Sharp LC-46X8E
Plus points: Amazing price, great looks, extremely sharp HD pictures
Minus points: Average black levels, some colour tone issues, a little motion judder, soft standard definition pictures
Samsung 46A656
Plus points: Lovely design, good HD pictures, great connectivity
Minus points: Standard def images are a bit noisy, pictures aren't quite as bright and colourful as the best LCDs
LG 47LG7000
Plus points: Excellent pictures, pretty design, packed with features, not expensive all things considered
Minus points: Room for improvement with black levels, Bluetooth functionality feels a bit gimmicky, its chassis is quite large by today's standards
Panasonic TH-46PZ85
Plus points: Mostly terrific pictures, fair price considering the quality on offer, lots of good image processing
Minus points: Intelligent Frame Creation can cause artefacts if not used sparingly, occasionally some red colours look a little orange
Final verdict
The most striking general point that came to light during this 46-47in group test is the fact that each of our four featured TVs can be bought for under £1,300 - more evidence of just how fast TV prices are continuing to fall, especially in the mid-to-large screen size part of the market. That said, as comfortably the cheapest TV in this group test, the Sharp LC-46X8E unfortunately suggests that if you take the price cutting too far, you perhaps still end up compromising performance standards a bit too much for comfort. Especially when you consider that any weaknesses in a TV's picture 'engine' are going to be pretty ruthlessly exposed on a screen as large as 46in.
Rather more of a surprise is the fact that our Samsung entry in this group test only ends up in third place. Other A656 models have tended to win top honours in previous group tests, but somehow Samsung's generally excellent LCD standards just don't manage to stretch up to the 46in level as successfully as we would have hoped. Either that, or the competition has stepped up its game.
Another surprise, to be honest, is the presence of LG's 47LG7000 in silver medal position. It's not been often in recent times that LG has managed to get the better of its Korean neighbour, but even though its highlight Bluetooth feature is a bit of a gimmick, the sheer picture quality of the 47LG7000 really is good enough to push Samsung into third.
In fact, the 47LG7000 very nearly did enough to bag the gold medal. But ultimately the extra black level accuracy, superb image processing and slightly better standard definition performance of the Panasonic 46PZ85 ensures that not for the first time with a big-screen group test, the day belongs to plasma rather than LCD technology.
http://www.avreview.co.uk/news/article/mps/UAN/2399/v/3/sp/
Plus points: Amazing price, great looks, extremely sharp HD pictures
Minus points: Average black levels, some colour tone issues, a little motion judder, soft standard definition pictures
Samsung 46A656
Plus points: Lovely design, good HD pictures, great connectivity
Minus points: Standard def images are a bit noisy, pictures aren't quite as bright and colourful as the best LCDs
LG 47LG7000
Plus points: Excellent pictures, pretty design, packed with features, not expensive all things considered
Minus points: Room for improvement with black levels, Bluetooth functionality feels a bit gimmicky, its chassis is quite large by today's standards
Panasonic TH-46PZ85
Plus points: Mostly terrific pictures, fair price considering the quality on offer, lots of good image processing
Minus points: Intelligent Frame Creation can cause artefacts if not used sparingly, occasionally some red colours look a little orange
Final verdict
The most striking general point that came to light during this 46-47in group test is the fact that each of our four featured TVs can be bought for under £1,300 - more evidence of just how fast TV prices are continuing to fall, especially in the mid-to-large screen size part of the market. That said, as comfortably the cheapest TV in this group test, the Sharp LC-46X8E unfortunately suggests that if you take the price cutting too far, you perhaps still end up compromising performance standards a bit too much for comfort. Especially when you consider that any weaknesses in a TV's picture 'engine' are going to be pretty ruthlessly exposed on a screen as large as 46in.
Rather more of a surprise is the fact that our Samsung entry in this group test only ends up in third place. Other A656 models have tended to win top honours in previous group tests, but somehow Samsung's generally excellent LCD standards just don't manage to stretch up to the 46in level as successfully as we would have hoped. Either that, or the competition has stepped up its game.
Another surprise, to be honest, is the presence of LG's 47LG7000 in silver medal position. It's not been often in recent times that LG has managed to get the better of its Korean neighbour, but even though its highlight Bluetooth feature is a bit of a gimmick, the sheer picture quality of the 47LG7000 really is good enough to push Samsung into third.
In fact, the 47LG7000 very nearly did enough to bag the gold medal. But ultimately the extra black level accuracy, superb image processing and slightly better standard definition performance of the Panasonic 46PZ85 ensures that not for the first time with a big-screen group test, the day belongs to plasma rather than LCD technology.
http://www.avreview.co.uk/news/article/mps/UAN/2399/v/3/sp/
