Saturday, February 20, 2010

Price Update - Consumer Reports Top Rated LCD HDTV

Most sets on our Consumer Reports Top Rated HDTV list dropped $100-$300 before Christmas and another $100 to $250 on Christmas day. Since then a few sets have dropped even further. Here is a price update for Feb 20, 2010:

Top Rated LCD HDTV

40 inch Sony KLV-40ZX1M $2499
40 inch Samsung UN40B6000 $1199 $100 price drop!
40 inch Samsung UN40B7000 $1327 $80 price drop!

42 inch Toshiba 42ZV650U $789 Best Buy!
42 inch LG 42LH40 $811 Best Buy!
42 inch LG 42LH50 $829 Best Buy!

46 inch Sony KDL-46XBR8 $1996 $100 price drop!
46 inch Sony KDL-46XBR9 $1709
46 inch Samsung UN46B6000 $1299 $300 price drop!
46 inch Samsung UN46B7000 $1699 $100 price drop!
46 inch Samsung UN46B8000 $1699 $200 price drop!
46 inch Toshiba 46XV645U $848 Best Buy! $100 price drop!
46 inch Toshiba 46SV670U $1296$150 price drop!
46 inch Sony KDL-46V5100 $989 Best Buy!
46 inch Sony KDL-46Z5100 $1287 $200 price drop!

52 inch Toshiba 52XV645U $1234 Best Buy! $60 price drop!
52 inch Samsung LN52B750 $1612 $80 price drop!
52 inch Sony KDL-52XBR9 $1999

55 inch LG 55LH90 $1989 $800 price drop!
55 inchToshiba 55ZV650U $1387 Best Buy! $200 price drop!

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Saturday, December 12, 2009

After Christmas Sale - Consumer Reports Top Rated Plasma/LCD HDTV

Most sets on our Consumer Reports Top Rated HDTV list dropped $100-$300 on Sunday November 22, just in time for the biggest sale of the year, Black Friday week. Many dropped another $100 to $250 on Christmas day, just in time for the annual post-Christmas HDTV sale. Here is a price update for Dec 25, 2009:

Top Rated LCD HDTV

40 inch Sony KLV-40ZX1M $2499
40 inch Samsung UN40B6000 $1299 $100 price drop!
40 inch Samsung UN40B7000 $1399 $180 price drop!

42 inch Toshiba 42ZV650U $889 Best Buy!
42 inch LG 42LH40 $811 Best Buy!
42 inch LG 42LH50 $872 Best Buy!

46 inch Sony KDL-46XBR8 $1996 $100 price drop!
46 inch Sony KDL-46XBR9 $1788
46 inch Samsung UN46B6000 $1599 $150 price drop!
46 inch Samsung UN46B7000 $1799 $165 price drop!
46 inch Samsung UN46B8000 $1899 $250 price drop!
46 inch Toshiba 46XV645U $848 Best Buy! $100 price drop!
46 inch Toshiba 46SV670U $1468 $150 price drop!
46 inch Sony KDL-46V5100 $989 Best Buy!
46 inch Sony KDL-46Z5100 $1478

52 inch Toshiba 52XV645U $1299 Best Buy! $100 price drop!
52 inch Samsung LN52B750 $1699 $130 price drop!
52 inch Sony KDL-52XBR9 $1999

55 inch LG 55LH90 $2724
55 inchToshiba 55ZV650U $1587 Best Buy! $50 price drop!

Top Rated Plasma HDTV

42 inch Panasonic TC-P42S1 $760 Best Buy!
42 inch Panasonic TC P42G15 $884

46 inch Panasonic TC-P46G10 $1118
46 inch Panasonic TC P46G15 $1178

50 inch Panasonic TC-P50S1  $1179
50 inch Panasonic TC-P50G10 $1099 Best Buy!

54 inch Panasonic TC-P54S1 $1366 Best Buy!
54 inch Panasonic TC-P54G10 $1599 Best Buy!

