about tv's

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

5 best 40 and 42-inch TVs of 2016

Best 40 and 42-inch TVs

It's a sign of the times now that 40 and 42-inch televisions are now considered 'small' in TV circles. With the increasing prevalence of 4K resolutions and the drive to upgrade to ever more vast screen sizes this scale of TV has taken a bit of a backseat.

Those home cinema folk are haring off towards 55-inch and above.

But unless your living room is on a relatively grand scale having a monster 75-inch panel in pride of place, looming over your sofa, is unfeasible. If you're living on a more modest scale though the 40 and 42-inch TV market can offer some surprising gems.

And that doesn't mean you're going to have to avoid the latest smart TV systems or even the latest in Ultra HD resolutions either.

We've picked out the best 40 and 42-inch TVs you can buy right now, whether you're on a tight budget or want the latest in super high-resolutions without devoting a whole wall of your living room to the television.

1. Panasonic TX-40CX680B

"The TX-40CX680B could turn out to be one of the bargains of year"

See more Panasonic TX-40CX680B deals

4K detail

Customisable Firefox OS

Soft standard def

Only 3 HDMI

Is the TX-40CX680B too small to show-off its 4K panel at just 40-inches? Though the 4K resolution is the headline-grabber, the emphasis from Panasonic on this 40-incher is on better pixels rather than more pixels. This highly talented and great value TV swerves that elephant in the room with some pin-sharp pictures to add to its impressive smart TV OS.

With Firefox OS it really makes use of its eight million pixels by boosting black levels, colour and upscaling prowess to make everything save for standard definition look sumptuous. With Freeview Play incoming, it's an early front-runner for the best value 4K screen around.

Read the full review: Panasonic TX-40CX680B

2. Samsung UE40F6400

"One of the UK's best value smart TVs."

See more Samsung UE40F6400 deals

200Hz processing

Touchpad remote

Poor voice activation

Soft standard def

It may not have all the shinies of Samsung's latest smart TVs, but it's still a quality full HD screen and now available for almost half the price that it launched at, making it fantastic value in 2015.

It's not the best upscaler, nor the slimmest TV, but we're quite taken by the Samsung UE40F6400. Packed with apps within a reasonably polished Smart Hub system, there's plenty of contrast, colour and detail to compete with pricier options. We're also big fans of the Smart Touch remote and of its integration with Samsung Galaxy gadgets, though it does stutter occasionally.

Read the full review: Samsung UE40F6400

3. Panasonic TX-40DX600

Firefox stars on this great value 4K TV

See more Panasonic TX-40DX600 deals

Clean, colourful 4K

4K digital file support

Too small for 4K

Tight viewing angle

A follow-up to last year's excellent 40CX680B, the 40DX600 is Panasonic's best value 4K TV. Four pegs down from Panasonic's flagship DX900 range -five, if you count its OLED - the DX600 series claims a 4K Edge LED-backlit panel with adaptive backlight dimming, 800Hz scanning and Quad Core PRO processor for super-quick smart TV navigation.

It also has both a Firefox OS and a Freeview Play catch-up TV app, as do all Panasonic TVs for 2016, which lend it a smart, usable interface to watch Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant Video.

Read the full review: Panasonic TX-40DX600

4. Samsung UE40H6400

"Crowd-pleasing clarity keeps this set's images looking pristine."

See more Samsung UE40H6400 deals

Crisp images

Classic design

Uncomfortable 3D

Doesn't deliver deep blacks

The UE40H6400LED has all the right credentials to become a best-seller for Samsung. Set up right, its crispy Full HD pictures, rich colours, and punchy contrast look great with most types of content. The brand's Smart Hub proposition remains strong, although some of the latest tweaks are less than compelling.

The Samsung UE40H6400 can be considered an extremely well equipped internet-connected mid-range Full HD flatscreen. From design to image quality, it barely puts a foot wrong. Although not exactly fresh, the translucent-edged frame remains perennially popular and Samsung's penchant for razor sharp, vibrant images is well represented here.

Read the full review: Samsung UE40H6400

5. Toshiba 40L3453DB

"A no-frills price that actually offers a few frills."

See more Toshiba 40L3453DB deals

Good picture quality generally

Fairly low input lag

Unattractive design

Limited viewing angle

Those aforementioned frills include a passable smart TV system complete with some video streaming thrills; it's unusually rich in connected features for this end of the market. There's also multimedia playback via USB and DLNA; and picture technology that includes a pseudo 200Hz engine and a full HD resolution.

While it's certainly no classic TV, Toshiba's 40L3453DB fulfils its brief. It provides cash-strapped buyers - or people after a cheap screen for a second room - with more features, more picture quality and, given the Toshiba name, more peace of mind than you'll commonly find at the £300 price level.

