It only seems like yesterday that 3DTV was the must-have technology of the future – this has quickly given way to IPTV – TV that accesses the internet. 3D TV was a fun product, let down mainly by a lack of software. IPTV on the other hand will change forever the way that we watch TV. At LWA we have long held the belief that the traditional methods of accessing our entertainment are quickly going the way of the Dodo. We will soon access all of our music, movies, documentaries, games etc on-line. For an increasing number of people purchasing physical DVD’s, CD’s etc is a thing of the past. Similarly we are also going to witness a change in the way we watch TV. Increasingly we will access programs that we want to watch on-line, via our TV set. We will be able to watch what we want, when we want to watch it.

If you need proof of who rapidly this category is growing the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) have an award category for ‘European AV Streaming TV’ (The EISA awards are becoming one of the most prestigious awards in our industry). It is no surprise that the 2011-12 award in this category went to Loewe for their Individual 46 Compose 3D TV. While connectivity is obviously a very important factor in this award, much was made of both the picture quality and the audio performance of this TV, or as the jury worded it ‘superior sound and picture quality with unlimited connectivity’.

This screen is packed with technology. Based on a full HD 400 Hz LCD panel with LED backlighting it features an in-built 500GB hard drive recorder.

You can steam content from the Individual 46 Compose to any other compatible Loewe screen, and with their Follow Me function viewing can be resumed at any time, irrespective of when the film or program was paused, or for how long it was paused. You can watch a program via the in-built in this screen and at the same time stream from the on-board hard-drive to a secondary set.

Their Loewe MediaPortal allows you to access other sources sitting on your home network, such as digital radio, or photos, movies or music stored on external hard-drives. Loewe MediaNet opens up the world through access to the internet.

This is a very attractive TV, giving a great picture, better sound than we have come to accept from the vast majority of screens out there, plus all the convenience of connectivity. Loewe screens come at a premium (the Individual 46 Compose sells for $6,990), but once you see, hear and play with this TV you will understand why.

The 1951 entertainment unit had one of these TV sets, a “symphonic” sound system and even a “handy utility drawer” for all those accessories and kick-knacks like … well, maybe the TV Week magazine and a biro to mark up the week’s viewing highlights. Remotes were yet to come, but by the 1960s the dizzying pace of improvement would see corded remotes trailing across the living room. The prestige back then was not just the size of the screen but the size and quality of the timber cabinet it was housed in.
Fast-forward to the present, and the scene has changed amazingly. TVs are flat panels, incredibly advanced in performance, and much larger. We are soon to see the Sharp 70”/175cm AQUOS LED backlit screens (with Quattron RGBY technology) launched in Australia – and yes, orders being taken already!

Modern screens are not just about 3D capabilities, which is becoming par for the course, but about accessing programs by a mixture of internal and external devices which facilitate things like web based shows, local network streaming, and hard-drive based off-air recording. Adding Apple TV or Boxee (currently the Boxee is free with some Sharp screens) gives you more ways to organise your viewing and pull in TV shows from the web.

The picture quality has continued to improve in both plasma and LED screens, as has power consumption, no longer something to be anxious about as they are all so much more efficient than a few years ago. Contrast levels are very high, and resolution is full HD standard (1920×1080) on most of them. Given a well photographed show, the pictures are truly stunning, again, way better than they were just a few years ago. The differences between plasma and LCD/LED picture quality continue to diminish, with both achieving an extremely high standard in the brands we stock.

Our current range of TV sets includes Plasma from Panasonic, and LCD/LED screens from Sharp, plus our very prestigious European offerings from Loewe of Germany. Whatever your needs, we can integrate any of these into your theatre room or other areas in the home so that all the benefits of an up-to-date TV can be yours.

Sharp have a really good promotion running at present – buy any of their slimline screens in the latest Quattron series (LE830X, sizes 40/46/52/60) from $1799 and get a free Boxee box (rrp $299) which gives you a great interface for bringing entertainment to your screen from a range of TV Shows and movies (plus YouTube) available online, through to photos and music from your local network. It makes it easy and great fun – there are some 500 shows available via Boxee now and the list grows weekly. Boxee gives access to all these things and allows you to stream them to the screen with a minimum of fuss. The controller has a little keyboard on the reverse side so you can easily type in what you’re after, as you have to for YouTube, etc.
This is a limited offer so get in for yours now!

