The Best HDTVs in 2011
In 2011 many high end 3D televisions were released and for the first time some passive 3D HDTVs without expensive active shutter glasses were presented, becoming extremely popular after only a few weeks. We composed a list of the bestselling models for you, all of them offer a really excellent value for money and can be bought without hesitation, superior quality at a really fair and moderate price compared to the size and functions offered.
We don’t recommend buying any HDTV below 46-Inch for your living room, the price difference is smaller than you may think and screens in the size range from 46-60 inches offer the best home theatre experience you can get today. 55-Inch can be considered the best, it’s cheaper than the largest models with 60 inches, but is significantly bigger than 46-Inch.
The top models for 2011 are:
1. Samsung UN55D8000 LED
No need to tell you much about it, it’s one of the most popular HDTVs ever and offers a very stylish and slim 0.2-Inch Samsung One design as well as loads of features and great connectivity. The image quality is excellent, it uses Samsungs Micro Dimming technology and 240Hz Auto Motion Plus, customer ratings are an average of 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon. Make sure to read the reviews!
2. LG Infinia 55LW6500 LED
If you are looking for the ultimate value for money, this is your favourite. Pretty much the same specifications as the 55-Inch Samsung, camparable image quality, but using passive 3D technology which means that even 4 pairs of 3D glasses are included with this television. No need to spend a few hundred dollars extra just for the glasses. User reviews can be found here.
3. Vizio XVT3D474SV LED
Your budget is a little limited and $1000 would be the maximum you could spend? No problem, the 47-Inch XVT3D474SV is an excellent choice. Smart dimming with a full array of LEDs, 480Hz and a good picture quality make this one an insider recommendation. The average customer rating of 4,5 out of 5 shows that Vizio is able to deliver a really good HDTV at a price no competitor can beat.
What’s next? When it comes to image quality, all modern television offer high refresh rates and good contrast ratios, so it mostly boils down to dimming improvement. LEDs are still to large to build screens consisting of LEDs, manufacturers try to solve this problem with dimming zones often referred to as local, smart or precision dimming. Basically, more LEDs that can be turned on and off throughtout the screen instead of edge lights only.
Internet capabilities as well as network connectivity have become pretty much a standard, so the number of really new and stunning features for the next few years is limited. It’s a good time to buy a new HDTV at the moment, prices went way down due to fierce competition and LED technology has become advanced enough to reach the same image quality plasma screen offer, but without reflecting screens and active cooling.
When it comes to 3D, the next big step with be 3D without any glasses, but the few prototypes presented so far are still way too expensive for mass production and the 3D quality is much worse than what todays screens with glasses can deliver. A long term trend for sure, but certainly not ready for the market before 2015.
Where to buy your new HDTV? There are plenty of choices, from Best Buy to Vanns, from Tiger Direct to Abe’s of Maine, but at the end we personally always end up ordering at Amazon. Most big retailers have their offers on the Amazon Marketplace as well as on their own website and prices tend to be slightly lower on Amazon. Enjoy some of the best HDTV deals in 2011!
