I Want to Buy an HDTV

[Jayhawk76]

I'm going to buy an HDTV soon, and I want to make a smart decision. Right now, there are two TVs that I want to take a closer look at. First there is the Syntax Olevia LT27HV 27" LCD TV (http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_techspecs_full.php/masterid=2517663). It's an LCD TV with a 720p display. With delivery, I can get it for $750. Then there's the Toshiba 34HF84 34" TV (http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_techspecs_full.php/masterid=3458096). It's a CRT/picture tube TV with a 1080i display. It's price is $1,000. The flat/slim screen isn't that important to me. I'm mainly concerned with picture quality. Here are my questions.

1) If you had $1,000 to spend on a TV, which one would you get (and you're not restricted between the two that I just mentioned)?

2) Which display do you like better; 1080i or 720p? My understanding is that while it's considered a matter of taste, more people prefer 720p.

3) Eventhough the Syntax displays in 720p, it says that it "supports" the 1080i broadcast format. And eventhough the Toshiba displays in 1080i, it says it supports the 720p broadcast format. So I'm assuming they somehow convert the signal? If so, then when a TV converts a signal from 1080i to 720p (or vice versa), how much quality is lost? And does the conversion work better in one direction than it does in another? Foreinstance, would a 720p display TV provide a better image of a 1080i signal than a 1080i display TV would of a 720p signal?

4) Is one format used more commonly than the other by the various TV networks?

5) Are there TVs that can display in both 1080i and 720p?

I appreciate any help you guys can offer.

[Shinigami-Sama]

a 1080p plasma can handle both
and with "spports" is uses a shady resizer/re/re-interlacer
fo scaling down from 1080i to 720p whats realy happening with some tv is that it's resizing horazontaly to 1280 and 1/2ing the vertical to 540p then resizing it back up to 720p
and theother way around
scale down from 720p to 520p and spilt it into fields,
some of them anyways
my 1080i tv is nice, but.. theres not much programing for it yet, and I'll have to pay extra for an "HD box" from my provider as well as 'upgrade' to the digi-cable
but realisticaly 1080o tvs are the only way to go, i can fully support both 1080i and 720p
1080i is a simple bob de-interlace and 720p a simply resize

and it seems 720p is more used from what I hear so I;d go with the 720p I wish I had

[Jayhawk76]

Thanks for replying Shinigami. The 1080p TVs are a lot more expensive, so if I go that route, I'm gonna have to wait quite a while. But... I might do that.

So if you are watching a program that is 1080i, would it look noticeably better on a 1080i TV than a 720p TV since there is no resizing involved? Also, when it resizing a 1080i signal, are you still getting true progressive scan? Can it turn an interlaced image into progressive scan?

Would it be correct to say that an 1080i signals looks better on a 1080i TV, because on a 720p TV, it would only be half the resolution? And that a 720p signal will look better on a 720p TV, because on a 1080i TV, you lose the progressive scan.

[SeeMoreDigital]

If anyone in Europe is intending to buy an HDTV, make sure it carries the "new" HD logo. Which in-effect means it will cope with HDCP content....


Cheers

[Jayhawk76]

One other question that I forgot to mention. If you were going to buy an LCD to use as both a TV and a monitor, would you buy a TV or a monitor?

[SeeMoreDigital]

Most HD capable displays (in Europe) are fitted with crappy analogue TV tuners instead of digital ones.... So I guess it depends on what you require "tuner" wise!


Cheers

[Jayhawk76]

Well since our digital cable comes with a receiver, I'm guessing I don't need a tuner, right?

[jggimi]

That would be correct, your Set Top Box (STB) will do the tuning for you. Your connection from the STB to your TV will either be analog (component video) or digital (DVI or HDMI).

When it comes to the various technologies, such as CRT, DLP, LCD, Plasma ... each and every one has tradeoffs -- both positive and negative attributes -- that you need to take into consideration. I chose LCD over Plasma, for example, because I didn't want to worry about pillarbox burn-in; we watch a lot of SDTV.

There are several sources to aid you with your research online -- one that I found very useful before (and after) I aquired my HDTV was the forum at www.hdtvoice.com -- along with some terrific FAQs, you'll find comments on experience with specific TV models, STBs, DVD players, cables, sound systems, you name it.

Good luck!

[Jayhawk76]

Thanks jggimi! I've been looking for a forum that specialized in HDTV.

[jggimi]

I hope you find it as helpful as I did.

One thing I haven't done (yet) is capture HD transport streams on PC. We have a forum here for HD capture when you (or me) are ready: HDTV / DVB / TiVo (http://http://forum.doom9.org/forumdisplay.php?f=64)

[johnhamler1]

i dont like plasma, LCD is better, and crt the best for a TV.
what I will do, I will buy a projector(www.projectorcentral.com), to have a 110 inches screen .I have one in my home, and I can tell you, I will never watch again a movie on a TV.

then find a cheap TV just to watch stupid TV.
dont spend 700$ in a stupid TV.

[jggimi]

LCD can have noticeable ghosting. As I mentioned, every technology has different things to consider. Luckily the LCD projector I chose doesn't seem to suffer from ghosting; either because of the LCD technology they use, or due to how the images are back projected. And with projectors there are bulbs to replace -- yet another consideration. My TV is a Panasonic, and my research at htdvoice led me to acquire a spare bulb for it early on. Not just because some customers were seeing relatively early life bulb failures; but because Panasonic was having trouble with bulb supply and some people were waiting a long time for replacement bulbs even under warranty.