Chromebook Pixel – Review

The Chromebook Pixel comes with a third generation Intel Core i5, 1.8GHz dual-core processor, 4GB RAM and 32/64GB hard drive. It also boasts of high resolution Retina touch screen display usually found in Apple MacBook products. The Chromebook Pixel weighs 3.35 pounds and it sports a 12.85-inches display. The design is flawless, the touchscreen functions brilliantly and the Chrome OS is just as smooth as it looks. In terms of performance, the Chromebook Pixel will not give you any reason to complain.

On the flip side though, $1300 is a hefty price to pay for an ultrabook that runs on a cloud based OS. The Chrome OS comes with its share of limitations – you can’t use regular programs like Microsoft Office and Photoshop. Sure enough, there are alternatives like Google Drive and Pixlr but it can take a while to get used to them. Additionally, they might not compare to Microsoft programs in terms of performance and productivity.

As a result of these limitations, the Chromebook Pixel caters to a very select audience i.e. people who primarily use their laptops for online browsing or who are comfortable using Cloud based alternatives for traditional programs. Additionally, one has to be willing to pay quite a lot of money for an ultrabook that might not meet his or her basic technical requirements.

How does it compare with its competitors?

As soon as the Chromebook Pixel was launched, comparisons were made with MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. The Apple MacBook Pro comes with high resolution Retina display which makes for unbelievable clarity and sharpness in terms of display. In terms of technical specs, MacBook Pro is way ahead of Chromebook Pixel with a third generation Intel i7 2.3 GHz quad-core processor, 8/16GB memory and 256 GB hard drive. Additionally, one gets to use the iOS which is a full-fledged operating system with an array of programs as opposed to cloud based Chrome OS. However, these features come at a high cost as the MacBook Pro with Retina Display is priced close to $2000.

One can also compare Chromebook Pixel to Acer Aspire S7, an ultrabook which runs on Microsoft Windows 8. This ultrabook from Acer ships with Intel i7 1.9GHz dual-core processor, 4GB memory and 256 GB hard drive. Microsoft has made a very conscious effort to ensure that the Windows 8 OS supports a touch-friendly experience and the results are evident. The touchscreen is more receptive than other operating systems and the ultrabook performs without any glitches. Again, this ultrabook doesn’t come cheap either. Priced at close to $1600, it is a few hundred dollars expensive than the Chromebook Pixel.

BenQ XL2420T

While it’s a bit on the pricier side for a 24-inch monitor, the XL2420T is feature packed and offers all-around great performance, especially for those looking to do a bit of PC gaming. Its 120Hz refresh rate and Nvidia 3D Vision certification, the XL2420T is an excellent choice for a gamer. Image quality is excellent and even includes several gaming presets optimized for specific games. The only caveat to consider is the fact that people are sometimes dissatisfied with BenQ’s company policies (such as limited warranty support), but still love their products.

Asus PA Series PA238Q

When it comes to design and ergonomics, the PA238Q is quite nearly unmatched, making it an excellent display for general productivity. Color reproduction is also exceptional, and as an IPS panel, viewing angles are very good; however, refresh rates do suffer slightly, so gamers may want to pass on this one. Blacklight bleed has also been a reported issue with the PA238Q, so those looking for an immersive video experience should tread carefully.

Asus VG278H

The VG278H is another display well suited for gaming, though like the BenQ, it’s a bit pricey for a monitor of its size (27 inches in this case). It features a 120Hz refresh rate and is Nvidia 3D Vision certified as well. Color reproduction is excellent, though it too suffers from poor viewing angles. In terms of price per performance, it represents a great value, though it lacks a few popular features, such as USB ports.

Wacom Cintiq 24HD

As far as drawing tablets have been concerned, Wacom has always been the brand of choice. Wacom’s foray into the display market has been a welcomed one by those in the computer graphics profession. The Cintiq 24HD is really less about the display and more about the tablet capabilities, featuring the Cintiq Pen with 2048 levels of sensitivity. At upwards of $2000, it’s certainly expensive, but if you’re in the computer graphics business, you won’t regret it.

Dell U2412M

The Dell U2412M is about as close as you can get to professional grade color reproduction and performance without spending an awful lot of money for something like Apple’s new Thunderbolt Display. It makes an excellent display for an aspiring video or photo editor and is an all-around great choice for any multimedia work. With an astonishing 5 USB ports, it can also help clear up some of the clutter around your desk.

