Topbuys-4u.com

Fortune Street Wii

chasity — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:06:07 +0000

The Good

Wide variety of board designs
Robust single-player mode with fun opponents and dialogue
Plenty of extras to unlock.

The Bad

Can be slow-paced even on the highest speed settings
Easy mode is too dull
Doesn’t hold up well as a party game experience.

In the days of yore, before Pong and the Fairchild Channel F, people looking for competitive experiences in the comfort of their homes amused themselves primarily with tabletop board games. Nowadays, we live in an age of electronic games, but this hasn’t decreased the appeal of traditional board games. In fact, the advent of video games has given rise to some wholly original board-game-style experiences in digital form. Square-Enix’s Fortune Street series is among these original “video board games.” Despite being around for 20 years in its native Japan, Fortune Street on the Wii marks the franchise’s Western debut, complete with characters from the Mario and Dragon Quest series–and a glacial pace that muzzles your enjoyment.

The Mario themes might conjure up images of Nintendo’s long-running Mario Party series, but make no mistake: Fortune Street is a very different sort of board game experience. It’s actually a lot easier to compare Fortune Street to Monopoly. You are placed on one of several Mario- or Dragon Quest-themed board designs, and you take turns rolling a virtual die to move around. Scattered across the boards are empty lots you can purchase when you land on them for the first time. When you purchase a space, a shop is built, and players landing on that space from that point onward must pay money to the owner. As you build more shops, you have the option to improve your property, raising prices and bolstering your net worth. Traveling around the board also nets you “suits” (hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs), which earn you extra money and benefits when a full set is brought back to the Bank space. To win the game, you must be the first to make it back to the Bank space with a certain net worth.

It’s a bit more complicated than that, though. The game has two play settings–easy and standard–and the rules vary depending on which mode you pick. Easy mode grants growth, property value, and price bonuses for building shops next to each other on the board. Standard mode divides areas of the playfield into “districts.” Building sets of shops within districts grants bonuses similar to building things side-by-side in easy mode, but with another distinct advantage: stock price boosts. Landing on the Bank or other set spaces in standard mode lets you buy stocks in certain districts, and as stock prices rise, so do property values. Stock prices and property values have a direct correlation: as one rises, so does the other, and vice versa. Stocks also pay out small dividends whenever a transaction occurs within a certain district. Playing wise with stocks is a good way to increase your net worth.

It wouldn’t be a board game without a bit of chance thrown in, and Fortune Street provides simple, single-player minigames and random bonuses/penalties when you land on certain spaces of the board, keeping you constantly on your toes. There are also ways to mess with your opponents: if you have a lot of cash on hand, you can forcibly buy shops off of them for several times the asking price, or you can decrease the value of their properties by offloading a lot of stocks in a district they’ve invested heavily in.

Things might sound complicated, but the game provides a solid single-player tutorial for both play modes to help ease you into the rules. In fact, the single-player mode is surprisingly robust, featuring a bevy of boards to play on and Mario and Dragon Quest characters as rivals of varying skill levels. (If you’re expecting to play as these characters, however, you’ll be disappointed, because the only character you can use is your Mii.) By performing well in the single-player games, you earn stamps that can be used to purchase and customize clothes and animations for your Mii avatar. There are a lot of purchasable items, so if you want to get everything, you’ll be playing for a while. Fortunately, single-player game sessions can be saved midgame, and if you don’t feel like grinding, you can even set your player character to Out to Lunch mode and have the computer take over in your place.

Out to Lunch mode is likely to become tempting at times, because Fortune Street has a tendency to be a slow-paced game, even with the movement and text speed cranked up to max. Easy mode in particular begins to drag once all the property has been bought up; you find yourself circling the board waiting for someone, anyone, to get enough net worth to finally win. Standard mode can be infuriatingly slow in a different way as you wait for other parties to manage their stock portfolios and other assets. It’s not unlikely for a single game session to drag on for a few hours.