58 inch Samsung PN58B650 $1849 Best Buy! $100 price drop!
58 inch Samsung PN58B860 $2379

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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Black Friday Sale - Consumer Reports Top Rated LCD, Plasma HDTV

Most sets on our Consumer Reports Top Rated HDTV list dropped $100-$300 on Sunday November 22, just in time for the biggest sale of the year, Black Friday week. If you see the set you want at an attractive price don't procrastinate. Stocks are likely limited and early shoppers usually get the best deals.  Many of the lowest prices will disappear as early as mid-day Black Friday. Here's the updated list:

Top Rated LCD HDTV

40 inch Sony KLV-40ZX1M $2499
40 inch Samsung UN40B6000 $1399
40 inch Samsung UN40B7000 $1579

42 inch Toshiba 42ZV650U $889 Best Buy!
42 inch LG 42LH40 $811 Best Buy!
42 inch LG 42LH50 $879 Best Buy!

46 inch Sony KDL-46XBR8 $2099
46 inch Sony KDL-46XBR9 $1788
46 inch Samsung UN46B6000 $1749
46 inch Samsung UN46B7000 $1864
46 inch Samsung UN46B8000 $2148
46 inch Toshiba 46XV645U $949 Best Buy!
46 inch Toshiba 46SV670U $1592
46 inch Sony KDL-46V5100 $989 Best Buy!
46 inch Sony KDL-46Z5100 $1478

52 inch Toshiba 52XV645U $1394 Best Buy!
52 inch Samsung LN52B750 $1829
52 inch Sony KDL-52XBR9 $1999

55 inch LG 55LH90 $2724
55 inchToshiba 55ZV650U $1631 Best Buy!

Top Rated Plasma HDTV

42 inch Panasonic TC-P42S1 $760 Best Buy!
42 inch Panasonic TC P42G15 $884

46 inch Panasonic TC-P46G10 $1138
46 inch Panasonic TC P46G15 $1178

50 inch Panasonic TC-P50S1  $1179
50 inch Panasonic TC-P50G10 $1099 Best Buy!

54 inch Panasonic TC-P54S1 $1366 Best Buy!
54 inch Panasonic TC-P54G10 $1599 Best Buy!

58 inch Samsung PN58B650 $1939 Best Buy!
58 inch Samsung PN58B860 $2379

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Thursday, February 5, 2009

Consumer Reports Top Rated LCD and Plasma HDTVs: Samsung and Panasonic

Samsung & Panasonic Top Rated HDTVs

The two best selling HDTV brands Samsung and Panasonic came out on top in almost every screen size in the latest Consumer Reports ranking of HDTVs. Several models from other manufacturers scored high as well but the top two were consistently highly ranked across various screen sizes. HDTV technology has reached the point where differences between the top ranked sets are minimal, so value shopping does not necessarily mean a sacrifice in image quality. Here are the Consumer Reports top ranked HDTVs and current prices (HDTV-News picks are indicated by Editor's Choice):

Top Ranked LCD HDTV

Samsung 55-inch LN55A950 $3844 Free Shipping

Samsung 52-inch LN52A650 $1817 Free Shipping
Samsung 52-inch LN52A750 $1927 Free Shipping Editor's Choice
Sony 52-inch 52XBR6 $2509 Free Shipping
LG 52-inch 52LG50 $1499 Free Shipping
Toshiba 52-inch 52XV545U $2308 Free Shipping
Sony 52-inch KDL-52W4100 $1897 Free Shipping Editor's Choice

Samsung 46-inch LN46A850 $1776 Free Shipping
Samsung 46-inch LN46A550 $1127 Free Shipping Editor's Choice
Sony 46-inch KDL-46XBR8 $4699 Free Shipping
Sony 46-inch KDL-46Z4100 $1568 Free Shipping

Top Ranked Plasma HDTV

Pioneer 60-inch PDP-6020FD $3701 Free Shipping Editor's Choice
LG 60-inch 60PG30 $2699 Free Shipping

