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  • Introduction

  • Tour & Design

  • Blacks & Whites

  • Color Accuracy

  • Motion

  • Viewing Effects

  • Calibration

  • Remote Control

  • Connectivity

  • Audio & Menus

  • Formats & Media

  • Power Consumption

  • Vs LG 37LH55

  • Vs Philips 42PFL3704D F7

  • Vs RCA L40FHD41

  • Conclusion

  • Series Comparison

  • Introduction
  • Tour & Design
  • Blacks & Whites
  • Color Accuracy
  • Motion
  • Viewing Effects
  • Calibration
  • Remote Control
  • Connectivity
  • Audio & Menus
  • Formats & Media
  • Power Consumption
  • Vs LG 37LH55
  • Vs Philips 42PFL3704D F7
  • Vs RCA L40FHD41
  • Conclusion
  • Series Comparison

Introduction

Tour & Design

Front


The front of the TV has a glossy black bezel with a curved bottom. There's an indicator LED in the bottom right corner.

 

 

Back


The back of the TV is pretty featureless. There's a cluster of ports on the right side.

 For information about the ports on the back of the Insignia NS-L37Q-10A see our Connectivity section.

 

Sides


The left side of the set has a row of ports. The right side has the on-set controls.

 

For information about the ports on the back of the Insignia NS-L37Q-10A see our Connectivity section.

 

Stand/Mount


The stand is shaped like an oval and can swivel.

 

Controls


The Insignia NS-L37Q-10A features the basic set of on-set controls.

 

 

Remote Control


The remote is programmable, has over 50 buttons, and fits nicely in hand.

 

In The Box*(8.25)*


Along with the screen itself, you get a manual, quick start guide, remote (with batteries), a cleaning cloth, a remote stand, and a set of component cables. Typically TVs don't come with component cables, so that was a nice touch. 

We didn't find setting up the TV to be difficult. It's already attached to the stand in the box, and the quick start guide clearly shows where to plug things in.

 

Aesthetics*(5.5)*


Functional is probably the best way to describe this display. The curved bottom edge of the bezel is an interesting attempt to produce a different look, but it doesn't really work all that well; it just ends up looking odd and out of place. But at least it doesn't get in the way of the job of the display; showing images on the screen.

 

Blacks & Whites

Black Level*(5.47)*


Typically LCDs, due to their backlights, have some issues replicating a deep black. That's the problem with the Insignia NS-L37Q-10A, which didn't have the most impressive black level we've seen. On an all-black screen, the screen still had a luminance of 0.32 candelas per square meter (cd/m2). This is below our current average for LCDs. Any dark areas on your screen will have an unnatural brightness.

 

Peak Brightness*(8.68)*


We measured the The NS-L37Q-10A's peak brightness at 333.04 cd/m2, which is a solid peak brightness, but only average for an LCD HDTV. If you want to blast your room with brightness, there are better TVs out there, but the NS-L37Q-10A should be more than adequate for normal viewing. 

 

Contrast*(6.09)*


Typically manufacturers fudge their listed contrast ratios. Since the peak brightness and deepest black are taken separately, typically different setting are used for each set of measurements. This means you'll never be able to see that contrast ratio during normal viewing.

We measured the NS-L37Q-10A's contrast ratio at about 1040:1, which is average for an LCD. It should be good for most viewers, but it won't have the 

 

Tunnel Contrast*(9.92)*


Our tunnel contrast test makes sure the black level stays consistent, regardless of how much black is on the screen. Some TVs employ dimming, or allow the black level to get washed out by surrounding bright colors.

Fortunately, neither of these issues affect the NS-L37Q-10A. It maintained a pretty solid black level throughout. 

 

White Falloff*(9.81)*


White falloff is the inverse of our tunnel contrast tests: it measures the peak white level as a gradually increasing percentage of the screen is black.

Again, the NS-L37Q-10A aced this test. Its white levels barely budge. 

