HDTV 101

Roz

Roz

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Alright. Someone please (briefly) school me on HDTVs. I'm not looking to buy one anytime soon. I just want to be "in-the-know" for when I decide to, so I am arming myself with knowledge (know). Plus, if and when I'm ready to buy, I'm not looking to break the bank. I'm also looking for a 47"-53" screen. I'll mainly be using the TV for regular (cable/satelite) viewing, and DVD viewing. I'm not much of a gamer, but I have heard that a PS3 is an avenue to entertain when looking for a HD Player.

I see all types of terms and I don't know what they mean:
1) I do know that 1080p, is better than 720p. (What does this number reflect anyways?)
2) But what's the difference in plasma vs. LCD?
3) What does it mean when I manufactuer recognizes an "HZ" output/rating/?
4) I know what the screen aspect ratio is (16:9), but what is the "dynamic contrast ratio? ie: 2,000,000:1 vs 50,000:1
5) How do you obtain a truely digital signal? I've currently got Comcast standard cable, but I'm positive I'll need to upgrade once and HDTV is purchased.

I know I'm forgetting something. I'm really just looking for some advice, and some do's and don't associated with HDTV purchases.

Lastly, I think I've narrowed it down to a Samsung TV. My current TV (flatscreen, but not HD) is a Samsung, and I've got a friend who has a HD-Samsung and picture looks great. So I'm wanting to be brand loyal. However, I am open to entertaining other brands if there's an equally better TV out there for the price. To sum it all up, I'm looking for the best bang for buck - Kinda like our trucks! :D
 
I believe plasma produces more vivid colors(your banana will be yellower) and a wider viewing angle. The higher the contrast ratio, the sharper the image and the truer the colors will be.
Digital can be had with over the air broadcast, but you'll want to upgrade to HD reciever from the cable or satellite company.
Don't let the pissed off garden gnomes see the box for your new TV or they'll migrate from the bushes to the house.
 
Roz-SRT said:
Alright. Someone please (briefly) school me on HDTVs. I'm not looking to buy one anytime soon. I just want to be "in-the-know" for when I decide to, so I am arming myself with knowledge (know). Plus, if and when I'm ready to buy, I'm not looking to break the bank. I'm also looking for a 47"-53" screen. I'll mainly be using the TV for regular (cable/satelite) viewing, and DVD viewing. I'm not much of a gamer, but I have heard that a PS3 is an avenue to entertain when looking for a HD Player.

I see all types of terms and I don't know what they mean:
1) I do know that 1080p, is better than 720p. (What does this number reflect anyways?)
2) But what's the difference in plasma vs. LCD?
3) What does it mean when I manufactuer recognizes an "HZ" output/rating/?
4) I know what the screen aspect ratio is (16:9), but what is the "dynamic contrast ratio? ie: 2,000,000:1 vs 50,000:1
5) How do you obtain a truely digital signal? I've currently got Comcast standard cable, but I'm positive I'll need to upgrade once and HDTV is purchased.

I know I'm forgetting something. I'm really just looking for some advice, and some do's and don't associated with HDTV purchases.

Lastly, I think I've narrowed it down to a Samsung TV. My current TV (flatscreen, but not HD) is a Samsung, and I've got a friend who has a HD-Samsung and picture looks great. So I'm wanting to be brand loyal. However, I am open to entertaining other brands if there's an equally better TV out there for the price. To sum it all up, I'm looking for the best bang for buck - Kinda like our trucks! :D
Click to expand...

A PS3 is great for high definition playback, obviously for the Blu-ray playback. There's plenty more that it can do besides play video games too.

1. It represents the number of lines of horizontal resolution. More lines = higher resolution (= more detail possible in the video image). 1080p is the resolution standard for Blu-ray discs, btw.

2. The differences that matter are just in terms of video performance. How they do their thing isn't so much the story. I prefer plasma, but LCD is very close to plasma's performance (particularly contrast ratio, the spread between the blackest black and brightest white the screen can produce).

