LCD TVs are extremely popular, largely due to their thin and sleek designs, bright picture, and energy efficiency. Because they are available in so many different sizes, LCD TVs can be used in almost any room in the house such as the kitchen, bedroom, or living room. A recent crop of LCD TVs uses LED-backlighting for improved performance and lower power consumption, but this technology also comes at a higher cost.
Compared to plasma TVs, LCD HDTVs deliver superior energy efficiency, less bulkiness, and many more choices in terms of size. The very best plasmas tend to cost a bit less while offering better image quality and viewing angles, but this gap is becoming increasingly narrow. We’ve selected the best LCD TV overall based on features, price, power consumption and most importantly, image quality, which factors in black level performance, color accuracy, grayscale accuracy, and motion performance.
The Samsung LN52B750’s winning combination of superb performance, great energy efficiency, and value make it the best LCD TV overall. It outperforms nearly all other LCD TVs, including Samsung’s ultra-thin LED edge-lit models. This HDTV is also very energy efficient and has plenty of interactive features including Yahoo! Widgets for stocks, weather, news, and other information. The LN52B750 has excellent picture quality, delivering accurate colors and very deep blacks. Color temperature is also accurate, especially after adjusting the white balance controls. One of the step-up features found on the LNB750 series is a 240Hz refresh rate. While you may not be able to clearly see the benefits over a 120Hz refresh rate, this HDTV does a solid job with video processing. Like with most Samsung’s TVs, there are plenty of adjustment options to help you get just the right picture, including five color temperature presets, adjustable dejudder processing, seven-position gamma control, color space control and plenty more. The adjustable dejudder processing lets you set judder reduction and blur reduction separately.
Connectivity should be sufficient for most. Four HDMI ports, an Ethernet port, two component video inputs, one RF input, one stereo analog, one VGA PC input, one optical digital audio output, two USB ports and an AV input are all included. If you need an S-video input though, you’ll find yourself out of luck. A particularly noteworthy feature is the ability to upgrade the set’s firmware via the Ethernet port.
If plasma TVs are not for you and you’re still looking for top-notch picture quality at a reasonable price, then the Samsung LN52B750 is one of the best options out there. While it can’t match the sleekness or energy efficiency of the company’s edge-lit LCD TVs, it offers much more bang for the buck and delivers superior performance. Anyone shopping for an LCD TV should put this one at or near the top of their list.
The LG 55LH90 features LED backlighting with local dimming technology to produce superb picture quality, making this one of the best performing HDTVs on the market. Just like the stand-out Panasonic G10/G15 and V10 series plasmas, this LCD TV comes with THX display certification. When set to the THX mode, the 55LH90 delivers an extremely accurate and realistic picture. And if you’re an experienced calibrator, the set’s expert modes provide a 10-point white balance system and a full color management system for dialing in a picture exactly to your liking. The LG 55LH90 outperforms most LCDs and nearly matches the performance of the best plasmas with its extremely deep black levels, excellent color, and solid video processing. This set also has very good sound quality for a TV, making it an even better value. While it lacks interactive connectivity features found on some of its competitors, this helps to keep the cost down and provide buyers with maximum bang-for-the-buck in terms of performance.
Samsung’s B650 series improves upon last year’s A650 series LCD TVs, which were praised for their combination of performance and value. The LN46B650 offers superb picture quality and is one of the best performing HDTVs available. Black levels are very deep, colors are very accurate, and there are plenty of adjustable settings for fine-tuning. However, the screen is very glossy, which may be a problem in brightly lit rooms. Similar to the B750 series and UNB6000/7000 series, the B650 series offers excellent video processing. One of the most welcome features is customizable dejudder processing, which lets you adjust judder and blur settings separately. While this set doesn’t offer a 240Hz refresh rate like the B750, you’ll be hard pressed to see a significant difference.
The B650 series includes Yahoo! widgets and access to information such as weather, news, and stocks. Connectivity is sufficient with 4 HDMI inputs, 2 component inputs, and a PC input. This set also includes 2 USB ports and an Ethernet port that can be used to download firmware updates.
Overall, this HDTV is an excellent choice for anyone seeking an affordable HDTV with excellent picture quality. While it can’t match the performance of the B750 series, it’s without a doubt one of the best performing LCD TVs available. It also can’t beat the best plasmas, but is far more energy efficient, which makes it a great alternative.
Sony’s KLD-52V5100, which is comparable to Samsung’s B550 series, is one of the best values among LCD TVs. It offers excellent picture quality with great color but remains affordable compared to other 52” LCD TVs. This set offers plenty of connectivity options with 4 HDMI inputs, component inputs, and a PC input. Overall, it’s an excellent value among LCD TV’s with performance that won’t disappoint.
Samsung’s UNB7000 series has an incredibly sleek, ultra-thin design (1.2” thick) and exceptional energy efficiency because of its edge-lit LED backlighting technology. Additionally, this HDTV has solid video processing and features network connectivity that allows you to receive content from Yahoo! and Flickr such as stocks, weather, news, and photo albums.
However, there are also some downsides -- most notably, the Samsung UN55B7000 is very expensive yet its image quality can’t match the performance of the best flat-panel HDTVs, including less expensive models such as the Panasonic G10 series or Samsung B750 series. Compared to these HDTVs, the Samsung UN55B7000 does not perform as well in terms of black level performance, off-angle viewing, or uniformity. While black levels are still very deep, there is noticeable backlight fluctuation that hurts overall black level performance.
Though there are some flaws in image quality, it’s still very good overall. Color temperature and primary colors are very accurate, and there are tons of adjustment options to help obtain an optimal picture. For example, Samsung offers five color temperature presets, gamma control, and white balance control. There’s even a custom mode for adjusting the dejudder processing, which works very well.
As far as connectivity, most users will find it sufficient. There are 4 HDMI inputs, a PC (VGA) input, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, and an Ethernet port. Both the USB port and Ethernet ports can be used to upgrade the TV’s firmware, which makes the process very convenient. However, if you have a lot of older devices with analog connections, you may find connectivity limited since there’s only a single component input (which can be converted to accept composite video as well).
Ultimately, your decision to buy this HDTV will come down to what’s most important to you. If design, energy efficiency, and features are top priorities, then the Samsung UB7000 series is nearly impossible to beat. But if you’re looking for the best price/performance ratio, there are better buys out there. Available in 40”, 46” and 55” sizes.