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On the whole, the 40RV753B's pictures don't dazzle like the best LED TVs, or even the best CCFL sets, but they're still highly enjoyable. Like most LCD TVs, it's at its best with high-definition material.
Tune into any of the hi-def channels delivered via the built-in Freeview HD tuner and the images instantly jump out at you with that punchy high-definition look. Shooting Stars on BBC HD is a feast for the eyes – static close-ups of the contestants reveal finely-resolved facial detail, while the gloriously colourful set and opening titles look bold and vibrant.
But detail still isn't as blisteringly sharp as it could be, particularly when there's a lot of movement in the picture – without clever frame insertion sharpening up response times, the 50Hz image shows the tell-tale signs of motion blur.
This makes moving detail look soft and there's some untidy trailing behind objects. It's not something that will greatly hinder your enjoyment, just a slight niggle that reminds you that you're not watching the very best LCD technology has to offer.
You'll also need to call on that extensive colour management, as the presets look a little unnatural and overbearing at first, particularly skin tones. Black level is fairly good for the money, but again you'll need to spend a bit of time playing with the settings to get rid of the greyness. Shadow detail is fairly clear too – you can just about make out the creases and folds in black shirts, or background objects in dimly lit scenes – although it could be better.
With standard-definition Freeview programmes, the image is bright and dynamic with surprisingly sharp detail, but there's no escaping the smearing and mosquito noise in the picture.
Camera movements also cause an outbreak of pixel shimmering that impinges on overall clarity. Many of these artefacts stem from the source broadcast but they look slightly more pronounced than we expected.
Luckily, Resolution+ does a terrific job of sharpening up standard-definition images. Fine detail, from the strands of hair on newsreaders' heads to the texture of the table in Dickinson's Real Deal, snaps into focus, bringing a lot more clarity to the overall picture. But even this newly 're-engineered' version can't make the image look anything like high-definition, and in the highest setting it can actually emphasise black and mosquito noise in the picture.
Resolution+ can be applied to hi-def material, too, and when you do it has some unexpected, but very welcome, benefits. Images look even sharper without any unwanted side effects, and with such clean high-quality sources there are no nasty artefacts to exaggerate. It can't do anything to help the afore-mentioned resolution loss with fast movement, though.
One final gripe to report is the narrow viewing angle, which means a severe loss of contrast quite quickly when you move off-centre.