The ad-pocalypse is coming: Samsung wants to put ads on your TV menus

Samsung Smart TV owners in Europe will soon be seeing banner adverts in their TV menus, according to a new report.

The feature has already been rolled out to TV owners in the US, but according to The Wall Street Journal Samsung is readying plans to roll out the functionality in Europe.

We have contacted Samsung to ask for official confirmation of the rollout and will update this article when we get a response.

Nobody's safe

Users in the US have found workarounds to opt out of these ads, but it's not yet clear whether these options will be made available to viewers in the UK.

Users of course have the option of opting out of the decision to buy a Samsung TV in the first place.

Although with reports that Samsung will use a firmware update to bring the functionality to existing TVs, it would appear that no one is safe from the changes.

We've all gotten used to the functionality of our products growing over time with new apps and functionality being added via firmware updates, but the news is a worrying reminder that this process can work both ways.

For those keeping track, this means that soon users will be able to navigate to an ad-supported TV channel using ad-supported TV menus to watch a movie featuring product placement ads.

Why Panasonic is about to stop making your TV screens

Panasonic is ceasing production of its own television panels at its plant in western Japan, leaving Sharp as the only producer of television panels left in the country.

A television's screen hardware is not the only determinant of its quality, which is also affected by image processing and backlight technologies.

This means that although the move will see Panasonic move to using panels produced by third parties such as LG or Sharp, Panasonic's own technologies will continue to have an important impact on the overall quality of the television's image.

In Panasonic's own words, "Using its own image processing and backlight technologies Panasonic has been able to get the very best out of third-party panels."

Panel vs TV manufacturers

It is common for television manufacturers to not produce their own panels. Panasonic already uses panels from South Korea's LG.

A television manufacturer will then add a housing, operating system, and speakers to a panel to create a full television set.

The plant's closure is thought to have come as a result of its lack of profitability, having made a loss every year since its opening in 2010, but will continue to produce panels for non-TV uses such as vehicle dashboards and medical equipment.

A Panasonic representative said, "Due to Panasonic's deep knowledge of the varying characteristics of various display technologies such as Plasma, LCD, and OLED displays, Panasonic has consistently delivered superlative picture quality.

"Panasonic intends to continue delivering superb TVs as it further increases its competitivity."

Friday, May 20, 2016

LG 65EC970T Ultra HD 3D Smart Curved 4K LED TV, 65 inch (165 cm)

Self-Lighting Pixel
Transcending LED technology, every pixel in the LG OLED TV enables you to dive into an illumination of unmatched color. Each OLED self-lighting pixel turns on and off on its own in order to exhibit the richest details in a surreal picture quality that was never thought imaginable. Your screen will always present a near perfect image with the brightest whites and darkest blacks in any lighting style or quality.

Perfect Black
Feel the perfect expression of black that no other TV can offer. Perfect Black, infinite contrast and the maximum manifestation of color are attainable through your screen. Each individual self-lighting pixel brings the experience of perfectly limitless contrast ratio right before your eyes. Now, with the LG OLED TV, you can view the most intricate details that could not be experienced before, such as a dark animal in the shadows at night.

Perfect Color
Experience how Perfect Black redefines the true meaning of color and maximize your sense of realism. The images are rendered with the richest details and exhibit a surreal picture quality that was never thought imaginable, creating the world of Perfect Color. Rivaled only by reality, the LG OLED TV's self-lighting pixels present the most vivid imagery the world has ever known.

Perfect Curve
Let your eyes relax and watch a screen that that is shaped perfectly to your natural field of vision. Witness dazzling images and immerse yourself in lifelike action from any angle. LG's Curved OLED TV projects the same picture quality regardless of where you sit. Now you can behold the wonders of nature with the most natural viewing experience.

Clear Motion
Catch all the fast-paced action from your favorite flick or engage yourself with your favorite sports team with the utmost clarity. The highly developed response system with LG OLED TV ensures that you will never miss out on the most defining moments of your movie or game. This incredibly vibrant display creates crystal-clear, blur- free and seamless motion.

Original Curved Screen
Stay ahead of the curve and be immersed in the action like never before possible. Consistent color and clarity from every angle is delivered only by LG's Curved OLED TV.

Art Slim
LG's OLED TV's Art Slim design combines function and fashion in order to bring you convenience and elegance. This stunningly slim TV exceeds the thinness of most smart phones and spares neither comfort nor quality. Enjoy sitting on the edge of technology with the world's most contemporary and stylish TV.

4K Resolution
Transform the way you watch TV with 4K resolution. At four times the resolution of Full HD 1080p, your images are enhanced with ultimate detail and clarity. Even up close, you can view an incredibly lifelike resolution. The next generation built-in HVEC decoder allows you to always bring the best out of all your viewing content and display it with 4K resolution.

