Tom's Hardware > All Reviews > Special > Miscellaneous > The Viewsonic N3760w 37" LCD High-Definition Television

Sound Quality

02:56 - Thursday 31 August 2006 by Chris Iannicello

When using the HDMI cable, the sound quality of the built-in speakers was adequate, with clear dialogue. As with most flat panel displays of this size, music from soundtracks sounds rather thin and tinny, but not so bad as to be distracting. I did notice some of the effects of the SRS TruSurround XT, which did add a little to the overall sonic experience of movie soundtracks.

DVD Performance

When connected to the Oppo OPDV971H DVD Player via the DVI input, the N3760w produced pretty solid results, with good colour accuracy and saturation. Contrast is respectable, but the transitions from light to dark leave little room for mid-tone shadow detail. As expected, image quality takes a significant hit when I hooked up component video cables vs. DVI, however the results were still acceptable.

The Fifth Element (Oppo OPDV971H DVD Player - 720p via DVI to HDMI)

PC Monitor

Using the VGA PC Input, the N3760w was able to adjust from its native resolution of 1366x768 down to the standard computer resolution of 1360x768 for 1:1 pixel mapping. I was unable to achieve this with the HDMI input, but the results with the VGA input were fantastic. Websites, photos, and videos look crisp with good colour saturation. Also, HD clips played on the computer were superb, with excellent detail, colour saturation, and relative contrast. PC performance is one area where LCD performance is significantly better than plasma displays, as I have found that most plasmas have significant brightness and scaling issues compared to LCDs.

Conclusion

LCDs have come a long way in the past few years, closing the gap with Plasmas in black level/shadow detail performance. The N3760w displayed excellent detail, colour saturation and accuracy, and respectable shadow detail with all but the most demanding sources. Also, I was able to get up close and personal (about 5.5 feet) without being distracted by signal noise. If you watch a lot of sports and live television, and are considering using a large display as a computer monitor, the N3760w is a great choice. Movie buffs, on the other hand, may want to stick to plasma technology until LCD panels improve their contrast performance a little more. The design and cabinet are not the smallest on the market, and the all-black matte finish might not be what some 'prestige buyers' would prefer, but it does provide for a sturdy display that will not reflect any light back towards the viewer and should be able to take a beating. Currently priced at around £980 / €1,200, the N3760w is a solid value with very few glaring weaknesses compared to other LCD displays.