Cheaper, More Expensive and…Better?: Sony takes a chance

Pictured here is the latest version of the Sony BRAVIA HDTV, armed to kill. Will it be the greatest necessarily though?

These 52- and 42-inch models leave out the expensive and cool Triluminos LED technology for less pricey edge lit LEDs like Samsung. But they are using the thinner frame to add wireless streaming technology to the units, which (sort of) makes up for the older technology in the picture itself.

So here’s the “extras” feature list: wireless HD, Internet TV Guide, BRAVIA 3 processing, Motionflow 240Hz, streaming from Amazon, YouTube and Netflix and Yahoo! Widgets. Willing to pay $4-5K for those features? We weren’t sure how many wouldn’t suffer from major price shock.

The KDL-52XBR10 and KDL-46XBR10 models are due to be released in mid-October with $5,000 and $4,500 price tags respectively, and that’s a grand more than a comparable Samsung with similar features. Is Sony making a fool’s gambit? Perhaps, and we’ll be here to report if that’s the case.

Frugal Friday: Today’s HDTV Deals

We’re ready and raring to let you in on today’s HDTV deals. Let us begin:

6ave.com – How about a cool price on some hot LED technology? The Samsung 40” 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV for $1599.99 is available with free shipping. Not bad at all.

Sears.com – Here’s a deal from a long-time retailer that’s still alive and kicking: The Panasonic Viera TCP42X1 42” 720p Plasma HDTV for $599.99 + free In-Store Pickup as well. Nice price on a well-reviewed model.

Enjoy and happy Friday to everyone!

Opinion: What kind of LCD backlighting is best?

Yes, we’ve stated that Plasma is still alive and kicking, but for pure market share purposes, LCD rules the roost. It’s just simple numbers. Of those LCD’s though, there’s a bit of a debate which LCD backlighting tech is best.

This year’s CES saw almost every company kick it up a notch in terms of backlighting technology and pic quality. It’s as good as its ever been, but with choices comes the need for information to weed through all those options.

With tons of quality CCFL backlighting and even LED technology sliding to lower end brands, most especially Vizio’s planned $2,000 55-inch HDTV with LED built in, due in July-August or so.

Further mixing things up, Samsung will also have a new local dimming LED backlit line on shelves in late summer, and it’s currently showing energy-sipping edge lit LED models, with slightly lowered pic quality for a savings in your power bill.

There are still plenty of LCDs with older CCFL lighting still delivering high quality imagery as well. So we ask you, our readers, of the technologies currently out there, which do you prefer? CCFL, Edge-Lit, Local Dimming LED or just grab a Plasma TV straight up?

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