Sound designed by Harman Kardon
LG pairs the perfect display and premium sound quality with harman/kardon. The synergy of quality sound and quality screen brings your 4K experience to a whole new level of enjoyment. You are no longer just passing the time in front of your TV, you are now immersing yourself with superior picture and sound quality in an incomparable experience. See, hear, feel and live every moment when you sit down in front of LG OLED TV.

webOS
Make TV simple again.
LG Smart+ TV introduces a stellar innovation in user interface that simplifies everything and clears away all roadblocks to your entertainment from set up to show down. Freed from the complexities and complications of advanced technology, you may now enjoy Smart TV the way it is supposed to be enjoyed. Whatever you wish to do, find, launch, or play, you can do it most quickly and easily with webOS, the efficient and user-friendly smart TV system designed with you in mind.

Launcher
You can switch to any app, broadcast or connected peripheral without navigating to a dedicated 'home' screen. Instantly find your entertainment right on your Launcher.

LG Store
Live TV programs, VOD, 3D Contents, Apps, Recommended Content - All in one place. LG Store offers you a one stop location for all available entertainment. Find everything you need here, and better yet, see what LG recommends to you. Roll through the newest and most suitable content just for you at LG Store.

Fun Setup
LG webOS TV is designed to be obvisously simple, so that it is easier to learn and more fun to use. Now, all you have to do is relax as webOS makes the TV experience simpler than before.

4K 3D+
Become enthralled and captivated with the LG 3D cinema- like feature. Your lightweight and battery-free 3D glasses enable you to transcend reality by surrounding you inside your own TV. Convert your standard 2D movie or TV show in to a dynamic 3D display while keeping the sharpness of the four-fold 4K resolution. Live larger than life each time you turn on your LG OLED TV.

Smartshare
Browse and share files from external devices wirelessly on your large TV screen or watch TV on another smart device with LG Smart TV's Smart Share. LG introduces a true Smart TV that connects to other devices more easily than ever. Enjoy any content without constraint. (For features available in SmartShare feature , please refer specification section)

Ultra Surround
With incredible feats of technology, Ultra Surround can provide effective surround sound as if from seven different directions. The multi-channel surround sound will engulf you from top to bottom, left and right, front and center.

4K 60P HEVC Decoder
The built-in HEVC is the format that will be the future standard for 4K video compression. HEVC supports 4K video with 60 frames per second delivering clear and blur-free motions. Now you can enjoy 4K quality content via Internet streaming or USB without requiring support from any extra device.

Miracast
WiFi Alliance certified Miracast allows you to enjoy easy and fast connection among TV, Smart phones, and Tablets without wires, enabling easy transfer and sharing of your digital contents right on the TV screen.

SPECIFICATIONS

Product Information
Model No	65EC970T
TV Type	LED
Brand	LG
Colour	Black
Current Offer Type:	Freebie
Current Offers	FREE LG Soundbar worth Rs. 18,990
Display
Screen Size (Diagonal)	65 inch
Screen Resolution	3840 x 2160 - Ultra HD
Display Type	Ultra HD
3D	Yes
Aspect Ratio	16:9,Just scan,Original,Full Wide,4:3,14:9,Cinema Zoom 1,Zoom
Formats Supported
Image Formats	JPEG,MPO
Audio
Speaker Output (RMS)	40 W
Surround Sound Technology	Yes
SMART TV Functions
Web Browser	Yes
Social Networking	Yes
Wi-Fi	Yes
Connectivity
Digital Optical	Yes
RF (in) Antenna Cable	Yes
Component (Y/Pb/Pr)	Yes
HDMI	Yes
Ethernet	Yes
USB	Yes, 3
Audio Jack	Yes
Additional Connectivity	Composite In (CVBS + Audio),WiFi Direct
Physical Dimensions
Width (with stand)	144.7 cms
Height (with stand)	88 cms
Weight (with stand)	25500 grams
Depth With Stand	25.66 cms
Width (w/o stand)	144.7 cms
Height (w/o stand)	84.4 cms
Weight (w/o stand)	24100 grams
Depth Without Stand	5.63 cms
Power Consumption
Power Supply	AC 100 V - 240 V
Standby Power Consumption	0.3 W
Energy Saving	Yes
Additional Features
Features	Motion Eco Sensor Intelligent Sensor Smart Mobile Link(MHL) (2.0) Simplink (HDMI CEC) Miracast Intel WiDi Dolby Digital Decoder True 4K Engine Ultra Luminance Triple XD Engine Resolution Upscaler Active Noise Reduction Picture Wizard III Real Cinema 24p DLNA Input Labeling
In The Box & Warranty
In The Box	2 Basic 3D Glasses Built IN Magic Remote
Warranty	12 Months

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Samsung UE65KS9000

Samsung is rarely caught behind the curve, and its KS9000 series of curved 4K TVs are certainly not that.

