HD TV Advice

[bodhi]

Do they do this just to confuse people do you reckon??

I went into a shop over here in Oz today to buy a TV and came out with no TV and a bit confused.

I want a big TV that will last for a while. Maybe 42" or so.

I will just be watching TV, foxtel, probably buy a plastation 3 etc.

I thought I would just buy a High Definition TV, but apparantly there are HD and FULL HD. What on earth is the difference?

Can anyone give me a quick run down of the VITAL things I need from a TV? I've seen plasmas are much cheaper, and I'm happy with a plasma over an LCD. But what other key things are there?

Bodhi

 

[crazylegs]

Full HD is 1080p
HD is 720 and up to 1080 but full HD is 1080p only

LCD is the better technology and lasts longer than plasma but plasma tends to give better blacks and renders shadows better than LCD tv's

You can plug a playstation 3 or XBox360 into any tv that has a HDMI connection and most have that now as standard..

If you can get full 1080p then go for it if not then standard 1080 will be just fine if the tv is a lot cheaper and your saving plenty..

Hope that helps mate..

 

[Quadophile]

Full HD is 1080p
HD is 720 and up to 1080 but full HD is 1080p only

LCD is the better technology and lasts longer than plasma but plasma tends to give better blacks and renders shadows better than LCD tv's

You can plug a playstation 3 or XBox360 into any tv that has a HDMI connection and most have that now as standard..

If you can get full 1080p then go for it if not then standard 1080 will be just fine if the tv is a lot cheaper and your saving plenty..

Hope that helps mate..

Very good points there, I thought I might just add a handful for your better understanding of the two technologies.

Generally, plasma color richness and naturalness will prevail in rooms with controlled low to normal lighting, while LCDs will be better in brightly lit rooms due to their inherent anti-glare technology. As crazylegs has rightly put it the blacks are rendered better on the Plasma's

Price wise the size that you are considering will not be a hurdle in your selection process. Generally, screens bigger than 50 inches are dominated by Plasma's. Under 42 inches LCD's rule. In other words you are at the borderline so you can choose the one you like, is suitable for your needs, and is light on your pocket.

There is no advantage or disadvantage as far as viewing distance is concerned, however, the pixel size and shape of an LCD panel yields a smoother picture than an equivalent size plasma display. This means that if you have a too short TV viewing distance, an LCD television may be a better option as its pixel structure is less visible. Since you mentioned that you would be using the play-station with this TV you need to consider this when making the final decision.

Please do give a thought to power consumption as Plasma's tend to consume about 30-40% more power from the outlet compared to LCD if you are considering size upto 50 inches, when considering sizes bigger than 50 inches the power consumption goes even higher compared to LCD

Final advise: Do not listen to the Sales person, buy what you want and what you researched about. The Sales person will try his best to sell the one where his margins are the highest (more commission). If you stick to reputable manufacturers their products tend to deliver more over the period of time and your investment is safe. Philips, Toshiba, Hitachi, Panasonic, Samsung would be preferred by me than other manufacturers product. But that is me, you can consider what you think is better.

 

[bodhi]

Thanks for the advise guys, much appreciate.

Quad, you mentioned a bunch of makes that I already knew were good, the one I was looking at though as it's a good price was an LG. There's an LG 42" for $1300 and a Panasonic 42" for $1500. If it says 1080p does that mean it's 'Full HD'? And some have 3 HDMI ports, do I need more than that?

Bodhi

 

[Quadophile]

Thanks for the advise guys, much appreciate.

Quad, you mentioned a bunch of makes that I already knew were good, the one I was looking at though as it's a good price was an LG. There's an LG 42" for $1300 and a Panasonic 42" for $1500. If it says 1080p does that mean it's 'Full HD'? And some have 3 HDMI ports, do I need more than that?

Bodhi

If I remember it correctly LG panels are made by Philips. I personally would not buy an LG product if I had other options, in your case there are two options that you state, my pick would be without a shadow of a doubt, Panasonic. Not that it matters but I have owned products from all the manufacturers that I had mentioned at some point in time.

As for HDMI inputs, the more the better as it can accommodate different inputs if you need it. This called future proofing.

1080P is surely full HD and P denotes "Progressive" and I is "Interlaced". Buying 1080P is better than 1080I.

If you have more questions ask away as you have nothing to loose, once you commit yourself to one, than you need to keep quite for a long time

 

[bodhi]

Haha. Don't worry, I'll go look at some more in the shops and ask some more questions once I've had a look.

So basically I'm looking for one of the big makes, 1080p, 3 or more HDMI inputs and plasma or LCD at 42".

 

[captain zed]

Check this out dude
http://www.afterdawn.com/topics/hdtv/

Lots to read for ya.

 

[captain zed]

And this
[url=http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/afterdawn_hdtv_buyer_s_guide_part_2-picking_out_your_hdtv.cfm]Here[/url]

 

[captain zed]

And
http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/afterdawn_hdtv_buyer_s_guide.cfm

 

[bodhi]

Hey,

What do you guys think of this? It's not the best make, but could someone look at the specs and tell me whether it's worth a go or not? I'm not a TV fiend or whatever, I just want something for the livingroom for every day watch, i.e girlfriends programmes and footie etc. ($850)

http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.s...um=SLI_RightNav&utm_source=GE6216WEB_BannerAd

This is the LG one I was talking about ($1300):

http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/4a8ce80610b16bc0273fc0a87e0106e1/Product/View/GE6210

or this one($1500):

http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/4a8ce80610b16bc0273fc0a87e0106e1/Product/View/GE6200

 

[captain zed]

Hi Bodhi,
All them telly's are cool. The thing is....if your gonna stay there for a really long time get the panny. If your only staying for a year get the sanyo. You wont be bringing it home, i'd say. Thats just my opinion.
The specs on the panny and LG are colossal. But so are the prices.
If it was me, (and you may just disregard everything i say if ya like) i'd get the cheaper one. Its half the price of the others. I'd say keep the cash for other stuff on your travels.If ya really have a stack of cashola and its burning holes in your pockets get the Panasonic Veira.

 

[bodhi]

Hey, cheers for the advice. I would get the Sanyo if I thought the spec was good enough for everyday use. Just don't want a big grainy picture you struggle to see!!

 

[Quadophile]

Bodhi,

I think you will be making an informed decision for sure. Quality vs price that is something you need to decide. Panasonic has a lot to offer and I have had experience with their Viera series which are top of the line from them.

 

[captain zed]

Hi again Bodhi,
I thinkat this stage then you need to visit a decent tv shop and "see" the telly's in action. This will sort it out for ya. I reckon the sanyo just might be okay- picture wise. I think all today's tv's can be a bit grainy so ya really need to see them in the flesh.
Anyway good luck whichever ya pick...i'm sure it will work out for ya.