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True full-HD display stars

By Philip Wong
June 18, 2008

Whether you are a diehard videophile or a no-holds-barred home consumer, the following high-performance offerings are definitely The One worth shortlisting. A match made in heaven, these models wed the true image fidelity of a full-HD display with future-proofed 1080p video input compatibility. In short, you are guaranteed lossless video reproduction and trouble-free integration with just about any current and upcoming HD gaming console, player or settop box.

Here is a snapshot of the promising lineup from the Korean, Japanese and Dutch vendors.

Click here for a feature comparison table.

Sony Bravia KLV-46X350A (46-inch LCD)

CNET Asia rating: 8.7 out of 10

The good: Overall sharp and clean pictures; vibrant yet natural colors; smooth 100Hz motion reproduction; beautifully crafted; backlit remote; triple 1080p24-enabled HDMI.

The bad: Fixed pedestal stand, remote lacks dedicated input buttons; pricey.

The bottom line: The gen-two Bravia X has definitely lived up to its predecessor's reputation in all areas and more.

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Pioneer PDP-LX508G (50-inch plasma)

CNET Asia rating: 8.6 out of 10

The good: Class-leading blacks and color saturation; fluid motion reproduction; bassy and articulated loudspeakers; full 1080p24/50/60 video support; three HDMIs, onboard JPEG playback; extensive tweaking options; dedicated input buttons for remote.

The bad: Fixed tabletop stand; extremely pricey; less-than-optimized PC display resolution.

The bottom line: The Pioneer Kuro PDP-LX508G is the undisputable class leader in black level and color vibrancy. However, these attributes aren't twice as good as its peers to warrant the highly inflated pricing.

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Samsung LA46A650A1RXXS (46-inch LCD)

CNET Asia rating: 8.4 out of 10

The good: Good black levels and natural colors; clean and sharp pictures; sleek and unique Crystal Design styling; four 1080p24-ready HDMIs; USB port for JPEG/MP3 playback; lit and versatile remote controller; abundant tweaking options.

The bad: Stain magnet and stretch prone; mediocre stereo imaging; sound distortion when bass is driven hard; unnatural 100Hz for some film-based materials; pricey.

The bottom line: The latest Samsung LA46A50A1RXXS is another fine all-rounder much like the legacy Bordeaux Plus-series. However, it also has some noticeable misses on top of a high sticker price.

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Toshiba Regza 46X3500E (46-inch LCD)

CNET Asia rating: 8.3 out of 10

The good: Overall sharp and clean visuals; accurate color decoding; full-HD resolution and 1080p input-compatibility; dual HDMI 1.3 terminals; simple yet appealing visual design; extremely affordable.

The bad: Cumbersome toggle input and confusing control buttons; soft PC text.

The bottom line: The Toshiba 46X3500E is yet another no-frills entry, albeit with almost future-proofed specifications offering excellent performance at rock-bottom pricing.

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Sharp Aquos LC-46A83M (46-inch LCD)

CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10

The good: Smooth and beautiful HD visuals; deep blacks and whites; pretty respectable surround sound effects; sleek and classy design; triple HDMI jack; 100Hz scanning; Audyssey EQ audio equalization; optical audio output.

The bad: Mild black crush; fixed pedestal stand; no 1080p24 HDMI support; 1080i-only component-video; poor HD upscaling.

The bottom line: This new Aquos not only features 100Hz scanning and audio equalization, it also delivers deep black comparable to plasma TVs. It could have been another Editors' Choice candidate if not for its poor video scaling and input signal compatibility.

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