Time for a new HDTV

[Agentbolt]

So here's my plan, I want a BIG HDTV. Because I could care less about mounting it on the wall or whatever, it looks like my best bet might be a DLP TV, as a 50-57 inch DLP is going to cost a LOT less than a comparable plasma or LCD, and I don't mind the thought of having to replace the bulb every 3-5 years.

What I'm seeing is a pretty big price jump (naturally) from 720P-1080P resolution. I know for smaller TVs it makes very little difference, but for a big DLP TV, would I likely notice the increase in resolution? I have a PS3 so I'll be watching some Blu-Ray movies, so I will have some 1080P signal to work with.

My other question is, TV stations that broadcast in 1080i, what does a 1080P TV do with that signal. I would think the DLP TV would deinterlace it interally, so wouldn't I end up with a 1080p picture anyway, like with those older-style A2 HD-DVD players?

And finally, where's the best place to go find a 1080P DLP TV? Bestbuy and Circuit City both seem to be plasma and LCD only. Usually my MO in these situations is to just E-Bay search for the best deal, but shipping is like 200-300 dollars usually, wiping out any savings I'd find.

 

[Arkaign]

DLP is outstanding. Buy your extra bulb(s) now, while they're easily available.

1080p makes a difference with 1080p content (ie; Bluray from PS3) with that size, and from a typical 6' viewing distance.

You might try Craigslist, I saw a less-than-1-year-old 65" DLP for $800, IIRC, looked pretty nice, and lots of DLPs for sale on there.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
DLP is outstanding. Buy your extra bulb(s) now, while they're easily available.

1080p makes a difference with 1080p content (ie; Bluray from PS3) with that size, and from a typical 6' viewing distance.

You might try Craigslist, I saw a less-than-1-year-old 65" DLP for $800, IIRC, looked pretty nice, and lots of DLPs for sale on there.

Correction - 1080p at that distance makes a BIG difference for ALL sources. Especially 1080i which is what most broadcast HD is in anyway. All it does is deinterlace it and with a quality deinterlacer it can look outstanding, much better than a 720 set. You do indeed wind up with a 1080p picture.

1080p also does much better with SD content - more resolution means less scaling artifacts.

How far away are you sitting is the biggest factor, so make sure you get a TV big enough for your distance.

 

[Rio Rebel]

Agree with Spidey - from that distance with the large screen, 1080p gives you a noticable improvement with all HD sources, not just 1080p sources.

The value of that improvement becomes subjective. I have a 720p projector, and I'd love to have a 1080p projector, but I'm not going to drop $2000 for that improvement right now. If I had a 480p projector, I might consider it, but I'm getting "good enough" out of 720p for now.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: spidey07
1080p also does much better with SD content - more resolution means less scaling artifacts.

Huh? Wouldn't that mean there would be _more_ scaling artifacts, since it has to scale more?

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: spidey07
1080p also does much better with SD content - more resolution means less scaling artifacts.

Huh? Wouldn't that mean there would be _more_ scaling artifacts, since it has to scale more?

This is always a good article that explains it pretty well.
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com...ld-be-concerned_4.html

 

[pennylane]

Sony SXRD's look arguably better than DLP and don't have any rainbow issues. But you won't be disappointed with DLP either.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: spidey07
1080p also does much better with SD content - more resolution means less scaling artifacts.

Huh? Wouldn't that mean there would be _more_ scaling artifacts, since it has to scale more?

No, it means that the pixel accuracy will be higher, as rendering 480i into 1080p will be far more detailed than rendering it into 720p.

 

[kalrith]

Here's a viewing-distance chart that shows the general distance at which the human eye can notice the higher resolution of 1080p over 720p. i.e. If you sit 10 feet from a 50" TV, then you're most likely not going to notice the difference. If you sit 7 feet from a 50" TV, then you're definitely going to notice a difference. In between that is different for different people. Personally I can't tell the difference at 9 feet away. I sit 10-11 feet from my 50", so I actually got a better 720p TV for the same price as a lower-quality 1080p TV would've been.

 

[blueshoe]

Originally posted by: fanerman91
Sony SXRD's look arguably better than DLP and don't have any rainbow issues. But you won't be disappointed with DLP either.

I was going to mention Sony's SXRDs as well. There's a pretty good deal going on at Sears right now on the A3000 series. I bought the 55" model myself and will be picking it up this week.

A3000

Cnet review

Sony isn't making RPTVs anymore and it seems some people are having a hard time finding these around. The picture is supposed to rival some high end plasmas and LCDs as well. There's also a massive owner's thread on the A3000 series over at AVSforum-- a lot of good stuff being said about this set.

AVSforum A3000 thread

 

[DaveJ]

Having lived with a 58" 1080P DLP for the last two years (HP MD5880n), I'll be buying an LED based DLP for my next set, likely sometime next year when my extended warranty runs out. The LEDs last the life of the set so there's no bulb to swap out, and they have very few (if any) moving parts so you don't get excess noise from the light engine. The scaler in my HP is outstanding, it makes upconverting DVD players irrelevant and SD looks great as well. If you look around you can find a 61" Samsung 61A750 for 2 grand or less.

[edit]
There is also no color wheel with the Samsung LED models, so "rainbows" are supposedly drastically reduced over a bulb model with a traditional light engine.

 

[Muadib]

I'm a big fan of the Samsung DLP sets. It's hard to beat Amazon on price. Here is the HL56A650. It's $1400 with free shipping if you get it at OneCall.

Here is the HL61A750 that DaveJ mentioned. It's $1765, but so worth it.

The Sony A3000 series that blueshoe talked about is also a good deal. You need to find a store that carries both though, so you can see them before you buy.