Wait till you see the pq in hd cable channels. I believe it's only 720p and quality can vary considerably. Some content I've seen on the discovery channel hd is good but otherwise pretty unimpressive as well.
No kidding. Most cable companies seem to compress the HD channels to the point that there's not much point in having it in HD.
My WM no longer has the $100 HD-A2s. I didn't realize it was a time-limited sale. I thought it was a "while supplies last" sale. They've got a few left for the regular $199 retail price now.
Well jeez dude...at 42" there's usually no difference between 720 and 1080 at the common seating distances. At 9 feet they're going to look more or less the same. What does that imply?
You aren't getting the full impact of 1080. To get the full impact you need to sit at 5 or 6 feet. And then you feel like you're sitting too danged close to the screen.
As far as the blurry scenes I guess it all depends on if it was in the film itself. Its unlikely a transfer issue.
And yeah...Monoprice. Never pay inflated prices for cables again.
It was definitely the film. Some scenes would be absolutely stunning. Other scenes were garbage in the background.
As far as the 1080p vs 720p... I'd rather it be in 1080p so it doesn't need to down convert it to 720p. 1080p source -> 1080p output. Not only that, but I do sit in the 6-8 feet zone. Honestly, I feel the tv is too big as it is. I really don't need anything bigger for my situation.
Hm.. Are you sure you got a 1080p plasma? Is it 1080p compatible or is 1080p? I thought the smallest 1080p plasma is 50" from pioneer. But this was about 6 months ago, perhaps it's different now. I'm more interested in the microLED backlight LCD's these days.
42" Class (41.6" Diagonal) 1080p Plasma HDTV with Anti-Glare Filter, EZ Sync™ HDAVI Control and Built-in GalleryPlayer®-Capable SD Card Memory Slot
Quote:
Anyway, the first thing you should do is try to do a simple calibration, if you haven't done this already. A simple Contrast & Brightness adjustment alone can improve image quality. If you do not own a calibration disc, you can just use the THX free tools in most Pixar DVD's.
I basically tried different settings that members who own the tv on avsforum.com suggested. I tried 3 different ones and chose the best one.
Quote:
If you have a 1080p TV that can deinterlace 1080i properly(most newer models do), you don't need a 1080p HDM player. In this case, 1080i = 1080p. Unless, you have a 1080p screen that can manage 1080p24/48/72/120 and want pass through 1080p24 directly from the HDM disc.
Just make sure to use the right demo HDM disc. The Corpse Bride is a better demo disc than Samurai or Troy. I'm sure there are many other demo materials some of the BD supports on the thread can recommend.
BTW, if you can, return that HDMI cable. Can't believe it cost as much as the HD-A2 HD-DVD player. I've been using monoprice cables for some time now. You can get 24 guage net-jacketed HDMI cables for 1/4th of the Monster price.
Oh you best believe that hdmi cable is going back. I bought 2 6ft hdmi 1080p cables from monoprice today. Like I said, i only bought the cable so I had something in the mean time till the ones from monoprice get here.
BTW: I got a smoking deal on the tv. I got it for 1350. If I had to pay a penny more, I wouldn't have done it. I don't watch enough tv to justify it. I spend most of my time on the computer.
42" Class (41.6" Diagonal) 1080p Plasma HDTV with Anti-Glare Filter, EZ Sync? HDAVI Control and Built-in GalleryPlayer®-Capable SD Card Memory Slot
I basically tried different settings that members who own the tv on avsforum.com suggested. I tried 3 different ones and chose the best one.
Oh you best believe that hdmi cable is going back. I bought 2 6ft hdmi 1080p cables from monoprice today. Like I said, i only bought the cable so I had something in the mean time till the ones from monoprice get here.
BTW: I got a smoking deal on the tv. I got it for 1350. If I had to pay a penny more, I wouldn't have done it. I don't watch enough tv to justify it. I spend most of my time on the computer.
Wow..... I'm really impressed, 1080p plasma for under $1500 is incredible.
Is this thread about which format is better, or is it about which format has better movies?
The second argument is irrelevant. We all know that if a clear winner in demand started to emerge, studios would drop the loser format like a hot potato (except Sony of course).
If its about the first argument, then I have to ask how many of you can actually tell the difference between uncompressed PCM / TrueHD and compressed DD+ audio? How many understand that bit rate ultimately does not determine picture quality? Blu-ray obviously is a format that has more potential (if potential is measured my the sheer amount of data that can fit on a disc). But higher bit rates and larger files does not translate to better picture and audio. Its also about the compression method and how much care went into translating the movie onto disc.
