HDTV

[Thoth 0]

OLED's are probably the future of things. Apple uses LED displays in some of their laptops, and OLED is an improvement on LED's.

[Ripper 0]

Might be, but sony is bleeding money profusely. And while theyused to just put the PS2 in with their consumer electronics portion of the company to try and pretend they were making a profit, the PS3 not going over the way they needed is killing them even more. Thats why they are rushing the OLED's out now. They are hoping that the japanese jump all over them because they are new.

 

Seroiusly, LCD tvs are getting cheaper and cheaper to make and at larger sizes. You are looking at a good 10 years of lasting power for them. After they kill plasma dead.

[Vampiro69 0]

I recently saw an ad on TV advertising HDNA. Anyone know what that is?

[MrRant 0]

Sony marketing gimmick. Just saying HD is in their DNA.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

SEDs ("Surface-conduction Electron emitter Display") will be bigger if they ever get to making them, as the provide picture quality of a CRT (cant get any better than CRT for brightness and contrast) with the size savings of Flat Panels. But the couple of companies that have the market on making them keep delaying product launches, and I figure they'll never see the light of day.

 

Mitsubishi supposedly putting out HDTVs that use colored lasers to project the image but I havent heard anything new in a while. This was from LAST october:

 

A new TV display technology claims to be twice as good as LCD and plasma at half the price, and uses one quarter of the electricity.

 

Australia’s Arasor International and Novalux, its U.S. partner, claimed in Sydney last week that its new laser display technology will render current large-screen technologies obsolete and bring the costs of big displays to less than $1,000.

 

Arasor, the manufacturing company, builds the optoelectronic chip central to the laser projection device developed by Silicon Valley-based Novalux. Several consumer electronics manufacturers are expected to use the technology in their branded TV sets.

 

Some reports said when displayed beside a conventional 50in plasma TV, a Mitsubishi-built prototype with the new laser technology appeared brighter and clearer.

 

Novalux chief executive Jean-Michel Pelaprat announced a worldwide launch of the laser displays for Christmas 2007 under brands that will include Mitsubishi and Samsung. With that launch, he predicted the demise of plasma technology.

 

If you look at any screen today, the color content is roughly about 30 to 35 percent of what the eye can see, Pelaprat explained. For the first time, users will be able to see 90 percent of what the eye can see with a laser TV. What you see is a lifelike image on display. The new laser TV technology combines that with energy efficiency, price advantage and the fact that the laser TVs will be half the weight and depth of plasma TVs.

 

LCD TVs, Pelaprat predicted, will dominate the market of screens smaller than 40in, while laser technology will eventually displace larger plasma and LCD products.

 

The optoelectronic chip-laser technology won’t be confined to TV displays, he said. The technology is also being tested in home theaters, commercial cinemas and in mobile phones, where it will be used to project images onto external surfaces.

 

apparently the newest news from AVS Forums is..next year.

 

 

[The Man in Blak 0]

We're in the process of moving to a new house and I'm trying to pick up a new HD-capable TV on the cheap (~$500) to use in the basement. Gaming would probably be the primary function for the TV. I stumbled upon a 27" Samsung CRT on Best Buy that looked fairly decent - does anybody have any experiences with this model/manufacturer or have any recommendations?

[Guest Vitamin X]

The one thing that sucks about that TV is the 4:3 aspect ratio. You could get a similarly priced 16:9 LCD with the same size, as well.

 

LCDs are as cheap now as they're ever going to be, so I would get one while I still can. I don't bother with CRT's bigger than 20" anymore.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Okay, with that in mind, would something like this Olevia 26" LCD be the way to go? It's got the 16:9 aspect, and it looks like it comes with an HDMI cable. How would it work in a basement, though - aren't LCDs recommended for well-lit rooms?

[Thoth 0]

I picked up a Philips 32" LCD at Best Buy for $699. It's on sale in their ad. I'm pretty happy with it so far.