Samsung 58-inch PN58A550 $2380 Free Shipping Editor's Choice
Panasonic 58-inch TH-58PZ850U $3149

Samsung 50-inch PN50A550 $1350 Free Shipping Editor's Choice
Samsung 50-inch PN50A760 $1799
Panasonic 50-inch TH-50PZ800U $1999 Free Shipping Editor's Choice
LG 50-inch 50PG60 $1729 Free Shipping
Samsung 50-inch PN50A450 $999 Free Shipping Editor's Choice

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Saturday, December 20, 2008

Sony XBR6 XBR7 XBR8 Price Drops

Sony has cut prices on almost all sets including the new XBR6 XBR7 and XBR8 series. The Amazon.com discounts on the 40XBR6, 40XBR7, 46XBR6, and 52XBR6 are particularly notable. If you need a great 40-inch or 46-inch set now is the time to pounce. All sets have free shipping and are covered by Amazon's A-to-Z guarantee:

32" LCD Sony KDL-32XBR6 $879 ($200 off, Free Shipping)
37" LCD Sony KDL-37XBR6 $1188 ($300 off, Free Shipping)
40" LCD Sony KDL-40XBR6 $1364 ($900 off, Free Shipping)
40" LCD Sony KDL-40XBR7 $1999 ($700 off, Free Shipping)
46" LCD Sony KDL-46XBR6 $1833 ($900 off, Free Shipping)
46" LCD Sony KDL-46XBR8 $4499 ($500 off, Free Shipping)
52" LCD Sony KDL-52XBR6 $2299 ($1200 off, Free Shipping)
52" LCD Sony KDL-52XBR7 $3999 ($200 off, 240Hz)
55" LCD Sony KDL-55XBR8 $6199 ($800 off, Free Shipping)
70" LCD Sony KDL-70XBR7 $19,999 (Free Shipping)

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Sony redefines LCD picture quality with new XBR HDTV line.

XBR8-Series

Leading the line is the full HD 1080p 55-inch KDL-55XBR8 and 46-inch KDL-46XBR8 models (all measured diagonally). The models incorporate Sony's TRILUMINOS three-color LED backlight technology with local dimming coupled with 10-bit processing and 10-bit panel to deliver exceptionally deep black level and accurate colors.

Sony's TRILUMINOS LED backlight technology dramatically expands the TV's color range by aligning individual clusters of red, green and blue LEDs, significantly elevating color purity compared to traditional single white LED backlights.

Additionally, the sets offer the new Advanced Contrast Enhancer PRO (ACE PRO) technology. ACE PRO, which features Sony's own algorithm for local dimming, improves contrast and dynamic range by controlling the LED backlight level by area so that detail is maintained in the dark areas, while other areas are driven near peak brightness. The technology reduces unnecessary light emission resulting in true, deep blacks and reduced power consumption compared to conventional LED backlit models. The models also feature BRAVIA Engine™ 2 PRO, which is Sony's latest high quality picture processing technology and the company's Motionflow 120Hz high frame rate technology.

Sony's Motionflow technology allows you to enjoy movies and prime-time TV (film-based content) with exceptional clarity and resolution in motion. The Motionflow algorithm identifies film content and removes "judder" resulting in a clearer picture with smoother motion during sweeping pans without a visible jerking or stuttering. Additionally, Motionflow 120Hz technology creates 60 unique frames between each of the existing 60 frames, doubling the frames displayed per second, further improving images for fast action sports and other programming.

Rounding out the picture enhancement suite in the XBR8 is x.v.Color compatibility. This technology expands the potential color data range of video by about 1.8 times, resulting in the display of more natural and vivid colors similar to what the human eye can actually see. This complements Sony's HD camcorder models and Blu-ray Disc players, which capture and display color range beyond what broadcasters currently deliver.