It’s this slowness and complexity that seriously hamper the appeal of Fortune Street as a multiplayer experience. The game offers far more careful strategy than a typical “party game,” but at the expense of pick-up-and-play appeal. There’s little in the way of direct player-to-player interaction except when money and property change hands–even the few minigames are strictly single-player. It’s not a “grab off the shelf and play for a half hour” sort of multiplayer game: you need a group of people willing to commit a good chunk of time and effort to playing a somewhat complex finance management game. It’s not a guaranteed crowd pleaser, and if you’re hoping to play with younger companions, you’re likely to have some very bored kids on your hands. At least if you can’t find flesh-and-blood buddies with whom to run your own local campaigns, you can hop online to try to find some folks for Wi-Fi play.

Fortune Street is a serviceable board-game-style experience, but it comes with plenty of caveats: a slow pace, some initial complexity that’s hard to ease new players into, lengthy single-session play times, and a lack of interaction with your opponents. It’s certainly fun to snatch property up and reap rewards from unlucky foes, but it requires a great deal of patience and time commitment. If you and some friends are willing to make the investment, you might find rewards on Fortune Street; otherwise, you’re better off sticking to something more immediately fulfilling.

Contact

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:42:51 +0000

Privacy

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:42:35 +0000

Thank you for visiting our web site. This privacy policy tells you how we use personal information collected at this site. Please read this privacy policy before using the site or submitting any personal information. By using the site, you are accepting the practices described in this privacy policy. These practices may be changed, but any changes will be posted and changes will only apply to activities and information on a going forward, not retroactive basis. You are encouraged to review the privacy policy whenever you visit the site to make sure that you understand how any personal information you provide will be used.

Note: the privacy practices set forth in this privacy policy are for this web site only. If you link to other web sites, please review the privacy policies posted at those sites.

Collection of Information

We collect personally identifiable information, like names, postal addresses, email addresses, etc., when voluntarily submitted by our visitors. The information you provide is used to fulfill you specific request. This information is only used to fulfill your specific request, unless you give us permission to use it in another manner, for example to add you to one of our mailing lists.

Cookie/Tracking Technology

The Site may use cookie and tracking technology depending on the features offered. Cookie and tracking technology are useful for gathering information such as browser type and operating system, tracking the number of visitors to the Site, and understanding how visitors use the Site. Cookies can also help customize the Site for visitors. Personal information cannot be collected via cookies and other tracking technology, however, if you previously provided personally identifiable information, cookies may be tied to such information. Aggregate cookie and tracking information may be shared with third parties.

Distribution of Information

We may share information with governmental agencies or other companies assisting us in fraud prevention or investigation. We may do so when: (1) permitted or required by law; or, (2) trying to protect against or prevent actual or potential fraud or unauthorized transactions; or, (3) investigating fraud which has already taken place. The information is not provided to these companies for marketing purposes.
Commitment to Data Security

Your personally identifiable information is kept secure. Only authorized employees, agents and contractors (who have agreed to keep information secure and confidential) have access to this information. All emails and newsletters from this site allow you to opt out of further mailings.

We reserve the right to make changes to this policy. Any changes to this policy will be posted.

Bose QuietComfort 15

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:20:46 +0000

The good: Extracomfortable design; improved sound; highly effective noise-canceling circuitry; device folds for compact storage in included carrying case; 30-day home trial.

The bad: Expensive; when the battery dies, so does the music.

The bottom line: While they’re no bargain, the Bose QuietComfort 15s currently offer the best sound and silencing capabilities in a pair of noise-canceling headphones.

Review:In designing its fourth-generation consumer noise-canceling headphones, the QuietComfort 15s, Bose has done something interesting. Instead of coming up with a whole new look for its headphones as it did with the QuietComfort 3s, Bose has left the basic design of its popular QuietComfort 2s intact and simply redesigned them on the inside, adding even more effective noise-canceling circuitry and improving their sound quality.In designing its fourth-generation consumer noise-canceling headphones, the QuietComfort 15s, Bose has done something interesting. Instead of coming up with a whole new look for its headphones as it did with the QuietComfort 3s, Bose has left the basic design of its popular QuietComfort 2s intact and simply redesigned them on the inside, adding even more effective noise-canceling circuitry and improving their sound quality.

