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October 10, 2007
Toshiba REGZA 42LX177, 46LX177, 52LX177 and 57LX177 Cinema Series HD LCD TVs ReviewToshiba’s REGZA LX177 Cinema Series models are Full High Definition (1080p) LCD televisions. The Cinema Series has been a well received release by Toshiba having picked up awards from Pacific Media Associates in their “Buckaroo winners for best-of-show products at CEDIA 2007” and from Electronic House consumer publication (for Toshiba REGZA 57LX177).
The Toshiba LX177 REGZA models have a gloss black cabinet with dimensions made smaller by the compact size of the twin 20W bottom mounted speakers. Toshiba’s new “Soundstrip” speaker technology allows for a thin speaker design with enhanced dynamic range without losing any home theater sound quality. If your new television needs to fit into a tight space or you wish to maximize your viewing area for the space available, the RF REGZA models have even smaller dimensions with an impressively narrow surrounding bezel of less than 1 inch. A couple of handy across-the-range features for the Toshiba REGZA are:
CE-LinkWith the REGZA Cinema series Toshiba have implemented the optional HDMI standard, Consumer Electronics Control (CEC). HDMI-CEC allows up to ten AV devices to discover and communicate with one another over a HDMI connected system. It can also be used to implement global commands with individual CEC enabled AV devices able to command and control each other without user intervention. For example, loading a DVD could trigger the DVD player to command the TV to switch on, select the DVD player HDMI cable as the video source and set the appropriate video and audio modes for playback. Toshiba’s ClearFrame LCD Motion Blur Reduction SystemMotion blur is a problem inherent to LCD televisions and is evident as a trail behind a moving object. It is partly due to an LCD panels refresh rate/process. An LCD monitor pixels light output remains constant (frozen) between refreshes (called ‘sample and hold’) and then abruptly jumps to the next frame. It has been found that increasing the refresh rate reduces motion blur and that is exactly how manufacturers have tackled the problem. To increase the display refresh rate manufacturers have increased video processing power to create extra frames to insert between existing frames – doubling the refresh rate. Creating the extra frames is processing intensive with the video processor looking at sequential frames and interpolating the differences between them to generate a unique new frame to insert between them. To reduce motion blur Toshiba’s ClearFrame doubles the frame rate utilizing their Motion Vector Frame Interpolation (MVFI) technology running on their PixelPure video processor. Sony calls their motion blur reduction technology Motion Flow, JVC calls it Clear Motion Drive II and LG have gone for TruMotion Drive. JVC have decided to go one better by tripling the number of frames. They have just demonstrated a 180Hz, 37 inch LCD panel at CEATEC. [Tech-On] Toshiba’s ColorBurst Technology for Wider LCD Color GamutToshiba’s ColorBurst technology utilizes enhanced CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) back-light technology to expand the color range to 90% of the NTSC color gamut – as opposed to the common 70% reproduction. A wider color gamut means more true to life video images. The only option for improving the color gamut beyond CCFL is to use LED backlighting. However, the higher cost of LED backlights has deterred most manufacturers from incorporating them. Native ModeA nice bonus feature of for the REGZA televisions is Toshiba’s Native Mode which restores the size of the picture by the 3-5% that is generally lost during the normal over-scanning that occurs on traditional sets. The loss occurring in traditional sets is due to a process called blooming where the image size increased slightly when a brighter overall picture is displayed. There is probably not a lot to see in the extra picture though as directors make sure that no important action takes place in this additional picture area not all viewers may seeing. Toshiba REGZA Digital Video ProcessingHigh Definition television video processor performance significantly influences picture quality. This is due to high definition displays magnifying any image defects including noise and image artifacts caused by poor video processing. Lower resolution displays lack of detail tends to mask defects. Image noise and artifacts can be introduced through the compression required to pack hundreds of channels within limited transmission bandwidth or during deinterlacing which is required to convert NTSC or PAL interlaced signals to progressive-scan for digital display. As well as deinterlacing and scaling video signals to fit native resolution, video processors are required to improve image quality and remove any noise or artifacts. Toshiba’s PIXELPURE 3G 14-Bit Internal Digital Video Processing is performed by a 3rd Generation Toshiba 14 bit digital video processor running at 333MHz. The