fourth HDMI and a USB port.

LG 32sl8000 lcd tv

Unlike a lot of LCD TVs at this price, the 32SL8000 is packed with features that are as useful as they are easy to operate.

The most impressive is the USB media player, which can display JPEG slideshows set to MP3 music as well as various video files – including DivX and DivX HD.

Less crucial is Bluetooth connectivity for wireless headphones and sending pictures from mobile phone. LG is the only brand that provide Bluetooth, presumably because it’s yet to embrace DLNA networking.

Other tech aimed at reproducing HD includes 24p Real Cinema and TruMotion 200Hz, though LG’s take on the latter is to provide a scanning backlight alongside a 100Hz filter.

LG 32sl8000 lcd tv

The 32SL8000 32-inch LCD TV also includes Intelligent Sensor II, which takes the ambient light levels in the room and tweaks the TV’s brightness accordingly (also saving on energy consumption). In practice it’s not really needed; the TV’s ‘cinema’ setting – our preferred viewing mode – proves less bright than any picture produced using Intelligent Sensor II.

Not that any 32-inch TV – even one with Full HD 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution – is ultimately going to be judged only on its suitability within a home cinema setting. We’re looking for an all-rounder.

If you do fancy something a little bigger, siblings in LG’s SL8000 Series include 32-inch, 37-inch, 42-inch and 47-inch sets, while the step-up SL9000 Series (42 and 47-inch) use Edge LED technology to backlight the panel. All are certified by the Energy Saving Trust.

LG 32sl8000 lcd tv

Most Blu-ray buffs will aim for a set much bigger than this one, so we’re going to be scoring the 32SL8000 on its ability with Freeview, DVD and broadcast HDTV channels – as well as user-friendliness – as much as we are on its treatment of Full HD images from Blu-ray.

And although the 32SL8000’s picture quality isn’t benchmark, its failings actually seem to help its versatility – and widen its appeal.

Take its HD performance. The fabulous colours of the re-mastered Baraka on Blu-ray are handled well, and although we’ve seen better contrast levels, the pictures hold up.

The skin tones of worshippers at Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall are spot on while a panoramic shot across the Ghats of the Ganges shows a host of colourful characters in cinematic splendour.

Soft picture

There is, however, a slight softness. An aerial shot of Iraq’s burning oilfields lacks a little sharpness and contrast, and the flames shooting up from the desert seem stilted. A brighter shot swoops over an aeroplane graveyard near Phoenix, with more detail on show and – with TruMotion 200Hz set to low – no sign of judder or blur.

It passes a more serious test well, too; as a camera pans across a shop front in The Matrix Reloaded, Real Cinema and TruMotion 200Hz (again used on its low setting) remove all judder.

Ramped-up to ‘high’ for the high-octane fight scene between Agent Smith and Neo, TruMotion 200Hz does, though, produce some flicker around moving edges. Where it’s most effective is on slow camera pans; toned-down TruMotion 200Hz ably removes virtually all judder and helps create a much more lifelike picture.

But the 32SL8000’s slight lack of sharpness (and it really is slight) actually proves its making when it comes to digital TV and DVD.

Solid and well saturated, there’s few LCD TVs out there that can match the 32SL8000 for sheer watch-ability during the low bitrate of digital broadcasts on Freeview.

A broadcast from BBC News looks far cleaner and more colourful here than on most LCD TVs. The image is a tad soft, but perhaps that’s helping hide the digital blocking and artefacts that we know exist in such broadcasts.

Decent upscaling

DVDs also get treated well – there’s obviously some good internal upscaling circuitry inside 32SL8000 that make it just as effective as most dedicated DVD decks that claim to ramp-up resolution to 1080p.

DivX HD trailers played straight from a USB stick play quickly and proves a nice extra feature, though there is a little more judder to contend with when compared to Blu-ray.

One failing that doesn’t add to the TV’s overall appeal is its design. Classy it may be, but the pane of glass that stretches across the whole screen can cause some unwanted reflections and a sense of a ‘double image’.

Watch from straight on and it’s not a major issue, but from an angle it can be distracting. That’s a shame because the 32SL8000’s viewing angle is wider than most, with little discernable loss of colour – though areas of black aren’t as convincing when watched from the wings.

LG 32sl8000 lcd tv

A set this small was never going to produce audio excellence. In line with almost every single flatscreen TV on the market, the speakers on the 32SL8000 have been scarified at the altar of aesthetics.