The QuietComfort 15s look identical to the QuietComfort 2s, with the same over-the-ear design, including earcups that swivel and fold flat to fit in a stylish case. (To be clear: the QC15s replace the QC2s, which will no longer be sold.) Bose has redesigned the case so that it’s easier to plop the headphones in it and close it up. The resulting package is slightly bigger than a CD wallet, which makes it easier to tote, though it’s still not terribly compact. As you’d expect from a set of headphones designed for frequent travelers, Bose throws in a two-prong airline adapter. The ‘phones also offer a “high/low” switch, which should prevent your ears getting blasted when the pilot or flight attendant comes over the PA system.

As we said about the QuietComfort 2s, even without the noise-canceling engaged, the earcups’ deliciously soft cushions effectively sealed off our ears from the noisy environment. While the QuietComfort 2s only had noise-canceling microphones (for detecting the ambient noise) on the inside of the earcups, the QC15s have them on the inside and outside, which is said to increase their effectiveness. Flipping on the noise cancellation–which pumps out “anti-noise” to proactively counteract the environmental sounds–damps down the noise even further.

Of course, there’s a catch. Like all other noise-canceling headsets we’ve reviewed, the QuietComfort 15s produce a sense of pressure on the eardrum. Listeners sensitive to this effect may find it anywhere from mildly annoying to distractingly uncomfortable. Most of the former group will tend to forget about it as soon they start playing music or movies. If your experience is more the latter, noise-canceling headphones aren’t for you–stick with noise-isolating in-ear headphones instead. (Luckily, Bose offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you don’t like the QuietComfort 15s, you can return them.)

This reviewer has a very loud air-conditioning system in his office that we use for testing noise-canceling headphones (it isn’t quite as loud as the inside of an airline cabin but it’s not that far off). The QuietComfort 15s were able to almost completely silence the sound of the rumbling fan. Oddly, the impact of engaging the circuitry may seem a bit weird–it almost feels as if you’re at the bottom of a pool, almost completely shut off from the sounds above.

As with all of Bose’s noise-canceling headphones, you have to engage the noise-canceling to listen to music, and when the battery dies, so does the music. Luckily, battery life is good. Bose rates it at 35 hours, and the single AAA battery, which resides in the right earcup, was still going strong after we left our tunes in a loop overnight. Those looking for a rechargeable option can either opt for the QuietComfort 3s, or invest in their own third-party battery and charger. On the plus side, sticking with standard alkalines means there’s no wall charger or AC cord to worry about when traveling.

While there may not be a huge difference between this model’s noise-canceling prowess and the QuietComfort 2′s, a distinction is definitely noticeable. According to Bose, these headphones are designed to defeat a wider range of frequencies, going up to over 90 decibels; the QuietComfort 2s peaked more in the 84-85db range. We also tried the QuietComfort 15s in the New York City subway system, and they did an impressive job of muffling noise.

Of course, the only problem is that because these are over-the-ear headphones that offer a tight seal, it can get a bit steamy inside the cups, especially on hot days, though they “breathe” fairly well for over-the-ear headphones. On long plane rides, your skin will also get a bit moist underneath the cushions, so expect to take them off for short periods to give your ears a little air. Also note that the 3.5 millimeter cord is detachable, so if you just want to block out the outside world and catch a nap, you can do so.

In terms of sound quality, the first thing we noticed about this model compared with the QuietComfort 2s was that the overall sound was smoother and more tonally balanced. In the QuietComfort 2s and QuietComfort 3s, Bose seemed to mess with the bass a bit, pumping it up (we found it a little thumpy), but the bass on the QuietComfort 15s is tighter and punchier (hip-hop fans may prefer the bass on the QuietComfort 2s, but that’s a matter of listening taste).

The QuietComfort 15s offer excellent detail. Our first reaction to the headphones was an urge to relisten to our entire library of music, a welcoming symptom of acquiring high-grade cans. That said, these are a closed-cup design, so the sound is a bit more “stuck inside your head” than you’d get from open-backed headphones. As such, they don’t quite measure up to some other high-end headphones that we’ve tested in this price range. Still, these are probably the best-sounding noise-canceling headphones we’ve heard to date.

