Samsung PN42C450 Best Buy

Samsung PN42C450 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV (Black)

I picked this up on sale as a new TV for my bedroom. I took a look at the differences between this and an equal tech LCD, and besides very slight advantages the LCD held (eg - white letters on a black background) this plasma TV blew it out of the water. I was on edge if I made the right decision...until I got this home and hooked it up!

VS. the comparable tech LCD:
Truer flesh tone/skin color
Greens/blues (nature shows) blow away LCD depth
Blacks show comparably deep, if not deeper

I had read a ton of reviews on this TV before I made the purchase, just because I couldn't believe that this great of a TV could come out of this low of a price! Staring at all of the TVs on the local Best Buy's TV wall gave me second thoughts. Compared to all the latest and greatest 55" LED's, this TV doesn't seem to stand out, but it has an amazing picture and for the price...it's a must have.

True, the sound doesn't really deserve 5 stars, but if you already have a home entertainment system it won't matter; if you don't, the switch between voice and action scenes will be a bit annoying for late night viewing.

If you're hesitant to pick this up, don't be! Great quality, amazing picture, and thinking you can't get a good TV for $540 is a lie - this TV proves it!Buy Samsung PN42C450 Best Buy Lowest Price, Order Now! [Click Here!]

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Cheap LG 42LD450 42-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV

Cheap LG 42LD450 42-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV

This is my first HDTV purchase and am pleased so far. (Read as I don't know much about this). Setup was simple; the price was right and it has some popular energy-saving features.

The picture was sharp and clear. Multiple preset modes (cinema, game, normal) make setup easy, but there are also custom, fine-tuning adjustments available. It does not appear to have network/internet capability, but I will purchase a Blue-ray DVD player with that feature separately. The unit has an optical audio out so I can use my older receiver for 5.1 sound.

The remote feels cheap, but gets the job done. I imagine one rarely uses the manufacturer's TV remote so LG (and other makers) probably do not spend much on them. I did not notice any backlight seeping out of case which I understand is a problem on some TVs.

For an entry-level buyer, this was a solid purchase. I paid $658 - I thought that was reasonable for a 1080p set in 42". I rated it 4 stars on because I do not have much product knowledge (yet).

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Buying LG 42LD450 42-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV

Buying LG 42LD450 42-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV

This is my second LCD tv, but my first large screen. I just had trouble trying to justify spending over a grand or more on a tv when I have other projects around the house I should be throwing money at. The first one I've had for a couple years, 19" Magnavox I used as a monitor, and Xbox games & Netflix (now its just a monitor).

I also found this for $658.00, which was low enough for my to rationalize the purchase and not feel guilty. I'm very happy with the picture and the number of hookups. You'll be able to run everything through this tv, the only reason I don't have my desktop through it is location. It doesn't have all the latest and greatest web features, but I think it's a quality 1080p HD picture, which is really what I was looking for.

If you're real techy, or visual-phile, then this probably isn't for you, but for the average viewer/user, it's hard to beat the picture for the price.Buy LG 42LD450 Best Buy Lowest Price, Order Now! [Click Here!]

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LG 42LD450 42-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV

LG 42LD450 42-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV


Good:
Budget priced 2010 model with BANG FOR BUCK (for 60Hz shoppers), very accurate colors out-of-the-box (AND a deep color tweaking menu), and surprisingly rich/dark blacks - as far as LCDs go

Bad:
60Hz means no 3D (boo!) but this has equal PQ in every other way as the 47LD550 42LD550 (yay!), the desktop stand assembly is far from the most secure stand, only 2 HDMI and 1 Component input (but RGB/VGA input is able to receive video color levels as well as PC color levels)

Bottom Line:
I'm not a T.V. nerd, audio/videophile forum-junkie but I am fairly knowlegable regarding A/V and tech stuff I've had several HDTVs since 2006 and closely compared LCD sets by Samsung, LG, and Sony with Panasonic Viera plasmas for the 2008/2009 model years. The 42LD450 has BETTER PQ to my eyes than the LG model 42LG40 (the 120Hz 2009 model). 2010 > 2009, with 120Hz series' offering little more than the refresh rate and the gimmicky motion-smoothing feature ("TruMotion"). In comparing the 42LD550 and the 42LD450, they both calibrated almost identically (the only difference between the sets being that the 42LD550 has a 120Hz refresh rate).

Sony's KDL-40EX600 and KDL-40EX400 also fell short to this BARGAIN BIN LG SET. Don't take my word for it...actually, DO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT!!! Need a 42" 1080p?? Get the 120/240/480/600Hz model in 2-3 years when 3D technology is CHEAP AND VASTLY IMPROVED. 60Hz is all you need, and this TV will give you picture that would have carried a $1800 price tag in 2008.

