What is Digg?116 Comments
- Alfdog, on 10/12/2007, -4/+38AVSforum is the place for info, not Fortune magazine.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+22"it's all you need to get the right HDTV"
You might need money too... or a gun. - mizzack, on 10/12/2007, -4/+24Sigh, it makes me sad that they don't mention direct view (CRT) HDTVs. Still can't beat the picture quality...
Granted my 34" Sony weighs 200lbs, compared to 60 for an LCD of the same size. I just like to think of it as an anti-theft system for my TV. - lawyernheart, on 10/12/2007, -1/+17monoprice.com. I don't even buy their 'premium' ones, the standard ones (ie 6' HDMI ~$9, premium ~15) are more than fine.
If you buy monster cables, or anything close to that in pricem you are absolutley insane/brainwashed. - schabrat14, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17This article was helpful in easing my mind about my boyfriends next big purchase (he wants a new TV very badly). We went to bestbuy once to look at TV's but I felt somewhat dumb for not knowing what I was looking at really, so now I can go back a bit more confident about my knowledge on the subject :D
- Smash15, on 10/12/2007, -4/+19I agree. What they don't mention is that both blu-ray and HD-DVD use 1080p, so why not get a 1080p TV?
- duhblow7, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13The spelling of the subsequent word does not dictate when to use A or AN, it's the pronunciation that dictates A or AN.
- kmbrooks, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13An aitch-dee-tee-vee.
- underthewether, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13i got one of the simpler harmony remotes for $100, totally worth it
- Danjak, on 10/12/2007, -6/+16I've read the difference is negligible and not worth the extra expense.
- dkm201, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10Spoken like someone who got ripped off buying expensive cables and is now trying to justify their retarded expense.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -7/+15Yeah, four years from now when you'll probably need a new tv anyway.
- lexicon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Monster Cables only help picture/sound quality with analog connections (aka Monster HDMI cables wont help picture)
The only thing high quality cables help with in a digital connection is they help make longer drops possible without repeaters (also, you can get cables coated in a metal mesh, which helps durability and avoids tangles). However, with analog connections, you can use all the help you can get, although there is a definite barrier of where you dont get many gains for the money - spokenrope, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Which is why I hate it when I hear people say "An historic..."
- PhrosTT, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Everybody bitching about this article seems to overlook the fact that most people DO NOT WANT THE TECHNICAL DETAILS of *****. They just want to know which is the best for their needs. The whole point of this article is that it skips all the ***** about neon gases and lamp life and contrast ratio and all the other stuff that means nothing to most non-techies.
- JRumph, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7It says not "enough" air. Not "no" air.
- kevinmoore, on 06/13/2009, -2/+9Thank you, sir, for advertising our ridiculously overpriced products. Your commission check is in the mail.
Sincerely,
Monster Cable - Flawless, on 10/12/2007, -10/+16@Alfdog : AVSforum is fine for geeks and the tech-savvy. But for Joe Sixpack, this article is awesome.
- NinjaBoy, on 10/12/2007, -6/+12Yeah but is a $250 remote worth it?
- SlackerCSB, on 10/12/2007, -10/+16Despite what the article says, make sure you purchase a TV with 1080p. You'll regret not spending the extra $ now.
- bonexaw, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6For HDMI, it really doesn't matter at ALL. It pisses me off that Circuit City now ONLY sells $100 monster HDMI cables in store, telling people that they are better than the cheap ones when in reality, the signal is digital, it doesn't matter at ALL. The CR's response to me pointing this out was that the cheaper ones will corrode. I don't know about you, but I keep my cabling inside my house.
- NinjaBoy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Dugg you up for respecting your boy friends NEED of an hdtv.
- wiggimt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+71. I agree, they can be as light as plasmas but don't have the unique portability that they do (wall-mounting). I have no beef with DLP's as I own and enjoy one myself.