This, of course, is just a tiny portion of our extensive list of monitors reviewed on alaTest. While the top 5 are currently of a slightly more expensive nature, our Monitors Section has a long list of well reviewed displays of all price ranges, such as the more affordable AOC I2352VH (a very good value) and the Samsung Syncmaster S27A850D (a high-performance professional grade display).

Contrast Ratio

Manufacturers have invented the term “Dynamic Contrast Ratio.” Realistic contrast ratios are around 1,500:1, but dynamic contrasts state numbers like 1,000,000:1. The top rated PC monitor on alaTest right now, the Asus VG278H lists a 50,000,000:1 “Smart” Contrast Ratio. Samsung’s D8000 Series, the top rated HDTV lists 25,000,000:1

Ultimately, these numbers are completely meaningless. A display’s contrast ratio is a ratio between the brightest and darkest image the display can produce. Dynamic contrast cheats by turning off the display’s backlight when the screen’s image is entirely black, using that as the darkest value. In a real viewing scenario, the entire screen would never be black like that, so you would never see dynamic contrast in action.

Manufacturers have even started to omit true contrast ration specs entirely. Some don’t even use the word “Dynamic” when listing their misleading numbers.

Full backlit LED TVs that can turn off a portion of the screen’s backlight, making dynamic contrast slightly more applicable, but even that scenario rarely occurs in real life viewing. OLED displays are the only ones that can truly take advantage of this concept, but they don’t need dynamic contrast to do it. Unfortunately, OLED TVs are quite rare and expensive right now.

Refresh Rate and Response Times

Manufacturers have started advertising their TVs with “Effective Refresh Rates.” That’s to say, they’ve developed special algorithms that strobe the backlight in order to make a refresh rate of 120-240Hz (such as the Sony Bravia KDL-XBR9) look more like 960Hz – or so they claim.

A refresh rate comes from a display’s ability to refresh the image on the screen so many times per second, while the response time is how long it takes a pixel to turn from black to white and back to black again.

The above image shows a 1/160^th of a second snapshot of a display advertized as having a 120Hz refresh rate and 8ms response time. You can make out 8 distinct refresh cycles trailing behind the squares. This means that the real response time is actually about 65ms. The discrepancy is because manufacturers do not take into account gray-to-gray response times.

Color Gamut

Color Gamut has become a popular advertising term, especially for computer monitors. Manufacturers are always trying to outdo each other with higher/wider color gamut; however, a higher color gamut won’t result in more accurate color. In fact, it will only over saturate the image.

Almost all image content is created from a standard color gamut, as shown within the white triangle above (computer displays use sRGB and HDTVs use Rec.709). You can think of a standard color gamut as a set of defined colors. By widening the color gamut of a display, you’re only adding colors that are never used (ie: colors outside the triangle). At the same time, widening the gamut also reduces color precision, unless you also increase bit depth.

*Note regarding Adobe RGB color gamut: Some displays advertise Adobe RGB color gamut. This is a wider range gamut than other standards, but it is only used in specialized fields, such as professional photography. Adobe RGB is a positive feature, but only for those specific purposes.

How to Choose a Display among this Dishonesty?

No display manufacturer is innocent of playing the numbers game, but that doesn’t mean that some displays aren’t better than others. The trick is finding out their real specs, and to do this, it’s best to read expert reviews where the specs are measured by the reviewers.

As a matter of fact, Samsung actually circulated an e-mail within the press which contains a grid comparing the features of the two recently released tablets. According to the grid, the Galaxy Note 10.1 comes with some features which are absent in the iPad 3. Is this just a shot at advertising by Samsung or is there any substance to this claim? Let’s find out.

Form:

For the longest time, the form and design of the Apple iPad was its biggest USP. People would buy the iPad only because it was a fashion statement to have one. It must have been a great challenge for Samsung to come up with a design which was different from the iPad and could stand up to it at the same time. The good news is that they delivered quite decently. The Galaxy Note is actually a tad bit lighter and thinner than the iPad 3 and looks just as smooth and suave as its competitor. It’s a close call in this department.

Display:

Samsung has always been known for its state-of-art screen technology but somehow that hasn’t translated onto their tablets. The Galaxy Note 10.1 comes with a PLS TFT display with a 1280×800 pixel resolution. This is very mediocre compared to the iPad 3 which boasts of a 1536×2048 pixel resolution which has been made possible by Apple’s famous Retina technology. We have a clear winner when it comes to display- the iPad 3.