 

Uniformity*(8.50)*


Screen uniformity can hurt picture quality, particular in LCDs. For this test we put on an even, all-black or all-white screen, then look for any imperfections in the display.

The NS-L37Q-10A had all the usual minor quirks, such as dim edges and corners on a bright screen, and some cloudiness on the black screen, but otherwise did well. 

 

Greyscale Gamma*(6.07)*


Greyscale gamma describes how the TV brightens greys to white or darkens them to black. Our eyes notice changes based on contrast, so if this progression isn't smooth, with a good curve, you won't be able to pick up fine details.

We measured the NS-L37Q-10A's greyscale gamma at 2.85, which is high by any standards. This means greys will aggressively increase towards white, which create too much differentiation between adjacent shades. This could cause areas of smooth transition to have noticeable gradation.

 

Resolution Scaling*(8.17)*


In this section, we test the TV in all its non-native resolutions, to check for any errors due to upscaling or downscaling.

480p

The NS-L37Q-10A didn't have any real issues with 480p content.

720p

The only real issue with 720p was some moire interference. Basically, the TV has trouble handling fine patterns at this resolution. Some patterns acquired vertical streaks, or blurred the pattern elements together.

1080i

The only problem with 1080i was it had trouble maintaining contrast in fine patters.

Color Accuracy

Color Temperature*(9.55)*


When we calibrate the TV, we make sure an all white screen has a color temperature that's as close to the ideal 6500K as we can get it. Unfortunately, this doesn't ensure the TV has a perfectly consistent color temperature. Ideally this temperature will be maintained throughout the greyscale, but typically it shifts around a bit. For this test we measure the color temperature of each color in the greyscale to determine if there are any noticeable shifts.

Fortunately we didn't see anything worth worrying about on the Insignia NS-L37Q-10A. There were a few areas where it peeked over the perceptible limit, but it was such a minor breach it won't bother anyone.

 

RGB Curves*(7.38)*


Since all of the colors on your TV are constructed from red, green, and blue, we test each of those colors' performances individually.

The Insignia NS-L37Q-10A had a decent performance on this test. The curves shown in the graph below, have a good shape to them, meaning the colors will progress from low to high intensity at an appropriate pace. While the overall shape of the curves isn't a problem, note the stair stepping along each of the lines. There's a loss of detail in these areas: the TV is being told to display different intensities of color, but is instead displaying the same one for both. While not a giant issue, this can lead to images looking a bit flatter than they should, or create striations in areas of a smooth transition between colors.

Also, note the flat top to the green and blue curves. This is peaking, which means there's no differentiation between colors along that plateau. This means there won't be any high-intensity details for either color.

Below we've separated the red, green, and blue performances from the graph above. We've placed the results next to the ideal reasponse, as well as the responses from several competing TVs.

 

 

 

Color Gamut*(5.49)*


The colors each TV displays have been set by an international standard, called rec. 709. This standard is a firm set of guidelines that televisions continually ignore for their own reasons. We therefore measure the red, green, blue, and white points of each TV, and stack it up against rec. 709.

The red is pretty much spot on, but the greens are oversaturated and the blues are pushed towards aqua.

Below we've listed the points we measured, the rec. 709 standard, and how far off the TV was. If you're not a cinephile, you probably won't care about this data.

 

Motion

Motion Smoothness*(5.38)*


The NS-L37Q-10A had some problems with blurring. Moving pictures often lost a lot of details in their face. We also noticed that shadowy areas blended into a blob; the same was true for highlights. Solid blocks of color would trail a shadow behind them as they moved across a grey background.

 

Motion Artifacting*(6.88)*


The TV also had some issues with artifacting. The most pronounced problem was a shudder effect that we saw on all our test images. In most cases it was minor, but still noticeable. Fine patterns tended to catch the worst of the effect, as the shudder sometimes caused flashing or a static-like effect. We also saw some false highlighting around solid blocks of color, but it wasn't particularly obvious.

