HDTV Question

[xedge2002]

I've been looking at HDTV's for a while and think when I finally pull the trigger I am going to go for an LCD. Can anybody tell me the difference between 1080i and 1080p and which one is better? or pros/cons of both?

Thanks!

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

Edge,

Not too sure, but I would also like to know if the 1080 thing is worth the extra bucks over the 720 and if so why.

Windy

[xedge2002]

me too! Someone on here has to know about this stuff.

[fishyguy]

Hi boys,

In the Equipment/Expert forum there have been a few threads on this and information given by people who know a lot more than I do, but I will give you what I got on this stuff. I really am not sure what the difference is between 1080i and the 1080p, but I can help a little on the 720 vs. 1080 question.

Many signals are sent in 480 right now with 720 about as good as it gets right now. In a few years (5 according to my buddy who works at Circuit City), the shows will mainly be shown in the higher quality 1080.

We recently bought a Sony Bravia, 52" LCD with 1080. Our reasoning is that we planned on having this TV into the days when 1080 is standard. We also bought the DVD player with the 1080 upconverter to take our movies we watch into the higher quality. We decided it was worth the dough as it was a long term investment that would pay off in a reasonable time frame.

That is my amateur opinion on it all. Check out the other forum. There are some very educated guys on this topic in there.

[SomethingFishy*]

If you are going to spend the money on a new HDTV I would recommend going with 1080p, it is becoming the new "standard" as it takes full advantage of HDMI, HDDVD, and BlueRay. . Most HD cable services and DirecTv currently broadcast at 1080i due to limited 1080p televisions out to date. 1080p televisions have also come down in price. I have a 55" that supports 1080i, my girlfriend has a 30" that is 720p, and our renter has a 42" 1080p television. His tv has the best looking picture out of the 3.

Moral: Buy the one with 1080p otherwise you will second guess or worse yet regret "cheaping out" on something you will want or potentially need in the future.

[LMITOUT]

Well, that isn't exactly true. Dish and every other broadcaster typically passes on the signal that the channel provides to them. Such as:

720p - ABC, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD, FOX, My Network TV, select local FSN, National Geographic HD

1080i - Everything else

The part that the cable and satellite providers alter is the bandwidth, and this can mean more to the picture quality than the type of signal sent. DirecTV chokes down their bandwidth so that they can put more channels on a satellite and that can cause some very poor HDTV. People refer to this as HD-lite. Dish also is guilty of this but to a much lesser degree, but both of them have started to move towards MPEG-4 which has a smaller bandwidth yet the PQ isn't affected as much.

The wildcard is your equipment. A satellite receiver can be set to output 480i, 480p, 720p, or 1080i to your TV. There is very little that can source a 1080p signal to a TV at this time, and if you purchase a 1080p TV it will upconvert whatever signal you pass to it anyway. Some TV's have a better processor than others, or you may wish to have the satellite or cable box do the processing. It all depends on the equipment.

1080p is the fashionable thing to say and buy, but it really isn't anything you're going to regret not having. 720p TV's are falling by the wayside just because 1080p is the biggest selling point (although it really means nothing right now) so 720p TV's aren't hardly available anymore because people wouldn't buy them thinking they are getting something obsolete which is far from the truth.

P= progressive scan. What that means is the picture is drawn on your TV starting in the upper left-hand corner and then filling in line by line left to right.

I= interlaced. This starts off the same as progressive in that the first line of your TV gets filled in first, but then it skips to the 3rd, 5th, nth line, and then comes back and does the even lines to finally fill the entire screen. Interlaced uses 1/2 the bandwidth of a progressive signal, but it also "behind" when filling the screen because it has to go back to fill in the even lines and that can cause a poorer picture.

[DTro]

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1080p is the fashionable thing to say and buy, but it really isn't anything you're going to regret not having. 720p TV's are falling by the wayside just because 1080p is the biggest selling point (although it really means nothing right now) so 720p TV's aren't hardly available anymore because people wouldn't buy them thinking they are getting something obsolete which is far from the truth.

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I couldn't agree more, and I challenge anyone to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p with a 40" and under screen.

I just bought another one, so I have a 50" and 32" LCD, both 720p native, and am very happy with both.

There are some good deals to be found if you do your research. If you use Comcast, you can get a $100 discount at Circuit City just by being put on a mailing list to upgrade to HD cable. I already had one HD box and got the $100 discount by getting another box.

