TV Shopping

[dats007 1]

Not interested in buying a new tube, so don't suggest one or try to talk me into one.

 

I just started reading up on the LCD's & Plasma's and went and watched a few of them this afternoon. I really like the afford ability of the Vizio's but they seem to only get average reviews. They have a 42" in both LCD & Plasma for under $1200 which seems ridiculously cheap when compared to the Panasonics and Tosiba's. Have any of you got any experience or input on this?

[AmbassadorOfKwan 0]

Not interested in buying a new tube, so don't suggest one or try to talk me into one.

 

I just started reading up on the LCD's & Plasma's and went and watched a few of them this afternoon. I really like the afford ability of the Vizio's but they seem to only get average reviews. They have a 42" in both LCD & Plasma for under $1200 which seems ridiculously cheap when compared to the Panasonics and Tosiba's. Have any of you got any experience or input on this?

 

 

Too many options out there to rely on someone elses eyes and opinions between plasma and LCD. I just bought the 42 inch lcd from Vizio from Sams for 879 I believe. Its not the most expensive or biggest tv out there, but I am more than pleased with the picture (and price..not everyone on this bored has 3k to shell out for a tv ) and once directv puts in my new dish (15th) all the HD channels will make it that much better. It looks better on the wall than my 55 inch Mitsubishi did on the floor.

[p.man 7]

I would spend my money on an LCD over a Plasma. LCD Tv's run cooler, are less heavy and use less energy.

And you won't need to replace a $250-$300 bulb every few years. What happens over time with the Plasma's is that they start to dim and be less bright. That's when you'll need to replace the bulb. Plus the LCD'S are less prone to developing a burn/ dark spot on the screen.

[potts17 4]

Also lcd's are better for rooms with lot's of light in them as they do not glare as much as plasma does. I would go with an lcd for sure. I don't have any experience with Vizio's, I'm pretty sold on Samsung though.

[edjr 6,824]

just got a 52 inch LCD and it's the nuts

[IN$TANT REPAY 11]

those things are already played out.....

 

here is the next generation of flat screens....

 

 

the ultra thins:

 

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/...ultra_thin_tvs/

 

and next up will be the giant living room video walls....

 

 

and then the hologram rooms.

[porkbutt 897]

i got a couple lcds and like 'em. i have a sony 42 and a westinghouse 37...and i gotta say i think the westinghouse has a better picture. i like it better overall as well. the thing about it is that's it's not a tv, but a monitor...but who cares as long as you use a cable box anyway. research it...westinghouse 37 LVM-37w3 1080p...a very popular choice among tech dorks. great price as well...got mine for like $900....problem is, i think they are out of stock everywhere.

[itsbigmoni 1]

My cousin has a vizio and he loves it. I'm not an expert on tv's but the picture is impressive. The HD is unreal, but i'm sure thats true of all HD tv's.

[RicemanX 20]

I bought one of those cheap Visio 40 inchers from Costco for around 800. Not very impressed with the quality of the picture, but its a great TV for that price.

[Saint Elistan 106]

And you won't need to replace a $250-$300 bulb every few years. What happens over time with the Plasma's is that they start to dim and be less bright. That's when you'll need to replace the bulb. Plus the LCD'S are less prone to developing a burn/ dark spot on the screen.

 

Wow. You know not to listen to someone about Plasmas when they think that Plasma TVs run on bulbs. That would be a rear projection TV. Plasmas emit light via cells containing noble gases wedged between two pieces of glass. Plasma technology has progressed so much that image retention (burn) is a non-factor. Aside from weight and viewing angle, Plasmas completely dominate LCDs. LCDs were originally intended for data display, so it has worse refresh rates. If you watch sports or play video games Plasma picture quality will blow LCD picture quality out of the water.

 

Walk in to a retail store, ask them to turn on their HD loop, stand about 4-5 feet back from an LCD, then stand about 4-5 feet back from a Plasma. Your decision will be easy.

 

ALSO: Do not buy a Vizio, Element, Olevia, or Polaroid TV. They are absolute garbage. For LCDs, go with Sony or Sharp. For Plasmas, go with Samsung or Panasonic.

[AmbassadorOfKwan 0]

Wow. You know not to listen to someone about Plasmas when they think that Plasma TVs run on bulbs. That would be a rear projection TV. Plasmas emit light via cells containing noble gases wedged between two pieces of glass. Plasma technology has progressed so much that image retention (burn) is a non-factor. Aside from weight and viewing angle, Plasmas completely dominate LCDs. LCDs were originally intended for data display, so it has worse refresh rates. If you watch sports or play video games Plasma picture quality will blow LCD picture quality out of the water.