3. Hz typically is in reference to screen refresh rates. Screen response time is more important, IMHO. Fast response time prevents blurring during fast motion scenes.

4. See my response in #2.

5. Just wait. There won't be any analog signals broadcast in the near future. Not all will be HD, but they'll all be digital. I'd pay attention to which service provider offers the best selection in HD, fwiw.

Samsung is a fine choice. I have a 50" in one room. My main screen is a JVC DILA 3-chip 1080p rear projector. It's screen size and image quality per dollar can't be beaten, if you can afford a deeper-sized display.
 
there are so many choices now...go and actually look at the pictures and go from there. (i have a samsung 46" DLP and am very happy with it)
 
Roz
Just went thru this.... 1080p is true HD, 720p is HD but has half the res.
LCD is better if you have alot of windows as they don't reflect light. Plasma will shine a reflection like a mirror if a bright light is near.
After checking with comcast, ( and this could change) as well as Charter they will not broadcast in true 1080p for a few years yet. I went with a LG because it upgrades regular TV broadcast to 720p HD ( sumilated) and had a built in DVR. The refresh rate on LCDs have been increased so motion blur is no longer an issue.
Also you will need a HD cable box to receive a HD signal from cable.
Hope this helps
 
Roz-SRT said:
1) I do know that 1080p, is better than 720p. (What does this number reflect anyways?)
2) But what's the difference in plasma vs. LCD?
3) What does it mean when I manufactuer recognizes an "HZ" output/rating/?
4) I know what the screen aspect ratio is (16:9), but what is the "dynamic contrast ratio? ie: 2,000,000:1 vs 50,000:1
5) How do you obtain a truely digital signal? I've currently got Comcast standard cable, but I'm positive I'll need to upgrade once and HDTV is purchased.

:D
Click to expand...

1. 1080p means 1080 lines of resolution (horizontal lines) similar to a computer monitor that displays 1024x7684, the 2nd number is horizontal lines.
1080p means the tv draws all 1080 lines in one sweep, 60 times a second. 1080i means the tv draws every other line, then fills in the rest on a 2nd sweep. since it takes 2 sweeps to draw the whole picture, you get 30 per second instead of 60. The difference is only noticeable if you hook your PC up to the tv and look at horizontal lines. They will flicker badly on a 1080i display.

2. plasma and lcd are 2 different technologies. There is also DLP. LCD is what your laptop has in it. They have an excellent picture and last pretty much forever. Plasma is pretty good as well. They used to have a very short life but I think they are better these days. DLP displays the picture on a tiny chip the size of a dime and uses a projector to pop it up on the screen. The image is usually very good, but the viewing angle is not as good as LCD or plasma.

3. No clue. :dontknow:

4. contrast ratio is the difference between the blackest black and the whitest white. The higher the ratio, the better. a lower ratio will give you a weak gray instead of true black.

5. cable, satellite, etc. There is no such thing as HDTV over the air that I am aware of. there is digital over the air, but it looks about as good as youtube on low quality.
 
Get a DLP! I'll put my Mitsubishi up against most LCD's at 1080p!

You get twice the size for the price and DLP isn't big..........It wont hang on your wall but it takes up as much room as a LCD if its on a stand!

73" 1080P DLP for 2100$ try that with a LCD/PLASMA...........
 
This my next TV....

http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?g=147350&i=30561A750&tp=162

It has all the bells and whistles....1080p 1.3 HDTV fast refresh rate including LED illumination which they say rivals the clarity of plasma.... without all the self destructive heat of a plasma.

As mentioned 1080p is what everyone's building these days. But broadcasters won't be up to speed for a few years yet... They are broadcasting almost exclusively in 720p.... Even the Discovery Channel, I believe.

I had the earlier version of this set at my desert house...... The price is unbeatable and the set does rawk....

Good luck...

