720p plasma tv with Blue Ray

[Rachet]

First of all, I have a small budget to purchase a new TV, $500 - $600.

I was looking at the Panasonic TC-P46C2, which is a 720p tv, on sale for $569 and no tax if I buy in NH at either Best Buy or Sears.

In the future I will want to get a blue ray player, possibly a PS3.

My question is how bad is the blue ray video on a 720p tv?

I realize the 1080p is the best but I would prefer a 46" versus a 42" (1080p) which would
still cost me more than $569.

Thanks for your help.

 

[sdifox]

1080p tvs should not be that unattainable now.

Having said that, how far are you sitting from the tv? 720p may just be good enough for your viewing distance.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

You can find some 1080P LCD TVs in that price range but they're generally in the 40" to 42" range and are 60 Hz. They're probably fine but not as big as you want.

What sdifox said is correct too. There is a chart somewhere that shows optimal viewing distance for each resolution (720P, 1080P). Personally, I wouldn't buy a 720P now but they aren't bad TVs. I have a 50" Panasonic 720P plasma in my master bedroom and love it.

 

[dfuze]

I've got a 42" Panasonic plasma that is 720p and when watching BD it pops and looks amazing to me, I honestly don't know if I would see it looking any better with 1080p. For ref, I sit about 8-10 feet away.

 

[Gibson486]

I have a 1080P LCD SONY TV in the living room and a 42 inch Sammy 720P Plasma in the bedroom. When I watch HD, I cannot tell the difference in terms of resolution.

 

[s44]

It depends on your distance. The real question is, how far are you sitting?

 

[Gibson486]

FYI, if you hold out long enough, you could get the S2 version of the TV (which is 1080p on a 42 inch set) included with the bluray for $600. When I was shopping for a TV in teh summer, Sears would always have that sale.

 

[s44]

Why wait? Amazon has the 42" S2 for $570 right now. The question is size.

 

[sivart]

I have a 100" screen with a 720p projector at 13 feet and blu-ray looks great. If you can afford 1080p, go for it, if not you will be happy with 720p and blu-ray...especially when compared to DVD.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I have a 100" screen with a 720p projector at 13 feet and blu-ray looks great. If you can afford 1080p, go for it, if not you will be happy with 720p and blu-ray...especially when compared to DVD.

106" screen 1080P at about 10 feet here ... looks Marvelous.
you can tell a slight difference between unscaled DVD and Bluray ... but, really, DVD source looks great. I have toyed with setting the bluray player to only upscale DVDs to 720P, and that too looks magnificent.

Now, if I watch an NTSC TV channel... that doesn't look so hot ... hehehe...


to the OP, 720P is perfectly fine. Just be aware that it's not ideal to hook a PC up to and use as a monitor. Also, it's not so good if your eyes will be less then about 3-4 feet from the screen.

If you're gonna sit 6 or 7 feet back from a 50 inch or so screen .... your eyes shouldn't really discern between 720 or 1080...

 

[s44]

If you're gonna sit 6 or 7 feet back from a 50 inch or so screen .... your eyes shouldn't really discern between 720 or 1080...

wrong

 

[BurnItDwn]

wrong

6-7 feet is within the "starts to become noticeable" range ... so I guess I stand corrected.

Perhaps I should have said that it's not significant until you get closer than about 6 or 7 feet.

 

[s44]

6-7 feet is within the "starts to become noticeable" range ... so I guess I stand corrected.

Try again.

It's in the 1440p starts to be noticeable range.

Even with 42" the 720/1080p difference (and I can tell you this from personal experience) is quite visible at 6-7 feet.

 

[zerocool84]

I've got a 42" Panasonic plasma that is 720p and when watching BD it pops and looks amazing to me, I honestly don't know if I would see it looking any better with 1080p. For ref, I sit about 8-10 feet away.

Even with 1080p you won't notice much of a difference sitting that far away.

 

[Rachet]

The room is 14 feet wide, so the distance is about 11-12 feet.