Operating System:

This comparison could take hours and we still won’t reach any conclusion. It is the classic battle between the Android and the iOS. The iPad uses the most recent iOS 5.1 as against the Android 4.0 ICS used by the Galaxy Note 10.1. The choice between the two boils down to your personal preferences. The iOS is definitely smoother and more user-friendly; it’s almost a delight to use this software. The Android on the other hand does not have any restrictions (which the iOS does) and is more flexible according to your needs. As has been said earlier, this one depends entirely on what you prefer.

Hardware:

The basic hardware specifications are similar for the two tablets- both run on a 1GHz processor with 1GB of RAM and come in different storage sizes. But, Apple has gone all out on the A5X chipset which comes with a quad core graphics processing unit which promises greater processing speeds. This might just be the edge that the iPad 3 has over the Galaxy Note.

There are many more factors to consider like connectivity, camera quality, battery life etc. but it can be convincingly said that the Galaxy Note 10.1 is giving some close competition to the iPad 3. It is a tough decision to make in some departments like the choice of OS and the form factor but one gets the feeling that the Apple iPad 3 might just emerge as the winner even if by a not-so-big margin.

Laptops and Desktop PCs

If you’re getting a new computer for someone (or if someone you know has a big surprise waiting for him this Christmas), there are plenty of useful – and sometimes necessary – peripherals you might want to get them as well. Desktop PCs, in particular, are pretty useless without a monitor and a pair of speakers. A mouse and keyboard are more likely to come bundled, but they could be especially useful for anyone getting a new laptop.

Slightly less necessary, but still practical, gifts are options, too. A USB flash drive or external hard drive can be useful for transferring files from an old computer to the new one. And software is always handy, too – from Microsoft Office to the latest PC games. A few other things to remember are power cords, surge protectors, and Ethernet cables.

HDTVs and Blu-Ray Players

Each year, more and more households make the switch to HD. A quality HDMI cable is an absolute necessity that many HDTVs don’t include, and most Blu-Ray and other HD devices prefer to bundle poor quality cables. A mounting bracket makes a great gift, too; although, make sure it’s compatible with the TV (and that the recipient plans on mounting it in the first place). And remember, and HDTV isn’t much good without any HD content. Blu-Ray movies will go great with that Blu-Ray player.

Gaming Consoles

Both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 make use of HDMI connections, but neither typically come bundled with an HDMI cable. The Wii technically isn’t HD compatible out of the box, but there are HD adapters available. Extra controllers are always important to consider (and of course their batteries and chargers) no matter which console you’re getting. There are plenty of other console accessories, too, like headsets, memory cards, and specialized controllers. Don’t forget to include a few games.

Smartphones and Tablets

Smartphones and tablets usually come with everything you need right out of the box, but there’s a lot that is easy to overlook. Most states now have laws against driving while using your phone without a hands-free device. A Bluetooth headset makes an excellent companion gift to a smartphone. Headphones do, too, since the bundled ear buds generally aren’t of the best quality. Vehicle mounting kits can also be useful, especially with all of the GPS features smartphones have these days.

For use as multimedia, tablets and smartphones often need a special HDMI cord in order to connect to an HDTV. Other adapters and battery chargers can be practical gifts, too. The same goes for micro SD cards, for the mobile devices that support them.

It’s called Auto-Stereoscopic 3D, more commonly known as Glasses-free 3D, and it works by using microscopic lenses (known as Lenticular Lenses) on top of the screen to split the image into two parts – one meant to be seen by the right eye, and one for the left. By holding the screen the proper distance from your face, each eye sees its own image, giving the illusion of 3D.

Nintendo had both the good and bad fortune of bringing the first mainstream auto-stereoscopic 3D device to market, the Nintendo 3DS. It was good fortune because everyone loved the idea of a glasses-free 3D experience, but bad fortune because people were expecting a lot more than the technology could deliver.

The Problem with Glasses-Free 3D

As novel as the idea is, auto-stereoscopic 3D has one major flaw: it only works if your head is in exactly the right spot. With handheld devices, this is a major snag. These devices are meant to be portable, moved around, and held every-which-way. While sitting completely still in a nice stable environment (forget trying it in a car or plane), it is possible to see the tasty 3D goodness, but in most cases, it’s just not worth it.

Nintendo found out the hard way that unless you can hold the device extremely still (something impossible to do while pounding away energetically at buttons playing Ocarina of Time 3D), the results are pretty undesirable. The image is just never crisp enough, kind of like those holographic stickers that you would rotate slightly to see different images – there was always a hint of the other image no matter how you held it.

The portable nature of the devices presented another issue as well. When viewing a 3D image, you expect the point of reference to change as you tilt the device from one side to the other. With stereoscopic 3D, this isn’t the case; the image remains the same, but your mind expects it to change. This causes headaches, dizziness, and even nausea, reports of which plagued Nintendo’s latest handheld.

