LCD TV Reviews

Full-On/Full-Off Contrast Ratio—699:1;
ANSI Contrast Ratio—625:1

Measured Resolution with the Leader LT-446:
480: 470 (per picture height)
720p: 620 (pph)
1080i: 970 (pph)

DC Restoration (poor, average, good, excellent): Excellent

Color Decoder (poor, average, good, excellent): Excellent

Measured Color Points:
Red Color Point: x=0.644, y=0.329
Green Color Point: x=0.277, y=0.589
Blue Color Point: x=0.146, y=0.059

The top chart shows the 42LX196's gray scale relative to its color temperature at various levels of intensity, or brightness (20 IRE is dark gray; 100 IRE is bright white). The gray scale as set by the factory,

in the Warm color-temperature mode, measures extremely cool across the gray-scale range. After making adjustments using the Photo Research PR-650, the gray scale measures much better, with just a slight coolness to the darkest images and a slight warmness to lower midtones compared with D6500, the accurate color temperature.

The bottom chart shows the gray scale (or color temperature) relative to the color points of the display's red, green, and blue color filters. These are fairly close to those specified by SMPTE. Red is very slightly oversaturated. Blue is very slightly oversaturated and very slightly greenish-blue. Green is rather bluish-green.

After calibration, and using a full-field 100-IRE white (124.5 ft-L) and a full-field 0-IRE black (0.178 ft-L), the contrast ratio was 699:1. Using a 16-box checkerboard pattern (ANSI contrast), the contrast ratio was 625:1. The best contrast ratio was achieved with the backlight set to 100. The best black level was achieved with the backlight set to 0. In this mode, the TV produced 33.56 ft-L with a 100-IRE field and 0.049 ft-L with a 0-IRE field, for a contrast ratio of 685:1.—GM