Category: HDTV Reviews

Reviews for newest HDTVs.

Vizio’s Newest Lineup: The M2i-B Series

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Vizio is a leader of low-priced TVs and electronics, such as remote controls. The company was lesser known, but recently they have made a name for themselves in the LED/LCD TV market. The Vizio M2i-B series is the newly redesigned M-series for 2014. The TV picture quality is one of the best available for a lower-cost TV. It also offers a menagerie of features that allow it to compete with more expensive TV models.

The TV looks very similar to the 2013 model, but offers an even thinner bezel. The open base stand looks nice, but is not black, which could affect its sales. The remote is still the same, too. It is an okay remote, but it offers no backlighting, and the key arrangement could be better. If you flip it over, you can use a full QWERTY keyboard. The menu system is redesigned on this TV, and it’s better than before.

Pros:

  • Local dimming
  • Deep black levels
  • Good bright-room performance
  • Keyboard on remote
  • Control of Netflix and YouTube with a cell phone
  • Smart TV with good interface
  • 4 HDMI inputs

Cons:

  • Subpar sound quality
  • Picture is the same as a lower-priced series
  • Remote could be better
  • No phone app

The bottom line is this is a great TV and a good overall value. However, it does not offer much more than the new E series; therefore, it is not as good of a value compared to the cheaper series. Overall, it does outperform the E series, but only slightly. For the price point, it is a worthwhile purchase.

For more information about the latest and greatest in TVs, contact us at Replacement Remotes.

Introducing the Sharp LE650

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The LE650 is an updated version of 2013’s LE640, and it even has the same TV remote control. Sharp changed the design of the TV drastically to allow for a slimmer bezel. This forced the speakers to be moved to face the rear. Overall, the TV looks good, and it offers a good picture and value for the features. It features Sharp’s Smart TV suite, which is easy to navigate and has a decent amount of apps. The TV is an entry-level model, but it does offer a decent set of features and settings.

The TV comes with a thin, black bezel. Its stand is also black, but it sits far down on it and appears to be squatting over it. The remote is the same as the 2012 model, with a few hot button additions. You can now access a few apps from the remote, using the programmable hot buttons. However, the remote still looks and feels the same as before. The remote does function well, but it is larger than most that come with newer model TVs.

Pros:

  • Better picture quality than comparable models
  • Good black levels
  • Accurate color
  • Good bright-room picture
  • Smart TV
  • Multiple picture settings

Cons:

  • Poor sound quality
  • Pricey

Bottom line, this TV is a good overall value compared to other similar devices. Its sound quality is subpar, but Sharp sacrificed it when they redesigned the bezel. In addition, they fixed the color uniformity issues that the previous model had. The TV might just be a basic model that lacks features such as 3D, but that does not make it less of a TV.

For more information on this TV, and remotes for it, contact us at Replacement Remotes.

The PNF8500: Samsung’s Best Performing TV

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The Samsung PNF8500 is one of the last plasma TVs that the company produced, and it is the best-performing TV that it made. The TV was very pricey when it first debuted, but now the price has dropped due to Samsung phasing out the plasma type of TV. The TV’s design is impressive, and even more stunning are the new remote controls that Samsung developed. It is the redesigned version of the previous remotes D8000 and E8000.

The Titan Black stand is thin and extends both in front and behind the TV. It complements the TV, but it wall mounts, too. The base spans the width of the TV, which means a larger entertainment stand is needed. The TV is stable on the base, though. The new remote is small and silver with a touchpad taking up most of its length. The touchpad works excellently, and the few buttons available are spot on.

Pros:

  • Excellent picture quality
  • Good bright room image
  • Deep black levels
  • Accurate colors
  • Touch-pad remote
  • Smart TV platform
  • Four 3D glasses
  • Motion and voice command
  • Best plasma TV available
  • Built in camera

Cons:

  • Very expensive
  • No direct commands on remote
  • Consumes a lot of power

Bottom line, consumers who can afford a top of the line TV would appreciate the PNF8500. It offers the best lineup of features that are available for a Samsung TV. The Smart TV lineup is especially good, as well. The only annoying feature of the TV is the start screen, which pops up every time the TV is started.

For more information on TVs and remotes, contact us at Replacement Remotes.

The Vizio E-Series Revisited: The 2014 B Lineup

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If you remember the Vizio E-Series, it was one of the best budget HDTVs for the money, aside from its horrendous TV remote control. In 2014, Vizio released a new version of this TV, dubbed the E0i-B Series. Just like the previous version of this TV, it offers almost unbeatable picture quality at a budget price. The new series offers even better performance, and a wider range of sizes, from 39 inches to 60 inches.