So... what are we really talking about here? Data storage or movies? If you want movies, you should want the best tradeoff between cost and quality. Long term, thats HD-DVD. It has more potential for price drops because of its simpler manufacturing process and cheaper raw materials (and lack of Sony kickbacks). If you want data storage, Western Digital MyBooks are on sale at your local electronics store.
Wow..... I'm really impressed, 1080p plasma for under $1500 is incredible.
Prices were bound to start dropping............ some day. Remember 20" lcd computer screens used to be in the $2k arena.... now they are in the $200 arena. BTW, this set has received some incredible reviews. I didn't blindly purchase this tv. After a strong introduction of their 720p 42" plasma, I figured I'd check this one out. Most people had great things to say about it. So far it seems like the perfect tv for me. The only complaint about it that I have seen so far (actually 2), is the lack of pc vga input (i'd rather use dvi->hdmi) and some like the glossy anti-glare on the other panasonic 1080p screen more than this anti-reflective. To each his own.
As far as which format is better... I believe there is 100 pages in this thread for you to decide . Most of us can't agree.
We all can agree about what is fact though. Like, BluRay has more capacity.
How about we take all the comparable aspects of each format, give each aspect a score out of 10, or just which one is better even, add it all up, and then we'll have an answer and no one is allowed to disagree!
But higher bit rates and larger files does not translate to better picture and audio. Its also about the compression method and how much care went into translating the movie onto disc.
<end snip>
Yes, but since both system use the same codecs (mostly AVC and VC-1) bitrate becomes an issue. Higher bitrate with the same codec SHOULD give a better picture, unless the authoring is done by people who don't know what they are doing.
Both systems can store a lot of data (enough). Currently Blu-Ray can store 50GB to HD-DVD:s 30, but when three layer HD-DVD:s become available it will give HD-DVD the same (or actually even a bit more) storage, that is, both system will store enough for all movies.
Both systems use the same codec(s). It is positive to see that more HD-DVD:s use the AVC codec (Transformers for instance) since it seems to give better results.
Both systems are supported by companies that have displayed questionable ethics (Sony and Microsoft respectively).
HD-DVD currently has a price advantage, but in the long run the prices of Blu will come down to similar levels, that is, to make the cost difference negligible.
HD-DVD currently has an easier to use set of tools to create menus etc. In time the development tools for BDJava will of course also become really easy to use.
Currently Blu-Ray has the only real long term advantage, and that is a higher maximum bit rate.
My personal opinion is that it would be sad to choose the system that has short term benefits (currently easier to create extras and lower production cost) before the system that has long term benefits (higher bit rate).
But then again, when has the higher quality system ever been the "winner"? \
It was definitely the film. Some scenes would be absolutely stunning. Other scenes were garbage in the background.
First of all congrats on your new stuff
I'm not sure if I'm reading it wrong, but are you saying that the background scenes in (samurai) are blurry in places??
cos thats called "focus" and is how the film is shot. has nothing to do with your gear - {scratches head} I can't believe thats what your saying though?
Is this thread about which format is better, or is it about which format has better movies?
The second argument is irrelevant. We all know that if a clear winner in demand started to emerge, studios would drop the loser format like a hot potato (except Sony of course).
If its about the first argument, then I have to ask how many of you can actually tell the difference between uncompressed PCM / TrueHD and compressed DD+ audio? How many understand that bit rate ultimately does not determine picture quality? Blu-ray obviously is a format that has more potential (if potential is measured my the sheer amount of data that can fit on a disc). But higher bit rates and larger files does not translate to better picture and audio. Its also about the compression method and how much care went into translating the movie onto disc.
So... what are we really talking about here? Data storage or movies? If you want movies, you should want the best tradeoff between cost and quality. Long term, thats HD-DVD. It has more potential for price drops because of its simpler manufacturing process and cheaper raw materials (and lack of Sony kickbacks). If you want data storage, Western Digital MyBooks are on sale at your local electronics store.
IMO its about ALL aspects of the formats
but when arguments are made FOR one format, supporters of the other format reply with their favorites OTHER positives.
It has certainly been my observation that some parties don't want to admit "losing" any ground so will divert the thread to film sales or bit rate and compression type used on specific films in order to direct the disscussion away from reaching a conclusion.
I'm all for the proposal by Fishyesque to look at the individual merits of each detail on both formats, award points and make a final dissuasion* that can't then be argued away from, except in terms of personal choice - which I'm all for!
You can call it fire sale or good business practice but if HD-DVD can do $99 players in volume this Christmas I say they win. For $99 I'll join the HD-DVD band wagon and only really miss having the Pixar movies.
