Author Topic: Ok guys I need some final advice on an HD TV (Read 5564 times)

GoldenPhoenix · « **on:** November 06, 2006, 10:04:13 AM »

I have my eyes centered almost exclusively on this to purchase with my PS3 profits (yeah I know still a week to go but I'm getting 3 so that should be more than enough). My final question that has been bothering me a bit was the 8ms refresh rate, is it noticeably streaky or will it look just fine?

Pale · « **Reply #1 on:** November 06, 2006, 10:53:41 AM »

If I were you, I would stay the hell away from that LCD stuff and buy one of these...

http://reviews.cnet.com/Samsung_HL_S5087W/4507-6484_7-31871646.html?tag=sub

Near the same money. Bigger. Better picture. That's my opinion.

Smash_Brother · « **Reply #2 on:** November 06, 2006, 11:07:10 AM »

Don't buy anything until AFTER the new year. They always roll out the new models after the holiday season and that means a price drop on all the current stuff.

I've looked at rear-projection but I just can't help but find it terrible in comparison to LCD which just looks so much brighter, clearer and crisper.

Pale · « **Reply #3 on:** November 06, 2006, 11:09:17 AM »

Yeah, except the contrast ration sucks and it feels like you are watching through a screen door on the larger sets.

LCDS look great if they are small, but when you hit sizes like 42 inches they just break down imo. The pixels start to be large enough that you notice them.

Smash_Brother · « **Reply #4 on:** November 06, 2006, 11:14:12 AM »

Rear-projects have that viewing angle issue, and as near as I can tell, even if you are looking at them straight on, they still look washed out and too dim.

Like I said, I'd wait until after the holiday season anyway.

Pale · « **Reply #5 on:** November 06, 2006, 11:23:17 AM »

Smash, are you looking at DLP projections? If you are, I have no idea what you are seeing. Severe viewing angles look funny, but normal viewing is gorgeous. My dad owns a 67 inch in that line and my sister owns a 42 inch. I love them both. I wish I could buy myself a 60 inch.

Smash_Brother · « **Reply #6 on:** November 06, 2006, 11:27:54 AM »

Hmm, I think I was, but I'm not 100%. It doesn't matter for me until Brawl's release anyway.

After seeing that SSBB will support widescreen, it has become necessary to purchase a better TV by the time the game arrives.

UltimatePartyBear · « **Reply #7 on:** November 06, 2006, 12:09:22 PM »

I can't find a new TV tech that doesn't have drawbacks I don't like. There may be a ray of hope, though. Does anyone know anything about LED based DLPs? Samsung released one recently, but reviews were disheartening. I'm waiting for the next revision to see if they fix anything. The only other manufacturer even talking about LEDs in DLP is a near-nobody called NuVision that has only been selling LCDs up until now. Their sets are only just hitting the market in limited numbers, I think, and I'm not having any luck finding out more. There was a bit of hype about it for a while, but it seems like nobody has them yet. Has anyone actually seen one?

Shecky · « **Reply #8 on:** November 06, 2006, 02:17:42 PM »

Am I the only one that doesn't get a warm fuzzy when I hear "thousands of little moving mirrors" when they say it in the commercials?

they don't move that much but still!

Ceric · « **Reply #9 on:** November 06, 2006, 07:13:04 PM »

CRT all the way!!! Seriously though I'm waiting for SED TV's to come out. At least something that will give me a comparable picture to my CRT. Which I'm starting to see screens reaching this point. So I might not have to wait as long as I thought.

18 Days · « **Reply #10 on:** November 06, 2006, 07:44:03 PM »

CRT tvs would be a good choice if you want to spend billions on your power bills.

GoldenPhoenix · « **Reply #11 on:** November 06, 2006, 09:01:40 PM »

Well thanks for the advice guys, the reason why I was centered on that TV is because I have read nothing but good reviews, and it is the right size (It is going in my bedroom, I will be about 7.9 inches from the screen so it can't be too big). But I was concerned about the 8ms refresh rate and what that actually means in the way of how smooth the picture is.

Ceric · « **Reply #12 on:** November 07, 2006, 04:09:25 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: 18 Days
CRT tvs would be a good choice if you want to spend billions on your power bills.