There was an article posted yesterday on channelnews.com.au which really piqued my interest. It was headed ‘Plasma Still the Superior Display Technology’, which is something that we have been preaching, often in the wilderness, since the whole LCD/LED/Plasma argument raised its head. As it turns out this was based on the writings of an organisation with a vested interest in the technology. However this is a statement which is becoming much more common amongst industry reviewers, commentators and experts.

Its’ interesting what impact marketing can have on perception. The marketing reach and prowess of the large LCD manufacturers, who have vast sums at their disposal to preach the superiority of their product, is (or was?) enough to convince the public, and in the past many of the press, that what they were saying was gospel. What I always found to be amazing is that it was not even necessary to read what people had to say to form an opinion on the subject, all that was required was to stand in front of the two technologies, side by side, and look for yourself. I recall once being asked by a journalist for my feelings on the subject, and I suggested that instead of sitting behind a desk and ringing people with vested interests for their opinion to go out and have a look for himself. To his credit he did so, and was one of the first journalists to suggest that Plasma was the superior technology at a time when the LCD juggernought had successfully convinced the marketplace to the contry.

This controversy once led to what I consider to have been one of the more ridiculous statements made in this industry. When asked of which technology he thought was better the CEO of one of the largest Electronics chains in this country stated that it was not up to the dealers to decide which technology was superior, but that decision would be made by the public. What a load of crap! No wonder people are turning to the internet if the people who market and recommend the product do not have the guts (or the ability) to make informed decisions on behalf of their clients.

Lyndon Hughes from CNet summed the comparison up pretty well. ‘Plasma is the superior technology. It (unfortunately) got a bad rap in it’s infancy due to burn-in issues and short life span. BUT THESE PROBLEMS ARE COMPLETELY GONE!!!! It is up to people like me and other plasma owners to let the world in on what we are experiencing. LED refresh rate, response time, black level, side angle viewing and color accuracy can’t compete with plasmas. Period. They are making great strides, but are still trying to catch up and mirror the picture quality of a plasma.’

Yes, these comments were written over a year ago, and yes LCD/LED performance has improved since then. However, so has Plasma, in fact possibly more so. If you don’t believe me go out and have a look at the recently released Panasonic THP50ST30A. Forget the 3D capability and its IPTV connectivity (these are bonuses). This is one hell of an image for a 50” screen selling for less than $2,000 (and surely it’s all about the picture quality.)

To rub salt into the wound Panasonic has recently released a less expensive version of this screen. It does not do 3D, but it still boasts IPTV connectivity. The picture quality is not as impressive as its bigger brother, but it sell for less than $1,000. This is a very, very impressive 50” TV for very little money.

Loewe TV sets occupy a similar place in the market as German cars do in the automotive market. They offer superior styling, performance and sophistication, at a higher price. The Loewe sets perform beautifully as stand-alone TVs, but can be integrated into theatre settings or build up into multi-room systems with audio and media streaming add-ons. Many of the sets have integral hard-drive video recorders, and where speakers are included you can be sure they are of a high standard. Options for sound bars, electrostatic speakers or subwoofers are available too, along with various stands and wall-mounts.

The newest additions to their lineup are the slimline 400Hz Individual Compose series: 40”/102cm at $6499, 46”/116cm at $7999 and the 55”/140cm at $8999. These HD TVs have integrated hard drive recorders and look fabulous in both picture quality and styling.

Loewe sets are designed to be upgraded simply by updating the operating system software periodically, so your Loewe is not fixed in a technological timeslot, but will continue to evolve.

P.S. If you thought you couldn’t afford a Loewe, there’s the Modus 81cm/32” HD set, currently on special for $1699, down from $2599.

Consider these three things. Firstly, there are a lot of variations in screen aspect and source video types these days – a bewildering array. Secondly, with the growth of large screens (60″/150cm and upwards to beyond 100″/250cm) video quality must be as good as possible, since imperfections become more visible as the screen size grows. And thirdly, there are lip-sync gremlins waiting to pop out and spoil your evening when you least expect it. One good black box can solve all these issues while being a neat source switch too.

