The Best Home Theater
The Best Home Theater Specs Not Worth Paying For
It never fails year after year The Best Home Theater Manufactures start hyping some new technology as a reason for you to replace your old system. With so many flat screens in HDTV comes in LCD, Plasmas and even the flashy new 3D. We have heard the advertising tricks so often that the only gimmick retailers have left to use is price. But that is what makes this year the best year to find some really great deals on The Best Home Theater if you know what to look for.
What To Look For In The Best Home Theater
Please remember not all HDTVs are created equal at all. If this is your year to get the new home theater you must determine which one will suit your home and budget. The choices are endless so do your homework first if you want to save some money. Getting the most bangs for the buck is the name of the game.
Plasma Home Theater
You might think that plasma is the older technology and it is but you may not want to take it off your list just yet. Being the older technology the prices have come way down. The design has the old bugs worked out and that means fewer problems to the consumer. Plasma is best for fast motion like sports with rich contrast, and deep blacks. On the negative side of the coin they do eat the energy in the neighborhood of 3 to 4 times as much as some of the newer energy saving models.
The LCD Home Theater
Traditional LCD you will find very bright and costs in the mid-range. There are a lot of discount LCD home theater systems that have blacks that seem to be more grey than black. The motion does not keep up with the fast action sports as well as a cheap plasma screen.
The slightly newer LED-backlit LCD home theaters have a thinner foot-print than the plasma and the blacks are much better. You will find them very energy conscious as compared to the plasma models.
Best Home Theater Specs To Not Pay For
Here is one of the specs they get you with time and time again (Resolution) it is what they use to describe the number of pixels used to make the picture on the screen. And of course more is better but you must take into consideration what the eye can tell a difference between. Most all HDTV home theaters are sold in 720p or 1080p which means they have either 720 rows of pixels or 1080 rows of pixels. So if you have chosen a small screen and paid more for 1080p the likely hood you could even tell the difference is very slim. Resolution becomes more important when you opt for the larger screen.
Home Theater With Internet Connectivity
The dealers like to call these smart home theaters because you can stream TV and movies right from the Web. Sure it is nice to have a feature like this built into your home theater but more often than not it is just extra wasted money spent. Many of the gaming consoles have the feature already built- in that you already own. It could be that the DVD player you already own has the feature built-in. But should you need the internet streaming capability add on devices very in price from $50 to $100 and can be found everywhere.
Home Theater Refresh Rate (Gotcha)
This means the speed that the HDTV paints the picture on the screen. The measurement is in Hz so a 60Hz refresh rate would refresh the screen at 60 times a second. The more expensive model at 120Hz refreshes 120 time a second. Now for the sports buff into the fast action will not be happy with the 60Hz because the fast action will seem to blur at times.
Refresh rates determine how fast the TV repaints the image on the screen. 60Hz models refresh the screen 60 times per second; 120Hz models refresh the screen 120 times per second. It's true that buying a TV with 120Hz refresh rate instead of 60Hz makes a noticeable difference when watching fast-moving programs like sports, where motion blur can become an issue at 60Hz. The sports buffs get hooked by the fast talking salesmen that tells him he needs the 240Hz refresh rate model ends up spending money he does not need to. The professionals agree that the eye can just barely tell the difference between 120Hz and 240Hz which means that it is an unneeded expense.
What Home Theater Specs Do Matter?
Home Theater Size Does Matter
You must buy what fits the budget but buy as big as you can if you have the room for it. Here is a very useful guide to use to make sure you do not over buy or under buy. There are some good guild lines to follow based on how far you will sit from the screen:
- 3 to 5 feet away needs a screen at least 32”
- 4 to 6 feet away needs a screen at least 42”
- 5 to 7 feet away needs a screen at least 50”
- 6 to 9 feet away needs a screen at least 60”
HDTV Screen Thickness
This comes into play when hanging on the wall and special cases. The LED HDTVs on the market today win the prize for being the thinner than plasma and LCD screens.
LED home theater is one of the newer technologies with lower energy consumption and the thinnest screens. Your first thought is this is the Best Home Theater to buy. But on the negative side the LED is also the most expensive home theater to buy as compared to plasma.
Home Theater 3D TV?
