HDTV Checklist / Recommendations

[~Shard~]

Shard, don't rip the DLP/LCoS, I wouldn't lead you wrong man. Yes, you do have to replace the bulb approximately 10000 hours into it, BUT the cost is a mere $150US. Burn-in, though, is still a major issue. Yes, it has been SIGNIFICANTLY reduced... but its still very prevalent. I'm talkin 10 hours of CNN and you may notice it a bit. Anyway, I'm here, let me know what i can do for you.

Thanks again h0e0h. When you are talking about burn in above, are you referring just to plasma burn-in or LCoS/DLP burn in as well, if there is such a thing? Not as familiar with the latter, that's all...

Also, please check out my post #44 above, as I asked a few more questions as well.

 

[h0e0h]

Thanks again h0e0h. When you are talking about burn in above, are you referring just to plasma burn-in or LCoS/DLP burn in as well, if there is such a thing? Not as familiar with the latter, that's all...

Also, please check out my post #44 above, as I asked a few more questions as well.

Earlier i was just referring to Plasmas and their burn in, LCoS and DLPs, or any RP TVs aside from the old projections are not susceptible to burn-in. I am taking my Rebel XT to work tomorrow, and i will take a picture of a Mitsubishi plasma... model PD-5065 (the ones that were supposed to have the huge contrast ratio, long life, etc)... where Shrek 2 has been playing for about 3 months now, and it is so burned in its ridiculous.

As far as Toshiba and Panasonic using the same panels, i'm not sure how that can possibly be true, the color and orientation on both of them are totally different. Their appearance and deminsions are different, so I'm not sure that the panels can be exactly the same.

As far as Panasonic being the only 9th generation plasma, i can't keep up man, there's no tellin how many revolutions or generations they've been on.

As far as purchasing an HP... trust them about as far as you can throw them... its up to you though. I would purchase a big time TV from a big time TV name brand. That's just me though... "dude, you could just go get a Dell plasma..."

 

[ddrueckhammer]

HDMI is merely a transmission. HDMI is an interface that carries both uncompressed, digital audio and video, where as DVI still carries a slightly compressed, video-only transmission.

Cool! Good to know. Thanks for the information.

 

[aswitcher]

Hi,

Any thoughts on Samsung's new LCDs? I'm looking at LN-S3251D/LN-S3252D model. The specs seem too good to be true. I'll use it first and foremost for HD gaming (360 & PC), and for DVD movies.

32" -> http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/LCDTV/LNS3251DXXAA.asp
40" -> http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/LCDTV/LNS4051DXXAA.asp

Thanks!

I have the 40" current model Samsung LCDTV. It doesn't have the game mode and only has one HDMI input.

I am using it with a 5 meter VGA cable from my PB's DVI (with Apple adapter) and get a great picture when screen spanning.

I tried DVI to HDMI but you either get overscanning and lose your borders or a 1280x720 picture on a 1360x768 screen - leaving you with 37" screen with a black border. A problem for everyone no matter their TV I hear.

Inbuilt 3d Virtual sound is pretty good as well - I dont have a surround sound system yet.

Love it in glossy black, and am looking forward to getting the macthing Samsung HD960 upscaling DVD player out soon. Also looking hard at the also matching home theatre speaker system, the HT-AS610 or AS710 - but they seem to be delayed and I cannot find out how many optical and coax digital ausio inputs they have, or how many HDMI inputs they switch.

 

[~Shard~]

Earlier i was just referring to Plasmas and their burn in, LCoS and DLPs, or any RP TVs aside from the old projections are not susceptible to burn-in.

That's what I figured, just wanted to clarify - thanks.

As far as Toshiba and Panasonic using the same panels, i'm not sure how that can possibly be true, the color and orientation on both of them are totally different. Their appearance and deminsions are different, so I'm not sure that the panels can be exactly the same.

Kay, makes sense, it was just something I came across and found it odd, that's all.

As far as Panasonic being the only 9th generation plasma, i can't keep up man, there's no tellin how many revolutions or generations they've been on.

Fair enough, it's understandable! Next time I'm looking I'll try and get some model #s for you so you can look into exactly what I'm looking at.

As far as purchasing an HP... trust them about as far as you can throw them... its up to you though. I would purchase a big time TV from a big time TV name brand. That's just me though... "dude, you could just go get a Dell plasma..."

That was my initial thinking as well, but just thought I'd ask one of the experts...

Thanks again, and I'll be in touch. I hope to be making my purchase within the next month, but part of it will depend on my travel schedule with work...

 

[StokeLee]

Ive just pruchased a new HDTV. you can read about the spec here

Its a Samsung LE26R74BD. About 5 of my friends have got Samsung HDTV, they use them for their Xbox 360 mainly and they all love them. Ive gone for the model that one of my friends has, which is the latest one so i believe. Game mode, 8ms response time, a decent contrast ratio, and it looks quite nice too. Im going to look into using it a second screen on my iMac.

