01.Introduction
Test results for the latest 117cm and 119cm TVs priced $1199 to $3799.
Finding a television to fit your living space is getting easier as manufacturers plug gaps in the market with ever more sizes. These 117cm TVs are a little bigger than the popular 107cm size, without pushing boundaries like larger models do. It's a size that, based on the sales figures we've seen, is meeting many people’s needs.
We tested 18 TVs using LCD technology, and two Panasonics, which have plasma screens. They can display up to 1920 x 1080, capable of showing HD in all its 1080p glory. While 3D technology continues to attract a lot of attention on the shop floor our viewing panel still considers 2D performance is a lot more important than 3D.
LED backlighting is coming down from the high end models to be more common in the smaller TV sizes at the mid-range price bracket. Once the market stops getting excited about LED as a feature, the focus will no doubt turn to the LED backlighting type and how it is carried out. Using edge or backlit LEDs will have an impact on the display quality as will the quality of the LCD panel.
Through our rigorous testing we reveal which TVs:
- Have the best picture quality.
- Have the best sound quality.
- Are the easiest to use.
- Use the least energy.
See also our review of 102-107cm TVs and 127-132cm TVs. And, for more information, see Televisions and Home Entertainment.
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Brands tested
• Kogan KGN1080P46VAB
• LG 47LE5310
• LG 47LE7500-TA
• LG 47LX9500-TA
• Panasonic TH-P46GT30A
• Panasonic TH-P46U20A
• Samsung LA46C650L1F
• Samsung UA46C6900VF
• Samsung UA46C7000WF
• Samsung UA46C8000XFXXY
• Samsung UA46D7000LMXXY
• Sanyo LCD-46XR10F
• Sharp LC-46LE700X
• Sharp LC46LE820X
• Sony 46NX710
• Sony KDL46EX500
• Sony KDL46EX720
• Sony KDL46HX820
• TCL L46P11FZE
• Toshiba 47XL700A
How we test
Picture quality
Our tester, James Thomson, sets up all the on-test TVs in our specialised test lab and adjusts their controls to get the best picture quality possible. He keeps the lighting in the room low and the sound muted, and three experts watch a variety of footage (from HD broadcast TV, DVD movies and Blu-ray) simultaneously on all the screens. A special reference test Blu-ray disc and two reference DVDs are used to provide test patterns and movie scenes to determine how well each TV produces accurate colour, and solid blacks and whites without a colour shift. They play movies and other footage to check the screen’s ability to produce images without colour-banding, jerkiness, blurring or vibration. They also check for colours bleeding in high contrast or very intensely saturated parts of the image, and that there are no trails behind fast-moving objects on the screen.
Ease of use James uses the remote control, front panel controls and onscreen display to perform a number of common tasks, such as channel- and volume-changing, setting up favourites and re-scanning channels.
He looks for logical menus and clear labelling, and buttons and controls that are easily identified and can be used without interfering with other controls.
Sound quality James listens to movies and music to check for rattles, hums, hisses or distortion, as well as to judge how well voice as well as the high and low sounds are produced.
Energy score If the set has a power rating of less than 1.5 or more than six stars, James uses a calibrated power supply and power meter to measure the power consumed by the TV when in use and on standby. This is done using out-of-the-box settings as required by the new mandatory power rating standard, to check the manufacturer’s claim. To date, our TV-testing experience suggests most manufacturers are providing reasonably accurate measurements.
Viewing angles Our testers stand square to the screen and walk sideways as well as moving above and below the screen until a drop in image quality is noticed.
DVR James records to both a USB hard drive and solid state media (USB stick) where appropriate and checks to see if the recording is compatible with other TVs of the same brand, or other TVs of a different brand. He assesses how easy it is to set up a recording and manage the recordings once on the media. Scores are recorded, but not used inthe overall assessment at this stage.
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