Persistence Paves the Way

Manufacturers aren’t giving up on auto-stereoscopic 3D yet, though. Smartphones are the next stepping stone for the technology, and it is getting better. Both HTC and LG have released their 3D smartphones, the EVO 3D and Optimus 3D, respectively. Sporting much higher screen resolutions than the Nintendo 3DS as well as improvements in the lenticular lenses, the 3D result is much better, though still not ideal. Fortunately, the improvements have also made it so that when viewing things in 2D-mode, there is nearly no distortion made by the 3D hardware. Plus much of the appeal is in the fact that these new devices can capture 3D images and video as well.

Conclusion

I always used to say “3D displays just won’t be worth it until they can do it without the need of 3D-glasses.” I guess I’ll have to amend my statement, “3D displays just won’t be worth it until they can do it without 3D-glasses, regardless of the position and orientation of your head.” That should cover all of the bases, I think.

HDTVs have become a hot ticket item in the past few years, and to keep up with the competitive edge, manufacturers have come up with all sorts of features in attempts to outclass each other. The problem is that even after reading countless TV reviews, it’s still difficult to know just what exactly each feature does. Here’s our quick reference guide for the most popular and most useful features in HDTVs today.

Input Types

These days, HDTVs come with a long list of different input types, such as HDMI, Component, Composite, and S-Video. It’s important to know which ones are most important, and how many of each type you might need.

HDMI

HDMI is the most popular HD cable type, and most modern HDTVs will come with at least two HDMI ports. HDMI is also very convenient in that it carries both audio and video in a single cable, capable of extremely high throughput (for 7.1ch surround sound and 1080p). Given the option, you’ll want to build your home theater with HDMI as your keystone, so it’s wise to get an HDTV with at least 4 HDMI ports.

Component

Component cables are the other, less popular HD cable type. They consist of three cables to carry video, Red, Green, and Blue and often paired two audio cables for stereo sound. As component video is an aging standard, it is slowly being replaced with HDMI; however, many devices, such as video game systems and DVD players, still rely on it, so most HDTV will have at least one or two component inputs, which is generally sufficient.

Composite

Composite cables (often referred to as RCA) carry video through one, generally yellow, cable, and they are often paired with two audio cables. Because it is a fairly old cable type, its only suitable for SD content, but many older devices, like DVD and VHS players, video game systems, and video camcorders require composite inputs. Most people have several of these devices, so you will want to make sure any HDTV you get has enough composite inputs to connect all of your devices.

S-Video

S-Video is very similar to composite in that it carries the video signal through a single cable. It provides slightly better video quality than composite, but is still only suitable for SD content. Most HDTVs tie the S-Video ports in with the composite inputs, meaning you can only use one or the other at a time, but given the choice, S-Video is preferred over composite.

Resolution

Generally speaking, HDTVs come in two HD resolutions: 720p and 1080p. Unless you absolutely cannot afford it, any new HDTV you get should be 1080p. Also, just because a TV says it’s capable of displaying a 1080p signal does not mean it’s truly a 1080p resolution. You’ll want to ensure that the “Native Resolution” is 1920×1080 to ensure you’re viewing a true 1080p picture.

Hertz and Refresh Rate

The refresh rate in HDTVs is somewhat like the arms race during the Cold War. The Hz rate stands for how many times the screen can draw a new image per second. For the most part, those 120 and 240Hz figures are mostly just marketing ploys. The 120Hz HDTVs show some improved quality in high motion environments, but it is generally accepted that 240Hz shows no real appreciable difference over the cheaper 120Hz sets.

DLNA

DLNA stands for Digital Living Network Alliance, and in short, it allows you to share media to your TV through your home network. Most DLNA TVs will have either an Ethernet port or integrated Wifi to connect to your network, allowing you to stream media from any other DLNA devices on your network, such as Window 7 PCs and even some Smartphones.

Plasma TVs

Plasma TVs were among the first of the flat panels to reach the consumer market. This may lead you to think that plasma screens are older and therefore inferior technology. While this is partially true, plasma TVs offer a few benefits over LCD and LED TVs.

The most prevalent advantage of a plasma TV is the image quality. Because of the nature of plasma televisions, they can produce extremely good black levels. This leads to excellent real contrast ratios (not to be confused with dynamic contrast ratios discussed later in this article) as well as more vivid colors. Also, because plasma TVs don’t rely on tiny shaped crystals to produce an image, viewing angle are often far better than their LCD and LED counterparts.