3:2 Pulldown & 24fps*(9.00)*


The TV handled 3:2 pulldown very well. Some fine patterns had some static artifacting, such as a rolling gradient pattern, but since the artifacting wasn't flashing, it wasn't obnoxious. Other fine patterns got a crawling effect, which was minor, but still caught our eye. Relative to what we typically see, however, the NS-L37Q-10A had a great performance on this test.

Viewing Effects

Viewing Angle*(4.50)*


The Insignia NS-L37Q-10A had a very narrow viewing angle, even for an LCD. It dropped below 50% contrast ratio once you exceeded 18.75°, for a total viewing angle of 37.5°. Most LCDs hit somewhere in the 40°-50° range, and most plasmas come pretty close to a full 180°.

 

Reflectance*(6.75)*


The screen of the NS-L37Q-10A is slightly reflective; external light will form a large diffuse glow. During normal viewing, however, these reflections aren't terribly distracting. You'll definitely see the reflection, but it won't have an obnoxious pattern to it.

 

Video Processing*(2.0)*


The NS-L37Q-10A includes a few features designed to help improve the quality of signals such as poor quality cable channels and dodgy home videos.

 

Calibration

Calibration


[

](http://www.displaymate.com/)To ensure we're testing all our TVs at their peak performance, we first make sure they're accurately calibrated. To do this we employ our handy CS-200 ChromaMeter and DisplayMate, which is professional calibration software.

Below we've listed exactly what settings we fiddled with before testing. If you use these settings you'll be pretty well off, but they won't be perfectly ideal for your viewing environment. To get that, you'll need to hire someone to come into your house with their own calibration gear to optimize your settings for your own personal use.

 

 

Video Modes


The LS-42X-10A offers 8 TKTKTK picture modes, which are detailed below.

 

Remote Control

Ergonomics & Durability*(7.0)*


The remote that comes with the NS-L37Q-10A fits nicely in hand, thanks to its curvy design. The remote does feel really plasticky, which typically indicates cheap construction, but appears to be manufactured well.

 

Button Layout & Use*(6.25)*


The remote has a so many buttons it's borderline comical. We counted fifty-four in total. The one saving grace is the most commonly-used ones are relatively large and easy to find without looking. The one semi-exception is the menu button, which is tiny, but its placement makes up for its size. The other issue we fould was the buttons don't have great haptic feedback: there's no solid 'click' sensation when you press them. This issue makes the controls seem unresponsive.

 

Programming & Flexibility*(7.0)*


This remote can actually be set up to use with other devices, which is certainly a nice feature. You can control up to three additional devices, which you can swap between with the buttons at the top. You can program the remote by putting it into a special mode, then entering a five-digit code from the manual. If your device isn't in the manual, there's an option to run through different codes until one works. While getting it to work with everything might be a hassle, its still a great feature to have. 

Connectivity

Input Ports*(8.50)*


The TV has 4 HDMI ports, two on the back and two on the side. The TV also has two composite video ports, two S-VIDEO ports, a VGA, two composite video ports, four analog audio inputs, a 3.5mm audio input, and an RF input. These ports are either located along the side of the TV, or on its back, near the edge.

Output Ports*(2.0)*


The TV has two output ports: one analog audio output and one digital audio output.

Other Connections*(0.0)*


The TV features no other connections, wired or otherwise.

 

Media*(0.0)*


There are no media ports.

 

Placement*(7.0)*


The ports have fairly good placement, either on the side or the back of the TV, towards the edge. The stand can rotate, allowing easier access to these ports.

Audio & Menus

Audio Quality*(6.0)*


bass bottoms out. There's a very crappy low-end, but otherwise it sounds good

pretty good depth, actually

 

Menu Interface*(6.00)*


The on-screen menus of the NS-L42X-10A are rather awkward to use, and are extremely unresponsive; we sometimes had to wait a second or so for the menu display to catch up with the remote key presses, which is very annoying, especially when changing picture modes as the menu lags behind the changing picture mode.