I have been trying to get a straight answer from the salesmen, concerning the blue tint that is present with the white background on all of the Panasonic plasmas in the store, including the $1200 42" 1080p model. It is the same at Best Buy, Sears, and Paul's Tv. My folks bought a 720 Panasonic PLasma 2 years ago and their model doesn't have the blue tint with the whites.

Does anyone know if this is just a factory setting, and whether it can be corrected?

 

[sivart]

The room is 14 feet wide, so the distance is about 11-12 feet.

I have been trying to get a straight answer from the salesmen, concerning the blue tint that is present with the white background on all of the Panasonic plasmas in the store, including the $1200 42" 1080p model. It is the same at Best Buy, Sears, and Paul's Tv. My folks bought a 720 Panasonic PLasma 2 years ago and their model doesn't have the blue tint with the whites.

Does anyone know if this is just a factory setting, and whether it can be corrected?

That sounds like torch mode to me. Plus if you have florescent lights in the same room, that may effect picture quality, too. See if the picture settings have "movie" mode and switch it to see if the issue goes away.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

The room is 14 feet wide, so the distance is about 11-12 feet.

I have been trying to get a straight answer from the salesmen, concerning the blue tint that is present with the white background on all of the Panasonic plasmas in the store, including the $1200 42" 1080p model. It is the same at Best Buy, Sears, and Paul's Tv. My folks bought a 720 Panasonic PLasma 2 years ago and their model doesn't have the blue tint with the whites.

I have 3 Panasonic plasmas, including a 2010 model, and I don't see a blue tint on any of them. It is probably just the mode the TVs are set to in most stores, coupled with the fluorescent lighting.

 

[sdifox]

Note there seems to be some problems with Panny plasma (not sure which models) whereas the stupid thing just keeps upping the floor of black so it just keeps reducing its dynamic range.

 

[velillen]

i have the panny TC-P42C2 (smaller size of one you were looking at) and can tell you it looks great. Dont go by what you see at the stores, mine looks way better at home. It wont look super good right out of the box but go to the AVS forum and find the thread of that model and set up a profile with those settings and its a good 10 times better.

As for 720p vs 1080p, thats up to you really. I cant tell a difference between the 1080p Sony lcd upstairs and the panny 720p downstairs. The Sony i sit ~8-10 feet away but the panny im only like 6-8.

 

[simonizor]

i have the panny TC-P42C2 (smaller size of one you were looking at) and can tell you it looks great. Dont go by what you see at the stores, mine looks way better at home. It wont look super good right out of the box but go to the AVS forum and find the thread of that model and set up a profile with those settings and its a good 10 times better.

As for 720p vs 1080p, thats up to you really. I cant tell a difference between the 1080p Sony lcd upstairs and the panny 720p downstairs. The Sony i sit ~8-10 feet away but the panny im only like 6-8.

If it was the other way around, you'd notice a difference.

 

[s44]

Yeah, at 11-12 ft I'd try for a 50" 720p. That's far.

 

[smitbret]

Yeah, at 11-12 ft I'd try for a 50" 720p. That's far.

Agreed. You can get a 50" Samsung 720p for about $700 if you shop around.

 

[velillen]

If it was the other way around, you'd notice a difference.

Really even when i get up the sony doesnt look noticeably better TO ME when im only 5-6 feet away. Then again i dont have the best eye sight. Also if i had a 720p sitting next to a 1080p and could see them both it might be different. But my eyesight isnt the best either so those with better eyesight might notice it more than i do

 

[0roo0roo]

size> resolution on the cheap end.
doens't matter how fine the resolution is if you have to sit 3 feet away to appreciate it, or it becomes watching a postage stamp at regular distance.

 

[Gibson486]

I have 3 Panasonic plasmas, including a 2010 model, and I don't see a blue tint on any of them. It is probably just the mode the TVs are set to in most stores, coupled with the fluorescent lighting.

Maybe it blends in with all your colts merchandise, so you cannot notice the blue tint.:awe: