HDTV question-ASAP please

[golfgal]

Does it make a huge difference to have a tv that has 720 vs the 1080??? We are planning on trying for the Target 32" tv on Black Friday but Best Buy has some on sale today for $299 vs $249. But we are also thinking that we can maybe get the $299 price later too, maybe???

 

[tileman]

We have a 1080 and at the time (last yr ) I could not tell the diff with the two.

I do know the closer you set the 1080 looks better. And yes ours is a 52" here's ours http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/462766689


Hope this helps http://reviews.cnet.com/720p-vs-1080p-hdtv/

 

[Geoff_M]

No, the rule of thumb you'll hear is that full 1080 isn't really noticable until you are looking at 52" or larger. We bought a 42" Samsung plasma this summer that is a 720 and have no regrets. The picture is beautiful.

 

[golfgal]

Thanks--I think I will buy this one from Best Buy and if we get the other one from Target on Friday, return this one.

 

[bicker]

Does it make a huge difference to have a tv that has 720 vs the 1080???

At 32", no, there isn't that big of a difference between 720p and 1080i or 1080p, especially if you're sitting more than six feet away from the screen.

Here is a great chart showing the relative merits:

Viewing Distance When Resolution Becomes Important

You really want to go up to 1080i or 1080p once you get to 42". That becomes absolutely essential at 50".

 

[golfgal]

At 32", no, there isn't that big of a difference between 720p and 1080i or 1080p, especially if you're sitting more than six feet away from the screen.

Here is a great chart showing the relative merits:

Viewing Distance When Resolution Becomes Important

You really want to go up to 1080i or 1080p once you get to 42". That becomes absolutely essential at 50".

Thanks, this is a secondary TV that will be wall mounted in our family room off our kitchen so we can see it from the kitchen and the family room. We have a 42" in our other family room that is 1080. Most of the viewing from this new one will be from 12+ feet away .

 

[AKL_Megs]

Just keep in mind that FULL HD is in 1080p... like a Blu Ray player. You won't get the full DH on a Blu Ray player, just 720 like a regular DVD player.

We have a 1080p TV and a Blu Ray player, and the difference is amazing.

 

[bicker]

Just keep in mind that FULL HD is in 1080p...

Religious discussions are not permitted on the DIS.

Truly, 720p, 1080i and 1080p all qualify as "HD". There is no such thing as "full HD" per se... that's a marketing term used by the industry to try to motivate consumers to buy more television than they need.

like a Blu Ray player.

Having said that, there is no question that a Blu-ray Disc Player puts out HD that is far better than the HD that a 720p source (like ABC, and Fox) or a 1080i source (like NBC and CBS) provides. Hooking a Blu-ray Disc Player up to a 720p display seems a little strange, no matter what the screen-size or distance from the screen is (except if you're doing so just as a stop-gap -- i.e., because you needed to replace a DVD player before you were ready to upgrade your television to 1080p).

You won't get the full [HD] on a Blu Ray player, just 720 like a regular DVD player.

To be clear, you never really get 720p from a DVD player. DVDs can have, encoded on them, no better than 480i video (about one sixth the amount of data as 720p, and one tenth the amount of data as Blu-ray). What many newer DVD players (and Blu-ray Disc players) do when playing DVDs is that they upconvert the video. They're interpolating (guessing) what the missing ~80% (if being displayed on a 720p display) or the missing ~90% (if being displayed on a 1080p display) of the data would have been, if all the data was stored on the DVD.

We have a 1080p TV and a Blu Ray player, and the difference is amazing.

I know whatchya mean.

 

[wdwmom2]

No, the rule of thumb you'll hear is that full 1080 isn't really noticable until you are looking at 52" or larger. We bought a 42" Samsung plasma this summer that is a 720 and have no regrets. The picture is beautiful.

Same here. We have a 40" Samsung plasma that is 720 and love the pic it gives us!!! When we bought it at Circuit City about 2 years ago, it stood out to DH and I with the picture quality, even up against the 1080's available in the same size range.

 

[golfgal]

Well, the Best Buy online order/pick it up in the store deal is pretty slick. I ordered this morning, it was ready to pick up in an hour, picked it up, DH is watching the Iowa/Minnesota game

It is some weird off-brand TV but it has a nice picture and it isn't even hooked up to the HD converter box yet.

 

[AshleyW]

Well, the Best Buy online order/pick it up in the store deal is pretty slick. I ordered this morning, it was ready to pick up in an hour, picked it up, DH is watching the Iowa/Minnesota game

It is some weird off-brand TV but it has a nice picture and it isn't even hooked up to the HD converter box yet.

GO HAWKS!!

 

[bicker]

We just got back from the brand-new Best Buy in Burlington. They literally have the aisles at Best Buy lined with budget-brand HDTVs. I would not expect too much in terms of long-term quality and reliability from these televisions. Only two brands stand out with regard to quality and reliability: Samsung and Sony. Some other brands are also pretty good in that regard -- I'm sure you've heard of their names before. If you haven't heard the brand name before, there's probably a reason for that. There is a company in China called Funai which makes (ahem) cost-reduced electronics, and sells their products in the United States in a never-ending carousel of brand-names, so they never suffer from a reputation.