If the #1 factor to you is having the best picture quality possible, simply don't go LCD. picture quality is the #1 most important factor to you, then let me advise you that NO LCD set will offer you superior PQ than other technologies.
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Buying Panasonic VIERA TC-P42G25

Buying Panasonic VIERA TC-P42G25 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

I bought this plasma from a local electronics store [...]. This is the second flat screen I have purchased in as many days.

I first bought a Samsung LN40C650 LCD but returned it the next day because of a few issues that I couldn't get past. It had very light vertical banding in some spots (It's possible that I just got a bad one on this count), the image washed out when viewing from anywhere other than straight on, and I didn't like the way the tv dealt with motion (whether the auto-motion was turned on or not). Also, the colors didn't seem very natural although it's possible that after adjustment this would have improved.

So I decided to try the Panasonic TC-P42G25, a Plasma tv, which supposedly has none of these issues (but maybe its own inherent issue, read on). I brought it home, unboxed it, attached the stand and hooked everything up. I was able to accomplish this myself but I would recommend getting some help to do this step. The stand does swivel which is a nice feature to have. I turned it on and after a short setup wizard everything was ready to go. I live in Chicago and the tv had no problem finding all the digital channels from my indoor/outdoor antenna which you can see here - [...]

At first this tv looks a bit dim, but this is because by default the tv is set to standard brightness mode which is the least vibrant of the settings. I flipped through some of the other picture modes and THX seems to be bright and accurate, though I decided to leave it in standard mode for the first few days during the plasma "break in" period.

I popped the dvd Ashes of American Flags (concert film, rock band Wilco) into a bluray player that I borrowed from someone. This film has a lot dark areas in the concert scenes which allowed me to check out the black levels. The tv automatically recognized that I was playing something and switched the source to receive video from the bluray player.

If I had to describe the picture quality on this tv in one word it would be "amazing". Screen uniformity is perfect, no light or dark places anywhere. Colors appear natural and realistic to me. The black levels are very deep on this tv when you dim the lights a bit or close the shades in the room. Motion appears fine to me (I found the motion looked better with the blur reduction in settings turned off).

The default setting for this tv is to have C.A.T.S. turned on in the settings. This adjusts the brightness of the picture depending on how much ambient light is in the room. Some people may like this feature but I turned it off.

The sound is good for normal tv viewing. It sounded better to me when I turned on bass boost in the sound settings; It is possible to adjust the treble and bass also.

One issue that this tv has (as well as Plasma's in general from what I've read) that LCD's don't is that the black levels don't look their best in a brightly lit room. This is not a problem for me as I prefer watching in a dim, but not pitch black, environment. To my eyes the black levels look deeper than I've ever seen on an LCD.

I have not tried the network feature on this tv yet. An earlier reviewer said some of the network features may not be available yet. It won't really matter to me if this is still the case. I just want a flatscreen that does what it is supposed to do, and does it very well; This plasma delivers that.

This is a polished product from Panasonic. Please Panasonic, don't ever stop making Plasma's!

****Quick update**** 4/26. When I said that the TV automatically switched the source to receive video from the bluray player, It may have done this because the bluray player that I borrowed also happened to be a Panasonic product. As to whether or not it will automatically switch the source for another brand of bluray player, you'll have to find that out for yourself.Buy Panasonic VIERA TC P42G25 Lowest Price, Order Now! [Click Here!]

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Panasonic VIERA TC-P42G25 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Panasonic VIERA TC-P42G25 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Although I have been working in the AV industry for many years I have been holding back - seen a lot of feature hype and hoopla go by but this is the first flat screen plasma I liked with a price that was reasonable.
For a couple of years now I have been looking for an HDTV with wide viewing angels - worked well in dark or well lit room without too much reflection - rich accurate color reproduction - Works well with games or sports motion - works well with over the air/cable SD signals or SD DVD play back - ease of use - easy break in - Minimal chance of image retention - Multiple input/outputs - reasonable price.
We have had our 42G25 now for several weeks and have been very pleased with our choice - did have to buy the component cables for our Wii which improved the picture quality fairly well for an SD video game. We also purchased a Panasonic Bluray player with the TV it works nicely with SD or Bluray playback - The TV's THX certified picture setting is very pleasing and color accurate for movies - I use the Custom setting for over the air and cable TV watching with a few minor adjustment tweaks I got excellent results. Both the TV and player have internet abilities - I have used utube so far works fine. Also I was easily able to updated the firmware for both TV and player. Bought a Mini DVI to HDMI adapter to use my 2 yr. old MacBook computer works fine @ 1920x1080p resolution streaming Hulu etc. There is an RGB port on the TV but only lower resolutions work - since RGB is limited anyway I would use the HDMI port if your computer is 1080p capable. The sound is a little on the tinny side for me but my wife doesn't seem to mind it personally I usually use the AV amplifier when watching TV or Movies. The TV remote is easy to use and lights up. The BR player remote is also easy use but does not light up not sure I get that - it makes it very awkward to use in the dark. So I just put everything on our Sony universal 2100 remote and the wife was happy controlling all sources with one touch screen remote that lights up.
One last thing - I'm keeping an eye on the alleged "rising black levels" but I have not notice anything yet. I'll repost if anything comes up. However I do recommend this TV to all it's a good value, sharp accurate picture and a great product.
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Buying LG 42PJ350 42-Inch 720p Plamsa HDTV

