howie on 3/10/2008 at 15:13
My old TV (tuner) is going bad so I have finally decided to get a new HDTV. I've read articles on the flat screen TV's but the more I read the more confusing it becomes.
Some comments/questions:
-I want LCD because I've read that the plasma tv's suck up 6 times the power. True?
-Resolution one would think that the higher the resolution the better the picture, but one article i read say's that the TV you have will only pick up the same resolution that is input-ed from the source. What resolution is good enough? I've been looking a different resolution tv's in the show room and I can't not tell the difference. (1080i, 1080p, and 720p all look the same.)
-Rear plugins on the TV. The only things I have to plug in would be the VCR, DVD, cable tv, stereo, and video game console. It seems they all have a plug for the computer which is fine (don;t care). What plug in options should I have?
I am looking for a 40" LCD HDTV for a good price and would just like the basic options and good quality.
[NAUC]Chief on 3/10/2008 at 15:21
It depends what signal the television stations transmit in as to whether you're actually seeing 1080 or 720.
Most cheap HD-TVs allow input of 1080i but scale down to 720p, so you'll never actually see 1080i displayed.
1080p televisions usually do offer the full 1080-in, 1080-out but of course with this comes the dreaded price.
What you really need to look out for if you're plugging in games console/pc is for bleeding/ghosting effects and picture break-up.
If willing go to a store with a freely available lcd tester dvd. (there are some free ones on the web, think I found one at AVForums) and try them on different televisions.
For example one test it will run is a swinging pendulum, if you start seeing a ghost to the edges then its moving faster than the tv can keep up with.
The worst lcd problem i've seen is red-motion blur where anything that moves leaves a red trail after it, this is the motion blur mentioned in the pendulum but its much worse as it only uses one colour ! :mad:
howie on 3/10/2008 at 17:28
did a search on the web and tech forums for lcd tester dvd but i would get item not found results. does this "blur" have to do with response time as in this tv?
RCA 42" Class Full HD 1080p LCD HDTV w/ Digital Tuner, L42FHD37
$798.00
1080p, 1920 x 1080 resolution, 16:9 widescreen
1300:1 contrast ratio, 500 cd/m2 brightness
5 ms response time
Huckeye on 4/10/2008 at 00:36
My personal experience/opinions:
1080p is well worth the expense if you have a PS3. Blue Ray movies and games like Drake's fortune on a 47 inch 1080p TV are true things of beauty. Worth every penny!
If you have satellite, the receivers tend to max at 1080i. So no matter what the broadcast, you are at that little devices mercy. A 1080P TV will show 1080i and lower resolutions just fine. But if you are not worried about wanting that extra bling any time in the near future, you can predict your bottlenecks by knowing what media you will be watching.
For me, I want the 1080p because I see a huge difference in the quality and I have a device that will really utilize it. For others, 720 might be all they need. I'd ask yourself how long you plan to own the TV before wanting to buy another one and then weigh if you think that resolution will be sufficient over that time. Everyone is different.
I would check for more than one HDMI port depending on what you are planning to watch.
37637598 on 4/10/2008 at 08:51
Keep in mind that there will be a change-over from DVD to BLU-RAY very soon, so on that note, this is what you want:
44" LCD :Make sure you get it calibrated. It's expensive, but your eyes will thank you, as will your power bill and picture quality.
120HZ :Best available response time for an LCD as far as I know. This is crucial if you watch a lot of sports, play video games, or watch anything with fast motions in it.
1080p :Much better than 720P and at least twice as good as 1080i. You'll notice the difference when you start watching BLU-RAY (because whether you like it or not, you will someday).
50,000+ to 1 Contrast Ratio :Anythink less won't give you true color.
Composite and HDMI
Sony, Poineer, Sharp, all great brands.
And you shouldn't pay any more than $1800 for it.
If you get anything less, you'll regret it as new technology comes out. Plasma will look much better for video games because the response time is much quicker than LCD by a ton. Also the colors are more saturated which is much more visually appealing. The black is true black on a plasma, which on an LCD it's projected black so it comes out dark blue or grey. Plasma's have a shiny screen so if you're in a room with a lot of windows then that could give you excess glare during the day.
