Customer Reviews

Syntax Olevia LT30HV 30-Inch HD-Ready Flat-Panel LCD TV

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

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.

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.

(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.

I did lots of research as to what type of TV (plasma, rear projection, etc)is best in the HDTV world. For the space in my house, I needed a TV less than 40 inches so was fairly limited b/w smaller Plasmas and larger LCD's.

I looked at the Sharp, but was willing to go with the Olevia due to the # of favorable user reviews I found. There are a couple of 'expert reviews' that don't recommend Olevia (Cnet), but there were some very favorable recommendations (extremetech http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1642839,00.asp gave it an 8/10)

I received the TV in fine shape - excellent packing. I was shocked to have it up and running within 5 minutes and looking great - I expected it would take much longer. I had Comcast upgrade to the HD service and Hi-def looks awesome on the TV. The old analog channels are passable, not great...but I'm hoping most the programming will move hi-def.

Hope this helps in your search.

received my Olevia LT27HV 27" HDTV-Ready Flat-Panel LCD TV this afternoon.

INPUT SIGNALS
1) YbPbPr input (tested on onkyo 6 dvd changer) - 5 star !
2) Svideo input (tested on sharp camcorder ) - 5 star !
3) composite video input (tested on samsung vcr) - 5 star !
4a) tuner port RF input (cartoons) - 5 star !
4b) tuner port RF input (non-cartoons) - 4.5 star - a little grainy on dark scene.
5) analog VGA ( connected to desktop PC ) - 5 star for 1280x720x32. In this resolution, the text and graphics are super super fine ! well.. should i say.. PERFECT !!! yes.. they didn't lie.. the scan rate even came out 14.6 ms as tested thru powerstrip module !! thats an added bonus for FPS gamer like me !
6) DVI ( haven't tried yet, i need to buy DVI cable first. I will keep you guys posted. I'm very happy with what I see on analog VGA, how happier can I get with DVI connection !!).

SCREEN DISPLAY: due to the superb brillance / brightness / contrast / gamma / sharpness, etc, I would rate this 10 out of 10 ! I'm an PC GAMER and have played UT2004, FAR CRY, BF1942, SOF2, RTCW, BLACK HAWK DOWN TEAM SABRE , JOINT OPERATION, DEVASTATION, MEN OF VALOR, PAIN KILLER, RICHARD BURNS RALLY, NEED FOR SPEED HOT PERSUIT 2, MEDAL OF HONOR, DOOM 3, ETC. Absolutly no regret.. worth every penny !

Before I bought this, I have been running all my games at 1600x1200 and 1280x1024. I had to lower all my game's resolution to about 1280x720 or lower before plugging in to this LCD otherwise I'll get the blue screen. Lowering the resolution to 1280x720 is no big deal, because I get to maximize all my video details settings to "very high" and those buffering to 'tripple'.

If you see this TV going for cheap and your needs are anything like mine, buy it immediately and resist all the techno-junk TV manufacturers are forcing on consumers.

First, consider the input into your TV. If it is normal cable like I have, this TV is perfect. Its resolution will exceed your cable feed. In fact, an HDTV or even an EDTV, will have to down convert to your feed signal and you may end up with a worse picture than you'd get from this set. Heck, the resolution of this TV exceeds a coventional DVD. Also, for occasional computer use this TV has a VGA input, Perfect!

Second, consider what you watch. If you watch movies all the time, maybe you'd want a widescreen. I usually watch most anything other than movies, so the conventinal aspect ratio I prefer. Normal programming and sports seems streched and annoying looking on a widescreen to me. AND GET THIS, a 20" conventional aspect TV has 12% MORE pixels than a 20" Widescreen. The truth of the matter is, TV manufactures push widescreens on consumers not because consumers visually prefer them, but because they are much cheaper to manufacture and they can advertise bigger screen sizes, sneaky!