Princess my bill was only $63 with lots of TV usage.

bustin98 · « **Reply #13 on:** November 07, 2006, 08:27:17 AM »

8ms response time from a LCD is a good time. Thinking of a normal tv, which is 60 Hz, a relative response time would be 12ms. But finding one that has 3 to 5 ms would be ideal for gaming. I think LCDs also suffer from poor levels of black compared to DLP or CRT tvs.

I found some reviews on this model and it really seems like an awesome deal. Here is one review that brought up some troubles, but doesn't seem too big right now.
Home Theater Mag Review

Galford · « **Reply #14 on:** November 09, 2006, 02:57:18 AM »

You might want to check that model out over at www.avsforum.com.
They have a lot of professionals on the forums that can help you.

One quick thing, I see the TV has DVI ports with HDCP. YOu should find out if
those are really DVI ports or just improperly labeled HDMI ports.
In my opinion if it doesn't have at least HDMI 1.2, it's really not worth it.

BlackNMild2k1 · « **Reply #15 on:** November 09, 2006, 07:28:52 AM »

Is there no love for Plasma's? Plasmas are actually cheaper than LCD's of the same size. I actually have my eyes on a 42" Panasonic Plasma and its only $1300 right now. Is there something I should know about plasmas, cause what I hate about LCD's is the black levels and the pixelation?

UltimatePartyBear · « **Reply #16 on:** November 09, 2006, 09:43:23 AM »

Plasmas have a reputation for burn-in and short life spans that probably isn't so deserved anymore, but still something to keep in mind if video games are a large part of your planned use of them. I considered one, but because 95% of my TV viewing would still be 4:3 formatted, even a small risk of burn-in would be amplified greatly. DLPs and LCDs have zero risk of burn-in, even if they do have problems of their own.

Ceric · « **Reply #17 on:** November 09, 2006, 11:07:26 AM »

Thats not true. You can still burn in and LCD even today.

bustin98 · « **Reply #18 on:** November 09, 2006, 05:37:43 PM »

I was going to say that the problem with plasmas is recharging, but thats a myth. I did not know that till I double checked my thoughts.

oohhboy · « **Reply #19 on:** November 09, 2006, 08:45:13 PM »

Plasmas are great. I worked with them before when I was working retail. If you are looking at 32 inch or lower go LCD. Toshiba and Panasonic make some really nice looking ones. Above 32 inchs go Plasma. Panasonic has recently rolled out the generation 9 plasma which has like 70000 Hours half life. Burn in and malfuntions are non-existant for the panasonic one generation back. But the toshiba display started acting funny as I left.

Avoid the Sony ones as they are more expensive and your not getting any more fore your buck. Also they have an annoying graphics chip that over processes the video. The one thing the Sonys have over the other brands is that they have a better menu system. It is alot easier to use.

If your looking for something of an epic size, go get a projector.

couchmonkey · « **Reply #20 on:** November 10, 2006, 06:17:26 AM »

I wire my games directly into the power grid and play using the downtown office lights for pixels. IT'S A ME, MARIO.

There's some pretty useful info here. I'm not buying a new TV until my 19-year-old one dies, but I assume that won't be too long from now.

BlackNMild2k1 · « **Reply #21 on:** November 10, 2006, 07:58:56 AM »

Can someone knowledgeable on the subject give me the good, the bad, and the ugly on this plasma here: 42" Panasonic Professional Series HD Plasma has a 10000:1 contrast ratio & 1024x768 rez

BigJim · « **Reply #22 on:** November 11, 2006, 04:15:24 AM »

Panasonic is *always* a good choice for Plasmas. But be careful with their Pro line. Notice that they don't have built-in speakers. You need to bring you own audio system.

There's no wrong answer with Panny's Consumer line. You should be able to find their latest equivalent models TH-42PX60U or TH-42PX6U for roughly the same price as that pro model.

The 6U and 60U have the same panel screen, but the 6U is cheaper since it doesn't have an SD card slot for photos. They also have different frames/bezels.

Once calibrated correctly, the Panny's picture quality is tough to beat.

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Author Topic: Ok guys I need some final advice on an HD TV (Read 5564 times)