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TV Reviews
Panasonic TC-P50ST30 3D Plasma HDTV
Thomas J. Norton  |  Aug 01, 2011

2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $1,500 At A Glance: Crisp, detailed images • Odd gammas in Custom mode • Little to complain about • Exceptional value

Panasonic means plasma. Yes, the company now offers a line of LCD displays, but only in smaller sizes. If you want a 50-inch or larger Panasonic, it will be a plasma. And that's not a bad thing. The TC-P50ST30 is Panasonic's latest, budget-priced, 50-inch 3D model. Only a few short years ago, you couldn't touch this level of quality in a 2D-only flat panel for five times the price—or more.

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TV Reviews
Panasonic TC-P50GT30 3D Plasma HDTV
Thomas J. Norton  |  Aug 01, 2011
2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $1,900 At A Glance: Good blacks and shadow detail • Odd gammas in Custom mode • THX certified • Uniformity and calibration issues

The GT30 line is the baby bear in Panasonic's range of 3D plasma HDTVs—not to expensive, not too bargain-basement, but, for many buyers, just right. And at 50 inches, one of today's most popular sizes, the P50GT30 lands right in the sweet spot. But does it offer more than Panasonic's entry-level ST30, perhaps even challenging the pricier VT30 lineup? We're here to find out.

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TV Reviews
Panasonic TC-P55VT30 3D Plasma HDTV
Thomas J. Norton  |  Aug 01, 2011

2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $2,800 At A Glance: Accurate color points • Odd gammas in Custom mode • THX certified • Best black level and shadow detail

Deciding among Panasonic's range of 3D plasma sets can be more than a little intimidating. But it's a Sunday stroll through the park compared to choosing from the bewildering flood of 3D LCD flat panels that glut the market. And for buyers who want a bigger plasma, Panasonic's top-of-the-line VT30 range—including its smallest member, the 55-inch P55VT30 reviewed here—pushes the envelope in both performance and features.

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Wide Angle
Vintage Vinyl on the Web
Al Griffin  |  Aug 01, 2011

Collecting records is an activity linked in most folks’ minds with combing through dusty stacks in cramped storefronts or at garage sales. But there’s an alternative way to check out vintage vinyl, and I don’t mean record fairs (though those are cool, too). I’m talking about YouTube.

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Ask S&V
2.35:1 Projection
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 01, 2011
I currently have a 16:9 front projection system, I am thinking of upgrading to a 2.35:1 screen and projector, as I watch mainly movies. I think I want a projector that will project natively at 2.35:1, with black bars on the sides for 16:9 material. What is that feature called? The projector would need to be either DLP or LCOS. Are there any such projectors out there now, or maybe on the near horizon? Any other thoughts you have would be appreciated.

Mike Weyer

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Tech2
Distortion: A Show and Tell
Brent Butterworth  |  Aug 01, 2011

We all know what distortion sounds like. We've heard it in heavy metal tunes, cheap iPod docks and the crummy speakers at Taco Bell drive-thrus. And we've all read distortion specs on things like receivers and subwoofers. But other than a general understanding that distortion isn't something we want in home audio gear, most people really don't know what it is.

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New Products
Best Buy Gets Connected
 |  Aug 01, 2011

With a pair of new smart TVs, Best Buy's not looking to win prizes for putting out the biggest or most full-featured devices in their class. But the Insignia Connected TV (available in 32" and 42" sizes, at $499 and $699 respectively) is aiming to bring a new class of consumer into the smart TV market.

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Sweepstakes
Oppo BDP-93 Disc Player Sweepstakes
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 01, 2011
We're giving away an Oppo BDP-93, valued at $499, which is widely considered to be among the finest disc players available today at any price. If you've been drooling over Oppo's new universal disc players—and let's face it, who among our readers hasn't?—here's your chance to snag one for free in our latest sweepstakes!

[This sweepstakes is now closed.]

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Vote
What Is Your Favorite Video-Streaming Source?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 29, 2011
Online streaming is quickly becoming a major source of movies and television shows in home theaters everywhere as TVs, Blu-ray players, A/V receivers, and game consoles add streaming apps to their slate of features. Of course, the quality generally isn't up to Blu-ray standards, but it's getting better all the time as codecs improve and more people increase the bandwidth into their homes. And it's tough to beat the convenience of streaming whatever you want whenever you want to any device you want.

If you watch streamed video content in your home theater, what is your favorite online source? Naturally, with so many sources available, I can't list them all here, so I've included an "Other" selection—if you choose that one, I really hope you leave a comment and let us know what that source is. Also, I encourage you to leave a comment explaining why you prefer a particular source—high picture quality, low cost, wide selection, short start-time delay, etc.

Vote to see the results and leave a comment about your choice.

What Is Your Favorite Video-Streaming Source?
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Projector Reviews
Optoma HD20 DLP Projector
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 29, 2011
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $999 At A Glance: Excellent detail & color via HDMI • Poor blacks & shadow detail • No lens shift • Excellent user interface

In some respects, the Optoma HD20 is an exceptional value, providing a razor-sharp 1080p image for just about as little money as any projector I know of. It's overall detail and color are excellent via HDMI, and it offers extensive controls, surprisingly advanced features, and a well-organized user interface. However, the lack of lens shift makes placement difficult without invoking the keystone control that can degrade the detail a lot. And even if you solve that problem, the shadow detail is poor, which causes dark scenes have large areas of solid darkness rather than subtle low-level details. Finally, at the largest image size I could manage in our studio given the lack of lens shift, the black level was quite high, which means the black of space was dark gray and letterbox bars were obvious. For better performance in this critical area, a larger image is a must.

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