The good:
1) Great Price
2) Low power consumption (60W, the thing will pay for itself)
3) Its less ugly than it looks in the picture
4) Great menus and picture control
5) Crazy inputs
6) Lightening response time (no digital lag)
7) Usable speakers
8) Good black display (tends to challenge LCD TVs)
9) Hey, its a flat panel TV, you just feel cooler watching it and chuckle to yourself for not supporting Sharp and Sony's elitistism promoting advertising and huge profit margains...he he he ha ha ha
The bad:
1) Whites too bright. Don't try to watch the winter olympics on this set. Snow, basketball courts and generally light scenes are glowing bright and if you take the brightness and backlighting down to compensate, the darks are too dark.
2) Lowest volume setting still too loud if your watching TV and your loved one is trying to sleep.
3) Short power cord

I've seem some reviews of this TV complaining of dead pixels, I don't have any. Also gripes on the audio filter, no problem here. This is a good TV, exceeds my needs, and maybe yours? Please research my rantings, judge for yourself, and don't get fooled into buying more than you need. Cheers!

First let me just state for the record that I rarely buy off-brand electronics, and when I do it's minor equipment like cables, etc. But after reading reviews from around the web it sounded like the Olevia held it's own when it came to quality and features. So my journey began...

I was very close to spending (...) on a 26" Sharp Aquos (...). Then I saw the Olevia. For (...) for a brand new set I figured this was a hell of a deal. Not only does the Olevia beat the Sharp in connections and features, it was almost (...) bucks less. So I got one...

First thing I did was hooked it up to my PC. On 1024x720 the text was clean, winamp visualizations were awesome, and some of my wallpapers looked incredibly real. Half Life 2 with all settings highest and 16:9 looked fantastic. Then it was time to give it the TV test...

I watched a number of sets (Sharp, Panasonic, LG) with regular cable hook-up. They looked like absolute trash, but clearly it was the signal that was coming into the Best Buy/Circuit City stores because the analog cable on my Olevia looks superb. It blows away our old tube tv, and while some channels obviously come in better than others, the general quality is much better than I expected.

The Olevia has awesome PiP and PoP features. They allow you to watch more than 1 source at the same time (e.g., dvd and tv, dvd and playstation2). There is a regular picture in picture, a split screen, a 3 PoP (one channel in a big box and 3 others in 3 smaller windows on the right) and even a grid PoP that allows you to view 12 channels at the same time. However, if you're using these to watch different tv channels, be aware that in 3 PoP and the grid PoP only the "main" box displays the picture at normal frame rate. The other channels show picture at about 5 frames per second and not at the same time, but consecutively in order. Not a big deal, but something to consider.

The connections on the back of the Olevia are more than you'll probably need, and are easily hidden because there are removable panels which allow you to direct the wires through one or two small openings. Awesome.

I then put my playstation 2 to work, hooking it up with component cables. The quality CRUSHES composite (red/white/yellow) hookup. You'll never go back. And I played two games, Tekken 4 and Burnout 3, with the progressive scan feature enabled (displays game at dvd quality, 480p). Very, VERY nice. Colors are fantastic, and blacks are very well done.

Then I hooked the Olevia up to my Bravo D2 dvd player via a DVI cable. The player features upscaling that can display any dvd in 720p or 1080i (as well as the standard 480p if for some reason you want to use it). With a bit of tweaking of brightness, contrast on both the dvd player and TV I sat down and watched Alien vs. predator widescreen dvd on 720p. WOW!!! The picture is clean, the colors are beautiful, and the sharpness is great. LCDs are known to be bad at reproducing blacks (in other words, the color black, usually it is some sort of dark gray). I cannot complain here. The bravo d2 olevia combination produces dark and rich blacks.

How about the sound? TV has two detachable 10w speakers that are surprisingly strong. I hooked the speakers up to an audio reciever and they are now my surround speakers. The TV does have multiple audio outs and even subwoofer out.

So, the conclusion? First realize that my comments have one underlying point in mind: I spent (...) on the tv. For that price the quality and features are unbeatable. Most of the other brand name sets costing (...) and up don't even have the features that this tv does. While I'm sure the picture quality on the Sharp, panasonic and sony is a little better, I don't see the point of spending money on those sets unless you are ready right now to get a serious home theatre system.

