The devices in the test
Classic TV reception
A TV is an integral part of the living room in many households. What is closer than building it not only nicely, but also as a multimedia center? Technically speaking, the TV sets shown here are LCD TVs with an image diagonal of 94 to 102 cm. Since LCD elements form the image with liquid crystals, but do not emit light, they need a backlight.
Data Star
In the most favorable model, it was realized with a conventional fluorescent tube. The more expensive candidates illuminate the screen by light-emitting diodes, which were installed in the edge. The advantage: they are very flat. The Samsung is about two and a half inches thick. Since all the TVs also hang like a picture on the wall, a few centimeters more or less hardly fall out with such an assembly.
Fully networked
As far as the choice of the reception method is concerned, the test candidates can relax: Each device has a multi-tuner. So you receive both analog TV and the three digital reception modes: DVB-T from the house or room antenna, DVB-C from the cable connection or DVB-S via the satellite dish. No matter which path the buyer chooses, he only needs to connect the cable, start the transmitter search, and the television will deliver colorful pictures.
Ready to go
And the contracting parties even master the high-definition. The HD programs, which can be digitally received via cable and satellite and which the provider has not encrypt, such as ARD, ZDF and ARTE, can be viewed immediately. For encrypted programs, the user needs a suitable common interface module and subscription card. Newer CI modules work in all test candidates as they support the CI Plus standard. Depending on the cable network operator, however, the customer can be forced to rent an additional receiver with the film subscription. Older devices such as video recorders find analog connection. This requires a scart or video RCA cable.
The next generation: HDMI. The High Definition Multimedia Interface transmits images, sound and control signals. It is indifferent whether it is SD or HD signals. With the latest version, 3D images from a suitable Blu-ray player are also transferred to the TV. All other modern input devices also include HDMI jacks: from the satellite receiver to the camcorder to the game console.
As multimedia terminals, the TVs understand many data formats. Movies, music and photos can be uploaded to all candidates via the network or via a storage medium. The latter can be done without a protracted installation: simply insert the USB stick or a memory card into the TV, and a window will open showing the available media.
Even USB hard disks can be docked on, so that the hobby photographer has his photo collection always handy. The candidates from Samsung and Panasonic make connected USB hard disks even to the video archive. They record the current TV program at the push of a button and can even play it back in time. The viewer can, for example, when his telephone rings, press "Pause" and later let the film continue. By the way, he can still easily spool over an advertising block. The user can also program a recording using the electronic journal (EPG).
But where a lot of light is, there is also a lot of shadows: Thus, the switchover while recording is excluded despite another connected tuner. In addition, existing recordings can not be transferred from the hard disk to a computer.
All candidates in the test have a network socket intus. If this is connected to a PC via a router or switch, the user can access the media stored there. The only prerequisite is that a DLNA-compliant media server must run on the PC.
DLNA stands for "Digital Living Network Alliance" and describes an organization that has defined transmission standards to ensure easy data exchange between network components. In the TV world, four home network devices are of particular interest: the digital media player (DMP), the digital media renderer (DMR), the digital media controller (DMC) and the digital media server (DMS).
All TVs in this test work as DMP and can play targeted files from the memory of a DMS. Other AV components, such as Blu-ray players or game consoles, offer DMP functions and can thus even make older TVs even network-compatible.
The Philips, the Samsung and the Sony also work as a renderer (DMR). The Renderer function has the advantage that the TV can be remote controlled. The user does not need to rummage with the remote control through the user's numerous media files.
Only surfing is more beautiful
The DMC can be a notebook or a mobile phone, which has the necessary software. In Windows 7, for example, it is sufficient to click on a photo with the right mouse button and select "Play on" and the listed TV in the context menu which opens.
For slideshows or music advertisements, a digital media server present in the network is more convenient. In order to install it on the PC, the Microsoft Media Player 11 or a shareware program such as Twonky Media Server is already suitable. The new Windows 7 already has all the components on board and requires only the media release by the user.
