Mitsubishi LT-52149 LCD TV:
Comparisons & Conclusion Comparisons & Conclusion
Compared with LCD TVs such as the Samsung LN52A750 ($3500) and Sony KDL-52W4100 ($3000), the Mitsubishi LT-52149 comes up a bit short in terms of picture quality. To make matters worse, at $3600, it's more expensive than the other two. Yes, the ISP is miles ahead of their audio systems, but is that worth the extra dough when the picture doesn't quite stack up?

I encountered a few head-scratchers during this review. For example, even though the color gamut was close to correct, the color rendition was less than ideal. This could have been due to the fact that the TV offers only one set of grayscale-calibration controls instead of two—or 10, as in the LG 47LG60 LCD and 50PG60 plasma—making it impossible to dial in the LT-52149's grayscale, which is the canvas on which color is overlaid. Also, the black level measured fairly low, but the black of space didn't look very deep. Finally, the sharpness control had to be set differently for HD and SD signals, which I've never seen before. With this set, it's clearly better to upconvert DVDs in the player.

On the plus side, 120Hz frame interpolation did not introduce visible artifacts, overall detail was good, and shadow detail was admirable in general. And the ISP is way cool. Still, I'm afraid these are not enough to warrant an unqualified recommendation.

Highs
ISP sound system provides good simulated surround in a small- to medium-sized room
Artifact-free 120Hz frame interpolation
Good detail, as long as sharpness is set correctly
Excellent shadow detail
Well-organized menu system

Lows
Colors not as natural as I've seen on other sets
Blacks don't look deep
Sharpness must be set differently for HD and SD sources
Picture controls time out too quickly