If you're like me, just wanting something good to hold you over until you spend serious cash, buy this tv, and don't hesitate to do it. It has ALL the connections you need, it's dvi has hdcp (which is a copyright protection system which you will need in the future), has awesome PiP and viewing features, 3:2 pulldown, detachable speakers, and a great look (blue led when tv is off is hot). I have had the set for almost a month and have had no problems with the remote, picture or the sound.

I wouldn't take this thing back for anything. I got it for under a grand and with the refurbished bravo d2 (...) i have myself a really solid entry level home theatre setup. E mail me at photekxl@hotmail.com if you have any questions.

I used to sell electronics a few years back when I was working my way through college and it is amazing how inept the majority of salespeople are in the retail environment. For the most part, if the TV does not offer a high percentage commission you can bet that the salesperson knows diddly about the product. There are however a few people who take pride in their work and do there best to fulfill the needs of the customer. But sometimes you have to do some research and footwork for yourself if you want to save some cash.

Case in point the "no name" Olevia HDTV (ready) by Syntax. I did a lot of research both online and in-stores before deciding to go with the Olevia. Originally I was skeptical of a brand I did not know, but after some research I learned that the LCD panel is actually produced by Phillips, now Phillips/Maganavox. My old Tv is a 14 year old 32 in Magnavox console. So if this Olevia lasts even half as long as the Magnavox then I am one happy camper.

Despite what the saleperson told me the TV is capable of True HD, has PIP, and very easy hookup. I was disapointed with the picture at the store, and the sign on the TV did not mention HD ( or any of the great features on this set). The salesman told me "no that ain't HD", he turned pointed to the bright crisp picture on a very expensive Sharp Aquos and said, "that's HD". If I had not already done the reseasrch I would have believed the salesman and thought the TV was just EDTV (Enhanced Definition-one step down from HD).

It really pays to know what your looking at when you are preparing to make such a large luxury item purchase. If you did not have time to research a specific TV at home you might benefit from asking a salesperson to see the companies product description booklet(not all store have this, I know SEARS does), this is usually kept near the register and will have everything from dimesions to (most if not all of the) special features of the set.
Believe me, it was not just PRICE that swayed my to the Olevia, I also chose the TV because of the picture quality. BE AWARE! At retail stores very often the expensive TV's are hooked up directly to a high quality signal while the more economical models are hooked up on a split feed which has a weak signal and therefore a poor picture quality.
ALWAYS ask to see the TV through a Component hookup directly off of a DVD player or HD source. You will be astonished at how much clearer the picture is vs. the split feed most sets have in store. This is exactly what I did when testing my Olevia, and I would say the picture is 85% to 90% of the Sharp Aquos at around half the price. It really is a fantastic Television at a great price. And once I got the TV home I was able to tweak the settings and got the picture even clearer!
Be careful, take the time to test TV's with the proper cable hookups, if a salesperson refuses to help you talk to a manager. Satisfying the needs of the customer is their job, don't let a poor salesperson keep you from getting a deal or the treatment you desreve!

I just recieved this unit today.

1. Packaging is absolutely first class. The unit comes double boxed in very sturdy cardboard. Everything in putting the pakage together appears to have been done with care for the product.

2. The unit itself is very modern with the silver accents and glowing blue stand-by light. The speakers are removeable, but arrive attached and wired. The remote I received was the standard version. Also included was an XGA cable, power cable, and all necessary manuals and warranties.

3. Performance.

I have the unit hooked up using the most basic connection, a 75 ohm cable (regular cable wire), from the wall to the unit. I have an HD box coming from Comcast. I will post a follow up once it arrives. I have found that the unit out of the box is 7 out of 10. There is some red push, but tweaking the controls allows you to get a decent picture. I would highly recommend using a calibration disc such as AVIA to set all necessary functions. I performed all calibrations by eye and achieved decent results.

Colors are very punchy especially with animation, which I would use to show the set to my friends until HD arrives. Very clear and vibrant. I used this as a benchmark for what the set could achieve if properly set. Again maximum settings can be had using AVIA. Unfortunately, the DVD player has yet to arrive, so I will have to make do by eye.

