42" HDTV: Plasma vs. LCD

[A//// Guy]

No there is nothing available in 1080P right now because of the bandwidth issues. 1080i is available though, and alot of content is broadcast in this format.

1080i vs 720p: http://reviewdots.com/1080i-vs-720p.html?gclid=CNr8oNyp-YgCFRc6SQodZz-T3w

[ABV]

I guess you could argue it either way, but it comes down to what you're willing to spend. I feel that it I would be spending an extra $500 for a feature that I will not be able to fully utilize, while at the same time the picture quality of the 720p is so far superior to what I have now that I would be nothing less than amazed with the image. Again, some people would be willing to pay for it; however, I would not. If in five years the capability is there to broadcast a 1080p signal and I feel that I need something new, then I'll move this to my bedroom, and get something new for out there.

Here's the detail as I understand them as far as resolution goes.

720p - 720 lines of resolution, progressive, 60 frames per second.
1080i - 1080 lines of resolution, interlaced, 30 frames per second
1080p - 1080 lines of resolution, progressive, 60 frames per second

Cnet has a decent buyers guide to help you understand some of the technology better and help you make an informed decision.

[Steeltwo]

what an age old debate this is :-D


here are some of my thoughts.

i'm going to be buying a big screen soon, not quite sure which one or which type.

it is between LCD and Plasma.
Originally I wanted a DLP tv, but their viewing angles aren't good enough for me. Not to mention their color isn't as good as a LCD or Magma. Don't try to tell me different. Well you can try, I just won't listen :)

plasma burn-in, that is mainly a thing of the past. It can still happen, but the duration required to burn an image in, is about 13x as long. But you know if the plasma owner has a xbox 360, that halo 3 radar will be burnt in :)

one thing I haven't seen is the mention of Direct view lcd vs projection.
direct view looks better than. But a 50 inch direct view LCD is in the 5-8k range. Where a 50 inch lcd projection is in the 1800-2500 range.

a 32 inch LCD is a direct view, which is why it looks so crisp. Where a 50 incher from the same company, won't look as nice and won't really be that much more expensive.




someone mentioned the 50 inch toshiba for 1700 they had on black friday, they sold out of them and I couldn't get one :(
that is a KILLER tv.



as for getting a tv with 1080p or sticking with 720p

my friend bought a big screen last year when 1080p was going to come out, his TV doesn't have a digital reciever in it. Know why?
because they change the formats so much that it is more economically viable(for him) to just get an external convertor for 400, then when the new res becomes a standard, he just buys another and sells the old one.

shit 480p looks better than anything I have right now, much less 720 and 1080.

[Steeltwo]

No there is nothing available in 1080P right now because of the bandwidth issues. 1080i is available though, and alot of content is broadcast in this format.

1080i vs 720p: http://reviewdots.com/1080i-vs-720p.html?gclid=CNr8oNyp-YgCFRc6SQodZz-T3w

good article.

[JET]

Mark, the 1080p is basically the standard all new models are made to. If it isn't 1080i it is the lower end or a carryover model from last year. You will get more in the TV than just 1080p.

The biggest thing people need to be aware of is the upconverter. This will take your signal and convert it up to 1080i/p. This technology has made drastic improvements in the last 2 years, especially this year. This is the biggest reason I would get a nice TV vs. a cheaper one. Some of the cheaper TV's actually look worse when upconverting than a standard CRT that isn't hi-def.

As others said, we may not be using 1080p much right now, but it is coming fast. HD-DVD or blu-ray is going to be the standard very soon and DVD's will be like VHS is now. The upconverter is one of the most important things for us normal folk that don't run HD all the time (direct TV is 1080i already).

Also, LCD projection is basically dead, DLP and LCoS are far superior.

[AJ]

Sticking with opinions on TVs, Any thoughts on this one?

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&sku=222-4373&redirect=1

The price would actually be closed to $1360 vs $1599 though with 15% off.

[ABV]

The two things that I see are the contrast ratio and the viewing angle. 1000:1 contrast isn't bad, but there is much better out there for that price. And the Viewing angle is a pitiful 88 degrees.

For the money I think you would be much better off with something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-LNS4051D-Wide-Integrated-Tuner/dp/B000ELOQS2/sr=1-2/qid=1166021762/ref=sr_1_2/104-4188303-7141509?ie=UTF8&s=audio-video

It's larger, has a 4000:1 contrast ratio, a 178 degree viewing angle, and best of all it's not a Dell. :D Plus when you factor in the shipping and tax you would pay through Dell, this Samsung is probably cheaper with no tax (as far as I know anyway) and free shipping from Amazon.

[AJ]

Hummm, mark you don't like to make things easy! lol

What's wrong with a Dell? One other advantage is we already have an accoung with Dell so instead of having to put it all on a CC or pay up front for it, we could pay 3 or 4 or 24 payments to it through Dell.

With our living space setup I don't know if Viewing angle is all that important.

[JET]

Here is a kick ass deal on a nice 61" samsung DLP, $1,797 shipped, no tax!! 1080p and all that jazz.

http://shop2.outpost.com/product/4855040