is HD really that big of a deal?

[OldReb]

I got a HD converter box for one of my TVs (still have to decide whether to get another one later). No coupon - the store owner didn't take them due to too much govt. red tape. And I hadn't yet applied for a coupon anyway due to concerns over Big Brther spying. Is there a spy chip in the converter box? The signal is too weak on several channels (even with a signal booster) so I guess I need a bigger better antenna now. The HD channels which have a weak signal are unwatchable because of the signal breaking up (audio and/or video), whereas the problem seems less on non-HD channels. Still nothing worth watching on Saturday AM though.

 

[WorldIsMine]

I really don't watch TV or sports (I tend to hate both of them), but HD does make a difference because it's a higher resolution. Ask yourself this: size aside, what looks better, a TV or a computer monitor? Computer monitors have 3-5 times the resolution of a TV, and it makes a huge difference in the quality of video games and even movies. I watch all my movies on PC.

 

[stan1980]

I've found watching non-HD channels on a HD TV makes the picture appear worse than watching on a regular TV. I think this is because the HDTV has more pixels so you can see the imperfections of a regular broadcast more clearly on you HDTV than on a regular TV.

 

[search4Christians]

HD is a BIG BIG DEAL

HD is like black and white is to colour TVs

 

[Garbageman]

I am looking at buying a new tv and dont know which way to go LCD or Plasma? 1080p? need some help

 

[Soul Searcher]

I would go LCD preferably 1080p altough 1080i looks pretty good as well.

Make sure the one you get has all the inputs you need, such as hdmi, component, digital rf, d-sub for vga if needed.

Part of the decision needs to be based on the size you want and of course the price and also what you are going to use it for. If you have many stationary images on the screen it can be an issue with plasma displays. Last I heard they burn in faster than other displays where LCDs do not burn in.

 

[Washington]

I am looking at buying a new tv and dont know which way to go LCD or Plasma? 1080p? need some help

PLASMA, without any question. And don't bother paying for 1080p resolution. Seldom will you be able to tell the difference between it and 720p. But one of the biggest factors is price.LCDs are simply more costly to manufacture, which of course, is passed on to the consumer. Moreover, plasmas have:

better contrast ratios.
darker blacks
better color saturation
greater viewing angle

and one of the most critical is that plasmas have a very smooth video. In pictures were there is quick movement, the motion on LCDs can sometimes be annoyingly jerky, something that does not occur on a plasma set.

That said, LCDs are superior to plasmas in other respects. LCDs are not subject to image burn-in. However, it would take days of displaying a static image before any burn-in would start to occur.

LCDs can also produce brighter images, but this is only critical if the room is brightly lit with sunshine. Also, the LCD screen is not quite as reflective as that of the plasma's, which means reflected room images are not as apparent; however, this problem has just about been solved in plasmas.
LCDs are also lighter in weight

In my opinion these advantages don't come near to outweighing those of the plasma's. Lower price, better quality of picture, and the lack of motion jerk have sold me on plasma. Here are two pdf files that really go into plasma tvs.

ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/pub/Panasonic/Drivers/PBTS/papers/Plasma-WP.pdf.

http://www.plasma-lcd-facts.eu/_pdf/pdf-the-future-still-looks-bright-for-plasma-tvs.pdf.

 

[Soul Searcher]

Actually on many plasma sets temporary burn occurs very quickly. On my brothers set the FBI warning message on the dvd is still somewhat visible after it is no longer displayed and that is from no more than one minute of display. Hopefully they have improved since he bought his but one such as he got would be ruint by leaving a video game like pacman on it for any length of time.

Over all it really depends on what you are goi9ng to use it for and how big you want the screen to be. If you want 42" or less and plan to use it as a computer monitor or to play video games on then LCD is the way to go. If you want larger than 42" and plan to use it for movies and tv only then plasma is the way to go.

 

[Soul Searcher]

btw there is no motion jerk on the lcd that I am using and it has a black booster built in. No complaints, makes a great PC monitor and game station and looks great on movies as well.

As for viewing angle on the LCD like I have if you can see the screen you can see the picture with no noticable drop in quality. Any larger viewing angle would be pointless anyway.

 

[Fuji S5 Pro]

I have a film background and work in the T.V industry. It matters in broadcast, but for my home, not really.

You see even though the resolution is higher, you cant spot the fine detail very well unless there is no motion. If i have to look for better detail, then i dont think it is worth getting. Plus in a couple of years, 4K resolution t.v will be coming and you will probably notice a bigger jump then.

What i do like about HD is that it uses the 16:9 format, unlike traditional tv that uses 4:3. Now we have the proper format that movies were shot on and made to watch on.

 

[Quasicentennial]

I believe the tradtional do-it-own press buttons from TV or remote for contrast, color and brightness should be obsolete because viewers could mistaken their not-so-good favourite viewing with HD technology. I believe there should be mirror to mirror automatic contrast, color and brightness for every type of videotape shown from DVD and TV station. That way viewers can truly see the advanced or poor quality of the videotape itself.