1080P: What technology & size is the sweet spot?

[Stiganator]

I've been considering getting a 1080P set.

Technology: DLP is cheaper, but there seems to be more repair costs.
LCD is a bit more expensive, but has a wider viewing range and is thinner.

Is there a compelling argument for one or the other?


Size: Assuming the sets have set resolution of 1080, then as you get larger won't sharpness decrease? Will a 42in look sharper than a 56in?

I've seen some LCDs on pricegrabber in the 42in range for ~$800, 50-56in DLPs for about the same.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Yeah, if you're seated farther away, two sets with the same resolution but different screen sizes will mean that the smaller screen will look sharper.

Your seating distance away from the set is a very important part of the equation here to decide how big of a set you should be looking at. There are good and bad sets for both DLP and LCD, so there isn't really one clear winner. They both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Of course the other technology of the big three is Plasma. Have you ruled that out already based on your requirements?

And of course I feel compelled to mention that 1080p is not the biggest factor for determining whether a TV will look good. There are some lower resolution sets that will look much better than some 1080p sets. Resolution is the easiest feature to quantify and compare between models easily so I think that's one reason it gets emphasized so much by manufacturers and retailers. There are a lot of other factors that go into a TV that are even more important to getting the best overall image quality.

There are some cases where having a 1080p set is more important than usual (like if you're going to be using it as a computer display), but keep in mind that there may be some non-1080p sets that you should consider. Especially if you're on a budget and it's coming down to choosing between a budget 1080p set and a better quality 720p/768p set, the choice is not as clear. 1080p has several advantages, but there are so many variables that go into a TV's performance that resolution alone isn't that important. One of the best TVs out there now has a 1366x768 resolution.

 

[Stiganator]

Well, Is there a big difference between 720P and 1080P, like there is for 480 to 720? If I watch an HD-DVD on a 720P set will it look good still? I like to idea of being able to use my computer as a source. Plasma kind of freaked me out this the non-standard resolutions. Plus it seems like it might go to the wayside, with LCD taking over and Plasma and DLP going the way of the dinosaur... at least until big OLEDs appear.

I never bought many DVDs, so I would probably start getting the HD-DVDs and figured they would look best on a 1080 screen.

I'm in grad school, so for the next 6 years or so, I'll be living in apartments. I'm guessing seating distance will be in the range of 8-15 ft.

I thinking I'm leaning towards 42in because of that.

Yoyo, if you happen to know off hand what would be your top five choices for 42in size in any technology (preference toward 1080P, but good 720 could be ok)?

 

[Jumpem]

I have a 61" 1080p DLP, and the couch is 8 feet back.

 

[Stiganator]

Have tried watching from further back, does it look better?

 

[Wuzup101]

I have a 40" Samsung LCD in my apartment at college (it's in my BR so max viewing distance is about 8-9' but I game at about 5' and use it as a computer monitor at closer distances. Set is a LN-T4065F. As far as top picks go, at the 40-42" size point w/ 1080p, you are looking at things like: Samsung 61F, 65F, 69F, and 71F series (the latter two are 120hz sets), Sony XBR-4 (120hz), W3000, and V3000 series, Panasonic TH-42PZ700U and TH-42PZ77U plasmas, Sharp 42D64U LCDs, etc...

In all honesty, if you are going to go with plasma, Pioneer is probably the most respected name in the buisness. They currently make pretty much the best HD-TVs going right now. However, the goods come with a price. To be honest, I'm not even sure what their 42" offerings are off the top of my head. Other than them, I would hesitate to recomend a plasma that wasn't made by either Panasonic or Samsung (one of the newer sammy sets). If it doesn't come from Pioneer, Panasonic, or Samsung, I wouldn't personally buy it (in the plasma market). It just seems that all the "other" plasmas are kinda meeh.

The LCD market is a bit different. Sony, Sharp, and Samsung are well respected for making good sets in this market. However, there are plenty of other offerings from companies like JVC (I'm a fan), Philips, Toshiba, etc... Even Vizio sets are pretty nice (and a great bang for the buck in many cases). Almost everyone and their mother has an offering at either 40" or 42" (most of them have many models in both 720p and 1080p). The one thing you aren't going to find at 42: HD RPTVs (either using DLP or other tech). Those sets "generally" start at about 50.

