HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

[FISH]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answer Thread

whats the difference between the 30 second skip and the swap?

I believe swap takes you back to the last channel you were watching.

[RockyTop1]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answer Thread

I believe swap takes you back to the last channel you were watching.

hmm, there's already a button for that.

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answer Thread

hmm, there's already a button for that.

Swap switches the tuners. Their DVR's have 2 tuners. It doesn't give you PIP, but you have have 2 things recording at the same time, swap back to the other one, rewind it and see what you missed. I do it with football all the time, I'll have both games on seperate tuners. Switch back and forth, if I missed something, I rewind the one to see what it was.

[FISH]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answer Thread

Mine is a single tuner and that's what it does, who knows I may have programmed it that way but I doubt it.

[jpup]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answer Thread

I went out and looked at some more TVs tonight and have been searching the internet for the best prices on them. I found a site that has some amazing prices but I don't know anything about them. Has anyone purchased from this site?

http://www.electrodiscounts.com/index.htm

Here is the TV that I am considering, Sony KDFE42A10:

http://fatwallet.pricegrabber.com/search_techspecs_full.php/masterid=10471308

I looked at it at HH Gregg today and it was 1899.99. I found it at the site mentioned above for 1382.95. I just don't know if I can trust that site though. I would also get a extended warranty in case the bulb needs replacing. I measured my current TV stand and this TV should fit on it perfectly.

How are LCDs for gaming? Is ghosting a problem? I am seriously considering this TV and would like to pick one up in the next few weeks.

I also looked at the Sony KDP51WS655:

http://fatwallet.pricegrabber.com/search_techspecs_full.php/masterid=4741279

I was kind of worried about the CRT after the guy at HH Gregg told me about the bulbs and the problems you could have with them. I also think the 51" might take up too much room in my smallish apartment.

Any ideas on how to get this 42" LCD for a little less? I have read about people buying in store for less than $1500. I just don't know where they bought it.

[bigfnjoe96]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answer Thread

I went out and looked at some more TVs tonight and have been searching the internet for the best prices on them. I found a site that has some amazing prices but I don't know anything about them. Has anyone purchased from this site?

http://www.electrodiscounts.com/index.htm

Here is the TV that I am considering, Sony KDFE42A10:

http://fatwallet.pricegrabber.com/search_techspecs_full.php/masterid=10471308

I looked at it at HH Gregg today and it was 1899.99. I found it at the site mentioned above for 1382.95. I just don't know if I can trust that site though. I would also get a extended warranty in case the bulb needs replacing. I measured my current TV stand and this TV should fit on it perfectly.

How are LCDs for gaming? Is ghosting a problem? I am seriously considering this TV and would like to pick one up in the next few weeks.

I also looked at the Sony KDP51WS655:

http://fatwallet.pricegrabber.com/search_techspecs_full.php/masterid=4741279

I was kind of worried about the CRT after the guy at HH Gregg told me about the bulbs and the problems you could have with them. I also think the 51" might take up too much room in my smallish apartment.

Any ideas on how to get this 42" LCD for a little less? I have read about people buying in store for less than $1500. I just don't know where they bought it.

jpup, If your gonna go 42' LCD that Sony A-10 is the best on the market right now. In reference to CRT, if it's DLP or LCD you will have to replace the bulb. It depends on how many hours you log in daily. I believe LCD can go as much as 5 years without needing a replacement bulb. DLP might be 3 years. RPTV no-issue in reference to bulb life. Burn-In can be an issue, but newer versions handle this issue much better than older versions.

There are a couple of things RPTV have over the other technologies:

Deeper Black Levels
When calibrated by a ISF Tech, has the best picture of all the technologies.

If your gonna go RPTV I suggest HITACHI, PANASONIC, MITSUBISHI, SONY in that order. Again I suggest you use www.uecweb.com if your gonna go RPTV. They are a AUTHORIZED HITACHI RE-SELLER. Don't be scared away by the sets being re-furb. All their sets are re-furb by HITACHI themselves to HITACHI Standards.

Good Luck with your purchase jpup

[JohnnytheSkin]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answer Thread

I figured I would pop on here and discuss the Digital Video Essentials DVD that I received.

I have a 50" Samsung DLP and must say that the DVE disc makes the picture quality go through the roof! The disc is very imformative and easy to use, with the exception of contrast. I still don't know what I should set it at. I don't see the "blooming" as the disc describes, but do know that the lines on the grayscale were getting fatter. Another surprise was just how much artificial sharpening the set does...I have it set at zero and the picture is much improved on all channels, even SD. I unfortunately found that my green is a bit off (using the provided color filters) but that's not too big a deal (certainly not worth the $400 to have it fixed professionally). I would definately recommend picking this disc up, as a few on here have been hedging as I was.

One little note for gaming. You will want the sharpness up to at least half on your gaming inputs. I was playing Madden and the numbers were all muddy without the sharpness up, but moving it to 50 made it perfect. Much improvement all around.

