Large and lovely LCD TVs

Thinking of replacing your plasma with an LCD? Read this first!

When they said size isn't everything they certainly weren't talking about TVs. Even Paul McCartney and Heather Mills would agree that the bigger the TV the better the movie, and that's before you throw picture quality into the mix.

In the last six months LCD screens have started growing too big to be kept in bedrooms and are moving into plasma territory. So throw some popcorn in the microwave and dim down the lights because here are three of the latest big screen LCDs waiting to dazzle you for prime spot in your living room.

First up is Panasonic's 37-inch TX-37LZD70, their entry card into the LCD screen big leagues. Under its hood you'll find a V-Real Pro 2 processor, Advanced 3D Colour Management and a Sub-Pixel controller keeping the picture motoring along throughout every chase scene. In HD mode you can enjoy stunningly detailed pictures running at a brisk 24 fps. In fact the TX-37LZD70 is arguably the best LCD picture you'll find on a sub-40-inch set.

However, the problems start when you switch to standard definition and some of the nuts in this well oiled machine start to come loose. Despite all the technology, Panasonic still haven't quite been able to provide the dark colour palette handled so well in their larger, cheaper plasma sets. When you watch a night scene, rather than presented with true shades of black, a grey fog descends and ruins your enjoyment of an otherwise magnificent TV.

Whilst Panasonic have certainly raised the bar with the TX-37LZD70, it's not quite good enough to replace your existing plasma for standard definition. Great for a few rounds of Halo 3 though.

Another option might be Toshiba's Regza 42Z3030D, part of their flagship range sailing with pace into the up market territories occupied by Sony and Panasonic.

Full HD 1080p visual splendour is provided by their Active Vision M100HD processor pushing frame rates up to 100 Hz whilst limiting judder and correcting colour to keep every scene sharp and sprightly. Unfortunately when taken into SD territory the Toshiba fairs little better than the Panasonic.

Not only do grey mists descend in dark scenes, but shimmering effects and blurring chase scenes have also been reported. So whilst the 42Z3030D would be great for watching your blu-ray discs, normal SD TV is still better left to the plasmas. This leaves Sony's mighty Bravia KDL-46X2000, with the most powerful picture processing power available in an LCD and the price tag to match. At 1080p you won't find a sharper more impressive image: outlines are drawn with a scalpel and Planet Earth has never looked better.

However, whilst this TV certainly offers the best quality SD picture you'll find on a big screen LCD, reports of slight shuddering during panned shorts means it's still not quite good enough to replace your plasma in prime spot in your living room.

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