The High Definition Reference Thread

[Slurry Murray]

Welcome to the High Definition Reference thread. Since HD is a relatively new phenomenon that it supposedly going to take over the world (or at least according to Sony and Microsoft), I thought that since we have a new tech forum, it might be an idea to clear up some concerns or simply ask and answer any questions.

While I’m sure there are a few people here who know the ins and outs of the technologies here, many others don’t: this is the point of this thread. There probably won’t be much to discuss in this thread, but it should be a good reference. Maybe this could be stickied?

All images from Wikipedia.

Resolutions: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p:
With the advent of high definition, we’ve started to see these numbers pop up all over the place.

If you have a standard box CRT TV, chances are your TV supports only 480i, or, if you have component input, 480p. This “480” is Standard Definition, NOT high definition.

The ‘i’ refers to interlaced. This means that your television will refresh only every second line on your TV screen in one pass, refreshing the other set on the next pass. Basically, in interlaced video the display will show part of the previous frame on one line and part of the next frame on the next line. This is bad, because you're not getting particularly smooth video compared to progressive scan (detailed next).

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/61/Interlacezoom.gif

The ‘p’ refers to progressive. In progressive scan mode, a TV will refresh every line on each pass, resulting in clearer picture quality.

PAL standard definition is actually 576i/p, though the difference is marginal.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/98/Common_Video_Resolutions.svg/800px-Common_Video_Resolutions.svg.png

Resolutions of 720 and 1080 are classed as high definition, the new buzzword of late. Basically it just means that there are more dots on screen at once, so more detail is able to be presented (and there’s a lot less blurring/pixellation).

Unfortunately, standard televisions don’t support these resolutions, which is why you need a new HDTV to use them.

HD-DVD and Blu-ray players support these higher definitions. Again, unless you have a HDTV, purchasing one of these next-generation players is going to do essentially squat in terms of image quality. Perhaps the image will be a little clearer, but unless you’re using an HDTV you probably won’t notice any difference.

Refresh rate and response time
This refers to the amount of times the TV/monitor will refresh the image. PAL (video standard used in Australia and Europe) TVs generally refresh at 50Hz, or 50 times per second, while NTSC (video standard used in the US and Japan) TVs refresh at 60. Current generation consoles support PAL-60, which increase the number of cycles but slightly decreases the resolution. This often means that games in PAL-60 will run slightly faster (if you have F-Zero GX on Gamecube, try playing it on PAL 60/50: the difference is immediately noticeable even when the announcer shouts, “3, 2, 1". That, and you’ll drive slower on PAL-50”). Basically PAL-60 is the same as standard NTSC.

On Cathode Ray Tube (CRT, the old box sets) and Plasma displays, a higher refresh rate will usually lead to smoother video. Lower refresh rates for these sets may lead to flickering which strains the eyes if you're viewing it for long periods of time. The fluidity will of course depend upon the input - for example, if you're running a game at 30 frames per second a 60Hz display will not make it run smoother - each frame will simply be repeated twice.

LCD televisions and monitors have basically made refresh rates redundant because they do not need to refresh each line a certain amount of times per second. This is because each cell will open and allow a continuous stream of light through, and will not dull until required. In CRT displays, each phosphor will dull as soon as the electron gun has moved past it.

Instead of refresh rates, LCD displays have a response time. This is the time it takes for a pixel to become active. A figure of 8 to 16ms (milliseconds) is common, which is the time taken for the monitor to transition from full black to full white. For fast-paced gaming (eg, first-person shooters), a lower response time (ie, less than 10ms) is ideal, while higher response times may introduce increased lag (though the hidden value of input lag adds another element of pain), making game playing quite difficult. For slower games, however, you probably wouldn't notice much of a difference.

Aspect ratios
Every display has an aspect ratio. It is the comparison of width versus height. For non-widescreen displays, the standard is 4:3 (meaning four units wide versus 3 high) while some monitors are 5:4.

Widescreen displays are usually in 16:9 (though some are, annoyingly, in 16:10).

To achieve the best looking picture, it is ideal to use a resolution that fits the ratio of your monitor. If you don't, the image will look stretched because the pixels won't be perfectly square. As a result, monitors tend to have a native resolution, a resolution that suits the monitor's aspect ratio.

For example, 1440x900 is a 16:10 resolution. Running a 16:10 display at 1440x900 will give optimum image quality.

The problem with aspect ratios is that 16:10 and 5:4 are non-standard. 4:3 and 16:9 are. For example, high definition resolutions (eg, 720p) are designed for 16:9 displays. This means that if you plug something like an Xbox 360 into a 16:10 monitor, chances are the image will be stretched.

However, this problem can be avoided by using a digital input as opposed to analogue (discussed below). For digital inputs, the image will not be stretched, but rather, your display will have black bars at the edges.

Inputs: Composite, Component, DVI, HDMI.
Even if you have the best-of-the-best HDTV, the image quality of movie players or games consoles isn’t going to help if you’re using older connectors.

Composite input
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/RCA_Connector_%28photo%29.jpg/180px-RCA_Connector_%28photo%29.jpg
Older connectors that only support resolutions of 480i (or 576i PAL). Most common connectors available, and are included with most gaming consoles. Only the yellow connector is for video, the red and white connectors are for audio, right and left speaker respectively. Analogue transmission.

S-Video input
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/SVideoConnector.jpg/180px-SVideoConnector.jpg
The same as Composite, except that the cable only carries video signals. Sometimes packaged with DVD players (though composite is more common).

Component input
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Component_video_RCA.jpg/180px-Component_video_RCA.jpg
High definition analogue input. Capable of producing signals of 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p. Sometimes referred to as “RGB” for red, green, blue, or more commonly as Y'Pb'Pr.

VGA: Video Graphics Array
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/SVGA_port.jpg/300px-SVGA_port.jpg
Similar to component input. Generally found on most computer monitors.

DVI: Digital Video Interface:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/DVI_Connector.jpg/300px-DVI_Connector.jpg
High definition digital input. Capable of producing signals of 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p. To be superseded by HDMI. Often found on monitors and video cards.

HDMI: High Definition Multimedia Interface
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/High_Definition_Multimedia_Interface_Plug.jpg/150px-High_Definition_Multimedia_Interface_Plug.jpg
A cable that carries both audio and video signals. It is compatible with HDCP Digital Rights Management (software that can prevent illegal videos from being viewed on your monitor/TV, eg, pirated movie). Designed to be a replacement to older analogue connections and digital DVI. Found in many devices including some computer video cards.

"HD Ready"
HD Ready is a term that is being used to describe displays that meet certain criteria. If a device is HD Ready, this logo should be visible somewhere on the box in most cases.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/51/HD_ready_logo.svg/150px-HD_ready_logo.svg.png
The HD Ready title is usually given to products which can display resolutions of 720p, 1080i or 1080p using either component input or a digital connector like DVI or HDMI. BEWARE! Just because a new television may be HD Ready is does not necessarily mean it has a HD tuner built in, meaning that while the display may support the resolutions, it won't support it out of the box. A separate HD tuner would need to be purchased in this case, usually in the form of a HD Set-top box.

Set Top Boxes
Most television transmission these days is in analogue, with digital transmission only being introduced in Australia a few years ago. In 2012, Australia plans to shut off all analogue transmission and force consumers onto the digital network.

What will this mean? It means that, on their own, all televisions that do not have a digital tuner will ultimately be useless. They will not be able to view television. To get around this problem, you can purchase a digital set-top box to continue viewing television into the new decade once analogue transmission is finally discontinued.

If you have a HDTV, chances are you have a digital tuner built in already. Basically, if you can receive ABC2, you won't require a digital set top box.

A set-top box on its own will not necessarily allow you to view high definition TV, but will rather allow you to view digital channels, allowing for better picture quality (ie, no "snow"). A regular box will be set to receive Standard Definition unless you actually purchase an HD Set-top box.

Do I need a HD set-top box to use a Blu-ray or HD-DVD player? NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT. A set-top box is ONLY a requirement for digital television transmission, not HD capable devices like Blu-ray and HD-DVD players, or next generation consoles like the Xbox 360 and PS3. It is also worth noting that the Nintendo Wii is not capable of displaying high definition. However, component input may be used for 480p signals for supporting television sets.

Well, hopefully this will clear up any misconceptions that you had. If you think something should be added, post here detailing it and I'll stick it in here. Or, if you have any questions, post that too.

[Blue]

Good idea.

[Game Boy116]

Wow, when did the Tech forums have it's own section.

[shallowdays]

Butch likes to give. This thread should be stickied.

[Game Boy116]

I agree, there is too much tech thats advancing heavily. Great guide when I invest in a HD Tv

[The Brett]

This is an excellent thread.

Butch, I also recommend you add an entry on the meaning of "HD ready" and under what circumstances you actually need a HD Set Top Box to view a HD signal. That always seems to cause a lot of confusion.

[Slurry Murray]

This is an excellent thread.

Butch, I also recommend you add an entry on the meaning of "HD ready" and under what circumstances you actually need a HD Set Top Box to view a HD signal. That always seems to cause a lot of confusion.
Done and done. Hopefully I covered everything.

[The Brett]

I think you should definitely mention that HD consoles and HD-DVD and Blu Ray players do not require a Set Top Box to display the HD signal. It is only television reception that requires a set top box to display the picture to its full potential. I find that is where the most confusion is (i.e. people who think they need a set top box to display their Xbox 360 in HD).

[Slurry Murray]

Fixed.

[The Brett]

Excellent. It's looking great, Butch. This hasn't been stickied yet?

[Stevorooni]

Now I finally understand some of this high def 1080p crap that makes me go cross-eyed whenever people start talking about it.


I'm finally one of them



EDIT:

Now I don't own a high def TV, I don't plan on buying one any time soon.

But I am planning on buying a new monitor, probably this (http://www.samsung.com/au/products/monitors/tft/tvmonitor/215tw.asp) one, the Samsung 215TW.

It has component inputs, so my evil plan is to plug my PC into the VGA or DVI plug, and plug a PS3 or possibly a 360 into the component plugs.

Now this monitor can display up to 1680 x 1050 resolution. Does that mean that the highest I'd be able to go on a PS3/360 is 720i/p?

Also, do PC monitors have progressive scan?

[StorminNorman]

Sometimes referred to as “RGB” for red, green, blue.

Note, however, that the cables are more than likely Y'Pb'Pr and not RGB, which is a completely seperate form of component video that you're more likely to find on a VGA connector.

Also, the cables are sometimes mis-labelled as YUV, which is different again.

[UC1]

One of the most important things to consider with new TVs and new resolutions is lag. The last thing you want to do is buy a new TV, then hook up your 480i/p consoles and find that the games are unplayable.

Fubarduck has made a nice guide (about as comprehensive as I've seen) on HDTVs and lag, which can be found at shoryuken.com (http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=94426) or AVS forums. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=558125)

My advice? Keep a 480i tv for PS2,Xbox,GCN&Wii. Your new 720p+ tv is for Xbox 360 & PS3, and anything after that.