Ive just got to wait until monday for it to come, its been stuck at a couriers all weekend about 10 mile away and they wont let me collect

For everyones reference I found this link very useful
http://forums.xbox.com/408782/ShowPost.aspx

I know it may not work as its a xbox 360 forum, but the links on the post are really good.

 

[~Shard~]

Ive just pruchased a new HDTV. you can read about the spec here

Its a Samsung LE26R74BD. About 5 of my friends have got Samsung HDTV, they use them for their Xbox 360 mainly and they all love them. Ive gone for the model that one of my friends has, which is the latest one so i believe. Game mode, 8ms response time, a decent contrast ratio, and it looks quite nice too. Im going to look into using it a second screen on my iMac.

Ive just got to wait until monday for it to come, its been stuck at a couriers all weekend about 10 mile away and they wont let me collect

For everyones reference I found this link very useful
http://forums.xbox.com/408782/ShowPost.aspx

I know it may not work as its a xbox 360 forum, but the links on the post are really good.

I'm assuming being only a 26" screen, it can only do 720p? Regardless, nice looking set.

 

[StokeLee]

I'm assuming being only a 26" screen, it can only do 720p? Regardless, nice looking set.

Well, before i ordered it, i emailed Samsung because they dont show tehm specs in the specs, and they said it supported 720p, and 1080i. Not sure if they mean if something is 1080i they will cnvert it or something,, but i think it will


Also a side question, ive a g5 iMac, the one before the isight G5, what cable do i need to connect my iMac to the Samsung? The samsung has got a HDMI connector on it.

 

[~Shard~]

Well, before i ordered it, i emailed Samsung because they dont show tehm specs in the specs, and they said it supported 720p, and 1080i. Not sure if they mean if something is 1080i they will cnvert it or something,, but i think it will

"Supported" or "natively displayed"? They are two very different things. I have seen many sets which will accept 1080i or even 1080p inputs via HDMI, however they will only display the signal in line with the maximum resolution of the set, down converting the signal as necessary. I'm guessing your set can only display 720p and nothing higher, but I could be wrong.

 

[StokeLee]

"Supported" or "natively displayed"? They are two very different things. I have seen many sets which will accept 1080i or even 1080p inputs via HDMI, however they will only display the signal in line with the maximum resolution of the set, down converting the signal as necessary. I'm guessing your set can only display 720p and nothing higher, but I could be wrong.

Good point Shard, I think im going to email them back, 26" was as big as i could go for my bedroom, but a little more detailed information from them would be better. I wasnt that pleased with there response about the tuners in them.

 

[exeterbohemian]

in invested in a 40" sony xbr bravia KDL-V40XBR1 a few months back. simply put, it's a beautiful piece of technology. i have no complaints.

 

[balamw]

I have seen many sets which will accept 1080i

I believe that accepting and scaling down 1080i is a requirement for an display to be call itself an HDTV, even if the display's native resolution is closer to 1280x720, which is the lowest possible resolution for an HDTV.

1080p is a different matter since there is no current source of TV programming in 1080p, only game consoles and computers, so no support is required.

Personally, I'm looking at a 40" LCD to replace our 32" Sony CRT, A couple of the Samsungs I saw yesterday are quite appealing with their dual HDMI inputs and brightness. We already have a 27" Toshiba LCD/DVD.

B

 

[~Shard~]

Good point Shard, I think im going to email them back, 26" was as big as i could go for my bedroom, but a little more detailed information from them would be better. I wasnt that pleased with there response about the tuners in them.

Yeah, it never hurts to check. The TV industry (not that they're alone in this) is great for doublespeak and equivocating when it comes to specs and so forth. Not saying they're dishonest, but it's little things like putting "1080p compatible" in their advertising when what they mean is that the set can accept 1080p signals, not actually display them in 1080p - that sort of thing. As with anything else, you have to do your due diligence and know what you're getting.

I belive that accepting and scaling down 1080i is a requirement for an display to be call itself an HDTV, even if the display's native resolution is closer to 1280x720, which is the lowest possible resolution for an HDTV.

That could definitely be the case, makes sense.

1080p is a different matter since there is no current source of TV programming in 1080p, only game consoles and computers, so no support is required.

Yeah, exactly. That's why I'm not that picky about getting a 1080p set over a 1080i set. Sure, the former has greater longevity, but at what current cost? Especially since, as you say, nothing broadcasts in 1080p yet in the first place. I'm more intent on getting a set which can accept 1080p signals, even if it does down-convert it to 1080i. To me, there can't be that much of a visible difference between the two, and for me, 1080i will be good enough. I'd be quite happy with 1080i, and I'll have that ability to receive 1080p so that when the time comes, my TV won't be useless.

