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200 of 204 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not only inexpensive, but excellent image quality, October 7, 2004
This review is from: Syntax Olevia LT27HV 27-Inch HDTV-Ready Flat-Panel LCD TV (Electronics)
Syntax Group is an Asian company that has recently entered the LCD market here stateside. Its first offerings of LCD TVs are already getting positive reviews from users. ExtremeTech (a PC Mag offshoot) recently reviewed the 30-inch LCD TV and gave it an 8 out of 10. I also found other positive independent online reviews, so I decided to give this new brand a try, and got the 27-inch model after landing a new job.
Wow! I was very impressed with the image quality of this LCD TV. I had seen "low-cost" LCD TVs from Westinghouse (at Best Buy) and Gateway (at one of the now-defunct Gateway Country stores), and they were disappointing in contrast and image quality. The Syntax Olevia, despite its silly name, is definitely the best I've seen for this price class. Of course, if you take a Sharp Aquos or a Panasonic LCD TV side-by-side with the Olevia, the Sharp and Panasonic will be much better, giving you a more vibrant image, but they also cost almost twice as much as the Olevia! If you are absolutely into the best LCD quality, you have to get a Sharp; they are just the best. But if you want value but don't want to sacrifice too much in quality, this is probably the best balance.
The Olevia is also generous in terms of video inputs. You also get DVI, something a lot of LCD TVs omit. The VGA port means you can use this as a computer monitor, but I haven't tried that yet. The native scan supports 720p and the internal scaler allows you to view 1080i programs as well. Hooked up to a progress-scan DVD player, the Olevia makes movies a joy to watch.
In summary, the Olevia is a great entry-level LCD TV. If 27" is a bit too small for you, go for the 30" model which costs just $400 more. Syntax is also coming out with bigger screens later this year.
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133 of 136 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Value....But a few bugs!, September 14, 2004
I dedicated hours and hours to researching LCD's and Plasma's before making this purchase. The specs on this Syntax (Brightness and contrast) compare to other in the $2500-$3000 range. I decided this was the best value for my needs. The picture is great and so is the sound (with a subwoofer attached).
After becoming familiar with the TV and it's functions, I found a few bugs that should be expected from a company just starting to make lcd's. The first is that RCA remotes control the tv. i have an RCA directv receiver and any button I press on the RCA remote turns the TV volume up or down. Luckily I use a RF remote, so I just avoid aiming it in the direction of the TV. Another small bug is that some features such as the sleep timer are not easliy controlled. To set the Tv on a 30 minute timer, you have to click 3-4 buttons. I am used to just pressing one button. The Picture in Picture feature is very complicated and somewhat slow to display the second picture. And remember there is only one Progressive Component and S-Video input, so your hookups are somewhat limited.
I consider those con's to be small and do not change my recommendations of this TV. It shows a great picture, has great sound and is quality built. I returned a $3500 Sony for this one and I am happy I did. Save your money and buy this one - Same Picture quality as those name brands. Customer Support is easy to reach and very responsive, and it also comes with a 1-year in home warranty - WOW!
UPDATE - Syntax has repaired the remote problem and updated the screen adjustments (Saturation added)and added a few goodies via a software update. They sent me a disc with instructions on hooking a computer to the tv to update. great customer service and they are dedicated to improving already a great product.
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59 of 63 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not only inexpensive, but excellent image quality, October 7, 2004
(I reviewed this model's little sibling, the 27" model, but both use the same video engine and are identical in feature and quality. I hope my review can help you somewhat.)
Syntax Group is an Asian company that has recently entered the LCD market here stateside. Its first offerings of LCD TVs are already getting positive reviews from users. ExtremeTech (a PC Mag offshoot) recently reviewed the 30-inch LCD TV and gave it an 8 out of 10. I also found other positive independent online reviews, so I decided to give this new brand a try, and got the 27-inch model after landing a new job.
Wow! I was very impressed with the image quality of this LCD TV. I had seen "low-cost" LCD TVs from Westinghouse (at Best Buy) and Gateway (at one of the now-defunct Gateway Country stores), and they were disappointing in contrast and image quality. The Syntax Olevia, despite its silly name, is definitely the best I've seen for this price class. Of course, if you take a Sharp Aquos or a Panasonic LCD TV side-by-side with the Olevia, the Sharp and Panasonic will be much better, giving you a more vibrant image, but they also cost almost twice as much as the Olevia! If you are absolutely into the best LCD quality, you have to get a Sharp; they are just the best. But if you want value but don't want to sacrifice too much in quality, this is probably the best balance.
The Olevia is also generous in terms of video inputs. You also get DVI, something a lot of LCD TVs omit. The VGA port means you can use this as a computer monitor, but I haven't tried that yet. The native scan supports 720p and the internal scaler allows you to view 1080i programs as well. Hooked up to a progress-scan DVD player, the Olevia makes movies a joy to watch.
In summary, the Olevia is a great entry-level LCD TV. If 27" is a bit too small for you, go for the 30" model which costs just $400 more. Syntax is also coming out with bigger screens later this year.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
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