As we’ve said about virtually all of Bose’s headphones, they aren’t exactly a bargain. And at $300, these aren’t either. But they are a nice step up from the QuietComfort 2s and offer improved sound and noise-canceling performance. Looking at it that way, we can at least say they they’re a better deal than their predecessors or the smaller and more expensive QuietComfort 3s, which still retail for $350.

LG 55LW9800

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:28:13 +0000

The good: The LG 55LW9800 exhibits excellent color, shadow detail, and properly handles 1080p/24 sources. Its well-designed Smart TV Internet portal utilizes built-in Wi-Fi streaming, and the TV includes a cool Wii-like secondary remote. The LG’s passive 3D has minimal crosstalk and is brighter than active 3D, and four pairs of 3D glasses are included.

The bad: This expensive full-array LED TV can’t match competing models in picture quality, with lighter black levels and poor gamma and shadow detail in the most forgiving picture modes. Its screen performed poorly in ambient light, and blooming was relatively common. The Smart TV’s search function is next to useless. 3D image quality was worse overall (softer image, more artifacts) than active 3D.

The bottom line: The expensive LG 55LW9800′s picture quality doesn’t live up to the promise of its full-array local dimming LED backlight.

Review:As we describe in detail in our explanation of the confusing world of LED backlight configurations, our favorite variety is known as (deep breath) “full-array with local dimming.” Unfortunately, it’s exceedingly expensive to implement, at least to judge from the sticker prices of the only currently shipping 2011 HDTVs to offer this feature: Sony’s XBR-HX929, Sharp’s Elites, and the LG 55LW9800 reviewed here. The LG is unique among the three as the only one with passive 3D TV capability–combining local dimming with the brightness, crosstalk, and practicality advantages of polarized 3D glasses. If you want passive 3D.

As we describe in detail in our explanation of the confusing world of LED backlight configurations, our favorite variety is known as (deep breath) “full-array with local dimming.” Unfortunately, it’s exceedingly expensive to implement, at least to judge from the sticker prices of the only currently shipping 2011 HDTVs to offer this feature: Sony’s XBR-HX929, Sharp’s Elites, and the LG 55LW9800 reviewed here. The LG is unique among the three as the only one with passive 3D TV capability–combining local dimming with the brightness, crosstalk, and practicality advantages of polarized 3D glasses. If you want passive 3D and have money to burn, this 55-inch model (it’s not available in any other size) seems appealing on paper. In person, however, despite myriad settings and our best attempt to calibrate them, it fails to fulfill those high expectations.

Panasonic TC-P50GT30

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:18:05 +0000

The good: The Panasonic TC-PGT30 has excellent overall picture quality, with deep black levels, accurate color, and solid video processing. It can handle 1080p/24 sources and bright rooms well and exhibits the nearly perfect screen uniformity of plasma, as well as very good 3D picture quality. It includes a Wi-Fi dongle, its Internet suite is simple to use yet content-rich, and the styling is handsome with a 1.5-inch-deep panel.

The bad: Picture quality flaws include subtly fluctuating black and gray levels as well as inaccurate gamma that washes out shadows somewhat. The GT30 has fewer picture controls than the competition, doesn’t include 3D glasses, and uses significantly more power than LCD TVs.

The bottom line: Excellent all-around picture quality combined with improved features and styling should make the Panasonic TC-PGT30 TV a favorite among bigger-spending plasma seekers.

Review:The GT30 sits in the upper-middle end, a notch below the company’s 2011 flagship in panel technology and, we assume, picture quality. It’s not without its flaws, but it’s still a superb TV overall that sets the bar high once again–although it’s not a significantly better performer than its less-expensive (albeit plainer-styled) line-mate, the TC-PST30 series. The Panasonic TC-PGT30 series belongs on the short list for buyers who want the advantages of plasma in a thin form factor but don’t want to pay the premium for a flagship TV.The GT30 sits in the upper-middle end, a notch below the company’s 2011 flagship in panel technology and, we assume, picture quality. It’s not without its flaws, but it’s still a superb TV overall that sets the bar high once again–although it’s not a significantly better performer than its less-expensive (albeit plainer-styled) line-mate, the TC-PST30 series. The Panasonic TC-PGT30 series belongs on the short list for buyers who want the advantages of plasma in a thin form factor but don’t want to pay the premium for a flagship TV.

