10M HDTVs sold, 15.5M by end of 2005

[one]

While I would love 1080p @ 60fps being the *standard* I am sure a lot of people who have purchased HDTVs would be pretty upset if they pulled the plug entirely. That said it looks like HDTV is totally scalable and takes advantage of whatever resolution you are using. In that case, making 1080p the standard for media, adn scaling to whatever output level the consumers TV will handle would be great.

AFAICS there are 2 kinds of electoronics makers, those who do R&D well and concentrate on innovative high-margin products, and those who tend to go on lower wage and low-margin products. The former will move to full HD quickly, then the latter will fill the non-full-HD area.

Another emerging standard which may confuse consumers who are interested in HDTV in the future is HDMI connector. It's digital and backward compatible to DVI but more secure. These days there are TVs sold as HDTV even without an HDMI input, but it's likely that they can't display Blu-ray/HD-DVD contents in 1080i/p, so make sure that it has HDMI before you buy a new TV.

 

[DuckThor Evil]

Another emerging standard which may confuse consumers who are interested in HDTV in the future is HDMI connector. It's digital and backward compatible to DVI but more secure. These days there are TVs sold as HDTV even without an HDMI input, but it's likely that they can't display Blu-ray/HD-DVD contents in 1080i/p, so make sure that it has HDMI before you buy a new TV.

Dvi-D will do just fine if the tv is hdcp-compliant, then all you need is adapter.

 

[Joe DeFuria]

It's digital and backward compatible to DVI but more secure. These days there are TVs sold as HDTV even without an HDMI input, but it's likely that they can't display Blu-ray/HD-DVD contents in 1080i/p, so make sure that it has HDMI before you buy a new TV.

Doubtful...at least for 1080i. (I don't know if component inpuputs have the bandwidth for 1080p, but I assume they do).

I'm sure all blu-ray / HD-DVD devices at least for the forseeable future will include component outputs, so you won't need HDMI or DVI for High-Def resultions. Heck...most if not all still come with composite / s-video ports.

HDMI will still be ideal...but only for the "best quality" high-def picture...that is, having your TV decode the digital signal rather than analog.

Even then, it's possible that if your DTV set is analog...your TV may do a worse digitial-analog conversion than say, your cable or satellite box.

 

[one]

Another emerging standard which may confuse consumers who are interested in HDTV in the future is HDMI connector. It's digital and backward compatible to DVI but more secure. These days there are TVs sold as HDTV even without an HDMI input, but it's likely that they can't display Blu-ray/HD-DVD contents in 1080i/p, so make sure that it has HDMI before you buy a new TV.

Dvi-D will do just fine if the tv is hdcp-compliant, then all you need is adapter.

Theoretically so, but for example this article (machine translation) suggests that Sharp BD-HD100 Blu-ray recorder doesn't accept HDCP-compliant DVI-D (a firmware update is expected but not promised). HDMI and DVI-D+HDCP are still a bit different and BD-HD100 is strictly limited to HDMI. It down-converts HDTV signals to 480p if it's connected to a non-HDMI socket.

I'm sure all blu-ray / HD-DVD devices at least for the forseeable future will include component outputs, so you won't need HDMI or DVI for High-Def resultions. Heck...most if not all still come with composite / s-video ports.

It will provide component outputs, but limited to 480p. But it depends on each contents provider's decision, so those who don't want to piss off customers will enable the full resolution output though it's out of hands of TV manufacturers. I think DRM for Blu-ray/HD-DVD will be set on per-disc basis.

 

[Brimstone]

But LCDs have the worse black level of all display tech.. :?

Well it is getting better though. And there is always Plasma.

According to CNET best TV for gaming article, New model Plasmas have better black levels than LCDs and DLPs.

They put LCDs dead last, DLPs second to last, then Plasmas for black levels. And other display tech above plasma.

CRT is still King!

The SED technology from Toshiba is what I'm intrested in, but sadly the price will probably be ridiculous at first.

 

[London Geezer]

The SED technology from Toshiba is what I'm intrested in, but sadly the price will probably be ridiculous at first.

There's an SED? :|

 

[wco81]

Yup, SED and using carbon nanotubes are being developed. Then there's LCOS and OLED.

Blu-Ray and HD-DVD both have the storage and bitrate for 1080p. Some 1080p displays are starting to come out but they are 1080p24 or 1080p30.

The problem is, at least in the US, only 6 Mhz has been allocated per channel so that translates to 19.3 Mbps maximum. Right now, broadcast network TV is the main source of HDTV content so that means 1080i or 720p. Most of the HDTV displays sold in the US only support 1080i natively.

Satellite and cable aren't that much better. They're not going to allocate more bandwidth than broadcast signals. Direct TV will start transmitting in MPEG4 but not to push higher resolutions so much as conserve bandwidth.