Lmitout pretty much covered everything about the p and i. Generally a progressive picture will give better results for fast moving action.

[Whoaru99]

Much has to do with the viewing distance from the TV too.

Unless you sit close (~8 ft or less) to your 50" HDTV, the higher resolution of 1080P doesn't provide any real benefit over 720P. As the screen size gets larger, the distance increase at roughly 2 ft per 10 inches of screen to beneft from the higher res. So, for a 60", 1080P doesn't really give a benefit over 720P unless you are sitting about 10ft or less from the TV.

As someone mentioned though, finding 720P sets might be getting harder because of all the misunderstanding of resolution, distances, signal quality, etc.

[xedge2002]

Thanks for the info it is making it somewhat clearer. If I am getting this correctly 1080p is the way to go for a large screen. For a smaller screen 720p is just fine. And I can just use regular cable for now and it will still be a better picture and if upgraded to HD cable will be a great picture on both? Sorry for all the Q's but for some reason I am having problems pounding this stuff into my brain.

If anybody else has opinions or ideas let's hear them.

[LMITOUT]

Yep you pretty much have it. Don't get hung up on the 720p/1080p thing and get a TV that works best for your price range. I bought one of the first 1080p HDTV's a few years back.....not because it had 1080p, but rather it had the features I liked and the size I was looking for. The 1080p wasn't something that sealed the deal on me buying that TV at all because I knew it meant essentially nothing and really still doesn't for that matter.

If you get a 720p it won't be obsolete for a LONG time, and don't let the sales kid try to convince you that you need 1080p so that you spend more than you want to. There is nothing wrong with buying the 1080p, but don't let them fool you into thinking that you're going to see some amazing picture that the 720p can't deliver because it's not true.

[Whoaru99]

With regular cable, you should be able to get several HDTV channels for free - those like ABC, NBC, CBS, etc.

Although I have upgraded my service for more HD channels, I think I was getting maybe 5 or 6 at no additional cost on regular cable.

The drawback is that standard definition channels generally look some degree worse on a HDTV than on a conventional TV. This is often quite a surprise and sometimes a disappointment for new HDTV owners.

[Meaney]

that is very true. I cannot wait until all channels HAVE to be in HD.

[LMITOUT]

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that is very true. I cannot wait until all channels HAVE to be in HD.

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That could be a lonnnnnng time, if ever. Local broadcasts (over the air) have to be digital soon, but that's not the same as saying HDTV. Two different things.

[SomethingFishy*]

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The drawback is that standard definition channels generally look some degree worse on a HDTV than on a conventional TV. This is often quite a surprise and sometimes a disappointment for new HDTV owners.

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This is true in many cases. Standard definition is just that "standard", most HD channels are broadcast in widescreen. Basically in a lot of cases watching standard definition on a new widescreen tv will make the picture slightly distorted, Your favorite actor/actress may not be getting fatter, the tv just makes it look like the have a big butt.

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

OK Guys,

Here is my situation. I have a 53" old time big box rear projection TV with the three guns. I am looking to upgrade to something that I can mount on the wall. The room that it will be going into is 14 feet wide by about 28 feet long and it will be going onto the short wall. Most of my viewing seats will be about 10 to 16 feet from the TV and I have 5 huge windows along the long wall that let in tons of light.

I had things narrowed down to either a 53 or 56 inch DLP but those can't go on the wall, due to their 12" thickness. I would have to go to LCD or plasma to get the thing on the wall and people have told me that my room is too bright for plasma.

I do not have anything HD yet. I have comcast broadband rather than satellite.

What's the diagnosis doctor. Can I cheap out with a 720? If it will not matter for 5 years I am good with that. By then the 1080's should start coming down to what the 720's are now.

Thanks for any help you can give an Video beginner.

Windy

[LMITOUT]

Sounds like a LCD is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Any TV is going to have a tough time in a room with a lot of windows, but an LCD should fit the bill nicely.

We just purchased one for work and directly across from the TV is a door with a full-length window in the door. The TV (LCD) is hung at about the 7' mark to the center of the picture and the wall mount has a tilt adjustment to angle it down towards the viewer. That's going to be a bit high for a normal home, but the LCD isn't affected by the incoming light as bad as a TV with a glass shield would be (Plasma).