If you aren't going to use the set any closer than 8', you can stick to a 720p set at 42" and not really have to worry about 1080p until you get a hair bigger. However, realize that the industry is pushing 1080p and that to get a better set, you may have to go with 1080p anyway. IE: the newest sets that are rolling out like the sony XBR-4/5 and the Samsung LN-T40671F (and the 69F) only come in 1080p (IE: they aren't really matched by 720p sets that were rolled out with them). Like Yoyo said, resolution isn't the most important thing going. However, many of these newer sets do have all the things that make a set worth watching, and they also have the resolution.

In any case, I didn't see where you said how much you want to spend. If you have a limited budget that is holding you to the 42" ish size limit, perhaps checking out a 50-56" DLP or Sony RP set is in your cards. At 15', a 42" set would be pretty pathetic to watch (nothing more than having a TV on while you were doing something else). However, at 8', a 42" will be fine (so would a 50).

 

[Stiganator]

Budget is ~$800-1,000. Give or take.

 

[Shawn]

Best Buy was selling a 50" Hitachi Plasma for $999 last month. I think it was a 720 set though.

 

[Tiamat]

In short, that sweet spot depends on how far you sit from the TV. For me, sitting 6' away from a 37" 1080P TV is just about perfect. I would say 8' is pushing it on a 37" 1080P display for me.

For 1080P, I usually take the diagonal, multiply by 2 and thats the distance that I would sit from the display.

 

[Stiganator]

I see this one at Best Buy, Insignia 42in LCD 1080P. $999.00, do you think that is about as low as I can go for decent quality?

 

[rip]

man, I'm in the same boat; decisions, decisions...same budget $800-$1000. I've been leaning toward the 37" Visio 720P but after this thread 2nd thoughts -- I sit 9' away.

 

[Stiganator]

I found this site which indicates that 1080P is good, but at 10ft 720 and 1080 should be indistinguishable?

http://www.carltonbale.com/2006/11/1080p-does-matter/

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Stiganator
Yoyo, if you happen to know off hand what would be your top five choices for 42in size in any technology (preference toward 1080P, but good 720 could be ok)?

I haven't been keeping up with the new models to know what your exact best options are in the $1k range. I've been a front projector guy for a while now so I haven't been keeping up with traditional displays as much. I would probably start my own search to see if there was a Panasonic Plasma that fit the bill.

 

[Stiganator]

I found this plasma, watcha think Yoyo

http://reviews.pricegrabber.co...elevisions/m/11392081/

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Stiganator
I found this plasma, watcha think Yoyo

http://reviews.pricegrabber.co...elevisions/m/11392081/

I think you should look it up on AVSforum.

I'm not really that up on the current models so I think you can find better sources of information than I can provide

 

[Captante]

Originally posted by: Stiganator
I see this one at Best Buy, Insignia 42in LCD 1080P. $999.00, do you think that is about as low as I can go for decent quality?

I'd be very careful about low-end 1080p screens like that Insignia (which btw is a bb house-brand) & also as yoyo already stated I wouldn't suggest selecting your screen using resolution alone ... as an example I just recently grabbed a 37 inch JVC 1080p set at Circuit City for $999 & although according to many at AVS forums its a much better TV then the Vizio's of the world, I was very unhappy with its scaling & color reproduction after I got it home & ended up exchanging it for a Toshiba 37 inch 720p model that is IMO vastly better. (I sit 7-8 feet from screen)

One important factor that doesn't get a lot of play among many video enthusiests is that while just about all newer HDTV's do a very nice job with HD sources the same cannot be said for SD sources which really look awful on most low-end & sadly MANY high-end screens too so if you plan on using your new TV to watch anything other then animation in SD be sure you take this into account.

 

[JackBurton]

The sweet spot is a 60" Pioneer Elite 150FD, but you'll have to find some sweet money to go with it.

 

[zinfamous]

HD DVD & Blu Ray looks great at 720p. the big difference is between 480 and HD. once you go into HD, it's really a consideration about size and viewing distance, the type of technology that you prefer, color representation and such. You should only be concerned about resolution when using as computer monitor.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Stiganator
I found this plasma, watcha think Yoyo

http://reviews.pricegrabber.co...elevisions/m/11392081/

I think you should look it up on AVSforum.

I'm not really that up on the current models so I think you can find better sources of information than I can provide

I have a 42" Samsung plasma and it's gorgeous. that's a damn good price for a 50"

It only has 1 HDMI input though. I'd wonder what other "Standards" that set is lacking at that price.

 

[Wag]

Don't buy a DLP. I have a 17mos old Samsung DLP and the light-tunnel collapsed (I have a dark shadow on the left side of the screen), a really common problem on DLPs, and Samsungs in particular. It's a relatively expensive repair and even though lots of people suffer from this problem Samsung doesn't really care.

