Audio Video News

EISA Home Theater Video Citations 2018

EISA BEST BUY LCD TV 2018-2019
TCL 55DC760

TCL’s midrange 55in UHD television has genuine all-round appeal, adding the new Android 8.0 operating system to a feature set that includes HDR playback and an integrated two-way JBL soundbar to give pictures a sonic boost. Its extended color gamut reaps rewards with sports, movies and games content, and a wide viewing angle helps it retain its high picture performance when watching off-axis. The user interface provides options to adjust images to your personal taste, while Android TV integrates Chromecast and Google Assistant for slick control and access to your online content. The 55DC760 is a great value-for-money TV, particularly when you consider its roster of added features, elegant design and connectivity options.

EISA HOME THEATER TV 2018-2019
Philips 65OLED903

Home theater enthusiasts demand a genuinely cinematic experience that marries immersive visuals with dynamic sound, and Philips’ 65in OLED flagship delivers. A new, exclusive partnership with hi-fi specialists Bowers & Wilkins results in a bespoke in-built soundbar featuring dedicated midbass and treble drivers in isolated chambers, crafting a soundfield that’s rich in detail and depth. Philips’ powerful P5 engine with its new ‘Perfect Natural Reality’ image processing and extensive user calibration tweaks ensure superb UHD (and upscaled SDR) HDR pictures with deep black levels, fine shadow detail, outstanding contrast and a wide color gamut. Overall, the 65OLED903 offers a class-leading performance, topped off by Ambilight-enhanced atmosphere, which gets the best from Ultra HD Blu-ray and streamed sources.

EISA PREMIUM OLED TV 2018-2019
LG OLED65E8

With the 65in E8, LG has unleashed a superior and hugely versatile UHD HDR TV where stunning image quality is only part of the story. For example, smart interaction and video-on-demand via its excellent WebOS interface is further boosted by LG’s ThinQ A.I. processing. Onboard Dolby Atmos decoding/playback brings extra sonic immersion, while the picture-on-glass design blends into any environment. As for its all-important picture performance, a new, brighter OLED panel design and Alpha 9 engine combine to deliver contrast-rich, wide-color visuals. Dolby Vision material from disc and streaming platforms is supported, while HDR10 material is polished via LG’s impressive image processing. This is a worthy winner in our premium OLED TV category.

EISA PREMIUM LCD TV 2018-2019
Samsung 65Q9FN

The first thing you notice about Samsung’s top-of-the-range QLED TV is its gorgeous design and discreet installation potential. Its 65in UHD display is freed from all cables except a single, sleek connection with the One Connect Box, which houses the electronics and inputs. Then, via Samsung’s Ambient mode, the TV can display artwork, widgets or your own images while still in standby mode, and thanks to ‘Smart Things’ technology can also form part of a smart home ecosystem. Picture quality is even more impressive, with the 65Q9FN’s use of Full Array Local Dimming (FALD) technology, driven by Samsung’s Q-Engine image processing, resulting in images of breathtaking beauty. SDR and HDR content, including HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG, dazzles with its super-wide color gamut, high brightness and deep blacks.

EISA BEST BUY OLED TV 2018-2019
Philips 55OLED803

Philips combines the latest 2018 OLED panel with its revised P5 picture engine for truly stunning results with this 55in model, while still hitting a tempting price. This UHD OLED TV lets you experience standard dynamic range content in near-HDR quality through Philips’ latest innovation, ‘Perfect Natural Reality’. Meanwhile, its rich, natural colors, true blacks and excellent motion sharpness – plus support for the latest HDR10+ standard – also make this an excellent choice for HDR material. Furthermore, Philips’ unique Ambilight technology creates a striking visual addition to the onscreen experience while the powerful 50W sound system and Android TV with Google Assistant all add to an outstanding all-round TV.

EISA ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TV 2018-2019
LG 65SK9500

Artificial Intelligence is transforming the smart operations of televisions, and the SK9500 from LG leads from the front. Heading up LG’s 2018 Super UHD range, it delivers a fine Ultra HD image (with Dolby Vision support) from IPS Nano-Cell technology with Full Array LED Dimming Pro, while adding a powerful artificial intelligence backbone called ‘AI ThinQ’ that combines with Google Assistant. This system works with existing Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa-enabled devices, making channel, input and other adjustments possible via voice command. The latest webOS platform and Magic Remote make navigating the TV’s vast number of streaming apps a pleasure. This is an A.I. TV with excellent connections and intuitive features that are receptive to the individual user’s needs.

