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Sorry for the newbie questions, but I'm just dipping my feet into buying a flat panel TV.
Question 1: Would 720p be sufficient on a 46-50" flat panel or should I go to the 1080p? What I mean is, would I notice a significant difference in picture quality?
Question 2: Would buying 720p now be short sighted 3-5 years down the road (ie will programming all be in 1080p and I'll be missing out?)
Question 3: Can a blu-ray DVD player play normal DVDs? If so, would it provide a better image quality than an ordinary DVD player?
Question 4: Plasma or LCD? I seem to like some of the pros I'm reading on plasma, but it seems like more Companies are no longer producing them, so I wonder if they will disappear in the near future.
Thanks
Follow Ups:
Question 1: depends on viewing distance and you haven't specified that. If you're sitting a fair way away, you won't see a difference. You need to be close to see the added resolution that 1080 offers.
Question 2: see the answer to question 1. If you're not going to sit close enough to be able to see the additional detail of 1080 resolution, it doesn't matter whether you're watching 1080 source material.
Question 3: BD players also play normal DVDs and generally do a very good job of it. Many do as good or better a job with normal DVDs as most DVD players.
Question 4: Plasmas are probably cheaper at 50" than LCDs but probably close to equal in cost at 46" these days, at least for displays of comparable quality. Plasmas have better black levels which can deliver better picture quality but you may lose that benefit if ambient lighting levels are high since plasmas do better in darker spaces. Bottom line: look at both in your budget range and look at them in lighting levels similar to those you do your home viewing in. Pick whatever gives the best results to your eyes but be careful and try to ensure that the picture quality settings are good while you're doing your auditioning. Lots of displays in shops are adjusted to grab your attention rather than to deliver the best quality image achievable.
David Aiken
Go with a 120Hz LCD 1080p and get a 2.0 spec Blu Ray player.
That's what I will be doing when I get the cash together.
We'll have to agree to disagree about human caused global warming until the next global cooling scare comes along.
I second the Panasonic plasma recommendation. We got a 50" Panasonic plasma last summer, and totally love it. Dont take the 'LCDs are brighter than plasmas' quote very seriously. They may be brighter, but plasmas are plenty bright. If you properly calibrate both, you will not have either near max brightness levels anyway. Our calibrated plasma has no trouble in our family room, which faces west, so we get a lot of afternoon sun, and brightness is no problem at all. Comparing LCD to plasma, I still think plasmas look better, although, if forced to use only LCD, I could still be happy. In the larger sizes, plasmas are cheaper too. A 50" 720p set for about $1600 was unheard of only a few years ago. We sit about 15-17 ft. from our set, so we would not benefit from 1080p at all. Even SD DVDs look amazing.
Sorry for the newbie questions, but I'm just dipping my feet into buying a flat panel TV.
Question 1: Would 720p be sufficient on a 46-50" flat panel or should I go to the 1080p? What I mean is, would I notice a significant difference in picture quality?
Esp on the plasma flat panel, if you sit really close to a 46-50 inch set in 720p you will see screen door efect, that is the boxes that make up the picture, but you have to be about 5 ft away or less. The boxes are still there on the 1080p sets, but smaller and less noticable.
LCD units seem less prone to this.
Question 2: Would buying 720p now be short sighted 3-5 years down the road (ie will programming all be in 1080p and I'll be missing out?)
No. First. Blu Ray is the only real 1080p signal source out there. The 1080p sets are mainly for people who want to make a big investment in Blu Ray player and movies.
Most of the HD channels are broadcast in 720p, and since 1080p takes more bandwidth I dont see the stations going to a still higher definition any time soon, because they can't broadcast as many different programs in the same space. A few channels like the Discovery channel brodcast in 1080i. An LCD 720p set will display this fine, as it de-interlaces the signals and displays them as 720p. If you want to get a debate going here simply ask whether a 1080p set will display a 1080i signal any better than a 720p set. The differences between the sharpness will be modest, if noticable at all.
Question 3: Can a blu-ray DVD player play normal DVDs? If so, would it provide a better image quality than an ordinary DVD player?
Some are set up to upconvert normal DVDS and send the normal DVD signal
out its HDMI ports but you can buy a non Blu Ray player thgat upconverts and sends out an HDMI signal from an ordinary DVD for far less money. Last I looked Wal-Mart had a "Philips" upconvert DVD player that did this--for $44. The big question is whether you want to make the expensive investment in $20-$30 Blu Ray disks--the price of the player is a smaller consideration.
Question 4: Plasma or LCD? I seem to like some of the pros I'm reading on plasma, but it seems like more Companies are no longer producing them, so I wonder if they will disappear in the near future.
Panasonic for one makes some great plasma sets in larger sizes at prices similar to other companies LCD offerings and will likely be doing so for a long time to come. Generally the LCD sets may be better all around TV sets for daily use esp if the room is well lit. Plasma, with blacker blacks and less brightness is the better choice for a movie theater type of experience in a darketed room. Both have comparable life so I'm told. BUT each generation of LCDs brings blacker blacks (higher contrast) and each new generation of plasma sets are brighter than the year-old model, so they are very close, even now. Plasmas weigh more than LCD sets of a similar size, and that is a factor esp if you want to do a wall mount.
Right now, if I wanted a 46-inch plasma I would be looking at a Panasonic Viera, but in the LCD of that size I would be looking at Toshiba Regza.
Yes guys, the Pioneer Plasmas are probably superior to the Panasonic offerings, but at substantially higher cost.
YOU should be able to get a 50 inch Panasonic plasma for aroud $1,500 in 720p or $2,000 in 1080p; the Toshiba LCD's are similarly priced. The Pioneers run double that.
David
That is a great summary of information. I'm starting to lean back towards LCD given the lower weight, less energy use, and perforamnce.
I read that LCD's are not as good for off-axis viewing -- is that a real concern?
Again, not much difference anymore with the latest LCD's being fine in that regard.
Thats a spec you can check. The best LCD sets are rated at 178 degrees.
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