The GT30 represents the first major redesign of a Panasonic plasma in a couple of years, and is also the first to adopt the thin profile used by Samsung since 2009. We liked the clean, minimalist lines, rounded corners, and classy silver edge around the frame, and think the GT30 easily outstyles the step-down ST30 models.

The new panel measures 1.5 inches deep, but a speaker bulge along the bottom (you can’t detach the speaker) brings the true depth to 2.2 inches. That’s still slimmer than the ST30, with its 2.2-inch panel (2.8 inches with speaker), but doesn’t compete with the 1.5-inch bulge-free depth of the 2011 Samsungs.

The bezel around the screen was trimmed to 1.4 inches on all sides (there’s a shallow, set-back protrusion on the bottom for the speaker, however) compared with 1.8 inches on the ST30. Note that all of these dimensions might vary on the larger screen sizes in the series.

Panasonic’s menus and remotes are basically unchanged from 2010. The menu system looks and acts quite a bit less sophisticated than a Samsung or Sony menu, and we didn’t appreciate having to scroll through so many pages in the Picture menu. 3D Settings seems misplaced in the Setup menu, and onscreen support beyond basic explanations is nonexistent.

We like the remote more than Samsung’s thanks to the better button differentiation, but not quite as much as Sony’s slicker clicker. We missed having a dedicated Netflix button, and noticed that despite officially renaming its Internet suite for TVs Viera Connect, the button on the remote still says Viera Cast.

The main step-up feature of the GT30 compared with the ST30 is THX certification, which can be made use of via a preset picture mode available in both 2D and 3D modes. Unlike the step-up VT30, the GT lacks a 96Hz refresh rate, but in our test it delivered proper film cadence, on 1080p/24 sources, anyway. New for 2011 Panasonic has added dejudder processing to its plasmas.

Panasonic includes a Wi-Fi dongle with the GT30, occupying a USB slot but happily allowing you to use a wireless connection with this TV without paying an extra $80 or more for a dongle. On the downside, and unlike with the VT30, it doesn’t any include 3D glasses, although given Samsung’s recent move we wouldn’t be surprised if that changed soon.

In the meantime the new 2011 glasses are still quite expensive at $179 list per pair. Improvements over the 2010 glasses, model TY-EW3D10, include an on-off switch to make it easier to determine whether they’re powered up, a closed design, and significantly lighter weight. We wish they used Bluetooth sync like Samsung’s 2011 glasses. On the other hand we appreciate their prior-year backward compatibility: you can use Panasonic’s 2011 glasses with the 2010 TVs, and the 2010 glasses with the 2011 TVs.

Sony Bravia XBR-55HX929

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:13:02 +0000

The good: The Sony XBR-HX929 series produces deeper black levels than any current LCD or plasma TV, giving excellent overall picture quality. It evinces accurate shadow detail and color; offers plenty of video processing options; and can properly handle 1080p/24 sources. It has a beautiful, thin-profile exterior design with Gorilla Glass, and its Internet suite includes numerous streaming services and widgets as well as built-in Wi-Fi. Its 3D image shows minimal crosstalk.

The bad: The extremely expensive XBR-HX929 shows some blooming artifacts, and its picture deteriorates more noticeably than usual when seen from off-angle. Its menu and Internet service design is lackluster, and Sony does not include 3D glasses. When displaying 3D, the image flickers when dejudder is turned off, and it deteriorates rapidly when you tilt your head.

The bottom line: One of the best-performing LED-based LCDs we’ve ever tested, the expensive local-dimming Sony XBR-HX929 competes well with the top plasmas.

Review:The first so-called LED TVs were local-dimming models, where the LEDs behind the screen could be dimmed or brightened in different areas to correspond to darker or brighter areas of the picture. The result was excellent contrast, on a level no other LCD-based TV could muster. Since 2007 when these TVs debuted, they’ve remained uncommon and expensive while so-called edge-lit models have populated store shelves and living rooms with abandon.The XBR-HX929, Sony’s most expensive and, we’re willing to guess, best-performing TV of 2011, is also the company’s only local dimmer. It boasts that excellent contrast.