You're better off getting LCD flatpanel for gaming or some other technology RPTV without a color-wheel.

 

[Eug]

A high end name brand 720p set is usually much better than an el cheapo 1080p set.

P.S. I personally hate rear projection TVs of any kind, but YMMV.

 

[spidey07]

I've tried to stay out of it...

The sweetspot is 42" and greater. People sit WAY TO FAR away from their HDTV to really appreciate it. HD that is.

Technology wise, take your pick. My tongue is too fricking sore from biting it at parties of friends as they spew crap about their new TV. It's like listening to somebody tell you how great their bose 3-2-1 system is. You just grin and bear it.

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: spidey07
I've tried to stay out of it...

The sweetspot is 42" and greater. People sit WAY TO FAR away from their HDTV to really appreciate it. HD that is.

Technology wise, take your pick. My tongue is too fricking sore from biting it at parties of friends as they spew crap about their new TV. It's like listening to somebody tell you how great their bose 3-2-1 system is. You just grin and bear it.

Why bite your tongue here? The OP was talking about 42" or greater sets.

I agree though. Below about 40", the benefits of HD become harder to see. I could see a benefit with my 34" TV, but that's cuz I sat pretty close to it, and even then DVD looked pretty damn good.

OTOH, on my 90" projector image, DVD sometimes becomes almost unwatchable.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Eug

Originally posted by: spidey07
I've tried to stay out of it...

The sweetspot is 42" and greater. People sit WAY TO FAR away from their HDTV to really appreciate it. HD that is.

Technology wise, take your pick. My tongue is too fricking sore from biting it at parties of friends as they spew crap about their new TV. It's like listening to somebody tell you how great their bose 3-2-1 system is. You just grin and bear it.

Why bite your tongue here? The OP was talking about 42" or greater sets.

I agree though. Below about 40", the benefits of HD become harder to see. I could see a benefit with my 34" TV, but that's cuz I sat pretty close to it, and even then DVD looked pretty damn good.

OTOH, on my 90" projector image, DVD sometimes becomes almost unwatchable.

Mainly because I'm chastised for my championship of 1080p and trying to pound into peoples heads the importance of viewing distance and the death of 720p. You can see it from the numerous posts of "what 42" display do I get."

Hell, you're sitting 12 feet away from it, it doesn't freaking matter. However this has been a serious hobby of mine for 20+ years and I expect quality. The fact remains, people sit WAY TO FAR AWAY from their tv to appreciate HD.

-edit-
regarding your DVDs - somethings wrong. Or you're just too used to HD.

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: Eug

Originally posted by: spidey07
I've tried to stay out of it...

The sweetspot is 42" and greater. People sit WAY TO FAR away from their HDTV to really appreciate it. HD that is.

Technology wise, take your pick. My tongue is too fricking sore from biting it at parties of friends as they spew crap about their new TV. It's like listening to somebody tell you how great their bose 3-2-1 system is. You just grin and bear it.

Why bite your tongue here? The OP was talking about 42" or greater sets.

I agree though. Below about 40", the benefits of HD become harder to see. I could see a benefit with my 34" TV, but that's cuz I sat pretty close to it, and even then DVD looked pretty damn good.

OTOH, on my 90" projector image, DVD sometimes becomes almost unwatchable.

Mainly because I'm chastised for my championship of 1080p and trying to pound into peoples heads the importance of viewing distance and the death of 720p. You can see it from the numerous posts of "what 42" display do I get."

Hell, you're sitting 12 feet away from it, it doesn't freaking matter. However this has been a serious hobby of mine for 20+ years and I expect quality. The fact remains, people sit WAY TO FAR AWAY from their tv to appreciate HD.

-edit-
regarding your DVDs - somethings wrong. Or you're just too used to HD.

Nothing's wrong... except that the resolution for DVD is just too low, and upscaling just doesn't cut it. Granted, my upscalers aren't necessarily the greatest, but the lack of detail is simply too annoying... now that I'm so used to HD.

I sit 9' away from a 90" screen.

For DVD I use my 42" TV. I sit a similar distance away from it, and DVD looks OK.

P.S. I think 1080p is overrated for many, many setups. The real benefit of 1080p is if you're watching on a very large screen from up close. ie. A 1080p resolution from normal viewing distances isn't going to help much on a 42" screen, as compared to 720p. Or even if it does help, often times the increased cost isn't justified.

It would make a more noticeable difference on my 90" screen at my seating distance however. However, a decent 1080p projector would cost twice as much.