[Vindik8or]

The interlacing example is flawed. Each odd row shows half of the last frame, and each even row shows half of the next frame. To be accurate, interlacing (in PAL) displays 50 half-frames per second, which is pretty much necessarily shorthanded as 25 fps. Progressive scan is much better as it displays like film; each frame is the entire image.

The flickering of the computer screen has nothing to do with interlacing. It will happen on high-definition progressive scan, film, and regular video if you don't take necessary precautions to prevent it. Basically it is the recording device's refresh rate (shutter speed) not matching the refresh rate of the monitor. You can fix this one of two ways: most common is to change the shutter speed on the camera to match the refresh rate of the monitor; the other is to change the refresh rate of the monitor to match the shutter speed of the camera (not always possible). When these two values match there is no 'flicker'. Flicker is a result of lazy or noubish camera operators.

[Slurry Murray]

Interlacing example changed.

[Vindik8or]

Ask Vin. He studied this junk at uni.

[Slurry Murray]

I must admit I'm not the greatest expert on all of this technology myself, one reason why I decided to do some research and write this guide up. I mean, I had a fair idea on most of the stuff to begin with but not so much on specifics.

I'm trying to keep the technicalities to a minimum so people's eyes don't glaze over ala Stevo. :-P

At Ick's request I've expanded on refresh rates, added in response times and put in some info on aspect ratios.

[aubergine]

I was just at JB earlier today looking at TVs, very nice Samsung thing, asking the guy why we see "1080p" and "720p" everywhere, but then on the TVs or in catalogues, you never see that, you see the resolution. (ie "Y x Z screen resolution!" "HD Ready!" wtf?)

Some TV's boast their refresh rates, some don't mention it. Lag? God there's more to know?

I'll look at TVs seriously towards the end of the year. Hopefully all this crap will get sorted out by someone else when the HD disc formats are out.

[.StaticA.]

You know what shits me? A lot of TV's component inputs are unable to run both progressive and interlaced signals.
For example, I'm wanting to buy some component cables for my Wii. Hurrah, Pscan! The problem is, that if I were to run a GCN game or a VC game on it, Pscan switches off, and with my Pscan component inputs being too stupid to play an interlaced signal, I then have to unplug all that shit and put it into a different input.

AAAAAAAH!!!!!!!

[aubergine]

That's similar to a problem with my own TV. There are many component inputs but only one of them is capable of progressive. You also need to manually go into a menu and switch it to progressive. You can't do this while the TV is receiving a signal because the picture goes unreadable (even the menu) if it is receiving the wrong one.

I've got my DVD player in it at the moment - there didn't seem any point in having the Wii plugged into it as I'd be in nightmares whenever I play a GCN game or probably VC game. which is all the time.

Do tvs commonly automatically detect what the signal is and display it properly? I would have though this would be standard (and it's a Panasonic TV, so it shouldn't have shit features unless there is no other way...)

[.StaticA.]

The Panasonic 56cm 4:3 CRT in my room's component input can deal with both Pscan and interlaced. I think my family room TV is just retarded.
It also won't let me format the aspect ratio (or any other picture settings for that matter) when it's receiving a Pscan signal.

I'm trying to con my brother into putting his Philips 82cm LCD out in the family room. No success yet. :(

Perhaps I can get an adaptor that will split the component signal coming from my Wii into two component cables. Then I can plug one into the Pscan/HD input, and one into the normal input. When I play a non-Pscan game, I can just switch channels.

[Moggo]

Okay, I want to buy one of these LCD's:

http://www.cnet.com.au/tvs/lcd/0,239035307,240091164,00.htm

It's a Samsung LCD. There selling for about $1600 at my local Harvey Norman and I desperately want one.

So, do you fellas think it's worth the investment. I have no clue what a 5000 dynamic contrast ratio is, and I don't know if 1366 x 768 resolution is any good. It would be used for mainly gaming on my 360.

Is it worth the money, and do the specs hold up these days?

Help Butch and Brett. :P

[Mr Incredible]

Well dude, it's got component and HDMI inputs, so you're set to get the best connection quality with the PS3 and Xbox 360.

However the resolution will not allow you to run the 360 at it's full 1080i resolution, only 720p, albeit downscaled. And obviously a PS3 would not be able to run at it's full 1080p resolution, though most 1080p TV's are still ridiculously priced!

So, really the 360 would look pretty nice, though not as good as it would look running in 1080i.

Considering it has a HD tuner in-built for $1600, it is very good value, and overall it's a great, all-round TV.

[HiredMan]

It's a good TV, Don One bought one about 2 months ago.

1366x768 is the HD "standard" for most of the plasma's and LCD's around at the moment. Perfect for running your 360 in 720p.

The higher rez HD panels (1920x1080 I think) are available now but are very expensive

[Slurry Murray]

I'm not much of an expert on individual TVs so my opinion is probably pretty pointless here, but it looks like a decent TV from where I'm sitting.

The article that was written less than a year ago mentions "$3000AUD" several times. If you can get it for $1600 something tells me that's a damn good deal.

Yeah, the only gripe is that it only supports 720p, but for the price you probably won't find anything better. Still, I'd suggest waiting for Brett's opinion if he knows more on the subject than I do. I'm only replying because you asked for my help. ;-)

[The Brett]

Oh man, get it! The Samsung R-Series is absolutely the best value-for-money LCD on the market. $1600 is a good price too, but don't be afraid to aim lower with an offer- I've seen these around for sub-$1500. It's the quiet time of the year for retail, so they'll be more flexible in making a deal for you.

But I absolutely reiterate- this is the TV to get if you're after value. Picture quality is at least as good, if not arguably better, than Sony Bravias and LGs retailing for $600-$1000 more. I very seriously considered getting this television before picking up my TEAC, but I ended up prioritising 1080p over an inbuilt HD tuner. The resolution is a good, standard HD resolution and contrast ratio is very solid. Dynamic contrast is a bit misleading though- native contrast is far more telling, and I believe it's still quite good on the Samsung. At very least, it's no worse than anything else and nothing you'll notice.

Some of the features you'll love on this TV:

- Huge amount of colors (very vivid picture)
- Response time (8ms= awesome for games, and that's got to be one of the best for a TV around at the moment)
- Viewing angle (very good for an LCD)
- Resolution (this is what makes an LCD look particularly sharper than a Plasma, and the Samsung is one of the best around for this)

What you won't love:

- In-built speaker (get new speakers basically ASAP)

One more big thing: I ask you to not judge the quality of the TV by those on display. TV retailers are a tricky bunch- often they'll change the connections of a bunch of TVs to make certain models look comparatively better, to move stock. If the Samsung doesn't look phenomenal when you go and look at it, I can guarantee it's because they're running a) a shithouse connection, b) a shithouse demo video, or c) have the wrong settings activated. When you get it home, change the settings, put in the right connections and hook up your 360, I can guarantee you will be absolutely blown away.

[Moggo]

Sold. I'd pep you but I just did. Thanks man, I really appreciate it.

[Vicious]

- Clarity/Contrast Ratio (this is what makes an LCD look particularly sharper than a Plasma, and the Samsung is one of the best around for this)

Erm, what? Plamsa almost always provides a superior picture unless you're comparing LCD to something completely shithouse or of lower resolution. If the LCD has a higher resolution then that would be responsible for clarity, but on the other hand Plasma has superior color thanks to a contrast ratio LCD hasn't been able to touch.

[Mr Incredible]

Sold. I'd pep you but I just did. Thanks man, I really appreciate it.

No problem dude, happy I could help...

:-)

[The Brett]

Erm, what? Plamsa almost always provides a superior picture unless you're comparing LCD to something completely shithouse or of lower resolution. If the LCD has a higher resolution then that would be responsible for clarity, but on the other hand Plasma has superior color thanks to a contrast ratio LCD hasn't been able to touch.

Sorry, I started thinking of something when I typed the subtitle and then sort of went off explaining something else. You're absolutely right though, and it's resolution that I'm referring to. In most cases LCD will have an ideal resolution for gaming, whereas most Plasmas for the same price will not support more than 480p. A more expensive Plasma that supports HD is a tantilising prospect though, but it depends how much actual television Moggo wants to watch. Plasma is a superior TV-watching option, but LCD still has it down for games and movies. And price, if the latter are your priorities.

[Vicious]

In most cases LCD will have an ideal resolution for gaming, whereas most Plasmas for the same price will not support more than 480p.

I don't know where you found that, but I haven't seen any EDTV plasmas . . . ever :?:

I know there's some 42" TVs that only support 1024x768, but there's just as many that support 720P in the catagory too.

As for in terms of cost, most plasmas when compared to 720P LCDs not only support 720P but are larger too.

Plasma is a superior TV-watching option, but LCD still has it down for games and movies. And price, if the latter are your priorities.

Actually, I must disagree with you on this. Plasma is better in terms of gaming as you don't have ghosting (and in these recent generations there's no burn in). In terms of movies, it's also a great option due to the superiority in color. The largest problem with movies on Plasma is anamorphic ones requrie zoom.

[Vindik8or]

The largest problem with plasma is set lifetime and energy consumption.

[Vicious]

The largest problem with plasma is set lifetime and energy consumption.

These points hold some validity if not a lot. Energy consumption there's no question, LCD wins hands down. In terms of life, Plasma is fixed at 60,000hrs for these generation of sets (this used to be a lot lower). However, LCD backlights last 60,000hrs too. If you were going to keep the same set, it would probably be pretty cheap to get the light replaced if standardized. Then again, around that time the TV may be worthless in comparison. I think most people would just replace their set with the newest and greatest considering most viewing habits would place both sets dieing in around ten or so years (assuming the sets are calibrated properly with reduced contrast levels . . . or maybe that was without?).

[Bronze]

Oh man, get it! The Samsung R-Series is absolutely the best value-for-money LCD on the market.

Quoted for truth. (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/Bronzeth/setup.jpg)

I've had a 32" R Series set for a little over a year, and I haven't had a single problem with it. 360 looks amazing on it, but if you're planning on hooking up a PS2/Wii/Xbox/GCN etc, then you'll definitely want component cables which are obviously an added expense.

[Moggo]

Link didn't work Bronze.

And how much do component cables retail for these days?

[Bronze]

Most official console component cables retail for $49.95.

[woodyagw]

Does anyone know what what Soniq are like as a brand? as in reliability etc
I saw a 1080p 40' LCD yesterday for $2986
I thought this was a decent price but having not heard of Soniq until recently I am unsure if it's a decent TV or not
it had a 6.5ms response time which I thought was pretty good also

[Ashmaran]

Pay a little bit more and get the Samsung over the Soniq

[Kenny_G]

Yes, Samsung or Bravia, either of them is a good choice.

[Disturbed]

Well i've been searching for a decent High-def tevlevision for a good month now (didnt know anything at all before, so its good to learn a few things on the way)

Just started building my new home so im preparing to build (try to gather) a decent entertainment room!

