Need a little help choosing an hdtv to go with X360

[dubyateeeff]

Well I hope this isn't considered off topic, but I do need a HDTV for the upcoming nex gen consoles. I've done quite a bit of my own research but I'm still stuck on what to get. Basically it has to be off Newegg.com, and no more than $1000, unless you can convince me otherwise in spending $100-200 more. I would prefer something 30"+ and it doesn't matter if its a CRT, LCD, or whatever. Theres alot of options on Newegg but I need some help in deciding. So if anyone has any opinions on the matter that would be great. Thanks.

No Plasmas in that pricerange offers HDTV resolutions AFAIK. Most offer 480p. The closest youll get is probably 1k*1k... so forget plasma and risking burn in. Go with a LCD-screen. My recommendation is a Samsung at 32.

 

[Eleazar]

Errhmmm, I don't remember attempting to start an argument. I just didn't know if he was privy to the fact. I just wanted to make sure he knew. I also said I don't beleive, because I wasn't sure whether or not it was true. But it appears to be so. I am not entirely concerned about his though, because if I remember correctly support is planned.

 

[MrWibble]

Errhmmm, I don't remember attempting to start an argument. I just didn't know if he was privy to the fact. I just wanted to make sure he knew. I also said I don't beleive, because I wasn't sure whether or not it was true. But it appears to be so. I am not entirely concerned about his though, because if I remember correctly support is planned.

A quick search would reveal that the topic has been debated at length here to very little constructive purpose. I think number of pages in the previous thread approached double figures. Whatever the plans are, they do not appear to have been firmly announced and so speculating about it is unlikely to be terribly helpful.

 

[Eleazar]

It seems you have a habit of misinterpreting peoples post. Oh well I tried to clarify, you just seem to always think to worst of people and their intentions. I clearly wasn't speculating about anything or attempting to do so, nor would I have any reason to search for such a topic before posting. The only time I search is to see if a question has already been asked. If I searched every topic I bring up in my posts I wouldn't have any time left for posting. It is highly absurd to expect such a thing from anyone. Well you go your way and I guess I will go my way. There was no need to be so incivil about everything.

 

[MrWibble]

If I searched every topic I bring up in my posts I wouldn't have any time left for posting.

An added bonus!

Honestly I wasn't trying to be uncivil, I was trying to stop you from restarting a recent argument. Given that you've been a member here for less than a month at best and these were your first ever posts, you may well have been unaware - I never said you were doing so *deliberately*.

I certainly wasn't making personal accusations, which you seem only too keen to throw around.

However I don't think it's "absurd" to expect people to look around a forum before bringing up a subject or speculating on it without any firm facts. If you've actually got some firm information about the future of HDMI output from an X360 I'm sure that would be useful. Informing someone that you think you heard something about it at some point is hardly helping.

 

[Eleazar]

Well, if you look at my original post, you will see your suggestion wasn't even necessary. In fact, after looking at the previous post about HDMI, I would have to say both sides of the argument would find my statement to be true. Especially since I worded it in such a way that I was not entirely sure of it being a factual statement. In fact you accused me of speculating about it and you accused me of trying to spark an argument about the topic. My previous post, in its entirety, did not warrant any such retaliation or accusatory remarks from you. Well, I propose that we let bygones be bygones. You seem like a very reasonable person to me, and I assure you I am one as well. Forgive me for any unnecessary aggression and hostility towards you. I am sure all of this is just a big misunderstanding on both our parts.

 

[TrungGap]

Affordable 1080p from Sony?

Should I give up on the idea of the hooking up my computer to a HDTV instead of a monitor? Currently, I'm using a NEC 21" CRT...It's aging and I would like something of the same quality that can double as my TV. I'm not planning of gettting HD-DVD or BR, so 1080p will be strictly for my computer.

My brother knows someone working for Sony and can get me discount. I was looking to buy a 1080p display from Sony. However, to my dismay...they don't have any reasonable priced 1080p. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough? I tried shopping.com, pricegrabber.com, cnet.com and as well as sonystyle.com.

Nothing! The only 1080p I can find from Sony is north of $7000, which even with the discount is more than what I'm willing to pay. Costco has a 37" Spectre that will do 1080p for $1500. I head about the 37" Westinghouse LCD is reasonability priced, but I heard with SD content it sucks.

