Purchasing Advice: HDTV Sets
So I'm going to be buying an HDTV set in a couple of weeks. Think this one will be too small? Any suggestions?
<a href="http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=WvCnPadkLhWnOpk-Z_GtNuh0RIZVcM0ge7Q=?CatalogCategoryID=0nUKC0.NT 6oAAADz2g9ypn_6&ProductID=dn0KC0%2eNH0MAAADzUl5ypn _9&Dept=tv" target="_blank">Sony KDP-XBR2</a>
[ 02-24-2003: Message edited by: M3D Jack ]</p>
<a href="http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=WvCnPadkLhWnOpk-Z_GtNuh0RIZVcM0ge7Q=?CatalogCategoryID=0nUKC0.NT 6oAAADz2g9ypn_6&ProductID=dn0KC0%2eNH0MAAADzUl5ypn _9&Dept=tv" target="_blank">Sony KDP-XBR2</a>
[ 02-24-2003: Message edited by: M3D Jack ]</p>
Comments
Seriously though, I'm deciding between a sony set like that one (which I found for $4600), or a Panasonic Plasma 42" (resolution of 1024x768) which is $3850.
Since HDTV is available over digital cable here in boston, I kind of wanted to take advantage of it... but a 42" resolution of 1024x768 is a ways off from 1080i. Doesn't seem worth it to me...
thought?
Much more expensive though.
My parents have:
<a href="http://www.mitsubishitv.com/WS65711.html"; target="_blank">http://www.mitsubishitv.com/WS65711.html</a>;
I haven't seen the new Sony projection TVs so I don't know how they compare.
<strong>How do the LCD rear projection and DLP sets compare to the XBR? Anyone?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Well I just bought a Samsung 50" DLP set, and I love it. I have been checking out widescreen/HDTV sets for awhile, and this one really blew me away. I went to every store in Austin and looked at sets, and here are my thoughts.
Plasma - way overpriced still, but more importantly some serious technical issues. Plasma screens like LCDs can suffer from pixel burnouts. There are some strange restrictions on getting your screen replaced if one goes bad. You have to have a certain number go bad within a certain radius. Also, the screens can suffer from burn in. So if you don't want to watch normal TV streched, but with the traditional aspect ratio, you will get black side bars burning in on the sides of your screen. Picture quality actually varies, but the the lower end models really don't llok that good. The 20K one does though!
CRT - Well do you really want another CRT? The size/weight of these things is amazing. Best value still though as far as cost. Picture is good, but still much harsher on the eye.
DLP - Digital Light Projection. The new tech on the block, based on the same technology they are starting to use in digital cinemas. Basically you have a bulb and a bunch of micro mirrors (the bulb must be placed every few years). No burn in, no pixel loss, and best of all my unit is only 17" deep, and weighs only 80 pounds. The picture is fantastic, easily better than plasmas twice the price. Also, the viewing angle is much wider.
OK, so my specific model has all the inputs you would want as well, including a VGA port that is hooked up to my iMac (sweet, keynotes widescreen!). I did a google on DLP tech and found nothing but glowing reviews. TechTV was creaming on it. Anyway, check out DLP sets before deciding.
[quote]
I am buying the set for HDTV-it will be my second one, although the other is a large projection (which does look great, BTW). You probably noticed that 1024x768 is not 16:9 but rather 4:3 (unlike a 852x480 set). They get away with this (everyone does) by having rectangular pixels instead of square ones. Therefore, it is a 720p set as far as the vertical resolution goes, although it's the horizontal resolution that gets cheated a bit. As far as the 1080i-well, all plasmas are progressive scan not interlaced, so any 1080i is converted to 720p. Depending on who you talk to this would either be considered an upconversion or a downconversion. Remember, 720p has more information in each frame (about 40% more) so the effect is much cleaner. To many people's way of thinking 1080i is no better than 540p-which is not more better than a dvd at 480p. In this scenario, 720p is far superior. Bottom line-the set rocks! You won't miss the slight loss of horizontal resolution (there are only a couple of sets that display it anyway-for 9k!!) and your HD and dvds will look amazing. Computer graphics from your computer (if you hook it up) will look stretched (because of the 4:3 pixel ratio-which is different from the 16:9 aspect ratio).<hr></blockquote>
So basically, he is saying that a 1080i signal on a progressive scan monitor gets dropped to 720p, but that 720p is actually a better signal? I'm so confused. I stared at a 720p and 1080i set right next to each other at the NAB waaaay back in 1996 and remember the 1080i looking a whole lot nicer. I guess I should have paid more attention to what the engineers were saying then...
Go <a href="http://www.mitsubishi-tv.com/"; target="_blank">here</a> and click on products.
Visit the <a href="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb"; target="_blank">AVS Forum</a>.
There is a ton of information dealing with all of these questions there.
BTW, the folks over there highly reccommend the Panny plasmas.
1080P will be the mac daddy of all, we may never see 1080p programming broadcast on the air, but we will see high refresh 1080P displays, then the computer in the family room concept will really take off.
What I've learned is not to underestimate the power of the decoder. Sony does some incredible things to NTSC signal with their DRC technology.
Anyway, I've been looking for a big screen too, but I don't think I'll bite untill HDTV sets come down a little further. Our cable doesn't have enough HDTV content to justify it right now.
<strong>BTW, the folks over there highly reccommend the Panny plasmas.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yeah, I wouldn't think of buying anything other than a Panasonic plasma. Didn't take much research to figure that out. I'm going out today to look at sets with a friend of mine... *sigh* This may just be worse than buying a car...