You are sure to find some price breaks on the 3D home theater system but you will pay more than the standard HDTV. 3D still requires you to wear glasses plus they cost extra in addition to the HDTV. There are two types of glasses, active or passive. The say active shutter glasses are better but they need recharging. There are lower end glasses that start at about $20 and I suspect that the higher end glasses are much better. The high end glasses run into 3 figures. Passive glasses have lower quality images but they are lighter and lower cost.
It may be a better recommendation to wait for the 3D that requires no glasses. You can find them coming out in Europe and Japan but they are not quite ready for prime-time yet. They are still very expensive with a 55” starting at $10,000. They still have viewing angle problems so it may be a while before we see 3D home theater systems in America that do not require glasses. They want you to buy into 3D and pay the premium but 3D content is still not a high priority with TV executives.
The Best Home Theater Bottom Line
Always buy to one you like best not the one the salesman says is better. LED home theater is somewhat more costly but have the best and newest feature packages that money can buy. The best prices will be found on the older LCD and plasma HDTVs because they fall behind in modern features. Remember The Best Home Theater is the one you like the best always so check them out before you buy.
Sony BRAVIA KDL46NX810 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED…
Sony BRAVIA KDL46NX810 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black
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List Price: unavailable Sale Price: $1,299.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Designed to deliver dazzling Full HD 1080p resolution, this 46-inch BRAVIA NX810 Series HDTV (model KDL46NX810) features advanced dynamic LED backlighting technology for incredibly high contrast levels, deep blacks and bright whites. And get ready for a three-dimensional revolution in your living room with the NX810's 3D capabilities. Just add the optional Sony sync transmitter and active glasses to experience movies and video games in 3D like never before Full HD 1080p, or convert 2D to 3D with a push of a button on your remote. Bravia Engine 3 (on right) produces a sharp, vibrant picture. OptiContrast panel (on right) produces on-screen images that appear to float on top of the glass. Integrated BRAVIA Internet Video. All 3D BRAVIA TVs are supported by a rapidly increasing variety of 3D content, including the latest Hollywood movies on Blu-ray 3D disc; sport, music, natural history and entertainment from new 3D cable and satellite channels; even 3D games such as WipEout HD and MotorStorm Pacific Rift for the PlayStation3. Enjoy incredible contrast and sharp, vibrant images with the Dynamic Edge LED backlight plus see smooth motion detail during fast-action scenes with the Motionflow PRO 240Hz technology. Edge LED-backlit HDTVs consume less power than conventional LCD televisions and contain no mercury. Additionally, the BRAVIA Engine 3 video processor produces superior, life-like image with amazing contrast and color. Experience an innovative, monolithic design via the OptiContrast panel. As you watch, the on-screen images appear to float on top of the glass. Turn the set off, and the picture seemingly fades away. To ensure nothing distracts your viewing experience, the OptiContrast panel also improves picture accuracy while reducing glare and reflection. This NX810 HDTV also offers integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking, enabling you to connect to a wide range of streaming video sites--including Netflix and Crackle--as well as widgets to get headline news and updates from Facebook and Twitter. You can also stream content directly from your compatible PC to this DLNA Certified HDTV. Other features include 5 HD inputs (4 HDMI, 1 component), a USB port for photo, music, and video playback on the TV, an Ethernet port (for wired networking), and VESA compliant wall mounts. See a comparison of all Sony HDTV models below. Key Features Full HD 1080p Resolution: Experience Full HD 1080p picture quality, the highest at-home resolution, and take full advantage of HD sources like a Blu-ray Disc Player or PlayStation3 gaming console via the 16:9 wide screen panel (1920 x 1080). Dynamic Edge LED backlight: Experience incredible contrast in a slim design with Dynamic Edge LED backlight technology. 