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JVC LT-46DZ7B Review |
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Reviewed: 19 May 2007
Design
To a degree, JVC is following the large flat screen trend with a minimalist approach to design, but there is a subtle difference. The 46DZ7B has a glossy black frame and stand, both with matching silver trims around their edges that give this screen a unique feel which harks back to styles from previous decades. Far from making the panel look dated, the JVC 46DZ7B looks thoroughly modern, and will please consumers looking for something that stands out a little from the crowd but without being too obvious.
Features
The 46DZ7B is a bold move for JVC with its first foray into 'Full HD' large LCD production. As many of you are now aware, Full HD screens come equipped with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels which allows the display of sources with 1,080 lines (e.g. Sky TVs 1080i) without having to 'rescale' to a lower resolution. This pixel-to-pixel mapping should in theory produce more accurate, smoother pictures. From our experience, 'Full HD' comes into its own on larger(40in +) screens, which is why we were quite exited about getting our hands on the 46DZ7B.
Screen size & shape: 46in 16:9 Tuner: Digital and Analogue Sound system: Nicam Stereo Resolution: 1920x1080 pixels HD Ready: Yes Contrast Ratio: 1200:1 Brightness: 450cd/m2 OTHER FEATURES: DynaPix image processing, Super Digipure processing, 7-day EPG, MPEG noise reduction. SOCKETS: 2 HDMI, 2 SCART, Component Video, Composite Video, PC input, S-video.
Connectivity on the 46DZ7B is good rather than outstanding, with 2 HDMI inputs, 2 Scarts, a built-in digital tuner, and the usual Composite Video, Component Video and S-Video.
Without going into too much detail about the differences between 1080p and 1080i sources, the 46DZ7B is not actually able to display 1080p sources directly, but uses an 'interlaced-to-progressive' system to display 1080p.
The Picture Processing heart of the 46DZ7B is JVC's own DynaPix which brings together a collection of technologies under this one umbrella. Digital Image Scaling Technology (DIST) is aimed primarily at enhancing Standard Definition (SD) pictures by adding extra detail. Additionally, the technology also incorporates a system for improving the re-scaling of sources which fall below the screens Full HD resolution.
The other Picture Processing element of note on this panel is JVC's Super Digipure technology which automatically calculates appropriate contrast levels and includes a number of proprietary methods for the reduction of digital noise.
Performance
Full HD 1920 x 1080 screens deliver around 1 million extra screen pixels over 1366 x 768 panels, and on the JVC 46DZ7B the difference clearly shows. High Definition (HD) pictures are a revelation, with a clarity and level of detail that matches the best that LCD currently has to offer, and that includes other Full HD screens.
The extra pixels bring a subtlety to colour graduations than is shown to great effect with close up facial shots. Skin tones look supremely realistic, showing none of the patchy colour effects displayed by lesser screens. Additionally, colour noise and dot crawl, the bug bears of LCD screens are virtually non-existent with HD sources.
Unfortunately, the story is not all good, and the LT-46DZ7B's handling of motion is where a good part of the criticism is directed. It is not only SD pictures that suffer, HD also shows a tendency to loose resolution with fast sporting or movie scene action. It is true that all LCD TVs suffer from this problem to a greater or lesser degree, but the 46DZ7B definitely falls into the 'greater' category.
The JVC LT-46DZBJ's Black Levels are also a cause for concern. Although not overly intrusive to general viewing pleasure, there is a noticeable greyness to what should be the darkest scenes.
To finish on a positive note, the LT-46DZ7B's acoustic ability is excellent. The MaxxBass system delivers a performance that will leave you looking at the relatively small speakers in awe. looking like they might struggle, these speakers are powerful enough to handle the most demanding of sound tracks, delivering a powerful bass and frequency range of higher end systems.