The Edge is a high quality video processor and intelligent A/V hub that converts standard definition, high definition and PC signals from up to ten sources to any HDTV resolution up to 1080p. EDGE has complete aspect ratio control that allows you to watch the way that you want, with or without the “black bars”. Edge will also automatically sync up the audio with the video, eliminating the AV lipsync problem. Using renowned Anchor Bay technology, the Edge is at the forefront of video processing for hometheatre applications and professional presentations.

You can get the DVDO Edge for $850. Add it to the InFocus SP8602 HD projector, since it’s reduced by $1300 from $5699 to $4399 at present.

We all admire the style and cleverness of the Loewe TVs, but just as German cars command a premium price, German TVs cost that bit extra as well. But here’s a first: a Loewe 32″/80cm TV for under $2000 – in fact just $1699 while stocks last.
The Modus L 32 (80cm) is a high definition screen with a standard definition digital tuner inbuilt, and capable of HD (1080i) via its HDMI input. At this size the 1366×768 resolution is indistinguishable from 1920×1080 and the result is magnificent picture quality from broadcast or from attached PVR or DVD/Blu-ray player. This is an ideal main screen for those who do not require a larger TV, or would be a perfect second or third TV for other rooms of the house. It has an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) and teletext functions included. There are a variety of A/V inputs and outputs, including HDMI, Component, Digital Audio, Euro Scart, and Headphone out.

This is a very limited offer in the black colour only. An optional extra is the Loewe Blu-Tech blu-ray player which is also on special down from $1599 to $799.

Free Warranty Extension: register your warranty with the distributor within 14 days and get the LCD warranty extended from 2 to 5 years, and the Blu-ray from 2 to 3 years.

The latest addition to our TV lineup is the amazing LED backlit Sharp 60”/150cm Quattron (LC60LE925X), which has been genetically engineered in a couple of tricky ways: Firstly, like others in the Quattron series it has the additional yellow sub-pixel added to the usual red, green and blue, to give a vivid colour palette – and the contrast is extremely good too!

Secondly, it can convert 2D pictures to 3D with the help of some clever electronic tricks to manipulate the image, and synchronized shutter glasses. Of course it functions as it should on actual 3D programs too! But this is only the start of a long list of features included in this set: USB input, 200Hz scanning, Ethernet terminal for multi-media sharing, to name a few.

You can now buy this screen for just $5,999.

OK – I am going to suggest something completely radical. If you are looking to buy a new flat screen TV, go out and have a good, hard look at the screens yourself. Try not to be swayed by anything other than what you, personally, need in a TV. Take the opinions of mass market reviewers but balance them with what you are thinking. And, most importantly, listen to the salesperson but don’t take their word as the final say. It’s not easy for me to say this. I’m writing in a well respected magazine as one of those reviewers. It’s filled with advertising from quality brands that have great products, and I have a store that supplies these products to you.

So why do I suggest this? In the forty years I have been in this industry I don’t think that I have ever seen any product category where the fortunes of the technology and the companies involved have waxed and waned for so many reasons, with precious few of them being performance of the products.

In the early ‘flat screen’ days the decisions were much easier, you only had a choice of plasma, or stay with the ‘old fashioned’ CRT. The fact that CRT was demonstrably better than Plasma in those early days mattered little – the new buzz was plasma, and that’s where the market went. Thankfully the rate of development was so rapid and it did not take manufacturers long to reach quality levels that justified the claims being made. If you jumped in to early you were stuck with a product that aged far more quickly than standard technology usually does.

Since then things have become very messy. LCD screens rapidly improved to a level where they could be considered to be an alternative to plasma. The LCD v’s Plasma debate quickly descended into a debacle. Suddenly LCD was the new ‘must buy’ product, based not on quality but on a lot of successful marketing campaigns However it was not long before plasma made a miraculous comeback. Did plasma technology suddenly improve in quality? No, its newfound popularity was based on a successful counter marketing campaign launched by plasma manufacturers. It was a convincing campaign and suddenly plasma was once again everyone’s flat screen of choice.

This isn’t to say that these waves of popularity are misleading or that the mass appeal is filling your head with lies. By the time plasma and LCD were really in their stride many of the products produced by the big brands were very good products. What it does say though is that no matter how good the other party was, it wasn’t the performance of the products that was leading the swing. This is why it’s so important to stay true to what you need and what you know about the products you’re after.