If you look at the overall design of the TV, it looks and feels just like the previous model from 2013. Reviewers called the look generic, and they perceived the stand as flimsy. The TV remote control has the same poor design as before, but they switched the dedicated keys some, including Amazon Instant, Netflix, and M-Go, while leaving out others. One thing that Vizio added a big update to was the menu, which flows better and is similar to their higher-end M series.

Pros:

  • Local dimming
  • Excellent picture quality
  • Budget price
  • Good bright room performance
  • Excellent Smart TV content
  • Wide range of sizes
  • Great content selection in Smart TV
  • Excellent color management system

Cons:

  • Poor sound quality
  • Color accuracy could be better
  • Poorly designed remote
  • Lackluster exterior and stand
  • No 3D
  • Lack of screen mirroring

Compared to many other HDTVs that cost less than $1,000, this TV is an excellent value. It offers a lot of the features that TVs twice its price cannot beat. The updates to the features make the E0i-B Series a welcome upgrade, compared to other TVs, and compared to the previous E-Series.

For information on buying universal remotes to replace poor quality factory remotes, contact us at Replacement Remotes

The Panasonic AS530 Series: A Good Mid-Range Model

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The Panasonic AS530 offers some competition among the mid-range LCD HDTV manufacturers. The sleek HDTV and its trusty wand TV remote offer a wide range of features not normally seen in larger TV models retailing at under $1,000. Panasonic took great care making this TV functional and extremely pleasing to the eye.

The AS530 comes with a razor-thin bezel with a shiny black finish and a skeletal pedestal stand. It comes with many of the expected features, but fails to include 3D. However, this new development tends to be the current trend, with many TV manufacturers phasing out 3D technology in 2014 and 2015. The remote control is a long black wand that offers many buttons. Luckily, the buttons all have a convenient placement, and it even contains a shortcut for Netflix. It also features a Swipe and Share ability, but you need an app for that.

Pros:

  • Excellent pricing
  • Attractive design
  • Great off-angle viewing and screen uniformity
  • Colors saturated well
  • Decent remote
  • Smart TV
  • Built-in Wi-Fi

Cons:

  • Colors are slightly off
  • Smart TV system is hard to navigate
  • No 3D
  • No gaming mode
  • Only 2 HDMI ports
  • Lackluster sound
  • No Spotify app

For under $1,000, this TV is well worth the purchase if you are not a heavy gamer. Gamers and 3D fans should be aware that this TV is not friendly to either. It does not offer 3D technology, and it lacks a gaming setting. Also, fewer inputs means that you are limited in the amount of peripherals you plug into it.

For more information on TVs and remote controls, contact us at Replacement Remotes.

What Is 4K Technology?

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With so many TVs on the market today, it is hard to determine which one is right for you. Do you need the smaller TV with the affordable price? Or do you need the one with the amazing TV remote to make your life easier? What about high definition? And what about 4K technology? The best thing you can do is learn about different TVs and their technology. Then, you can make an informed decision about which one is right for you.

4K technology is being talked about everywhere — but what is it? Understanding 4K technology when it comes to your next TV can help you determine if this is the technology you need. 4K is a term used to reference ultra-high definition televisions. These TVs have about four times the detail of a full HD television. In simpler terms, 4K televisions have absolutely amazing picture quality.

With 4K technology, you can expect the picture to be almost like looking at a photograph. The detail is immaculate, the picture is smooth, and the texture of the images is amazing. Basically, the images you see will be almost as beautiful as in real life. With a 4K TV, you can also sit closer to the screen and not worry about seeing the pixels — the technology really is that good.

4K TVs started out to be very expensive, but prices have come down since their release. You can get a decent 4K TV today for less than a grand. Just take your time, shop around, and choose the one that fits your needs and budget. If you ever need to replace your 4K TV’s remote, contact us at Replacement Remotes.

Panasonic’s Life+ Screen Lineup

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To compete with the fast-paced HDTV industry, Panasonic created the Life+ Screen line of TVs, which boast impressive features and the ability to use them without the TV remote. The TV comes in 50 to 85-inch screens, catering to those with deeper pockets and a wish for a large television. The screen is backlit LED with a 4K display. The 4K resolution is said to look as good, if not better, than the resolution on the well-known retired plasma TVs.

Included with the Life+ Screen TVs is a remote control that has a built-in microphone for the voice recognition service. It is small, and looks similar to a cell phone, and it has a few radio buttons for different available services. In addition, the TV uses facial recognition. With this service, it can keep profiles for each TV user.