EISA MONITOR INNOVATION 2018-2019
Sharp Aquos LV-70X500E

8K isn’t the future – it’s already here. Featuring a native 7680x4320px display (16 times the resolution of Full HD), this 70in LCD monitor from panel manufacturer Sharp delivers a level of definition that has to be seen to be believed. Among its eight HDMI inputs, four are used in parallel to deliver an 8K video signal, and there are two USB ports supporting 8K still pictures. But there’s no need to wait for such content – the LV-70X500E features powerful 8K upscaling technology and Full Array Local dimming for high-contrast and razor-sharp reproduction of your UHD HDR movie collection. This a stunning proposition from Sharp that heralds the dawn of a new era.

EISA BEST BUY PROJECTOR 2018-2019
BenQ W1700
BenQ HT2550 (in the USA)

The W1700 (HT2550 in the USA) from BenQ brings UHD HDR qualities to bigscreen projection in the home at a price which previously only delivered Full HD. BenQ’s optical system leverages a DLP Digital Micromirror Device, in which the pixels of a Full HD array are shifted to four positions per frame, giving a UHD experience with crisp, bright and brilliant images. Colors are impressively accurate straight out of the box, and 3D playback is offered for that extra level of cinematic immersion. The compact cabinet makes the W1700 easy to install, while its onscreen menus are packed with tools and adjustments. As a way to upgrade to UHD projection, the W1700’s combination of quality and value is irresistible.

EISA PREMIUM PROJECTOR 2018-2019
Sony VPL-VW760ES

Sony adds to its home theater projector lineup with this laser-illuminated native 4K HDR flagship that delivers an outstanding movie performance. Using SXRD panels filtered down from the company’s digital cinema division, the VPL-VW760ES creates refined, super-sharp largescreen visuals, combined with an HDR10 and HLG delivery bolstered by the projector’s skilful light-handling and 2000-Lumen brightness. A wide-colour presentation thanks to the laser, Reality Creation upscaling of Full HD sources and immersive 3D playback complete a package that’s destined for the finest of home theaters. Finally, the curved chassis design, a 2.06x zoom and expansive throw ratio mean installation is painless. Simply put, this 4K projector is best-in-class.

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EISA HIGH-END UHD BLU-RAY PLAYER 2018-2019
Panasonic DP-UB9000 series

Panasonic adds to its illustrious Blu-ray history with the DP-UB9000 disc-spinner, a gloriously engineered high-end machine compatible with Ultra HD Blu-ray (including both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ grades), DVD, CD and hi-res audio – including DSD. Custom processing, high-spec components and advanced user adjustments mean every last drop of performance detail is squeezed from movies and music alike – Panasonic’s user-adjustable HDR Optimiser tool improves the delivery of UHD HDR10 content, while a 768kHz/32-bit DAC serves up a premium stereo audio experience. And then there’s the DP-UB9000’s sumptuous design and build. Double-layer base and top plates, an aluminium chassis and a new, rigid drive mechanism ensure this master of Blu-ray is ready for action.

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EISA BEST BUY UHD BLU-RAY PLAYER 2018-2019
Sony UBP-X700

From Sony’s second generation of Ultra HD Blu-ray players, the UBP-X700 delivers everything you need to enter the new UHD HDR world without leaving the past behind, as it also handles DVD, BD and even SACD audio discs. If needed, the second ΗDMI output can send audio only, while the main output carries the video signal (including HDR10 and Dolby Vision) directly to a television. It offers a major bonus with its wireless networking abilities, able to access online video and audio services including Netflix and YouTube, plus high-res DLNA playback. Every 4K TV should have an Ultra HD Blu-ray player as a high-quality video source, and the UBP-X700’s keen pricing makes it a high-value overachiever.

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EISA PHOTO VIDEO CAMERA 2018-2019
Panasonic LUMIX DC-GH5S

This camera is specially designed for demanding videographers. The 10.2-megapixel Four Thirds sensor offers dual native ISO sensitivities for the best picture quality when working in low light. It also offers many different recording formats, including 4K/30p 4:2:2 10-bit direct to card without any time limit, or high frame rates (240fps in Full HD) for smooth slow motion. It also offers V-Log and HDR mode for wide dynamic range and better tonal rendering. Other useful facilities include a zebra pattern display, time code in/out function as well as a waveform and Vector Scope monitor.