The first so-called LED TVs were local-dimming models, where the LEDs behind the screen could be dimmed or brightened in different areas to correspond to darker or brighter areas of the picture. The result was excellent contrast, on a level no other LCD-based TV could muster. Since 2007 when these TVs debuted, they’ve remained uncommon and expensive while so-called edge-lit models have populated store shelves and living rooms with abandon.

The XBR-HX929, Sony’s most expensive and, we’re willing to guess, best-performing TV of 2011, is also the company’s only local dimmer. It boasts that excellent contrast by way of inky black levels not found on any TV aside from the oft-cited Pioneer Kuro plasma, and improves upon the color accuracy of its predecessor XBR. In short, it represents the pinnacle of LCD picture quality, so if you’re shopping in the extreme upper end of the TV market and were only going to consider plasma, the XBR-HX929 might change your mind.

In our view the Sony XBR-HX929 is the best-looking TV this year aside from Samsung’s thin-bezel UND6400 and UND8000/7000 models. Seen from the front it earns the company’s Monolithic moniker: the panel is a featureless black slab when turned off, thanks to its one-piece face and darkened glass. The extreme edge is metallic-looking and very slightly set back from the main pane, and we love the low-profile swivel stand with its thin metal base.

The HX929 exudes class and high cost everywhere except the back panel, which is cursed by a small protrusion that houses the RS-232 port. Otherwise its profile is significantly thinner than last year’s XBR-HX909, rivaling those of edge-lit LEDs.

We’re big fans of Sony’s remote. The logically sized and placed, flush-yet-still-tactile keys emit a satisfying low-pitched click. The concave shape along the clicker’s length sends the thumb to the Home key and the middle of the big cursor control. We like the ability to control other devices via infrared or HDMI, but we wish the blue backlight also illuminated more button labels.

Sony revamped its Home menu this year, ditching the PlayStation 3/PSP-style XMB interface for a new scheme that creates a main horizontal bottom row and a right-hand vertical column flanking a smaller, inset TV image (tweakers fret not; the TV image expands back to full size during picture adjustments). The menu shows all of the horizontal options at once, but there are simply too many of them–10 total: Settings, Widgets, Applications, Qriocity, Internet Content, TV, Media, Inputs, Favorites/History, and Recommendations (which is removable…a good thing since it appears to be in-menu advertising). None of the main horizontal choices is labeled until you select it, so you must either remember Sony’s quirky iconography or scroll a lot to find the right one. Each option has its own column of suboptions, for a total effect that can easily become overwhelming.

Submenus for Options and Favorites/History, as well as those dedicated buttons, help a little, and we appreciate that the numerous “small fry” niche video services are shunted into a submenu. Overall, however, we feel the company could have done a much better job of organizing the TV’s numerous features and options.

Samsung PN59D7000

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:06:41 +0000

The good: The Samsung PND7000 series has outstanding overall picture quality, with excellent black-level performance and extremely accurate color. The screen can handle bright rooms well and exhibits the nearly perfect screen uniformity of plasma. Key features include built-in Wi-Fi and a comprehensive set of picture controls, and the Smart Hub Internet portal boasts more apps and streaming services than the competition. The PND7000′s design is one the most attractive of any plasma we’ve seen.

The bad: The relatively expensive PND7000 cannot produce full shadow detail or proper 1080p/24 cadence without sacrificing some black-level performance. Smart Hub lacks Amazon Instant, its search is next to useless, and its interface can be cluttered and confusing.

The bottom line: With picture quality on par with the best TVs we’ve ever tested, the Samsung PND7000 plasma represents an excellent value for videophiles who don’t demand to own the top of the line.

Review:Earlier this year we called Samsung’s most expensive plasma TV, the PND8000 series, the “Best overall TV of 2011 (so far).” Now that we’ve tested its less expensive brother, the PND7000 series reviewed here, that designation isn’t as certain. Sure the PND8000 has a few extra features, chiefly a QWERTY keyboard remote and Web browser, but the two have basically the same picture quality: outstanding, second among this year’s TVs only to Panasonic’s much more expensive TC-PVT30 series, and better overall than the Panasonic GT30 and ST30 models. If you’re in the market for.