Anyway after a month (here and there) looking for the "one" i finally came accross the following (which looks rather meh now afer re-reading it)

[IMG]http://reviews.cnet.com/Sony_KDS_R60XBR1/4505-6484_7-31481141.html?tag=pdtl-list&ar=o[IMG]

True HD/1080p, 2 hdmi, BIG]decent price etc

Then the other day i noticed the 2nd version has been up since Nov last year

[IMG]http://reviews.cnet.com/Sony_KDS_R70XBR2/4505-6484_7-31930130.html?tag=pdtl-list&ar=o{IMG

comes with 3 hdmi (one in front which is kinda ok)


Any thoughts on these


Saw one running in Harvey Norman other day and it looked incredible (was only $4200) - i know its kinda expensive but im after something that will make me happy for quiet a while.

Sadly i think it was the sony BR1 verion, i cant find any Sony R60xbr2 out here ..

Is their really anything wrong with rear projectors today (as LCDs Plasama are so dominate), i mean this thing just looks so much better then anything out there..

[UberFish]

I own the Sony KDL40X2000 (http://www.sony.com.au/catalog/product.jsp;jsessionid=K2VCJHZQYCMAUCWSCFBCFEQK0II UGIV0?productId=KDL40X2000) And i have to say it kicks total ass.

I'm running my PC through it via HDMI as a second screen. So with my couch just behind the desk it makes for some sweet viewing. And gaming (x360 man!)

For $4,000 at the start of the year, it was a bargain too.

[OrchidEleven]

This is a fantastic thread, but there are a couple of things I'm stil not sure about. See, my dad has given me the task of creating and designing an entertainment room in the house from scratch, and hasn’t given me a budget. Before I deal with the furnishing, I have to get the high-tech stuff out of the way. What a chore... :P

1. Set-top box's; Do I need one, and if so, should I look for it to be built in?

2. In regards to HD-DVD, is this something I should look into? We've already discussed getting a PS3 to use as a Blu-Ray player, but I don't know much about how well HD-DVD is going and if it's any threat in the format war.

Screen, speaker system, Blu-Ray player, DVD player, HD set-top box... I hope I'm not forgetting anything!

[HiredMan]

Get an in-built set top box as the premium for a TV with one in it over one without it is about $200-$300, and the stand alone boxes average about $400-$700 iirc.

I would only look into purchasing a HD-DVD player if you have an Xbox 360 or are planning on purchasing one in the near future. A standalone player would be too much of a risk at this stage I would thisnk, but the 360 Player is only $250! I have never regretted my purchase and actually spend a fair bit on HD-DVD's these days.

Oh just remembered that the 360 HD-DVD drive also works with PC's, so if you buy a TV with VGA/DVI/HDMI inputs it would definately be worth considering as well.

These are just my opinions but I have a little experience in the area as I bought by HD setup pretty reasonably. Hope this helps! :)

[OrchidEleven]

Man, proxies don't let you pep people for some reason. I appreciate the help though! Pep once my PC is fixed and I don't have to use the school computers every day. :]

[HiredMan]

Sweet, pep waiting in the wings! Thanx mate :D

[God]

Okay, help.

http://www.exeltek.com.au/secure/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/1180

I'm leaning towards buying this bundle. It would mainly be to play my 360 and watch sport and Foxtel. What do you think the pro's and con's are, in regards to the TV mainly. And is the price reasonable?

Cheers!

[OrchidEleven]

For what I know, that's a sweet price for a 40" and a HDMI DVD Recorder. It also seems to have most of the feature's you would want except maybe VGA/DVI inputs (though that's basically for your PC or a different 360 connection).

[God]

So I'd be unable to, were the situation to arose, use the TV as a PC monitor?

See, this is why I hate not knowing about TV's. The harder I look the more complex it gets. What would VGA and DVI be used for?

[OrchidEleven]

VGA is the cord with the blue part at the end you may be using to connect your monitor to your PC, whilst DVI is the same but white. I use DVI as I think I recall it being better but they're similar.

So no, it doesn't look like it has those connections, but there could be a way around it that I don't know about.

[Stevorooni]

VGA is the cord with the blue part at the end you may be using to connect your monitor to your PC, whilst DVI is the same but white. I use DVI as I think I recall it being better but they're similar.

So no, it doesn't look like it has those connections, but there could be a way around it that I don't know about.


DVI is the same technology as HDMI, except HDMI also does the sound and is a smaller plug.

So you could get a HDMI to DVI cable/converter (which I think cost around $50) and hook it up to your PC if your video card has DVI (which it should if it was made in the last few years)
But then you'd have to hook sound up from the PC separately.

This is a DVI plug that a PC should have
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/5866/dvips5.jpg

But from the looks of it the TV only does a resolution of 1366x768 which is low res for a computer these days, so while it would be ok for watching movies or playing games off a PC, it would probably be crappy for general computer use.

[mehi]

I don't know whether this deserve's its own thread or not but don't CRT TV's still have a bit of life in them?
Can't a 16:9 hi def CRT TV be picked up for cheap nowadays?
If so what should be the brand/model I should be looking for?

[God]

Hey boys, is there much difference between 8000:1 contrast ratio, and 5000:1 Contrast ratio?

[Jickle]

Hey boys, is there much difference between 8000:1 contrast ratio, and 5000:1 Contrast ratio?

I'd say there's a difference of about three th- *gunshot*

[Vicious]

Hey boys, is there much difference between 8000:1 contrast ratio, and 5000:1 Contrast ratio?

It really depends . . . manufactures can either be really truthful with how they measure and some can measure in ideal conditions and, even worse, use interpolation (Samsung does this with their LCDs).

It's much better to actually look up an actual review of a display you're looking at and see what the reviewer says in regards to picture quality on that front.

As a rule of thumb though, contrast performance usually goes:

CRT, Plasma, Projector/DLP, LCD.

I don't know whether this deserve's its own thread or not but don't CRT TV's still have a bit of life in them?
Can't a 16:9 hi def CRT TV be picked up for cheap nowadays?
If so what should be the brand/model I should be looking for?

Any of your name brands should work fine for CRT . . . except maybe Samsung. If you look at a Samsung make sure you can turn DNIe off. They claim it's an enhancement but it tends to screw up the picture and make the television hard or even impossible to calibrate properly.

[mehi]

Hey boys, is there much difference between 8000:1 contrast ratio, and 5000:1 Contrast ratio?

Theoretically the TV with the 8000:1 contrast ratio should have a sharper image and richer blacks all that shit.

Anyone got any horror stories about Samsung CRT tellies?

Ok I got my eyes on a 1080i/720p 76cm Samsung CRT with HDMI imput selling for $700 brand new.
Sure enough it can't really compare to the 50' Sharp LCD one of my friends bought last month, but then again its about $4300 cheaper and as we all know 4k can buy alot of speedballs. Considering that this telly will only be used for gaming I think its quite a find...

But surely I can't be the only je*ahem* tightwad on this forum.

edit: Thanks Vicious, pep coming your way.
There's also an LG that looks near identical to the Samsung but I can't remember if it had the HDMI input on it, oh well at least I know what grill the poor sales rep with now.

[Vicious]

Theoretically the TV with the 8000:1 contrast ratio should have a sharper image and richer blacks all that shit.

Anyone got any horror stories about Samsung CRT tellies?

Ok I got my eyes on a 1080i/720p 76cm Samsung CRT with HDMI imput selling for $700 brand new.
Sure enough it can't really compare to the 50' Sharp LCD one of my friends bought last month, but then again its about $4300 cheaper and as we all know 4k can buy alot of speedballs. Considering that this telly will only be used for gaming I think its quite a find...

But surely I can't be the only je*ahem* tightwad on this forum.

My advice:

Check the model number out, and DL a .pdf manual of that model from Samsung (they should have a copy on their site). Read up on it and see if there's an option to shut DNIe off. If so, the Samsung should work great. If not, don't bother as the picture will have a tendancy to exaggerate things such as skin tones.

Hope that helps.

[God]

I was that close to buying a new Samsung 32'' R8 LCD, but then I came across this article:

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22087083-11869,00.html

Now I'm worried. The article says that when watching sport, it became 'irritating' to watch sport. Oh oh. What do I do? :

[mehi]

The model I was looking at is a 32 Inch WS32Z40HN and having just perused it PDF manual I've found out that its DNIe feature is switchable. Good stuff, thanks for spoon feeding me what I should be looking for once again Vicious.

I have another question though; How much better is HDMI over component? Will it be worth the price of admission to upgrade from Component to HDMI cables for my 360 when the time comes?

[Vicious]

I have another question though; How much better is HDMI over component? Will it be worth the price of admission to upgrade from Component to HDMI cables for my 360 when the time comes?

I'm curious as to what you mean by "switching cables" for the 360. Should I take it you actually have an Elite that can make proper use of it?

The answer would be no mostly, unless you must have 1080P through the HD-DVD drive. Otherwise you can still use 1080i just fine.

HDMI isn't as big of an upgrade as some make it out to be, it's primarily a way of copy protection (closing the analog gap) to tell you the truth.

[mehi]

Ah Visious you come thru with the goods yet again.
I wish I had an Elite.
I knew it was a stupid question but I'd assumed that when the Elites hit MS would release HDMI cables and a patch for the rest of us suckers to buy into....

[HOGIE]

Mehi just be warned that the Slimfit CRT Samsungs can have quite bad geometry problems. There are quite a few reports of unhappy owners on DTV Forum Australia. If I were you I would investigate this first. The sides of the picture are distorted due to a lower phosfor count. The spread of electrons is far greater on the left and right edges which means the picture is not uniform the whole way across the screen. For the money it probably is still a good buy though. I would just make sure that whoever you buy it from has a good return policy!

[mehi]

Oh my the plot thickens!

edit; I checked out the what people had to say about the Sammy on the DTV forums and things don't look good. I just got burnt by MS with a 360 so the last thing I want is to buy something with reliability issues straight outta the box.

Another option has presented itself though for a similar price; the LG 32FS2ANB.

[HOGIE]

Good luck with the LG. I don't really know anything about it. I too was pretty keen on the Samsung before reading lots of complaints about it. It sounded like a great TV at first with 2 component inputs and an HDMI input. I'm now trying to decide between a plasma or an LCD. The prices on both are now coming down enough that I'm almost ready to jump in.

[Vicious]

Oh my the plot thickens!

edit; I checked out the what people had to say about the Sammy on the DTV forums and things don't look good. I just got burnt by MS with a 360 so the last thing I want is to buy something with reliability issues straight outta the box.

Another option has presented itself though for a similar price; the LG 32FS2ANB.

I find it strange that Samsung is having that many issues with a simple CRT. Regardless I'm glad you caught it.

[mehi]

It turns out that all CRT's I've been investigating aren't without their faults, the LG has software issues regarding its audio, the Sammy screen/reliability issues and Toshiba's are also prone to breakdowns (if only I could track down a Phillips or Panasonic with similar features).

