School a newb . . . HD Televisions

[kmp77]

Why?

Explain please!

I have 1080p hdtv And Direct tv. I have to admit i have been a bit concerned with the quality of the picture when i compare the hdtv picture quality with my regular tv. I thought i hadn't correctly adjusted the settings so i looked up some information on the best way to fine-tune my hdtv.

Direct TV broadcasts at 720p....1080 for movies only. EVEN if a provider broadcasts at 1080, not every channel or show is 1080! You can be watching 720p for some games or tv shows even if you have a 1080i provider. Thats why some shows look better than others.

Shows in 720p upscaled to 1080 (1280x720 up to 1920x180) on a 108p tv hurts the picture and won't look as good. Its better to downscale than upscale. You can't add pixels to an image but downscaling will always make an image look better. Normal dvds upscaled to 720p will look better than upscaled to 1080p. Now, say a 3d animted movie like toy story in blu-ray at 1080p on a 1080p tv will look better than it at 720p on a 720p tv. Content is more important than the tv specs.

As far as 1080 vs 720 tvs, it all depends on the quality of the image you're looking at and the distance from the tv. If you sit back far enough on the couch, you can't tell the difference.

1080 would be head and sholders above 720 if everything was broadcast/filmed at 1080 and there was minimal compression. That's the big knock on 1080 broadcast...there's so much friggin compression going on that it can look like crap. I would be in the 1080p camp is 10x better than 720p if the feed going in was better. But I'd be willing to bet if you got a 720p tv you wouldn't be unhappy with it.

 

[MetalHead]

Costco and Walmart god good deals.
I bought a Panasonic plasma 46" 1080p for under 1k.
Similar model at walmart months later for around 7 hundred.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

The quote function seems to be broken right now, but I agree with theebs. LCD's have their advantages, but I'd get a plasma. I have a Panasonic plasma myself that was only $600-something at Sams, and I like it better than the Sony 46" LCD my mom and dad have. LCD makes graphics on the screen look amazing, but "real life" looks less-than-perfect on LCD in some situations IMO.

 

[VietCowboy]

just saw this

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs.../forums/showthread.php?sduid=234923&t=2121078

Sony 46 inch HDTV $599 Bravia EX400 (refurbished) Free Ship
Note you will not see $599 until you actually add to cart and proceed to checkout, it will show $699 otherwise

$100 discount is good until July 17th (and is lowest price ever from Sony supposedly)


Free Shipping, 90-day Sony warranty

Model KDL-46EX400
1920x1080 (1080p) native HDTV resolution
140,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
light sensors
four HDMI inputs, VGA, component, and other inputs

Extended Warranty is fairly cheap, 2 years for $30

Reviewer on Amazon:

Pros:
- The ambient light sensor works terrific.
- 4 HDMI inputs! Plug away my friends.
- Bravia Sync feature works great with my Sony home theater system.
- PS3 games have never looked better. I played Killzone 2 right after I setup the TV and my jaw was open for about 10 minutes straight.
- It only has a 60Hz refresh rate, but I've yet to see any blur while watching sports.
- DVD's look fairly crisp as well, considering I have a cheap DVD up-converter.
- It's a Sony! I'm sure some ppl have had bad experiences with Sony, but I've had nothing but luck. To each his own I guess.

Cons:
- The remote is junk. It looks cheap and it isn't very functional.
- The gray panel on the front. I had a bigger problem with the online picture of the set than I do in person. It doesn't look THAT bad - but it still throws off the continuity of the black perimeter. Strange call by Sony.
- Calibration is frustrating. There are so many different picture settings you'll probably struggle to find the perfect setup. I used the DVD THX Optimizer (found it on one of my Star Wars movies) and it helped a lot. (I posted them on [...])
- If you're using an antenna instead of cable/satellite you'll find that channel surfing is a bit slow. This is kind of a nitpick, but the channels take a little longer to load on this set.
- No swivel? I knew this set didn't have it before I bought it - but it would still be nice.

credit goes to slickdeals

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Wow, that's an amazing deal, VietCowboy.

The truth, HITR, is that as long as you get a good brand, you can't go wrong. They're all going to look great.

 

[theogt]

Wow, that's an amazing deal, VietCowboy.

The truth, HITR, is that as long as you get a good brand, you can't go wrong. They're all going to look great.

Dude got banned, so he can't see this.

 

[kmp77]

Who got banned?

 

[bbgun]

Who got banned?

The OP. Probably had nothing to do with this thread.