[Craig Th 0]

We're in the process of moving to a new house and I'm trying to pick up a new HD-capable TV on the cheap (~$500) to use in the basement. Gaming would probably be the primary function for the TV. I stumbled upon a 27" Samsung CRT on Best Buy that looked fairly decent - does anybody have any experiences with this model/manufacturer or have any recommendations?

CRT's are GREAT HDTVs. I have one (so does Marv) and we both love ours.

 

Mine only cost me $700, so I'm happy.

[Jaxxson Mayhem 0]

Okay, with that in mind, would something like this Olevia 26" LCD be the way to go? It's got the 16:9 aspect, and it looks like it comes with an HDMI cable. How would it work in a basement, though - aren't LCDs recommended for well-lit rooms?

 

 

You can get a 32" for the same price at Circuit City.

[NoCalMike 0]

I have an HD CRT as well. A 46" Toshiba. Love it.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Okay, with that in mind, would something like this Olevia 26" LCD be the way to go? It's got the 16:9 aspect, and it looks like it comes with an HDMI cable. How would it work in a basement, though - aren't LCDs recommended for well-lit rooms?

 

Not necessarily. It's kind of got that stigma, as the opposite is true: Plasma is NOT recommended for a well-lit room. LCD will be fine in a dark room. That's pretty sweet that it comes with an HDMI cable.

 

NoCal, did you say a 46 CRT? It must be rear projection.

[Ripper 0]

I paid 400 bucks for my 32 inch CRT.

 

You should look on craigs list for HD capable CRT's. People are giving them away(not literally, but, you know) because of the whole FLAT craze, so you can get a good deal there.

 

And yeah, he has to be talking about a rear projection. I don't even think tube TV's come that big.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

I looked pretty hard at a 30 inch HD CRT before settling on the LCD that I went with. The tube was pretty close to half of what I paid for it.

[NoCalMike 0]

Yes it is rear projection. I don't have the Dish Network HD box, but I do have an upconvert DVD player(in which I use an HDMI connection), and DVDs look amazing.

 

Sure, it's picture quality might not rank up there with an LCD or Plasma, but for the size and the money I paid for it(and the fact that it came with the upconversion DVD player for free) I am very happy to hold on to it, until the day comes when I am in the financial situation where I can comfortably go out and pay the kind of money it would take to purchase an "ideal" HD TV without having to put it on a credit card.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Sure, it's picture quality might not rank up there with an LCD or Plasma, but for the size and the money I paid for it(and the fact that it came with the upconversion DVD player for free) I am very happy to hold on to it, until the day comes when I am in the financial situation where I can comfortably go out and pay the kind of money it would take to purchase an "ideal" HD TV without having to put it on a credit card.

 

Required reading for anyone buying a new TV. Glad you like it.

[skullman80 0]

I ended up going with this model...

 

http://www.vizio.com/products/detail.aspx?pid=35

 

Very happy with it so far, still needs calibrated, but I did some minor tweaking and all looks very very nice.

[Dandy 0]

Okay, videophiles, help me out here...

 

I am currently mulling over switching to DirecTV from Comcast. For the same price, I can get more channels, more HDTV channels, and will be able to have tons more channels in other rooms than my living room. Before I make the switch, I am looking over my entire situation. Feel free to chime in if you can help me out.

 

Current cable plan:

 

Comcast (just took over for Adelphia in the area and have not changed much at all) Digital Cable; roughly 125 channels including 10 HBO channels; DVR built into the digital box; OnDemand that works about 50% of the time, and the only thing I watch on there is HBO movies; big screen in living room has the cable box, 3 bedrooms have basic cable. By having cable internet (had to switch from DSL about 5 years ago when I moved 3 blocks into this apartment becasue DSL apparently wasn't available in this building???) combined with the digital cable, I get a discount of like $10 a month on my internet. If I drop the cable, the cost of my internet goes up.