It isn’t all green pastures though. Plasma TVs use significantly more electricity than other flat panel displays. Image quality will also slowly degrade over time, though it will generally be five to ten years before any noticeable decline. You also have to be careful of “burn-in” during the first 100 or so hours of use.

All of this makes plasma displays more suited for videophiles and those interested in large, high-quality home theater screens. In the more affordable price ranges, plasmas are generally outclassed by their LCD counterparts.

We have a great list of Plasma TV Reviews to help you make your choice.

LCD TVs

LCD TVs are by far the most popular in homes right now. This is due largely to their recent advent of amazingly affordable prices paired with the most desirable screen sizes, generally between 32 and 47 inches. Apart from the inexpensive price tag, LCD TVs also offer improvements in energy consumption, compared to plasma screens.

Where LCD TVs fall short is in picture quality, generally plagued by two issues: poor black levels and disappointing viewing angles. LCD displays can’t display true blacks because of the way they are lit, which causes light to bleed through pixels that are off, yielding poor contrast ratios. To combat this, manufactures created the concept of “dynamic contrast ratios,” which essentially turns off the backlight when the entire picture is black. In real viewing scenarios, this method has almost no affect, but it allows the manufacturers to report artificially high contrast ratios.

Restrictive viewing angles create problems in general viewing settings. LCD screen look fine when viewed straight on, but if you move too far to one side, you start to see distortion in the colors. This is an issue found in all LCD TVs, but many high-end display use technologies like IPS (In-Plane Switching) to help widen viewing angles to acceptable values.

With so many brands and models to choose from, it is always best to consider LCD TV Reviews to find the best deal.

LED TVs

LED TVs are actually more accurately a type of LCD TV, the only major difference being the type of lights used to illuminate the screen. Traditional LCD TVs use cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) generally along the bottom edge to light the screen. LED screens use more energy efficient LED lights instead of CCFLs, either in the same edge-lit style as LCDs, or in a backlit configuration utilizing a matrix of LEDs directly behind the screen.

Edge-lit LED TVs can be extremely thin and will usually have a more uniform brightness than LCD TVs; however, they share the same difficultly producing quality blacks. Backlit LED TV’s have extremely uniform brightness and can actually make real use of dynamic contrast ratios, turning off the backlight for specific portions of the screen that are black.

Eventually, LED TVs will likely start to replace traditional LCD TVs, but for now, the new LED technology is doing a great job driving down the prices for LCD displays. Take a look at our LED TV Reviews to find the best prices available.

3D television is in the early stages of roll-out, but the television manufacturers are counting on two content streams: 3D films on DVD and Blu-ray, and original television content meant specifically for 3D televisions.  Having multiple content streams ensures that 3D television is more than just a novelty…
it’s here to stay!

3D Television Models

3D television technology is still in its infancy, and the number of models to choose from is very limited.  Currently, there are two manufacturers to choose from: Samsung with its 7000-9000 series of LCD/LED televisions, and Philips with its 56PFL9954H 56-inch LCD television.  More models are promised by manufacturers like Sony, Panasonic, and Mitsubishi, but right now if you want 3D in your home, Samsung and Philips are where the action is at.

3D Television Features

3D TVs are high-end items, so you can be certain that these models will have all of the bells & whistles.  All three models feature 1080p vertical resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, four HDMI inputs, and direct Internet connectivity.  Additionally, all three save you money on electric bills by being Energy Star-rated.

There are some differences between these models.  The Samsung models feature the usual 16:9 aspect ratio, while the Philips uses the so-called “full cinematic” 21:9 aspect ratio for a true home theater experience.  The Philips model is also the largest at 56-inches, while the Samsung models tip the scales anywhere from 40-55 inches.

3D Television Pricing

Because the technology is new, the prices of 3D televisions are still quite a bit higher than normal TVs.  At one end, the Samsung models cost anywhere from $1900 to $6700.  The Philips model is around $3000.  It’s a lot of money no matter which one you choose, but you have to consider what you are getting for that price: access to a truly unique display technology that promises the ultimate in an immersive viewing experience.  For true home theater aficionados, the cost will be no object.

The future holds additional bargains for consumers excited by the prospect of bringing 3D technology home.  As the number of new models grows and the technology matures, prices will begin to come down.  Some retailers are offering free Blu-ray players as an enticement to purchase a new 3D television, and there seems to be an even better deal around every corner.  Cheaper 3D televisions are on the way… but if you want the acclaim of being the first one on your block to bring 3D home, now is the time to jump in!