 

Walk in to a retail store, ask them to turn on their HD loop, stand about 4-5 feet back from an LCD, then stand about 4-5 feet back from a Plasma. Your decision will be easy.

 

ALSO: Do not buy a Vizio, Element, Olevia, or Polaroid TV. They are absolute garbage. For LCDs, go with Sony or Sharp. For Plasmas, go with Samsung or Panasonic.

 

 

Funny, I have an Element (black Friday deal at Home Depot) and a Vizio and other than the sound, Ive been pleased with the picture quality, especially for the price. Im sure there are hundreds of tvs out there that may have better picture quality, but I feel Ive gotten my moneys worth. They may not be garbage as much as they are affordable. Not all affordable electronic items are garbage. Some of the 50+ inch $3k tvs that people talk about here ( ) looked like crap to me in the store. Some of the really crappy ones looked great. Its all in personal preference.

[AmbassadorOfKwan 0]

just got a 52 inch LCD and it plays with my nuts

 

 

Now that may be worth a few extra dollars.

[Kozz 0]

Plasmas do not have Bulbs...... I agree with the previous poster that anyone giving you advice that claims this is a moron. The bulbs refer to rear proj. tv like DLP.

 

I have both a 40" Samsung LCD and 50" Panasonic Plasma.

 

The Plasma is superior in respect to and sports action and color saturation. YOu CAN see a smal tail on a hockey puck or tennis ball if its moving real fast. The colors are more vibrant on plasma than LCD. Also LCD does not do black well at all due to the backlighting. If you watch a dark movie like Batman, you can see the blacks are a real dark grey. If you have a light such as a candle in the middle of the screen and the surrounding is black, the light from the LCD need to get to the candle light through the black around it, causing a dark grey color. Plasma has individual cells to you can have a pure black and ppure white cell right next to each other. LCD does do static pictures better than Plasma, thats about it.

[Daddio 0]

Can someone provide an explanation of 720p vs. 1080p for dummies?

 

Is there that much difference?

[NorthernVike 2,090]

While we are asking ?'s How many different signals are there in HD? And can all HDTV's recive in all signals?

[nospk 230]

Can someone provide an explanation of 720p vs. 1080p for dummies?

 

Is there that much difference?

 

I'm gonna say it's around 360 plus or minus a couple.

[NorthernVike 2,090]

For what its worth heres a link from MSN http://tech.msn.com/products/article.aspx?...umentid=1275896

[Daddio 0]

I'm gonna say it's around 360 plus or minus a couple.

 

 

[Kozz 0]

I'm gonna say it's around 360 plus or minus a couple.

 

 

Depends on what size you are looking at.....

 

1080p is progressive and 720p can show you a 720p picture or 1080i picture which is an interlaced picture.

What this means for you is that depends on the size of the tv and viewing distance. If you have a 46"" plus tv, then 1080p will be noticeable over the 720P if you are at close distance. If your TV is in a big family room and you are quite far from the TV, you will see NO difference. Also, if your tv is 42 or 40", you probably will never notice the diff.

 

In addition, the only time this matters is if you have a HD-DVD or BluRay player or PS3. Currently, I do not think there is ANY 1080P programming on TV and I'm not sure of any plans for it in the near future, most companies are just trying to get the 720p/1080i bandwidth. So if you watch alot of TV and watch HD movies rarely, get the 720p if you want to save some $ if your under 46".

[dats007 1]

I've noticed quite a few people have mentioned the pro's and con's of watching sports on a particular type of picture. You're saying that one is better than the other?! Seems crazy that they'd put all this technology into a product that's only better for a specific type of broadcast.

 

What I watch on TV is a bunch of sports programming, the nightly news, and DVD's. Thats about it. I don't own gaming machines, and don't see myself entering my 30's by running out and buying an XBox 360, so that's not a concern to me. I'm just looking to upgrade to an HD TV, preferably flat panel, with-out breaking the bank. Oh, and I watch on average less than 1 hour of TV per day. So that sounds like Plasma if I'm understanding you all correctly?

 

(BTW, I do appreciate all the feedback so far.)

[Kozz 0]

I've noticed quite a few people have mentioned the pro's and con's of watching sports on a particular type of picture. You're saying that one is better than the other?! Seems crazy that they'd put all this technology into a product that's only better for a specific type of broadcast.

