Getting cheaper all the time - LCD TV
07 January 2007, 12:37 AM
#31
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Everything in the major retailers is poorly set up and badly represented, but they know full well that the majority of their customers will buy any old $h!t as long as the wife agrees it will match the sofa and wallpaper. For every knowledgeable and discerning AV enthusiast there are 000's of dopey f*ckwits filling Curry's/Dixons/Comet's demographic, and so there is no reason for them to waste time and money employing/training staff to adequately demonstrate the products and their capabilities. Anyone with half an ounce of intelligence will only use such outlets to get the best price, but frequent specialists to make their judgement prior to any purchase. One has to wonder how many quality TV's are out there being run via a VHS recorder through RF 
When you see any of the current top panels set up and presented properly using a good source and suitable cabling you can then appreciate their capabilities and how much of an improvement is available over and above broadcast material. Go spend an hour at a specialist, and do them a favour and buy from them to help keep them going, as long as they offer to match the majors prices.
When you see any of the current top panels set up and presented properly using a good source and suitable cabling you can then appreciate their capabilities and how much of an improvement is available over and above broadcast material. Go spend an hour at a specialist, and do them a favour and buy from them to help keep them going, as long as they offer to match the majors prices.The overall point is that these big screens SHOULD be able to produce the same (or better) quality picture as a CRT does from the same source - and they do not do that! ... that may be through a Video via the RF lead ....
The sale of big screen TVs to idiots should go down as a crime against humanity!
07 January 2007, 12:46 AM
#32
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You seem to be missing the point that the resolution and quality of these screens is the very thing that is highlighting the inadequacy of current broadcasting. GIGO - It's the source that's at fault, not the TV
07 January 2007, 12:47 AM
#33
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Do what i did. Bought a 28inch Panasonic CRT off Ebay for £120. Fantastic picture and even the guy selling it admitted its better than his new LCD. But the wife wanted one.
I'm waiting until the BBC is broadcast in HD before i do anything. The S/H CRT tides me over until that time.
.I'm waiting until the BBC is broadcast in HD before i do anything. The S/H CRT tides me over until that time.
07 January 2007, 01:34 AM
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07 January 2007, 09:34 AM
#37
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The sale of big screen TVs to idiots should go down as a crime against humanity!
Darwinsim at it's most subtle My CRT gave up the ghost last week, so I bought a Panny 42" Plasma
I have to admit that even with it still being run in (not manufacturers recommendations, but general "unofficial" advice), the picture is nothing short of amazing 
It's easily on a par, and when I set up the picture properly, judging on what I've got now, I'm going to be even happier.Sky TV looks really good - the colour and definition is again, as good as the CRT (my CRT was £1000 Toshiba)
The Xbox in HD is VERY good indeed. As is my DVD in component/progressive mode (StarWars EP3 was especially good
)Not too bothered about 1080p at the moment, as by the time we'll all be able to actually benefit from it, I'll be at least another 5 yrs older (IMHO)....
One happy bunny at the moment though
Dan
07 January 2007, 09:51 AM
#38
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We got an HD Ready 42" LG for just under a grand last July. The price has dropped £200 since then, but we've had 6 months use out of it. If you keep waiting for price drops you'll never buy one.
I did a quick comparison of different signals recently whilst watching Planet Earth on BBC1.
Analogue Tuner - The PQ was pretty poor, certainly not as good as our old 28" Sony CRT
Built in FreeView Tuner - As good if not better than the CRT.
Sky - (Normal BBC1 on SD with a decent RGB Scart lead) - The picture was nothing short of amazing. If you can get this good on SD I can't see the point in switching to HD.
DVD - (Sony Upscale HDMI) - Again, fantastic PQ.
Overal we're extremely happy with the purchase and have absolutly no regrets about buying what we did when we did.
Cheers
Steve.
I did a quick comparison of different signals recently whilst watching Planet Earth on BBC1.
Analogue Tuner - The PQ was pretty poor, certainly not as good as our old 28" Sony CRT
Built in FreeView Tuner - As good if not better than the CRT.
Sky - (Normal BBC1 on SD with a decent RGB Scart lead) - The picture was nothing short of amazing. If you can get this good on SD I can't see the point in switching to HD.
DVD - (Sony Upscale HDMI) - Again, fantastic PQ.
Overal we're extremely happy with the purchase and have absolutly no regrets about buying what we did when we did.
Cheers
Steve.
07 January 2007, 11:23 AM
#39
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But all HD DVD's are in 1080p resolution now, so you benefit straight away.. your Panasonic will simply be downscaling the 1080p images (to a lower resolution) to display on your TV...
07 January 2007, 12:16 PM
#40
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I just got a Sharp Aquos 32inch LCD for £599.
Quality bit of kit; I had reservations about picture quality with LCD, but I have to say I watched Blue Planet on it the other night (those kind of programmes tend to show up a poor picture) and it was stunning!!
