AudioNervosa
Systemic Development => Multiple Personality Disorders => Optometry Equipment => Topic started by: LKdog on December 28, 2007, 09:49:02 PM
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Have to first admit I am not on top of the new technology, but am learning.
Here are my questions:
1) Is there any High Def TV that also looks good on SD signals?
2) Is it really worth getting a 1080p versus a 720p?
3) TV will go in basement with no windows. LCD or Plasma (or other) better suited?
4) Why is there a pretty big price differential between two brands of say, 1080p Plasmas for example? Is there different implementations of the technology and should I look for a certain type pf panel?
5) Are there good options besides LCD or Plasma I should consider?
Just looking for a good value in a 42"-46" unit.
Will be sitting about 15 feet away. Presently have an older 30" Toshiba which has a nice picture still in SD.
I have Direct TV and they are adding more and more HD channels so maybe it is time I made the change.
I do have a cheaper Vizio 26" HD 720p upstairs that looks very good on HD signal and not so good to pretty lousy on SD.
Thanks for any help.
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they say 1080p isnt noticeable on units under 50"- is it fact i dont know
i bought a hitachi 42" plasma this past summer-it does a way better job with sd signals than my 32 lcd does
i think thats what you pay for-the extra money gets you better chipsets-
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IMO, no matter the size, I'd not buy anything other than a 1080 set if budget allows. There is so little 720 content out there and so much more 1080 content to come that in my mind, 720p just isn't an option. 1 to 1 pixel mapping and eliminating any scaling is the way to go.
I've heard people say the 50" thing before but to me that just doesn't fly. Scaling is scaling. It can be done well or poorly (or eliminated with 1080 display and 1080 material).
The Sharp Aquos I have actually does a pretty good job on SD and is outstanding on HD content.
Bryan
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my hitachi is a weird one-its 1024x1080 the bigger ones are 1280x1080
not sure why they did it -but at the time 1080p units cost alot more than the hitachi-
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That's another gotcha. To be true 1080 and be 1 to 1 pixel mapped (no scaling) it must be 1920x1080. Anything else gets scaled in the chipset.
Bryan
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i understood it wasnt 1080p when i bought it-
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Thanks guys!
Bryan- What model Sharp Aquos did you get? Is it plasma or Lcd?
For my viewing distance of 15 feet- is 42" or 46" better?
Going from my 30" they should both look like a nice jump, but is there a suggested ratio?
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From 15' go as big as you can.
I purchased the LC-52D92U.
The 46" equivalent is the LC-46D92U.
They are LCD's but it's quite honestly the best LCD I've seen. The blacks are VERY good which has been the weak point of LCD's in the past.
Bryan
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Is there any consensus that plasmas are preferred for some reason?
They seem a little more expensive.
I think I had read that plasmas were not so good for really bright rooms or better for darker rooms, but both LCD's and Plasmas were very good in terms of PQ now.
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Plasmas used to have the edge in black level but at the expense of potential burn-in like a CRT did. The LCD's didn't have this issue. This latest generation of LCD's has seriously narrowed the gap in terms of black level. Quite honestly, the blacks on this are 99% as good as my last CRT RPTV was (Mits Diamond).
Colors are fantastic and brightness is very good. It handles ambient light very well in the room.
Bryan
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Is projection an option?
If I had a basement I would seriously consider one based on what I have seen.
The $1k-1.5k models are only 780p but with a screen size of up to 100" it is a whole different world.
Lin
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I recently purchased a Panasonic 50" Plasma in Shane's big sale. I wanted the 50" Panasonic because everywhere I went and viewed the sets, it was always the one I liked the most, without looking at the brand or technology. I know feeds are different everywhere but it was the overall quality of the picture I liked more... The LCD's looked edgier and the Panasonics looked smoother... almost a cd vs. vinyl type of presentation to me. I WANTED to like LCD's but just couldn't. On paper they're great but in person I couldn't fall in love with one.
