Mitsubishi takes a different approach to TV audio.

Many attribute the emergence of the sound bar as a surround sound alternative to the popularity of flat-panel TVs, as consumers clamored for sleek audio packages to suit their sleek new TVs.

Given that the two genres are intricately linked, it’s surprising that we’re just now seeing the first instance of a high-end TV manufacturer incorporating a five-in-one sound bar into a TV. The manufacturer is Mitsubishi, and the TV is the new 52-inch, 1080p LT-52149.

For those who may not know, a five-in-one sound bar houses all five audio channels in one cabinet and uses acoustic manipulation and/or digital signal processing to create a sense of surround envelopment.

In this case, the LT-52149’s sound projector includes 16 tiny drivers that direct sound beams toward specific points in the room, using room boundaries to reflect the sound where necessary. The TV includes Dolby Digital and Pro Logic decoders to process incoming audio signals.

Remove the sound bar from the package, and the LT-52149 is a still a well-endowed, high-end LCD that employs Mitsubishi’s most advanced imaging technologies, including a 120Hz frame rate.

The generous connection panel features four HDMI and three component video inputs, as well as a CableCARD slot and dual RF inputs to access the internal tuners, with the TV Guide Daily program guide. A side-panel USB port allows for easy viewing of JPEG photos. The HDMI inputs accept 1080p/60 and 1080p/24 signals, and they are the only means of inputting digital audio to the sound bar.

The first performance characteristic that will likely catch your eye is the LT-52149’s color. Some people may find it instantly grabbing; videophiles may find it distractingly inaccurate.

The picture inherently has too much green in it, and selecting the TV’s Low color-temperature mode further exacerbates the problem. Even though the High temperature is a little too cool, it winds up being the more natural-looking choice under the circumstances.

The individual color points are also a little off the mark, but only green looks clearly oversaturated—and that effect is exaggerated because of the picture’s inherently green base.

Mitsubishi’s PerfectColor system allows you to adjust the intensity of the six main color points, so you can tailor color saturation to your preference. However, the lack of user-accessible white-balance controls means you can’t do anything on your own to adjust color temperature and remove the green push. That requires the services of a professional calibrator who can access the service menu.  

I must confess, even though I knew the color palette was inaccurate compared with my reference display, I was still drawn in while watching Blu-ray and HDTV sources.

It doesn’t hurt that the LT-52149 has nice overall contrast and actually produces a respectably deep black level for a traditional LCD. The result is a rich, well-saturated image that has solid depth in a darkened room. At its minimum backlight setting, the TV may be a bit too dim for a brighter living room, but raising the backlight even halfway produces a lot of light output.

The level of detail in high-def sources is very good, provided you adjust the TV’s sharpness control properly. Set it too low, and the picture gets very soft; set it too high, and edge enhancement becomes a problem.

Standard-def signals, in particular, turn downright mushy at the lowest setting. Even at the best sharpness setting, the LT-52149 doesn’t produce a well-detailed image when upconverting SD sources to its 1080p resolution. It also introduces a fair amount of deinterlacing artifacts, especially through the HDMI inputs.

I highly recommend you mate this TV with a good Blu-ray or upconverting DVD player; with my Pioneer BDP-95FD Blu-ray player, upconverted DVD signals looked great, thanks to the TV’s good contrast, rich color, and minimal digital noise.

Mitsubishi’s Smooth120Hz implementation includes three options: Off, Standard, and High. The Off mode creates a 120Hz frame rate simply by duplicating frames, while the Standard and High modes use varying degrees of frame interpolation to create new frames and reduce judder with film sources.

The High mode renders super-smooth motion that makes film look more like video, an effect some people love but I find distracting. The Standard mode strikes a better balance, reducing judder without completely altering the character of film sources.

This may be the only time I’ve ever busted out my favorite audio demos when evaluating a TV, and the LT-52149’s sound bar performed a lot like the other entry-level sound bars I’ve heard. Given the drivers’ miniscule size, midrange reproduction is lacking, and you’ll want to add a subwoofer. Thankfully, the TV’s back panel includes a subwoofer output for that purpose.

The system doesn’t so much envelop you as it creates a wider front soundstage that successfully moves out and to the sides of the listening area. It certainly provides a fuller, more robust audio experience than you’ll get from a traditional TV speaker system, yet it demands no additional room real estate and only minimal setup.

The LT-52149 requires more attention during video setup than other high-end LCDs I’ve tested, but the effort can yield pleasing results. The pairing of TV and sound bar just makes sense, and it gives the LT-52149 a unique edge in the features department, especially for someone who’s looking for a complete second-room A/V package.

DESCRIPTION
52-inch LCD HDTV with five-in-one sound bar
 
RESOLUTION
1,920 x 1,080 pixels

CONNECTIONS
Four HDMI inputs, three component video inputs, one S-video input, one composite video input, two RF inputs, five stereo audio inputs, one stereo audio output/subwoofer output, one coaxial digital audio output, one IR output/NetCommand input, one CableCARD slot, one USB port

DIMENSIONS
31.5 x 47.7 x 4.8 inches (hwd, without stand)

PRICE: $4,099 (MSRP)

CONTACT: 800.332.2119, mitsubishi-tv.com