Buying LG 42PJ350 42-Inch 720p Plamsa HDTV

This was my first flat panel and after doing my research, I fully expected to purchase a Samsung or Panasonic. But walk into a store that has several brands/models on display and try turning away from this picture. It blows the others away. When I saw the price I was sold, but only because the picture quality was so impressive; the salesman said it has been his biggest seller lately and he felt that LG "hit it out of the park" with this model. I am thrilled with the picture and the ease of use, and the cabinet is sharp and minimal. With World Cup Soccer coming up, you'll want the sharpness and color this TV will give you ... I don't think you can do better than this LG 42.Buy LG 42PJ350 Lowest Price, Order Now! [Click Here!]

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LG 42PJ350 42-Inch 720p Plamsa HDTV

LG 42PJ350 42-Inch 720p Plamsa HDTV

Just got the LG 42PJ350 plasma, so I haven't had it very long--this won't be that kind of review. This is a great tv! It's our first flat screen hdtv. The difference between this and my old SONY Trinitron CRT is like night and day. The contrast is amazing, the colors are vibrant, off-angle viewing is flawless, and there are more than enough adjustments that you can make. The sound is good all by itself in a medium-sized room. And the screen is huge! I can't believe how wonderful it is to watch anything on this tv!

Some technical junk: the digital tuner is excellent--it pulls in lots of channels, way more than the old converter box the gummint bought us. HD channels look fantastic. 720p is plenty good--I don't think you need 1080p, unless you have source material that can take advantage of it--and even then you probably won't be able to tell the difference. Most of what we watch is broadcast tv and old-fashioned dvd's, so we don't have much need of more pixels. If that sounds like you, then get a 720p plasma and save yourself $500+. Oh, yeah, and the remote control is very easy to use--big buttons where it matters and very intuitive.

The setup is easy--it shouldn't take anyone more than 15 minutes. But we didn't even have to do that since Amazon's shipping partner took care of all that for us. Way to go, Amazon! and CEVA shipping too!Buy LG 42PJ350 Lowest Price, Order Now! [Click Here!]

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Cheap Samsung PN42C450 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV

Cheap Samsung PN42C450 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV (Black)

Pros:
- Good black levels for price. Much better than comparable LCD.
- Very light.
- Low heat output.
- Vibrant colors.
- Very attractive glossy outside. Comes with cleaning cloth.

Cons:
- Color accuracy is dodgy.
- No RCA inputs.
- Internal speakers are tinny, but acceptable.

Overall:
A really good TV for a very cheap price. It's impressive to see the features that are so quickly trickling down to the lower end sets. Thus far, I'm very happy with the performance. The color accuracy is an issue. Certain shades of blue look positively purple. Tuning helps alleviate this to a degree, but never gets rid of it. The black levels are very good for the price. They easily outperform LCD's of similar prices, but aren't as good as other, more expensive plasmas.

If you can find a Panasonic Viera used on eBay from one or two seasons ago, you'll get better image quality for a similar price. Also, if you're willing to bump up your expenditure to one of Panasonic's entry-level Viera plasmas, you'll get better performance and 1080p. Low heat and power consumption on this model is very appealing, though, and might be a good reason to skip the extra money and go with this.

I have a lot of old gear kicking around, which means the lack of an RCA input was problematic. If everything you work with is either HDMI or Component, you're good. If not, you'll need a receiver or converter box.Buy Samsung Pn42c450 Lowest Price, Order Now! [Click Here!]

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LG 42LD520 42-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV

LG 42LD520 42-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV

I spent close to an hour in the store comparing LCD TVs. This LG stood out with its sharp and bright colors. I used the store's Internet connection to check out the reviews but since it is a new model there wasn't many. The older model however was popular among gamers.