$99 players trump IME, bitrate, TrueHD and all the other technical stuff that only folks on AVSForum really care about.
IME, who cares? Most folks don't watch any of that stuff. Web Enabled? Who cares? Just an opportunity for them to sell you something and maybe annoy you in the process. TrueHD? Who cares? Half the folks are running 2 ch out the speakers that come on their TV. The other half has a home theater in a box setup from Best Buy for $250. Somewhere in the noise are the folks with quality 5.1/7.1 systems.
As long as the war ends few folks really care who wins. Sony vs MS isn't much to choose over.
We'll see though. It seems that $99 price was in relatively small numbers as a teaser.
Video Business is claiming that 90,000 HD DVD players were sold this past weekend. I honestly didn't expect there to be enough leftover stock of A2's to sell that many, so I'm surprised. This is of course a fraction of the PS3 installed base who realize they own a Blu-Ray player, but every little bit helps.
I think Sony should send a 'memo,' in a sense that everyone with a PS3, when they get online or whatever, a box comes up that says, "Do you realize you have a BluRay player? Go out and buy some movies!!"
I think Sony should send a 'memo,' in a sense that everyone with a PS3, when they get online or whatever, a box comes up that says, "Do you realize you have a BluRay player? Go out and buy some movies!!"
LMAO.
Perhaps they should have NetFlix send them all e-mails on their PS3s that tell them how to get their 1 month free and have access to the entire Blu-ray catalog.
I'm not sure if I'm reading it wrong, but are you saying that the background scenes in (samurai) are blurry in places??
cos thats called "focus" and is how the film is shot. has nothing to do with your gear - {scratches head} I can't believe thats what your saying though?
I'm not saying it's my gear. I'm saying it's the FILM... ie the movie... ie the master... ie the movie? Heh I dont' know how else to explain it. In other words, Troy and Samurai have issues with how they were moved to HD. I am not saying it's my ps3, my hdmi cable, or my hdtv.
And thank you for the grats, cause it was a big step for me.
For the record, I bought Ratatouille last night and watched it. It was crystal clear. It just seems a lot of transfers aren't done that great. Looking at AVSForum....
As you all know, the hd-dvd vs blu-ray can get pretty heated. AVSForum has come out and spoken against supporting either format. Apparently they went as far as shutting down posting in these areas because of threats and lies.
Comments
Wait till you see the pq in hd cable channels. I believe it's only 720p and quality can vary considerably. Some content I've seen on the discovery channel hd is good but otherwise pretty unimpressive as well.
No kidding. Most cable companies seem to compress the HD channels to the point that there's not much point in having it in HD.
My WM no longer has the $100 HD-A2s. I didn't realize it was a time-limited sale. I thought it was a "while supplies last" sale. They've got a few left for the regular $199 retail price now.
Well jeez dude...at 42" there's usually no difference between 720 and 1080 at the common seating distances. At 9 feet they're going to look more or less the same. What does that imply?
You aren't getting the full impact of 1080. To get the full impact you need to sit at 5 or 6 feet. And then you feel like you're sitting too danged close to the screen.
As far as the blurry scenes I guess it all depends on if it was in the film itself. Its unlikely a transfer issue.
And yeah...Monoprice. Never pay inflated prices for cables again.
It was definitely the film. Some scenes would be absolutely stunning. Other scenes were garbage in the background.
As far as the 1080p vs 720p... I'd rather it be in 1080p so it doesn't need to down convert it to 720p. 1080p source -> 1080p output. Not only that, but I do sit in the 6-8 feet zone. Honestly, I feel the tv is too big as it is. I really don't need anything bigger for my situation.
Hm.. Are you sure you got a 1080p plasma? Is it 1080p compatible or is 1080p? I thought the smallest 1080p plasma is 50" from pioneer. But this was about 6 months ago, perhaps it's different now. I'm more interested in the microLED backlight LCD's these days.
Yah it's a 1080p tv. Just came out in September.
http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-e...00000000005702
TH-42PZ77U
42" Class (41.6" Diagonal) 1080p Plasma HDTV with Anti-Glare Filter, EZ Sync™ HDAVI Control and Built-in GalleryPlayer®-Capable SD Card Memory Slot
Anyway, the first thing you should do is try to do a simple calibration, if you haven't done this already. A simple Contrast & Brightness adjustment alone can improve image quality. If you do not own a calibration disc, you can just use the THX free tools in most Pixar DVD's.
I basically tried different settings that members who own the tv on avsforum.com suggested. I tried 3 different ones and chose the best one.