Exotic networking
If you do not want to permanently run your PC, a network hard drive - also called NAS - can grow. Your advantage: It needs significantly less power than a PC, is permanently available in the network and offers many other possible uses. This allows you to exchange and secure files on the network. If a DLNA server is integrated, the TV as well as the music, photos or films are stored on a PC hard drive.
The configuration is similar for all manufacturers and is usually easy from the hand. If the cable connections are established, an installation routine runs on the TV, which automatically communicates with the broadband router and agrees to an IP address.
IP addresses are the house numbers in the network so that the data streams can be targeted from one to the other teammates. The address is given by the DHCP server, which works as a program in the network router. A test routine will eventually close the configuration.
In detail
But what if a cable is missing? No problem: All manufacturers also offer cable variants. Philips, Panasonic and Samsung offer for around 100 euros WLAN sticks, which teach their TVs the spark. The Sony candidate is already mastering this discipline even from home. As a remote, the TV needs in this case a WLAN router.
The simplest is with newer models that support the "WiFi Protected Setup (WPS)". There is usually only one button or the input of a pin number to connect a TV to the router. A little more complicated are older routers, because the network key must be entered manually on both sides. Currently, only the encryption method "WiFi Protected Access 2 (WPA2)" is considered safe. Therefore, the router should support this method.
If the TV is connected to the network and the connected router to the DSL broadband connection, the TV fan can also use his television to the Internet. While home networking with DLNA services appears to be similar in functionality to all vendors, their Internet applications are significantly different.
Panasonic is using Viera Cast on a few hand-picked applications. The main focus was on the Japanese moving pictures. Among them are YouTube, Bild.de, Tageschau, ARTE, Picasa and Euronews. With Acetrax, they even have access to an online video store. The highlight: With Skype and an optional webcam, the TV becomes a picture phone. Disadvantage: The DSL connection must be faster than three megabits per second.
Philips installed in the TV with Net TV the most flexible system. It is based on the open platform CE-HTML. That's why there are already 60 applications. There are both text and video-based portals. YouTube, Sevenload, Tagesschau, Kino.de and various weather services are represented as well as practical online databases a la DasTelefonbuch or the route planner from TomTom. The payment portal of Videoload will start shortly. Also smart: You can also select ordinary websites.
In addition to many mini-games, Samsung also has some useful applications to offer. These include YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Google Maps, Bild.de, TV Digital and the precipitation radar. With optional camera, the Samsung is also a Skype picture phone. Nice: The individual services of "Internet @ TV" start very quickly.
Sony integrates all Internet services into the image menu called "Cross Media Bar". Audio streams are found by the user under the audio icon, videos corresponding to the movie logo. In the section "Network" the so-called widgets are stored. There are some very practical services like Yahoo! Pages, eBay, Sevenload and DasTelefonbuch. In the Praxistest, however, some applications were quite sluggish. The streams were much brighter. This allows the current series of ProSieben, Sat.1 or kabel eins to be retrieved, DFB press conferences followed, as well as videos from YouTube, sevenload or Eurosport.
But the competition is not asleep, so the other brand manufacturers are already offering their Internet functions
Especially LG has always distinguished itself with clever features. In the field of networking, this was the Bluetooth transponder built into top devices. This allows photos from a mobile phone to be beamed directly onto the screen. Even the ringtone is played back over the TV speaker.
In addition, the Koreans build a serial interface into almost every model. Loewe and Sharp also rely on these widespread tax receipts. This allows TVs to be perfectly integrated into a multi-room environment. A central control unit then takes over the regulation of the entire system. "Connected Home" in Reinkultur.
The widgets (the art word from window and gadget) of the Sony TV can be arranged as so-called snippets (snippets). Unfortunately, the TV switches off the tuner. However, some applications - here ImmoScout24 - are quite sluggish. Entering a search term can then become a patience.
Panasonic offers with the online video library Acetrax movies for download. Current action crashed cost as rental videos four euros and are thus at the usual level. Other manufacturers have their own cooperation partners. LG is working with Maxdome and Philips with Videoload.
The homepage of Samsung appears tidy and clear. All important internet applications are available within three seconds. Samsung does not offer the variety of other providers, but has the important on board. Above all, Skype is fun - an optional webcam provided.
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