Earlier this year we called Samsung’s most expensive plasma TV, the PND8000 series, the “Best overall TV of 2011 (so far).” Now that we’ve tested its less expensive brother, the PND7000 series reviewed here, that designation isn’t as certain. Sure the PND8000 has a few extra features, chiefly a QWERTY keyboard remote and Web browser, but the two have basically the same picture quality: outstanding, second among this year’s TVs only to Panasonic’s much more expensive TC-PVT30 series, and better overall than the Panasonic GT30 and ST30 models. If you’re in the market for a high-performance plasma TV and want the best blend of picture quality and value, the Samsung PND7000 is our new go-to recommendation.

Thinner than its Panasonic and LG counterparts and sporting a new, more compact frame around the screen, the D7000/D8000 series gets our vote for the best-looking plasma TV available. That bezel is narrower than any plasma’s we’ve tested, slimmer even than the Panasonic GT30′s by 0.19 inch. The bottom edge of the frame is a bit thicker at 2.13 inches, but that does nothing to spoil the PND7000′s LED TV-like dimensions.

The Samsung PND8000 and PND7000 plasmas look basically the same from the neck up. Samsung’s Web site says the metallic frames are colored “titanium” and “brushed black,” respectively, but in person we couldn’t see any difference. The two TVs have very different stands, however, and we like the D7000′s better. Where the D8000 sports Samsung’s four-legged “spider” base, the D7000 has a more traditional rectangular base with a sleek transparent stalk.

3D TVs: What you need to know

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:01:03 +0000

Going 3D? What is it anyway?

With the advent of development in telecommunication and high definition television, the 3D television is making waves as every major 3D manufacturer is scampering to take a lead in the race on 3D TV. Toshiba, Samsung, LG, Sony, and Panasonic are all trying for elbow room as they all unveiled that they were producing 3D TV. While Samsung is making headway by unveiling a home audio system matched with a Blu-ray player, the other companies are not bowing out of the race.

If you are tired of watching television that has two-dimensional images, perhaps the 3D TV is for you. The economic debacle in the US with its huge budget deficit is making adverse effects to the TV consuming public as the digital TV and Plasma Television up to the development of the LCD TV did not perform well as some had expected. TV consumers seem to be stuck as the worsening economy dictated higher prices.

Is finding 3D content hard to do?

3D Television (3DTV) has just hit the market and soon enough, people are going to be looking for 3D content that could be played on 3D TV. What’s the use of having a 3D enabled television when you have nothing to watch on it right?

But the thing is, since 3D TV is a new entry into the technological market, there are only a few movies and shows in 3D format. 3D formatted films can only be watched on 3D Blu-Ray disks and if the desired film is not in the 3D format, it wouldn’t be “read” by the program. There are a thousand films available on 2D and Hollywood has been producing them for many years. With the appearance of the 3D Television and 3D enabled theatres worldwide, many films produced in 2D are being converted into 3D to increase their block buster charisma.

All is not lost with the 3D TV. Gaming is making headways in 3D format. 3D TV could spice up the gaming experience of the kids at home. Live action sports may not be present in 3D but gaming sure brings the action possible in 3D TV.

3D TV may still be in the waiting game but it has yet to develop into a force to reckon with. We have to understand that the word 3D for the moment connotes high spending and heavy gear. There is no universally prescribed make for the 3D glasses and one model may not be compatible with another, say a Samsung to a Sony glasses. There hasn’t been an attempt in standardization and we have to wait for the infant 3D TV to reach maturity in the market. As it is, the 3D TV may be the real TV in “reel” life.

With every new product that comes out of the market, careful scrutiny is made by every consumer before he makes the purchase. Details on specification are asked and calculators come out as prices are computed and compared.

The new 3D TV that is hitting the market today is no exception. It boasts of increased home viewing satisfaction and maybe comparable prices that can compete with other products. If you are interested in buying a home theatre, will you go for the 3D TV? Or are you going to pull that check for an HD TV that is still considered new technology today? As it is, consumers will spend and go that extra mile if they have money to burn while those at the middle income strata, will mix enjoyment and affordability in their purchases.