Another thing about the disc is that it works best if you switch your inputs. I have my DVD player attached via HDMI and the settings found there were awful for my component connection DVR. I simply switched the output of the DVD player to component, calibrated accordingly, and now the DVR looks great (as do movies). Well recommended!

And if anyone can help with the contrast discussion, I would appreciate any comments or assistance. Thanks!

[mjb2124]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answer Thread

Johnny - Thanks a lot for the impressions. Looks like I'll be ordering the DVE DVD.

On your Samsung, do you have DNIe set to "on"? A lot of people claim it should be set to "off" because it digitally enhances the picture. However, I think it looks better with it on.

[JohnnytheSkin]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answer Thread

Johnny - Thanks a lot for the impressions. Looks like I'll be ordering the DVE DVD.

On your Samsung, do you have DNIe set to "on"? A lot of people claim it should be set to "off" because it digitally enhances the picture. However, I think it looks better with it on.

On the new HL-R5067W model (which I have) there isn't an option to turn it off, pissing several members of avsforum off. The only option I have is "DNIe Demo On/Off". I don't really have a problem with it, but I did turn the Digital Noise Reduction off for all my inputs. I'm surprised by the SD though. While at first glance it looks blurrier and fuzzier, when watching it the picture is actually quite natural w/ well defined edges, etc...quite the improvment actually. Of course nothing compares to football on HD, but I digress.

[The GIGGAS]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answer Thread

Hey guys, I'm just wondering. I'm going to ask for a HDTV for X-mas (not expecting it, obviously) and I wasn't quite sure what to look for. I was looking at Amazon.com, and there are so many choices that it makes my head spin. All I want is something that can utilize 720p (which is the best that anyone can use right now... right?) and won't crap out on me in like 2 years.

I don't understand this DLP or CRT or LCD or which is better.

[JohnnytheSkin]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answer Thread

Hey guys, I'm just wondering. I'm going to ask for a HDTV for X-mas (not expecting it, obviously) and I wasn't quite sure what to look for. I was looking at Amazon.com, and there are so many choices that it makes my head spin. All I want is something that can utilize 720p (which is the best that anyone can use right now... right?) and won't crap out on me in like 2 years.

I don't understand this DLP or CRT or LCD or which is better.

First off, the newest of the new DLP and LCD sets offer 1080p resolution. This is the resolution hyped by Sony for the PS3, but as of now (and for the foreseeable future), no TV programming is broadcast in 1080p. However, the sets will scale the 1080i HD signal (used by CBS, NBC, and TNT) to the progressive signal. The news according to several techie sites is that the difference between 720p and 1080p is not noticeable beyond 10' viewing distance (and remember that ESPN, ABC, and FOX output their HD broadcasts in 720p). The decision there is up to you, but know that 1080p broadcasts probably won't happen for several years. As for the HD DVD/Blu Ray, current HDMI/DVI cables do not put out a 1080p signal. And of course the new DVD players will output 720p/1080i.

As for the DLP/LCD/CRT debate, here is what I know (I currently have a Samsung HL-R5067W 50" 720p DLP).

CRT:
These TV's have the best image quality and the best blacks of all the TV's on the market. The tube based ones are heavy as hell (a 32" will weigh near 120lbs) and the size is limited (only about 36" for widescreen varieties, which you need). The projection based ones can give you a lot of size and good picture quality for a very reasonable price. The price on the rear projection CRT's have been falling considerably for the last couple years. They are subject to "burn in", which you find out about in your videogame manuals and online. If you calibrate your TV's picture to lower the brightness and contrast (which you should using the Avia or Digital Video Essentials disc) this won't be a problem. In fact, simple calibration like that will improve your image quality as well. Not to mention that burn in isn't a problem for the average consumer, unless you like to leave Madden paused for hours at a time. Simple rule would be to turn off the TV when you leave the room, and hopefully your cable/satellite box has a screen saver.

LCD:
The small monitors are very limited in size right now, but you can get the large projection LCD's for about the same price as DLP's (50" for about $2500 give or take). The black levels are the weakest of the three, though they are improving in this area. Some users complain of "motion blur" as LCD's are not as good as producing fluid motion when compared to CRT's and DLP's. The other major complaint is the "screen door" effect, which some people can see. This is caused by the individual pixels having a border, which when viewed can give the perception of a screen door. This shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't sit with your nose to the screen. No burn in issues as well.

DLP:
These are the current "darlings" in the TV market. The black level and contrast are better than LCD's (though not close to CRT's), and they produce a very good picture overall. The only major issue here is the "rainbow effect". I have personally seen these on my set at home, though never in the store. Since DLP TV's use a high RPM color wheel, on high contrast scenes (think movie credits), if you scan your eyes back and forth you will see a slight rainbow flash. This is from the color wheel spinning. I've noticed it the most when in a darkened room, looking away from the set and back (and of course during credits). I've found that you have to look for them, but some apparently see them right out of the box. Good luck seeing them in store, as the flourescent lighting and TV brightness are very high. Again, calibration will help, since most presets have very high brightness and contrast levels. Another fix is to lower sharpness, which produces a smoother and more accurate line transition.

