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Advice for a 1080p display

ojwk

ojwk

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 5, 2007
126
3
London
I'm looking to buy a plasma or LCD 1080p display for use with my Mac Pro and PS3 if I decide to get one.

High resolution is my only real priority, 100Hz would be nice but this feature doesn't seem to be widely available yet - and where it is, it comes at a price.

I'm not to bothered about the size, although bigger is probably better.

Samsung LE40M87BD seems like a bargain:

40"
LCD
1080p
15,000:1 contrast
3x HDMI v1.3

739.00 GBP

LG 37LF66 also seems like a good deal:

37"
LCD
1080p
5,000:1 contrast
2x HDMI

587.00 GBP

I prefer the design of the LG and at 152 quid cheaper it seems like the sensible option.

The LG is slightly less brighter and obviously a much lower contrast ratio. Should these factors swing me to the Samsung?

Perhaps there are some models I have failed to notice.

Naturally I would prefer to keep expenditure to a minimum although obviously I don't want to compromise on features. 587 does seem like a low price for such a good model though..
 
I think for the extra money, you get quite a lot (an extra 3", higher contrast, an extra HDMi port).

I'm looking for a 19" HD TV for my bedroom and Samsung is my choice.
 
Hmm.. it is a difficult decision. I'll read some more reviews about the two products and hopefully that will help me reach a conclusion.
 
i tests HDTV's every day (tester for sky satellite boxes)

we test
Samsung
LG
Hannspree
Hitachi
polaroid
sony
Goodmans
Phillps
Viewsonic
Acer
Sharp
benq
NEC


there just some i can remember sAmsung beats them in 1080p easy :)
 
I just got a Samsung LCD HDTV last week and so far it's been great.. It's got 3 HDMI ports which is nice.. Though for some odd reason when I connect the TV to the Verizon Fios STB through HDMI Cable I get a "no signal" message.. The DVD works fine in HDMI , and the TV works in component 1.. I must be doing something wrong because I thought I could use both the TV and DVD player in HDMI at the same time- as long as they both had HDMI cables, of course.. I'll play with it later..

Overall it's a great TV- you'd be happy with the Samsung if you go that route..
 
I have an LG 42" LCD 1080P (42LB5DF) in my bedroom and I really like the tv a great deal. I also have a 46" Toshiba DLP that I love and I feel that the LG keeps pace in every aspect, accept with fast-motion graphics (sports mainly), which is expected. I know the Samsungs are great too, but they were too expensive, especially over the LG, that I did not feel justified with spending the extra cash. I am very happy with my decision!
 
I've got that Samsung and it's a great telly.

One thing you have to remember is what you're going to watch on it - Freeview channels are nowhere near as good as DVD/ HD or (so I'm told - I haven't got it) Sky HD.

You can also get it a bit cheaper than that by having a careful look through HUKD.

There's also plenty of threads and info over at AVForums

In particular this one.

PM me if you want any more info on it :)
 
Samsungs are great TVs. Nothing wrong with the quality of LG either. I personally think that 40" is a great deal if you can it for that price. Just check out reviews and other forums for peoples opinions on the two. Either will be nice.
 
You might want to look at 720p depending on what you're using it for.
If you want it as a video watching display versus a work display, you need to be something like 6 inches from the display to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p at sizes less than 42 inches (I might be wrong, however)

Also, why not go for a monitor if this is to be used for a working display?
 
andcraig said:
You might want to look at 720p depending on what you're using it for.
If you want it as a video watching display versus a work display, you need to be something like 6 inches from the display to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p at sizes less than 42 inches
Click to expand...

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Berlind/?p=934
David Berlind, late of ZDNet, reinforces that. 720p is probably a very good option for you unless you want to sit only two or three feet away.
 
I thought about getting a monitor instead of a TV but couldn't really see the advantage.

The 30" ACD has a great 2560x1600 resolution but lacks HDMI input and I don't think it is HDCP enabled.

The only real contender would be the Gateway 30" display which isn't available in the UK and appears to be more expensive than that Samsung 40" 1080p display for example.

It seems to me that the only thing the 30" monitors have going for them is the 2560x1600 resolution. Considering you could get a 40" 1920x1080 TV for around 20% less doesn't really seem sensible to buy the 30" monitor.

Correct me if I'm wrong but the TV will probably handle the Playstation 3 and blu-ray playback better than the monitor anyway?
 
Apple 30" Cinema Display is SWOP certified for critical color work. That's important for professionals.

TVs are not even close in color consistency, but for just watching TV, it won't really make a difference.
 
colour

I have a mac mini plugged into my 40" bravia via dvi to hdmi

prepare for a shock if you want to control colours.

The hdmi connection, for some reason, changes the contrast / colour on the fly when large areas of white or black are on screen, which makes it absolutely useless for any type of design work (I am a designer)

The vga port only gives me 720p as the max rez, but has stable colour, IE it doesn't change the calibration in real time to suit the image on screen.

Great for movies, obviously - bad for any type of colour dependent based work.

Hell, I even have to get my pantone colour bridge book out to know what colour I'm gonna get... useless.

Actually thought about taking it back, as there's no way to turn the function off.
 
I have the samsung which i use with my ps3 and mbp and I love it - the 1080p looks amazing! The TV looks beautiful too - even when turned off. and it looks good with a ps3 as they are both glossy black.
 
The 40" Samsung certainly seems like the best option. Couple that with the PS3 and it should look great.

Thanks for all your help guys! Really helped make make the right decision. :)
 
I just got a Vizio 32 incher for my room. I was so surprised by this thing, it is amazing! I have a much larger sony in the other room, and this Vizio is even better. I have the Mini dvi to hdmi and movies (and halo) both look fantastic. Vizio has come a long way. My church just recently started to use them as well.
 
If it's a display for a desk then you're looking way, way too big. Why don't you look at getting a smaller display which is designed for computing rather than TV?
 
neiltc13 said:
If it's a display for a desk then you're looking way, way too big. Why don't you look at getting a smaller display which is designed for computing rather than TV?
Click to expand...

I've got a big wall to fill and a big desk to gaze over!
 
pioneer tv's beat anything hands down. try the 50" 1080P pioneer. I sell them more than any other tv. Additionally, we get the least amount of returns on them because they are so reliable. The upconversion on them is unbelievable. Most people will have a hard time telling that it is not even high definition.
 
jer446 said:
pioneer tv's beat anything hands down. try the 50" 1080P pioneer. I sell them more than any other tv. Additionally, we get the least amount of returns on them because they are so reliable. The upconversion on them is unbelievable. Most people will have a hard time telling that it is not even high definition.
Click to expand...

How much they cost? Where do you sell them?
________
Ferrari 212 Export specifications
 
Last edited:
McGiord said:
How much they cost? Where do you sell them?
Click to expand...

That is the only downside I forgot to mention. They are the best tv's on the market, but they are also the most expensive. The 42" if you go to bestbuy and get them before they sell out, are on sale for $1599. Normally $2000. The 50" is $1700-2500 and the i cannot recall the prices of the 1080p 50'' or the elites
 
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