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With its latest 1080p line, HP swings towards the upscale. Gone are the tacky 80s style cases swapped out for sleek, shiny black chassis. But the black doesn’t stop with the case: our tests showed that the HP “slams black” —that is, it swaps in black for dark gray colors, creating a dark picture that appears to have a high contrast ratio. It doesn't. Boosting brightness and dialing in contrast brings it back to normal, but leaves the screen with less apparent contrast. Thankfully, HP’s LCD panel is as low-reflection as its case is shiny; a special coating kills glare, making it easier to watch in bright rooms. —C.C.
WIRED A simple remote control layout makes configuring options in the dark easy. 1920 x 1080 native resolution. Four (count ‘em) four HDMI ports.
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TIRED __Noise reduction left us watching grainy film transfers. No noise reduction settings. Poor video processing failed to properly de-interlace some 24 FPS sources and left jaggies in diagonal lines. With 42-inch LCDs starting at under a grand we expect more for twice that price.
$1,900, hp.com
