lcd

In the future, all TVs will offer Internet connectivity. I mean, who wants to pay extra for, say, a Roku box when a TV can build in apps for Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, and the like?

Vizio is ahead of the curve in that respect, with many of its models offering built-in Wi-Fi and a healthy roster of Internet apps.

Here's one of them. TigerDirect has the refurbished Vizio E322VL 32-inch LCD HDTV for $299.99, plus $21 for shipping. Or, if you order the TV through eBay, shipping is free! (Consider yourself warned: this may sell out before the … Read more

If you thought all LED TVs were created equal, you're underestimating the power of confusion as a marketing tool. In their continuing efforts to compete against the picture quality advantages of plasma-based flat-panel TVs, makers of LCDs TVs have introduced numerous new technologies. The most successful in our opinion is full-array LED backlighting with local dimming. When you see the words "LED TV" in an ad, it definitely refers to an LCD TV with an LED backlight, but what type of LED backlight and how it's configured make all the difference.

In the article linked below … Read more

The first so-called LED TVs were local-dimming models, where the LEDs behind the screen could be dimmed or brightened in different areas to correspond to darker or brighter areas of the picture. The result was excellent contrast, on a level no other LCD-based TV could muster. Since 2008 when these TVs debuted, they've remained uncommon and expensive while so-called edge-lit models have populated store shelves and living rooms with abandon.

The XBR-HX929, Sony's most expensive and, we're willing to guess, best-performing TV of 2011, is also the company's only local dimmer. It boasts that excellent contrast … Read more

Yep, it's one of those days: too many good deals to focus on just one. Hope you've got some room on your credit card, because all three of these are, IMHO, too sweet to pass up.

First up, TigerDirect has the AOC F22 22-inch LCD monitor for $99.99, plus $10 for shipping. That's after applying coupon code GQP35095 at checkout.

This 1080p monitor is new, not refurbished. It sports DVI and VGA inputs and one of the cooler-looking bezels I've seen. More importantly, it has an average user rating of 4.6 stars out of … Read more

A Silicon Valley company is promising to bring more color to LCDs.

Nanosys says it has developed a technology that helps deliver 50 percent more color than what's currently available on existing LCD panels. According to the company's site, "that means richer, more viscerally alive reds, a deeper palette of greens, and vivid blues."

Most importantly, the company says it can deliver better color with technology already being used in tablets, televisions, and other products.

Nanosys made headlines yesterday when blogger Robert Scoble gushed over the technology. He said that Nanosys CEO Jason Hartlove showed him … Read more

I've been a fan of Musical Fidelity from its beginnings in the early 1980s. The British company's original 30-watt-per-channel stereo A1 integrated amplifier was a hit with budget-minded audiophiles back in the day, and it also offered seriously expensive gear.

Musical Fidelity started making headphone amplifiers long before the current headphones craze started. The model we're looking at today is Musical Fidelity's pure Class A M1 HPA headphone amp ($799).

The HPA has very low output impedance (below 1 ohm), so Musical Fidelity claims it can "drive" any headphones with ease. The circuit is a fully discrete Class A design, with no op-amps in the audio path, so it's built like a small high-end power amp. The HPA has two inputs--line and USB--and there's a variable output, so the HPA can be used as a stereo preamplifier in a hi-fi system. It has two 6.3mm headphone jacks on the front panel.

Some previous generations of Musical Fidelity's styling were a little over the top for my taste, but the M1 HPA is understated and very classy. … Read more

Editors' note: The lens used in recording the video above makes the television appear smaller than it really is in relation to the presenter, Scott Stein. Scroll down to see a photo that more accurately presents the 92-inch size of the TV.

Does a 92-inch TV sound like overkill to you?

To many, it may. But for the company that makes it, Mitsubishi, it's pretty much the only way to distinguish itself among its competitors and try to stay in the TV business.

Next month, Mitsubishi will officially start selling the behemoth of a television it first introduced at CES in January. … Read more

By now you may have heard all about passive 3D, how it might or might not be better than active, how LG/Vizio and Samsung/Sony/Panasonic are at each others' throats trying to convince buyers to choose one over the other, and how 3D TV is here to stay. That's all true, and documented exhaustively in our 3D TV FAQ, but in our experience few TV shoppers care about 3D in the least. If you're one of the few, then you'll want to know that overall we like the picture quality of active better than what … Read more

A TV is a big purchase, and we all want to get the best TV for our dollar. But what makes an HDTV the best? If you spend more, are you guaranteed a better TV? With all the jargon, marketing, and hype, what performance and features matter the most?

Well, I'm glad you asked. … Read more