Televisions Award – Q1 2013 (Part 2)
Best 55in TV
Sony KDL-55HX853
Price: $2,160
The KDL-55HX853 was the first of Sony’s
2012 sets to arrive with us back in April, and the fact that nearly six months
have passes without it being truly challenged for this Award speaks volumes
about its ability.
Start off with some Blu-ray content (in
this instance the Coen brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou?) and the Sony gives
a fantastic performance. Despite the film’s sepia-tinged color palette, it
delivers balanced and believable images, loaded with detail and with prodigious
apparent depth of field.
Edges are smooth, textures are described
explicitly and motion is managed with the sort of un-showy authority that’s the
hallmark of a capable product. Colors are painstakingly judged throughout, with
inky, informative blacks happily sharing scenes with bright(ish), clean white
tones, and picture noise is remarkable only by its absence.
With catch-up TV, the Sony leaves
little to differentiate between the broadcast itself and its streamed
equivalent
Sony
KDL-55HX853, the best 55in TV
Great 3D, great motion
A spin of TT3D, Closer to the Edge shows
that this is also the most effective 3D Sony TV we’ve ever seen, serving up
bright, lavishly detailed images that are stable and gratifyingly low on
crosstalk. The sort of motion that a film about motorbike racing includes can
cause a few alarm in extremis but the Sony keeps its head.
Switch to the Freeview HD tuner and there’s
tons of detail, a subtle color palette and deep, detailed black tones.
Standard-definition TV looks markedly softer in comparison – it’s in the nature
of the broadcasts – so stick to HD if you can.
After the excitement of the HX853’s HD
telly reception, its ability as an upscale of DVD pictures is fractionally
underwhelming. Leave DVD behind in favor of streamed catch-up TV and the HX853
ups its game considerably. Crisp, low-noise and stable, the Sony makes the very
best of the source material to the point that there’s little to differentiate
between the broadcast itself and its streamed equivalent.
One area in which the Sony scores over its
rivals is sound. The speakers in the plinth get more breathing space than the
drivers that rivals build into the chassis of their screens, and so this set
sounds more open and more substantial than any price-comparable competitor.
This TV is a class act that, if you’re the
wherewithal, absolutely deserves pride of place on your living-room wall.
Best 60in+ TV
Panasonic TX-P65ST50
Price: $3,750
Extra inches get exponentially more
expensive once you set your sights on a screen upwards of 50 inches. Last year,
for instance, we took a look at an 85in professional model from Panasonic. It
cost more than some luxury cars. So, for those who want the big-screen
experience but don’t have money to burn, the 65in Panasonic TX-P65ST50 is much
more like it. And the fact that it’s also an absolutely stellar performer sees
it romp home with an Award.
Despite the huge dimensions at work here,
the ST50 remains staggeringly slim and easy on the eye – it’s just 52mm deep
without the stand.
Build-in Wi-Fi makes it easy to get on to
the Viera Connect suite of internet content – a big ‘Internet’ button on the
remote makes it easier still where apps from Acetrak, BBC iPlayer, BBC News,
Facebook, Netflix, Twitter and YouTube are the highlights.
Despite the huge dimensions at work
here, the ST50 remains staggeringly slim and easy on the eye – it’s just 52mm
deep
As
the P65ST50 is a plasma screen there’s no backlighting. That means picture
set-up is much easier than on many LCDs.
And now, a special broadcast
Freeview HD broadcasts are largely free of
noise and handle motion smoothly, while bright colors look good, especially set
against those black levels. Crucially, it does well with standard-definition
content as well as with HD.
The Woman In Black, on DVD, predictably
plays to the strengths of the ST50, with gloomy scenes and a generally subdued
color palette – it’s clear the ST50 has a decent upscale.
The glorious Blu-ray release of Chariots of
Fire provides something different, with clean whites, bright colors and some
tricky motion, and the ST50 is largely unfazed by it all.
With good quality pictures from iPlayer and
solid, subtle 3D performance, the TX-P65ST50 proves a quality all-rounder.
Which screen size should I buy?
Your viewing distance
Which
screen size should I buy?
1.3m to the TV
Buy a 32in screen
When you’re sitting this close to your
telly, a 32in TV is optimal. If you watch a lot of high-def Blu-ray and TV,
though, you should consider buying a 37in set.
1.6m to the TV
Buy a 40in screen
You can afford to go up a 42in telly if
you’re sitting here. Economies of scale mean that 40- and 42in TVs are cheaper
than an equivalent 37in.
1.8m to the TV
Buy a 46in screen
Now you’re talking. If you can get your
sofa this far away from the screen, a 46 or 47in TV is just the ticket,
particularly with HD images. And that’s a properly big telly.
2.1m to the TV
Buy a 50in screen
…or a 52 or even a 55. Its look pretty huge
for the first few days, but it’s surprising just how quickly one gets used to –
and comes to really appreciate the size of new TV.
