The Basics: The LN-T5265F hails from one of Samsung’s mid-level LCD lines. This 52-inch, 1080p model offers many of the features you’ll find in the higher-end 71 Series, with one notable omission: this TV lacks Auto Motion Plus 120Hz technology. The LN-T5265F is a traditional LCD that uses a CCFL backlight, which is adjustable to help you tailor light output and black level to suit your viewing conditions. It also features Samsung’s Super Clear LCD panel, a glossy screen that veers from the traditional matte-black you see with most LCDs.   This TV incorporates Samsung’s Digital Natural Image engine (DNIe) processing and features three HDMI 1.3 inputs that accept 1080p/60 and 1080p/24, with one located on the side panel for easy access. The side panel also has a USB 2.0 port that can display JPEGs and play MP3s, a feature Samsung calls Wiselink. ...

The Basics: Sony’s XBR4 and XBR5 lines represent the company’s top-of-the-line 2007 LCDs; the two lines are distinguished by aesthetic differences but offer similar features and performance. The KDL-46XBR has the same floating-bezel design as 2006’s XBR2/3 Series, with a clear acrylic border and a matte-black frame that houses the two speakers. For $300, you can customize the XBR4 with a different-colored bezel; options are silver, velvet black, scarlet red, Arctic white, sienna brown and Pacific blue. The KDL-46XBR4’s marquee feature is its Motionflow 120-hertz technology, which doubles the TV’s frame rate from 60 to 120 Hz to minimize the appearance of judder and render smoother motion. Other worthwhile features include the use of a 10-bit processor and 10-bit display, the inclusion of three HDMI 1.3 inputs (including one on the side panel), TheaterSync for more intuitive control of HDMI-connected components and ...

The Basics: The D92U Series is one of Sharp’s highest-end LCD lines, and its marquee feature is the use of 120Hz technology, which doubles the TV’s frame rate from 60 to 120Hz in order to reduce the appearance of judder and render smoother motion. The LC-46D92U is a 46-inch, 1080p model with a traditional CCFL backlight, gloss-black frame and slim, detachable speaker bar. The TV has a solid connection panel that includes three side-facing HDMI inputs, two component video inputs and a DVI input for PC sources, all of which accept 1080p/60 but not 1080p/24. An RS-232 port is on board to integrate the TV into an advanced control system. There’s a nice assortment of picture controls, including an adjustable backlight that lets you tailor the TV’s light output and black level to your viewing conditions. The OPC feature automatically adjusts image ...

The Basics: The 71 Series is Samsung’s top-of-the-line offering in the traditional LCD space. By traditional, we mean that the TV uses a CCFL backlight (the higher-end 81 Series uses LED backlighting). This 46-inch, 1080p model features Samsung’s Auto Motion Plus 120Hz technology, which doubles the TV’s frame rate from 60 to 120 Hz to render smoother motion and reduce the appearance of judder in film sources. Samsung’s implementation includes low, medium, high and off settings. Other features in the 71 Series include: the use of Samsung’s Digital Natural Image engine (DNIe) processing and Super Clear LCD panel, the inclusion of three HDMI 1.3 inputs (including one on the side panel), Wiselink, which lets you display JPEGs and play MP3s via the USB 2.0 port on the side panel, a game mode and slot-style speakers, with SRS TruSurround XT audio processing. This HDTV ...

The Basics: In terms of price, the W Series falls in the middle of Sony’s LCD lineup, yet it offers many of the same technologies and features found in the company’s higher-end XBR4 and XBR5 lines. Like its higher-end brethren, this 40-inch 1080p model includes a 10-bit processor and 10-bit display to improve color transitions and lessen the appearance of digital noise, and it offers both standard and wide color-space modes, allowing you to choose between colors that are more saturated and ones that are more accurate. This TV also has an adjustable backlight and light sensor to tailor its brightness and black levels based on your viewing environment. It uses Sony’s popular XrossMediaBar and offers both side-by-side and picture-in-picture viewing options. The most notable difference between the W Series and the higher-end lines is the lack of Motionflow 120Hz technology. The ...