And here I was thinking that CRTs didn't suffer from such reliability issues.
Well all I can say is that they don't build them like they used to....
But then I suppose I'll get what I pay for and a reliable CRT for gaming at 720p/60h for under $700 may be just a pipe dream.

[cube_punk]

I'm confused.

I have a 68cm LCD tv that is able to display at 1080i, but I have it running at 720p because I'm pretty sure that is it's natural resolution. I'm taking it back to my work though, to get a 42" Sony Bravia instead.

Now, the Bravia, according to a website (http://sumaria.co.in/product_info.php?products_id=1710) I've found, is only 1280x720. Which, I'm pretty sure, is only 720p. I'm ultra confused. How can the shitty Telefunken one I have at the moment display in 1080i but not the bigger, better Bravia?

Can someone help me out here?


[edit:] hmm,, this site (http://www.sony.co.in/product/kf-42e200a/sku/kf-42e200a++in5/tab/sc1?site=hp_en_IN_i&ajax=true) says 1080i.

I'm still confused. :\

[Stevorooni]

The Sony Australia Site says it's 1280x720 (http://www.sony.com.au/homecinema/catalog/product.jsp?id=KF42E200) which as far as I'm aware is 720p, because the number corresponds to the number of vertical pixels

[mehi]

I'm confused.

I have a 68cm LCD tv that is able to display at 1080i, but I have it running at 720p because I'm pretty sure that is it's natural resolution. I'm taking it back to my work though, to get a 42" Sony Bravia instead.

Now, the Bravia, according to a website (http://sumaria.co.in/product_info.php?products_id=1710) I've found, is only 1280x720. Which, I'm pretty sure, is only 720p. I'm ultra confused. How can the shitty Telefunken one I have at the moment display in 1080i but not the bigger, better Bravia?

Can someone help me out here?


[edit:] hmm,, this site (http://www.sony.co.in/product/kf-42e200a/sku/kf-42e200a++in5/tab/sc1?site=hp_en_IN_i&ajax=true) says 1080i.

I'm still confused. :\

Maybe your Telefunken has a native resolution of 576 and is capable of 1080i at 50h maybe?

[ElPresidente]

The Sony Australia Site says it's 1280x720 (http://www.sony.com.au/homecinema/catalog/product.jsp?id=KF42E200) which as far as I'm aware is 720p, because the number corresponds to the number of vertical pixels

Yup that TV is 720p only.

[Starscream]

Can someone settle a bet here?

Which has the the better picture quality? 1080i or 1080p ?

Any links provided will be rewarded with pep.

[Slurry Murray]

Can someone settle a bet here?

Which has the the better picture quality? 1080i or 1080p ?

Any links provided will be rewarded with pep.
1080p because it's progressive scan and not interlaced. This is explained in my original post on the first page, but you could probably have a look through Wikipedia if you wanted something more in-depth. That's where I got the images from, anyway.

[HiredMan]

Quick question: do any of the major LCD manufacturers make a 1080p capable TV smaller than 42"?

I am keen to upgrade from my current 32" Panasonic 1366x768 and due to the size of my apartment I probably wouldn't want to go above 37" (42" would be the absolute max.)

[ElPresidente]

Can someone settle a bet here?

Which has the the better picture quality? 1080i or 1080p ?

Any links provided will be rewarded with pep.

To save you searching as Butch said it is 1080p.

The difference between the i and the p is how often the screenupdates and where.

With a 1080p source every time the TV updates its image it updates the whole lot in one hit.

With a 1080i source the first image update will be applied to every odd line on the screen and then on the second image update only the even lines will be updated.

The end result is that if the image is static you can't tell the difference between 1080i or 1080p. However once it starts moving the 1080p signal shows its superiority in comparison. The problem is that on a 1080i signal half the lines are showing the first image update and the other half the second. If the images are depicting movement you will notice that the edges of moving objects are not as sharp as on a 1080p source because every other line will be one image update ahead of the rest.

If we had 6 horizontal lines moving in a column across the screen and we took a snap shot of the TV as the line was moving this is how it would look in 1080p


___
___
___
___
___
___


Where as in 1080i every other line is going to be lagging behind the other creating a bluring of the edges as you can see here.


___
___
___
___
___
___


I hope that clears it up.

[Stevorooni]

I'm a little confused

This TV (http://au.lge.com/products/model/detail/tv_lcdtv_integratedhdtv_32lc7d.jhtml) says it has a resolution of 1366 x 768.

But then it also says "2 HDMI Input (Upto 1080p)"

How can it have up to 1080p if it's vertical resolution is only 768? Does it downscale it to 720p? (or would it be 768p?)

[Slurry Murray]

I'm a little confused

This TV (http://au.lge.com/products/model/detail/tv_lcdtv_integratedhdtv_32lc7d.jhtml) says it has a resolution of 1366 x 768.

But then it also says "2 HDMI Input (Upto 1080p)"

How can it have up to 1080p if it's vertical resolution is only 768? Does it downscale it to 720p? (or would it be 768p?)
Maybe they mean that HDMI has the ability to do 1080p? Sounds a bit suss to me.

If you're after a 1080p TV chances are you'll want something that is labelled "Full HD," which is the new buzzword they seem to be throwing around at the moment.

[HiredMan]

I'm a little confused

This TV (http://au.lge.com/products/model/detail/tv_lcdtv_integratedhdtv_32lc7d.jhtml) says it has a resolution of 1366 x 768.

But then it also says "2 HDMI Input (Upto 1080p)"

How can it have up to 1080p if it's vertical resolution is only 768? Does it downscale it to 720p? (or would it be 768p?)

My TV has that resolution with 2xHDMI, so ill try to answer (I still have reasonably limited knowledge on the topic though).

What it means is that the TV will support a 1080p image through HDMI, however, it wont look any better (and might possibly look worse) than a 720p image, as the TV simply does not have the pixels/res to display a full 1080p image in all its glory. I believe that what happens is the TV will downscale the image from 1080p to 720p.

I find my TV definately looks the best when displaying in 720p as it's closest to the native res of the TV and hence the TV (or is it the console, it gets confusing) doesnt have to upscale/downscale much.

Of course, I could be completely off the mark. Prez, care to weigh in on this?

[jumpy-tubbs]

OK I think it's time to go HD. Call of Duty 4 has taken it to the level where it's actually hard to play it standard def. as distant enemies are hard to make out.
I can't really afford 1080p so am wondering how to tell if a tv supports 1080i? Or is simple 720p a better option when it comes to gaming?
Looking to only spend around $1500, is the Samsung range still the best bet? I think I can get LG cheap through my work.
Thanks for your help amigos

[Gemerald]

I'm a little confused

This TV (http://au.lge.com/products/model/detail/tv_lcdtv_integratedhdtv_32lc7d.jhtml) says it has a resolution of 1366 x 768.

But then it also says "2 HDMI Input (Upto 1080p)"

How can it have up to 1080p if it's vertical resolution is only 768? Does it downscale it to 720p? (or would it be 768p?)

I work with TVs and have quite a few myself. I'm guessing it's referring to upscaling. It's not true 1080P. Furthermore if anyone has any other questions or wants advice buying a TV, give me a holla and I'll try to answer your questions.

[Vicious]

I work with TVs and have quite a few myself. I'm guessing it's referring to upscaling. It's not true 1080P. Furthermore if anyone has any other questions or wants advice buying a TV, give me a holla and I'll try to answer your questions.

I think you mean downscaling. Many TVs support high resolution signals and downscale them to one that can be displayed proplerly.

[Gemerald]

I think you mean downscaling. Many TVs support high resolution signals and downscale them to one that can be displayed proplerly.

^ That's bizzare, it should be scaling it UP, maybe it's cause I'm pulling an all nighter after work and I'm half asleep. This TV is obviously not Full HD nor is it 1080P but it could support 1080i upscalling. Many DVD players can upscale into 1080i providing that the TV can support it (there's a Panasonic and an LG model that have that at that value range).

http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/en/product/G4923

^ Bingo

[woodyagw]

what are samsung or LG like as a brand?
I'm tosiing up between these two:
samsung (http://shop.gameon.net.au/p/395661/samsung-46-116cm-100hz-lcd-tv---1080p---la46f81bdx.html)

LG (http://shop.gameon.net.au/p/388453/lg-47-119cm-lcd-tv---1080p---47lb9df.html)

at the moment I am thinking the samsung as it's cheaper, has a built in tuner and comes with a free 26 inch LCD
doesn't say anything about its response time though....

[Bronze]

I work in a shop that does repairs for most major brands, and I'd definitely have to advise you against LG.

Trust me, 18 months of working there and you'll have "Has sound, no picture" burned into your retinas from all the LG sets coming in.

[Yottabit]

I work in a shop that does repairs for most major brands, and I'd definitely have to advise you against LG.

Trust me, 18 months of working there and you'll have "Has sound, no picture" burned into your retinas from all the LG sets coming in.
Aww..I bought a LG monitor and it didn't come with a DVI cable NEH :mad: I wish sony come back making computer monitors. Trinitron were the shit.

[Gemerald]

I work in a shop that does repairs for most major brands, and I'd definitely have to advise you against LG.

Trust me, 18 months of working there and you'll have "Has sound, no picture" burned into your retinas from all the LG sets coming in.

^ That's bizzare, most of the returns I get are Sony (level entry though). Having said that they are the bargain DVD players (no DivX either). Um I rarely get LGs back. I'm guessing you deal with a lot of Palsonic (not Panasonic), Trio Conia and Hicon. A casual of mine was plugging cables into the jacks of a conia when it suddenly snapped and it wasn't like he was forcing them in.

[Bronze]

We don't do repairs for the cheaper and/or entry-level knockoff brands.

I'd say 50% of the sets we repair are LG. Considering the amount of reputable brands we are repair agents for, that's really quite a bad percentage.

For us, Sony have been the most reliable, followed by Sharp and Panasonic. We rarely get sets from those brands in our shop.

[Gemerald]

We don't do repairs for the cheaper and/or entry-level knockoff brands.

I'd say 50% of the sets we repair are LG. Considering the amount of reputable brands we are repair agents for, that's really quite a bad percentage.

For us, Sony have been the most reliable, followed by Sharp and Panasonic. We rarely get sets from those brands in our shop.

^ Yeah very strange, LG is generally quite good for us. In any case can you confirm something for me? Some LG LCDs and Plasmas have a HDD in them (generally a 250 or 160). My rep tells me they are sourced from Seagate. Can you C/D?

[woodyagw]

I was in JB the other day asking about 1080 LCDs.
the guy was trying to get me to get an LG.
I told him that I had heard bad things about LGs reliability and he replied that they were bad last year, but this year they're good. -his reasoning seemed to be that they have a 3 year warranty now so they have to be good
it didn't fill me with a lot of confidence....

[Quatters]

I just saw this TV for sale in Harvey Norman for $946, and was thinking int seems great value!

A few questions,
1- What is it, like 720p, 1080i etc. It doesn't seem to have it on the spec sheet.
2- Is it FULL HD or partial HD?

http://www.samsung.com/au/consumer/detail/spec.do?group=television&type=television&subtype=lcdtv&model_cd=LA26R71BDX/XSA&fullspec=F


Thanks all, pep is in the mail!

