Buying LCD-TV - optimal resolution for Xbox360/PS3

[Per B]

Hi!
I'm currently looking into buying myself a LCD-TV, size 26-32 inch. Most of these have a resolution of either 1280x768 (most 26") or 1366x768 (most 32"). But I have also seen some low priced 27" (odd format?!) screens with the resolution 1280x720.

I want my new TV to be prepared for the Xbox360 and PS3, as well as for HDTV - but also work nice with normal res TV and DVD (PAL in my case). Would the 1280x720 be the best pick as it directly matches the res of Xbox360/PS3, or doesn't it matter if the res is slightly higher?

Thanks!
Per

 

[jvd]

acording to some on this site next year you will be able to get 1080p tv sets for the price of 720p sets today .

So why not wait and see if they are right

 

[altruismm]

Hi!
I'm currently looking into buying myself a LCD-TV, size 26-32 inch. Most of these have a resolution of either 1280x768 (most 26") or 1366x768 (most 32"). But I have also seen some low priced 27" (odd format?!) screens with the resolution 1280x720.

I want my new TV to be prepared for the Xbox360 and PS3, as well as for HDTV - but also work nice with normal res TV and DVD (PAL in my case). Would the 1280x720 be the best pick as it directly matches the res of Xbox360/PS3, or doesn't it matter if the res is slightly higher?

Thanks!
Per

Even if panel res is 1366*768, certain LCD TVs have function to remain original res.
You could set it "dot to dot" , using 1280*720 source,and then the TV would appear four slim black bars around the screen(up ,down ,right,left),avoiding scaling process lead to loss of picture quality.

 

[London Geezer]

Hi!
I'm currently looking into buying myself a LCD-TV, size 26-32 inch. Most of these have a resolution of either 1280x768 (most 26") or 1366x768 (most 32"). But I have also seen some low priced 27" (odd format?!) screens with the resolution 1280x720.

I want my new TV to be prepared for the Xbox360 and PS3, as well as for HDTV - but also work nice with normal res TV and DVD (PAL in my case). Would the 1280x720 be the best pick as it directly matches the res of Xbox360/PS3, or doesn't it matter if the res is slightly higher?

Thanks!
Per

You have to think about a few things.
If you get it now, you will not see the full potential of the display at least until Xbox360 arrives and outputs at 720p.
I take it you're in Europe, and Europe countries won't start broadcasting HD material till next year.
So ultimately you can either get it now, pay a lot, and leave it there displaying crappy sources like PAL TV or DVDs, or wait, get it when there is HD content to watch on it, and pay a much lower price for the display you were interested in, or pay the same amount of money for a much better display.

Your decision.

To answer your question, a 720p compatible display will be fine. Just make sure it has HDMI, to make it really future-proof at least.

 

[DuckThor Evil]

PC has lot's of HD content, if your machine has decent power, Half-Life 2 looks nice in 720p with some AA.

 

[London Geezer]

PC has lot's of HD content, if your machine has decent power, Half-Life 2 looks nice in 720p with some AA.

Well yeah, if he were to plug his PC to the display, that's true. As long as the thing has DVI or HDMI he should be fine.

VGA needs to die.

 

[Qroach]

you don't want a compatible display, you want a "ready" display. compatible displays scale the image to make them fit a certain supported resoloutiuon.

 

[London Geezer]

you don't want a compatible display, you want a "ready" display. compatible displays scale the image to make them fit a certain supported resoloutiuon.

That's right.
Here in the UK (and i guess Europe too) we have big labels on HD-Ready TV saying... Err... HD Ready.

But not all HD-ready TVs have the label. Of course, having a clear idea would be asking too much for the poor Joe Average.

 

[Qroach]

You just need to find what the native resoloution the TV runs at is. fixed pixel displays will tell you somewhere what the opimial res will be.

 

[London Geezer]

You just need to find what the native resoloution the TV runs at is. fixed pixel displays will tell you somewhere what the opimial res will be.

I know. But not everyone does.
Also, some "hi-res" displays are not HD-ready. Like, so called "hi-res" plasmas and LCDs that have no progressive scan inputs, and therefore no way of displaying a HD image. Obviously they are being phased out, but they exist.

