Newbie post re: HDTV etc

[forzaitalia]

Hi there..

I think I'm posting in the right section as my question relates to High Definition rather than the Bluray Newbies section on the Forum

I have a 37 inch LG LCD & PS3 (through which I play Bluray dvds through a HDMI cable)

Thinking of getting a new TV

A couple of question for you, any help is appreciated:

a) LCD, Plasma & 1080 HDTV are all separate makes of TVs?
b) Probably subject to personal opinion, but which is the better to buy?
c) The best makes out there?...Samsung / LG / Sony & Panasonic?
d) Whats the best way to go from a 37 inch, 50 inch and higher?

I also have seen a lot of posts about TV calibration to get the best possible HD viewing...when I loaded up my PS3 for the first time, it basically went through this...ie which setting do you want? maximum 1080 etc..obviously i chose the 1080

The picture is amazing, I'm doubting that I have to do anything further to the TV to get more HD quality out??!!

Thanks for looking & any help is appreciated
Daniel

[I Bleed Blu]

Ill answer your first question. Yes LCD and Plasma are TYPES of tv's however 1080P is the tv's resolution which can be had on both LCD and Plasma. Also, give your budget for a tv and people will be able to give you better recommendations, however most would consider the Pioneer Kuro to be the best tv and personally I would follow that with a Sony.

[forzaitalia]

Originally Posted by I Bleed Blu

Ill answer your first question. Yes LCD and Plasma are TYPES of tv's however 1080P is the tv's resolution which can be had on both LCD and Plasma. Also, give your budget for a tv and people will be able to give you better recommendations, however most would consider the Pioneer Kuro to be the best tv and personally I would follow that with a Sony.

Thanks..
My budget is around £1,000 ($2,000)

[fsavoie]

Originally Posted by forzaitalia

Thanks..
My budget is around £1,000 ($2,000)

Its a lot about taste, go to a bestbuy (or any other electronic store) and see by yourself witch one you prefer.

[moviefan]

Originally Posted by fsavoie

Its a lot about taste, go to a bestbuy (or any other electronic store) and see by yourself witch one you prefer.

Best bang-for-the buck is a DLP rear projection TV, such as the Mitsubishi.
For abour $2,000 tou can get a 60", where the Pioneer Kuro would cost about $6,500 for a flat panel plasma in the same size.
If you can find a dealer with a leftover Sony SXRD 50" rear projector set, grab it ... that was one of the best ever.
You can get some pretty good 50" Plasma sets for $2,000-$2,500, but it's a minefield of quality vs. price out there ... be careful!

[CptGreedle]

Adjusting the resolution and such of your HDTV is not the same as calibrating it.
What you did, which is also essential, is to set up your TV to PS3 connection. However, calibrating your HDTV means you balance the colors, adjust the light levels, tweak the sharpness, and even optimize the sound.
These all require that you use either a kit or a professional. While a kit is the cheapest and easiest method for calibrating, since it will talk you through the steps, a professional can do a much better job calibrating a monitor than any DVD/Blu-ray calibration kit.
Either way you choose, it is highly recommended you do this. A professional will come to your house, make sure everything is set up right, use specialized equipment to adjust the TV, and even the sound. A kit will let you make all the adjustments you can through the default menus, and help you optimize it. A professional can access menus you can not access on your TV, but they tend to cost $150-$300.

I have my TV calibrated by a professional, but I also plan to get a kit to help maintain the calibration. You should calibrate your TV at least every year.

[olds403]

For your budget I would say the a panasonic plasma would be the best bang for your buck. Plasmas have better black levels(black is actually black - not dark gray) which helps contrast and picture quality.

I recently helped my father buy a HDTV, he ended up with a Panasonic TH-50PZ85U(for less than $2000) and loves it. I personally like rear projection so his choice was not influenced by my likes or dislikes. He chose it based on picture quality that he saw. Go to a store and look at different TV's and see for yourself, but I doubt you will find more tv for the money than the panasonic plasmas.

[PanasonicPlasmaMan]

Pan Th50pz800u

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Vier...1142581&sr=8-1



under $1900 at amazon WOW!!!

[callas01]

With $2K it would be worth looking at Samsung, Sony and Panasonic. You will prolly find yourself in the 46"-50" range. As far as, which TV type, it is mostly a matter of personnal opinion. I and many others prefer LCD, and many on here prefer Plasma. Don't believe all the hype about black levels and contrast, burn in and so on, the differences between the two are getting narrower all the time. Look at the Panasonic 85U, the Samsung 650, and the Sony W or Z series TV's. They should all be in your price range and offer you good value. If you can find an SXRD, they are really nice as one poster stated, my dad has one, it is a great pic, but the rear projection market is getting smaller all the time, and I do believe it will be gone soon. Personally when you go shop, have fun and don't listen to the sales people, most don't have a clue, see with your eye, and go with your gut.

[1Fish2FishRedFishBlu]

Originally Posted by forzaitalia

Thinking of getting a new TV

A couple of question for you, any help is appreciated:

a) LCD, Plasma & 1080 HDTV are all separate makes of TVs?
b) Probably subject to personal opinion, but which is the better to buy?
c) The best makes out there?...Samsung / LG / Sony & Panasonic?
d) Whats the best way to go from a 37 inch, 50 inch and higher?

Ok I will try and fill in more of the holes not previously noted.

First use the search feature on the forum a lot of these topics can be found there including a HUGE megathread with fanboys of both plasma, lcd and dlp sets. There many advantages to all three of these types including, space, room lighting, heat generation (plasma), burn in (plasma), size, viewing angle, viewing distance, etc.

First, make sure the set supports 1080P (not just 1080i)

a) As stated before its the technology behind the way the picture is displayed, DLP for example uses a chip with thousands of mirrors to project the image. I personally have a 3 year old DLP, plasma sets were $10K when I bought my 61 for $3800, LCDs only went to upper 30's at that point.

b) This depends on the room, your budget and preferences. Another reason I chose DLP (Samsung) was the room was vaulted with heavy afternoon lighting and I wanted a nice bright set. You will find most people have Samsung, Pioneer Elite (now branded Kuro), Panasonic and Sony. I would peersonally stay with one of these brands.

c) Some may argue with my choices here but IMO the brands I would consider if purchasing today would be:
DLP - Samsung, Sony, or Mitsubishi
LCD - Sony, Samsung or Sharp
Plasma - Kuro or Panasonic

d) Not sure what you mean, but search for a website which offers advice and provides a recommendation which fits your budget, the room and the preferences you want in a set. Consider as stated above your viewing distance, the room size etc. TVs are getting fairly inexpensive, you may find a 50 inch is perfect for you over a 60+, I personally would buy a smaller set which met my needs over a lesser quality, bigger set.

Hope this helps.

[olds403]

Sony does not make a DLP set, never has. Sony had SXRD rear projection which was LCos(liquid crystal on silicon - a variation on LCD technology). Sony is no longer in the rear projection business, quit making them in Feb. SXRD sets are VERY hard to find now, all that is left is a few floor models.

I would have recommended SXRD(I have one - 60A3000) but they are not available anymore. DLP is good, but I still think the panasonic plasmas have the best picture quality vs. cost.