OLEVIA 237T FHD

Model: Olevia 237T FHD 37" LCD Television
Reviewer: Robert Wiley

INTRODUCTION

The Olevia 237T FHD is a series 2 Olevia TV and is a price competitive lower tier model. In fact, it is the lowest tier TV they make in 1080p surpassed by their 3, 5, 6 and 7 series TVs. The unit we tested was manufactured in Taiwan.

PICTURE QUALITY RATINGS: 80/100

Test and Optimum Viewing Distance: 8 feet

Up conversion/Video Processing from 480i and 480p: Up conversion and processing from a film source from 480i was a real challenge for the 237T. I really can’t describe how poor it was, with so much motion artifact and dithering video noise with any movement from our Dreamworks widescreen enhanced release of the mesmerizing Perfume. Throughout the film the Olevia’s poor processing and presentation of the DVD distracted me. Horizontal and diagonal lines on objects waver as the picture pans. And indeed with our HQV Silicon Optix Benchmark Video Resolution Loss Test, considerable artifacts showed up. When testing the diagonal filter in the Olevia we got a similar result with “jaggies" showing up prominently near the horizontal axis. During the Film Resolution Loss Test the Olevia LCD had substantial flickering. Corners have been cut with the video up converting and pulldown chipsets in this LCD television and the resultant picture suffers when up converting from 480i and lower signals.

720p/1080i/1080p High Definition Picture Quality: The considerable video noise problems experienced with the 480i signal largely disappeared when viewing HD signals on the Olevia LCD. Black Levels were very solid and contrast popped. Dark scenes lean toward a blue caste but not disagreeably so. There was a slight jerkiness when panning side to side across some of the scenes in The Big Hit. Color information during the movie appeared accurate and flesh tones were spot on. There was visible light bleed into the black bars top and bottom the picture. The Olevia 237T LCD did however display an impressive 3-dimensional and realistic picture image with 1080p signals. The aspect ratio sizing was solid. The Olevia LCD also gives the user the option of a 1 to 1 pixel aspect ratio adjustment available for 1080p content that displayed wonderfully – allowing direct signal pass through with no necessary conversion processing from the LCD.

Black Level/Contrast: The Olevia HDTV had deep black levels especially for an LCD TV. Contrast was sharp, even at off angle viewing.

Dark Shadow Detail: The Olevia 237T performed very well in this category, which is normally a challenge for LCD televisions. Shadow detail was quite good with any signal.

Color Rendition/Color Accuracy: For an LCD television I felt the Olevia produced a very realistic color reproduction with TV, gaming and film playback. It was strongpoint of this HDTV, helped by the grayscale and contrast capabilities of the set. With a darker picture the Olevia will produce a slightly bluish image – but realistic. Flesh tones on the Olevia were accurate.

Viewing Angle/Off Axis Viewing: The Olevia LCD TV performed well in viewing angle/contrast. Blacks begin to lose their depth at around 40 degrees off axis, but the loss is not extreme and contrast is maintained even at 50 degrees off axis.

Motion Lag: During our screening of Perfume the Olevia 237T showed annoying visible jerkiness and video dithering during scenes with fast movement from a 480i signal. HDTV signals display much better in this category.

False Contouring/ Mapping: Mapping was very apparent in scenes during the 480i control test with the Olevia LCD. This means that the banding effect will also be noticeable with lower end cable or satellite signals. The issue was non-existent with 1080i or 1080p signals.

FEATURES RATING: 83

Aesthetic Considerations: The Olevia 237T LCD is matte charcoal black with undermounted speakers. The framing bezel is 2 inches top and sides with the bottom mounted speakers adding 4 inches. The depth of the LCD is a less than slim 5.52 inches, making it bulky to wall mount. The bottom mounted speakers are detachable but appear somewhat awkward on the unit with an open line between the LCD panel and the speakers.

Remote Control: The Olevia remote has plenty of function keys including sleep function key, freeze function key and aspect key. Depressing any key automatically activates the convenient backlighting for the remote buttons. I am impressed by the remote control for this LCD.

Menu functionality: The Olevia 237T HDTV LCD has no numerical values for settings. It also lacks discrete picture settings for different inputs. And there is only one preset picture setting option. The menu wheel is inadequate, quirky and difficult to use and understand. The menu wheel actually got stuck at one point forcing me to restart completely to get it functioning again. Though the actual number of functions is solid, the menu system design and setup is a failure. On a slightly more positive note, the manual was thorough.

Audio Output: There was very good sound separation and virtual surround effect from the two 10W X 10W internal detachable speakers. Menu options for treble, bass, balance were clear, however the major drawback was the volume output from the left right speaker inputs. Volume levels increased and was plenty sufficient when using the HDMI input.

Inputs: The Olevia LCD has 2 HDMI inputs, but it also as a firmware upgradeable USB port and a RS232C input.

Extra Features: The Olevia LCD had a decent feature set with adequate aspect ratio options, a freeze mode feature, sleep feature, favorites feature among others. Also, the backlight (room light) control right there on the remote control is a big plus.

VALUE RATING: 90/100

At large discount retailers or online stores, the Olevia 237T is currently selling for around $700. to $750. 1st tier models from Sharp, Toshiba, and Samsung cost around $999.00. LG’s 37LC7D is very competitive at $798. So the Olevia 37" is priced very well for its quality level.

OVERALL RATING: 82/100

Rating scale from 70 (denoting poorest quality) to 100 (signifying the very best quality). A rating in the 60s for any particular category of a product review indicates a serious defect which causes the product not to operate properly. Picture quality is double-weighted in the Overall Rating Score calculation.

Review Equipment Used: Sony Blu Ray BDP-S1 High Definition DVD player, Sony Playstation 3, Sony DVP-S50 DVD player (two), JVC HM-DH40000U HD Video Cassete player, Sencore Color Pro 5000, Sencore Auto Cal Pro, Sencore signal generator.