 

Considering switching to:

 

DirecTV Premier Plan including sports channels, HBO, Starz, Showtime, etc.; HD DVR box ($199); HD channels.

 

Current TV specs:

 

Panasonic Cinemavision 53" rear projection 1080i widescreen HD ready TV; 2 component connections is the best option.

 

 

I am probably going to be moving within a year's time into my first house. I don't want to purchase a new TV until I see what my house is going to be like and what the set-up will be. I am not happy with Comcast's service for the price I am paying, and I want to add the HD channels. DirecTV has many more HD channels than Comcast, but the sheer increase of channels over Comcast would make it worth it as is. Also, I can have up to four boxes installed for free, so the channels that are in the bedrooms would be loads better. However, is my current TV going to be adequate for the HD channels? I would prefer having a TV with HDMI connections, but like I said, I'm not looking to a get a new TV until after I move into my house. I also have no idea if there will be a large cost involved with having DirecTV re-installed after I move.

 

Should I get the HD package and shell out the $200 for the HD DVR? Should I make the switch to DirecTV but wait to upgrade my plan after I get a better HD TV? Should I suffer through until after I move and then make the switch to DirecTV?

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

I'm looking at picking up an HDTV and I'm wondering what specs I want to look for for it to be best for gaming with a 360 and a PS3.

 

 

Before we get too deep, did you have a specific type of TV in mind? CRT or flat panel? Those can both have there pros and cons for gaming as well.

 

Things to consider:

Contrast ratio It's a little more complex than the explanation I'll give, but the number on the left half of the ratio means how many colours can be reproduced accurately. It's typically going to be lower on LCD, usually in the neighbourhood of 1500 or 2000:1, although Samsung's LNT series has offered as high as 15000:1, which is unreal for LCD, and would even be pretty good for a plasma.

 

Inputs To be played in HD, you'll need at least component cables connected. A better option is HDMI. Component is a red, green, and blue for video and red and white for audio. It's the minimum standard for HD. HDMI is of better quality (although I didn't honestly notice much change on my TV, outside of a little stability on, say, on-screen text) and it's also a much cleaner connection, with one 30-pin cable as opposed to five. I don't honestly know what the PS3 offers as far as connections, but those are what you'll need for HD.

 

I once told a customer I could tell them the specs on every TV we sold all day, but it ultimately came down to which they thought looked the best and best fit their budget. I'd say (after answering my first question) to pick out a few that you like, in a few different stores, and mull it over.

[NoCalMike 0]

PS3 offers Component and HDMI. (I am assuming it also has the red/white/yellow option as well, but I am not absolutely sure)

 

However, from what I have heard, it is only 1080p compatible. If you have a 1080i HDTV then it will down-convert to 720p.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

PS3 offers Component and HDMI. (I am assuming it also has the red/white/yellow option as well, but I am not absolutely sure)

 

However, from what I have heard, it is only 1080p compatible. If you have a 1080i HDTV then it will down-convert to 720p.

 

No..if you have a 1080i tv (CRT and some plasmas) then it wouldnt downconvert to 720p because your tv cant do 720p, hence why its a 1080i tv..duh

[Thoth 0]

I'm pretty sure the PS3 can do 1080i; it was added in a firmware update. Someone who owns one would know better than me.

[MrRant 0]

PS3 offers Component and HDMI. (I am assuming it also has the red/white/yellow option as well, but I am not absolutely sure)

 

However, from what I have heard, it is only 1080p compatible. If you have a 1080i HDTV then it will down-convert to 720p.

 

No..if you have a 1080i tv (CRT and some plasmas) then it wouldnt downconvert to 720p because your tv cant do 720p, hence why its a 1080i tv..duh

 

Quite a few TVs that do 1080i can do 720P. Duh.

 

Whether that is the set's native resolution is the question.

[Thoth 0]

My TV is 720p, but it can take 1080i signals. I think it then converts them to 720p.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

CRTs only do 1080i, anything 720p or 1080p scales up/down to 1080i.

