I don't understand why the TVs don't look very good in the showroom... - Blu-ray Forum

victimsofadown · 12-05-2008, 04:07 PM

So I have been trying to convince my wife to let me make a major investment into a TV. To facilitate this, I've been trying to do research like crazy, but this has led to a couple of strange happenings...

1) My original choice was the Samsung 50" Plasma (PN50A650). Upon FINALLY finding this in a Circuit City showroom my wife and I decided that it did not look worth the price it held. This Circuit City had all HDTV's on a component switchbox, which made them all look TERRIBLE. I don't mean bad, I mean it looked like I was watching TV over an antenna, which is a terrible way to show off televisions, but even through all that we could tell that it simply didn't look as good as the surrounding televisions. Also, when we were at this store the employee told me LCDs are way better and yadda yadda, which is COMPLETELY contrary to all the online research I had done.

2) After this I decided that I needed to do some overboard research! After looking up a LOT more, I came to my second choice, the Panasonic Viera 50" Plasma (TH50PZ800U). Once again, I found this in a Circuit City showroom (a MUCH MUCH better Circuit City that appeared to have an entire "featured" section, of televisions with their own Bluray players plugged through HDMI, which led me to a new problem. What I can only describe as... "snow." Every solid color appeared to be crawling within itsself. I know it sounds strange, but it appeared as if buildings, faces, clothing, EVERYTHING was crawling around within the colors. I wish I could describe it better, but I can't. When I asked the sales clerk about it (because my wife was PISSED at me, thinking I was retarded telling her this was one of the best Plasma's for the price) he couldn't explain it, and once again told me that he preferred LCDs.

Now my wife thinks I'm retarded, and that 120Hz LCDs are WAAAAY better, I just wanted some help on figuring out why the TV was doing that, if LCDs actually ARE better, why people like them...

HEEELP!

aramis109 · 12-05-2008, 04:10 PM

It's the settings.

Know what? Look up some calibration settings that others have used on the TV of choice. Write 'em down and bring them in. Set the TV where you want it and examine it then. They probably have it so cranked up that it's introducing bloom, which can look like the colors are bleeding into each other.

kpkelley · 12-05-2008, 04:12 PM

Do you remember what disc they were playing?

It could be because they were using bad hdmi cables or they were running all of them off of a poor hdmi splitter.

If you want to see the real capability of a television on display you need to go to a dedicated a/v retailer near you.

P@t_Mtl · 12-05-2008, 04:13 PM

Don't go to a mass market store like Best Buy or Future shop, they would not know how to set a TV if their life dependent on it.

Midnightsailor · 12-05-2008, 04:14 PM

I feel an LCD vs Plasma debate coming on...

Anyway, the same thing happened to me as I was trying to show my mom the "best" tvs in Best Buy. Believe me, viewing HDTV's, LCD or plasma, in stores is no way to judge the picture. Most stores use the vivid settings and/or just crank up the brightness and contrast so that everything is blown out and horrible-looking. You'll never know, in most cases, how these tvs will truly look until you see them in your own environment, with your own calibrated settings (disc-based calibration or pro). It is disappointing, I know.

I can't even explain some of what I saw at Best Buy the other day... haha.

Bizdady · 12-05-2008, 04:15 PM

I had the same problems going to Frys and a local shop Pauls TV. Seems they only like having the highly overprice 120hz lcd calibrated up front display to oooh the crowd while the other tvs run of tethered crap sources.

Blu-Benny · 12-05-2008, 04:17 PM

it's definately the settings and to a point the signal. play around w/them when u go in there, that's why the remotes s/b right there. monkey w/them, most displays are set up and never touched again and the settings from the manufacturer are never right.

victimsofadown · 12-05-2008, 04:17 PM

Fantastic 4: ROTSS was the disc they were using, when I looked it up it got good video reviews from this very site.

So you think I should bring in the settings and ask them to switch the bluray players, etc?

I don't think that's a bad idea.

The hillarious thing is I am planning on buying the TV from an online retailer for $400 less, although if they really help me out like that, and can help me show my wife then I think I might spend the extra to go through them...

Member-38928 · 12-05-2008, 04:54 PM

Quote:

I don't understand why the TVs don't look very good in the showroom...

Two words, Torch Mode

DavePS3 · 12-05-2008, 04:59 PM

TV's in the store are right out of the box... overblown and way too hot plus the store usually splits a great signal to 50 sets downgrading the PQ. But they don't care because people buy them anyway.

Carlsberg19 · 12-05-2008, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Now my wife thinks I'm retarded, and that 120Hz LCDs are WAAAAY better, I just wanted some help on figuring out why the TV was doing that, if LCDs actually ARE better, why people like them...

HEEELP!

LOL!

DavidAg02 · 12-05-2008, 05:46 PM

As others have said, it's all because of the settings.

I think the best place to audition TV's is at Fry's. They always have the TV remote attached to the TV so you are free to play with the settings as much as you want. Another great thing is that most of the Fry's I have been in have different lighting in the TV area. It's usually not the bright fluorescent lighting found in the rest of the store, and it's more like what you might have at home.

Hope you have one in your area...

