About to purchase my first Flat Panel...

Southern-Nupe · May 31, 2007

Originally Posted by fashion_newbie

What if you want a flat panel for a small room? I will be moving to a studio and wanted a tv, probably around 30 inches. But I won't be watching it from more than 8' - 9'. Thoughts?
In that case, you'll probably be looking at either a 26" or 32" Lcd set. You might just want to make sure it has a HDMI input (which on many of todays tv's are quite common). At that point you just need to look at how much you could comfortably spend?

CaptChaos · Jun 4, 2007

I just bought a 40" Sony LCD tv two months ago. I believe it was the 40V2500. Paying the extra money for the XBR model didn't seem worth it to me. I specifically wanted a 1080p model so the tv would be able to last me at least a few years.

I have quite a bit of ambient light so I went for LCD rather than plasma. I also wanted a low profile and so I did not look at any of the rear projection models.

If you have a dark room, plasma is cheaper and has much better contrast ratios. ie. blacks look blacker

One other consideration between 720p and 1080p for LCD is the pixel size. Most LCD panels are not manufactured with all the pixels working properly. Some might not work, some might be stuck 'on'. These are known as bad pixels. 1080p screens have smaller pixels so these won't be as noticeable.

Mute · Jun 5, 2007

HD LCDs are meant to be watched at much closer size to distance ratios than traditional non-HD TVs. For 8-9 feet viewing distances, you should be watching at least a 40" set.

Fuuma · Jun 5, 2007

Originally Posted by Mute

HD LCDs are meant to be watched at much closer size to distance ratios than traditional non-HD TVs. For 8-9 feet viewing distances, you should be watching at least a 40" set.

I've seen slightly smaller screen recommended at that distance, say 32" to 36" (or is it 37"). Your points still stands though although I do believe people often aim for TVs that are too big.

edmorel · Jun 5, 2007

I always use these threads to rave about my 1080p Hewlett Packard tv. I have blu ray and the pic is amazing. It's also amazing with my hi def cable box and game systems. It's not flat panel but it has a relatively small footprint. Does this add anything to the thread? No, but it's always all about me

Fuuma · Jun 5, 2007

Originally Posted by edmorel

I always use these threads to rave about my 1080p Hewlett Packard tv. I have blu ray and the pic is amazing. It's also amazing with my hi def cable box and game systems. It's not flat panel but it has a relatively small footprint. Does this add anything to the thread? No, but it's always all about me

This is a technical thread my friend, if you want to have any amount of credibility whatsoever you can't say think like "hewlett packard" you have to use acronyms like HP, for those extra nerd points. Please edit your post, I am deeply offended.

Ambulance Chaser · Jun 5, 2007

Originally Posted by CaptChaos

I just bought a 40" Sony LCD tv two months ago. I believe it was the 40V2500. Paying the extra money for the XBR model didn't seem worth it to me. I specifically wanted a 1080p model so the tv would be able to last me at least a few years.

I have quite a bit of ambient light so I went for LCD rather than plasma. I also wanted a low profile and so I did not look at any of the rear projection models.

If you have a dark room, plasma is cheaper and has much better contrast ratios. ie. blacks look blacker

One other consideration between 720p and 1080p for LCD is the pixel size. Most LCD panels are not manufactured with all the pixels working properly. Some might not work, some might be stuck 'on'. These are known as bad pixels. 1080p screens have smaller pixels so these won't be as noticeable.
A salesman told me that the Sony XBR model was not worth the upcharge over the standard Sony 1080p model. I couldn't tell the difference between the two sets looking at them side-by-side.

Did you look at the Sharp Aquos and Samsung models? What made you choose the Sony?

aportnoy · Jun 5, 2007

I recently picked up a 40" LCD 1080i Sharp Aquos and I'm still amazed at the picture quality and performance of the set. I'm running an HDMI cable through a hi-def cable box.

I highly recommend them!

dkzzzz · Jun 5, 2007

Can human eye see the difference in details between 480P, 720P and 1080P from 8 feet away?
I am not asking for anecdotal evidence, is there scientific proof?
I would look into this topic before making a purchase of so called HDTV.

MCsommerreid · Jun 5, 2007

Also a thought, if you're going to use an HTPC or something like an Xbox 360 with it I definitely recommend at east 1080i. 720p is good for TV and DVDs, but when you run it off a PC, especially if you're gonna play games on it, the lack of resolution is really apparent.

Can human eye see the difference in details between 480P, 720P and 1080P from 8 feet away?

Not scientific, but yes, I can. It's not really noticeable beyond "hey, that image looks better" with TV, but with games the jaggies really show up at the lower resolutions.

Southern-Nupe · Jun 5, 2007

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

Can human eye see the difference in details between 480P, 720P and 1080P from 8 feet away?
I am not asking for anecdotal evidence, is there scientific proof?
I would look into this topic before making a purchase of so called HDTV.
There is some difference in detail, however it may not be as great as some make it out to be. You may see some improvement in detail when going from 480p to 720, as well as 720 to 1080p.

I personally feel, that if budget is a major factor, he'll be just fine with 720p. Technology continously improves, 5 years down the road it'll be something new, so it may pay to evaulate how long you plan on having the set.

dkzzzz · Jun 5, 2007

I dont' think that 1080P has a frame rates higher than 30, which is FR of a regular interlaced TV. While 480P and 720P have a rates of 50 and 60 available thus making them superior.
Human eye seem to have resolution comparable to 576 megapixels at 120 degree angle.
I am not technical enough to conclude how does it compare to TV resolutions.
Can I simply multiply 1280x720(720P) and get pixels fill?

Southern-Nupe · Jun 5, 2007

I wish I could answer your question regarding the human eye as it correlates to tv resolution. I can say that I see the difference in detail between watching 480p (i.e. a standard dvd) versus a HD movie in 720P. On the other hand, I'll admit that I can't really see the difference between 720 and 1080P. I'm not a video-phile though, so the jump from 720 to 1080, to me has been somewhat irrelevant.

dkzzzz · Jun 5, 2007

Little side note. I feel that TV shows will never be broadcast in true 1080P. I heard from TV people that even at 720P resolution the make-up and props should be completely different. Nothing cheap could be used anymore because viewers can easaely see cheap backdrops and props. Actors also not too happy with us seeing their every pimple, wrinkle and nose hair.

GQgeek · Jun 5, 2007

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

I dont' think that 1080P has a frame rates higher than 30, which is FR of a regular interlaced TV. While 480P and 720P have a rates of 50 and 60 available thus making them superior.

That's wrong. 1080p in its standard spec is 60fps. The difference between 1080p and 1080i is how the image is produced. With progressive, the whole image is updated at once, 60 times per second. With interlaced (1080i, or 480i), each line that makes up the picture is updated on an alternating basis, which causes all sorts of artifacts in the image.

Even 1080p60 isn't perfect, because film is generally shot at 24fps, so it has to be converted to suit the display, which wants to show 60fps. We'll soon begin seeing 1080p monitors that can accept 1080p24, thereby eliminating any artifacts from sources that output 1080p24. Most people probably don't notice because they're so used to looking at crappy SDTV and dvd.

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