The avsforum site is great but has so much information. As a newbie to video stuff, I found the discussion about how to choose the resolution based upon viewing distance to be, well, eye opening.
In short:
- On a 27" HDTV, 1080i/p - 3.5ft away. 720p - 5.29ft away
-On a 32" HDTV, 1080i/p - 4.1ft away. 720p- 6.27ft away
-On a 37" HDTV, 1080i/p - 4.83ft away. 720p - 7.25ft away
-On a 42" HDTV, 1080i/p - 5.49ft away. 720p - 8.23ft away
-On a 50" HDTV 1080i/p - 6.53ft away. 720p - 9.8ft away.
For power consumption, see:
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6475_7-6400401-3.html?tag=arwThe cnet site also has excellent reviews, both from professionals and owners.
I was excited by all this stuff until I read more about how standard TV looks on most HDTV -- that is, maybe not as good as what I already have. Once there is more content, I'm going to look at this video stuff again.
All the flat panels are sexy though, especially compared to CRTs.
Happy viewing,
Phil