Syntax Olevia LT26HVE 26-Inch HD-Ready Flat-Panel LCD TV
Best 26" LCD HDTV ? Maybe ......
First of all, this is probably a good \\"value\\" considering it's currently low price point ($699-$799 + Rebates), and it has a decent array of inputs, and it comes right out of the box ready to go (stand is already attached). but that's where it all comes to a subtle stop.<br /><br />I'll explain. After a lightning storm took out a 5 year old analog 32\\" 'square' TV, i said \\"yep, it's time for another widescreen HDTV\\" . We own a 55\\" Hitachi Ultravision Projection and it has awesome written all over it. Maybe I set my expectation a little high on the LCD, even though I never expected an LCD to look near as good as the Hitachi.<br /><br />My direction was pointing to CRT (conventional picture tube) Widescreens. 30\\" from Sony (KVH-30hs420), Panasonic (Tau), Toshiba (30hf85) and Philips (30pw911od). Where this is where I wish I hand ended up, instead of began<br /><br />LCD are incapable of reproducing images as clear as CRT's . period.<br /><br />there's just something about LCD's that have always bugged me. the Black's are never 'black' , action creates artifacting (blocks of pixels), graphic and text looks overprocessed. This Olevia has some of those (but not all) and a few of its own)<br /><br />Pros and Cons<br /><br />------------<br /><br />Pros :<br /><br />Nice footprint<br /><br />30 lbs - easily mountable on a wall<br /><br />Inputs for days : VGA / DVI / Component x2 / S-Video x 2 / Composite x 2<br /><br />Clean and usable interface<br /><br />the new IDEA technology works ... sorta<br /><br />HD broadcasts look great but not awesome<br /><br />hooked up a Dell laptop via VGA and it looked real nice, but....<br /><br />Cons :<br /><br />VGA is locked at 16:9<br /><br />Nice footprint , but the foot isn't removable (so I've read)<br /><br />would look nice on a wall, if you could remove the stand (foot)<br /><br />the inputs are nice to have lots of, anything Composite (Yellow) is sure to look bad<br /><br />the added EQ and Surround modes are nifty, but some of the Surrounds are useless<br /><br />the remote is too simple, but it does allow you to access everything (which isn't much)<br /><br />-except you cannot change aspect ratio with remote<br /><br />non-HD Letterboxed programs are tiny. the letterboxing bars are almost as big as the image<br /><br />there is a line of time code viweable at the top of the screen.<br /><br />-there is no way of stretching it out<br /><br />-the only way to change aspects is to go into the menu<br /><br />-there should be an \\"Aspect\\" button on the remote<br /><br />-in the video menu there are options to adjust the screen vertically and horizontally<br /><br />-these options are \\"shaded\\" and are not accessible by the user. VGA use only - that sux<br /><br />15:9 is an awkward ratio. Some say you can't notice it, but you can - if you look<br /><br />-16:9 mode effectively crops 1/2 inch of both the top and bottom of the screen<br /><br />IDEA technology kinda does what it says, but I didn't see it as dramatic as it's shown<br /><br />There is no way to stretch out a 4:3 image to 16:9<br /><br />-your aspect options are FULL /4:3/ 16:9 / Panoramic<br /><br />-what I had to do was go into a secret menu on my Motorola Cable Box<br /><br />-when asks : 4:3 Override ? - you have to select STRETCH. I had override set to 480p<br /><br />Settings from the factory need adjusting<br /><br />-if you are unfamiliar with adjusting video you might get an undesirable picture<br /><br />Final Thoughts -<br /><br />I wanted to like this LCD. I thought maybe someone had finally got an LCD to look good with TV broadcasts, and while Syntax-Olevia is probably doing a better job then anyone else in the range, they still haven't got it where an A/V enthusiast is going to be pleased with the final results.<br /><br />Pictures are still to 'washed' for my liking, and watching any action or sports has got to be a struggle. Static or normal images look great, but once things start to move or speed up they lose it.<br /><br />Using my little cable box trick (which everyone should now) solves some problems but complicates others. 1st -the trick. with your cable box OFF, select MENU on the front of the box (not the remote), you should get a grey tech screen. it'll ask you the display type and 480i override options as well as Component output<br /><br />I've met quite a few people who had their component outs to 480i and the screen type to 4:3 , whic would solve some issues.<br /><br />Type - 16:9<br /><br />Output - 1080i (or 720p)<br /><br />480i Override - Stretch<br /><br />But to this point, I cannot remove the line of code at the top of the screen<br /><br />----called Syntax Support (1-888-Syntax-8) nice quick response<br /><br /> \\"We usually only see that w/ DVI connections\\"<br /><br />so why do i see it on Component ? \\"Maybe it's the cable box\\"<br /><br />So, i checked some channels. It seems that once you get passed chanel 70 the line goes away, which is about where the DigiCable starts.<br /><br />too bad we have SciFi , Spike, Comedy, Nickelodeon, etc.. under that threshold<br /><br />i'm also not encouraged by this being a DVI observed anamoly<br /><br />I'm going to give this monitor 1 week. If I haven't figured it out, it's going back<br /><br />which will be a shame because I really wanted to like this set<br /><br />too bad I started out looking at CRT's whose images are much sharper<br /><br />but for someone who just has to have there TV mounted on a wall<br /><br />or wants both a TV and a PC monitor, they won't find a better LCD at a better price<br /><br />Paid - $699 w/$100 Rebate = ($599) September 1, 2005<br /><br />well worth the money. Syntax makes a quality product in the Olevia line<br /><br />I started to give this a 3, but I will give it a 4 and consider that the code line is a product of the Cable Box, however, if you can adjust picture orientation in VGA, you should be able to do the same in DVI and Component<br /><br />I'll also take into account that LCD's aren't capable of being as clear as CRT. Having said that, this is one of the better pictures I've ever seen on an LCD; and by far the best for $700n the front of the box (not the remote), you should get a grey tech screen. it'll ask you the display type and 480i override options as well as Component output <br />I've met quite a few people who had their component outs to 480i and the screen type to 4:3 , whic would solve some issues. <br />Type - 16:9 <br />Output - 1080i (or 720p) <br />480i Override - Stretch <br /> <br />But to this point, I cannot remove the line of code at the top of the screen <br />----called Syntax Support (1-888-Syntax-8) nice quick response <br /> <br /> \\"We usually only see that w/ DVI connections\\" <br />so why do i see it on Component ? \\"Maybe it's the cable box\\" <br />So, i checked some channels. It seems that once you get passed chanel 70 the line goes away, which is about where the DigiCable starts.  <br />too bad we have SciFi , Spike, Comedy, Nickelodeon, etc.. under that threshold <br />i'm also not encouraged by this being a DVI observed anamoly <br /> <br />I'm going to give this monitor 1 week. If I haven't figured it out, it's going back <br />which will be a shame because I really wanted to like this set <br />too bad I started out looking at CRT's whose images are much sharper <br /> <br />but for someone who just has to have there TV mounted on a wall <br />or wants both a TV and a PC monitor, they won't find a better LCD at a better price <br /> <br />Paid - $699 w/$100 Rebate = ($599) September 1, 2005 <br />well worth the money. Syntax makes a quality product in the Olevia line <br /> <br />I started to give this a 3, but I will give it a 4 and consider that the code line is a product of the Cable Box, however, if you can adjust picture orientation in VGA, you should be able to do the same in DVI and Component <br /> <br />I'll also take into account that LCD's aren't capable of being as clear as CRT. Having said that, this is one of the better pictures I've ever seen on an LCD; and by far the best for $700