NEW TV time - need advice though

otispunkmeyer · December 19th, 2006, 11:42 AM

well i dont personally need advice, but my dad is now eyeing up a new tv to replace the absolutely stellar 36 inch sony WEGA CRT we currently have.

so it will be something in the 40-42inch range, and obviously will need to be HD ready with HDMI and all that.

but whats better

Plasma? or LCD?

Viper007Bond · December 19th, 2006, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by otispunkmeyer

Plasma? or LCD?

At that size, it's a tossup. Smaller? LCD. Larger? Plasma.

Plasma burns, so it's horrid for video games, but it has better colors IIRC. LCD has some advantages too, but I forget them. images/smilies/sad.gif

Basically, all the types are becoming more and more even as manufacturers work to overcome any downsides of the technology type.

Good link: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/e...ypes/index.htm

otispunkmeyer · December 19th, 2006, 12:23 PM

well i doubt it will be used for gaming lol

maybe only to try out the HD-DVD addon for the 360.

he's lookin at sony's bravia range i think, so iguess it shouldnt matter too much since they are good tv's

Magnet · December 19th, 2006, 12:31 PM

Honestly, LCD TVs are getting better, larger and cheaper. Sony don't even produce Plasmas anymore. Burn-in isn't really an issue with current plasma TVs. Sony Bravias are quite good, and the new X series that have been released have excellent resolutions.

There are two main HD resolutions TVs come in. 768p (1024x768 ) and 1080p (1920x1080). Be prepared to pay a lot more for the 1080p. There is also 1080i, which is rubbish, and just interlaces the standard HD signal.

I am currently looking at something to replace my Sony WEGA (which I bought a year ago, but being my male self, I'm not happy and need something bigger).

I'll be after a Panasonic 42inch HD IDTV, simply because it is quite cheap (cheaper than most equivalent sized LCDs) and Panasonic produce quite good quality TVs.

otispunkmeyer · December 19th, 2006, 12:39 PM

yeah 1080p sets are wallet bustingly pricey

i'd imagine it will be a 720p set up, and probably no bigger than 42inch since any bigger and it really will take over the room

not to mention HDTV really hasnt taken off yet here. sky hd is out and about but the amount of channels it offers really dont justify the price.

so in essence HD really isnt a requirement, but you'd be barmy if you didnt buy a HDTV at this point in time

Viper007Bond · December 19th, 2006, 12:43 PM

Well, isn't 42in + 720p a bad idea? Too low res for the size I thought...

otispunkmeyer · December 19th, 2006, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viper007Bond

Well, isn't 42in + 720p a bad idea? Too low res for the size I thought...

well i dunno

i guess we'd have to go to the shop and physically look

either way its still gonna be better than 480i on 36inches images/smilies/tongue.gif

matt2000 · December 19th, 2006, 12:56 PM

SAMSUNG SAMSUNG SAMSUNG SAMSUNG SAMSUNG !!!1

otispunkmeyer · December 19th, 2006, 01:05 PM

yeah lol

samsung, pioneer, sony, all good makes

ESPNSTI · December 19th, 2006, 02:24 PM

When deciding 720p vs 1080i or 1080p, you should keep in mind the size of the tv and the viewing distance.
At a certain distance, the human eye can't distinguish between 720 and 1080 anymore.
Use this to help decide:
http://www.myhometheater.homestead.c...alculator.html

matt2000 · December 19th, 2006, 02:50 PM

Toshiba are a good make too. saw one the other week that was around 42in but still crystal clear. to be honest i would be prepared to pay extra money for a 1080p. Sony TV s i've seen in the UK are not good quality. crappy low res pictures on all but the £2000+ models

sandor_ · December 19th, 2006, 07:01 PM

do you *need* a flat panel? if not, i would highly highly highly recommend a 1080p Samsung DLP set. they will be all of 12" deep, and spectacular.

i have been running a 46" 720p DLP from Sammy for 3 years now, i love it. I have HDMI, DVI, 2x component, 3x composite, 1x VGA - and the new ones have even more to offer. Texas Instruments DLP technology (the DLP Sammy uses) is tremendous, and has been stellar in performance. sure, a replacement bulb is $300, but easy to do at home, and most likely not needed for at least 5 years - and the prices have continued to drop as more people buy DLPs.

If you really want a wall-mount, i would go for a Sammy 40" LCD, 1080p if you want to spring, but really not going to be noticeable unless you are sitting closer than about 5 feet away from it - at a far (10 feet?) distance, 720p and 1080p are pretty much indicernable until you get over 50" -ish TV.

cvrefugee · December 19th, 2006, 07:38 PM

I've had a 50" Sony RP-LCD for three years now, it does 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i. The native resolution on it is 1280x720, so I run everything at 720p. Xbox 360 games looks awesome and I plan on getting the HD-DVD drive for it pretty soon. I can take some pics if you want to know what the games/HD looks like.