There are 2 features I have really enjoyed about the new set... The image quality is fantastic but I'm used to that with my HD RPTV Sony 46".
#1 is the angle of view... it looks good at any angle that you can see the screen.
#2 is the reduced fatigue.
We watched the 'Emerald Bowl' last night on ESPN HD. Normally after watching TV that long I'd have puffy eyes, some eye strain, a headache, etc... and with the new Plasma, I had nothing... It just felt like I'd been sitting on the couch for a while.
Everything looks pretty good; the HD, SD, etc. It's crisp and smooth at the same time. There is no pixelation, artifacts, or other digital issues I can detect. Watching underwater coverage of fish on the discovery channel has a new depth to it... har har..
The LCD's probably would get the job done but the Plasmas seem special to me. I couldn't be happier with my choice.... Looks great on the wall too!
-C
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Congratulations Carl! I have owned a 50" Pioneer Plasma set for a little over a year. Initially, my wife was not into wanting a big screen tv but now she is in love with it.
I have to tell you I did not think it could get much better until I visited Shane's today and saw his 10 foot projection screen set-up. Man, you talk about a tv to die for! If only I had not just had to buy my son a new vehicle!
Ken
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Is projection an option?
If I had a basement I would seriously consider one based on what I have seen.
The $1k-1.5k models are only 780p but with a screen size of up to 100" it is a whole different world.
Lin
Lin-
Hey Lin-how is it going?
I don't know enough about them-a buddy of mine has one. I am going to check it out.
Do not completely understand how it works.
--Tony
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Thanks for the input guys! -keep it coming. :)
Like I said-I am learning about all of this.
Another maybe dumb Q-is rear projection LCD a good technology?
These are pretty reasonably priced at different places and claim to be full 1080p.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8414094&type=product&id=1181347950526 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8414094&type=product&id=1181347950526)
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Projector baby. Check out Sharp, Marantz the prices are getting better.
rollo
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The Bravia isn't a bad piece at all if you can handle the depth.
Ken,
The Pioneer Pro is truly something special - probably the best flat screen available. My final 2 choices were the Pioneer pro and the Sharp Aquos. I chose the Sharp as it was 95% of the Pioneer for < 1/2 the price (more money for audio equipment :D)
Bryan
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Ok, am kind of overwhelmed right now with making a choice. #-o
The projector idea is out-wifey nixed that. :) Can't complain too much as she is the one who suggested we should retire the 13 year old Toshiba CRT. Actually think she got tired of me up in the living room watching ballgames in HD on the little 26" HD Vizio LCD upstairs.
I wandered over to AVS forum. Wow. Those guys are as obsessed as we are about audio. :rofl:
Anyway- I am torn between plasma and LCD based upon all the info out there-especially the blackness thing.
The other issue is that plasmas are either 42" or 50" and nothing in between. Wonder why that is.
46" seems like a good size and works in my space best which has me leaning to an LCD.
The Sharp Aquos 46" models come in about six model variations-I see the LC-46D92U is the most recent.
What is the "banding" thing people worry about? Any real difference between the 82U and 92U?
Both claim to have great blacks and both are 1080p.
Is there a big difference in reality between 42" and 46"? 50" may be too big and would require wall mounting.
Maybe that is not a bad thing.
Also-in a basement with no bright natural lights or bright lights period-is plasma preferred over LCD?
My budget is around $1500 or so.
I am rambling. Any other thoughts are welcome.
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You're right about those AVS guys. I asked a specific technical question about a specific model set interacting with a specific model cable box. I got 3 plausible answers in 30 minutes. One guy even wrote which page it actually WAS in the manual, though impossible to find by the index. They are serious over there. Mike from ACI calls it one of the two superforums, along with Asylum. Occasionally a nice review or opinions on receivers and such too.
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If you like sports, make sure and look at how the panel(LCD or Plasma) handles fast moving objects...been a while since I looked at LCDs, but the last time I did(early 2007) fast paced sports was better on Plasma panels vs LCD. I heard they have improved the response time of the LCD panels, so it may not be a factor currently.