If you have a 1080p TV that can deinterlace 1080i properly(most newer models do), you don't need a 1080p HDM player. In this case, 1080i = 1080p. Unless, you have a 1080p screen that can manage 1080p24/48/72/120 and want pass through 1080p24 directly from the HDM disc.
Just make sure to use the right demo HDM disc. The Corpse Bride is a better demo disc than Samurai or Troy. I'm sure there are many other demo materials some of the BD supports on the thread can recommend.
BTW, if you can, return that HDMI cable. Can't believe it cost as much as the HD-A2 HD-DVD player. I've been using monoprice cables for some time now. You can get 24 guage net-jacketed HDMI cables for 1/4th of the Monster price.
Oh you best believe that hdmi cable is going back. I bought 2 6ft hdmi 1080p cables from monoprice today. Like I said, i only bought the cable so I had something in the mean time till the ones from monoprice get here.
BTW: I got a smoking deal on the tv. I got it for 1350. If I had to pay a penny more, I wouldn't have done it. I don't watch enough tv to justify it. I spend most of my time on the computer.
Yah it's a 1080p tv. Just came out in September.
http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-e...00000000005702
TH-42PZ77U
42" Class (41.6" Diagonal) 1080p Plasma HDTV with Anti-Glare Filter, EZ Sync? HDAVI Control and Built-in GalleryPlayer®-Capable SD Card Memory Slot
I basically tried different settings that members who own the tv on avsforum.com suggested. I tried 3 different ones and chose the best one.
Oh you best believe that hdmi cable is going back. I bought 2 6ft hdmi 1080p cables from monoprice today. Like I said, i only bought the cable so I had something in the mean time till the ones from monoprice get here.
BTW: I got a smoking deal on the tv. I got it for 1350. If I had to pay a penny more, I wouldn't have done it. I don't watch enough tv to justify it. I spend most of my time on the computer.
Wow..... I'm really impressed, 1080p plasma for under $1500 is incredible.
Is this thread about which format is better, or is it about which format has better movies?
The second argument is irrelevant. We all know that if a clear winner in demand started to emerge, studios would drop the loser format like a hot potato (except Sony of course).
If its about the first argument, then I have to ask how many of you can actually tell the difference between uncompressed PCM / TrueHD and compressed DD+ audio? How many understand that bit rate ultimately does not determine picture quality? Blu-ray obviously is a format that has more potential (if potential is measured my the sheer amount of data that can fit on a disc). But higher bit rates and larger files does not translate to better picture and audio. Its also about the compression method and how much care went into translating the movie onto disc.
So... what are we really talking about here? Data storage or movies? If you want movies, you should want the best tradeoff between cost and quality. Long term, thats HD-DVD. It has more potential for price drops because of its simpler manufacturing process and cheaper raw materials (and lack of Sony kickbacks). If you want data storage, Western Digital MyBooks are on sale at your local electronics store.
Wow..... I'm really impressed, 1080p plasma for under $1500 is incredible.
Prices were bound to start dropping............ some day. Remember 20" lcd computer screens used to be in the $2k arena.... now they are in the $200 arena. BTW, this set has received some incredible reviews. I didn't blindly purchase this tv. After a strong introduction of their 720p 42" plasma, I figured I'd check this one out. Most people had great things to say about it. So far it seems like the perfect tv for me. The only complaint about it that I have seen so far (actually 2), is the lack of pc vga input (i'd rather use dvi->hdmi) and some like the glossy anti-glare on the other panasonic 1080p screen more than this anti-reflective. To each his own.
As far as which format is better... I believe there is 100 pages in this thread for you to decide
How about we take all the comparable aspects of each format, give each aspect a score out of 10, or just which one is better even, add it all up, and then we'll have an answer and no one is allowed to disagree!
<snip>
But higher bit rates and larger files does not translate to better picture and audio. Its also about the compression method and how much care went into translating the movie onto disc.
<end snip>
Yes, but since both system use the same codecs (mostly AVC and VC-1) bitrate becomes an issue. Higher bitrate with the same codec SHOULD give a better picture, unless the authoring is done by people who don't know what they are doing.
Both systems can store a lot of data (enough). Currently Blu-Ray can store 50GB to HD-DVD:s 30, but when three layer HD-DVD:s become available it will give HD-DVD the same (or actually even a bit more) storage, that is, both system will store enough for all movies.
Both systems use the same codec(s). It is positive to see that more HD-DVD:s use the AVC codec (Transformers for instance) since it seems to give better results.
Both systems are supported by companies that have displayed questionable ethics (Sony and Microsoft respectively).
