| Maxent MX-26X3 HDTV LCD Review |
| Date Created: Jul 14, 2005, 11:15 AM |
We've been searching for a new TV to replace our ancient el-cheapoTM 13" inch in our bedroom. We already use a Dell Projector mounted to the ceiling and a 120" diagonal screen from Da-Lite hooked up to a good quality Panasonic integrated 5.1 surround system, Zektor Component HDTV switch, our Playstation2 and XBox, and the Comcast Motorola dual-tuner HDTV DVR cable box in our living room. So we were definitely in the market for an affordable, but good quality HDTV flat screen for our sanctum santorum.
Enter the Maxent MX-26x3. While stocking up at our local Costco warehouse retailer, we encounterd the 26" HDTV LCD TV. It had caught our eye because it had the best and brightest picture of all the TV's on display. It was at that point that we had to take a double-take when the price came into view. It only cost $799.99. I examined the specs thoroughly to see if there were any deal-breaking catches because that price is pretty unheard-of for a display that showed such a quality screen in person. It supported 2 component inputs, DVI input, RGB DB-15 input and pass through output, S-video and RCA. It even had an RS-232 Control Port (not that I have any equipment that would make use of the serial port). The resolution was 1366 x 768 and viewing angle was listed at 170o. There was no mention on the box about its audio capabilities in terms of virtual surround support. Listed response time was 12ms. It supported NTSC, 1080i, 720p and PC resolutions up to 1280x1024 (the Costco price label mentioned that it was not Mac compatible). After a long time spent examining the unit, my wife had to pry me away so that we could continue with our shopping. I later researched the display a bit online and found out that the LCD itself is actually manufactured by Sampo (there are only a few bulk LCD manufacturers out there with many companies incorporating the same LCD glass in their displays).
A week later on a rainy day after work, I made the decision to make the purchase. Since Costo only takes cash and American Express (which I do not have), I made a mildly painful ATM withdrawal of $900 (to cover tax and pocket money). Trotting over to Costco, I picked up the MX-26x3 and eagerly made my way home. The installation had to wait though for the wife to get home so we could go to Ikea and buy a nice media table to use as a pedestal for the display.
Once I had finished assembling the table and situating it in its proper place in the bedroom, I got to the real techie joy of the night. The LCD was packed with light styrofoam on the corners and the bottom with a protective plastic static clinging to the front glass. Once removed, the setup was fairly simple. I did peruse the manual quickly to discover some of it's features and anything of note. Interestingly, the MTS Stereo capability of the Maxent does include a virtual surround sound mode that isn't labeled anywhere else, so this was a no-name solution. No SRS or Dolby licensing for this monitor. The speakers themselves were incorporated into the case design so they aren't detachable. Unfortunately the multitude of input/output options didn't include digital SPDIF or TOSlink so I would not be able to connect a Dolby Digital nor DTS source to the monitor.... not that the virtual surround would be able to do the source justice. The case was made of fairly sturdy gray shade plastic. The screen could swivel left/right on it's base, but it could not be angled up or down.
I hooked the MX26x3 to the Comcast/Motorola dual tuner DVR cable box via both the DVI and the component inputs. I used regular RCA stereo for the audio. Each input has a discrete RCA stereo audio pair, so I switched the audio between testing each video connection. I wanted the best picture possible so I tested various combinations of HDTV signal and Standard Def settings on the cable box as well as testing between the Component and DVI connections and zoom/16:9/4:3/1:1 settings on the TV. I've read online about various conflicting reports on which connection was better and which built-in scalers were better. Your mileage may vary depending on your equipment, but I found the DVI input to be cleaner and more vivid for the MX26x3 and the Comcast box. Interestingly enough, HDTV content looked much better using the TV's built-in scaler set to 1080i (even though the physical resolution was closer to 720p). This could be due to the higher amount of digital info being supplied to the Maxent's built-in scaler at the 1080i resolution resulting in a better scale-down than a scale-up at 720p to the physical 1366 x 768. Standard Def output also looked better scaled from 480i to 1080i via the TV's internal scaler. I like to keep the standard 4:3 configuration of the Standard Def content, but I also like to fully fill the screen when using 16:9 content, so I relied on the built-in scaler to adjust the content at those settings rather than use the physical 1:1 which would result in black bars around the screen for widescreen content. The Comcast box was set to output all HD content scaled to 1080i and without the 480p forced option (which resulted in double scaler use and muddy pictures in Standard Def). The TV actually remained in one resolution mode of 1080i output even for Standard Def content. This avoided the common problem among certain LCD's including this one where there's a significant delay when changing resolutions. That would have been annoying when channel surfing and waiting 2 seconds between each switch. Luckily the consistent 1080i output was the best setting for the display and avoided the res-switch problem altogether.
The output itself was as bright and colorful as any I've seen. There were adjustments to be made for the brightness and contrast which were set way too high. Once adjusted however, the screen made HD content pop and Standard Def passable. The 3:2 pulldown helped with the lower-res content but as with all HD screens showing regular NTSC, the older style content looks relatively worse than on a standard def TV. Colors needed no adjusting on the DVI signal and it often made HD content look better than our projector. Very little motion ghosting was visible and there were some grid patterns visible in grey/black gradients, but it is similar to most LCD's where the black levels are not as deep.
Audio had good volume and some depth. Bass response was limited for the built-in speakers, but good enough for a bedroom setting. Interestingly enough there is a Bass RCA output if you have an external amplified subwoofer. With the virtual surround settings on, I only noticed limited expansion of the audio field without any distinct locality of surround effects.
Once all the visual and audio settings were locked in, I programmed my Comcast remote control to recognize the TV using Sampo settings. Anything to reduce the remote controls I need to use is a plus. I need 3 remotes in my living room for my projector, cable box, and the rest.
For the price of $799.99 before taxes, this is definitely an HDTV flat-screen that's worth more than many of its peers while undercutting the competition. Since it is sold at warehouse outlets like Costco exclusively, Maxent is able to deliver a quality product at warehouse prices. Hopefully the quality is long lasting, but only time will tell. My old 13" clunker is going to Ricky's room to become my chihuahua's TV. Check the Maxent MX26-3 out at Costco when you have a chance.
I give the Maxent MX-26x3 4 out of 5 Deathstars
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