Sporting Ultra HD resolution, quantum dot display with HDR and the latest Tizen smart TV platform, they're as up to date as it's possible to get.

Earlier this month, Techradar gave the full review treatment to the 55-inch model in this range of two, the Samsung UE55KS9000. They're both curved TVs and sport a new moth eye anti-reflection filter.

It's possibly the best anti-reflection filter Samsung has ever produced and that's important, because curved screens tend to suffer from distorted reflections that can be rather off putting. That being said, we're rather ambivalent by the curves on display here - they really don't offer much and only really make sense when you're sitting right in front of the screen, making it sub-optimal for group viewing.

Stunning picture quality

Picture quality is truly fantastic though. HDR (high dynamic range) has to be seen to be believed, so if you do buy one of these TVs you owe it to yourself to either buy an Ultra HD Blu-ray player or the 4K tier of Netflix/Amazon Prime to really make the best of it.

We're really not overstating it when we say that the HDR tech in these TVs is the best we've ever seen. The colour and brightness this TV produces is absolutely stunning. And coupled with the UE65KS9000's incredible brightness and Quantum Dot colour technology, the result is a combination of HDR colour dynamism and finesse that's just stupefyingly impressive - and a million miles beyond anything we saw even a couple of years ago.

Smart features

The Samsung UE65KS9000 ships with a new, simple and smart remote control design that we really love. It greatly reduces the button count without leaving you feeling like you haven't got direct access to enough features, and it combines touch pad control - operated by just your thumb - with straightforward up, down, left and right navigation buttons without feeling cluttered.

The smart TV features are also first rate, and offer all of the catch up TV and streaming options you would expect as well as a whole raft of other clever features. This TV will not leave you wanting in terms of functionality. It even sounds good, defying the slim design by delivering a pure, if not massive, soundscape across our living room.

The only reason we can think of to not buy this TV is that it's just so expensive, clocking in at £2,899 it's a premium option and no mistake. If you can't really afford it, there are other options out there that will do you proud. If you can afford it? Buy one today.

Verdict

The Samsung UE65KS9000 is a stunning TV, and one we'd recommend to anyone who can afford the near-£3,000 asking price.

Panasonic TX-58DX902B

After the death of the plasma TV industry it dominated for so long, Panasonic took a while to find its feet again in the TV market. But found its feet it now certainly has.

The DX902 is Panasonic's new flagship TV range, featuring this 58-inch model as well as the 65-inch Panasonic TX-65DX902B which techradar reviewed back in March. It is truly extraordinary.

It's the world's first TV range to be certified under the new Ultra HD Premium moniker. What that means is that it has a super bright screen, with a gigantic colour range and super-dark blacks when viewing HDR (high dynamic range) movies and TV shows.

To hit those heights and achieve the Ultra HD Premium seal of approval, the DX902 range features a new Panasonic technology called Local Dimming Ultra. It doesn't use edge-mounted LEDs to illuminate the screen, it uses over 500 LEDs across the whole rear of the panel in a honeycomb structure.

When it works, it works so well you won't even believe content can look this good. Though there are times when the tech produces a bit of a halo effect around bright objects - that's long been an issue of TVs featuring rear-mounted LEDs. But in most instances it works so well we can forgive the odd misfire.

Amazing pictures

The TV supports 10-bit HDR which means it's fully compatible with Ultra HD Blu-ray and other HDR sources and my goodness it looks good. Once you've had a flavour of HDR you won't ever want to go back, which is unfortunate because there is currently zero HDR content on broadcast TV in the UK.

The only way to get it is to buy Ultra HD Blu-ray discs or subscribe to Amazon Prime Instant Video or the top Netflix tier.

Unlike Samsung's KS9000 series, the Panasonic TX-58DX902B can display 3D content. It uses active shutter tech, which means you get the maximum resolution from your 3D movies but you also have to keep your 3D glasses charged up... if indeed you even have any because despite the £2799 price tag, this TV doesn't come with any as standard.

Sound quality

The sound quality of this TV is so-so. The downward firing speakers do a good enough job, but the presumption is with TVs like this is that if you can afford it, you can also afford a decent sound system or at least a soundbar.

Smart features are provided, as has become standard for Panasonic, by Mozilla's FirefoxOS which is deliciously simple to use and highly effective at getting the right content in front of you at the right time with minimal hassle. All the expected streaming apps are there as standard, and you can pin any app to your homescreen for even more rapid access.

Verdict

The Panasonic TX-58DX902B, along with its stablemate, is the world's first Ultra HD Premium TV and thus it is both stunningly beautiful and expensive. HD content looks fantastic when upscaled but this TV really sings when you feed it 4K HDR pictures.