The models also feature Sony's Digital Media Extender (DMeX), providing the ability to seamlessly add new features. DMeX allows users to connect optional expansion modules such as the BRAVIA DVD Link, the BRAVIA Wireless link, the BRAVIA Input Link, which will ship later this year, and the currently available BRAVIA Internet Video Link. The BRAVIA Internet Video Link module attaches to the back of a selection of the Sony's 2007 and 2008 BRAVIA LCD flat-panel television models. The service seamlessly streams on-demand entertainment including movies, TV programs, your favorite YouTube videos and a variety of other content not found on network or cable/satellite TV. The service connects to the Internet via your existing broadband Ethernet connection and streams content at no additional charge. Content is easily navigated with Sony's Technical Emmy® award-winning Xross Media Bar (XMB)™ user interface.

Rounding out the feature set is Digital Media Port (DMP) compatibility, which provides access to video and music from portable media devices like compatible Walkman® and iPod® players and other DMP accessories, which are sold separately. The models also can display digital photos using creative multi-plane 3D graphics slideshows from USB devices, as well as access photos from your PC in another room using Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) compliant devices via your home network.

Sony's new 3D Favorites Menu complement the XMB graphical user interface, which has been also been enhanced with Sony-unique integration of TV Guide providing easy access and navigation of content and menus through colorful thumbnails and logically placed icons.
Inputs found on the XBR8 models include four 1080/60 24p HDMI connections (HDCP), two 1080/60p HD component inputs, a 1080/60p-capable PC input, Ethernet (RJ-45) port and a RS-232C connection.

XBR7-Series

The full HD 1080p XBR7-series includes the 70-inch KDL-70XBR7 and 40-inch KDL-40XBR7 models. With WCG-CCFL backlight, 10-bit processing and 10-bit panel, and ACE (Advanced Contrast Enhancer circuitry), the models deliver outstanding picture quality and elegant style only BRAVIA can deliver.

The KDL-70XBR7 features BRAVIA ENGINE 2 Pro digital video processing, while the KDL-40XBR7 offers BRAVIA ENGINE 2 EX. The models both feature Sony's Motionflow 120Hz high frame rate technology and x.v.Color. Rounding out the feature set on these models is the new 3D Favorite Multi-plane graphics, XMB graphic interface with TV Guide, BRAVIA Sync, DMeX and DMP compatibility.

The XBR7 models also can display digital photos and play digital music from USB devices and photos from Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) compliant devices via your home network. Inputs include four 1080/60 24p HDMI connections (HDCP), two 1080/60p component inputs, a 1080/60p PC input, Ethernet (RJ-45) port and a RS-232C connection.

XBR6-Series

Complementing the full HD 1080p Sony Bravia XBR-Series 37-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV models previously announced, the full HD 1080p 52-inch KDL-52XBR6, 46-inch KDL-46XBR6 and the 40-inch KDL-40XBR6 models were also introduced today (all screen sizes measured diagonally). The models offer a space-saving bottom speaker, floating-glass industrial design and all of the features found in the KDL-40XBR7 except the RS-232C connection and BRAVIA ENGINE 2 EX.

All of the new XBR series models also offer the option of additional speaker grille color accents including silver, red, brown and gold. The optional color grilles can be purchased separately. XBR8 and XBR7 models ship with a black grille cover and the XBR6 ships with a silver grille cover. Additional grille covers are sold separately.

Sony XBR6 XBR7 XBR8 Prices

32" LCD Sony KDL-32XBR6 $879
37" LCD Sony KDL-37XBR6 $1188
40" LCD Sony KDL-40XBR6 $1364
40" LCD Sony KDL-40XBR7 $1999
46" LCD Sony KDL-46XBR6 $1833
46" LCD Sony KDL-46XBR8 $4499
52" LCD Sony KDL-52XBR6 $2299
52" LCD Sony KDL-52XBR7 $3999
55" LCD Sony KDL-55XBR8 $6199
70" LCD Sony KDL-70XBR7 $19,999

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