[Dandy 0]

I was under the impression that 1080i is equal to 540p, which is why it could not do 720p. I am nowhere near an expert on this, however.

 

Also, no one has given an opinion on my upcoming decision. Any help? Just found out today that my neighbor is going to pay a portion of my satellite bill to have a box in his house (already set up for the service from before) which is making me lean even further toward getting DirecTV. The question still remains on whether or not I should get the HD service or wait.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

1 - 1080i means 540 lines in the 1080 field alternate.

2 - technically you aren't allowed to do what you want to do with Directv.

3 - Directv's HD channels are nearing the most for any provider (Dish Network still has them beat until Wednesday with their Voom channels) all of the new HD channels are in MPEG 4 and not in HD-Lite which means that they are absolutely stunning PQ, best two so far are MHD and the Smithsonian Channel. Eventually the MPEG2 channels will go MPEG4 and everybody will be happy!

 

MPEG2 Channels

 

1. ESPN HD (206/73)

2. ESPN2 HD (209/72)

3. (Discovery) HD Theater (76)

4. HDNet (79)

5. HDNet Movies (78)

6. TNT HD (245/75)

7. Universal HD (74)

8. CD USA (101)

9. HBO HD East (70/501/509)

10. Showtime HD (71/537/543)

 

 

MPEG4 RECENT ADDITIONS

Added 9/26:

11. A&E HD (265)

12. Animal Planet HD (282)

13. Big Ten HD (220)

14. CNN HD (202)

15. Discovery HD (278)

16. History Channel HD (269)

17. TLC HD (280)

18. NFL Network HD (212)

19. Science Channel HD (284)

20. Smithsonian HD (267)

21. TBS HD (247)

22. Versus HD / Golf Channel HD (604)

23. Weather Channel HD (362)

24. The Movie Channel HD (544)

25. SHO Too HD (538)

26. Showtime HD West (540)

27. Starz Comedy HD (519)

28. Starz HD East (520)

29. Starz HD West (521)

30. Starz Edge HD (522)

31. Starz Kids and Family (518)

 

Added 10/3 & 10/4:

32. Bravo (273)

33. MHD (332)(added 10/4)

34. SCI FI (244)

35. USA Network (242)

36. Cinemax-E (512)

37. Cinemax-W (514)

38. HBO-W (504)

 

Regional Sports Networks

Available nationally, but local blackout rules still apply.

 

1. Comcast SportsNet Chicago (640)

2. Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic (629)

3. New England Sports Network (623)

4. SportsNet New York (625)

5. YES (622)

 

Other HD channels

 

1. Miscellaneous Events Channel (95)

2. PPV Events (98)

3. PPV Movies (99)

4. NFL Sunday Ticket Superfan (700's)

5. MLB Extra Innings (700's)

 

Added 10/5:

6. NHL Center Ice HD (700's)

 

October 2007 (source: DirecTV website)

 

1. Cartoon Network

2. CNBC

3. Food Network*

4. FOX Business

5. Fuel

6. FX

7. HGTV*

8. MGM

9. NBA TV

10. National Geographic

11. Speed

Coming by End of 2007 (source: DirecTV website)

12. Biography

13. CMT

14. MTV

15. Nickelodeon East

16. Spike

17. VH1

18. CSTV

19. The Tennis Channel

 

 

 

[Ripper 0]

CRTs only do 1080i, anything 720p or 1080p scales up/down to 1080i.

 

 

Not true. There are some CRTs that do 720p. And a shit load of plasmas.

[Dandy 0]

I know that you are not technically allowed to do what I want to do with DirecTV, Marv. It stands, however, that I will still be able to physically do it. It will work, DirecTV just would never give me permission to do it.

 

Thanks for the channel lineup on the HD front. All of those channels would be amazing. I am still curious on the question I posed on whether or not my TV would make me getting the HD package worthwhile. It does not have HDMI, has two component connections, and is at 1080i. Thanks for any additional help.