High Def televisions

[CFarlow]

Howdy gang,,, got the wife convinced I need a big screen tv. What kind do you have? Seems plasma is the better picture, but the lcd screens look pretty good to. Any thoughts or advice? Thanks Chuck

 

[Morphious]

I just purchased a big screen tv myself and went through a long decision process. I ended up getting a Sony 50" SXRD



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My kids and I play video games, and I tend to leave it on for many hours while home. This TV has an awesome picture, does full HD 1080p, and has plenty of input jacks, including two HDMI, two Composit as well as others. I got it on sale for 2200. 00 at the above link. Was more than I wanted to spend, but better than a 42" plasma or LCD. TV weighs a total of 75lbs, it was easier to carry than my old 27" tube TV.



Morph.

 

[Bertram65]

Panasonic plasma, they are one of the highest rated by profesional reviews and consumer forums, the new 9th generation screens have a life of 60k hours now.

 

[Alphacowboy]

I too just plunged into the HD realm of TVs! I really wanted the 60" SXRD Sony, but it was out of my price range. I found a great deal on a demo model Optoma 65" DLP from a friend of mine. He owns a Home Theater company, and had this TV in back, in storage for 6 months. It does 1080i, has 3 RGB inputs, DVI-i, 15pin Computer input, and 3 sets of standered Composite/S-Video inputs. So far, i love it, picture is crystal clear (well with my DVD player and x-box, still waiting on my DTV HD Sat. install, as a SD box looks like shait!) For 1500 bucks, I think I did alright! It retailed for well over 4gs back in late '04 and was considered top of the line at the time. But, what ever you do get, remember, the picture will only be as good as the signal you feed it!

 

[rbattelle]

I've had a Panasonic LCD projector for 2 years now. Great TV. "Only" 50".



Dimmer than a DLP, but when it's in your living room you don't know that. User-replaceable bulbs and no burn-in were my requirements when I bought the TV. LCD projector was the only TV that met both of those specifications.



I'm not a fan of plasma's. Burn in and they get dimmer over time.



Ryan

 

[Bertram65]

I've had a Panasonic LCD projector for 2 years now. Great TV. "Only" 50".



Dimmer than a DLP, but when it's in your living room you don't know that. User-replaceable bulbs and no burn-in were my requirements when I bought the TV. LCD projector was the only TV that met both of those specifications.



I'm not a fan of plasma's. Burn in and they get dimmer over time.



Ryan

Burn in and fade on plasma is almost non existant in plasma displays made in the last couple of years, as stated most good displays now have a 60k hour projected use life.

Plasma and direct view LCD are far superior for most home applications, projection is better for dedicated home theaters where you can have room for a screen over 60", seating can be setup so all seats are in the sweet spot, and lighting can be dimmer, in most dens or living rooms the second two criteria cannot be met making direct view a better choice. Projection also has the advantage of being cheaper in most cases.

 

[rbattelle]

Burn in and fade on plasma is almost non existant in plasma displays made in the last couple of years, as stated most good displays now have a 60k hour projected use life.

Plasma and direct view LCD are far superior for most home applications, projection is better for dedicated home theaters where you can have room for a screen over 60", seating can be setup so all seats are in the sweet spot, and lighting can be dimmer, in most dens or living rooms the second two criteria cannot be met making direct view a better choice. Projection also has the advantage of being cheaper in most cases.

Good points. I should comment that it's been 2 years since I researched this, and technology moves very fast.



Ryan

 

[Carlsummers]

I have a 42" rear projection HDTV by Sony. I could not ask for a better set. I've had it for about 15 months, and absolutely no trouble.

 

[nickleinonen]

SED technology is coming... crt picture quality, plasma size

 

[BNH4221]

Had real good luck with a regular old Phillips TV that was about 9 years old. Blew up with a lightning strike a couple of months ago.

Went to Best Buy to "just look" and walked out with another Phillips. This time a 42" plasma.

I liked the coloring of the picture better than the LCD and it has a harder screen. The LCD has a "plasticy" screen that will scratch easily. With 2 young 'uns at home, that had disaster written all over it.

Got smart and also bought a surge protector and line conditioner too.



What a picture. Love Discovery HD channel!!!



Steve

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I think the best resolution you can get is 1080p, meaning 1080 horizontal lines- progressive scan. Next step down is 1080i (1080 lines) interlaced, which is done in order to reduce bandwith (and costs a bit in image quality).



Does anyone understand how the DLP technology works? Totally blew my mind when I researched it. Over a million tiny little mirrors mounted on microscopic electromagnets to control their movement, up to 1000 cycles/second per mirror. All crammed into the area of less than 1 square inch. Each mirror = 1 pixel. Sure wish I would have bought some Texas Instruments stock a few years ago!



Here's a pic comparing the surface of a DLP chip taken with an electron microscope, with the tip of a needle for comparison. Each pixel is about 16 microns with 1 micron spacing in between. To put that into perspective, if these little mirrors got into your oil or fuel, your filters wouldn't be able to stop them very well!



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More interesting info: http://www.dlptvreview.com/dlptelevision.html

 

[J Shocik]

I did some research before buying a new HDTV. I was told to get a set with the 1080 lines, as the 720's will be obsolete in about 2-3 yrs, after all TV stations broadcast in HD. My $. 02 worth...