But, hey, some HD is better than no HD! And while it lasts it will provide a great amount of entertainment value and satisfaction!

 

[KCmike]

There's more stats to look at then just the 1080p (which is far superior to lesser versions).

You need to look at ghz, contrast ratio, and which size will fit your needs. We ended up with a Samsung 40" 1080p, 120ghz, with 50,000 to one contrast ratio. It fell in our price range and was the best looking set after combing through all the stores. HD is amazing. Survivor tv show looks in incredible. When we upgraded our box from Time Warner we got all the channels for a few days and it was like Christmas.

 

[overlyspoiled4sure]

Ours is 720. What I don't understand is why the whole screen isn't lit with the picture. I only get it that way if I use the "full screen" mode from the remote. Do I need a different box from the silly cable company?

 

[bicker]

It depends.

What I think you're saying is that, for every channel, you always see black bars on the left and right sides of the screen, unless you stretch the image. If that's the case, then you either have a standard-definition cable box (which is what comes included with most cable television service packages), or you have a high-definition box (which you generally pay extra for) but it is not connected to your 720p display with a high-definition video connector.

The first is easy to check: Go to your cable bill, and see if the cable box is listed, and if it is, see if it specifically says that you are paying for a high-definition cable box. If not, then the next question is whether or not you service provider charges extra for a high-definition box, or includes one with your selected service level. (Some service providers do include a high-definition cable box with some of their service levels.) If you'd like, I can check for you on AVS Forum -- I just need your zip code, and the name of the specific service level you're paying for, from your bill. (The price you're paying for that service level will also help, but isn't necessary.)

The second requires checking the actual connections between the cable box and your 720p display. What are the labels on the ports where the wires are connected between the two? You should be using ports labeled "component video" or "Y Pb Pr" (though other labels are sometimes used for the same thing); or "HDMI".

There are a load of other considerations you may want to consider, but I don't want to derail this thread with them. If you'd like, please PM me and I'll help you as much as I can get the best video input you can with your HDTV. Alternatively, you can post your inquiry either in a new thread you start this forum (I'll be sure to pick it up), or on a forum devoted specifically to that concern, which you can find here: http://www.dtvusaforum.com/technical-dtv-hdtv-chat/

Having said all that, remember that I assumed that you were experiencing what you were experiencing on all channels -- if that is not the case -- if it is only certain channels, then it's a completely different thing, and I can give you a (completely different) explanation for that.

Do note that whatever is the case, using that full screen option really degrades the video you're getting. Many people feel it is better to deal with the black bars than let the television effectively corrupt the video quality.

 

[golfgal]

It depends.

What I think you're saying is that, for every channel, you always see black bars on the left and right sides of the screen, unless you stretch the image. If that's the case, then you either have a standard-definition cable box (which is what comes included with most cable television service packages), or you have a high-definition box (which you generally pay extra for) but it is not connected to your 720p display with a high-definition video connector.

The first is easy to check: Go to your cable bill, and see if the cable box is listed, and if it is, see if it specifically says that you are paying for a high-definition cable box. If not, then the next question is whether or not you service provider charges extra for a high-definition box, or includes one with your selected service level. (Some service providers do include a high-definition cable box with some of their service levels.) If you'd like, I can check for you on AVS Forum -- I just need your zip code, and the name of the specific service level you're paying for, from your bill. (The price you're paying for that service level will also help, but isn't necessary.)

The second requires checking the actual connections between the cable box and your 720p display. What are the labels on the ports where the wires are connected between the two? You should be using ports labeled "component video" or "Y Pb Pr" (though other labels are sometimes used for the same thing); or "HDMI".

There are a load of other considerations you may want to consider, but I don't want to derail this thread with them. If you'd like, please PM me and I'll help you as much as I can get the best video input you can with your HDTV. Alternatively, you can post your inquiry either in a new thread you start this forum (I'll be sure to pick it up), or on a forum devoted specifically to that concern, which you can find here: http://www.dtvusaforum.com/technical-dtv-hdtv-chat/

Having said all that, remember that I assumed that you were experiencing what you were experiencing on all channels -- if that is not the case -- if it is only certain channels, then it's a completely different thing, and I can give you a (completely different) explanation for that.

Do note that whatever is the case, using that full screen option really degrades the video you're getting. Many people feel it is better to deal with the black bars than let the television effectively corrupt the video quality.

Or, in simple terms, go to the menu option for the picture and put it on full screen mode. Up close this mode isn't as clear, from farther away it is fine (at least on our tv's).

 

[bicker]

Or, in simple terms, go to the menu option for the picture and put it on full screen mode.

No: My recommendation is quite the opposite.

Up close this mode isn't as clear, from farther away it is fine (at least on our tv's).

"Fine" is relative. The PP raised a valid concern. I'd prefer to try to help PP rather than dismiss the concern as if it were of no consequence.

 

[ukwildcat]

No: My recommendation is quite the opposite.

"Fine" is relative. The PP raised a valid concern. I'd prefer to try to help PP rather than dismiss the concern as if it were of no consequence.

I usually don't post much, but I just wanted to add (not hijack the thread) that Bicker is just the best to speak to about these things. Always has very helpful information, and genuinely cares about helping. Thanks for all you do, Bicker.