Tom Marshall
Actor!!!!!!
Lowest price I found for this online was about 1200. Do you have a link to a sub-1000 item? Thanks.
HELP! High Def TV Confusion!
- Thread starter Super Trooper
- Start date
Lowest price I found for this online was about 1200. Do you have a link to a sub-1000 item? Thanks.
Tom Marshall
Actor!!!!!!
Too bad... that Panasonic looks nice.
http://www.pcmag.com/products/0,,qn=All+HDTVs,00.asp
Possible place to start . .
I personally went the projector route, gotta admit I love my 8' screen (white wall), will probably upgrade projector to HD this year as prices keep falling.
Possible place to start . .
I personally went the projector route, gotta admit I love my 8' screen (white wall), will probably upgrade projector to HD this year as prices keep falling.
True that Best Buy doesn't have the most accurate display settings for the TVs, but what else are you going to go on? A picture on the internet?
I'm in the market for one of these too and this is what I try to do. I try to block out the brand name from my vision and just look at the picture. Do I like it or do I not like it? In almost all cases, the images I thought were better were from the more expensive television. The lone exception was a 720p 42 inch Panasonic which was like $1400. It looked better than a lot of more expensive sets. But I can't get past the 720p thing. I bought an HD-DVD player that broadcasts movies in 1080i format and it's like I might as well not have bought it at all if I'm going to buy a TV that can never display that high of resolution.
After doing some research, I found out some interesting things.
1) Cable and Satellite broadcast their HD feeds in 720p, not 1080i. So basically, the 1080 is only worth it if you have a high-definition DVD player.
2) 95% of the television you watch will be in the 4x3 format. So buy a big TV because when they put up those vertical bars on the side for the standard def shows, a 42" HDTV might as well be a 30" regular TV.
3) Over 60% of the people who buy an HDTV don't have it hooked up right and have no idea they're not getting an HDTV signal. They just think it's HD because the TV stretches the show to the full length of the TV.
I find the Sonys consistently have the best picture. Samsung has some great sets. Panasonics look a little dark to me. Oh, and there's an LG that I really like. Does anybody know anything about the LGs? Are they a good company?
I'm in the market for one of these too and this is what I try to do. I try to block out the brand name from my vision and just look at the picture. Do I like it or do I not like it? In almost all cases, the images I thought were better were from the more expensive television. The lone exception was a 720p 42 inch Panasonic which was like $1400. It looked better than a lot of more expensive sets. But I can't get past the 720p thing. I bought an HD-DVD player that broadcasts movies in 1080i format and it's like I might as well not have bought it at all if I'm going to buy a TV that can never display that high of resolution.
After doing some research, I found out some interesting things.
1) Cable and Satellite broadcast their HD feeds in 720p, not 1080i. So basically, the 1080 is only worth it if you have a high-definition DVD player.
2) 95% of the television you watch will be in the 4x3 format. So buy a big TV because when they put up those vertical bars on the side for the standard def shows, a 42" HDTV might as well be a 30" regular TV.
3) Over 60% of the people who buy an HDTV don't have it hooked up right and have no idea they're not getting an HDTV signal. They just think it's HD because the TV stretches the show to the full length of the TV.
I find the Sonys consistently have the best picture. Samsung has some great sets. Panasonics look a little dark to me. Oh, and there's an LG that I really like. Does anybody know anything about the LGs? Are they a good company?
Go to a more dedicated, upscale store like Tweeter . . . at least they have the TVs calibrated.
Jeff Anderson
Custom Title!
All depends on your provider - most cable companies will give you a list and I know directv and dish both have all of their listings online
harry.mchugh
Active member
i would go with a 1080i rear projection, maybe one that is a year old so you get it cheap.
Question...
Does a 1080p HDef television display 720p as well as a 720p HDef television?
There are more lines in the 1080, so it has to "downrez" to the 720 lines of resolution, and I'd imagine that would create an inferior image. Seeing as everything in satellite and cable HD is broadcast in 720, does that mean I'm buying a more expensive television that will actually be doing a worse job?
Also, I think I will have to buy a new Tivo to record HIDEF TV, right?
Does a 1080p HDef television display 720p as well as a 720p HDef television?
There are more lines in the 1080, so it has to "downrez" to the 720 lines of resolution, and I'd imagine that would create an inferior image. Seeing as everything in satellite and cable HD is broadcast in 720, does that mean I'm buying a more expensive television that will actually be doing a worse job?
Also, I think I will have to buy a new Tivo to record HIDEF TV, right?
Pierre Petit
Well-known member
Id personally recommend panasonic. I spent hours at the store and they seem to have the best color. Especially the plasma. But again it might be personal taste. The 42 inch panasonic is the best bang for the buck nowadays. Make sure you buy the most recent model cause it has a special thing that prevent static images from burning onto the screen.(forgot how they call that)
The 1080p is way more expensive here in canada. If its a real 1080p the panel resolution is higher. Not sure how this would affect the 720p playback.
Are you guys sure cable providers only broadcast in 720p? My digital pvr outputs 1080i.....i wonder if its uprezed......
The 1080p is way more expensive here in canada. If its a real 1080p the panel resolution is higher. Not sure how this would affect the 720p playback.
Are you guys sure cable providers only broadcast in 720p? My digital pvr outputs 1080i.....i wonder if its uprezed......
harry.mchugh
Active member
There are some channels that broadcast is 720p, but most of my hd channels, I have comcast hd, are in 1080i, making a 1080p worthless unless I am using a blu ray player, and most of the blu ray movies are only in 72p, except for all of the really recent ones, like pirates 2, which looks amazing.
man, I am becoming more and more confused the more places I go. Everyone tells me something different. This last guy, who was the HD specialist at Circuit City, told me that 720p and 1080i are broadcast through the same feed. So if you buy a 720p, you have 1080i. The difference is 1080p, which is obviously a progressive version of 1080i.
But is this true? Do all 720p TVs broadcast 1080i?
But is this true? Do all 720p TVs broadcast 1080i?
I don't even know what that means -- "broadcast through the same feed." Chances are, that $7.00/hr jockey doesn't, either.
Most 1080 TVs can display 720, but for obvious reasons, 720 TVs have to downconvert 1080.
I find the Mitsubishi Diamond and Pioneer Elite series televsions to be the best you can buy. You won't find them at a big-box electronics store, but they're not so much more expensive than what you DO find at those stores. Find a Tweeter or something similar.
Most 1080 TVs can display 720, but for obvious reasons, 720 TVs have to downconvert 1080.
I find the Mitsubishi Diamond and Pioneer Elite series televsions to be the best you can buy. You won't find them at a big-box electronics store, but they're not so much more expensive than what you DO find at those stores. Find a Tweeter or something similar.