Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

[waterinthefuel]

My parents erroneously turned to me for buying advice for a flat panel TV for a game room they are adding to their house. I started looking in the Sunday ads and it's complicated!

First, what is 1080p?

Which is better, plasma or LCD?

Which brands, if any, need be avoided?

She doesn't seem to want to go smaller than 50". I can't really help as I have no idea what I'm looking at. I have 4 TV's, all the old tube type. The only thing I understand about HD flat panels is contrast ratio, but that's about it.

Any help, suggestions and guidance with this is GREATLY appreciated.

 

[JB]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

Can't help much, but here is what I can say.

1080p is the highest resolution available. . .sharpest picture.

My '05 Sony Grand Wega is 55", 1080 (no "p"). I think they call the technology DLP. It is a LCD generated pic projected on the screen from the back.

Had it 2.5 years. One failed optics module covered by extended warranty (would have been $1600 according to the tech) and one failed lamp which is projected to last 2 years, also covered by Circuit City extended warranty. Would have been $200 more.

I don't call it unreliable because it is on about 18 hours a day, 7 days a week.

HD broadcasts or HD satellite in wide screen are spectacularly beautiful. I watch some programs (Equator, Planet Earth, Sunrise Earth) just for the visual pleasure. Ball games and golf tourneys are better than being there.

I think there is better technology available for less bux than I spent in '05, but I probably wouldn't notice a difference.

 

[QC]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

I have a 46" LCD 1080P. It's a Visio, a great value, awesome performance. Costco.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

I have a Sony 46 inch LCD. So far it has been flawless.It was a 2006 model that they were closing out and got it for half price.
There are 2 types of 1080 resolution,1080i and 1080p.
The i stands for interlaced and p for progressive.
If i remember the progressive was supposed to be better.I would have to read up on it again...
Most all HD broadcasts are at 720p resolution.
I think DirecTV is going to some 1080.
The best thing i bought was a upconvert DVD player and connect using the HDMI cable.
DO NOT pay the unreal price for Circuit Citys HDMI cables. I got mine off the internet for 20 bucks and it was a big heavy cable. CC wanted over 125 bucks for a cheaper made cable.

 

[Esox]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

My parents erroneously turned to me for buying advice for a flat panel TV for a game room they are adding to their house. I started looking in the Sunday ads and it's complicated!

First, what is 1080p?

Which is better, plasma or LCD?

Which brands, if any, need be avoided?

She doesn't seem to want to go smaller than 50". I can't really help as I have no idea what I'm looking at. I have 4 TV's, all the old tube type. The only thing I understand about HD flat panels is contrast ratio, but that's about it.

Any help, suggestions and guidance with this is GREATLY appreciated.

1080p is 1080 lines of resolution in progressive scan. Progressive scan writes all the lines of the frame consecutively to create the image whereas interlaced writes the odd lines, then the even lines.....so with interlaced, half the image is displayed - then the other half - and your brain interprets it as a single image on the screen.

As far as plasma vs lcd.......generally the plasmas produce better blacks and colors are more saturated than the lcd's, but I think some of the newer lcd's are close.

Sets with a higher contrast ratio typically display more saturated colors and truer blacks.

Right now I have an older Philips 37" LCD. It has been a great tv. The only complaint I have is it's inability to reproduce really dark colors and true black. Soon I will be in the market for a 1080p 50"+ set. I will definitely take a close look at the Pioneer plasmas and Toshiba and Sharp lcd's. Hope that helps

 

[JB]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

"Most all HD broadcasts are at 720p resolution".

Not here, they aren't. 1080 is standard on all my local stations and on the HD channels from DirecTV.

 

[Esox]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

"Most all HD broadcasts are at 720p resolution".

Not here, they aren't. 1080 is standard on all my local stations and on the HD channels from DirecTV.

Same here....most are 1080i

 

[i386]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

Plasma will display a truer black. Excellent if correct color is important, especially watching movies in the dark. Images will not "burn in" on an LCD as they will on a plasma. So if you play games on your TV you might not want plasma as the constant image at the top or bottom of the game may burn in.

I'll be getting a 42" plasma soon because we watch movies in low light conditions and do not intend on playing games on the TV.

There's a write up on 'em in either this months or last month's Consumer Reports if you're interested.

 

[Esox]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

Early plasmas had the burn in problems but from what I've read the newer plasmas aren't as susceptible to burn in.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

"Most all HD broadcasts are at 720p resolution".

Not here, they aren't. 1080 is standard on all my local stations and on the HD channels from DirecTV.

I need to upgrade my DirecTV receiver...

With my off air antenna most are 720p around here. I do pick up 24 digital channels off air that look better than cable or the standard receiver.

 

[kmk_7110]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

Stay away from RCAs i've heard of trouble with many of the recent ones.

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

Duly noting every reply and detail. Thanks!

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

Brand wise.... Panasonics have the best colours and darkest blacks. I went from Sony to Panasonic because of it and will never look back.

Also, IMHO, if you can pick up an EDTV for half the price of an HDTV, go for it. Standard def looks sharp and HD may not be 100% but is still awesome. If the cash is available, an HDTV is the way to go.... but by the time it actually becomes mainstream, by the time the bandwidth is fully available and by the time they don't compress the crap out of the stream.... an HDTV upgrade will be more cost effective. You're still looking at close to 5 years before HD is standard and really worth while... don't believe me? all you need to do is look at Dishnet, Bell, and Direct and what their HD streams are actually compressed at. TV technology is a little bit ahead of broadcasting technology/costs.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

To echo what QC said, a friend of mine has 2 Vizios. A 32 and a 47 LCD's. They look great. Excellent picture for the money.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

You're still looking at close to 5 years before HD is standard and really worth while... don't believe me? all you need to do is look at Dishnet, Bell, and Direct and what their HD streams are actually compressed at.

I would strongly disagree with this statement. I have had an HDTV for 3 years now and receive my programming with Dish Network. I can't even stand watching anything that isn't broadcast in HD anymore. The compression artifacts, if any, are only noticeable viewing certain sports channels but these are there even with standard definition channels.

 

[tommays]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

I get 40 HD channels of which at least 30 have things i find to be worth seeing

Things like discover HD and the other nature shows are filmed in HD and the Detail in HD is a wonder


ABC NBC and CBS now have allmost 100% of there primtime shows in HD this season


Tommays

 

[PierBridge]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

Sorry guys ther IS NOT a lot of 1080 broadcasting going on most if not all is 720 that being said you can NOT tell the difference in the 2 anyway.

 

[QC]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

My cable is all 720 . . . You can get "free" HD from Broadcast networks. Great pic from a flippin' antenna.

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

Sorry guys ther IS NOT a lot of 1080 broadcasting going on most if not all is 720 that being said you can NOT tell the difference in the 2 anyway.

Exactly... can't tell the difference but the HD everyone is experiencing isn't the HD these TV's are made for. This is why I recommend an EDTV for $$ saving as you can't tell the diff.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Flat screen buying advice needed!!!

The satellite and cable is very compressed.Thats not a whole lot of bandwidth for all those channels.My antenna on the roof has the best picture of all the HD programming.All my locals in HD are free.I pic up some channels from 100 miles away.