 

[Qroach]

I still highly doubt we'll be seeing any sort of cheap 1080p displays next year (fixed pixel of course). I think you'll see many more LCD's support the resoloution but not natively.

 

[DuckThor Evil]

The problem with HD-Ready standard is that, it only specifies horizontal lines, which there has to be 720, but a 16:9 display which has 1024x768 can also use HD-Ready symbol like this one. they should have also specified that the resolution for Widescreen display has to be 1280x720, but they were sloppy.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=3639068

They should have specified that the resolution for Widescreen display has to be 1280x720 inorder to get HD-Ready stamp, but they were sloppy.

 

[Qroach]

yup. I have a LCD tv that can do 1280x768 as the native res. so there's some unused space at the top and bottom of the screen, but otherwise it's a true high def TV.

Actually this is my TV.

http://www.viewsonic.com/products/desktopdisplays/lcdtv/n3000w/#specs

 

[Berak]

I plan to use my Sony GDM-FW900 24" Flat Widescreen CRT monitor for next gen gaming.

The downsides are it's only VGA input so no all digital transmission, and it's no longer being made. The upsides are it's a CRT (best picture quality), it does 1920x1080p with ease (can even go higher) and I already have it.

 

[DuckThor Evil]

I plan to use my Sony GDM-FW900 24" Flat Widescreen CRT monitor for next gen gaming.

The downsides are it's only VGA input so no all digital transmission, and it's no longer being made. The upsides are it's a CRT (best picture quality), it does 1920x1080p with ease (can even go higher) and I already have it.

Picture quality is debatable, especially, when new tech improves, whereas your monitor doesn't . Let's hope you can plug next-gen consoles to your monitor. By the way I used 22" Viewsonic for Xbox before I got my hdtv, and it worked great.

 

[Berak]

I plan to use my Sony GDM-FW900 24" Flat Widescreen CRT monitor for next gen gaming.

The downsides are it's only VGA input so no all digital transmission, and it's no longer being made. The upsides are it's a CRT (best picture quality), it does 1920x1080p with ease (can even go higher) and I already have it.

Picture quality is debatable, especially, when new tech improves, whereas your monitor doesn't . Let's hope you can plug next-gen consoles to your monitor. By the way I used 22" Viewsonic for Xbox before I got my hdtv, and it worked great.

Picture quality isn't really debatable at all. Off axis viewing, brightness, etc. and viewing at all resolutions without scaling makes the CRT the continual quality king. When running at an LCDs proper fixed resolution they can provide an arguably equivalent and in some criteria better picture.

"... especially, when new tech improves, ..." I find this a little funny, LCDs have been and will remain more "fixed" with their single native resoluition support. And I haven't seen to many pieces of hardware that improve once you buy the thing, LCDs included.

LCDs are a compromise that people accept because of the "coolness" factor of having a thin, lightweight screen. Picture quality is not their strong suit, although they are getting there. In a few years I expect some flat panel technology to surpass CRTs in quality alone and at a price point that makes them attractive. We aren't there yet as far as I'm concerned, and by then my "outdated" CRT will have provided a decade of outstanding picture quality surpassed by nothing else available during that time.

Oh, and both next gen boxes (PS3 and XBOX360) we have some details on appear to support VGA out of the box.

 

[Jesper]

The problem with HD-Ready standard is that, it only specifies horizontal lines, which there has to be 720, but a 16:9 display which has 1024x768 can also use HD-Ready symbol like this one. they should have also specified that the resolution for Widescreen display has to be 1280x720, but they were sloppy.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=3639068

They should have specified that the resolution for Widescreen display has to be 1280x720 inorder to get HD-Ready stamp, but they were sloppy.

I agree, Pioneer plasma screen (here in EU and the one that win as the best screen of the year), can't show real 1280*720 since the resolution 1024*768.. I think a lot consumer are getting confused..

However, when Xbox 360 is in the store I would will look very hard for an lcd screen.. I just don't like the bad response time.. But one I am looking at right now is Loewe Xelos A32 - is getting nice test and beat most of the other screens I have seen in test.

 

[DuckThor Evil]

I plan to use my Sony GDM-FW900 24" Flat Widescreen CRT monitor for next gen gaming.