Personally, I'm looking at a 40" LCD to replace our 32" Sony CRT, A couple of the Samsungs I saw yesterday are quite appealing with their dual HDMI inputs and brightness. We already have a 27" Toshiba LCD/DVD.

Honest question - what would you need dual HDMI for? I assume this would be more of a future-proofing thing? What uses HDMI right now anyway? HD-DVD players will, some STBs I guess, Blu Ray will... yeah, okay, I guess that makes sense. I just don't see the situation right now where you would be plugging in more than 1 device which uses HDMI, but, as I described above regarding 1080p, it's always a good idea to think ahead and future-proof such a significant investment as a TV!

 

[balamw]

To me, there can't be that much of a visible difference between the two

Honest question - what would you need dual HDMI for? I assume this would be more of a future-proofing thing?

Google for 540i and 240i and you'll find various places which claim that 1080i is significantly inferior than 720p due to the interlacing. My 27" is strict 720p (1280x720) and the quality is truly superior to SD, and 1080p would also be far superior, but 1080i seems like a bit of a kludge.

Yeah, it's future proofing since the "industry" says that HDMI/HDCP will be necessary for most content, and there's no guarantee of an HDMI/HDCP passthrough on most devices I've seen. I don't want to end up with a $3000 HDTV that doesn't have multiple inputs like my CRT SDTV which has only 1 S-video input and 1 composite. Of course I have used my receiver as a switch, but that is too hard for the kids to manage. Also, my HD DirecTiVo already uses HDMI, so I'd need another input for any other device.

B

 

[~Shard~]

Google for 540i and 240i and you'll find various places which claim that 1080i is significantly inferior than 720p due to the interlacing. My 27" is strict 720p (1280x720) and the quality is truly superior to SD, and 1080p would also be far superior, but 1080i seems like a bit of a kludge.

Interesting, sounds like I'll have to do more research on the subject. Mind you, if I buy a TV which can do 1080i, it will be able to do 720p regardless, so maybe it's not that big of an issue...

Yeah, it's future proofing since the "industry" says that HDMI/HDCP will be necessary for most content, and there's no guarantee of an HDMI/HDCP passthrough on most devices I've seen. I don't want to end up with a $3000 HDTV that doesn't have multiple inputs like my CRT SDTV which has only 1 S-video input and 1 composite. Of course I have used my receiver as a switch, but that is too hard for the kids to manage. Also, my HD DirecTiVo already uses HDMI, so I'd need another input for any other device.

Yep, I figured as much. Like I said, with such a major investment like a TV where you're spending a few thousand dollars, you don't want to have to go out and buy a new one a couple years down the road.

 

[h0e0h]

HD Resolutions

1280x720 = 720p, best for sports... reason why ESPN/ABC ALWAYS broadcasts in 720p
1366x768 = 720p/1080i both displayed
1920x1080 = 1080p, and believe me, if you could go to your local store and see a 1080p broadcast like teh one we're playing in mine, you would be floored.

 

[asencif]

37 inch Westinghouse - 1080p/i

I am also in the market for a new HDTV and while I like the Samsung's picture quality over many of the other brands, there is the issue of future-proof. Now I was thinking how different or would it be not a good choice to get an LCD HDTV Monitor? The Westinghouse 37 inch HDTV seems like a good choice as it's native resolution is 1920 x 1080 and does accept 1080p/i. Now this LCD only has 1000:1 contrast ratio which is lower than the Samsungs, so it a sense the picture quality won't be the same, although the resolution is higher. What do you guys think?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...CategoryId=pcmcat31800050024&id=1140394400806

 

[h0e0h]

I am also in the market for a new HDTV and while I like the Samsung's picture quality over many of the other brands, there is the issue of future-proof. Now I was thinking how different or would it be not a good choice to get an LCD HDTV Monitor? The Westinghouse 37 inch HDTV seems like a good choice as it's native resolution is 1920 x 1080 and does accept 1080p/i. Now this LCD only has 1000:1 contrast ratio which is lower than the Samsungs, so it a sense the picture quality won't be the same, although the resolution is higher. What do you guys think?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...CategoryId=pcmcat31800050024&id=1140394400806

If you buy, buy based on resolution. Contrast ratios used to be a big hype, but now when you get a set into your home and properly calibrate it, you're going to turn the contrast ratio down significantly to sharpen the image, you won't need anything more than like 700:1.

besides, don't buy from Best Buy, http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4076904 ... i know that there's a "free dVd recorder option" but with the money you save on tax/shipping, you could buy an HD DVD Player.