[EDIT]

Also saw this one, similar price, seems similar spec!

http://au.lge.com/products/model/detail/tv_lcdtv_integratedhdtv_26lc7d.jhtml#


Opinions please!

[adam_91vn]

I just saw this TV for sale in Harvey Norman for $946, and was thinking int seems great value!

A few questions,
1- What is it, like 720p, 1080i etc. It doesn't seem to have it on the spec sheet.
2- Is it FULL HD or partial HD?

http://www.samsung.com/au/consumer/detail/spec.do?group=television&type=television&subtype=lcdtv&model_cd=LA26R71BDX/XSA&fullspec=F


Thanks all, pep is in the mail!


720 & partial HD

[adam_91vn]

I bought this one from HN last week for $2,200.
http://www.samsung.com/au/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=television&type=television&subtype=lcdtv&model_cd=LA40M81BDX/XSA

If you can afford it is a nice tv. Full HD 1080p

[woodyagw]

is there a way to get a standard def picture to look decent on a 1080p TV

perhaps changing the native resolution to a lower res - is this even possible?

[UC1]

Native res is how many pixels the display actually has, so it can't be changed unless you cut a hole in your tv http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/ultracrazy1/shifty.gif

[adam_91vn]

If the stand def image is from DVD then yes. If just from the tv channel 7 9 etc then I ain't sure

[Quatters]

720 & partial HD

What do I gain/miss out on with this Partial HD?

[adam_91vn]

What do I gain/miss out on with this Partial HD?

Someone can say if I am wrong.

720 might meet your needs, depending on use, viewing distance etc.

Foxtel is in standard def so that does not matter.
7, 9, 10 are in 1080i
Ps3, xbox 360 - 1080

Unless you get 40 inches or more you cannot get Full 1080p as far as I am aware.

The detail will be better with Full HD, so unless you are going to be viewing something in 1080i then that tv will be fine.

[Clockw0rk]

I am getting a 360 Elite and would like a 37" HDTV to go along with it. My budget is $2000.

Suggestions?

[Quatters]

Someone can say if I am wrong.

720 might meet your needs, depending on use, viewing distance etc.

Foxtel is in standard def so that does not matter.
7, 9, 10 are in 1080i
Ps3, xbox 360 - 1080

Unless you get 40 inches or more you cannot get Full 1080p as far as I am aware.

The detail will be better with Full HD, so unless you are going to be viewing something in 1080i then that tv will be fine.

But even with the 360 and PS3, not all games run at 1080 do they?
Also just how visible a difference is it between 720 and 1080?

If the only real difference is a slight drop in picture quality, then the savings are worth it IMO.

Maybe I should go check some on display...

[adam_91vn]

I am getting a 360 Elite and would like a 37" HDTV to go along with it. My budget is $2000.

Suggestions?


Toshiba has a pretty good range of both partial and Full hd models.

http://www.toshibaav.com.au/products_lcdtv.html

If you went up to 40inch you would have a lot more choice and would probably be able to get something under 2k

[Clockw0rk]

I live in the dodgy area of town and don't want it to get nicked so I'm looking for something I can keep out of sight. I may go down to a 32", but don't want anything smaller than that as it'll be for split screen gaming a lot of the time.

[hot frost]

I just saw this TV for sale in Harvey Norman for $946, and was thinking int seems great value!

A few questions,
1- What is it, like 720p, 1080i etc. It doesn't seem to have it on the spec sheet.
2- Is it FULL HD or partial HD?

http://www.samsung.com/au/consumer/detail/spec.do?group=television&type=television&subtype=lcdtv&model_cd=LA26R71BDX/XSA&fullspec=F


Thanks all, pep is in the mail!

[EDIT]

Also saw this one, similar price, seems similar spec!

http://au.lge.com/products/model/detail/tv_lcdtv_integratedhdtv_26lc7d.jhtml#


Opinions please!

Samsung R71 thread (http://www.hyper.com.au/forums/showthread.php?t=12698)

Stay away from the LG. Picture quality is inferior to the other major brands.

Also Game On (http://shop.gameon.net.au/bc/12157/148617/1/lcd-tv.html) has a good range of LCD TVs. It'll set you back $30 to $85 in postage depending on the size of the TV and your location, but generally the prices are pretty good.

If you're going to shop at a local store, never pay the ticket price and bring your bargaining cap.

[Quatters]

I'm always good at haggling.

Game On has it for $925, I'll see if I can get HN to drop it under $900.

[Clockw0rk]

Thoughts? Suggestions? (http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/47771b8d00fb5616273fc0a87f3306ac/Product/View/G5935) I can get it for NZ$1500 which isn't bad. My question is, what is the difference between this and the $300 cheaper U series Bravia? If it's only the extra HDMI port I'll just go for the cheaper TV.

[Laz-erz]

Anyone seen this deal Sony has put up?
http://www.sony.com.au/homecinema/article.jsp?id=4047

They're including a free Ps3 with every Sony Bravia HDTV on that list. The deal lasts until the 28th of January.

Just thought some people might be interested :P

[Quatters]

That's been known for quite some time!
Check the PS3 threads!

[Stevorooni]

Yeah I got that deal. Still waiting for the PS3 :(

[Lazlow]

WOW had/has a 32" Acer LCD TV for roughly $750... >_>

[Stevorooni]

Yeah but that wouldn't be a 40" 1080p Bravia!

[Lazlow]

Yeah but I don't have $3000 to blow on a TV.

[Slippery]

Yeah but that wouldn't be a 40" 1080p Bravia!

And that wouldnt be a 46" 1080p X-Series Bravia

Couldn't resist :D

Edit: My TV is coming on friday! yay!

Apparently the warehouses opened yesterday so if your waiting on the PS3 thats one of the reasons why, and yes they will be massively backlogged. :(

[marko]

Can someone help clear some confusion. I have a sony trinitron wega, on the back is a red blue green component input but when I plug the xbox 360 into it the colours are washed out. It looks better using the composite leads and according to the dashboard settings is still 480p. Is their some reason for the colour problems? and I thought you had to use the component lead to achieive 480 p.

[Italian Stallion]

Only component can display 480p, composite can't. It's reporting it wrongly for some reason. Not being an owner of a 360, I can't be certain why. Nor can I be sure there's some other reason for the washed out colours, but have you tried plugging another source (with another set of cables) into the same component inputs on your TV? Could be some problem with either the inputs, the cables, or the 360's output? *shrug*

Recently got aSamsung 40" M8 (http://www.samsung.com/au/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=television&type=television&subtype=lcdtv&model_cd=LA40M81BDX/XSA). Mate works at a shop, got it at a swish price, with a free 19" LCD thrown in by Samsung. Win win!!

[BRJC]

Okay, I'm looking at buying an LCD monitor for myself, and I've had my eye on this:

http://www.i-tech.com.au/products/22262_LG_L246WH_BN_Black_24__Widescreen.aspx

It will primarily be used to experience the xbox 360 in High Def Glory, and as a PC moniter (also, will i be able to connect PC to this?)

Pros and Cons about this telly?

Help needed people.

(also, the price listed on the I-Tech site, would that be in AUD or USD)

all help appreciated, thanks.

[BRJC]

I really need some help here Hyper.

[Saxby]

I just picked up a new gen Samsung 32" from JB for $1,100 (from $1,293). Good price?

Also, can I run 1080p with my 360 cables?

[Slippery]

I really need some help here Hyper.

I dont know if you care anymore, but the price is definetly Australian (they include GST)

Its a monitor with a HDMI port so I see no reason why it wouldnt work for 360 or Computer, having said that I dont know much so don't quote me on it or anything :/

Seems a tad pricey to me but like I said, I don't know jack.

Btw its not a "telly" its a computer monitor.

[BRJC]

Thanks for your help slippery. I am considering buying this "moniter"

[Kingsob]

I just picked up a new gen Samsung 32" from JB for $1,100 (from $1,293). Good price?

Also, can I run 1080p with my 360 cables?

No. If its the TV im thinking of it only does 720p or you could jack it up to the TV's max rez which is 1366 x 768 which I have done via VGA cable.

[Saxby]

It definitely does 1080p, that's why I bought it. I'm just wondering whether you need HDMI cables to get that quality :)

[HiredMan]

What Kingsob is saying is that while your TV maybe 1080p capable (my 32" Panasonic LCD is), you're going to get a better picture with 720p because the native resolution of you TV is almost certainly 1366x768. To make proper use of 1080p you TV need to have a resolution equal to or higher than 1920x1080. AFAIK atm manufacturers don't actually make full 1080p type TV's smaller than 40" and if they did you'd have to be sitting very close to it to pick the difference from 720p.

I also don't think that the 360 is capable of outputting a 1080p signal through component cables, only VGA or HDMI cables (or it could be that TV's don't accept a 1080p signal through component).

Short answer: if you are using component cables with a 32" LCD, set your 360's resolution to 720p and enjoy.

[Saxby]

Thanks HM!(/Kingsob). Much appreciated!

I only have a premium console (before HDMI came standard) anyway, so I'm guessing that my 360 and a HDMI cable wouldn't work with 1080p.

Am I missing out much, only having 720p? :(

I just spent 1100, and would like to get my money's worth of enjoyment.

Also, the tv quality looks like arse with DVD's and SD TV. Is there any way to improve this?

[Kingsob]

Thanks HM!(/Kingsob). Much appreciated!

I only have a premium console (before HDMI came standard) anyway, so I'm guessing that my 360 and a HDMI cable wouldn't work with 1080p.

Am I missing out much, only having 720p? :(

I just spent 1100, and would like to get my money's worth of enjoyment.

Also, the tv quality looks like arse with DVD's and SD TV. Is there any way to improve this?

Watch only HD channels and buy a Blu-ray player. Or a DVD player that upscales very well.

Welcome to the world of HD LCD screens where anything HD looks 100% sweet and anything else looks like crapoa

No your not missing out on much with a 720p screen. If your Xbox does HDMI use it. If not buy VGA cables and see the rez to 1366x768. This will give you the best image your TV can do.

[HiredMan]

Nah mate, you're not missing out on much at all. 720p on a 32" LCD looks fantastic :D

RE: standard DVD's. Your 360 will act as a DVD upscaler, but not through component cables. Like kingsob said, grab a VGA cable. Your 360 should be able to upscale your DVD's through that (I'm not 100% sure about that though, it definately does it through HDMI).

[Zace]

Sweet Jesus help me decide. Shold I buy the below TV?

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10086212&catid=23518&logon=&langid=EN

[Saxby]

Nah mate, you're not missing out on much at all. 720p on a 32" LCD looks fantastic :D

RE: standard DVD's. Your 360 will act as a DVD upscaler, but not through component cables. Like kingsob said, grab a VGA cable. Your 360 should be able to upscale your DVD's through that (I'm not 100% sure about that though, it definately does it through HDMI).