 

[casmith07]

lol banned?

well if you can read this, do yourself a favor and go to newegg.com and sort all the TVs by what stats you want, including price.

If you want a good one, go with Sharp or Samsung.

 

[67CowboysFan]

I've never bought a tv from this place but I've saved a lot of money on computer equipment from them. http://www.tigerdirect.com/

Depending on where you live: http://www.tigerdirect.com/retailstores/compusaStores/index.asp

 

[Warick]

I asked for advice about HD TV's here about a year ago with my mind set on getting an LED LCD tv. I wanted it mainly for sports, and wanted something with good color, and fast refresh rate since I can't stand pixelation. I was advised by several people to go with plasma instead of LCD. I was reluctant though because I've heard the horror stories about burn in, glare, heat output, weight of the tv, etc., but was told that those things have been taken care of.

After doing yet more research, I finally bought a 1080p, 42" Panasonic plasma from Best Buy, and paid $899 for it. I bought a cheap hdmi cable (expensive hdmi cables are a waste of money), and hooked it up to my Verizon Fios. The picture is awesome, there isn't much glare at all that I've noticed, and have since given the tv to my mom since her tv went out (I'm getting me a new 50" plasma). She watches tv 24-7, and there are no signs of burn in, or any of that. Also, the tv doesn't put out much heat at all, especially as bad as I have heard they do. The color is awesome, and watching sports is equally awesome. My nephew brought his xbox 360 over one day, we hooked it up, and the picture quality was stunning. Lots of fast paced shooting, running, etc., and it handled it like a charm (gotta love that 600hz refresh rate).

I was reluctant to buy the plasma at first, but now, I'm glad I did. It's funny, every time I walk into a best buy, and look at the LCD tv's (even the LED LCD's), they all look like crap to me. They are way too bright (which I heard they do on purpose), the colors often time look washed out, and the pixelation would drive me up the wall.

 

[Signals]

I'll tell you what I tell everyone else. go to http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm spend $5 for one month subscription and get the full results of tests done on every HD you can imagine. It will leave you feeling very confident on your trip to the store to pick up your new TV.

 

[ethiostar]

DTV's "HD" channels are broadcast in 1080i, not 1080p. That would be the big difference.

Direct TV broadcasts at 720p....1080 for movies only. EVEN if a provider broadcasts at 1080, not every channel or show is 1080! You can be watching 720p for some games or tv shows even if you have a 1080i provider. Thats why some shows look better than others.

Shows in 720p upscaled to 1080 (1280x720 up to 1920x180) on a 108p tv hurts the picture and won't look as good. Its better to downscale than upscale. You can't add pixels to an image but downscaling will always make an image look better. Normal dvds upscaled to 720p will look better than upscaled to 1080p. Now, say a 3d animted movie like toy story in blu-ray at 1080p on a 1080p tv will look better than it at 720p on a 720p tv. Content is more important than the tv specs.

As far as 1080 vs 720 tvs, it all depends on the quality of the image you're looking at and the distance from the tv. If you sit back far enough on the couch, you can't tell the difference.

1080 would be head and sholders above 720 if everything was broadcast/filmed at 1080 and there was minimal compression. That's the big knock on 1080 broadcast...there's so much friggin compression going on that it can look like crap. I would be in the 1080p camp is 10x better than 720p if the feed going in was better. But I'd be willing to bet if you got a 720p tv you wouldn't be unhappy with it.

Thanks guys!

Do other (maybe most) cable providers broadcast at 720p also or is this just DTV?

 

[YosemiteSam]

I asked for advice about HD TV's here about a year ago with my mind set on getting an LED LCD tv. I wanted it mainly for sports, and wanted something with good color, and fast refresh rate since I can't stand pixelation. I was advised by several people to go with plasma instead of LCD. I was reluctant though because I've heard the horror stories about burn in, glare, heat output, weight of the tv, etc., but was told that those things have been taken care of.

After doing yet more research, I finally bought a 1080p, 42" Panasonic plasma from Best Buy, and paid $899 for it. I bought a cheap hdmi cable (expensive hdmi cables are a waste of money), and hooked it up to my Verizon Fios. The picture is awesome, there isn't much glare at all that I've noticed, and have since given the tv to my mom since her tv went out (I'm getting me a new 50" plasma). She watches tv 24-7, and there are no signs of burn in, or any of that. Also, the tv doesn't put out much heat at all, especially as bad as I have heard they do. The color is awesome, and watching sports is equally awesome. My nephew brought his xbox 360 over one day, we hooked it up, and the picture quality was stunning. Lots of fast paced shooting, running, etc., and it handled it like a charm (gotta love that 600hz refresh rate).