 

What I watch on TV is a bunch of sports programming, the nightly news, and DVD's. Thats about it. I don't own gaming machines, and don't see myself entering my 30's by running out and buying an XBox 360, so that's not a concern to me. I'm just looking to upgrade to an HD TV, preferably flat panel, with-out breaking the bank. Oh, and I watch on average less than 1 hour of TV per day. So that sounds like Plasma if I'm understanding you all correctly?

 

(BTW, I do appreciate all the feedback so far.)

 

 

 

 

If you are mainly watching sports, Tv and DVD's, get the plasma.

Fast action sports do not look as good on LCD (and I don't care what kind it is, the refresh rates are too slow, and I have a Samsung and my dad has the Sharp Aquos). Too much artifact and ghosting (you need to be picky to notice it, but it is there, esp when watching hockey or tennis). It looks good most of the time, but if youe are picky, you WILL see the diff. Plasma has better color saturation and color fidelity. You can have one black pixel on next to a white pixel. WIth LCD there is backlighting and can drown out blacks and other colors. If you are not going to play lots of games and use it for a monitor, then Plasma is truly the best choice (if you do not live in Denver) and the costs are virtually the same (yes it does give off more heat and takes up more power.......).

[dats007 1]

If you are mainly watching sports, Tv and DVD's, get the plasma.

Fast action sports do not look as good on LCD (and I don't care what kind it is, the refresh rates are too slow, and I have a Samsung and my dad has the Sharp Aquos). Too much artifact and ghosting (you need to be picky to notice it, but it is there, esp when watching hockey or tennis). It looks good most of the time, but if youe are picky, you WILL see the diff. Plasma has better color saturation and color fidelity. You can have one black pixel on next to a white pixel. WIth LCD there is backlighting and can drown out blacks and other colors. If you are not going to play lots of games and use it for a monitor, then Plasma is truly the best choice (if you do not live in Denver) and the costs are virtually the same (yes it does give off more heat and takes up more power.......).

What concerns would I have to look out for in regards to "burn in"? I hear a lot about that. Is it a "real" thing? I also don't have an HD DVD player, or Blue Ray, or PS3 or XBox 360....does that mean I can stay clear of the 1080p too?

 

Also, can any of you who have said that brands like Vizio are "crap" or "garbage" back that up? What is it that makes them so obsolete in comparison? Remember, I'm not planning on spending $2000 on this thing so probably none of the models that I'm looking at are going to rate that high. Except, maybe this model.

[DuckStupid 40]

What concerns would I have to look out for in regards to "burn in"? I hear a lot about that. Is it a "real" thing? I also don't have an HD DVD player, or Blue Ray, or PS3 or XBox 360....does that mean I can stay clear of the 1080p too?

 

Also, can any of you who have said that brands like Vizio are "crap" or "garbage" back that up? What is it that makes them so obsolete in comparison? Remember, I'm not planning on spending $2000 on this thing so probably none of the models that I'm looking at are going to rate that high. Except, maybe this model.

 

Dude, just don't pop your memory card in there and leave a picture of your cack up there for the first 48 hours you own the thing and you should be ok. The good plasma's these days actually move the picture around a bit on the screen to help fight burn in issues (you'd never notice this). Watching regular tv and turning it off when your not watching will be all that's needed. I have a 42 inch panasonic plasma and it kicks focking a$$. Picture is more vibrant than any LCD I've ever seen (I have one of them too). Great TV. Also, the half life on these things these days is close to 60000 hours. That's a LOT of tv to watch to get to the point where the picture is noticably afffected on a plasma.

[Kozz 0]

What concerns would I have to look out for in regards to "burn in"? I hear a lot about that. Is it a "real" thing? I also don't have an HD DVD player, or Blue Ray, or PS3 or XBox 360....does that mean I can stay clear of the 1080p too?

 

Also, can any of you who have said that brands like Vizio are "crap" or "garbage" back that up? What is it that makes them so obsolete in comparison? Remember, I'm not planning on spending $2000 on this thing so probably none of the models that I'm looking at are going to rate that high. Except, maybe this model.

 

 

Burn in is not a serious issue any more with the new gen models, but It still "can" be. Just don't leave a static image upe for more than 8 hrs and you'll be fine.

Also Vizio is fine. The PQ is good. A friend of mine boughta Maxent 50" plasma last year. It is 80% panosonic parts relabeled as Maxent 9kinda like the generic model). I saw it a BB for 800$ less tahn the comparabe panosonic. The Panosonic did not look to be worth the extra 800$ in PQ. At the store you can compare, but at home they all look good. The more expensive model usually come with extra features like cablecard slots and tuners.

[avoiding injuries 1,644]

...but with a room that has a lot of light, LCD is the only option?

