Televisions

Finding a happy medium for 3D Samsung’s step-down D7000 series doesn’t cut on spec at all, as John Archer finds out when he powers up the 40in model

Like its UE55D8000 sibling reviewed previously, the UE40D7000 is a mighty stylish TV, with a bezel that’s so slender (barely a centimetre) that it’s barely there at all. Moreover, the slimness is emphasised by the fact that most of the frame is transparent.

Big is always best Bigscreen addict John Archer gives over his entire office to spend quality time with Panasonic’s 85in 3D plasma

So here’s my dilemma. Do I get that brand new, fully loaded Audi Q7 I’ve had my eye on for so long, do I book the family into a luxury villa at the Maldives Hilton for, ooh, a couple of months or so, or do I buy Panasonic’s TH-85VX200 plasma screen?

3D writ large The flagship model from Samsung’s 2011 3D TV range makes John Archer a very happy man

A couple of issues back, we brought you our first impressions of Samsung’s flagship UE55D8000 when it arrived too late in the day to run through our Tech Labs. To recap, this is a £2,500 55in edge LED 3D set sporting an insanely thin bezel of just 5mm, plus Samsung’s new Smart TV functionality, which combines a superb new onscreen menu hub (providing instant access to just about every input, app and content source) with a web browser and a much stronger app offering than you got with Samsung’s previous Internet@TV system.

Passive resistance With the LW550 series, LG continues its quest to promote passive 3D. Chris Jenkins asks if this LED Smart set is the way to go

Up until now, most of the marketing activity for 3D has been based around active systems, which require expensive (c. £100 per pair) LCD-shutter glasses which need charging, and can have issues with synchronisation to the 3D frame-switching signal.

Razor-sharp networker Sony’s upscale Network range is the place to be if picture clarity is your bag. Steve May is wowed by the resolution-busting NX713

Sony’s Network (NX) range is not only drop-dead gorgeous, but the models are also decked out with all the latest features, including 3D, network streaming, online content and LED backlighting. But you may wonder why there are multiple versions of the same screen size. The model reviewed here features the brand’s uprated PRO version of its Motionflow 100Hz picture processor and high-end Dynamic Edge LED backlighting. The latter is superior to regular Edge LED backlighting, though perhaps not as accomplished as Full Array. Imagine a halfway house that gives you the benefit of an ultra-slim cabinet (just 320mm thin) with some approximation of local dimming – for better contrast – and you’ll see the attraction.

Plasma is alive and kicking With a raft of features, including 3D capability, this is yet another superior screen from Samsung. And it's not LED, either. Adrian Justins reports

 

Full of promise Adrian Justins takes in all that this 3D-enabled plasma has to offer, but thinks there’s still room for improvement

The TX-P42VT20 is by no means the slimmest or most stylish TV on the market, but it makes up for that in the features department. Dual Freeview HD and Freesat HD tuners; 3D compatibility; VieraCast internet video services; USB video recording; wireless networking and other multimedia skills headline its extensive spec sheet.