[SomethingFishy*]

Basically it comes down to what YOU like. I personally would go with something that supports 1080p, but I'm also a tech junky. I would compare the price between the 2 option and see how much difference there really is. They keep running fantastic sales.

Let us know what you decide on. Any of the options will be an upgrade from what you are currently using.

Enjoy the new televison.

[fishyguy]

Windy,

Your situation is almost the same as ours. Big old projection now, room dimensions, lighting, etc... We do not regret our LCD decision at all. 52" is working out great for us and we sit about 13" from the TV. Although, I would not be afraid to go bigger.

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

Thanks guys!

And Fishy, if it were up to my wife, she would have me looking in the 42" range but WE ARE GUYS and we don't like to do anything small. Go BIG or GO HOME, right? My mentality is that I don't want to go smaller than what I have already, 52-53 so I was thinking 56 but any bigger would not fit on the space on the wall. I may go into the 50-52" range and see what is available. Still liking the price of DLP but I am shying away from the thickness so LCD is starting to make more sense.

Any ideas guys about the DLP and the light situation?

Windy

[Eckie]

Windy~

I've got a Samsung 56" DLP. I have it in my living room on the main floor, and this room has LOTS of windows and light coming in. I also have an HD receiver connected to it and am very pleased. I can watch it from anywhere in the room (virtually any angle) and there is very little reflection from the windows.

The cons? As someone else posted, before I had HD and used the HDMI connections, I was very disappointed in the picture quality of the signal. Now, I'm only disappointed in the limitations of the existing HD channels. It's also somewhat annoying to have to hit the 'source' button on my remote from "channel 3" to "component 1" when I'm viewing a regular program vs. an HD program, even tho one gets used to it in no time. Lastly, I can't hang it from the wall.

Pro's?? 56" is plenty big, but I'm glad I didn't go smaller (GO BIG OR GO HOME). I too have an old 52" projection in the basement for the times when I can't pry the remote from her fingers while she's watching "Lifetime", and the 4 extra inches plus the wide screen make all the difference. The picture and sound quality is great in the DLP (IMO). Watching the games on Sunday in HD on this set feels like I'm on the sideline! Ialso like the overall weight -- for a set this size, I was very surprised!

Just make sure you order an HD receiver and connect it through an HDMI cable. You'll be disappointed if you don't.

[DTro]

I don't disagree, with most of your post Eckie. The micro projection right now is probably the best bang for the buck.

There was a time not too long ago that you really couldn't go too big, and the old saying "you'll never regret going for the bigger one" rang true.

But remember, the bigger the screen, and the closer you sit, the worse the picture gets, especially the SD signals.

Which brings me to my second point. The HDMI cable is ripoff in my opinion. The ONLY advantage is that the audio signal comes through it and makes it easier for the average joe.

Go with component cables and run optical or coax audio to the receiver (if you have one). 99% of people will never see the difference in the picture quality of HDMI vs Component.

Also you should be able to set your receiver to "pass through" to eliminate changing sources.

[Eckie]

Dtro~

Agreed on the HDMI cable! I should've been clearer in my post. If your comfortable connecting the component cables, this would be the most cost effective way to go (guess I was speaking to the broad spectrum of everyone in my post). I managed to talk my cable guy into "lending" me an HDMI cable when he brought me my HD receiver. You won't catch me paying $50 bucks for a 3-6 ft piece of cable (there are certain auction websites that you can use to buy these also). But, since I've not done a comparison (side by side) between the two, I can't give my opinion of which looks better, but I have no reason not to believe Dtro's post.

Thanks, Dtro! Good advice!

[SomethingFishy*]

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Thanks guys!

Any ideas guys about the DLP and the light situation?

Windy

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Check out the new DLP's, Samsung makes a DLP that has LED lighting, very impressive.

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

Thanks guys for the info,

As far as the install, both my sons do this for a living so they are going to trick the room out for me. Talking in wall speakers and mounting on the wall. And all it should cost me is a 12 pack of Bud and a home cooked dinner from my wife.

Windy

[Eckie]

Windy...

For all their work, you better make it a 24 pack (with a contingency that the work be completed first!) At least then you might get a couple for yourself..

Good luck...hope the responses were helpful.

Let us know how things turn out!

Eckie