[edjr 6,824]

Here is the TV I bought about 6 weeks ago. I paid 2,500 at Costco. For some strange reason, Costco no longer carries LCD's over 50 inches.

 

Incredible TV, glad I bought it.

[usurpers26 26]

All NON RPCRT TVs are fixed pixel displays. Meaning they have a native resolution.

 

A 1080p TV can display any format - but since it's a fixed pixel display it will "up-down-side convert/scale/deinterlace" to 1080p.

A 720p TV can display any format - but since it's a fixed pixel display it will "up-down-side convert/scale/deinterlace" to 720p.

 

You are always seeing a picture at the TVs native resolution.

1080p is progressive and 720p can show you a 720p picture or 1080i picture which is an interlaced picture.

 

All depends on the source you are feeding it.

What this means for you is that depends on the size of the tv and viewing distance. If you have a 46"" plus tv, then 1080p will be noticeable over the 720P if you are at close distance. If your TV is in a big family room and you are quite far from the TV, you will see NO difference. Also, if your tv is 42 or 40", you probably will never notice the diff.

 

You will not see 1080p programming on TV for a long time. You can also play H264 files through your Xbox360 / PS3 - so if you shoot videos at 1080p it may behoove you to get a 1080p TV.

In addition, the only time this matters is if you have a HD-DVD or BluRay player or PS3. Currently, I do not think there is ANY 1080P programming on TV and I'm not sure of any plans for it in the near future, most companies are just trying to get the 720p/1080i bandwidth. So if you watch alot of TV and watch HD movies rarely, get the 720p if you want to save some $ if your under 46".

[Kozz 0]

...but with a room that has a lot of light, LCD is the only option?

 

 

No, a plasma will be fine too. Depends on the glass and brightness of the plasma. Mine is in my "sunny" family room with no problems. In a room with lots of light any DLP tv will get washed out.

 

In ref to "the source", yes it may make a diff, but if you sit 14' away from the TV, it won't make a difference. If you put identical models of TV and one is 720p model and the other is a 1080P model, and feed it 1080p programming, after a certain distance away from the screens, the pictures will look the same to the eye. As you get closer, yes you will see a difference and the screen door effect if you get TOO close. If you feed the TV"S a 720P picture like some cable cahnnels, the PQ will look exactly the same even at closer distances and "may be crisper" on the 720p TV since it is at ideal resolution without major scaling. However, if you get too close, you will also see the screen door effect. There are some guides on Cnet and AVS Forum about this and ideal seating distances.

[usurpers26 26]

Oh, I agree - I understand distance and it's importance. I would consider my source more important though when deciding on the technology.

 

In ref to "the source", yes it may make a diff, but if you sit 14' away from the TV, it won't make a difference. If you put identical models of TV and one is 720p model and the other is a 1080P model, and feed it 1080p programming, after a certain distance away from the screens, the pictures will look the same to the eye. As you get closer, yes you will see a difference and the screen door effect if you get TOO close. If you feed the TV"S a 720P picture like some cable cahnnels, the PQ will look exactly the same even at closer distances and "may be crisper" on the 720p TV since it is at ideal resolution without major scaling. However, if you get too close, you will also see the screen door effect. There are some guides on Cnet and AVS Forum about this and ideal seating distances.

[dats007 1]

...but with a room that has a lot of light, LCD is the only option?

I hadn't taken that into consideration. Thanks! I'm on the 4th floor of a building that sits atop a hill just west of 2 story homes on the downward slope of the hill (heading east) My living room has 9 large (5x4) windows, 6 with unobstructed views to the east and 3 with unobstructed views to the south. It's a VERY bright room to say the least. The TV sits below the windows on the wall that looks to the east.

[dats007 1]

Found this online. Thought some people might find it interesting.

HOME THEATER PLASMA/LCD/PROJECTOR-&-SCREEN ROOM DESIGN CALCULATOR

[Kozz 0]

Oh, I agree - I understand distance and it's importance. I would consider my source more important though when deciding on the technology.

 

 

 

But he already explaind that he will be wattching mostly TV and not using 1080P sources. I agree, get the 1080p if possible, but if he needs to save a few bucks, a 720P TV will be appropriate in certian situations and will give him a real nice picture.

[dats007 1]

So I'm probably going to be making the purchase this weekend, but before I do I want to clarify.

