Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community
Old 03-30-2007, 02:12 PM   #1
Regulator75
Franchise Player
 
Regulator75's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Behind Nikkor Glass
Exp:
Default Archived Calgarypuck HDTV, LCD, TV, etc. Help/Advice Thread

Which television would you chose, if you weren't paying for it?

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...7&catid=23526#
50 inch Pioneer Plasma 1080i / 1366x768p / $4199.99

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...50&catid=23527
52 inch Samgsung LCD 1080P / 1920 x 1080 / $3999.99

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...98&catid=23527
52 inch Sharp Aquos LCD full 1080P / 1920x1080 / $3999.99

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...86&catid=23524
46 inch Sony XBR LCD 1080P / 1920x1080 / $4299.99


Help me decide.
__________________

More photos on Flickr
Regulator75 is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 02:31 PM   #2
ken0042
Playboy Mansion Poolboy
 
ken0042's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Close enough to make a beer run during a TV timeout
Exp:
Default

As I always say- make sure you are comparing apples to apples. A 52" TV is 27% bigger than a 46".

http://www.cavecreations.com/tv2.cgi

My biased opinion says get the Sony if that will be big enough for you. I would also get a 1080p TV if I was dropping that kind of cash.
ken0042 is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 02:39 PM   #3
TurnedTheCorner
Lifetime Suspension
 
TurnedTheCorner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Exp:
Default

Of the ones listed, I would go for the Sharp. The Aquos line has an outstanding reputation amongst LCDs.
TurnedTheCorner is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 02:55 PM   #4
Vulcan
Franchise Player
 
Vulcan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Sunshine Coast
Exp:
Default

From what I've read all the LCD's over 42" have banding, clouding and or backlighting issues. If you can find a Sharp Aquos without banding, that's my pick.

If you aren't hooking up to your computer or playing games on your TV, the Pioneer sounds good.
Vulcan is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 02:58 PM   #5
KevanGuy
Franchise Player
 
KevanGuy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Estonia
Exp:
Default Official Calgarypuck HDTV, LCD, TV, etc. Help/Advice Thread

We seem to get at least a couple of these threads a week in OT from people looking for HDTV, LCD, etc. help and advice. I think it would be a good idea to have just one thread for all these and other TV questions.
KevanGuy is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 03:12 PM   #6
Old Yeller
First Line Centre
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Exp:
Default

It depends on a variety of factors.. where are you setting the TV up. Is it a well lit room or darker (LCD's handle lighter areas better)?

Plasma's tend to have better viewing angles and handle black levels better as well.

How far back from the TV are you sitting? All TV's that are 50" or less, you won't notice 1080p unless your face is pressed up against the glass.
Old Yeller is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 03:26 PM   #7
MaDMaN_26
Powerplay Quarterback
 
MaDMaN_26's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Calgary
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Regulator75 View Post
Which television would you chose, if you weren't paying for it?

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...7&catid=23526#
50 inch Pioneer Plasma 1080i / 1366x768p / $4199.99

Help me decide.
1080i no question
__________________
______________________________________________
http://openmedia.ca/switch
MaDMaN_26 is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 03:36 PM   #8
Regulator75
Franchise Player
 
Regulator75's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Behind Nikkor Glass
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Yeller View Post
It depends on a variety of factors.. where are you setting the TV up. Is it a well lit room or darker (LCD's handle lighter areas better)?

Plasma's tend to have better viewing angles and handle black levels better as well.

How far back from the TV are you sitting? All TV's that are 50" or less, you won't notice 1080p unless your face is pressed up against the glass.
The TV would be going in our family room on the main floor.
The windows face North, there isn't too much direct sunlight, plus we do have decent blinds that keep that room fairly dark...

The TV would sit about 9-11 feet from the closest couch.
__________________

More photos on Flickr
Regulator75 is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 03:47 PM   #9
Old Yeller
First Line Centre
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Exp:
Default

I've been doing quite a bit of research as I plan on buying one soon and I just don't see the point of 1080p yet. Broadcasters are having enough bandwidth issues pushing out content at 720p... maybe one day they'll figure out their issues and work on pushing out 1080p content, but that's not going to happen for at least 3 years.

You're sitting far enough away that you honestly won't notice 1080p on a 50" unless you've got better than 20/20 vision, although if you want to get a 1080p set just to stay current I can understand, but just go to a store and eyeball a couple of sets of similar build quality but one being 1080i and one being 1080p.... see if you really notice the difference.

I really like the Pioneer you've got listed, the 5070 has gotten rave reviews, but just to offer you a cheaper alternative:

Panasonic 50" plasma

My buddy has the TH50PX60 (last years model) and the standard definition channels look great and HD of course looks amazing. He has no real complaints as it's got all the inputs he needs. The picture quality on the Pioneer is better, but I don't think it's $1000 better.

Edit: one other thing, the MRSP prices that futureshop has listed, you can probably bargain a HD/PVR tuner out of them with the TV for a package deal for relatively cheap. Just don't let them push monster cables on you, it's ridiculous how much of a markup they have on them and that's where they make a lot of their money.

Go to monoprice.com and order your cables there. I ordered cables and a wall mount from them, my package was here in a week, the cables are great quality, and you'll save at least $200.

Last edited by Old Yeller; 03-30-2007 at 03:50 PM.
Old Yeller is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 03:47 PM   #10
Regulator75
Franchise Player
 
Regulator75's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Behind Nikkor Glass
Exp:
Default

Feel free to move my last thread to this new sticky.