Pros:

  • Easy to use interface and ability to search for content across all apps
  • Profiles for each user
  • Uses the cloud to save apps and information
  • Shares content
  • Good color saturation and image quality
  • Budget price for the features
  • 120 Hz and 4K resolution
  • Swipe and share content
  • Many apps

Cons:

  • Too few HDMI ports
  • TV is clunky
  • No gaming mode
  • Bad sound quality

The bottom line is that this is a great budget 4K HDTV. It is not made for gaming, or anyone who plans to use the apps heavily. The Smart TV features work as well as any other TV; however, the price point puts this way below the competition. Therefore, expect some less-advanced features.

Contact Replacement Remotes for more information on the new 4K TVS and their remotes.

Stream TV’s Ultra-D

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Imagine having a 3D television that does not need 3D glasses to display the image on it. Stream has done just that with a filter that fits over an HDTV. In the future, they plan to create a TV set that does just this, without the filter. Using the TV remote control, you could flip through cable channels and see everything in 3D.

As it stands, in the fall of 2014, the Ultra-D TVs are still just a prototype. However, Stream is working with TCL, BOE, Huawei, Toshiba, and Hisense to produce these TVs for the end of 2014 and Q1 of 2015. Each TV produced will have 4K resolution with 8 million pixels when viewing 2D content. Unfortunately, most streaming services do not offer 4K services yet, but Netflix is supposed to roll their service out in Q4 of 2014.

The 3D technology included within the new TVs will not require glasses. The 3D technology works more like a hologram than the current 3D technology. The new screens deflect the light from individual pixels, projecting them one meter in front of the screen. This makes it appear as if the image has real depth. This 3D technology looks more real and loses the cumbersome glasses.

Soon, another service available from Stream will be the seeQube box. It decodes streaming services, giving the ability to watch compressed 4K TV streams. It does this with the help of a 2.3 GHz quad-core processor and an Adreno 330 GPU. With these specifications, it can stream 4K over the same bandwidth as regular HD streaming. In addition, Stream expects to adapt the technology for new tablet and phone screens for 3D service.

For more information about the latest in HDTVs, contact us at Replacement Remotes.

Amazon Fire TV

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Recently, Amazon made waves when they introduced their Fire TV streaming device to compete with Roku and Apple TV. Its box is similar in size to the Roku box and Apple TV, and it has a similar TV remote control. Its remote is simple to use, as is the interface, which makes this device highly competitive.

With the Amazon Fire TV, you have the ability to use streaming services from most apps other than Amazon Prime. However, Amazon services are preferred, and some major apps are missing from the service, such as Spotify and HBO Go. The app lineup for the Fire TV is impressive, but compared to other streaming devices, it does not offer as much.

Pros:

  • Kid-friendly platform
  • Simple setup
  • Easy to use remote
  • Large amount of playable games
  • Small profile box
  • Very accurate voice search

Cons:

  • Expensive price tag
  • Have to purchase a separate game controller
  • Voice search limited to Amazon services
  • Requires a Prime subscription
  • Power adapter takes up a lot of space

Overall, if you have an Amazon Prime account, having the Amazon TV is worth it, especially if you play a lot of games. With the Amazon TV, you can access many games from Amazon Prime, including Minecraft and The Walking Dead. However, if you are just a casual streaming TV user, it would be a better choice to purchase a less expensive streaming TV device. Even with it, you can still access streaming from Amazon Prime Instant.

For more information on TVs, streaming services, and remotes, contact us at Replacement Remotes.

The Roku TV

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Both Hisense and TCL collaborated with Roku to create a TV with all of the Roku services built in and a simplified TV remote. The two new lines of HDTVs range in size from 32-inch to 55-inch models. The TCL models are available for purchase, while the new Hisense models will debut in September 2014. These new televisions offer the same entertainment available to the Roku box, but without the box.

The Roku TV offers more than 1,500 possible channels that give you the ability to watch movies and shows. You also have access to many different apps, such as Vevo, HBO Go, and Pandora. The largest models also offer excellent specifications, which mean your HD shows will look hi-def. The search function works very well, allowing you to search across all the apps and channels. The remote control that comes with the Roku TV is simple, with few radio buttons. However, you can also control it with a tablet or smartphone.

Pros:

  • Access to 1,500 channels
  • Access to all of your favorite TV and movie apps
  • Stream content from your smart phone
  • 1080p resolution from 40-inch and up models
  • 120 Hz refresh rate
  • Wireless and 3 HDMI inputs
  • Surprisingly low cost for the 55-inch model

Cons:

  • The picture quality was so-so, rating 6/10 from CNET
  • No local dimming

The bottom line is that if you prefer to have your streaming services integrated into your TV, going with the Roku TV is a great option. However, if you prefer picture quality to the apps available, buying a Roku TV might not be the best option.

For more information on excellent TVs and their remotes, contact Replacement Remotes.