The menus are divided into 4 sections: picture, audio, channels and settings. You move between the sections with the left and right key when you are on the top row, and then moving down takes you into the individual controls themselves. Here, moving left or right changes the selected setting.

 

Manual*(6.50)*


The NS-L37Q-10A comes with a quick-start manual and a full manual. The quick-start manual is good for getting your TV setup, but squeezes English, French, and Spanish translations onto one page, meaning no language gets much room. The full manual's language appears to be region-specific, and is a lot less cramped.

 You can find the Insignia NS-L37Q-10A's manual online here.

Formats & Media

Formats*(10.0)*


The Insignia NS-L37Q-10A runs full HD, or 1080p. It also supports all other formats, such as 480p, 720p and 1080i. It will play back 24p content and supports 3:2 pulldown. It does not have a wider color gamuts, such as xvYCC.

 

Photo Playback*(0.0)*


The NS-L37Q-10A can't play back photos.

 

Music & Video Playback*(0.0)*


Music and video playback are also no-shows on the NS-L37Q-10A.

 

Streaming Playback*(0.0)*


The TV doesn't support streaming playback.

 

Other Media*(0.0)*


There are no additional media options.

Power Consumption

Power Consumption*(9.00)*


Every time you watch TV, your electric bill increases a tiny bit. Some TVs will increase your bill slightly more than others, which is why we measure the TV's average watttage.

The NS-L37Q-10A really won't cost you much each year. Even with the backlight going full blast, it'll only cost $32.06.

 

Below we've listed the NS-L37Q-10A's cost per year along with some competing TVs. None are particularly expensive.

 

Vs LG 37LH55

Value Comparison Summary


The 37LH55's price is pretty inflated for its performance increases.

Blacks & Whites


Although the LG had a better overall contrast ratio, virtually no one would be able to tell.

 

Color Accuracy


The Insignia had a rock-solid color temperature, about the same color representation as the LG, and a sligtly less-accurate color gamut.

 

 

 

Motion


The LG had less blur, but had slightly more artifacting.

 

Viewing Effects


None of these TVs have impresive viewing angles, and none enough of a gap between any of their performances to make a significant difference.

 

Connectivity


If you love S-VIDEO ports, you will love the Insignia NS-L37Q-10A!

Vs Philips 42PFL3704D F7

Value Comparison Summary


The Philips does excel in a few areas the Insignia does not, but it costs significantly more. Keep in mind, though, that part of that price hike is due to screen size.

Blacks & Whites


The Philips has a deeper black level and higher overall contrast ratio.

 

Color Accuracy


The Insignia's color temperature is much more stable than the Philips'.

 

 

 

Motion


The Philips out-performed the Insignia both on our motion blur and our artifacting tests.

Viewing Effects


None of these TVs have impresive viewing angles, and none enough of a gap between any of their performances to make a significant difference.

Connectivity


The Philips has fewer ports overall, but it has a USB port for media playback.

**
**

Vs RCA L40FHD41

Value Comparison Summary


These two TVs are roughly on par. They have similar price points and roughly similar performances. The RCA has a better contrast ratio, but the Insignia has a more stable color temperature, with less artifacting.

Blacks & Whites


Although the Insignia was brighter, the RCA had a much deeper black and higher overall contrast ratio.

 

Color Accuracy


The Insignia had a more even color temperature and more accurate color gamut.

 

 

 

Motion


The RCA had much more artifacting than the Insignia.

 

Viewing Effects


None of these TVs have impresive viewing angles, and none enough of a gap between any of their performances to make a significant difference.

 

Connectivity


The Insignia has an extra HDMI and S-VIDEO port.

Conclusion

 

 

 

Series Comparison

NS-LxxQ-10A Series


This series is pretty bare-bones. No extra features, but not expensive either.

Meet the tester

Mark Brezinski

Mark Brezinski

Senior Writer

@markbrezinski

Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.

See all of Mark Brezinski's reviews

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