Sharp Elite PRO-60X5FD

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:31:38 +0000

The good: The picture of the Sharp Elite PRO-X5FD LED TV delivers deeper black levels and better contrast than any other LCD or plasma on the market. Unlike other full-array local dimming TVs, it maintains its superior picture from normal viewing angles and blooming artifacts are virtually nonexistent. Color is relatively accurate, shadow detail is excellent and video processing does everything we expect. The screen maintains black levels well under ambient light. No-nonsense styling, best-ever energy efficiency and a nearly-complete feature set, including two pairs of 3D glasses, ice the cake tastefully.

The bad: Even with its superb performance, it’s impossible to call the gratuitously expensive Elite a good value. Blue/green areas are less accurate than we expect from a TV of this caliber, uniformity and off-angle aren’t quite as good as plasma, and its screen creates relatively bright reflections.

The bottom line: The overpriced Sharp Elite LED-based LCD produces the best overall picture quality of any TV we’ve reviewed since 2008.

In the United States these days the word “Elite” has a negative connotation evoking snooty haves vs. gritty have-nots, Wall Street vs. Main Street, and them vs. us. The Sharp Elite PRO-X5FD, the first result of Sharp’s licensing agreement with Pioneer to use the Elite name, won’t do much to dispel those associations. This ridiculously expensive television is basically “The wealthiest 1 percent” distilled into flat-panel TV form, and we’re betting very few of the 99 percent will splurge on one, especially with perfectly excellent alternatives available for half the price or less.

But if you’re reading this review, you couldn’t care less. What you came to find out is whether we think the Sharp Elite PRO-X5FD has better picture quality than those alternative 2011 TVs or even than the legendary and now extinct Pioneer Elite Kuro from 2008. Yes and no, respectively. The X5FD deserves a 10 in picture quality, tying the score of the Kuro and beating every other TV we’ve ever reviewed. The Kuro still produces a better picture overall, especially from off-angle, but that hardly matters anymore since you probably can’t get one. And if you could, you’d still lose certain bragging rights to deep-pocketed Sharp owners since the X5FD is the only Elite TV that can handle 3D sources and comes in a 70-inch size. If you don’t mind paying any price to get the best current flat-panel TV, the Sharp Elite is for you.

We performed a hands-on evaluation of the 60-inch Sharp Elite PRO-60X5FD, but this review also applies to the other screen size in the series. Both n: have identical specs and according to the manufacturer should provide very similar picture quality.

Sharp’s homage to Pioneer’s TVs begins here. The PRO-X5FD has the same ultraserious air, with a sharply angled black frame adorned only by the gold “Elite” moniker. Intentionally, the word “Sharp” is nowhere to be found until you squint hard at tiny manufacturing label on the back.

Although it’s not quite as impressive as Sony’s Monoliths or the thin-bezel Samsungs Sharp’s design is better than Pioneer’s in most ways. The frame is matte textured metallic, not glossy plastic, and measures just 1.25 inches thick–exactly half that of the frame Pioneer’s 50-inch PRO-111FD. The X5FD’s perfect rectangle shape is marred by an extra skirt along the bottom edge, however. We’d feel remiss if we didn’t mention the lack of a swivel stand, but on this TV we’d bet most buyers will ditch it anyway in favor of a mount.

The remote also harkens back, and is better than, the 2008 Pioneer Elite’s. The keys are well-differentiated by size and shape, the sense of clutter is minimized by a flip-up cover on the bottom end, and a fat Netflix key–which snobbier users may pooh-pooh but we love–gets prominent placement beneath the cursor control. We like the three programmable keys providing direct access to your other three “favorite” apps.

The clicker can control external devices via infrared but, incredibly, controllable brands are limited to only Sharp and Pioneer. One interesting piece of trivia: our old Kuro remote also controlled the Sharp Elite TV, and vice-versa.

By this point we were expecting the old Kuro menus to appear when we hit the Home, er, Menu key, but no dice. Once we drilled past the main page the design was reminiscent of other Sharp models, albeit with a face-lift of metallic-looking highlights. Happily the TV image doesn’t shrink to one side on most menu operations; instead there’s the standard semi-transparent overlay, and picture controls obediently recede to the lower-left corner during adjustment to offer minimal interference with measurements.