Features & Connectivity
JVC crammed gobs of features into their I’Art LT-46FN97 starting with the full HD native resolution of 1920 x 1080. The contrast ratio is also very good at 1200:1 making for nice sharp blacks and more realistic colors. The screens brightness is 500 cd/m2 and viewing angles are 178 degrees. The gray-to-gray response time is very good at 7ms ensuring that you see no ghosting or smearing of onscreen images during fast action.

JVC included a CableCard slot that is ATSC/QAM compatible and digital cable ready. JVC uses what they call the 5th generation D.I.S.T. 1080p (Digital Image Scaling Technology) with GENESSA picture processing. Further improving image quality is auto VNR and natural Cinema 3:2 pull down.

Five video status modes are programmed into the set allowing you to change the image settings for brightness and more to suit your tastes and your viewing environment. Connectivity on the JVC I’Art LT-46FN97 is robust with dual HDMI/HDCP inputs, dual IEEE 1394 FireWire connections, dual auto sensing component video inputs, two S-Video inputs and an RF input.

Onboard sound is good with MTS stereo and Dolby Digital. JVC gives you full control over your sound output with adjustable bass and treble and they use MaxxBass technology giving good bass levels with the TV speakers only. Size wise the JVC I’Art LT-46FN97 measures in at 44 3/8 W x 28 ½” H x 4 ¾” D and weighs 69.3 pounds (both dimension and weight are without the stand).

Testing
To test the JVC I’Art LT-46FN97 I watched several movies via the Denon S-301 home theater with upscaling DVD player and watched TV with HD signals via my local cable company. Image quality is great with the JVC I’Art LT-46FN97, especially so on HD channels. Skin tones are reproduced well and look life like and colors are bright and vivid.

JVC uses several different technologies to improve image quality and improve black levels that work well. This set has some of the best black levels I have seen on an HDTV set. Dark scenes in movies are crisp and clear and you still get good detail at the transitions form dark to light colors rather than pixilated blocks.

Brightness is very good as well on the JVC I’Art LT-46FN97. The JVC isn’t as bright as the Pioneer Elite Plasma I tested previously, but it is on par with the Viewsonic N4251w HDTV set that I use as my reference model. I have to be honest here as well, the JVC image quality is great but I really can’t tell much of a difference between the 1080p and the 1080i my Viewsonic is capable of. Personally I am not sure that I would want to pop for the extra cost a 1080p set goes for. I just can’t tell enough difference in the image quality to warrant the additional cash outlay myself. JVC lists the MSRP of the JVC I’Art LT-46FN97 at $3499. My reference Viewsonic N4251w is selling for $1575 at the time of this writing making the JVC more than twice as expensive.

Connectivity on the JVC I’Art LT-46FN97 is great and you should be able to connect all your HD components without issue, though I would like to see one more HDMI port for my PS3 or other HD console. As it is my DVD player and HD Cable box use them all up. Sure you can use the component input, but I prefer HDMI.

The JVC remote is well laid out and has buttons for nearly everything you can imagine, which can be a bit overwhelming at times. One source of irritation with the JVC set was the way it changes inputs. When you try to change from one input to the next the TV hesitates long enough to allow a picture to come in at each input selection. Say you want to go from normal TV to HDMI 2. Rather than just being able to scroll down till you get to the input you want and select you have to go through each input on the list and wait for the TV to decide if there is a signal there, even if you know there isn’t. That might not sound like much, but if you are trying to switch from DVD to your HD cable on another input in time to catch a show you forgot about it seems like it takes forever to get to the input you want.

JVC didn’t overlook the stand on the I’Art LT-46FN97 HDTV. Many makers of LCD and plasma TV sets simply give you a stand that is fixed in place allowing for no adjustment, whereas the JVC I’Art LT-46FN97 has a swivel feature built in to help you get the ideal viewing angle from your set. This is also a handy feature when you need to get behind the TV for connecting components.

JVC also did a great job with this set of giving you methods of hiding the cables that run in and out of the TV. Guys if your wife or girlfriend is like mine the biggest problem with a big TV in the living room is the wires that you can see running around behind it. JVC uses two panels that are removable to conceal the connectors as well as the wires that go to them from view. If you use an open entertainment center this makes for a much more attractive install than a set that just leaves the wires hanging in the wind.

Overall, the JVC I’Art LT-46FN97 HDTV is a very good set with sharp, clear images that look great in full native 1080p resolution. This set is expensive for sure, but those wanting to spend the extra cash on a true full HDTV will find that the JVC I’Art LT-46FN97 performs very well.