1080p vs 720???

[CDC Mail Guy]

Looking into getting a plasma TV 42" (or so) Don't want to spend a small fortune, and I can get one for around $600 or so, but most are 720(p)

Is there REALLY that big of a difference between 1080 and 720, especially for that size? I KNOW I will see a difference opposed to my old "regular box" TV.

Thanks, this is all new, I'm a more PC (NOT Politically Correct )guy.

 

[vi edit]

The only place you'll really notice the difference is if you use it as a computer monitor or in the web browser of a PS3. Just make sure you are buying a decent brand - Samsung, Panasonic, ect.

 

[zerocool84]

Do you plan on using it for Blu-ray?

 

[wiretap]

Follow this chart:

 

[jacktesterson]

I've got 2 LG 50" Plasmas, one downstairs, one upstairs.

My main living room TV is a 50" LG with 1366*768 screen, 720p/1080i set. I paid $1799 for it in Jan 2008.

My "man room" TV is a 50" LG with 1920*1080, 1080p Set. I paid $1199.99 for it in June 2009.


The 720p set actually has a better picture than the 1080p set. As far as HD Goes, I set about 7-8 feet away in both areas, and I cannot tell any difference as far as HD quality over the other. My older 720p set has slightly better color than my newer 1080p set, and SD TV looks better on it. I tell everyone I prefer it. Even watching a blu ray at 1080i vs 1080p is impossible for me to see any difference on my 2 TV's.

When it comes to 1080p vs 720p for TV viewing, my honest opinion is who cares, buy quality. The only advantage of the 1080 set in my opinion is if your using a computer on it.

My father just bought a 1080p Samsung 530, 40" LCD TV for his basement room. Basically a room to watch Sports. Anyways, I watched it a lot last weekend and found the picture to not be as good as either of my TV in SD. HD was great, but SD looked very pixelated on his LCD.


My 2 Cents.

 

[CDC Mail Guy]

Do you plan on using it for Blu-ray?

Yes as well as (eventually HD from Direct TV as well)

 

[dfuze]

I'm very happy w/ my 42" pannasonic plasma at 720p (probably same one you see for $600).

 

[sdifox]

42"? 720p is fine. as long as you are not 3' from it.

 

[fjmeat]

I bought a philips 42" 1080p for main viewing tv in living room. Then i bought a westinghouse 32" 720p tv for bedroom because i won't be watching it nearly as much as the other. I can not tell a difference between the two. Both have a very sharp/clean image. Also, i bought an insignia 32" 720p this weekend to hang on wall in my office. That'll be my next adventure. But for the price difference, 720p is perfect.

 

[kalrith]

42"? 720p is fine. as long as you are not 3' from it.

3' would obviously require 1080p on a 42" TV, but 5-6' from a 42" is borderline for resolving the difference between 720p and 1080p on a 42" TV. Anything beyond 6', and most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but at closer than 6' at least some people would be able to tell the difference. I know I can sit 6-7' from my 50" 720p and just start to notice the limitations of the resolution, but I'm seen people be bothered by that from 9-10' away, so it can be a personal thing as well.

 

[spidey07]

720 is more problematic because it has to scale most all HD sources instead of displaying them in their native 1080. If one is getting 720 because of cost then the quality of the scaler is probably pretty bad as well so it's a lose/lose scenario.

The year is now 2010, 1080 is the only way.

 

[kalrith]

The year is now 2010, 1080 is the only way.

I think the exception would be something like a $600 Panasonic 42" 720p plasma. I don't think there's anything in that size and price range that can compete with those TVs (although there were some incredible deals on 50" 1080p plasmas over the holidays).

 

[jacktesterson]

720 is more problematic because it has to scale most all HD sources instead of displaying them in their native 1080. If one is getting 720 because of cost then the quality of the scaler is probably pretty bad as well so it's a lose/lose scenario.

