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True full-HD display stars

By Philip Wong
February 25, 2009

Whether you are a diehard videophile or a no-holds-barred home consumer, the following high-performance offerings are definitely The Ones 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 European vendors.

Click here for a feature comparison table.

Pioneer Kuro KRP-500A (50-inch plasma)

CNET Asia rating: 8.9 out of 10

The good: Class-leading black level; immersive 3D-like visuals; bassy and crisp sound; quality remote control; abundant A/V tweaking options; effective Optimum mode; ultrathin bezel.

The bad: Soft PC text; 1080i-only component-video; fixed stand; no front/side HDMI.

The bottom line: The Pioneer Kuro KRP-500A gets our stamp of approval in the audio-visual department, plus an Editors' Choice for its relatively pocket-friendly pricing.

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Samsung UA46B7000WM (46-inch LCD)

CNET Asia rating: 8.6 out of 10

The good: Good blacks and sharpness; crisp sound; 29.9mm ultraslim design; four HDMI inputs; wireless media streaming; Web-based Yahoo widget support; built-in digital TV tuner; bundled with two remotes.

The bad: Blacks not as deep without local dimming; mild brightness uniformity issue; slightly recessed side inputs; YouTube no search function; pricey.

The bottom line: The stunning Samsung UA46B7000WM is a cutting-edge connected TV with solid visual performance to boot.

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Sony Bravia KDL-46X4500 (46-inch LCD)

CNET Asia rating: 8.5 out of 10

The good: Overall sharp and clean pictures; plasma-like blacks; tight bass and crisp treble; onboard JPEG/MP3 playback via USB and network; four 1080p24-ready HDMIs; RF-based remote control; unique and customizable design.

The bad: Extremely pricey; no remote backlighting; no DivX playback; chassis a bit on the thick side.

The bottom line: This Sony flagship Bravia LCD TV is simply brilliant in most areas, particularly in deep blacks, but is slapped with sky-high pricing and outgunned in this aspect by the Samsung Series 9.

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Loewe Individual 40 Compose Full-HD+ 100 DR+ (40-inch LCD)

CNET Asia rating: 8.3 out of 10

The good: Appealing design; good picture and sound quality; excellent user interface.

The bad: Extremely expensive; confusing configuration options.

The bottom line: For the price of the Loewe Individual 40 Compose Full-HD+ 100 DR+ with a few of the trimmings, you could buy a 60-inch plasma TV. Those who're willing to spend thousands, however, will almost certainly find the feature set and design to their taste.

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