The only other thing I can add is that DLP's (and I think LCD's) have bulbs that will need to periodically be replaced. They cost around $300, and are covered with store warranties (and the manufacturers one year warranty). My TV looks like it won't be a problem to manually replace. A bulb will last for 1500 - 3000 hours though, so it's not an annual problem unless you watch TV all the damn time.

Something else to think about is your home theater setup. Most people have their center channel speaker on top of the set, but with the new DLP and LCD TV's, the top is narrow and you either have to mount it on a wall, place it on a shelf above the TV, or below on your stand. I haven't noticed much of a difference in sound quality, but it might be a deal breaker. Good luck, and I hope this helps.

[The GIGGAS]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answer Thread

Thanks so much, Johnny... so much **** to think about. I currently have my center channel on top of my cabinet that holds my TV. I think it's a 37" Wega normal, got it about 4-5 years ago. It's great, it's just not HD.

So what you're saying is that 1080p is closer than people think it is? I remember watching a football game at Best Buy and it looked like I was there... that's all I really want. I'm guessing it was in 720p. Are you saying I should get a CRT or a DLP?

The Xbxo 360 will produce a 720p signal, right? And those cords are with the premium package?

[JohnnytheSkin]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answer Thread

Thanks so much, Johnny... so much **** to think about. I currently have my center channel on top of my cabinet that holds my TV. I think it's a 37" Wega normal, got it about 4-5 years ago. It's great, it's just not HD.

So what you're saying is that 1080p is closer than people think it is? I remember watching a football game at Best Buy and it looked like I was there... that's all I really want. I'm guessing it was in 720p. Are you saying I should get a CRT or a DLP?

The Xbxo 360 will produce a 720p signal, right? And those cords are with the premium package?

The signal in store was probably in 1080i, since some HD sets don't offer 720p resolution (my old 32" Panasonic Tau was like this). The sets will still play 720p TV broadcasts, they just scale them accordingly.

For the 1080p discussion, I was merely saying that Sony is hyping it with the PS3. I highly doubt you'll see any network broadcast in 1080p for at least five to ten years, if ever (look at how long the conversion to digital from analog broadcasts is taking). The only reason to buy a set that's 1080p compatible is to make the 1080i signals output in progressive format (Wikipedia and other sites have good interlacing vs. progressive articles). Right now a set that puts out 720p native (like the mass market DLP's and LCD's) is probably your best bet. All Xbox 360 games will output 720p, and I imagine that 720p/1080i will be the native PS3 resolutions as well. I'm not so sure about HD DVD and Blu Ray movies, but since a format war is coming with the release of those next gen DVD formats, I wouldn't worry about that until a winner emerges. Plus your PS3 will play Blu Ray movies anyway, if you want to be an early adopter and not drop $1000 on a new player.

As for the set making it look like you are there...pretty much all HD programming has that effect. You can't even describe in words how much better it looks when compared to SD. I think early in this thread there is a link to some pictures of HD programming on the various networks.

As for a recommendation, it's all dependent on your price range. If you have two grand, go for a 40" to 50" LCD or DLP (I recommend DLP but look at the sets first to see if you see "rainbows" or the "screen door effect"). For smaller size or less money, go CRT (Samsung puts out some very reasonably priced Dynaflat sets that output all three major resolutions, 480p/720p/1080i). Just make sure you buy a 16:9 aspect ratio set, and ensure that it has at least two HD component inputs, and preferably DVI or HDMI. And check the component inputs, as some TV's have one that only puts out 480p, with the other outputting true HD (720p/1080i). Good luck!

[The GIGGAS]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answer Thread

Thanks so much Johnny. You've been a Godsend.

1 more question, actually: Johnny, is this a good TV to start with?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...onics&v=glance

[JohnnytheSkin]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answer Thread

Thanks so much Johnny. You've been a Godsend.

1 more question, actually: Johnny, is this a good TV to start with?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...onics&v=glance

That looks like a good buy but I would check over at avsforum.com and see what the comments on it are (you can search as the forum there has many "Owners of such and such model" threads). The only potential problem I see would be the low contrast level (only 800:1 versus 1500:1 and up on other sets) but that's a problem of LCD's (low black levels). The two HDMI inputs are a great deal, since most TV's only have one, and splitters are damn expensive right now. What kind of room are you going to have it in? For that price you could probably upgrade to a larger set once the early Christmas discounts start coming in. My 50" is perfect (if not a little big) for my wife and I, but we live in an apartment so our largest room is only like 18' x 20'.