This 42" model is similar to the one we have, but obviously is newer. The 1080p sets from Sony only come in 50" or bigger.

otispunkmeyer · December 20th, 2006, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt2000

Toshiba are a good make too. saw one the other week that was around 42in but still crystal clear. to be honest i would be prepared to pay extra money for a 1080p. Sony TV s i've seen in the UK are not good quality. crappy low res pictures on all but the £2000+ models

well he spent over £2k on the last TV, he earns more now so im assuming here that he'll be looking at spending a similar amount on a new TV

otispunkmeyer · December 20th, 2006, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandor_

do you *need* a flat panel? if not, i would highly highly highly recommend a 1080p Samsung DLP set. they will be all of 12" deep, and spectacular.

i have been running a 46" 720p DLP from Sammy for 3 years now, i love it. I have HDMI, DVI, 2x component, 3x composite, 1x VGA - and the new ones have even more to offer. Texas Instruments DLP technology (the DLP Sammy uses) is tremendous, and has been stellar in performance. sure, a replacement bulb is $300, but easy to do at home, and most likely not needed for at least 5 years - and the prices have continued to drop as more people buy DLPs.

If you really want a wall-mount, i would go for a Sammy 40" LCD, 1080p if you want to spring, but really not going to be noticeable unless you are sitting closer than about 5 feet away from it - at a far (10 feet?) distance, 720p and 1080p are pretty much indicernable until you get over 50" -ish TV.

ill keep that in mind

flat TFT/LCD isnt really a requirment no, so DLP can certainly be considered

Viper007Bond · December 20th, 2006, 02:37 PM

Supposedly Dell's are quite good too...

Janus · December 20th, 2006, 03:50 PM

I just got myself a new Pioneer 50" plasma a couple of weeks ago and it is great. Would recommend it to anyone else. A little more expensive then the other buy you get a 5 year warranty and installation etc.

The install was great. He showed up on time, set it up, connected with all the best cables for the situation, connected my 360 and Wii to test it all and configure those as well and took everything away with him.

Xeon SX · December 20th, 2006, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viper007Bond

Supposedly Dell's are quite good too...

not sure about TVs but their 30" LCD monitor is superb

December 19th, 2006, 11:42 AM	#1
otispunkmeyer Joined: May 15th, 2006 Last Online: Yesterday Age: 22 Posts: 2,849 Car: Carrera Subway... its a bicycle Rep Power: 25	NEW TV time - need advice though well i dont personally need advice, but my dad is now eyeing up a new tv to replace the absolutely stellar 36 inch sony WEGA CRT we currently have. so it will be something in the 40-42inch range, and obviously will need to be HD ready with HDMI and all that. but whats better Plasma? or LCD?

December 19th, 2006, 12:31 PM	#4
Magnet Joined: Jan 13th, 2005 Last Online: 05:59 AM Location: Perth, WA Age: 27 Posts: 2,000 Car: BMW E46 328Ci Rep Power: 25	Honestly, LCD TVs are getting better, larger and cheaper. Sony don't even produce Plasmas anymore. Burn-in isn't really an issue with current plasma TVs. Sony Bravias are quite good, and the new X series that have been released have excellent resolutions. There are two main HD resolutions TVs come in. 768p (1024x768 ) and 1080p (1920x1080). Be prepared to pay a lot more for the 1080p. There is also 1080i, which is rubbish, and just interlaces the standard HD signal. I am currently looking at something to replace my Sony WEGA (which I bought a year ago, but being my male self, I'm not happy and need something bigger). I'll be after a Panasonic 42inch HD IDTV, simply because it is quite cheap (cheaper than most equivalent sized LCDs) and Panasonic produce quite good quality TVs. __________________ Remember, a dog is not just for Christmas. It can also be for a birthday. In fact, you can eat them all year round!

December 19th, 2006, 12:43 PM	#6
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 21,086 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 237	Well, isn't 42in + 720p a bad idea? Too low res for the size I thought... __________________ Fight back against the evil Quiky by +1'ing this post! There is no replacement for displacement. - Wolfgang Bernhard, Chief Operating Officer, Chrysler Group talking about the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it. - Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005

December 19th, 2006, 12:56 PM	#8
matt2000 Hedgehog Sandwich Joined: Feb 17th, 2006 Last Online: 07:00 AM Location: Market Harborough, UK Age: 18 Posts: 3,682 Car: '77 Land Rover Series III LFS Status: Rep Power: 56	SAMSUNG SAMSUNG SAMSUNG SAMSUNG SAMSUNG !!!1 __________________ 'I've spoken to the scientist in that article. He is convinced that the parrot is "just resting".' - Plissken "My daughter has... errr HAD one, and I was given one" - Scott

December 19th, 2006, 02:24 PM	#10
ESPNSTI Your Guide to TG/FG Joined: Dec 9th, 2003 Last Online: January 5th, 2009 Location: Decorah, IA Age: 36 Posts: 4,299 Car: 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STI (USDM) LFS Status: Rep Power: 35	When deciding 720p vs 1080i or 1080p, you should keep in mind the size of the tv and the viewing distance. At a certain distance, the human eye can't distinguish between 720 and 1080 anymore. Use this to help decide: http://www.myhometheater.homestead.c...alculator.html __________________ Top Gear Episode Guide (Excel) \| Top Gear Episode Guide (HTML) \| Top Gear Classic Episode Guide (HTML) Other Top Gear Guides \| Fifth Gear Guides \| Clarkson's TV/Video List \| Tiff Needell's TV/Video List