D
 
Last edited:
AWDisuzu said:
There is no such thing as HDTV over the air that I am aware of. there is digital over the air, but it looks about as good as youtube on low quality.
Click to expand...

WTF are you talking about?

We have multiple HDTV channels in the Seattle area OTA (over the air), and digital non-HD OTA broadcasts easily rival DVD for picture quality (mostly because it is uncompressed). The first super bowl I saw in HD was with an antenna rigged up in the back yard.;)

Not sure what it was you thought you saw, but it wasn't working properly.:dontknow:
 
What the guy that did all of the A/V in my house told me is that no cable company truly has HD. The cable itself doesn't support that level of picture. Right now satellite gives you the most truly HD channels. Some areas broadcast in HD over the air, some do not. Whether you go with cable or satellite you will need to get their HD box. You will also need a HDMI setup, box and cables to get the most out of it.

If you ever intend to play games don't buy a plasma. If you have a game on the screen for a long time or always play the same one parts of the picture will burn into the screen. I've seen it happen. Usually the score boxes etc. This isn't a problem with LCD's. In the living room I have a big cabinet that houses the TV so I went with a 70" DLP since it wasn't going to be on the wall. I'd put the picture quality up against a similar sized plasma and it was a lot cheaper. I was going to do a cabinet anyway. In my bedroom I did the LCD so it could be mounted on the wall.

PS3 is cool because it will play BluRay and games. BluRay picture is great but the sound quality is even better.... you need a good sound system too!! This also plugs into HDMI.
 
When you say HD DVD, I hope you mean Blu-Ray, this is the only way to go, HD DVD is dead. The problem with LCDs and DLPs is that when there is fast action, you get stuttering. As in the video in the above post, but not as bad. Even if you go with the 120hz(higher the better) TV you WILL get that in a large screen. The screen you are getting(47-53) you will not see it as much. Again DO NOT buy a plasma if you are going to play games.

720p is almost the same as 1080i.
 
Jeff Kehoe said:
When you say HD DVD, I hope you mean Blu-Ray, this is the only way to go, HD DVD is dead. The problem with LCDs and DLPs is that when there is fast action, you get stuttering. As in the video in the above post, but not as bad. Even if you go with the 120hz(higher the better) TV you WILL get that in a large screen. The screen you are getting(47-53) you will not see it as much. Again DO NOT buy a plasma if you are going to play games.

720p is almost the same as 1080i.
Click to expand...



The visual degradation seen in fast motion scenes is most often due to signal compression imposed by the content broadcaster (cable or satellite company) which induces visual artifacts. Broadcasters do this to share the bandwidth with more channels and/or data content, and not all channels are compressed as much as others. Most displays have fast enough refresh rates that you have to look closely to see it, unless the display is an entry-level unit. The quality displays, regardless of type, don't have issues with this to the extent that you can see it.

Cheap DLP projectors used to have an issue with fast motion scenes not due to their refresh rates, but to strobe effects resulting from the spinning color wheel used in single-chip designs. Later DLP machines increased the number of color segments, or went to 3-chip designs that didn't need a color wheel (separate chips for red, blue, and green).

720p is quite different than 1080i. 720p is actually better than 1080i, IMHO. The artifacts that are introduced by an interlaced picture (as the "i" signifies) are often not worth the increase in lines of horizontal resolution. The progressive picture at a lower resolution will be rendered more naturally, and film-like. Less capable displays show a fair amount of "noise" with interlaced signals, which really degrades the image.
 
Just bought my Samsung 52 inch LCD from Sears. Its the best unit they sell. Sears will even give you 10% off when you sign up for their card...........then you can get 12 months of interest free credit. I have watched about 15 blu-ray movies this past month via netflix............totally awesome!!!

patrick
 
Jimmy listen to Eric on this ( RamfromHell ) he does this stuff for a living and he won't stear you wrong :D The man knows his Shit....trust me I worked for him :congrats:
 
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