Mitsubishi LT-52244

Mitsubishi's LT-52244 consistently received performance scores of Fair--the lowest of the eight 50- and 52-inch HDTVs we tested for the April issue of PC World.

Oversaturated colors were this 52-inch LCD TV's chief fault. In both high-definition and standard-definition shows, jurors saw images with lurid tones and some background pixelation. High-definition movies such as Corpse Bride and Mission Impossible III exhibited garish colors. A high-def segment of The George Lopez Show showed shimmery wood grain and fabric, and orange skin tones.

The Mitsubishi's remote is fully backlit when you press any button--a rarity among the remotes we tested, and a useful feature in a dark room. White rubberized buttons provide an agreeably tactile feel. The buttons are logically organized, too, simplifying the task of getting through the on-screen display settings. Though the OSD offers many adjustments--including video presets and a rare six-color tweak--you return to the top menu each time you change a setting, so you have to step through the whole OSD again to get to the next item. Dedicated shortcut buttons do provide quick access to audio and video settings.

The TV has a setting for DeepField Imager, which is supposed to adjust contrast and brightness dynamically as it analyzes images for dark and light areas. A demonstration menu option shows the marked difference between a standard setting and the DeepField setting, though I found the latter too bright and preferred the presets.

The speakers don't provide the range and fullness of sound turned in by other TVs in the LT-52244's size category, especially the Pioneer Kuro PDP-5010FD. Background audio and orchestral music for Phantom of the Opera sounded shrill. The built-in USB port works well for displaying photos, but the TV loaded pictures slowly. The TV automatically switched to photo display mode when I connected a flash-card reader, and it allowed me to view a slide show of my pictures from a memory card.

The TV's base swivels 30 degrees to the left or right, for increased flexibility in positioning the TV panel. The included CableCard slot invites you to avoid using a cable box.

The Mitsubishi LT-52244's performance is lackluster. Lower-priced, better-performing alternatives, such as the Samsung FP-T5084 and the Vizio GV52LF, are available.