2. Harmonies can be had for as low as $50-$75 (got my Harmony for the 360 for $94 shipped).
3. Component doesn't have enough bandwidth to handle true 1080p signals (although for 24 and 30 fps, if your TV can do a good 2:2, it doesn't matter, but most aren't that good at it) and for J6P (the consumer), less cabling = better (HDMI = video and audio so you feed it like so: source -> receiver -> TV, a total of 2 cables). - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9"Yeah but is a $250 remote worth it?"
If you have to ask, you've never experienced that remote. - mxpx5678, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Seems like a pretty good article although it glosses over much of the technology. I still think the rear projections are a great value. I got a 46inch sony rear projection for about 1000 bucks and the picture on it is great. The article is right though the Logitech Harmony Remote is a must have.
- mjrmjr65, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6No love for CRTs? If you don't mind the size and the weight then CRTs are usually cheaper and have a better picture than LCD or plasma. I was at Best Buy with my brother last month and we both agreed that the Sony XBR970 34" CRT had a better picture than *any* tv in the store.
- Topher06, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Wish I saw this a few days ago, although its a little terse and simplistic.
Bought a Toshiba Regza 42", what POS. Its supposedly 1080p, but will only support 1080p through an antenna/cable connection, not through HDMI. Its does a lousy job displaying anything but HD, standard def content, even using component cables looks like bad DIVX downloads with the amount of crappy video processing its doing.
My guide, shove 1080p up the *ass. When ALL HD content is 1080p buy a 1080p TV, but that will be 5 - 10 years from now. Chances are by that time they will change the HDMI spec again and again and your 2007 1080p TV won't work with it. Converting 480 lines of resolution up to 1080 is a hard task to expect a television to do and if you don't pay enough for your television it will look like *ass. Lower resolution 1080i screens need less video processing to convert 480 lines of content up to 768. For now 1080p is a premium cost that few people can take advantage of. Content will look better on a cheaper 1080i television with good video processing then an expensive 1080p television with lousy processing.
You want to know you have a good HD television, ask the store your looking to buy from to plug in a standard def cable box or DVD player. Most stores have HD content on the screens, and that is false advertising in my opinion. If that television makes standard def look good, it has good video processing and worth the money. Anybody can make an LCD/Plasma screen that looks good with HD content, but few televisions know how to handle lower resolution content which is still the majority of content out there. - NinjaBoy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I think kevin did an episode on the broken on how to make your own monster cables that are just as good but a lot cheaper.
- Guru, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8I'm calling shenanigans on this article. First of all I have a 50" Samsung DLP and it's light and thin as hell. The picture quality is also extremely crisp and the viewing angle is not a problem. Secondly a universal remote such as the Logitech Harmony is only a must have if you're loaded and if you really think its worth it to spend $300 on a ***** remote. Thirdly what's all this BS about needing HDMI cables. I think they're only better if you prefer your system to be tainted with DRM. The difference between component and HDMI quality is totally negligible and the only real difference is that component's analog and HDMI is digital. Sounds like the author needs to do a little more research.
- bitmugger, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4There is EVERY doubt Monster cables (or any premium cable) look and sound any better than the same type of cable by a generic company. Show me any double blind (or even single blind) test results where Monster out performed generic cables. You can get crappy cables no doubt, but reasonably priced generic cables will perform equally well in regular home environments as expensive premium cables.
Here's some blind tests (one by a company one by folks at home) that show premium cables vs no-name don't make a difference. There are more out there but oddly audiophile magazines don't like to point out that some of their major revenue streams are selling snake oil.
http://www.provide.net/~djcarlst/abx_wire.htm
http://www.devlib.org/blog/2005/12/04/hdmi-vs-component-cables-for-hdtv-or-xbox-360/ - JohnyD, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7@Alfdawg
You said it. AVSForum is THE place to go for info prior to purchasing an HDTV.