Thanks.
__________________

More photos on Flickr
Regulator75 is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 04:31 PM   #11
Kaon
Backup Goalie
 
Join Date: May 2004
Exp:
Default

I bought this one earlier this week at A&B Sound for $2,550.00 and I love it. It is set pretty damn bright out of the box though so turning on the auto adjuster, or just dulling it down is a good idea.

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...gon=&langid=EN
46 inch Sharp Aquos 1080P / 1920x1080

Personally just walking around I loved the image on the Sharp a lot more than other TV's. The Sony's have a killer picture, but are expensive as hell for the size you get. The difference was not big enough for me to warrant spending $1,500 more for the same size TV. The Samsungs were nice, and I almost walked out with one, but liked the blacks on the Sharp better.

As for plasma, I play video games and found that sometimes I prefer watching a show with letterbox, so the LCD was the smarter choice for me. I didn't want to risk burn-in wrecking my new TV even if the colours tended to look better. (Honestly I didn't like the Panasonic LCD or Plasma screens I saw).

Oh and when the guy at A&B got to trying to sell cables he came straight out and said he wouldn't recommend monster cables as they are a waste of money even if he does get a better commission. Reasoning offered at the time was he was more interested in repeat customers, or people referring him to others so he could keep future comission streaming in. I'd already done my research and wasn't going to buy them, but it was nice to not hear the push I was expecting. I can send you his name in a PM if you'd like. At the least he was awesome to talk to TV's about, as he knew what he was talking about and wasn't trying to force a sale.

Last edited by Kaon; 03-30-2007 at 04:36 PM.
Kaon is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 04:37 PM   #12
Hack&Lube
Atomic Nerd
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Calgary
Exp:
Default

A plasma is never going to deliver 1080p at the price of an LCD.

The plasma you have listed is 1366x768 resolution only for 1080i! That's much less than the standard 1080p which is 1920 pixels wide x 1080 pixels high.
Hack&Lube is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 05:01 PM   #13
Vulcan
Franchise Player
 
Vulcan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Sunshine Coast
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Yeller View Post

How far back from the TV are you sitting? All TV's that are 50" or less, you won't notice 1080p unless your face is pressed up against the glass.
The way I understand it is a 1080p TV allows you to sit closer and still get a good picture.
Vulcan is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 05:05 PM   #14
Vulcan
Franchise Player
 
Vulcan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Sunshine Coast
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hack&Lube View Post
A plasma is never going to deliver 1080p at the price of an LCD.

The plasma you have listed is 1366x768 resolution only for 1080i! That's much less than the standard 1080p which is 1920 pixels wide x 1080 pixels high.
I like 1080p myself but resolution is only one aspect of a picture. Plasma's have better blacks and higher contrast and you don't have to worry about response time.
Vulcan is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 05:11 PM   #15
Bill Bumface
My face is a bum!
 
Bill Bumface's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hack&Lube View Post
A plasma is never going to deliver 1080p at the price of an LCD.

The plasma you have listed is 1366x768 resolution only for 1080i! That's much less than the standard 1080p which is 1920 pixels wide x 1080 pixels high.
The difference in resolution isn't detectable at normal viewing distances. Things like black levels, contrast ratios and many other aspects of picture quality are harder to measure to put on the nice glossy brochures, but much more important in delivering a good picture. My LCD runs a wicked resolution but looks crappy and dull compared to every Samsung and Panasonic LCD I've ever seen.
Bill Bumface is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 06:10 PM   #16
ken0042
Playboy Mansion Poolboy
 
ken0042's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Close enough to make a beer run during a TV timeout
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by MaDMaN_26 View Post
1080i no question
I am curious why you would suggest 1080i over 1080p- other than to try and steer somebody into a bad buying decision.
ken0042 is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 06:27 PM   #17
Shazam
Franchise Player
 
Shazam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Memento Mori
Exp:
Default

Lots of misinformation about what 1080p is.

Read this:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volum...07-part-1.html
__________________
If you don't pass this sig to ten of your friends, you will become an Oilers fan.
Shazam is offline  
Old 03-30-2007, 06:43 PM   #18
Peanut
First Line Centre
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Fantasy Island
Exp:
Default

I was under the impression Sharp had a bad reputation. Could be wrong though.

Bought a 55" Sony 1080 SXRD on boxing day. Went into the whole process undecided between plasma and LCD, and ended up with neither! We're really happy with it.

My suggestion would be to just get what looks the best to your eye and complements your TV room (light vs. dark, distance from couch, etc.).

One other thing I found interesting is that Sony is out of the plasma market, all their focus is on LCD.

Last edited by Peanut; 03-30-2007 at 06:51 PM.
Peanut is offline  
Old 03-31-2007, 09:35 AM   #19
chummer
Franchise Player
 
chummer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Exp:
Default

When you decide on a TV,check to see of Costco carries it.
They have the best return policy by far.

I just bought the Sharp Aquos(37 inch) there last week for $1299...it was $1699 at FS....great TV.
chummer is offline  
Old 03-31-2007, 10:22 AM   #20
Vulcan
Franchise Player
 
Vulcan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Sunshine Coast
Exp:
Default

I have a HD CRT TV and an LCD. The CRT gives a great picture but it is subject to burn in like a plasma. To protect the TV I stretch or zoom the picture on SD broadcasts but this causes distortion and a lower quality picture with parts of it cutoff and believe me I don't want a lower quality picture on a TV that already shows all the defects in a SD broadcast.
With the LCD I can leave the SD picture in it's 4x3 format, enjoy a better picture and not worry. To me LCD is the best until something like SED comes along but even this has burn in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface...mitter_display
Vulcan is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:13 PM.

Calgary Flames
2023-24




Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright Calgarypuck 2021