I went to Sights and Sounds today to purchase a 32"/37" LCD with a native resolution of 1366x768. My budget was budget 32K for a 32" and 40K for a 37" LCD. I'll be connecting the LCD to my desktop computer for the following purposes: 50% movies, 20% gaming, 30% browsing. I brought my PC loaded with ripped BluRay and HD-DVD titles (720p/1080p).
I was planning on getting the Panasonic TX32LX77 since its the cheapest 32" LCD and with lots of good feedback and reviews from PinoyDVD members.
Here are the units that I auditioned (All in default settings):
1. Panasonic 32LX77 - 32" - I was very disappointed with this unit because the texts were blurred, almost unreadable. It looks to me that its native resolution is lower than 1366x768. I also don't like the picture quality because its too dark. I think this is not recommended for HTPC use. Tweaking the LCD settings did not help.
2. Panasonic 37LX75 - 37" - I was very disappointed with this unit because the texts were blurred, almost unreadable. It looks to me that its native resolution is lower than 1366x768. I also don't like the picture quality because its too dark. I think this is not recommended for HTPC use. Tweaking the LCD settings did not help.
3. Sharp 37AX5M - 37" - Text was fine. Dull colors. Poor contrast. Pixels looks obvious. Black text doesn't appear as black as it should be. A straight line would appear dotted line.
4. Samsung LA32R81B - 32" - My computer detected this LCD but was not able to display anything on the LCD.
5. Hitachi LA37S01 - S-IPS Panel which made it 10-12K more expensive than the other 37" LCDs. Accurate/vivid colors. Texts were excellent.
6. Toshiba 37C3500 - Accurate/vivid colors. Excellent brightness/contrast. Texts were excellent.
So my choices were narrowed down to:
1. Hitachi LA37S01 - 37" and its 32" version
2. Toshiba 37C3500 - 37"
Both displayed excellent picture quality, however, it looks like Hitachi uses a hard display panel, somehow glossy, which makes the pictures appear vivid. I think the Toshiba 37C3500 can achieve this effect by adding a custom Acrylic Screen Protector courtesy of Cham_E_Lyon and Tantric of TipidPC.
I was about to purchase the 32" Hitachi but then I noticed that its picture quality changes when viewed from a different angle, 30-deg or more (vertical/horizontal) from the center of the screen. Same with the Hitachi LA37S01, the picture looked different, it appeared washed out. The Toshiba, Panasonic and Sharp do not have this problem.
So, after 3 hours of auditioning the LCDs, I ended up buying the Toshiba 37C3500 which will be delivered on Monday. Oh! Another PinoyDVD member was there, I forgot his ID, also auditioned these LCDs which were connected to a BluRay player. He bought also the Toshiba 37C3500.
Thanks to Sights and Sounds, the very accommodating staff, and to Mr.Vic who never get tired of responding to my never ending SMS inquiries. Glad to meet you personally at your shop today sir. I won't hesitate to recommend your shop to my friends and do business with you again. More power!
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PC Specs:
Mobo: ASROCK Conroe1333-D667 R2.0
Processor: Intel® Core2Duo E6750
Memory: Team Elite PC6400 DDR2 800MHz 1GB*2 (Dual)7
Graphics Card: Powercolor ATI HD 3850
Soundcard: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
HDD: 160gb Seagate SATA HDD (Primary), 320gb Seagate SATA HDD, 250gb Seagate SATA HDD
PSU: HEC Winpower 550 Watts
HD Titles tested:
1. The.Chronicles.Of.Riddick.2004.HDDVDRiP.DVD9.1080p.AC3.5.1.x264
2. The.Golden.Compass.720p.Bluray.x264
3. The.Lord.Of.The.Rings.Return.Of.The.King.2003.720p.HDTV.x264
4. Celine Dion - A New Day Live in Las Vegas 2007 Blu-ray 720p X264 DD51
5. hoodwinked.2005.720p.hddvd.x264
6. Click.2006.DVD5.720p.BluRay.x264