Tuesday, October 26, 2010

NuVision Lucidium NVU32FX5 32-inch LCD HDTV Review by Jeff Roy



Over the past several years there has been a great improvement in digital video. Starting with DVD, we went to HDTV and then blu-ray, with resolutions up to 1080p. But with high resolution, there is a potential downside. With how great HDTV and blu-ray look, you still need a good quality display. Up for review is the NuVision Lucidium NVU32FX5 HDTV display.

The NuVision Lucidium NVU32FX5 is a high quality 32” 1080p display. Some of its key features are listed below:
-TFT LCD display
-Full HD Television (480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p)
-Can connect to a PC
-Pixel-based motion and edge adaptive de-interlacing
-Advanced Chroma Processing
-HDMI (Deep color, x.v. color compatible)
-Coaxial digital audio output
-Temporal and spatial Digital Noise Reduction image processing
-16:9 wide screen

The input/output terminals include:
-1 coaxial digital audio output
-3 HDMI v 1.3a inputs
-1 VGA input (DB-15 for PC)
-2 Component inputs
-2 Composite A/V inputs
-1 Composite Analog audio output
-1 S-Video input
-4 analog audio inputs
-NuControl Interface for 1R input/pass through and RS-232 control

The NuVision Lucidium NVU32FX5 has the typical features that you find in current HDTVs. These features include an OSD for picture, audio adjustments, and settings, backlight, DNR, and MPEG NR. There are also time settings for the time, as well as timers. The timers include your typical timer for when the TV will turn on, as well as a sleep timer.

NuVision claims they are “The Flatscreen Connoisseur.” That belief comes out in some of their proprietary features and technology. These features include:
-FX5 120 Hz film mode –gives a blur and flicker free image without the need of 3:2 pull down, by repeating each film frame five times.
-The LCD Panel boast a true native 120 Hz refresh rate
-Digital Switching Deep Black –NuVision’s deep black LCD panel technology and dynamic backlight that tracks the program material yields a measured contrast ratio of 15000:1
-Proprietary Nido IV 10-bit video processing- gives artifact-free viewing on the native 1080p display, even with DVD’s and standard definition.
-Deep Color Spectrum –expands the range of colors for more enjoyable viewing.
-Discrete circuitry and Proprietary firmware –a lot of manufactures cut corners by using “HDTV on a chip” technology. NuVision however engineers it’s set using discrete components optimized in their facility and then spend 4 to 6 times longer than other manufacturers tuning each chassis to provide the best image.
-Installer and End-User Friendly –additional options via NuControl for custom installers.
-NuCore –the best warranty in the industry: 2 years parts and labor, 30 day return policy, phone support, and 2 working day turn around time on in-home service.

Setting up the NVU32FX5 was very simple. The HDTV comes well secured in its packaging. The unit also comes shipped on its stand. The gloss black stand matches the elegant looking glass black frame. Shipped along with the main unit are the remote control, power cable, and literature. The literature consists of owner’s manual, quick start guide and registration card.

I was impressed with the included remote control. The remote control feels solid in your hand, and includes brushed aluminum trim. The buttons were well laid out, and well labeled. The remote is also backlit, which I really liked. But NuVision took it a step further and has clear icons on each of the buttons. That way, when the remote is backlit, the blue light comes through so when viewing in the dark you know what each button does. Kudos! One thing that would have been nice however is a wider functioning angle on the remote, that way you would not have to point the remote right at the infrared sensor on the TV.

For sound, you will always get better sound when using a receiver and separate speakers. But I was impressed with the sound quality from the internal speakers. They are rated at 10 watts per channel for each of the two channels. Distortion was inaudible at normal listening levels, and just slightly audible at high listening levels. But some tweaking of the built-in 5 band equalizer may help that. Using the surround mode was also successful in adding a sense of realism. Sounds were crisp and vocals were well articulated. They even produced some midbass.

The picture quality however was where it performed particularly well. The 1080p resolution looked amazing. The colors were not only accurate but also well saturated, and not overly so. All material that I threw at it looked good. The one weak link, if you can call it such, is with standard definition material. But that is the case with just about every HDTV display. The NuVision NVU32FX5 boasts a proprietary Nido processor for displaying standard definition and DVD’s on its native 1080p display. The best video processor cannot make standard definition look just like 1080p, and neither does the NuVision.

High definition however looked very good to excellent. This all was partly dependant on the source material. Broadcast HDTV looked sharp and detailed. The best picture however came from blu-ray discs. Performance here was nothing short of stellar. Images were very sharp with lots of resolution. Contrast ratio was excellent, and images were very dynamic, with an impressive black level performance and shadow detail. While obviously not a 3D set, there was a high level of depth to the image. Film also looked just that…very film-like. Flesh tones looked very natural. And thanks I am sure to the Nido processor, the image was smooth and artifact free, even in action scenes.

In the video display market, there are a lot of options. As a 32” display, the NuVision NVU32FX5 has some excellent features with 1080p resolution, native 120 Hz LCD panel, lots of inputs, an excellent remote, and a good built-in video processor.

The standard warranty is also excellent, with a full 2 years of coverage and in-house repair. All of this, along with its performance, has earned the NuVision Lucidium NVU32FX5 our Highly Recommended award. Excellent job NuVision! With electronics you tend to get what you pay for, and with NuVision quality also appears to be on the list with an MSRP of $1,249. For more information and complete specks, check out their website at http://www.nuvision.com/.

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