Olevia 542i 42-Inch LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I keep on hearing just how good HDTV looks, and I've seen in-store displays and not been impressed, of course. I also haven't been impressed with most of the HDTVs I've seen in people's houses with all the glare and stuff ruining the picture. So, I waited a LONG time before getting an HDTV for two reasons. First, I had a price point the TV had to get down to before I would buy. Secondly, the TV had to be an LCD (need to wallmount above fireplace; need to connect to HTPC, so no plasma with the rectangular pixels). Therefore, after a HECK of a lot of research and reading review after review, I chose the Olevia 542i for a great many reasons.
Reasons included very high ratings, very few complaints, extremely low price, Phillips S-IPS LCD panel, excellent SD scaler, lots of picture modes/zoom/adjustments/etc, built with PC use in mind, firmware updateable (haven't updated yet, but I could), etc. Ok, so I get the TV when it's at its cheapest price ever (mwahaha!), which was a full Benjamin below what I was willing to pay for it (the extra money paid for the Peerless Onemount wallmount for it). After I unpack the TV, I quickly scoot it over and use a VGA cable to connect it to my main PC just to test it out with World of Warcraft. I was completely blown away. It was a 42" LCD computer monitor at 1360x768, so clear you couldn't see pixels unless you were within two feet of it (with my glasses on)!
Anyway, I tested it with a bunch of different sources and everything just amazed me. It looks WAY WAY better, even with standard-def s-video and component video sources, than my Sony WEGA 27" CRT TV. I didn't expect that at all. The scaler in this Olevia (and the 37" 5-series model) is just incredible. Noise reduction is extremely impressive also, better than my Sony WEGA CRT by far, as regular Dish Network content is full of noise (low-bitrate mpeg-2; I will get an mpeg-4 Dish HD receiver soon).
Well, I rarely post reviews of items and mostly just read tons of reviews, but I had to post a review for this TV, especially since I didn't see any reviews for it on Amazon. I posted a bunch of pictures I took with my camera at 2048x1536 resolution, but Amazon scaled them down so they don't really do the TV justice. Still, you can get an idea of how awesome this TV is by looking at the pics.
I can honestly say that this is the best-looking display of any kind I have ever seen for any price. It is truly a bargain and can easily compete with any 1080i LCD its size at twice the price. Oh, also, HD content puts even the best-looking DVDs playing through the best-quality DVD player to shame, and this TV shows every detail beautifully in HD. The only downside is the black-level detail, but it is less and less noticeable with higher quality sources (I don't even notice a loss of any black-level detail in HD).

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42" LCD HDTV HDTV-compatible 16:9 aspect ratio 1600:1 contrast ratio 1366 x 768 resolution750 brightness & 178ultra-wide viewing angles8 ms response time & real-time graphics 1080i/720p/480p/480i compatible 2 x 15w srs surround sound stereo speakersvideo inputs 1 atsc/ntsc combo tuner input hdmi 2 component vga-1360 x 768@60 hz s-video & composite vertical speaker position rs-232 control

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Olevia 327V 27-Inch LCD HD Ready Monitor Review

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(More customer reviews)I picked up the 327V just before New Year's. I found it in a large electronics chain store for just under four hundred dollars. I knew it did not have a built in tuner, but I didn't need one for what I want to use this for. I got it as a large screen computer display, and for watching my DVDs in my bedroom.
Overall, I must say that this unit has exceeded my expectations. The picture quality is excellent for DVDs. I haven't hooked it up to the computer yet, because it requires a VGA cable that did not come with it (I have a cable on the way).
Anyway, I only have two minor complaints with this unit. One is the bright blue LED that is lit on the power button when the unit is off. It's too bright for my bedroom, so I've had to cover it with tape. The other complaint is that the "universal" remote that I have for my Home Theater Receiver is not able to control this monitor. A "learning" remote is required, at least in most cases. This monitor is too new for the codes to be programmed into most universal remotes.
I purchased a wall mount kit to mount this unit on the wall, and I think it looks excellent there. The mount is a VESA 100mm x 200mm pattern, which doesn't seem like a common size. Many of the mounts I saw were either 100mm x 100mm or 200mm x 200mm. Some were even smaller 75mm x 75mm. I did finally find one that was the right type, and it was very easy to install on the wall, at least for me.
I have used the built in speakers and think that they sound great for what they are, but I'm waiting until I get my home theater speakers set up so I can enjoy the home theater experience. I know that a larger screen makes a better home theater, but my bedroom is too small to make that a practical proposition. This screen feels like it's just the right size for this room, at approximately 14' x 16'.
I would recommend this monitor for anyone looking for something about this size, as long as they don't need to have a built in tuner. If you have a satellite box, cable box, or a VCR, it can work as a tuner. In order to get HDTV functionality, you need an HDTV capable tuner (which most, if not all, VCRs are not). Since it has no tuner, I don't understand why it has buttons for changing channels. This is simply an observation, and is not meant to be a complaint about this monitor.

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27" HDTV Ready LCD TV with no tuner

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Olevia 537H 37-Inch LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased the Olevia 537h LCD flat panel TV for my mother, as she entered an assisted living community. I wanted her to have the best picture quality. She loves baseball, and has fairly good eyesight.
I had spent some time looking at the Olevia 537h, but had only seen it showing a poor quality documentary. Still, I could see that the picture was excellent. When I installed my unit (which by the way was delivered sooner than expected, and in perfect condition), and first played a DVD, I was more than satisfied with the results (the Platinum edition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was almost too good. You could see the artists' every brush stroke). The DVD player was one which Up-converted to HD 1080i quality, and the Olevia was up to the task. The picture was sharp, and the color was pure.
As has been stated, the on-screen display menu system Syntax is so proud of takes some getting used to, and I had to print out the manual from disc to have a reference in front of me. Some things are still not clear (manual-wise, that is) I almost have it fully programmed, but will probably have to find a simpler remote for my mother's use. I'm using it with an HD antenna, but will probably have to arrange for cable input, as some local stations just don't come in well. This I know is not the fault of the unit.
Overall it is a gem. The picture looks great in even bright room light. No glare from the screen. The colors are pure. And the price from Amazon is the best I had found.

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The Olevia 5 Series LCD HDTVs, engineered to provide exceptional video and audio, will impresseven the toughest critics. Powered by MTKs state-of-the-art MDDI video processor technology,the Olevia 5 Series HDTVs display exceptionally crisp, rich and vibrant images with unsurpassedclarity for viewing high definition digital programs as well as standard analog TV channels. Withhigh contrast ratios and fast response times, rapid-action viewing such as sporting events oradventure films is displayed with super clarity and truly come alive. With a super-wide 178-degreeviewing angle, images look spectacular wherever you are seated. These LCD HDTVs are perfectfor home or office viewing and can double as a computer display with support for TV resolutionsup to 1080i, and PC resolutions up to 1360 x 768 through HDMI and VGA. To further enhance yourexperience, Olevias surround sound audio processor creates an awesome listening environmentwhile watching TV, movies or playing games. RS-232 control enables you to connect your OleviaHDTV to a home entertainment system. Once you see the new Olevia, you will agree that you have neverseen HDTV like this.

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