3D in Full HD: Enjoy an immersive, realistic movie and gaming experience in Full HD 1080p using Sony's 3D accessories (3D sync transmitter and 3D active glasses, both sold separately) and connecting a compatible 3D Blu-ray Disc Player or PlayStation3 gaming console. Convert standard 2D personal content into 3D with the push of a button on your remote. Motionflow PRO 240Hz Technology: Experience smoother motion detail and clarity with Motionflow PRO 240Hz technology. Motionflow PRO 240Hz technology increases the frame rate and applies Image Blur reduction to deliver a crisp, fluid viewing experience during fast-action scenes. Built-In Wi-Fi: Enjoy the convenience of built-in wireless connectivity (Wireless-N; 802.11b/g/n) to your home entertainment network and make accessing your online entertainment--including movies, photos, music, videos and more--even easier. BRAVIA Internet Video: Instantly stream a wide variety of movies, TV episodes, videos and music from a large selection of entertainment apps including: Netflix, YouTube, Slacker, and more. (Learn More) BRAVIA Internet Widgets: Personalize your viewing experience by adding information apps to your screen so you can instantly access the latest local news, weather, sports headlines, as well as Twitter and Facebook updates. BRAVIA Engine 3: Enjoy Sony's most advanced processing system for superior image detail, exceptionally vibrant, life-like images, reduced noise and optimized contrast and color with the BRAVIA Engine 3 fully digital processor. LightSensor Technology: Automatically increase or decrease the level of brightness of your TV's backlight based on a room's lighting conditions with the integrated LightSensor technology. Dim the lights to watch a movie and the sensor dims the backlight, which also helps reduce unnecessary power consumption. 24p True Cinema: Movies consist of 24 images per second, and cannot be faithfully reproduced on conventional televisions, resulting in unnatural, jerky movements. But 24p True Cinema displays the 24 progressive images as they should be, in the same sequence as the original film source. Now, you can recreate the visual clarity of cinema-quality movies in the comfort of your own home. USB Input: Share your photos on the big screen or listen to your favorite music. Simply connect your digital camera, USB-enabled MP3 player, or USB storage device directly to your HDTV's USB input. OptiContrast Panel: Enjoy improved picture accuracy and deeper blacks with the OptiContrast panel technology when you are watching. Energy Saving Switch: Eliminate standby power consumption without having to unplug your TV. Simply turn the Energy Saving Switch to off position and the TV no longer draws energy from the power source. Key Specifications Screen size: 46 inches CineMotion Reverse 3:2 Pulldown Technology: Yes 24p True Cinema Technology: Yes 3D Comb Filter: Yes TV Guide On-Screen: Yes Deep Color: Yes Live Color Technology: Yes Auto Picture Setting w/ HDMI: Cinema, Sport, Music, Photo, Graphics, Game Picture Mode: Vivid, Standard, Custom, Cinema, Game-Standard, Game-Original, Sports, Graphics, Photo-Vivid, Photo-Standard, Photo-Original, Photo-Custom Speakers: 2x 10W (20 watts of total power) 5.1 Channel Audio Out: Yes Dolby: Dolby Digital USB Application(s) : Photo Viewer (jpeg), Photo Viewer (RAW), Music Player (mp3), Video Player (AVCHD), Video Player (AVC), Video Player (MPEG4) Wireless LAN: Integrated (802.11b/g/n) Tuners: ATSC, NTSC, Clear QAM VESA wall mounting pattern: 300 x 300 Warranty: 1 year labor and parts Energy Star compliant: Exceeds Energy Star version 4.0 Dimensions TV with stand: 42.75 x 27.25 x 10.75 inches (WxHxD); 54.7 pounds TV without stand: 42.75 x 26 x 1-1/4 inches (WxHxD); 45.2 pounds What size TV should you get? Connections HDMI: 4 (2 side, 2 rear; HDMI PC input capability) Component: 1 (side) Composite A/V: 2 (1 side, 1 rear shared with component) Ethernet: 1 RF: 1 (rear) USB 2.0: 1 (side) PC input (15-pin, D-Sub): 1 (side) Analog audio inputs: 3 (2 side, 1 rear) Digital audio output: 1 optical What's in the Box BRAVIA NX810 Series HDTV, remote control (with batteries), AC power cord, table top stand, operating instructions Learn More Bravia Internet Video Have your favorite internet content delivered to your TV screen with BRAVIA Internet Video. Stream movies, videos, music and more with BRAVIA Internet Video from a wide variety of sources and services, including: Amazon Instant Video provides instant access to over 50,000 hit movies and TV shows directly on your Sony BRAVIA HDTV. Watch new release movies as soon as they're on DVD and TV shows the day after they air, with thousands of titles available in HD--all commercial free. Netflix: Instantly watch thousands of TV episodes and movies streamed from Netflix right to your Sony BRAVIA HDTV--watch as much as you want, any time you want. (Netflix unlimited membership required for Netflix feature functionality.) Crackle: The next-generation video entertainment network with hundreds of movies, TV shows, and original series from the vast Sony Pictures library. Pandora Internet Radio: Free, personalized internet radio playing only music you love. Pandora brings an effortless personal soundtrack into your living room. Enter your favorite artists and enjoy stations created just for you. Rate songs as they play, because Pandora caters to your tastes and adapts stations to your feedback on the spot. Which Size HDTV is Right for My Room? With standard-definition TVs, the rule used to be that viewers would feel comfortable watching a set from a distance of 3 to 6 times the screen size in inches. With HDTV, the resolution is so much better that you can sit closer to a larger TV without noticing the pixels. So with HDTVs, the rule tends to be you can sit anywhere from 1.5 to 3 times the screen size (in inches) for the best experience. If you know the size of the room you have already, where you want to sit, and where your new HDTV should go once you get it, you can figure out the size HDTV you should get. Minimum size = Viewing distance/3 Maximum size=Viewing distance/1.5 Sony HDTV Comparison Series: BX300 EX308 EX400 EX40B EX500 EX600 EX710 HX800 NX700 NX810 Models: 32" 22" 32", 40" 32", 40" 32", 40",46", 55",60" 32", 40",46" 32", 40",46", 55" 40", 46",55" 40", 46" 46", 55",60" Panel type LCD (CCFL) LCD (CCFL) LCD (CCFL) LCD (CCFL) LCD (CCFL) Edge LED Edge LED DynamicEdge LED Edge LED DynamicEdge LED HD 720p -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Full HD 1080p -- -- 3D ready -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Yes -- Yes Video processing Engine 2 Engine 3 Engine 2 Engine 3 Engine 2 Engine 2 Engine 3 Engine 3 Engine 3 Engine 3 Motionflow -- -- -- -- 120Hz -- 120Hz 240Hz 120Hz 240Hz Ambient Sensor -- -- -- Lightsensor -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Internet Video -- Ready -- Ready -- -- Ready Internet Widgets -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- DLNA -- -- -- -- Wireless LAN -- Ready(w/ dongle) -- Ready -- -- Ready Ready Integrated Integrated Ethernet -- -- -- -- Blu-ray Disc Player -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- HDMI 2 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 Component (Y/Pb/Pr) 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 Composite A/V 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Digital audio output Optical Optical Optical Optical Optical Optical Optical Optical Optical Optical PC (DSub) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 HDMI PC input USB 2.0 port 1 (svc only) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 MP3 playback -- JPEG playback -- MPEG 1/2 video playback -- -- -- -- -- -- -- MPEG 4/AVCHD video playback -- -- -- -- TV Guide onscreen -- -- -- --
Details
- 46-inch Dynamic Edge LED-backlit HDTV with Full HD 1080p resolution; ready for you to enjoy 3D movies, sports and videogames with optional accessories
- Motionflow 240Hz technology for smoothest motion in fast action sports and games; BRAVIA Engine 3 fully digital video processor
- Integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi; access to BRAVIA Internet video and widgets; USB port for photos, music and video playback
- Inputs: 4 HDMI, 1 component, 2 composite, 1 PC, 1 USB, 1 Ethernet, 1 optical digital audio output
- Includes removable stand; measures 42.75 x 27.25 x 10.75 inches with stand
- 46-inch Dynamic Edge LED-backlit HDTV with Full HD 1080p resolution
LG 55LX6500 55-Inch 3D 1080p 240 Hz LED Plus LCD HDTV,…
LG 55LX6500 55-Inch 3D 1080p 240 Hz LED Plus LCD HDTV, Espresso
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List Price: $3,599.99 Sale Price: $2,395.00 Availability: unspecified
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Product Description
The LX6500 delivers 3D technology and a whole lot more. It lets you tap into the future of entertainment with broadband TV, cut free of your cable box and messy wires with Wireless HD and enjoy a host of other features that will bring your experience to the next level.
Details
- 3D TV. LED Plus
- NetCast Entertainment Access (Wi-Fi Ready)
- Wireless 1080p Ready
- TruMotion 240Hz
- Espresso trim
- Dynamic contrast ratio: 8,000,000:1
- Speakers: 2 x 10W