Awesome :D I was getting a bit worried. I've asked enough questions already, but how much will a VGA cable set me back? :O

[hot frost]

$45 (http://dvdcrave.com/products/product.jsp?pid=25011) for the official MS cable or $20 (http://dvdcrave.com/products/product.jsp?pid=35458) for a Powerwave.

I bought the Powerwave cable a few months back and for some reason the audio doesn't seem to work at all, so I've just gone back to using component. :confused:

[Saxby]

Sweet. I'm a little disappointed by 720p/1080i. It's very rough...

I spent so much cash and the image is far from crisp :( It's looking like I'll need to get an elite and a HDMI cable if I want to get the quality. Can't see me spending any more in the near future though...(Edit, tv isn't good enough to support it. Aaaah well...)

I can't access HD-TV? No signal... Do I need a set top box?

[BRJC]

Thoughts on this:

http://workstations.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=196038

It'll be for X360 (through HDMI) and PC.

What sort of HD can i get out if it (I mean 780i/p etc, excuse this question for stupidity, i'm a n00b in this area)

[Lazlow]

Someone's taken a stroll through WoW.

Max res' is 1680x1050, 1080p is 1920×1080... therefore through HDMI you'll only get 720p. But at 22" the difference between 1080p & 720p is negligible.

They are dirt cheap, but I'd be more inclined to go with an Acer, Samsung, or LG (NOT the LG L226WTQ - the Q Range has shit horrible blurring and ghosting).

Hook the PC up via DVI, and the XBOX with VGA - that way you can have your console operating with the monitor's max res.

[BRJC]

Well at 22" its the perfect size for my desk, and you're right, it is dirt cheap.

[Lazlow]

Dirt cheap, and cheap dirt. I honestly wouldn't bother with them. Heck check out Harvey Norman's range. They usually have BenQs, Samsungs, LGs and Acers for good prices.

[BRJC]

Well i will do some shopping around before I actually buy anything, but thanks for the advice Laz.

[Bellamut]

Well at 22" its the perfect size for my desk, and you're right, it is dirt cheap.

Man was NOT meant to sit at a drat office chair and play games, dammit! But if you need a monitor, have you considered a CRT monitor? They're dirt cheap, and you can probably get a pretty noice one for the same price as a shit LCD monitor. Not sure how the picture compares to LCD, but the last I heard it's still better.

[Lazlow]

22" CRT would be farking HOOOOOOGE!

[BRJC]

Man was NOT meant to sit at a drat office chair and play games, dammit! But if you need a monitor, have you considered a CRT monitor? They're dirt cheap, and you can probably get a pretty noice one for the same price as a shit LCD monitor. Not sure how the picture compares to LCD, but the last I heard it's still better.

Dude, my desks in my room. Infront of my bed. I can lie down. An plus, if i got a CRT, i would have to buy another desk.

[Bellamut]

With the money you save with a CRT you could buy another desk! Just don't buy a crap desk from A-mart. It broke while we were putting it together and it always had a slight tilt.

[BRJC]

With the money you save with a CRT you could buy another desk! Just don't buy a crap desk from A-mart. It broke while we were putting it together and it always had a slight tilt.

On a related note, can I have your chair?

And, no, I am not buying a CRT.

[HOGIE]

Hi guys,

Just a heads up for anyone wanting good quality, cheap HDMI cables.

The guy's website is: http://home.exetel.com.au/hhdmii/

I found him on the DTV Forum Australia site. His 2 metre cables are only $20 and that includes delivery. I'll go through this guy when I finally get a 360 or a PS3. I know its been mentioned lots before, but you really don't need to spend a lot of money to get decent HDMI cables.

Cheers,

[Saxby]

HELP!

I've just bought an XBOX360 VGA cable for my 32" samsung R8 and the best resolution I can get out of it is either 640x480 or 1024x768. Both look AWFUL!

What's going wrong? :P


TV - http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/22990/

Edit - I also have no SOUND! WAH!

Microsoft seem to think my damn cable is faulty :(

[HiredMan]

Hmmmmm, thats weird. Those resolutions are for a 4:3 aspect screen. Just use your components for now and take the VGA cable back to the place you bought it from for a replacement?

[Saxby]

I spent about 2 hours messing with settings and I had no luck! I've sent for a replacement and it should be here in a couple of days.

[Quatters]

Ok, so how do I tell if a TV has progressive scan?

I need one as PSP Slims will only play to progressive scan TVs and occassionaly I want to bust it out in big screen glory!

Also I'm looking for a LCD, 26 inch or so.
What would everyone recommend?

[Saxby]

DVDcrave's customer service was ENORMOUSLY helpful! I'm getting a replacement VGA cable, so hopefully this one works!

[Lazlow]

So apparently 1080p will be usurped by 2160p in the next 7-10years.

Or possibly UHDV (4320p) in 10-15 years.

Heck Steven Soderbergh is shooting his next two films with the RED ONE camera which records at 4520x2540

[pauljdavidson]

So apparently 1080p will be usurped by 2160p in the next 7-10years.

Or possibly UHDV (4320p) in 10-15 years.

Heck Steven Soderbergh is shooting his next two films with the RED ONE camera which records at 4520x2540

Jesus. We might as well just go back to sitting around a fire at night...

[Saxby]

For some reason, my TV (http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/22990/) doesn't support VGA cable connections from my 360 at anything other than 640 or 1024 resolutions :(

IT SHOULD THOUGH! The cable also works fine with my friends samsung 32" (different model though).

[Yottabit]

Hey kids, I am part of the HD gang now :D. I have Pioneer HTZ363DVD for 300 bucks and Samsung 106cm PS42C91HDX plasma for $1100. All I need now is a bloody HDMI cable, I know the old rule of thumb, don't spend too much on digital cables. However, the cheapest HDMI cables I could find is 60 bucks. On staticICE it was 5-10 bucks. Hd content looks way better on a large tv, then a small PC monitor.

[Zace]

Are component cables also affect by the PAL / NTSC Conversion? I just got my PAL Wii sent over from Australia to Canada. I have a Samsung 26" TV that only plays NTSC signals (similar to this (http://www.samsung.com/ca/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=tv&type=tv&subtype=lcd&model_cd=LN26A450C1DXZC)) and the dudes at Best Buy assured me that component inputs are not affected by the PAL / NTSC conversion issues. Worse comes to worse looks like black and white gaming for me.

Pep for answers.....

[Slippery]

Hey kids, I am part of the HD gang now :D. I have Pioneer HTZ363DVD for 300 bucks and Samsung 106cm PS42C91HDX plasma for $1100. All I need now is a bloody HDMI cable, I know the old rule of thumb, don't spend too much on digital cables. However, the cheapest HDMI cables I could find is 60 bucks. On staticICE it was 5-10 bucks. Hd content looks way better on a large tv, then a small PC monitor.

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-2q-77-6-49-en-15-hdmi-70-1z5x.html

What I use for my PS3, they've been back-ordered for a while now though so you may want to look around.

They are cheap I know but I can't fault the picture on my 46" Bravia.

[consoul]

StElLaR, Wii output via component at 480p 60Hz might be OK, but any 50Hz output is probably not going to be well recieved by NTSC-only displays. Even 60Hz output may not go down considering the Wii is likely still using PAL colour-encoding.

Just bought a new TV yesterday, and I think I may have set a new record for best haggled price on this model. Got a Sony Bravia KDL46X3100 for just $2800 (after $200 cashback). Loving it.

[Slippery]

Pep (or jealousy nep) that man - he got a great deal.

Its too bad you didn't get the free PS3 though.

[Lex]

Ok, I'm looking to buy an LCD, mainly for xbox360. My budget is 500-700 - so I guess I'm looking at a monitor. I found this (http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/monitor_e248wfp?c=au&cs=audhs1&l=en&s=dhs) from dell, which seems very reasonable, but I'm not sure how well it will do with consoles?

I'm pretty nub about this, so any help will be appreciated.

[Cerebral]

The only issue I know of (and this affects all monitors) is the aspect ratio difference 16:9 (360) - 16:10 (Monitor). My monitor is a 22" (native res 1680x1050), so I have to use 1280x1024 Widescreen to get the best possible picture (the 1024 vertical resolution is preserved, meaning little stretching of the image and 13 pixel black bars at the top and bottom of the screen, virtually negligable).

Since that's a 24", I'm not sure how it works with the resolutions, maybe someone else with a 24" can help. Unlike your one, 24" monitors generally come with a myriad of inputs (including HDMI/component) though - they might be a better, albeit more expensive option if you're super super picky about quality (basically, if you're Bronze).

[Pai Mel]

Ok, I'm looking to buy an LCD, mainly for xbox360. My budget is 500-700 - so I guess I'm looking at a monitor. I found this (http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/monitor_e248wfp?c=au&cs=audhs1&l=en&s=dhs) from dell, which seems very reasonable, but I'm not sure how well it will do with consoles?


That's ok for the price.

Keep in mind there is only two video inputs on it: Analog (VGA) and DVI-D (Digital) with HDCP

So to hook up a 360 you either use a VGA cable or if you have an HDMI-equipped 360, you use a HDMI > DVI cable.


You won't be able to hook up a VCR, non-HDMI DVD Player, or a Wii unless you use some sort of A/V switch like a non-budget range home theatre amp that can upscale via HDMI.

[Pai Mel]

I'd prefer a 24" Samsung though. :p

[Lazlow]

I prefer the Dell 2408WFP with Composite, Component, S-Video, HDMI AS WEL AS DVI and VGA.

Another $300 though.

[Lex]

I'd prefer it too, but 300 more and I may as well start looking at low end tv's, as opposed to monitors. I'll only really need it for DVI atm anyway.

Will it display properly at 1080p?

[OrchidEleven]

the dell 24" is alright for gaming but it seems like you have to muck around with the settings depending on what game you play. for Bully on Wii, the color/contrast settings had to be edited when compared to playing Zelda or Smash Bros Melee (using component cables). I would go so far as to say Bully looks better using AV cables on a normal 68cm TV.

[Lex]

Ok, change of plan, I can get this (http://www.samsung.com/au/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=television&type=television&subtype=lcdtv&model_cd=LA26R71BDX/XSA) for $830.

yay or nay?

[edit] Gah, I can get the 32" for $50 more. I keep adjusting my price range with all these good deals :(


I just know no matter what I get, a week later there'll be a huge price drop in LCD's

[Italian Stallion]

Who cares about a price drop? It happens with everything. I paid $1500 for that Samsung 26" when they first came out - and it was worth every cent. Fantastic TV, whether for watching TV, DVDs or playing video games. I recommend it - so much so that after buying that TV, we've got another 2 Samsung LCDs. But I'd probably get the 32" since it's only $50 more!

[Conky]

Would you like to upsize your Tv for just $50?

I've seen quite a few 1080p sets for under $2000. Lots of LCDs under a thousand too.

I wish my CRT would die. I need an excuse.

[Pai Mel]

Wait till the half-year sales if you can. Big price drops before the new tax year.