Maybe I should just get a 720p HDTV and a LCD monitor...I'm considering DLPs and LCoS projectors, but anyone knows the bulb life? And how much it costs to get it replace?

 

[overclocked]

The Sony KLV S32 Bravia LCD was something i was thinking of, but it apparently lacks the WEGA engine that the V-series have, otherwise i think i would hit it cause its down to 1200Euro.

Any alternative in that range, Samsung some says.

 

[Guden Oden]

Nothing! The only 1080p I can find from Sony is north of $7000, which even with the discount is more than what I'm willing to pay. Costco has a 37" Spectre that will do 1080p for $1500.

I think, when it comes to 'cutting edge' stuff like 1080P is right now, that you pretty much get what you pay for. Not saying the Sony unit is exactly 4 2/3 times better than this Spectre whatever thing (because with Sony you're ALWAYS going to pay a certain premium because of the logo), but when the price difference is THAT great there's bound to be differences, and probably big ones.

So you drop $1500 on a 1080 TV. Probably means you got it cheap, but also that you dropped $1500 on something that was rather pap. Money well spent? Perhaps not, unless "Spectre" is like, the highest value manufacturer in the universe.

Sometimes it's worth more to spend more, and when it's something important like a viewing device you're going to spend a LOT of time staring at the WHOLE TIME, I'm not so sure skimping on the quality because the price's low is such a great idea.

Well, all of this = IMO, YMMV, etc.

 

[wco81]

The Sony SXRD sets are under $5k at most stores here. Of course, they don't have 1080p inputs yet.

I believe they also have some new Bravias coming, maybe by WC, which will do 1080p.

While 1080p is pricey right now from the big brands, they are being marketed to the masses.

A Circuit City ad this week showed a chart and said 720p is HD but 1080p was "Full HD" and it had little graphic showing the expanded screen area of the latter.

So in a year or two, I think at least some consumers will be differentiating the resolutions, the same way they differentiate the pixel counts of digicams.

Yeah I agree, you can get something for $1500 and save money. But if you find it inadequate and have to buy another set in a couple of years, you might as well have spent the money and have gotten something better in the first place.

Then again, prices are falling and performance is getting better that you might want to spend little now with plans to upgrade when 1080p is more common, more refined and lower in price.

 

[NavNucST3]

Should I give up on the idea of the hooking up my computer to a HDTV instead of a monitor? Currently, I'm using a NEC 21" CRT...It's aging and I would like something of the same quality that can double as my TV. I'm not planning of gettting HD-DVD or BR, so 1080p will be strictly for my computer.

My brother knows someone working for Sony and can get me discount. I was looking to buy a 1080p display from Sony. However, to my dismay...they don't have any reasonable priced 1080p. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough? I tried shopping.com, pricegrabber.com, cnet.com and as well as sonystyle.com.

Nothing! The only 1080p I can find from Sony is north of $7000, which even with the discount is more than what I'm willing to pay. Costco has a 37" Spectre that will do 1080p for $1500. I head about the 37" Westinghouse LCD is reasonability priced, but I heard with SD content it sucks.

Maybe I should just get a 720p HDTV and a LCD monitor...I'm considering DLPs and LCoS projectors, but anyone knows the bulb life? And how much it costs to get it replace?

THe HP 65" DLPs are "only" $4500, they both accept and display 1080p*, I have not heard many complaints about the HPs, though I haven't looked in about a month. They have a 58" which could save you between $500-1500 dollars, depending where you look.

*HP and Mitsubishi use wobulation and smooth picture respectively, meaning that the mirrors are actually, 960 x 1080.

EDIT:
HP MDTV L-5 Replacement Lamp
Renew picture brightness

$349.99

 

[wco81]

Isn't there a lag issue with at least some DLPs and gaming? You have to wonder about the wobulation thing too, as opposed to 1:1 pixel mapping.

Also, how do these different display techs. work with light guns?

 

[rounin]

Isn't there a lag issue with at least some DLPs and gaming? You have to wonder about the wobulation thing too, as opposed to 1:1 pixel mapping.

Also, how do these different display techs. work with light guns?

I think the lag issue with DLPs was only with certain Samsung DLP models. I have a Toshiba DLP unit with HD4 chip (or something or other) and its fine.