I tend to use the Weather Channel to calibrate my sets due to the computer colors they employ; plus the fact they have people on screen to allow correct setting of flesh tones. You get the best of both worlds on one screen. Blues in the background were very full. The contrast detail was very good. General human appearance was natural and not to over done. Be patient doing your tweaks. It took me three tries over the course of two hours. Not a straight two hours, but you get the idea.

My settings ended up with sharpness being way down, most color setting near middle, brightness and contrast on the lower side of center, backlight to soft, full screen mode, and noise red. to high. I was pretty impressed by this sets ability to present a decent picture using the worst possible signal.

Pros:

Color saturation
Tweaking flexiblity
Relative clarity on a poor signal

Cons:

Some appearance of motion drag; minimal at best, and could be attributed to signal strength.

Lack of picture streching modes; however full screen does an excellent job of rendering 4:3 material. It should be noted that I have had a 16:9 HDTV for about 3 years so I am a bit more used to what the signal supposed to be.

Shadows are more of a dark grey than black, but no real information is lost in the shadow. I took me a while to get it, but tweaking can get you a decent shadow detail. Again AVIA will reduce your time in doing this.

Summary:

I will be using this set as a second HDTV in the living room. I have a 65" HD set in the theater room and a 17" HD set in the work out room. I took a chance on this set and have been pleasantly surprised. I gave it the worst signal I could and still felt comfortable giving it 4 out of 5. My only question I have now is whether to go to the 32" or stick with the 30".
I will post a follow up once the HD box arrives, and I have a chance to correctly calibrate the set.

PS: the standard remote works fine, and the buzzing sound is barely noticeable beyond 3 feet from the set.

I ordered this on January 3rd and just received it today and set it up. I did extensive research before buying an LCD TV and this was what I finally decided on. I haven't made any changes to the picture yet and have only viewed the set from regular CATV but am anxious to hook up my XBOX and DVD player via component cables since the set looked wonderful at HHGregg watching the Discovery Channel in HD. The audio output via RCA cables to my receiver is unfortunately not as good as the output on my old CRT. Not a really big deal though. The set is very well put together and I like the fact that you purchase an extended warranty through Syntax. The set is of course very bright and vibrant the way an LCD is advertised to be. I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time in front of this set and believe it was the best bang for my buck.

Updated: I have now messed with all of the settings on this TV and the colors it can display out of any input are amazing. Blacks look black for an LCD with the backlight on just normal. Red is a little overwhelming but blues and greens never looked better. If you intend on watching regular cable make sure to have noise reduction on high. Another thing that is nice is that you can set color and other video options for each individual input. The remote really is something to be desired. Sometimes it works and sometimes it just decides it doesn't work, I can't figure it out(guess it's just cheap). I would like to get a better universal remote but I'm not sure on the codes. I have heard Philips codes work possibly? I might also add that I have removed the speakers that came with the monitor since I use my own home theater speakers. This really makes the monitor itself look very clean and cutting-edge. I was skeptical at first but please do yourself a favor and get this set!

Updated again(January 11, 2005): I have hooked up my dvd and xbox via component video cables to this set. To anyone that doesn't already know, this set does do progressive scan, only on one of the component inputs though. I saw someone say it didn't do progressive content but it does, 480p and 720p as well as 1080i. Also, 480p is NOT HD, 720p and 1080i are HD though. Video games look absolutely detailed and stunning however I wasn't as impressed with DVD content displayed at 480p. DVD content was very good overall but the sharpness that I experienced when playing the XBOX in 480p just wasn't there. I have also found it a bit difficult to find the correct picture settings that give me the most pleasing picture. I am still tweaking the settings though and hopefully I will have them the way I want soon. My main issue is getting skin tones to look accurate on both regular TV and DVD...the skin color always looks a little washed out but I'm sure I can fix that. I have also seen some people mention the buzz on this set. There is a very slight hum that is only audible if you put your ear right up behind the set in a perfectly quiet room. I swear, this set is super quiet as an LCD monitor should be. Read the reviews on www.extremetech.com and www.anandtech.com, I only saw one poor review and that was on CNET.com. PC magazine even gave it 4/5 stars! Great set, I'm really pleased.