Premium LED-lit LCD TV roundup

Many HDTV vendors are injecting a new lease of life into LCD TVs using light-emitting diode (LED) lighting. Rebranded as LED TVs by Samsung, but more industry-recognized as LED-lit LCD TVs, these panels employ tiny LEDs rather than conventional cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL) to illuminate the screen. Some benefits of the new technology include plasma-like contrast ratios and enhanced power efficiency. These TVs can also be grouped into two major implementations: Backlit and edgelit, as well as white vs. red, green and blue (RGB) LEDs.

There're pros and cons for these designs. At the moment, only LED-backlit models support local dimming. This reproduces a deeper black by independently controlling small clusters of diodes. On the other hand, the edgelit approach enables ultraslim TVs through positioning the LEDs to the corners of the screen. By using only single-tone white bulbs, this minimizes manufacturing cost, while the alternate RGB route helps elevate color gamut and fidelity. Click here for more information.

Here's a quick update on all the latest LED-lit TV offerings for this year, including the new 29.3mm-thin LG SL90-series and highly affordable Sharp LE700-series. For a sneak peek at the future, check out the showdown between Samsung and LG with their 3mm- and 5.9mm-thin prototype panels, respectively.

Click here for a feature comparison table.

	1.	Samsung UA46B7000WM (edgelit/white LED)       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 a solid visual performance to boot. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	2.	Samsung UA46B8000XM (edgelit/white LED)   CNET Asia rating: 8.5 out of 10 The good: Excellent picture quality; stunning design; overloaded with features; four HDMI ports. The bad: Expensive; glossy panel not suited for bright rooms. The bottom line: The Samsung UA46B8000XM is a marvelous LCD television. It features exquisite looks, excellent picture quality and a host of networking features. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	3.	Sony Bravia KDL-46X4500 (backlit/RGB LED)       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. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	4.	LG 47SL90QD (edgelit/white LED)   CNET Asia rating: 8.2 out of 10 The good: Accurate colors; crisp HD visuals; sleek design; plenty of tweaking options; backlit remote; plays back a wide range of multimedia files via USB; Integrated Digital TV; Bluetooth connectivity; seven 1080p-ready inputs. The bad: Muddy blacks; slightly soft standard-definition pictures; bass-shy; reflective screen; emits buzzing noise. The bottom line: The LG 47SL90QD stands out with its 29.3mm-slim bezel and onboard Bluetooth function, but there's still room for improvement in the picture and audio departments. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	5.	Sharp Aquos LC-40LE700M (backlit/white LED)   CNET Asia rating: 7.5 out of 10 The good: Deep blacks; bright, clean and crisp pictures; four HDMI inputs; very affordable for an LED-lit TV; energy-efficient; neat and handsome design. The bad: Mild black crush; occasional motion judder; skewed colors; lean bass; fixed tabletop stand. The bottom line: The Sharp Aquos is a new breed of affordable LED-lit TVs which emphasize the bare essentials with a commendable picture quality to match. Review | See full specs | Rate this