HD-DVD currently has a price advantage, but in the long run the prices of Blu will come down to similar levels, that is, to make the cost difference negligible.
HD-DVD currently has an easier to use set of tools to create menus etc. In time the development tools for BDJava will of course also become really easy to use.
Currently Blu-Ray has the only real long term advantage, and that is a higher maximum bit rate.
My personal opinion is that it would be sad to choose the system that has short term benefits (currently easier to create extras and lower production cost) before the system that has long term benefits (higher bit rate).
But then again, when has the higher quality system ever been the "winner"?
It was definitely the film. Some scenes would be absolutely stunning. Other scenes were garbage in the background.
First of all congrats on your new stuff
I'm not sure if I'm reading it wrong, but are you saying that the background scenes in (samurai) are blurry in places??
cos thats called "focus" and is how the film is shot. has nothing to do with your gear - {scratches head} I can't believe thats what your saying though?
Can someone please help me understand this...
Is this thread about which format is better, or is it about which format has better movies?
The second argument is irrelevant. We all know that if a clear winner in demand started to emerge, studios would drop the loser format like a hot potato (except Sony of course).
If its about the first argument, then I have to ask how many of you can actually tell the difference between uncompressed PCM / TrueHD and compressed DD+ audio? How many understand that bit rate ultimately does not determine picture quality? Blu-ray obviously is a format that has more potential (if potential is measured my the sheer amount of data that can fit on a disc). But higher bit rates and larger files does not translate to better picture and audio. Its also about the compression method and how much care went into translating the movie onto disc.
So... what are we really talking about here? Data storage or movies? If you want movies, you should want the best tradeoff between cost and quality. Long term, thats HD-DVD. It has more potential for price drops because of its simpler manufacturing process and cheaper raw materials (and lack of Sony kickbacks). If you want data storage, Western Digital MyBooks are on sale at your local electronics store.
IMO its about ALL aspects of the formats
but when arguments are made FOR one format, supporters of the other format reply with their favorites OTHER positives.
It has certainly been my observation that some parties don't want to admit "losing" any ground so will divert the thread to film sales or bit rate and compression type used on specific films in order to direct the disscussion away from reaching a conclusion.
I'm all for the proposal by Fishyesque to look at the individual merits of each detail on both formats, award points and make a final dissuasion* that can't then be argued away from, except in terms of personal choice - which I'm all for!
*yes, i ment that
$99 players trump IME, bitrate, TrueHD and all the other technical stuff that only folks on AVSForum really care about.
IME, who cares? Most folks don't watch any of that stuff. Web Enabled? Who cares? Just an opportunity for them to sell you something and maybe annoy you in the process. TrueHD? Who cares? Half the folks are running 2 ch out the speakers that come on their TV. The other half has a home theater in a box setup from Best Buy for $250. Somewhere in the noise are the folks with quality 5.1/7.1 systems.
As long as the war ends few folks really care who wins. Sony vs MS isn't much to choose over.
We'll see though. It seems that $99 price was in relatively small numbers as a teaser.
If the Venturer player does come in at this price point, HD-DVD sales may boom.
I think Sony should send a 'memo,' in a sense that everyone with a PS3, when they get online or whatever, a box comes up that says, "Do you realize you have a BluRay player? Go out and buy some movies!!"
LMAO.
Perhaps they should have NetFlix send them all e-mails on their PS3s that tell them how to get their 1 month free and have access to the entire Blu-ray catalog.
First of all congrats on your new stuff
I'm not sure if I'm reading it wrong, but are you saying that the background scenes in (samurai) are blurry in places??
cos thats called "focus" and is how the film is shot. has nothing to do with your gear - {scratches head} I can't believe thats what your saying though?
I'm not saying it's my gear. I'm saying it's the FILM... ie the movie... ie the master... ie the movie? Heh I dont' know how else to explain it. In other words, Troy and Samurai have issues with how they were moved to HD. I am not saying it's my ps3, my hdmi cable, or my hdtv.
And thank you for the grats, cause it was a big step for me.
For the record, I bought Ratatouille last night and watched it. It was crystal clear. It just seems a lot of transfers aren't done that great. Looking at AVSForum....
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=858316
You can see which ones have been slapped together, and which ones haven't.
As you all know, the hd-dvd vs blu-ray can get pretty heated. AVSForum has come out and spoken against supporting either format. Apparently they went as far as shutting down posting in these areas because of threats and lies.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/annou...hp?f=114&a=116
I guess we should feel lucky to have made it to 100 pages w/o marz or murch getting hurt