 

I've narrowed my selection down to 2 LCD HD TV's, both made by Visio. The 37" ($799) is 720p, the 42" ($1099) is 1080p. I'm confused by the wording on the specs of the 37" when it also mentions that it supports all TV formats, including 1080i (what's the difference between the "i" & "p"?). I'll be viewing the TV from a distance of about 7-10 feet, depending on whether I'm on the sofa or a chair next to the sofa. All of this information (1080p, 720p, etc.) makes this decision so damn confusing. Remember the good old days of picking your TV based on size and if the screen was flat or contoured? Simple!

 

Any clarification would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

 

PS, I'm not running a fancy DVD player (ie: no Blue-ray or HD DVD) yet, but could see myself making that purchase in the next few months, so if that plays a factor... Also, I'm confused when they say that you can watch HD TV through the built in digital tuner. Does that mean that you can run the HD channels with out the use of a digital cable box?

[jackie sherrill 0]

what about this Philips?Philips Plasma

 

can anyone give any good or bad on what you see or have experienced with Philips or the specs on it?

 

thanks.

[usurpers26 26]

Those TVs have a native resolution 1280x720p (for the 720p TV) and 1920x1080p (for the 1080p TV). You can feed either of them ANY resolution (from a cable box, dvd player, xbox, etc) and the TV will always "show" it to you in it's native resolution.

 

Example, my main TV is 720p - if I played a blu-ray/hd-dvd (1080p source) on it my TV would scale the image back to 720p.

 

Progressive video presents one complete frame, or picture, to your eye at a time. Interlaced video builds each frame from two fields that are presented in sequence — first the even, then the odd pixel rows.

 

So I'm probably going to be making the purchase this weekend, but before I do I want to clarify.

 

I've narrowed my selection down to 2 LCD HD TV's, both made by Visio. The 37" ($799) is 720p, the 42" ($1099) is 1080p. I'm confused by the wording on the specs of the 37" when it also mentions that it supports all TV formats, including 1080i (what's the difference between the "i" & "p"?). I'll be viewing the TV from a distance of about 7-10 feet, depending on whether I'm on the sofa or a chair next to the sofa. All of this information (1080p, 720p, etc.) makes this decision so damn confusing. Remember the good old days of picking your TV based on size and if the screen was flat or contoured? Simple!

 

Any clarification would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

 

 

If you think you may get an HD player, go with 1080p. A lot of newer TVs have built in HD tuners...this varies greatly as different cable companies use differnt HD algorithms. It may also be a tuner for OTA (over the air) HD material. But to answer your question, yes, you should be able to watch HD via the TV's HD tuner. I would still go with a cable/sat box for HD though as a lot of TVs HD tuners are not able to decode the "non-network" HD channels.

 

PS, I'm not running a fancy DVD player (ie: no Blue-ray or HD DVD) yet, but could see myself making that purchase in the next few months, so if that plays a factor... Also, I'm confused when they say that you can watch HD TV through the built in digital tuner. Does that mean that you can run the HD channels with out the use of a digital cable box?

[dats007 1]

Those TVs have a native resolution 1280x720p (for the 720p TV) and 1920x1080p (for the 1080p TV). You can feed either of them ANY resolution (from a cable box, dvd player, xbox, etc) and the TV will always "show" it to you in it's native resolution.

 

Example, my main TV is 720p - if I played a blu-ray/hd-dvd (1080p source) on it my TV would scale the image back to 720p.

 

Progressive video presents one complete frame, or picture, to your eye at a time. Interlaced video builds each frame from two fields that are presented in sequence — first the even, then the odd pixel rows.

If you think you may get an HD player, go with 1080p. A lot of newer TVs have built in HD tuners...this varies greatly as different cable companies use differnt HD algorithms. It may also be a tuner for OTA (over the air) HD material. But to answer your question, yes, you should be able to watch HD via the TV's HD tuner. I would still go with a cable/sat box for HD though as a lot of TVs HD tuners are not able to decode the "non-network" HD channels.

Thanks!

[dats007 1]

So I picked up my new TV this morning. I went with the 42" Vizio 1080p LCD! Thanks to those of you who helped explain things along the way. Here's a picture for you interested in checking it out in all it's glory.

[AmbassadorOfKwan 0]

So I picked up my new TV this morning. I went with the 42" Vizio 1080p LCD! Thanks to those of you who helped explain things along the way. Here's a picture for you interested in checking it out in all it's glory.

Find a wall for it and it willlook 10 times better...good choice though.

[dats007 1]

Find a wall for it and it willlook 10 times better...good choice though.

I bought the TV stand that it's on with this look in mind. Personally, I think that TV's on the wall look retarded, especially when you can't hide the cords, which is the case for me.

[dats007 1]

Here's another one...