[Pai Mel]

I wish my CRT would die. I need an excuse.

Here's an excuse. You will save more electricity with an LCD screen. And your eyes.

[Quatters]

Ok, change of plan, I can get this (http://www.samsung.com/au/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=television&type=television&subtype=lcdtv&model_cd=LA26R71BDX/XSA) for $830.

yay or nay?

[edit] Gah, I can get the 32" for $50 more. I keep adjusting my price range with all these good deals :(


I just know no matter what I get, a week later there'll be a huge price drop in LCD's

I've actually just put a deposit for the very same TV. Getting it for $825.

[Pai Mel]

I hope Lex knows it's not a 1080p set though.

All TVs 32" and under are usually 1366 x 768 resolution. So you can get that resolution out of your 360 when connected via VGA/HDMI, or 720p, which is 1280 x 720, when using Component cables.

But seriously who needs a 1080p set for X360?

A 1080p 32" TV would have too small a dot pitch so you actually have to be right in front of the screen to read game text. You can't increase the size of game text like you can on a computer, where everything is configurable.

[Quatters]

But it also depends, it's going to be in my bedroom, I don't need a giant TV, so I'd rather have a not full 1080p TV that's the right size, than a monster that's got it.

[Slippery]

Really if your tv isnt a monster you don't need 1080p.

My mate has the same size TV as me, only its running 720p, because its a few meters further away I cant even tell when im there. Appropriate size and distance is very important.

You do get used to tv's that seem to big though. At least I did.

[Pai Mel]

I have a 32" Bravia in my bedroom right now. It's only in here temporarily. I think it's the perfect size for a bedroom. Wish I had an adjustable wallmount though.

Playing 4:3 games like Ikaruga 360 or GCN games makes you want bigger though. But it's ok if you stand close.

[Lazlow]

Quick question:

Why do HDMI cables cost EIGHTY ******ING DOLLARS?!?

[Lex]

Quick question:

Why do HDMI cables cost EIGHTY ******ING DOLLARS?!?

because they're ripping you off.

get one online for $10.

[Lazlow]

I was going to get a $60 Belkin one, but then I remembered that Belkin FM mp3 player transmitter thing I got that lasted two weeks before a capacitor exploded.

[Pai Mel]

It's digital transmission. Therefore it either works or it doesn't. So I think cheap $10 cable is good enough. HDMI is pretty much equivalent to DVI 'cept it can also transmit audio and has a different connector.

Even with component cables they will make you bend over backwards. The one we got for our DVD player is $70. Then one day I got three ultra-cheap composite cables and used them as component cables. Guess what? Same picture quality as the $70 ones.

[Saxby]

Someone posted a link to play-asia cables that work 100% and are only $10 or under?

[Lazlow]

I wasn't going to cheap out on the HDMI cable for my HD DVD player - those things aren't easy to replace :p

[Ad-Rock]

I can watch HDtv on my laptop screen (17" WXGA+). Would it be possible to play a 360 or PS3 though it? I have a buch of input (i think) adaptors and don't know what there for... I have an AV in port and a HDMI port

[Saxby]

I wasn't going to cheap out on the HDMI cable for my HD DVD player - those things aren't easy to replace :p

True! They have amazing feedback comments, although sometimes its not the best thing to go on.

[Pai Mel]

Hey, you know how the center speaker in a surround sound setup is commonly a D'Appolito design, in that there is a tweeter in the center flanked by two woofers?
Well guess what? the advantages of the D'Appolito design only works if the speaker is in a vertical position.

So everyone who places their center speaker horizontally, and that is probably about 99.99% of home theatre buffs, are in fact non-the-wiser.

--

Anyway I am thinking of upgrading my center speaker to something clearer and crisper than the Richter Griffin ($399) I am using now. Steve from Eastwood Hi-Fi recommended a Paradigm CC190 ($449) when I enquired about a Celestion F35c, which are apparently discontinued and have a fairly laid back sound.

My mains are my dad's 20 year old Celestion DL6 Series Two bookshelves and these have such an awesomely clear sound when compared to my Richter Griffin and any other speaker I have. It's not that I don't like the sound of the Richter. They actually have a pleasant warm tonal character but I want something clearer for the center channel to be able to hear movie dialog better.

Any of you recommend the Paradigm brand or have some other recommendations?

Should I just get a large bookshelf-type speaker to use for the center channel and wallmount it?

[Lazlow]

I can watch HDtv on my laptop screen (17" WXGA+). Would it be possible to play a 360 or PS3 though it? I have a buch of input (i think) adaptors and don't know what there for... I have an AV in port and a HDMI port

A screen that small is pretty pointless as far as HDTV is concerned.

[Ad-Rock]

A screen that small is pretty pointless as far as HDTV is concerned.

You'd think so, but the difference very noticable. I have a digital receiver and the picture is awesome compared to regular tv.

But thats not the point of my question. Is it possible to run a 360 or PS3 through it to utilise there superior graphics, rather than the lump of turd they look like on CRT?

[Lex]

I wasn't going to cheap out on the HDMI cable for my HD DVD player - those things aren't easy to replace :p

THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A $10 HDMI CABLE AND A $100 HDMI CABLE.

ahem

[Saxby]

I need some advice! This forum has always been helpful to me, and I am very grateful *Throws around buckets of delicious candy to the masses*.

I've got my awesome Samsung 32" R8 LCD (Pretty awesome...). Anywho, it states in it's manual and specs that it is indeed a 1360 x 768 resolution piece of hardware.

For some reason, my VGA cable won't work through my 360! It works through my friends 32" Samsung (M8 I think, different model) on both of our Xboxes. It has also lost picture (Gone black screen) randomnly for a few seconds about three times (over a period of 2 months). Samsung have awful tech support, and I'm yet to talk to ANYONE from them about it! :O

Is this reason enough for me to take the trouble of taking it back for a replacement, risking having the same trouble all over again? (The store I purchased it from is 3 hours away in my home town of sydney, and I will have to lug the thing all the way back there :P)

Edit - Gemerald gave me a few advice gems.

[HOGIE]

Hey, you know how the center speaker in a surround sound setup is commonly a D'Appolito design, in that there is a tweeter in the center flanked by two woofers?
Well guess what? the advantages of the D'Appolito design only works if the speaker is in a vertical position.

So everyone who places their center speaker horizontally, and that is probably about 99.99% of home theatre buffs, are in fact non-the-wiser.

--

Anyway I am thinking of upgrading my center speaker to something clearer and crisper than the Richter Griffin ($399) I am using now. Steve from Eastwood Hi-Fi recommended a Paradigm CC190 ($449) when I enquired about a Celestion F35c, which are apparently discontinued and have a fairly laid back sound.

My mains are my dad's 20 year old Celestion DL6 Series Two bookshelves and these have such an awesomely clear sound when compared to my Richter Griffin and any other speaker I have. It's not that I don't like the sound of the Richter. They actually have a pleasant warm tonal character but I want something clearer for the center channel to be able to hear movie dialog better.

Any of you recommend the Paradigm brand or have some other recommendations?

Should I just get a large bookshelf-type speaker to use for the center channel and wallmount it?


I like reading the "Gossip" section on Steve's website. I really like his no-nonsense approach to home theater!

I bought some Paradigm Studio 20 reference series speakers about 6 years ago and I think they're great. I would highly recommend Paradigm speakers. They have a large range of speakers to choose from. Great quality speakers for the price. If you're after some good advice you could always try the DTV forums. A lot of really knowledgeable guys on there!

Cheers

[Pai Mel]

I've read through some of the threads there. Also interested in Krix now. Almost forgot about that Aussie brand. But do Krix home theatre speakers sound like their cinema installations?

[HOGIE]

I've read through some of the threads there. Also interested in Krix now. Almost forgot about that Aussie brand. But do Krix home theatre speakers sound like their cinema installations?

To be honest, I don't know anything about them other than they are aussie and appear to have a really good reputation. I've never listened to any for home use. (i.e. out of the cinemas).

[Clockw0rk]

THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A $10 HDMI CABLE AND A $100 HDMI CABLE.
Yes there is, the point that most independent tests bring up is that the quality difference is entirely negligible given the price difference.

[Pai Mel]

Law of diminishing returns also applies to HDMI cable. If I were going to do a 15 meter interconnect then I'd buy a good quality shielded cable. Up to three meters I'd just use the cheap stuff. But I'd actually rather avoid a long run of cable and bring the AV equipment as close together as possible.

[Gemerald]

Yep, really not much difference in HDMI cables other than material, promotion and manufacturing costs. We just use generic HDMI cables at work for a display and when you run them against a monster or Belkin it's hard to tell the difference. I can't justify the high pricepoint for monster.

[Quatters]

So what are the best frequencies to view the assorted channels on?
My new TV did an auto-scan and channel 7 and 9 don't come up at all.
10 is a bit shit.

[Clockw0rk]

Just grabbed an HDMI cable for my 360:

http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/en/product/CA1031
http://www.dse.co.nz/isroot/dse/images/products/CA1031.JPG

I'm sure most folks are aware of the markup on these cables, but I just thought I'd let you know that retail is $99.99 for 1.5 metres, and I got it with my brother's Staff Discount (Cost + 10% + 12.5%), which came out as $35.

Even on my 32" 720p Samsung it does make a difference from component, which was a good thing. I shudder to think of the consumers that buy this at full price though.

[Pai Mel]

And if you use an amp/receiver as your AV switch then you have to buy more than one.

I've avoided HDMI completely for the time being. We don't even know when they are going to finalise the specification. We are up to HDMI 1.3 now right? I think I'll wait for the next gen of consoles to upgrade my amp to HDMI.

[Leirith]

Just grabbed an HDMI cable for my 360:

http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/en/product/CA1031
http://www.dse.co.nz/isroot/dse/images/products/CA1031.JPG

I'm sure most folks are aware of the markup on these cables, but I just thought I'd let you know that retail is $99.99 for 1.5 metres, and I got it with my brother's Staff Discount (Cost + 10% + 12.5%), which came out as $35.

Even on my 32" 720p Samsung it does make a difference from component, which was a good thing. I shudder to think of the consumers that buy this at full price though.
Yuck. That massive markup is extortionate.

[Saxby]

So I'm in the market to pick up another two 42" HD-TV's (maybe 40" to save some money) and two 32"'ers. I also need to find 3 good DVD players that are cheap, region free and are excellent upscalers (Preferably pioneer). I also THEN need to find 2 awesome home theatre systems (preferably pioneer).

Looking to bundle and save LOTS of money!

I already have a Samsung 32" and it has given me a bit of grief despite its rep (I have had one person tell me that they have heard that they're tosh).

How am I looking so far? Got a good chance?

[naclj]

http://ezyhd.com.au/

this is where i get my HDMI cables from and they are really good. plus the service is great.

i got a 3m so i cant vouch for the 15m stuff but really if your running 15m you likely need to re think something in your set up

[clint999]

Fixed.