incoming video signal is continuously monitored for adjustment of multiple picture quality parameters including progressive scanning, dynamic gamma, dynamic back light control (for contrast) and improved noise reduction. To put the 14 bit processing capability into perspective, it should be noted that all video sources are 8-bit per pixel. Extra bit capacity helps improve the precision of video processing. However, higher bit rates do not equate directly to improved video processing performance. So the best way to determine your personal level of satisfaction with the picture quality of a TV is to view it in different ambient light conditions while displaying a variety of light and dark video sources of varying resolutions. DynaLight Backlight Control for Dynamic Contrast Control and Deeper Black LevelsDynamic Contrast Control is utilized by LCD television manufacturers to improve contrast ratios. In Toshiba’s case, their DynaLight Backlight Control monitors each video frame adjusting backlight intensity to the optimum value for each image. Using DynaLight Toshiba achieve a dynamic contrast ratio 5 times the original panel contrast. DynaLight also improves the black level which is one of the advantages plasmas have traditionally held over LCD displays. Color Temperature ControlToshiba’s REGZA LCD TVs provide a three setting color temperature control for adjustment to personal tastes. The “warm” setting produces a redder image to the NTSC standard 6500 Kelvin which is suited to lower ambient light situations. The association of degrees Kelvin to color is counter to the usual association with blue being the hotter color and red the cooler. It comes from the colors being related to the standard based on the heating of an ideal black body radiator – when heated it first becomes red then yellow then “white hot” and so on. The “Medium” and “Cool” settings provide a progressively bluer image for the best picture in higher ambient light conditions. REGZA Sound SystemSRS WOW (including 3D, TRU-BASS and FOCUS)REGZA LCDs have WOW patented sound technology by SRS Labs. WOW improves the dynamic audio performance of twin speakers by expanding the size of the audio image and improving the perception of low frequency sound (more deep rumbles for action flicks). 3D WOW provides a panoramic three-dimensional audio image that extends the sound field in both the horizontal and vertical planes. TruBass TruBass enhances bass performance, restoring the perception of low frequency tomes by using the harmonics present in the original audio source to recreate the low bass frequency information. It delivers the perception of deep, rich bass up to an octave lower thn the physical low frequency limitations of small, medium or large speakers and headphones. FOCUS FOCUS lifts the dialog out of the sound mix and elevates the sound image, creating the perception of image height. Where speakers are located below the height at which viewers will be listening (such as with the REGZAs bottom mounted speakers) the sound field produced can be raised electronically. MTS Stereo/SAP with dbxAn MTS (Multi-channel Television Sound – sometimes called BTSC) decoder enables the television to accept and decode a broadcast stereo signal. Dbx is a suite of noise reduction systems by a company of the same name. The REGZA MTS, unlike some systems doesn’t delete the dbx encoded stereo information which is used to increase the signal-to-noise ratio to assist in noise reduction. Dolby Digital Dynamic Range ControlThe Toshiba REGZA LCD comes with Dolby Digital Dynamic Range Control which allows one to limit the dynamic audio range compared to that originally recorded. It very usefully cuts out the peak volume that comes with special effects or heavy action sequences while still enabling one to hear the dialogue ie. it brings the loudest and softest sounds closer together. It’s an excellent solution for keeping children asleep and the neighbors friendly while still enjoying your viewing. An associated volume control feature with the REGZA Cinema Series many consumers will find handy is the two-level mute (Half Mute/Full Mute). User Reviews and Price Comparisons
Toshiba 42LX177 – 42″ REGZA Cinema Series LCD TV – widescreen – 1080p (FullHD) – HDTV – gloss black
Toshiba 42LX177 – 42 1080p LCD HDTV w/ Built in ATSC/NTSC Tuner – 120Hz
TOSHIBA REGZA 57″ 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV 57LX177 Toshiba REGZA 42LX177, 42LX177, 42LX177 and 42LX177 Cinema Series HD LCD TVs Features
Technorati Tags: REGZA LX177 Cinema Series, Full High Definition, 1080p, LCD televisions, Buckaroo winners, Soundstrip, CE-Link, HDMI-CEC, ClearFrame LCD Motion Blur Reduction System, Motion Vector Frame Interpolation, MVFI, ColorBurst, enhanced CCFL, 14 bit digital video processor, DynaLight Backlight Control, Color Temperature Control, MTS, Multi-channel Television Sound, BTSC 1 Comment »RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Please add your comments to the post topic
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