Big: LCDs
Photograph: Robert Cardin, Chris MannersIn our tests many cheaper HDTVs, including bargain sets from little-known brands like Olevia and Vizio, more than held their own against higher-priced models from makers such as Samsung and Sharp. In the 37-inch LCD category--a size that we've never previously evaluated--the Best Buy award goes to Vizio's L37HDTV, which climbed to the top with particularly high scores for brightness, color, and DVD content. At a street price of just $1000, this set may be the one for shoppers on a limited budget. Not far behind, however, are the $1299 ViewSonic N3760w and the $2000 Sharp Aquos LC-37D90U, the latter model the only LCD we tested that supports a 1080p resolution. Westinghouse's $1299 LTV-37w2 and Olevia's $1499 537H claim the fourth and fifth positions, respectively. Though not as well equipped as other sets, they provide enough of the basic features; and more important, their TV images earned decent scores in our image-quality tests.
Many consumers are familiar with the workings of LCDs, in the form of LCD monitors. For LCD TVs, the technology is the same: A matrix of cells contains Liquid crystals that twist and untwist in response to the provided voltage, allowing light from the source to pass through and thereby creating color images.
A 37-inch LCD TV looks big in a small living room, and it's a good option if you want a wall-mountable model. If this is your ideal dimension for an HDTV, an LCD set is your only budget choice: Aside from Panasonic, no plasma TV manufacturer makes 37-inch models, and DLP televisions aren't made in this size at all.
- Most current Top 37-Inch LCD HDTVs
- All Televisions
Click the icon below to see the Top 37-Inch LCD HDTVs from the December 2006 issue of PC World magazine.
| LCD HDTVs: Good Value in Moderately Priced Sets | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vizio's l37HDTV delivers attractive image quality at a great price. ViewSonic's N3760w shows a pleasing picture, too. | |||||
| Rank | 37-INCH LCD HDTV | PCW Rating | Performance | Features and specifications | Bottom line |
| 1 Best Buy | Vizio L37HDTV $1000 NEW | Easy-to-use high-definition television offers a pleasing design and satisfying image quality, without breaking the bank. | |||
| 2 | ViewSonic N3760w $1299 NEW | The first ViewSonic TV we've tested, this model impressed our jury with natural skin tones and an appealing picture. | |||
| 3 | Sharp Aquos LC-37D90U $2000 NEW | This HDTV's support for 1080p resolution is a rarity for a set of this size, but its performance didn't measure up to that of less pricey TVs. | |||
| 4 | Westinghouse LTV-37w2 $1299 NEW | Cleverly designed television with all connectors located on a "spine" makes connecting cables to the wall-mounted set easy. | |||
| 5 | Olevia 537H $1499 NEW | This model's color and image quality are a good deal for the money, but you'll have to boot up your PC to read the CD-only manual. | |||
| CHART NOTES: Prices and ratings are as of 10/6/06. For more information on our testing, see How We Test HDTVs. | |||||
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