[autologic]

Having just purchased a Xbox 360 Elite pack from EB, I'm looking for a small 22" LCD to go in my room (somehow I don't think the 30-something cm CRT is going to cut it anymore :D). It'll be getting used for playing games and watching DVDs on the 360 and free to air telly. I don't really want to spend more than $800.

I noticed Game On has the Samsung LA22A450 for $480 (http://shop.gameon.net.au/p/526055/samsung-22-559cm-lcd-tv---la22a450.html) and that's what I'm leaning toward at the moment. Although JB have a 22" Palsonic TFTV5539DT which features a built in HD Tuner which is tempting, since I'd have to buy one separately with the Samsung.

I'm still leaning toward the Samsung since it's a brand name that I know and have had good experiences with, compared to Palsonic who I'm not sure about (plus that Palsonic LCD has an in built DVD player which I DEFINITELY don't need). The Samsung seems really good and I really like it but I've only starting learning about all this HD stuff and all the rest of it since the idea popped into my head a couple of days back, and it's kind of daunting so that's why I ask. So any advice or recommendations would be welcome :)

[adam_91vn]

You should be able to get something bigger than a 22 for 800 bucks

[autologic]

Well I saw a Sony 26" at David Jones, which would be $950 with my staff discount and I could probably afford that.

[Lazlow]

Should be able to get a good early model Samsung 32" for around $1000 (i've seen them from around $900 - $1200)

[adam_91vn]

Should be able to get a good early model Samsung 32" for around $1000 (i've seen them from around $900 - $1200)

I got one about 6 months ago for 890

[adam_91vn]

Anyone know the deal with dead pixels. Do they replace the TV after a certain amount. I had a look on Samsungs website but I cant find nothing.

[autologic]

I got one about 6 months ago for 890
Yeah, I noticed JB's site had about that price. Is it good? I'll probably get that.

[adam_91vn]

Yeah, I noticed JB's site had about that price. Is it good? I'll probably get that.


I think it is a great tv apart from my 1 dead pixel. Mainly just it for the 360 on 720p and watch the occasional movie.

[PrattP]

This. (http://www.sanyo.com.au/products/tvs-set-top-boxes/lcd-tvs/lcd32xr8da)

This LCD (more or less) is at Big W for about $700. Yes? No? Why?

Pep for proper help and guidance!

[Lazlow]

You could get a far better set for a similar price. Pretty shit contrast ratio, 2-3 year old Samsungs could produce a better image, and they are usually the ones you'll see marked down around $700 - 800.

[PrattP]

Yeah see that's the thing though. I've read reviews on similar Sanyo TV's, and they say things like "quality displays without the high price tag", and "the image quality ranks right up there with other well known competitors".

Seeds of doubt, I dunno.

[Lazlow]

Going on what I've experience, Sanyo have never been reputable, just cheap.

[PrattP]

Experience with Sanyo TV's? I don't doubt ya, but I really want it. :P

What I was planning, was coming home, testing it, then decide. I'll probably take out extended warranty too.

EDIT: Guys also, if you think this could you recommend some places to buy? JB?

[Lazlow]

JB have good prices, but I've been put off by the odd horror story with them selling repacked/refurbed goods.

Go to a dedicated electronics/home theatre store. They are the ones losing out to all-in-ones like JB and WOW, and would probably jump to do a deal.

Who knows, you may have less discerning tastes than us. Cube was quite happy with his shitty Tele***en LCD TV.

[PrattP]

Basically, I want good quality, that'll last. I didn't want a Sanyo, but for that price...

This page (http://www.jbhifi.com.au/tv-plasma-lcd/hd-tv/) is looking good to me though atm.

Here's to spending Xmas night searching for plasmas!

[PrattP]

I got the Big W one in the end (see above).

It was hilarious, I had to barge old people and Asians (no offence, but they outnumbered all) to get to it. It's actually an awesome TV, even by other brand standards.

I've also read places that Sanyo uses Samsung screens. I wouldn't be surprised tbh. Now fingers crossed this baby will last...

[Creedy]

Just because a shitty brand name gets their panels built by the better companies doesn't mean the quality is the same. I personally would stay far away from Soniq, Telefunken, Palsonic or any other cheaper brand.
I'd prefer to stick with Pioneer or Panasonic.

[PrattP]

In my eyes, Sanyo is a step up from Telefunken etc. It's not in the league of the high-end brands, but it certainly isn't a bottom feeder. *looks to Awa >_>*

[Lazlow]

I've also read places that Sanyo uses Samsung screens.

A lot of companies get their panels from Samsung, its the hardware that powers that screen that counts though.

[PrattP]

Yeah, I see.

Well, I've got it now. My haggling didn't get JB tellies to the price I wanted, so I had to settle with it. I'm very pleased with it though.

[Pai Mel]

When I inspect LCDs at stores the foist thing I look at is how it handles rolling credits. On some LCDs the credits roll really smooth and some very jerky. If you look closely around the white credits text you may see blocks of green or other sorts of chroma noise. Some brands don't even display black as black, rather a deep purple. Then again the store could have hooked up the cheap brands via composite and the Sonys/Samsungs via Monster HDMI cable, to make them look superior.

I think though if you are hooking it up to a PC or console via HDMI/DVI and have 1:1 pixel mapping (no picture scaling), any LCD should look pretty good, negating other more physical issues like backlight bleed and dead/stuck pixels.

[PrattP]

Yeah, well mine is sweet. Nothing like the above you described happens with credits, I've been testing it to hell with everything. Shows very rich blacks, and vibrant colours (incl whites) that blend together flawlessly.

I just hope to get a good 2 years (at least) out of it. :p

[Mouldy]

Picked up at 32" Samsung Series 4 for $850 today. Fairly happy with that price, especially how all LCD's will be going up in a week or so.

[Creedy]

Yeah, I see.

Well, I've got it now. My haggling didn't get JB tellies to the price I wanted, so I had to settle with it. I'm very pleased with it though.

As long as you're pleased with it, that's all that matters.
^___^

[Big Kev]

http://www.killthepigeons.com/nucleus/media/1/20070306-20061009-pigeon_shits_on_child.jpg

[Shadow Knight]

This is a lame, over-asked question, but ill ask anyway (>_>), as the 26'' LCD in my room doesnt support 1080p, what would be a better resolution for devices like 360, blu-ray and such 720p or 1080i? would i even notice a difference given the tv's size?

[Lazlow]

You wouldn't notice. I'm guessing the resolution of your screen is 1366x768 which would mean you wouldn't get a true image either way. But FTR, from what I've read 1080i is better at still images (better detail) but 720p is better for motion.

[woodyagw]

i think 720 would be better
from what I understand 1080i only shows 540 lines at a time (evens and odds alternately)

[Pai Mel]

It depends on the source. If a computer game is natively 720p then it would be best to display it on a progressive screen.

If you are talking about TV shows, a lot of this is interlaced footage. Televised sports, Beijing Olympics, news, Australian Idol, etc. are shot with professional cameras as interlaced video. So they would be best viewed on an interlaced screen so that you get smooth motion and don't loose detail due to de-interlacing.


Film sources such as Hollywood films are shot at 24 fps progressive so are best viewed that way. Back in the day when we all owed CRT TVs which were interlaced screens, they had to produce DVDs to be compatible with our TVs so Hollywood movies were encoded as interlaced MPEG2. But all they did was duplicate frames for both odd and even lines, and then increased playback speed to 25 fps.

But anyway why don't you try both settings and see which you like best. I've not been able to tell the difference at all but our Sony Bravia has a pretty good picture scaler.

[Cobla]

So I'm looking to upgrade my TV from a 32" Samsung LCD (about 2 years old) to something bigger and I've come unstuck on the question of just how big is big enough?

I'm looking at a pair of plasmas that are identical other than size, they are Samsung series 4, 42" and 50"

The price difference is about $500, but compared to buying another TV in 2 years this is really not a huge amount. Also an extra 8" for $500 seems like good value to me.

Only problem is that thing where in store everything looks much smaller than it does when you get it home. The 32" ones for example look really small in-store, while at home it looks undoubtedly bigger. (Just no longer big enough. Also it doesn't do 1080p)

So I'm a little worried that I'll get the 50" home and the wife will complain that it's too big.

Maybe she just needs to get used to it..?

Anyway for those people who have these size screens already, are you still as happy with the size as when you bought it? Also is "big enough" even a real thing? :p

[Pai Mel]

50" is a good size. Get it. When you play split-screen games you will appreciate the extra screen space. Plus it will have better resale value cause people always upsize.

[Australian Ninja]

So I'm looking to upgrade my TV from a 32" Samsung LCD (about 2 years old) to something bigger and I've come unstuck on the question of just how big is big enough?

I'm looking at a pair of plasmas that are identical other than size, they are Samsung series 4, 42" and 50"

The price difference is about $500, but compared to buying another TV in 2 years this is really not a huge amount. Also an extra 8" for $500 seems like good value to me.

Only problem is that thing where in store everything looks much smaller than it does when you get it home. The 32" ones for example look really small in-store, while at home it looks undoubtedly bigger. (Just no longer big enough. Also it doesn't do 1080p)

So I'm a little worried that I'll get the 50" home and the wife will complain that it's too big.

Maybe she just needs to get used to it..?

Anyway for those people who have these size screens already, are you still as happy with the size as when you bought it? Also is "big enough" even a real thing? :p

You may want to consider also how far will you be from the screen? If it's in a decent size lounge, then you soon get used to a big screen. If however you were to use the same TV in a smaller room (say a bedroom for example) then it might not be suitable.

What are your gaming and viewing habits? (assuming you play games).
If you do play split screen games, then bigger is better. But if you're playing mainly single player, an overly large screen can be harder to concentrate on - unless you are a fair distance from it. Even then, it's still "more screen" for you eyes to focus on and games require rapid visual pattern recognition and more intense concentration than watching films etc.

Personally I find it easier to concentrate for longer periods of time on a medium size TV. Big TVs are great for movies and shows, but may not suit everyone for games. But it comes down to personal preference in the end.

[werd123]

What would be a great place to get a HDMI cable for my PC? Looked at Shopbot and most of the shop don't look safe.

[buckstwits]

try cablechick (http://www.cablechick.com.au/cables/hdmi-cables.htm)

[adam_91vn]

What would be a great place to get a HDMI cable for my PC? Looked at Shopbot and most of the shop don't look safe.

http://www.ezyhd.com.au/

[Starscream]

Can I use the standard composite cables that come with any DVD player and use them for as component cables instead?

EDIT: Google searches say you can use standard composite cables as component cables and they should mostly work as long as they are not cheaply made and shouldn't have interference from other cables. Skimmed read that "good" component cables are double shielded from interference.

[Therapist_Sydney]

Hey dude thanks for the topic
and thanks for the unique information in your topic.

:)



Marriage Counselling (href="http://www.couplecounselling.com.au )

[Australian Ninja]

Reading through the earlier posts and links to topics on LAG RE: playing SD games on HD TVs and such (480) - I'm wondering is this STILL an issue, have HDTV's improved at all?

Is lag still a problem with old games/machines?