FWIW I have a NEC plasma bought 18 months ago when plasma was then superior to LCD in blackness detail and correct color saturation. And yeah, prior to my purchase I spent a lot of time over at AVS forum, those guys are total fanatics with some very knowledgeable about all things visual.
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So now it's LCD or Plasma... Try to find some Toshiba's to look at... they were on my list of 'must see' LCD's... If you go to a bunch of stores, the LCD's and Plasmas look alike at first... But keep going to stores and pay attention to what you end up liking the most based on the picture quality. That's what I did and it worked out well for me. I ended up with a monitor I can watch for hours and still can't find fault with..
Good luck,
Carl
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Yes, I do watch a lot of sports. Mostly college BB and pro tennis.
I hear the new LCD's handle motion pretty well.
Carlman-whichToshiba did you end up with?
FWIW - I took a piece of cardboard that was 47" wide and 32" tall (roughly = 50" screen) and moved it around my space.
Wow. Those are big! :shock:
Definitely that size would go on wall.
The age old question-does size matter??? :D
Will do something in between 42-50" it appears.
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I was only looking for, not finding the Toshiba when I was shopping for a set... This is the one I wanted to see: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000W1UH50/ruggedelegance33294-20/ref=nosim?gclid=COnOhKK31ZACFQGdPAodjVojWQ
But, I couldn't find it. I found other Toshiba's and they looked good... but I ended up really liking (and buying) the Panasonic 50" Plasma... see my comments on page 1 of this thread...
-C
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I was only looking for, not finding the Toshiba when I was shopping for a set... This is the one I wanted to see: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000W1UH50/ruggedelegance33294-20/ref=nosim?gclid=COnOhKK31ZACFQGdPAodjVojWQ
But, I couldn't find it. I found other Toshiba's and they looked good... but I ended up really liking (and buying) the Panasonic 50" Plasma... see my comments on page 1 of this thread...
-C
Ooops. yes, now I see. Thanks.
Am looking at Panasonics in the plasmas and Sharp and Samsung in LCD's.
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Ended up ordering a Pioneer Kuro PDP 5080 50" plasma in case anyone was wondering.
Picking a flat panel is not easy. :shock:
Lots of choices and all the formats have pluses and minuses.
Thanks for the input.
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it can be easy if you know the right person-
a guy a go to breakfast with every sunday has a friend who is seeing a girl who works for a distributor-she mentioned she gets a few free tv's every year- so he asked for one -in 7-10 days he will get a 60 inch or something plasma for the cost of shipping- :rofl:
i guess i know were ill be watching the super bowl
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Will she want the TV back if they break up???
:D
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my buddy isnt the guy seeing her,he is just getting the free tv
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Even better.
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Ended up ordering a Pioneer Kuro PDP 5080 50" plasma in case anyone was wondering.
Picking a flat panel is not easy. :shock:
Lots of choices and all the formats have pluses and minuses.
Thanks for the input.
I WAS wondering... thanks for the update.
Just watch out for the burn-in... I notice some ghosting after a while... I zoom every so often to keep from having bars on the sides... Since 95% of TV is still non-HD.... I watch as much HD as I can but I can only take so many nature shows. ;) They are lovely to watch, though.
Hope you like it as much as I do... I think the picture on Plasma is perfect. The picture quality is worth the only minor 'hassle' of keeping an eye on burn-in...
-C
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I particularly enjoy the sunrise earth show where they have the camera trained on some blowing wheat grass to soothing music. I usually turn off the audio and play something else to the picture.
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I cannot wait.
I have been kicking my kid off of cartoons to watch a few HD basketball games.
My wife finally said we needed a new one downstairs. :rofl:
I came down to a Panasonic 50" or the Pioneer 50".
For the amount of sports I watch I thought plasma was the way to go.
Frankly all the newer sets looked excellent with minor differences in presentation and features.