The downsides are it's only VGA input so no all digital transmission, and it's no longer being made. The upsides are it's a CRT (best picture quality), it does 1920x1080p with ease (can even go higher) and I already have it.

Picture quality is debatable, especially, when new tech improves, whereas your monitor doesn't . Let's hope you can plug next-gen consoles to your monitor. By the way I used 22" Viewsonic for Xbox before I got my hdtv, and it worked great.

When running at an LCDs proper fixed resolution they can provide an arguably equivalent and in some criteria better picture..

That's why I said it's debatable.

"... especially, when new tech improves, ..." I find this a little funny, LCDs have been and will remain more "fixed" with their single native resoluition support. And I haven't seen to many pieces of hardware that improve once you buy the thing, LCDs included.

Ofcourse, but todays LCDs are better in picture quality than models from few years ago. And naturally I'm talking about situation where the signal is displayed at native resolution. If one is going to buy X360 and LCD, there really is no point buying a display that can't show 720p natively/or the way Qroaches display shows it.

Oh, and both next gen boxes (PS3 and XBOX360) we have some details on appear to support VGA out of the box.

I wasn't aware of that, are you sure?.

 

[HappyBread]

I saw this today, very tempting but I'm a complete novice in this area. Is the set any good? Because that price for a HD television is very tasty.

£ 749.99

Get a bigger picture of the holiday viewing with this wonderful widescreen 32" LCD TV. In a stylish, silver finish, not only is it a fantastic price, but it also has an amazing specification.

* HDTV compatible
* 32"/81.3cm visible screen
* Contrast ratio: 1000:1 (typ)
* Brightness: 550cd/m2 (typ)
* Physical resolution 1366 x 768
* Response time: 8ms (grey to grey) (typ)
* Full Teletext with 2100 pages memory and page catching
* Multipage Text: Displays various teletext pages belonging together at the same time
* DVI-I Video in with HDCP decoding
* 499 programme storage locations
* APSAS: Automatic Installation System, Country and language related automatic channel search and sorting
* Intelligent SWAP-function: Dynamic recognition and quick access with only one button of the preferred programme
* Full-screen display in the 16:9 as well as in the 4:3 mode
* Built-in speakers: 2 x 10 watt RMS, 6 speakers
* Nicam Stereo
* Multi-function IR remote control (batteries included)
* Connect to Surround Systems via Scart socket
* Dimensions without desktop stand (W x H x D) : 820 x 600 x 140mm
* Dimensions with desktop stand (W x H x D) : 820 x 600 x 320mm
* Weight: 14kg (without desktop stand) / 15.8kg (with desktop stand)
* Screen diagonal 81.3cm
* Viewing angle: 176° H/V (typ)
* Video: Scart 1 (Composite Video in/out, S-Video in, RGB in, YCrCb/YPrPb p/i in, Audio in/out)
* Scart 2 (Composite Video in/out, S-Video in, RGB in, YCrCb/YPrPb p/i in, Audio in/out)
* Front composite video in (RCA)
* Front S-Video in (MiniDIN)
* Audio: Front Stereo Audio in for Composite Video/S-Video (RCA)
* PC Stereo Line in (3.5mm jack)
* Wall brackets available via the Tevion helpline for £29.99 + P&P
* Helpline number 0870 7270370

Multi picture function allows you to view up to 12 channels at the same time in freeze mode whilst you continue watching the main screen.

Dual tuner allowing full picture-in-picture viewing so you can watch two channels at the same time or watch TV and use your computer on the same screen.

 

[kyleb]

I agree, Pioneer plasma screen (here in EU and the one that win as the best screen of the year), can't show real 1280*720 since the resolution 1024*768.. I think a lot consumer are getting confused..

However, when Xbox 360 is in the store I would will look very hard for an lcd screen.. I just don't like the bad response time.. But one I am looking at right now is Loewe Xelos A32 - is getting nice test and beat most of the other screens I have seen in test.

Huh, native resolution is only one factor of many when it comes ot overall image quality. I have seen a few 1024x768 Pioneer plasma in action and I'd put their image quality above any LCD I have ever seen.