Hidden away underneath the 32SL8000’s slinky one-pane frame are two 10W speakers. They do a reasonable job with everyday TV and movies thanks to plenty of modes.

Easy to toggle through while watching TV, presets are provided for sport, cinema, games and music, alongside a ’standard’ mode. That roster almost completely mirrors the picture modes available – another example of LG keeping things simple.

Sound settings

Finding one that suits is a quick process, but trouble producing decent stereo separation (not this small TV’s fault) and a lack of quality in the low frequency part of the spectrum (par for the course on flat TVs) make the 32SL8000 an average performer with audio.

Clear Voice II helps out with dialogue-heavy TV, and even the oft-ineffective SRS TruSurround XT can impress with movies, though it’s best to stick to the standard setting to keep all frequencies clearly audible in the mix.

High volumes don’t produce distortion and TV is dealt with acceptably, but for movies a decent soundbar or home cinema is required.

Very few flatscreens TVs roundly impress in this area (pricey Loewe TVs and some Philips TVs prove rare exceptions) – and almost never at this price point – so we’re not going to mark down the 32SL8000 too harshly. If you want a flat TV, it seems, you have to settle for flat sound, too.

The 32SL8000’s unique audio capabilities with Bluetooth may attract some; the idea of listening to TV wirelessly will appeal to those who are already forced (for whatever reason) to regularly use headphones. In practice the feature works well and is easy to set-up.

LG 32sl8000 remote control

It’s not the LG 32SL8000’s haul of features that dazzle us most; it’s that they’re executed superbly well.

Plug in a Blu-ray player to one of the HDMI sockets and that live input is automatically displayed when the input switcher is selected on the remote.

Unlike most TVs, where the inputs list is small and involves scrolling up and down in search of the right input, the 32SL8000 presents them swooping across the bottom of the screen; unused inputs are greyed-out and put to the back of the list so they don’t have to be dealt with, though it’s possible to label each input (DVD, Blu-ray, Games etc) to make things even easier.

USB playback

Using the USB media player is just as simple, though it is necessary to choose between movies, music and photos before accessing the files on a USB stick; things could be made simpler if the TV could decide for itself. Slideshows of JPEG photos are quick to load and display images, and can be set to music.

This also works in reverse; play an MP3 file and it’s possible to choose a photo or slideshow to accompany it.

The 32SL8000 gives video files a special treatment, with sped-up thumbnails displayed for each video. It’s not just the presentation that impresses; these thumbnails are processed and played almost immediately. The 32SL8000 doesn’t mess around.

The same goes for the 32SL8000’s file compatibility, which is more comprehensive than most, with DivX, DivX HD, AVI, MOV, MKV and MP4 files all playable, though not WMV or MPEG in our tests.

It’s an honest treatment, too; the 32SL8000 puts a ‘lightning strike’ graphic through any files it can’t cope with, so there’s no last-minute frustration when a file won’t play. When video files are playing, the useful and well designed remote’s Pause/Play/FF/RW make navigating very simple.

Intuitive interface

Propping-up all of this are some fabulous central onscreen menus. Dominated by tasteful, muted colours and eight simple icons, these high resolution graphics lead the user round the many features and make often complex actions – such as calibrating the TV to ISF standard – a cinch.

The latter relies on an image-led Picture Wizard menu, which covers settings such as colour gain, sharpness and contrast. The resulting settings can then be applied to as many – or as few – inputs as needed.

Onscreen menus aren’t everything, but it’s surprising how many brands get them fatally wrong. Here they help make the 32SL8000 feel very natural to use.

LG 32sl8000 lcd tv

Unique to LG TVs, Bluetooth presumably earns its place on the 32SL8000 because LG hasn’t yet introduced Ethernet connectivity and DLNA home networking – which lets you stream music, photos and even video from a PC or Mac on the same broadband home network – to its TV range.

That, in our opinion, is actually a good thing – such systems are still in their infancy and no brand has delivered DLNA networking that’s anything but frustrating to use.

We liked

Besides, networking wouldn’t gel well with the 32SL8000’s quite superb user interface that’s defined by impressive simplicity and speed.

Its hi-def picture is very good and benefits from its effective Real Cinema and TruMotion 200Hz features. Not only does they remove most judder from Blu-ray discs and blur from fast-moving camera pans, but they do so without creating nasty artefacts.