@Flawless
While this guide is better than nothing I already found something that doesn't make sense. DLP is better than RPLCD? ***** that... rainbows, whirring (colorwheel) for starters are why I steered clear of DLP. It's an impressive technology but far from perfection. This guide doesn't even explain what progressive scanning is! It's not a hard concept.... all lines at every refresh instead of alternating ones. Also, "price declines are tapering off." Are you kidding me? This is technology folks.... you will always kick yourself 3 months after purchase because you will see what you "could" have bought it for if you had waited. Of course... you can always wait.... but then you'd never get to enjoy anything. This guide is like Joe Sixpacks head... empty.
http://avsforum.com/ - bdbr, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7"Despite what the article says, make sure you purchase a TV with 1080p. You'll regret not spending the extra $ now."
...because?
People who have viewed them side-by-side up to this point have reported they can't see the difference (just Google 1080p 1080i). They both have the same resolution, so its just a matter of whether you can actually see the interlacing artifacts. Broadcast HDTV isn't moving in that direction, so wouldn't it only even be applicable for HD DVD & Blue-ray?
"If you're a photographer, or you have a very small living room, then you'll appreciate the extra detail you can see at 1080p."
Why would a static image have interlacing? 1080i and 1080p should be very similar. - BigPlastic, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Front projector is the only technology listed where larger picture does not mean higher price. Author kind of glosses over the fact that a $1K projector can give you a > 90" HD picture.
- mxpx5678, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3For all those that think the logitech remotes cost more than 100 dollars.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16880100710
i have that remote and it is awesome, it works so well. My wife can finally watch DVD's when I am not home. If you have more than two components it is a must have. It even controls the xbox 360. - yunlin12, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Good summary, I like the fact that someone finally took a shot at the over-priced cable scam.
Even though I have a 42" 1080p myself, I think for most people, 720 would be good enough. I like the Xbox360 and HD-DVD on it, but for HDTV 1080i content, I honestly can not say I notice a difference sitting 8 ft away. - nixfu, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4>there is not that much 1080i/p content
WHAT?! Most HD broadcast are 1080i - lauridsd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I bought a 47" 1080p LCD HDTV from Costco (Vizio GV47L) for $1650 (after $250 off coupon) and have been very pleased. I don't know if it matters to anyone, but here were my reasons:
For size and features, I got a hell of a deal. Any comparable sets with the same size, and specs (LCD, 1080p, HDMI inputs, etc) were easily twice as much (or more) from any other manufacturer.
I went with LCD over plasma and projection (DLP included) because while plasma does look sharper and has better true blacks, LCD is not susceptible to burn-in, is significantly lighter, and has better longevity and is less fragile. The difference in picture quality between LCD and plasma was not enough to be a deal breaker for me. (I could barely tell any difference, side by side between my LCD set and the surrounding plasma sets in the store.). As for projection, I have *never* seen a projection set that I thought didn't look horrible unless you were in exactly the right spot. Even DLP sets. There, I said it. Sorry, it's my opinion, but I think all projection technologies look like crap in comparison to plasma, LCD and even CRT. There is a reason projection sets are cheaper per inch than the other technologies. It's an attempt to make more from less, and if I am going to drop over a 1,000 dollars on a set, I want one that looks the same from a wide variety of viewing angles.
As for the 1080p debate, while high end over air HD broadcasts are currently only 1080i, 1080p is the highest available standard *right now* and HD-DVD and Blu Ray (not to mention some game consoles) do already output at that standard. I do *not* plan on buying a new tv again in 2, 3, 5, or even 10 years if I don't absolutely have to. For me it is worth it to get the best possible technology you can afford at that moment and then make it last as long as possible. (My old 25" Zenith non-flat CRT was nearly ten years old, and still works just fine, but it was definitely time. Hell, the thing only accepts a single coax...no other inputs, not even RCA!!) I do not yet own either a HD-DVD or Blu Ray device, but I will eventually, and it will probably be a combo player like the LG Super Multi Blue announced at this year's CES. (I do not own a game console and don't see myself buying one anytime soon. That's what my PC is for. Yeah, I am a dinosaur, I know.) I can definitely tell the difference between 1080p and 720p, and if those are your two choices, go with 1080p. I probably couldn't tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p, but I am happy to know that for now, I couldn't do any better if I wanted to.