If you watch mostly in the dark, with lights off, you might look into DLP televisions. They hold the best quality picture available today, and they are CHEAP too. Well, for a TV in their size.
howie on 5/10/2008 at 02:13
Quote Posted by 37637598
50,000+ to 1 Contrast Ratio :Anythink less won't give you true color
Thanks for all your advice. I have not been able to find any LCD's with that high a contrast ratio. If i go to plasma tv's i can find a million to one but like
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrast_ratio) says these numbers are somewhat bogus because of the odd ball ways the manufacter test for contrast.
Aja on 5/10/2008 at 06:49
30,000:1 on the Samsung my dad just bought looks damn good. I wouldn't worry about anything higher unless you're some sort of videophile.
37637598 on 5/10/2008 at 19:37
Quote Posted by howie
Thanks for all your advice. I have not been able to find any LCD's with that high a contrast ratio. If i go to plasma tv's i can find a million to one but like
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrast_ratio) says these numbers are somewhat bogus because of the odd ball ways the manufacter test for contrast.
That's absolutely true! I saw 2 LG's sitting right next to eachother, one was 10,000:1, and the other was 1,000,000:1, and they both looked exactly the same! Being that it's from the same manufacturererer, i'm assuming that the video quality being fed into the TV wasn't high enough quality to notice a difference anyway.
Quote Posted by Aja
30,000:1 on the Samsung my dad just bought looks damn good. I wouldn't worry about anything higher unless you're some sort of videophile.
Yeah, usually it will look great for most uses: DVD, Television; but when you start watching Blue Ray or High-Def DVD's, or play video games, you'll notice the difference! Though some people just don't see a difference!
Also, make sure it's "Dynamic Contrast Ratio", not just "Contrast Ratio". Dynamic is the true number.
37637598 on 5/10/2008 at 19:48
(
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8500721&st=44%22LCD&lp=2&type=product&cp=1&id=1186004962480)
(
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8828637&st=46%22&lp=2&type=product&cp=1&id=1207957070072)
HOLY SHIT 480HZ:
(
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8734177&st=46%22&lp=2&type=product&cp=2&id=1201307760028)
Built-in HDTV tuner
Add HD-capable antenna to receive over-the-air high-definition broadcasts, where available. Optional set-top box required for high-definition cable or satellite programming.
46" screen size
Measured diagonally from corner to corner for optimal viewing anywhere you choose to sit.
1080p display
Provides the highest quality progressive-scan picture possible from a high-definition source.
16:9 widescreen aspect ratio
For a cinema-style entertainment experience.
High 20,000:1 contrast ratio (1,000,000:1 dynamic)
Offers more shades between white and black for accurate color representation, even during scenes where both bright and dark images are present.
480Hz processing
Provides smooth frame transitions between action scenes and while playing video games.
4,096 shades of gradation
Minimize false contouring artifacts so colors appear smooth and natural.
3D Y/C digital comb filter
Delivers state-of-the-art detail and color enhancement.
Other image enhancement technologies
Include 3D color management, sub-pixel controller and motion pattern noise reduction.
Secure Digital media card reader with GalleryPlayer
Lets you view digital photos on the TV screen from Secure Digital media cards (not included).
20W full-range 2-speaker system
Creates an enhanced audio environment.
Ultraslim design
Measures 4-1/8" deep. Ideal for wall mounting with optional mounting kit (not included).
Progressive scanning
Maximizes the picture quality of progressive-scan DVD players, set-top boxes and digital video recorders.
3 HDMI inputs
Provide an uncompressed all-digital audio/video link for the highest quality connection and support copy-protected HD broadcast content.
Inputs
Include 3 HDMI, 2 composite video, 2 S-video, 2 component video and 6 audio.
Outputs
Include 1 composite video, 1 audio and 1 digital audio.
VIERA Link included
Makes it easy for you to control all of your compatible HD A/V devices with just your HDMI cables and a single remote.
V-Chip parental controls
Give you the option of blocking undesirable material from children.
ENERGY STAR qualified
Assures a high standard of energy efficiency.
Additional features
Include sleep timer, game mode, closed captioning, video input labeling and trilingual (English, French and Spanish) on-screen menus.