I was reluctant to buy the plasma at first, but now, I'm glad I did. It's funny, every time I walk into a best buy, and look at the LCD tv's (even the LED LCD's), they all look like crap to me. They are way too bright (which I heard they do on purpose), the colors often time look washed out, and the pixelation would drive me up the wall.

Plasmas are nice, but you do have to be very careful with burn in. If you hook up a game console, that is when I would be very afraid. That and playing a DVD movie and falling asleep during the movie. Then it goes back to the menu when it's over and burns in. (if it's a menu that doesn't change much that is)

If I was buying a TV for a home theater, plasmas can be very nice. I just wouldn't allow game consoles to be connected to them.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Plasmas are nice, but you do have to be very careful with burn in. If you hook up a game console, that is when I would be very afraid. That and playing a DVD movie and falling asleep during the movie. Then it goes back to the menu when it's over and burns in. (if it's a menu that doesn't change much that is)

If I was buying a TV for a home theater, plasmas can be very nice. I just wouldn't allow game consoles to be connected to them.

Even the cheap ones now shift the pixels around every few minutes to help prevent burn-in. It's only by a pixel or two, so it's not even perceptible.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Thanks guys!

Do other (maybe most) cable providers broadcast at 720p also or is this just DTV?

I can only speak to my local cable companies, but the two that are around me (TWC and Comporium) offer quite a few channels in 720p. They do not offer 1080i or 1080p.

 

[kmp77]

Thanks guys!

Do other (maybe most) cable providers broadcast at 720p also or is this just DTV?

Time Warner is 1080i and satellite is 720p for broadcast channels. I think all cable companies broadcast at 1080.

 

[HoleInTheRoof]

...for a discerning or picky eye, yes. We're talking about someone that has been looking at a square tv in 2010 here.

I doubt he'll notice.

Watching a 720p will be like back to the future 4 for him. Might turn him into a window licker he'll be so stoked.

LOL


Thanks for all the info. Some conflicting info, to be expected as everyone has a different opinion. But I feel a lot better and I've bookmarked several of the provided links.

I'm going to keep this thread bookmarked as well until I purchase, which I hope to be before 9/12/2010.

 

[Hoofbite]

I asked for advice about HD TV's here about a year ago with my mind set on getting an LED LCD tv. I wanted it mainly for sports, and wanted something with good color, and fast refresh rate since I can't stand pixelation. I was advised by several people to go with plasma instead of LCD. I was reluctant though because I've heard the horror stories about burn in, glare, heat output, weight of the tv, etc., but was told that those things have been taken care of.

After doing yet more research, I finally bought a 1080p, 42" Panasonic plasma from Best Buy, and paid $899 for it. I bought a cheap hdmi cable (expensive hdmi cables are a waste of money), and hooked it up to my Verizon Fios. The picture is awesome, there isn't much glare at all that I've noticed, and have since given the tv to my mom since her tv went out (I'm getting me a new 50" plasma). She watches tv 24-7, and there are no signs of burn in, or any of that. Also, the tv doesn't put out much heat at all, especially as bad as I have heard they do. The color is awesome, and watching sports is equally awesome. My nephew brought his xbox 360 over one day, we hooked it up, and the picture quality was stunning. Lots of fast paced shooting, running, etc., and it handled it like a charm (gotta love that 600hz refresh rate).

I was reluctant to buy the plasma at first, but now, I'm glad I did. It's funny, every time I walk into a best buy, and look at the LCD tv's (even the LED LCD's), they all look like crap to me. They are way too bright (which I heard they do on purpose), the colors often time look washed out, and the pixelation would drive me up the wall.

I've heard that too. Something about the color blue being really pleasing to the eye. Not sure how true it is but it would make sense as to why all their colors and bightnesses are blasting through the roof.

 

[Hoofbite]

And by the way, I checked out 3D TV at best buy and I am happier than ever that it came out.

It's kind of cool but not worth it at all and as long as people think 3D TVs are the things to buy, regular LCD, LEDs and Plasmas will continue to get more affordable.

This gimmick is a joke. Good luck having a Superbowl 3D party. $200 per head just so everyone can watch.

Thanks 3D, you've actually gimmicked yourself so much that other TVs are more affordable.