As well as excelling with Freeview broadcasts and DVD, more nice touches come from DivX and DivX HD playback via USB and a superbly simple calibration menu. You could argue that this kind of attention to detail will be roundly ignored by a lot of consumers, but it’s great to have a ‘high-end’ feel on what is certainly a mainstream TV.

We disliked

The 32SL8000’s weaknesses are few, but could be crucial to some users. If you’re planning to watch a diet that largely consists of Blu-ray, you might be a little disappointed that the Full HD image lacks a little sharpness.

Contrast is also less impressive than on some rival sets – notably those LCD TVs that use LED backlighting – and it reduces further the wider the viewing angle you watch from. Another issue could be the reflective pane of glass on the 32SL8000’s front, though in practice the image isn’t interfered with to any great extent.

Final verdict

HD can look soft, but this easy to use LCD TV’s kindness to Freeview and DVD makes is ideal for everyday use.

With such a natural feel to its onscreen menus, this LCD TV’s numerous features never feel like gimmicks.

Especially useful is its easy calibration, and while it’s slight lack of sharpness and contrast means it stops short of greatness, a smooth and highly watchable treatment of any source – including digital video files – makes this unusually versatile set highly recommended.

A jack of all trades and slim to boot, the 32SL8000 is a good value and hard-working LCD TV that would grace any living room after a catch-all digital and hi-def solution.

This review was written in conjunction with:

What Video & Hi-Def TV magazine

What video

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by Jamie Carter on November 10, 2009
filed in Laptops
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REVIEWS: Sony VAIO CW1S1E notebook

Power-packed portable ideal for nearly every type of user?
Sony VAIO CW1S1E notebook review

Sony’s VAIO CW1S1E sits smack in the middle of the company’s laptop range, offering impressive value for money without compromising on features or style. With a 14-inch screen and weighing 2.3kg, it’s slightly larger than Sony’s ultra-portable laptops, but it offers better usability as a result.

The screen has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, which is average at this price point. Images are crisp, and LED backlighting offers bright and vivid colour reproduction. That said, it was possible to see the individual LEDs at the bottom of the display on our review sample – which affected colours and also proved distracting.

The design is attractive and cohesive, with a range of bright colours on offer. The palm rest stands higher than the rest of the chassis, giving this machine an individual appearance, and is the same colour as the lid – including deep red, blue, black and light pink. The area surrounding the keyboard is a slightly more subtle colour – from light pink on some models, to black.

Identical in style to most recent VAIO keyboards, the CW’s chicklet style board offers a decent and comfortable typing action. There’s plenty of space between each of the keys, and it’s a responsive and firmly attached interface. The touchpad is larger than many of those found on rival laptops, offering a precise way of navigation, and the mouse buttons are also large and comfortable. ?

The Nvidia GeForce GT 230M graphics card is a surprise inclusion in a machine of this size, giving the compact Sony serious 3D power. With the relatively low screen resolution, it means that even the latest games will run without issue, along with regular home and office applications. As a result, you’ll be able to use the VAIO CW as your sole PC.

Office performance is equally adept, with a mid-range 2.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 processor in place. It’s backed by 4096MB of DDR3 memory, and we found this an excellent machine to carry out office work or run a host of applications simultaneously. The 320GB hard drive offers more than enough space for most music and photo collections.

There are a trio of USB ports for adding peripherals, with two on the left-hand side of the chassis, and one on the right. Other ports include VGA and HDMI, offering connectivity for analogue and digital displays. As with most other VAIO models, there are two card readers on the front of the chassis, supporting Sony’s Memory Stick and SD formats. 802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet provide decent networking options, but it’s a shame to see 3G/HSDPA omitted.

?

Verdict:

The VAIO CW may not be Sony’s most desirable laptop, but that doesn’t stop it from being a great choice. The combination of size and power make it an ideal machine for all types of user, and that it’s just at home on the commute, in the living room or in the office is testament to just how good an all-rounder it is.

PHOTOS: Sony Vaio CW

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Hardware Laptops Sony Sony Vaio CW1S1E Sony Vaio CW

Sony VAIO CW1S1E notebook review 
Sony VAIO CW1S1E notebook review 
Sony VAIO CW1S1E notebook review 

Sony VAIO CW1S1E notebook originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:39:08 +0000

by Andrew Tiney on November 9, 2009
filed in Laptops
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