December 19th, 2006, 12:23 PM	#3
otispunkmeyer Joined: May 15th, 2006 Last Online: Yesterday Age: 22 Posts: 2,849 Car: Carrera Subway... its a bicycle Rep Power: 25	well i doubt it will be used for gaming lol maybe only to try out the HD-DVD addon for the 360. he's lookin at sony's bravia range i think, so iguess it shouldnt matter too much since they are good tv's

December 19th, 2006, 12:39 PM	#5
otispunkmeyer Joined: May 15th, 2006 Last Online: Yesterday Age: 22 Posts: 2,849 Car: Carrera Subway... its a bicycle Rep Power: 25	yeah 1080p sets are wallet bustingly pricey i'd imagine it will be a 720p set up, and probably no bigger than 42inch since any bigger and it really will take over the room not to mention HDTV really hasnt taken off yet here. sky hd is out and about but the amount of channels it offers really dont justify the price. so in essence HD really isnt a requirement, but you'd be barmy if you didnt buy a HDTV at this point in time

December 19th, 2006, 01:05 PM	#9
otispunkmeyer Joined: May 15th, 2006 Last Online: Yesterday Age: 22 Posts: 2,849 Car: Carrera Subway... its a bicycle Rep Power: 25	yeah lol samsung, pioneer, sony, all good makes

December 19th, 2006, 02:50 PM	#11
matt2000 Hedgehog Sandwich Joined: Feb 17th, 2006 Last Online: 07:00 AM Location: Market Harborough, UK Age: 18 Posts: 3,682 Car: '77 Land Rover Series III LFS Status: Rep Power: 56	Toshiba are a good make too. saw one the other week that was around 42in but still crystal clear. to be honest i would be prepared to pay extra money for a 1080p. Sony TV s i've seen in the UK *are* *not* good quality. crappy low res pictures on all but the £2000+ models __________________ 'I've spoken to the scientist in that article. He is convinced that the parrot is "just resting".' - Plissken "My daughter has... errr HAD one, and I was given one" - Scott

December 19th, 2006, 07:01 PM	#12
sandor_ Joined: Mar 16th, 2005 Last Online: December 28th, 2007 Location: Philadelphia, USA Age: 28 Posts: 1,043 Car: 911, 328i, Golf, '71 Vespa Sprint Rep Power: 0	do you need a flat panel? if not, i would highly highly highly recommend a 1080p Samsung DLP set. they will be all of 12" deep, and spectacular. i have been running a 46" 720p DLP from Sammy for 3 years now, i love it. I have HDMI, DVI, 2x component, 3x composite, 1x VGA - and the new ones have even more to offer. Texas Instruments DLP technology (the DLP Sammy uses) is tremendous, and has been stellar in performance. sure, a replacement bulb is $300, but easy to do at home, and most likely not needed for at least 5 years - and the prices have continued to drop as more people buy DLPs. If you really want a wall-mount, i would go for a Sammy 40" LCD, 1080p if you want to spring, but really not going to be noticeable unless you are sitting closer than about 5 feet away from it - at a far (10 feet?) distance, 720p and 1080p are pretty much indicernable until you get over 50" -ish TV.

December 19th, 2006, 07:38 PM	#13
cvrefugee Joined: Aug 16th, 2004 Last Online: 02:15 AM Location: Corona, CA Age: 28 Posts: 3,450 Car: 2005 Scion xB Rep Power: 60	I've had a 50" Sony RP-LCD for three years now, it does 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i. The native resolution on it is 1280x720, so I run everything at 720p. Xbox 360 games looks awesome and I plan on getting the HD-DVD drive for it pretty soon. I can take some pics if you want to know what the games/HD looks like. This 42" model is similar to the one we have, but obviously is newer. The 1080p sets from Sony only come in 50" or bigger.

December 20th, 2006, 02:37 PM	#16
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 21,086 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 237	Supposedly Dell's are quite good too... __________________ Fight back against the evil Quiky by +1'ing this post! There is no replacement for displacement. - Wolfgang Bernhard, Chief Operating Officer, Chrysler Group talking about the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it. - Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005

December 20th, 2006, 03:50 PM	#17
Janus Joined: Apr 20th, 2005 Last Online: December 31st, 2008 Location: Adelaide, Australia Age: 24 Posts: 1,347 Rep Power: 18	I just got myself a new Pioneer 50" plasma a couple of weeks ago and it is great. Would recommend it to anyone else. A little more expensive then the other buy you get a 5 year warranty and installation etc. The install was great. He showed up on time, set it up, connected with all the best cables for the situation, connected my 360 and Wii to test it all and configure those as well and took everything away with him. __________________ "Hopefully once petrol hits $2.50 per litre all the 18 year olds with riced up Nismos wont be able to afford to drive their neon-clad tard rockets around at 200km/h anymore, and it will be back to the good old days of riding a donkey to school."

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