This really isn't an issue on any Good brand TV anymore. Most TV is still 1080i too, so a 1080p set is de-interlacing which can cause artifacts as well. Bottom line though is you rarely encounter these issues anymore on any quality TV. There are a lot of cheap quality Plasmas still available at low prices since they are 720p sets. IF The OP is looking at a Panasonic 720p Plasma, it will still look better than A LOT of 1080p LCD's being sold.

That being said I'm a little biased as I much prefer a Plasma over a LCD.

Bottom line, for everyday TV and Movies, its AWFULLY hard to see a difference between 720p/1080i and 1080p for HD Content.

 

[BoomerD]

I'm very happy w/ my 42" pannasonic plasma at 720p (probably same one you see for $600).

I paid about $650 for my Panasonic 50" 720 set just before x-mas. I saw it the other day on sale for about $700.

Overall, I'm happy with the picture, but when watching football, the grass just looks like green on green paint...(close-ups are fine, it's the "field wide" shots that suck.)

 

[kalrith]

I paid about $650 for my Panasonic 50" 720 set just before x-mas. I saw it the other day on sale for about $700.

Overall, I'm happy with the picture, but when watching football, the grass just looks like green on green paint...(close-ups are fine, it's the "field wide" shots that suck.)

That sounds like a calibration issue to me. Have you tweaked the settings or used a calibration BD yet?

 

[CRXican]

I agree on the calibration. While I did it the wrong way (using some settings I found online) my football watching went from super bright colors to a more mellow, realistic view.

 

[Crucial]

You won't be disappointed. The picture will look great and you will be happy.

 

[BoomerD]

Ran the burn-in disk per AVSforums, calibrated (with minor tweaks) to the recommended settings that I found on C-Net. MUCH better pic than out of the box.

I think the problem was just with the Fox broadcasts. The games on CBS didn't have that problem.

Overall, I'm happy as hell with the Panasonic. The set is 10-12 feet from where we sit, so from what I've read, I'd probably not notice the difference between 720 and 1080 anyway.
Rented a BluRay movie the other night. "Taking of Pelham 1-2-3."
IMO, not a great movie, but it LOOKED beautiful. :biggrin:

Can't find many bluray releases for rent. It's rare to find even one at the local RedBoxes...which why I got Pelham...it was the only one I'd seen in a RedBox recently.

 

[Muadib]

BoomerD, you should try Netflix if you want to start renting Blu-ray disk. It's pretty much the only real option.

 

[kalrith]

BoomerD, if you don't want to go through the calibration process yourself, you might try some settings on avsforum. You might like those more than the ones from CNET. It sounds like you're having a problem with the source (either with Fox or compression from your cable/satellite service), and there's nothing you can do about that. And no you wouldn't notice the increase in resolution for that TV size and viewing distance.

 

[vi edit]

Boomer, not sure if you were talking about the field during the Saint's game this weekend, but something was jacked up in the Fox feed. It was like they oversharpened the image or something. The color was completely oversaturated and there was a lot of digital noise going on there. I'm not sure if if the lighting of the stadium and the fake grass contributed to some of that, but I thought it was a horrible looking picture on my TV this weekend too.

 

[TJCS]

wiretap,

Thanks for the chart man, it sums up the topic real nicely.

 

[hardsolo]

Sizes between 40 - 50 inches, the difference between 720p and 1080p in plasma televisions is not noticeable. So, you can save a considerable amount if you choose 720p. And Panasonic televisions are one of the best LCD TVs right now. Hope this helps.

 

[kalrith]

Sizes between 40 - 50 inches, the difference between 720p and 1080p in plasma televisions is not noticeable.

This is a common misconception. While it is more likely that someone will notice the difference between 720p and 1080p on a 70" TV than a 40" TV (since most people seem to sit 10' or farther from their TVs), the viewing distance related to the size is what really matters. The chart that wiretap posted earlier in the thread shows this very well. I can sit 5' from a 50" TV and most definitely notice the difference between 720p and 1080p, or I can sit 15' from a 70" TV and definitely not notice the difference between 720p and 1080p. And if you think that no one sits 15' from their TV, then you need to visit my in-laws