Ns04
Quality bit of kit; I had reservations about picture quality with LCD, but I have to say I watched Blue Planet on it the other night (those kind of programmes tend to show up a poor picture) and it was stunning!!
Ns04
07 January 2007, 12:54 PM
#41
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Nah Pete, that's just exploitation Darwinsim at it's most subtle
My CRT gave up the ghost last week, so I bought a Panny 42" Plasma I have to admit that even with it still being run in (not manufacturers recommendations, but general "unofficial" advice), the picture is nothing short of amazing It's easily on a par, and when I set up the picture properly, judging on what I've got now, I'm going to be even happier.
Sky TV looks really good - the colour and definition is again, as good as the CRT (my CRT was £1000 Toshiba)
The Xbox in HD is VERY good indeed. As is my DVD in component/progressive mode (StarWars EP3 was especially good)
Not too bothered about 1080p at the moment, as by the time we'll all be able to actually benefit from it, I'll be at least another 5 yrs older (IMHO)....
One happy bunny at the moment though
Dan
Darwinsim at it's most subtle My CRT gave up the ghost last week, so I bought a Panny 42" Plasma
I have to admit that even with it still being run in (not manufacturers recommendations, but general "unofficial" advice), the picture is nothing short of amazing It's easily on a par, and when I set up the picture properly, judging on what I've got now, I'm going to be even happier.Sky TV looks really good - the colour and definition is again, as good as the CRT (my CRT was £1000 Toshiba)
The Xbox in HD is VERY good indeed. As is my DVD in component/progressive mode (StarWars EP3 was especially good
)Not too bothered about 1080p at the moment, as by the time we'll all be able to actually benefit from it, I'll be at least another 5 yrs older (IMHO)....
One happy bunny at the moment though
Dan
Thats a Plasma,not an LCD though.
07 January 2007, 01:44 PM
#42
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Petem95 - again, I come back to the issue of how many people are going to get HD DVD yet?
With the battle between the two formats, I personally going to hold on..... (not even going to get into the arguement about video data compression on DVD )
How many HD DVD titles are there - genuine question, as I don't know.....
Either way, it's going to be interesting, but I pretty happy with my decision at present
Dan
With the battle between the two formats, I personally going to hold on..... (not even going to get into the arguement about video data compression on DVD
)How many HD DVD titles are there - genuine question, as I don't know.....
Either way, it's going to be interesting, but I pretty happy with my decision at present
Dan
07 January 2007, 02:37 PM
#43
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LCD TVs and Plasmas will be dirt cheap in the following six months as the stop to the price fixing drives costs down. Id hate to have just splashed out over the odds on a new TV when it didnt even cost a quarter of what you paid to make it 
07 January 2007, 04:22 PM
#44
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NEC are marketing the first dual format external PC BD/HDDVD drive, and LG are pushing the media right laws hard to get out their dual format domestic machines. Meanwhile the studios are looking into dual format discs
It really is getting messy and unless £1k is small change I'd suggest that everyone hold off either format for at least another 6-12 months. TBH, SD upscaled through HDMI is pretty darn good. One wonders if the 2 rival formats are a bit like SACD and DVD-A, unwanted by the general public 
I have no doubt the marketing will force them into our lives before too long, but I won't entertain either until all the questions have been answered, especially the region coding and DRM controls 
07 January 2007, 05:10 PM
#46
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HD-DVD's main features are recorded in 1080p, but the supplimentary material may well be 480, and the player that can actually output 1080p are only just starting to ship, with the 1st and 2nd generation ones only offering 1080i or 720p. Firmware upgrades are becoming available to make 2nd gen machines 1080p, but that worries me as it suggests that the technology is still in development.
NEC are marketing the first dual format external PC BD/HDDVD drive, and LG are pushing the media right laws hard to get out their dual format domestic machines. Meanwhile the studios are looking into dual format discs It really is getting messy and unless £1k is small change I'd suggest that everyone hold off either format for at least another 6-12 months. TBH, SD upscaled through HDMI is pretty darn good. One wonders if the 2 rival formats are a bit like SACD and DVD-A, unwanted by the general public I have no doubt the marketing will force them into our lives before too long, but I won't entertain either until all the questions have been answered, especially the region coding and DRM controls
NEC are marketing the first dual format external PC BD/HDDVD drive, and LG are pushing the media right laws hard to get out their dual format domestic machines. Meanwhile the studios are looking into dual format discs
It really is getting messy and unless £1k is small change I'd suggest that everyone hold off either format for at least another 6-12 months. TBH, SD upscaled through HDMI is pretty darn good. One wonders if the 2 rival formats are a bit like SACD and DVD-A, unwanted by the general public I have no doubt the marketing will force them into our lives before too long, but I won't entertain either until all the questions have been answered, especially the region coding and DRM controls You could get a job in Curries any time .
07 January 2007, 05:19 PM
#47
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Do you apply that rule to other things you buy then?
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