 

[asencif]

If you buy, buy based on resolution. Contrast ratios used to be a big hype, but now when you get a set into your home and properly calibrate it, you're going to turn the contrast ratio down significantly to sharpen the image, you won't need anything more than like 700:1.

besides, don't buy from Best Buy, http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4076904 ... i know that there's a "free dVd recorder option" but with the money you save on tax/shipping, you could buy an HD DVD Player.

Thanks for the info. I'm just surprised much of the major brands are not up to the 1920 x 1080 resolution yet. So what is the overall opinion of Westinghouse LCD HDTV's? Any quality issues?

 

[ObsidianIce]

Thanks for the info. I'm just surprised much of the major brands are not up to the 1920 x 1080 resolution yet. So what is the overall opinion of Westinghouse LCD HDTV's? Any quality issues?

Westinghouse is supposed to be pretty good. It was one that i looked at for a while but untimately i went with a Mitsubishi 62 inch DLP because i just didn't want LCD. Matter of fact i have a second Mitsubishi DLP that i have for sale as well if anyone's interested (WD-62627). Overall though I would recommend the Westinghouse with no reservations. My friend Chris went one because he does a lot of PC gaming and uses the TV for that a lot. He loves it and has had no problems whatsoever. However we still do sports at my place, 1080p on 62 inches beat 1080p on 37 inches almost everytime lol.

 

[nooblet]

I was about to pull the trigger and buy a new samsung HL-S5687W. It's a 56" Widescreen DLP® HDTV with 1080p Resolution and a 10000:1 contrast ratio.

It's not in stores yet (that I can find), but should be arriving shortly.

Here's a link to Samsung's product page:

http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/DLPTV/HLS5687WXXAA.asp

Any thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks.


Note: I would look at Plasmas, but I live at almost 9,000' and plasmas apparently have some issues at that altitude (or so I've been told).

 

[StokeLee]

Woohoo, my Samsung Tv has come, its all set up, and my Xbox 360 looks FANTASTIC on it.

Now all i need to do is connect my iMac G5 to it. the only thing is that ive read so much im so confused about which cable to buy.

i looked at the belkin PureAV HDMI-to-DVI Video Cable, but im not sure about it. The DVI i presume is for the iMac video output, and the HDMI connection for my Samsung, but in the picture for the Belkin Cable the HDMI end looks far too big for the connection on my Samsung.

Is there a mini HDMI cable to DVI ( for my iMac) ????

Edit - I may have the connections the wrong way, with the DVI being the larger one. So it may be a Mini DVI to a HDMI cable i need

Edit again - or do i need a Apple Mini DVI to DVI Adapter, and then a DVI to HDMI cable? would that work?

 

[balamw]

or do i need a Apple Mini DVI to DVI Adapter, and then a DVI to HDMI cable? would that work?

That seems to be the path that most people take in going from a mini-DVI Mac to HDMI.

B

 

[h0e0h]

Woohoo, my Samsung Tv has come, its all set up, and my Xbox 360 looks FANTASTIC on it.

Now all i need to do is connect my iMac G5 to it. the only thing is that ive read so much im so confused about which cable to buy.

i looked at the belkin PureAV HDMI-to-DVI Video Cable, but im not sure about it. The DVI i presume is for the iMac video output, and the HDMI connection for my Samsung, but in the picture for the Belkin Cable the HDMI end looks far too big for the connection on my Samsung.

Is there a mini HDMI cable to DVI ( for my iMac) ????

Edit - I may have the connections the wrong way, with the DVI being the larger one. So it may be a Mini DVI to a HDMI cable i need

Edit again - or do i need a Apple Mini DVI to DVI Adapter, and then a DVI to HDMI cable? would that work?

You would probably get a little bet better signal if you got a cable (not adapters) with a DVI connection on one end and HDMI on the other, that way you only have to go from Mini-DVI to that cable, rather than go Mini-DVI to DVI to HDMI, like this http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4029130

**note, i am in no way backing/recommending buying Monster brand cables, they may be the best, but not $120 worth IMHO

 

[h0e0h]

man... i really feel like a frickin idiot having to ask for help in my own area of expertiese...

anyway... to set this up, I don't sell many Samsung TVs in my store, and what we do have are Plasmas, and we're on DirectTV up there, so I've never been through this before...

I just bought my fiance' a Samsung LN-S2641D for her apartment, and until she moves in this next week, I'm running it as a second monitor for my Powerbook. Any way, i'm setting it up and autoprogramming it and all and this damn thing doesn't pick up CBS in HD like my Sony did. Now, the web page claims to say that this TV has a built-in ATSC tuner, meaning that if HD programs are being transmitted over the air, or through cable, then it should pick it up, right... well in Monroe, CBS is 71.3 on Time Warner Cable on my KDF-E42A10 (sony) and it picks it up fine. The antenna chanel is actually 7-1, but i can't seem to program this ATSC set to pick it up... any flippin suggestions?