It's still up to the studios whether they put 1080p content on the discs, which are capable of delivering it. More than likely, they will downrez the output on anything other than HDCP-protected interfaces (DVI and HDMI).

As for the forecasts, this one is conservative compared to some others. You can get 30-inch 16:9 CRTs, some with built-in ATSC tuners, for $700-1000. Congress is pushing to shut off analog broadcasts to recover spectrum so that they can auction it off. We are nowhere near enough sets in the installed base capable of receiving digital TV signals (which are not necessarily HDTV quality). However, Congress is talking about subsidizing boxes which would take digital TV signals and convert it to an analog output so that the poor can still get reception on their older TVs.

Most digital TVs sold in this country are capable of 1080i. Some EDTV plasmas support only 480p. They probably sell more of those than HDTV plasmas only because they're much cheaper. But plasma sales as a percentage of total digital TV sales is small.

 

[Tahir2]

HDTV on a 17" screen? Surely an oxymoron!

 

[TexT]

But plasma sales as a percentage of total digital TV sales is small.

Not true.

I just recently seen a news report that said plasma sales are up, mainly do to cheaper price LCDs. LCDs are driving the prices down on Plasmas.

Also Plasmas still has that considered cool factor going for it. plus it does help that the tech is getting better with newer models. Plasmas arent going anywhere.

 

[PC-Engine]

You can get a 30" widescreen HDTV tuner equiped unit for less than $600 at Walmart.

 

[wco81]

How many plasmas are sold compared to direct-view CRTs? RPTV CRTs?

For that matter, you can get HDTV LCDs for $2500 and under, some around $1500. In those price ranges, you can only get EDTV plasmas.

 

[Alejux]

But plasma sales as a percentage of total digital TV sales is small.

Not true.

I just recently seen a news report that said plasma sales are up, mainly do to cheaper price LCDs. LCDs are driving the prices down on Plasmas.

Also Plasmas still has that considered cool factor going for it. plus it does help that the tech is getting better with newer models. Plasmas arent going anywhere.

Plasma is a dead-end technology. They will eventually be surpassed in quality by much cheaper technologies, then they will have no reason for existing at all.

 

[PC-Engine]

Yeah HDR LCDs will be among the better new technologies.

 

[wco81]

But there are a lot of lemmings plunking down big cash for plasma. Some are only 1024x768.

They do look sexy and the pic. is good. Just not going to give you any longetivity for all that money, even if they don't pump out higher-resolution content. The phosphors will lose their brightness, burn in, etc.

 

[TexT]

There's a lot of hate for Plasmas I grant you that.

Plasmas have already shown there longevity by staying in the game since the beginning. Lcos and other tech are being dismiss by most manufacture While Plasma continue to improve.

Plasma models out today are rated at 60,000.. Thats 20 years with 8 hour per day viewing.

Plasma picture quality tops LCDs..If I had to choose out the two I would go for a Pioneer or Panasonic Plasma over a LCD any day.

 

[TexT]

The phosphors will lose their brightness, burn in, etc.

Any phosphors tech display such as CRT will experience the same..first gen Plasmas would experience this faster, but CNET commented on this saying on new model Plasmas burn-in is pretty much a non-issues.

A lot of people are still carrying on with this first gen Plasma stuff because of their hate toward plasma.. which is pretty silly.

Do your own research and you will see it is unfounded.

 

[Ty]

Plasma is a dead-end technology. They will eventually be surpassed in quality by much cheaper technologies, then they will have no reason for existing at all.

Your statement is true for EVERY type of technology.

 

[KnightBreed]

But there are a lot of lemmings plunking down big cash for plasma. Some are only 1024x768.

They do look sexy and the pic. is good. Just not going to give you any longetivity for all that money, even if they don't pump out higher-resolution content. The phosphors will lose their brightness, burn in, etc.

For somebody that spends as much time as you do on AVSforum, I'm surprised to hear such bias, unfounded comments.

1024x768 is an acceptable resolution given the screen size and common viewing distance. Remember, most of these XGA displays are in the 37-45" range, which is tiny.

Regarding the brightness "issues" with plasma, I highly advise hitting up some CCFL manufacturers to check the average half-brightness ratings for common LCD backlights. NEC, which happens to be at one end of the spectrum rates its high end CCFL products at 50,000 hours (link). For those of you keeping score this is less than or equal to many quality plasma displays.

This whole argument is asinine. CRT monitors use similar phosphors to display the image and have half-life ratings in the 25-50,000 range (at best), yet I don't see people bitching about brightness and longevity issues with their old tubes. Most people will have replaced their plasma or LCD displays long before brightness even becomes an issue. How many people keep their televisions for 20 years?

 

[MfA]

Basic LCOS is dead, but D-ILA might migrate downward.

 

[wco81]

CRTs cost a fraction of plasma.

And some people do expect to keep their TVs 10, 15, and even 20 years.