When less is more

Established just five years ago, NuVision has steadily expanded their line of premium flat panel HDTVs and are now offering this, their first LED-powered model, the 55-inch NVU55FX5LS (40- and 46-inch models are also available).

Using LEDs to provide the necessary backlighting (in lieu of the conventional fluorescent light used in most LCD sets) is a growing trend in the high-end LCD flat-panel category.

With this latest NuVision set, the LCD imaging panel is framed on the top and bottom by rows of white LEDs that direct their energy to a multi-layer diffusion system that spreads the light behind the individual liquid crystal imaging elements across the entire panel.

While local dimming LED backlighting is the present top tier in premium LCD HDTVs (and NuVision has just such a model coming in the first half of the year), LED edgelighting still has definite performance advantages over conventional fluorescent lamp-powered sets, not the least of which is significantly reduced cabinet depth and the promise of greater energy efficiency.

NuVision has built a dealer network of custom integration firms, and they have a number of custom installation-oriented features in their sets.

For example, the front panel infrared sensor window includes two infrared eyes, one for infrared codes carried over a 38 kHz carrier frequency (the most popular method) and the other for codes modulated at 56.7 kHz.

Some source components, such as some cable and satellite tuners, use the higher carrier frequency, which often means using an infrared repeater system if the equipment isn’t in proximity to the set. Via the NuControl port, which uses a standard RJ-45 connector, the custom integrator can retrieve and redistribute remote control commands and also control the set with an external system controller via serial commands. This is the kind of custom-integration solution that the major HDTV brands don’t offer.

The remote control itself is nicely designed and features direct input selection buttons along with picture aspect ratio control buttons. These are definite pluses, along with blue backlighting, which is a big help in a darkened home theater room.

NuVision points out that roughly four-fifths of their larger-screen customers wall mount their sets. So they don’t provide a stand with the set, as including a stand with every set would raise costs and would just add to already bulging landfills. An optional table-top stand is available for a reasonable $199.

NuVision also points out that their sets receive a lot more individual attention at the factory, including calibration. The 55-inch review sample tested here scored very well, with very good colorimetry and a commendably flat gray scale right out of the box that was oh-so-close to the D65 neutral color temperature ideal. Calibration-adjustment controls are offered for additional tuning after installation, behind a password-protected menu. The password itself isn’t a state secret as it is with some other brands; the three-digit code is clearly printed in the owner’s manual. Having the calibration adjustments hidden helps prevent inadvertent user mis-adjustment.

The set is simply styled, with an elegant, dark-charcoal-gray, anodized brushed-aluminum bezel surround the imaging panel. The bezel is also blessedly free of technology logo clutter, emblazoned only with the company’s U logo. As the set features LED edgelighting, it is astonishingly slim, with a cabinet depth of only 1.5 inches.

Having such a slim cabinet depth presents a tricky challenge, however—what to do about the set’s audio speakers. Competitive sets often have very small, downward-firing drivers in comparably teensy enclosures, with the result that the audio is tinny and thin-sounding, while being muffled at the same time.

While the NuVision’s drivers are also downward oriented, they benefit from larger acoustic enclosures within the set itself, which helps to extend audio response to the lower registers for a fuller-sounding tonal balance. While it could never be called high fidelity, the sound quality was fairly clear and less murky-sounding than I expected. As you would expect, the NuVision offers both analog and digital audio outputs for connection to an external audio system, which we always recommend.

While the out-of-the-box colorimetry and gray-scale performance is indeed very good thanks to the individual adjustments made to each set at the factory, the default backlighting level is set to the maximum. I measured a very bright 100 foot-Lamberts at that setting, which is way too much for most viewing situations. The backlight level adjustment features 100 steps, however, making it easy to get the set to put out just the right amount of light.

In a moderately lit room with the backlight level at about one third above the lowest setting, the NuVision put out a much more reasonable 40 foot-Lamberts, which helped to significantly lower the power consumption as well. I measured a paltry 26 watts of power consumption with a power meter, a remarkably low amount given the set’s large screen size. That lowered backlight level also improved the deep black reproduction markedly. In an episode of Saturday Night Live, with Fred Armisen doing one of his Barack Obama routines while dressed in a dark black suit sitting in the presidential black leather chair, the NuVision had no trouble at all reproducing the different blacks in the scene with all details fully intact and clearly visible.

As with some other LED-equipped sets, there’s an automatic backlight mode that uses a sensor to gauge ambient room light and adjust the backlight accordingly. I much preferred the NuVision’s available Day and Night modes, which let me adjust for each and store my settings in the set’s memory.

NuVision worked hard to get the video signal processing done right, and although the set isn’t outfitted with one of the “boutique” video processor chips such as HQV or Faroudja, it certainly performed as if it was so equipped. The company also points out that in the world of custom integration, standard-definition video is still with us, noting that most dual-zone/dual-tuner DVR models feature only one HD output, with the second output being plain old composite video or SD over RF.

Distributed video is often standard-definition over a composite cable with many existing installations. At their suggestion, I dug a standard-definition DVD player out of the closet, connected it up to the composite input and ran through a number of DVD test patterns and clips. Sure enough, the NuVision did a great job of upconversion, and sharp color transitions were entirely free of composite video–related artifacts, like dot crawl and zipper effects. The 2:3 pulldown detection and compensation was first rate with film-originated material and test patterns.

Just about all premium HDTV flat panels these days are loaded with a plethora of so-called “picture enhancements,” many of which are of dubious value at best. Contrast-enhancing schemes make the picture appear to have more pop, but that’s almost always at the expense of deep black and dark gray detail. The NuVision is refreshingly free of these frills, but they do provide picture improvement options via their FX5 and FFM functions.

The FX5 mode (film times five) takes the original 24 frames-per-second content and simply repeats each frame four additional times, resulting in a true 120 Hz refresh. The FFM (frame forward motion) function provides judder-smoothing, and comes with three levels of processing. The default lowest level provides some smoothing, but also leaves in some judder, while the highest setting provides the most smoothing, and the processing can be turned off entirely.

There are two camps of viewers—those who prefer to see film-originated content with the 24 fps judder intact, and those who don’t. With different levels of processing, not just on and off, the NuVision approach should keep both types of viewers happy. With 24 fps film-originated HD clips and test patterns, I was able to confirm that the FFM function works very well indeed.

This is a well-designed and very good performing HDTV. Because it’s LCD based (don’t let the LED nomenclature fool you), it still suffers from some off-axis contrast washout, a bit more so on the horizontal axis, compared to the vertical axis. If the set is to be wall-mounted (as most probably will be), selecting a wall mount that features both tilt and swivel adjustability is the only way to go, so that viewers in the prime seating positions can see the best possible picture.

NuVision’s warranty is also better than most, with a full two years of in-home service and the promise of a two-business-day service call response time if repairs are necessary. If you’re working with a custom integration firm and they specify this NuVision, you can be assured that you’re going to be looking at a mighty fine HDTV picture.

         
PRICE: 
NVU55FX5LS: $5,999; Optional table-top stand $199

CONTACT: 877.738.7641, nuvision.com