Tired of playing Halo split-screen and squinting at a window the size of your controller? Television technology has come a long way since you bought that TV off your college roommate; maybe it's finally time to upgrade. We've rounded up some of the hottest 1080p HDTVs on the market and paired them with the biggest games of yesterday and tomorrow. Use our handy price guide to narrow down which one is right for you. (Prices listed are indicative of online quotes, and don't necessarily represent the MSRP.)
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THE CHEAP SEATS
For those who want the most bang for their buck
Sharp Aquos 40" LC-40E77UN
7/10
Pro: The Aquos lives up to its name with an image so razor sharp you could use it for shaving. The stutter free image is great for games. We dug the feel of the system's ergonomic remote, and moving day should be a little easier given this set's super light weight. Con: Though you'll likely only have to deal with it once, setting the Aquos on its stand is a complicated process. We missed the lack of quick options for setting color temperature, but at least you won't have to worry about disturbing your neighbors with late night Rock Band parties thanks to the Aquos' wimpy speakers.
$869.99
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Sony Bravia 32" KDL-32XBR9
8/10
Pro: Sony's little beast stacked up well against the big boys, producing deeper blacks than most of the rest of the group while providing fairly accurate color reproduction. Uncharted 2 looked as good as we've ever seen it on both of Sony's super clean sets. Con: The 32" Bravia only cycles through pictures at 120Hz, but the difference in blur effects were almost negligible. We also miss some of the universal remote functions found on the 40" model. Given its price and performance this will likely be the best option for many, but wouldn't it be nice to have a bigger picture?
$739.99
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Vizio 42" SV421XVT
6/10
Pro: The colors of Borderland's distopian wasteland really popped on the Vizio, and we only noticed a small amount of graininess. Handles on the top of the unit come in handy while trying to perfect your living room's feng shui.
Con: The graininess we noticed on the Vizio was negligible for a TV at this price, but you'll likely hear some complaints during family movie night due to the unit's poor off-angle viewing. Like an aging lawyer's beard, the black levels on this display have a few gray hairs.
$899.99
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THE NEXT STEP
For those who want a TV with a little something extra
LG 47" 47LH90
8/10
Pro: LG's big, crystal-clear screen is great for watching movies. Gorgeous color reproduction is aided by a built-in sensor that adjusts the LCD's backlighting in tune with the changing light levels of your room. It's also super handy to save multiple color settings to different inputs. For those worried about aesthetics and sound, the hidden speakers have good audio output and still retain the unit's sleek design.
Con: A lack of online options is disappointing, and so is this screen's off-angle performance. More frustrating is the moderate amount of ghosting we noticed while playing Metal Gear Solid 4.
$1,499.95
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Panasonic 50" TC-P50G10
6/10
Pro: Panasonic's Viera Cast technology is great for streaming YouTube videos, retrieving weather and sports news, and downloading Amazon videos on demand. A built-in SD slot even lets you turn the tables on your grandparents and start torturing them with vacation slideshows.
Con: Enlist a friend to help set this bad boy up, since installing the base entails some complicated heavy maneuvering, which is more problematic than the Aquos given this unit's extra heft. Our biggest problems with this TV, however, were its muted black levels and a grainy display that made our Watchmen Blu-ray look like it was filmed in the middle of a sandstorm.
$1,399.99
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Sony Bravia 40" (Editor's Choice)
KDL-40XBR9
10/10
Pro: Sony's 40" model looks as sharp as its little brother, plus it has some notable extras. The bump up to 240Hz helps eliminate some of the judder we noticed on the smaller set. Online features let you download videos from Sports Illustrated, Wired, and YouTube while checking the weather or your stock portfolio. To top it off, this Bravia was the only TV we tested with built-in Netflix support. Con: We could tell you that some of the lighter shades of the Bravia's blacks are tinged blue, but there is little else to complain about.
$1,349.99
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LUXURY LIVING
For those who line their birdcages with $100 bills
Samsung 46" UN46B8000
9/10
Pro: Samsung's Series 8 is so sexy it could turn heads on a Paris runway. The unit is only about as thick as a deck of cards, and the screen itself is so beautiful and bright you might need sunglasses. Its blacks, on the other hand, let out about as much light as a black hole. Online widgets and USB ports for digital cameras and MP3 players make the Series 8 the centerpiece for all your parties. Con: Given the system's price tag, we feel like WiFi should have been built in (right now you have to buy a USB adaptor for $79.99). The Series 8's remote is so unresponsive and chintzy we wonder if Samsung bought them in bulk from Wal-Mart.
$2,289.99
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For more video game news and reviews, check out the latest issue of Game Informer or visit the magazine's Web site at http://.
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(c) 2009, Game Informer Magazine, published monthly
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