12-05-2008, 04:07 PM	#1
victimsofadown Active Member Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Space 4K collection:75 Blu-ray collection:198 DVD collection:58	I don't understand why the TVs don't look very good in the showroom... So I have been trying to convince my wife to let me make a major investment into a TV. To facilitate this, I've been trying to do research like crazy, but this has led to a couple of strange happenings... 1) My original choice was the Samsung 50" Plasma (PN50A650). Upon FINALLY finding this in a Circuit City showroom my wife and I decided that it did not look worth the price it held. This Circuit City had all HDTV's on a component switchbox, which made them all look TERRIBLE. I don't mean bad, I mean it looked like I was watching TV over an antenna, which is a terrible way to show off televisions, but even through all that we could tell that it simply didn't look as good as the surrounding televisions. Also, when we were at this store the employee told me LCDs are way better and yadda yadda, which is COMPLETELY contrary to all the online research I had done. 2) After this I decided that I needed to do some overboard research! After looking up a LOT more, I came to my second choice, the Panasonic Viera 50" Plasma (TH50PZ800U). Once again, I found this in a Circuit City showroom (a MUCH MUCH better Circuit City that appeared to have an entire "featured" section, of televisions with their own Bluray players plugged through HDMI, which led me to a new problem. What I can only describe as... "snow." Every solid color appeared to be crawling within itsself. I know it sounds strange, but it appeared as if buildings, faces, clothing, EVERYTHING was crawling around within the colors. I wish I could describe it better, but I can't. When I asked the sales clerk about it (because my wife was PISSED at me, thinking I was retarded telling her this was one of the best Plasma's for the price) he couldn't explain it, and once again told me that he preferred LCDs. Now my wife thinks I'm retarded, and that 120Hz LCDs are WAAAAY better, I just wanted some help on figuring out why the TV was doing that, if LCDs actually ARE better, why people like them... HEEELP!

12-05-2008, 04:14 PM	#5
Midnightsailor Special Member Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Los Angeles, CA Blu-ray collection:32 Blu-ray reviews:1	I feel an LCD vs Plasma debate coming on... Anyway, the same thing happened to me as I was trying to show my mom the "best" tvs in Best Buy. Believe me, viewing HDTV's, LCD or plasma, in stores is no way to judge the picture. Most stores use the vivid settings and/or just crank up the brightness and contrast so that everything is blown out and horrible-looking. You'll never know, in most cases, how these tvs will truly look until you see them in your own environment, with your own calibrated settings (disc-based calibration or pro). It is disappointing, I know. I can't even explain some of what I saw at Best Buy the other day... haha. Last edited by Midnightsailor; 12-05-2008 at 04:19 PM.

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12-05-2008, 04:10 PM	#2
aramis109 Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Mar 2008 Location:Milwaukee, WI Home Theater Gallery:10 4K collection:4 Blu-ray collection:360 Trading Score:18	It's the settings. Know what? Look up some calibration settings that others have used on the TV of choice. Write 'em down and bring them in. Set the TV where you want it and examine it then. They probably have it so cranked up that it's introducing bloom, which can look like the colors are bleeding into each other.

12-05-2008, 04:12 PM	#3
kpkelley Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Aug 2007 Location:Framingham, MA 4K collection:385 Blu-ray collection:2478 Digital collection:113 Blu-ray reviews: 152	Do you remember what disc they were playing? It could be because they were using bad hdmi cables or they were running all of them off of a poor hdmi splitter. If you want to see the real capability of a television on display you need to go to a dedicated a/v retailer near you.

12-05-2008, 04:13 PM	#4
P@t_Mtl Blu-ray Duke Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Montreal Home Theater Gallery:4 Blu-ray collection:452 DVD collection:513 Trading Score:3	Don't go to a mass market store like Best Buy or Future shop, they would not know how to set a TV if their life dependent on it.

12-05-2008, 04:15 PM	#6
Bizdady Blu-ray Duke Member since:Nov 2007 Location:8 1 8 Biatch!! L.A. Home Theater Gallery:21 Blu-ray collection:209 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:38	I had the same problems going to Frys and a local shop Pauls TV. Seems they only like having the highly overprice 120hz lcd calibrated up front display to oooh the crowd while the other tvs run of tethered crap sources.

12-05-2008, 04:17 PM	#7
Blu-Benny Michael Bay's #1 Fan Top contributor Member since:Aug 2008 Location:Wisconsin Home Theater Gallery:39 Blu-ray collection:552 DVD collection:108 Trading Score:138	it's definately the settings and to a point the signal. play around w/them when u go in there, that's why the remotes s/b right there. monkey w/them, most displays are set up and never touched again and the settings from the manufacturer are never right.

12-05-2008, 04:59 PM	#10
DavePS3 Blu-ray Guru Member since:Jan 2007 Location:Toronto Home Theater Gallery:56 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:1	TV's in the store are right out of the box... overblown and way too hot plus the store usually splits a great signal to 50 sets downgrading the PQ. But they don't care because people buy them anyway.

12-05-2008, 05:46 PM	#12
DavidAg02 Senior Member Member since:Dec 2008 Location:Houston, TX Home Theater Gallery:16 Blu-ray collection:46	As others have said, it's all because of the settings. I think the best place to audition TV's is at Fry's. They always have the TV remote attached to the TV so you are free to play with the settings as much as you want. Another great thing is that most of the Fry's I have been in have different lighting in the TV area. It's usually not the bright fluorescent lighting found in the rest of the store, and it's more like what you might have at home. Hope you have one in your area...

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