As part of my upgrade to a nice big flat screen HDTV, I also sprung some decent bucks on a new receiver (Onkyo TX-SR804S) and new 5.1 speakers (Infinity TSS-750). My reasoning on the receiver was to allow me to auto-upconvert all my non 1080p video sources all at once and send to the TV via a single HDMI cable. (Yes, I know that upconverting does not make the resulting image better. It was more about making the TV do less work with signal conversion and allowing one device to handle switching the signals.)
I did also get the Logitech Harmony 720 remote (also at Costco) but I am reconsidering that. From what I can tell their newer models are available for much less elsewhere, and there are some quirks about the 720 I do not like. (plus, even at Costco, the newer remotes are cheaper from online retailers.) It definitely beats juggling 5 or 6 remotes though! - derat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Extended Warranty math is a wash? B.S. - I used to do sales -we made 50% commission on extended warranties and the company said it was their biggest margin Money maker... how does that math wash... its a rip off - always has been,always will be...
- cgbale, on 10/12/2007, -2/+51080p is not necessarily a great investment. It depends on how big the screen is and how close you sit to it. If you sit far away from a small screen, you'll be wasting your money.
http://www.carltonbale.com/blog/2006/11/1080p-does-matter/ - DPimp1262, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Honestly there was nothing I didn't already know in this guide. Whatever I guess I pay a lot more attention to tech then other people. I guess this would be great for my parents to have since they know very little about high def tvs.
- Mirag3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I was with you till the part about HDMI. A digital connection is the only way you can get 1080p (besides VGA, but who has 1080p VGA?). Also, digital cables arent really subject to interference, although that shouldnt be a problem with analog unless you have many cheap cables that are badly wired.
- eudaimo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Perhaps its a testimony to how complex TV purchasing has gotten, but Fortune's article really over simplifies many issues:
As others have mentioned, their 1080p comment doesn't make much sense: Excluding XBLA, no 360 titles run in 1080p, and as I understand it PS3 is promising 1080p, but hasn't yet. The draw of 1080p is HD Movies. I suppose they wanted to stay out of the HD movie format war issues, but in doing so, they gloss over the main reason to buy a 1080p set today.
With sitting distance, they don't talk about the crucial issue of source material. Are you watching a lot of standard DVDs? Playing last gen games? Sit farther. Are you all HD all the time? Sit closer. - obeseotron, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Article isn't awful, but it's also not terribly helpful, even from a "joe sixpack" perspective. No mention of needing to replace bulbs in dlps, and the 1080p stuff is sorta backwards. 100% of 360 games are 720p and 95% of PS3 games are as well, whereas both blu-ray and hddvd are 1080p. Movies are the draw for 1080p screens, not games.
- Guru, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@derat
Totally agree with you on that one, extended warranties are the biggest waste of money I can think of, not to mention one of Best Buy's/ Circuit City's biggest cash cows. - OdinsFury, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I agree, the CRT HDTV's picture quality can't be beat and it wasn't even included in the article.
- eudaimo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I wouldn't suggest that the article needs more technical jargon, just that even for a very short guide, it is overly simplistic at points and wrong at others.
- Lazybones, on 10/12/2007, -2/+41080P should only be a major consideration if you are getting a screen 50 inches or larger. The detail difference will be almost all but lost at NORMAL viewing distances from smaller sets.
- Phearce, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Agreed. I have a Samsung CRT HDTV and the picture is great. CRT technology has been improving for decades to the point that the color phosphors are very realistic. That said, I can't wait for SED technology (Canon?) to become available.
@bgii2000 -- the monitors (all of them) are typically shipped in "wow" mode. The eye tends to report brighter and saturated as "better". Best to look to review to help determine which will look best in the real world... - wiggimt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Dan, while your sentiments may be correct concerning analog cables, no where in the guide do they mention an analog connection. Then are pushing for the consumer to purchase HDMI-capable components, which doesn't require much more than a $6 monoprice piece.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6"DLP screens are more affordable than plasma but are also much bigger and heavier"???????????????
My DLP is literally under 50 pounds. -
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