After plasma and LCD, along came LED. Firstly, an LED TV is not an LED TV. It is an LCD TV with backlighting (or in most cases edge-lighting) provided by LED lighting rather than the more traditional florescent method. This gives a very even spread of light, and it is brighter. It is going to be interesting if true LED TV becomes a commercial reality. Many people believe that they already exist, so how are companies going to market these?
Needless to say, being the new product on the block, LED is the current ‘must have’ product. I am fascinated by this. While I have seen some impressive LED sets, I have seen some well known brands marketing screens which puts the picture quality back where it was five years ago. Do they sell – of coarse they do. Is it because of quality – obviously not, it is just that the consumer has been convinced that this is the current technology, and so this is the one that they must have. Should you buy an LED? If it suits your needs then yes, absolutely. But do your homework. Look at the screens, read up on the technology and have a good hard think about it. The investment is large.

Now we are about to throw 3D TV into the mix. Not only do we have the plasma 3D v’s LCD 3D v’s LED 3D argument, but I believe there are currently nine different 3D standards. Heaven help the consumer. Looks like it’s back to the serious books.

Like I said at the beginning, if you are in the market for a flat screen, trust your eyes. It would be great if you could rely on everything that you are told and read. However in the real world this is not the case. Reviewers and store people don’t know what your exact situation is, where you live, the room environment and your watching habits, for example. They also have their own favorites.

So now that you are in the store, what do you look for?
Firstly you are already at something of a disadvantage; a retail environment is not the best place to be comparing screens. Showroom lighting, particularly fluorescent, gives a different effect to the lighting in most homes. Secondly most manufacturers know that their screens will be sold in a mass retail environment, and that you will automatically be attracted to the brightest screen, so their screens come out of the box ‘hot’ – that is with the brightness and contrast is turned up. It’s just part of the reality of a retail environment. The lights have to be fluorescent and the TVs have to be bright otherwise you won’t be attracted to them.

If you do your own detective work, there are a number of areas to pay close attention to.
From day one of the big issues with flat screen TV’s has been their ability to replay black. While this problem has been improving over the years a good number of screens still portray solid blacks as a dark grey. If you do find a screen that does display black blacks, also check that there is definition within that black.

In an attempt to overcome the inability of some screens to show black the manufacturers artificially enhance blacks, but end up without any definition. Check the screens with a night scene, or better still, with someone wearing a black or very dark suit. Can you still see the folds and creases in the clothes, or is it just a black blob? This will sort out the real deals from the fakers.
Another major downside of flat screens, in particular LCD, is motion artifacts. Again screens have come a long way in this respect, but have a look at some fast moving action on the screen. Is the action smooth, or does the image appear to move in a ‘jerky’ fashion.

Colour tones – are they natural. Almost every retailer uses animation movies to show off their screens. Why? – they are colorful, bright, attention grabbing, and most importantly, you have no way of telling if the colours portrayed are as they were initially intended. Possibly the best test for this is skin tones. Have a look at a row of screens in any retailers and you will find that you will naturally be attracted to the brightest, most colorful screen on display. Then have a look at a human face on that screen and the chances are very good that the skin tones are far more exaggerated than in reality (bright, ruddy complexion etc.) It doesn’t matter how much this screen appeals to you, either the screen calibration is wrong (making it difficult to make an educated choice) or it is a poor quality screen.

Have a look at depth of field. The better the screen the better the depth of field the more you can look ‘into’ the image.

Don’t be scared to walk up to the screen to have a close look at the image. A screen which gives a smooth image when you view it up close will always give a better picture from your watching position than one which is ‘blocky’ or jagged up close. However make sure that you do this on a good quality source, otherwise you may be looking at the failings of the material itself rather than the screen.

The importance of making your own decision will become greater if and when 3D takes hold. We are going to see a number of variations on the theme, and some will be better (more natural) than others. Again I repeat – trust your eyes. Does the image on the screen you are watching look natural? And most importantly, make sure you are viewing material where you can judge what natural should look like. Any good store will be able to sell you a good quality TV, but for the best set, trust your eyes and judgment to determine which one you choose. Good luck!