And I don't think any of these new display techs work with light guns...

 

[Guden Oden]

Also, how do these different display techs. work with light guns?

Typically not at all, as the lightgun is looking for a scanline, and other display techs don't have these.

There is at least one LED-controlled lightgun out there which will work with any type of display, but the build quality is a bit dodgy and it requires a lot of tweaking and tuning to work properly. For example, you need to re-calibrate it if you change distance or viewing angle I seem to recall.

Check out Lik-sang if you want to have a look at it, there's a pretty thorough review there, and don't worry about them selling the thing as well; Lik-sang is startlingly up-front about issues and problems with their products, they even refused to sell that new hardware NES thing they were going to carry because it was so damn crappy.

 

[NavNucST3]

Isn't there a lag issue with at least some DLPs and gaming? You have to wonder about the wobulation thing too, as opposed to 1:1 pixel mapping.

Also, how do these different display techs. work with light guns?

Yes there is lag with some DLPs, as far as wobulation and smooth picture, if you can find someone to demo 1080p for you on the sets, I think it would alleviate any issues you may have had with it, it looks fantastic.

 

[Eleazar]

Be very careful about which 1080p HDTV you decide to purchase. Here is something you should definetely know before purchasing.

http://www.hdtvexpert.com/pages_b/reality.html

There is one question I would like to ask. As far as contrast ratio goes for DLPs, have they gotten better? Last time I checked this technology they were absolutely dreadful. That was a while ago though and a lot changes with technology. As far as contrast ratio goes, does this still hold true? PLASMA>LCD>DLP? Would be interesting to know this because contrast ratio is very important for gaming.

 

[SugarCoat]

Isn't there a lag issue with at least some DLPs and gaming? You have to wonder about the wobulation thing too, as opposed to 1:1 pixel mapping.

Also, how do these different display techs. work with light guns?

DLPs are best viewed at longer distances (10ft+), you really dont want to buy a DLP if you plan on sitting in a beanbag at 3ft or something. And some do have problems with sound lagging behind the picture as well, even if by a few milliseconds. Bulbs unfortunetly are a couple hundred dollars and will need to be replaced often enough that you may be upset; depending on the mode, 2000-8000hours. It does varry by manufacturer.

To help the OP and get back on topic since this thread spiraled into tv's costing 4 times as much..

Plasma, too costly, power hungry, you arent going to be looking at them in the $1000 range.
LCDs are good, just need to look out for responce time, black levels (sometimes other colour distortion), and the viewing angles arent the best.
DLP like plasma wont be considered for the 1000 dollar range and generally come in sizes of around 46"+, and you absolutly dont want to use it as a monitor.
Widescreen HDTV CRT would be my personal pick for price/quality but newegg carries a very small selection of these, and most are 480p. So if you dont want to look at other places, scratch that off as well.

Personally:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824011013
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16889187004 (slightly better in the colour department, ignore the responce difference)
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16889116003

 

[RobertR1]

Having both a DLP (mits 62725) and a plasma (maxent mx50x3) I prefer the plasma. I often end up sitting closer to the TV when playing games and the Plasma is better at close viewing than the DLP. Perhaps it's due to the size difference? 62 vs. 50 but that's just my take on it. Oh and I've not had any burn in issue with the xbox 360, fwiw.

 

[rounin]

Be very careful about which 1080p HDTV you decide to purchase. Here is something you should definetely know before purchasing.

http://www.hdtvexpert.com/pages_b/reality.html

There is one question I would like to ask. As far as contrast ratio goes for DLPs, have they gotten better? Last time I checked this technology they were absolutely dreadful. That was a while ago though and a lot changes with technology. As far as contrast ratio goes, does this still hold true? PLASMA>LCD>DLP? Would be interesting to know this because contrast ratio is very important for gaming.

I believe DLP has alwaysh ad better contrast ratios than LCD projection / LCD.

 

[skilzygw]

All I can tell you about is the tv i bought. It is a 47" CRT Rear Projection tv from Samsung for $999.

Here are some links. Samsung HC-R4755W


http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=161926


Has DVI which accepts HDMI with a converter. Accepts 480i,p, 720p, 1080i


Note for gaming i would much prefer a dlp or lcd.