The speakers on this TV are hidden on the back and this gives it a neat look. The speakers also sound great. There are different sound options in the menu plus advanced picture controls. In "Intelligent Sensor" mode the TV adjust the brightness and color contrast according to the room lighting conditions. The picture quality is easy to setup using the picture wizard option.

This TV has three HDMI connections in the back to use with your laptop or desktop plus an RGB (VGA Cable). There is also a USB 2.0 port in the back. I connected a USB thumb drive and was able to listen to music and display my digital pictures on the screen.

Over all I am very pleased with quality of this LG model and recommend it to anyone who wants to buy a LCD TV for under $1k, and I mean not for picture quality but the size of the screen since this had as good, if not better, picture quality as other more expensive models in the store.Buy LG 42LD520 Lowest Price, Order Now! [Click Here!]

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Samsung PN42B450 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV

Samsung PN42B450 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV

This is my first HD TV. I ruled out LCD because I never saw one that didn't look blocky during fast motion scenes. LED hasn't impressed me enough to make up for the huge difference in price. It's hard to believe that plasma TV's are the least expensive of the 3. When I started researching I was surprised to find 42" was the smallest plasma size. 37-40" would have been plenty for our bedroom, but getting a 42" plasma for less than a 37" LCD is a no brainer.

I was originally leaning towards the Panasonic 42" until I downloaded the manual and found out it didn't have an analog audio out jack. Neither does the LG. The Samsung 430 & 450 however do have L/R RCA audio out jacks on the rear panel. Not having audio out was a deal breaker for me since this TV is for our bedroom and my wife insists I use headphones at night so she can sleep while I watch TV. Having just spent about $60 on a wireless headphone set I had to have audio outs on the new TV. Most sets today only have a digital audio out and a converter costs about $50.

Contrary to some online reviews and even the online manual, I've discovered "my" 450's audio output works even with the TV speakers set to ON. I can simply lower the volume and audio is always available through the rear RCA L/R output. Since my headphone has its own volume, I have zero issues. Even after I updated the firmware the feature still works. I could not get by without the external audio.

So far I only have a few minor issues. The Anynet link between my Samsung Blu-ray player only worked for a few minutes now I have to use both remotes. I haven't figured out what I could have changed to disrupt the operation but even when it worked I was disappointed to find the TV remote doesn't have the "Next Track" function. There aren't a whole lot of things you need to change once your DVD player is setup but you need more than PLAY, STOP, FF, REV buttons. I have a lot of TV show DVDs that I like to skip past the opening and closing titles. Now I'm forced to use FF or grab the other remote. And speaking of remotes, the TV remote is unecessarily HUGE! The Samsung DVD remote is the exact same shape/layout but smaller. Again, it's only missing a couple important buttons to work the entire TV/DVD set but Samsung forces us to keep both remotes handy. There is NO way my wife is going to remember which is which. Add to that our FIOS remote won't operate the Blu-ray player at all, and it only works the TV power, volume and channel buttons. So we're stuck with 3 remotes.

All that said, the picture is fantastic. It's "smoother" than the Panasonic with the default settings. You can crank up the detail and colors etc if you want but I actually turned the color down to about 45 and nudged the flesh tones up a little (they seemed a little too yellow to me out of the box). Other than the remote issues, I think this was a very good purchase. The store even threw in a simple wall mount for free which easily offset the tax amount. Do NOT spend a fortune on wall mounts, Amazon has some great low priced mounts. Luckily I didn't need anything special, no swivels and no tilting that a few washers couldn't fix. Just remember to drill pilot holes so you don't crack a stud with the large wood screws.Buy Samsung Pn42b450 Lowest Price, Order Now! [Click Here!]

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LG 42LE5400 42-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED LCD HDTV

LG 42LE5400 42-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED LCD HDTV I was looking for a large screen monitor for a project I am working on that requires a fair bit of screen real estate. I was tired of toggling between tabs and moving windows around my iMac monitor. Buying an 30" Apple Monitor screen would have set me back $1799. I started to do some research and I was surprised to find price of comparable LED screens to be significantly less. I bought this at a local retailer as an open box item for $950. The additional features of Internet and WiFi ready, D-TV scanning and audio options just makes this a no brainer even at full retail price. Took a little while to get this all set up but well worth the effort.Buy LG 42LE5400 Lowest Price, Order Now! [Click Here!] Relate Products LG 42LE5500, LG 42LD520, UN40C7000, LG 42LH90,