Looking for an HDTV

[buzzsaw13]

I've been looking at this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16889107005

Saw it at Fry's and loved it, but I don't know about HDTV's at all and was wondering if this was a decent TV?

 

[keeleysam]

Don't buy a 1366x768 display. 720p video has to be stretched out, and on an LCD, it does not look good at all.

 

[buzzsaw13]

I'm looking for a decently priced HDTV, got any suggestions other than that viewsonic?

 

[kylebisme]

There are plenty of 1366x768 LCDs that look better than other 1280x720 displays, be it with 720p signals looking sharper though a bit of good upscaling or even more so with 1080i and 1080p signals not having to be downscaled so much. Although it does obviously depend on the quality of the scaling hardware, and I haven't seen that Viewsonic in action so I can't comment on it specifically.

 

[Rage187]

Originally posted by: keeleysam
Don't buy a 1366x768 display. 720p video has to be stretched out, and on an LCD, it does not look good at all.

complete nonsense

 

[buzzsaw13]

Originally posted by: Rage187

Originally posted by: keeleysam
Don't buy a 1366x768 display. 720p video has to be stretched out, and on an LCD, it does not look good at all.

complete nonsense

So would going with the Viewsonic be a good idea? Also, has anyone used BillMeLater? I'm probably going to be using that to pay for it.

 

[Rage187]

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=40&threadid=1887288&enterthread=y

better deal

 

[buzzsaw13]

Originally posted by: Rage187
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=40&threadid=1887288&enterthread=y

better deal

Argh, seems I don't have enough credit for BillMeLater

Looks like im gonna have to get a CRT HDTV. Any suggestions?

 

[Rage187]

I suggest you not waste your money on a relic. But if you have to any of the 30" phillips from Wally world will work, I also think there is 30" samsung for $599.

 

[aatf510]

Originally posted by: Rage187

Originally posted by: keeleysam
Don't buy a 1366x768 display. 720p video has to be stretched out, and on an LCD, it does not look good at all.

complete nonsense

It makes sense to me.
Stretching to fit a different resolution is the worst thing you can do to the quality of the picture on a LCD. However, there must be a reason why most HDTV is 1366x768.
What resolution do we normally get off Cable TV's HD channel?

 

[Rage187]

Originally posted by: toattett

Originally posted by: Rage187

Originally posted by: keeleysam
Don't buy a 1366x768 display. 720p video has to be stretched out, and on an LCD, it does not look good at all.

complete nonsense

It makes sense to me.
Stretching to fit a different resolution is the worst thing you can do to the quality of the picture on a LCD. However, there must be a reason why most HDTV is 1366x768.
What resolution do we normally get off Cable TV's HD channel?

1366x768 is still the same aspect ratio of 720P, 16:9.

56% of all LCD TV's sold to date have this resolution, that includes 27 different manufactures.

Now, if 720P "is streched and looks like crap" then why do you think 27 manufactures create panels with this resolution?

It has to do with square pixels vs. rectangle pixels, check out AVSforums for more info.

 

[kylebisme]

Originally posted by: toattett
It makes sense to me.
Stretching to fit a different resolution is the worst thing you can do to the quality of the picture on a LCD.

In the sense that when running your desktop at 1280x960 on a 1600x1200 LCD it won't look as good as running 1600x1200 to it, you are correct. But in the case of say running DVDs which have a native resolution of 720x480, those can look a lot better though good upscaling on higher resolution display rather than running at that lower native resolution.

Originally posted by: toattett
However, there must be a reason why most HDTV is 1366x768.

Becuase It's a good comprimise between too few big pixels looking rough and too many small pixels being hard/expensive to get good quality out of.

Originally posted by: toattett
What resolution do we normally get off Cable TV's HD channel?

Most HD cable is 1080i, which is 1920x1080 frames transmited as two 1920x540 interlaced fields.

Originally posted by: Rage187
It has to do with square pixels vs. rectangle pixels...

What being discussed here has anything to do with the shape of the pixels?

 

[BenSkywalker]

1366x768 is still the same aspect ratio of 720P, 16:9.

56% of all LCD TV's sold to date have this resolution, that includes 27 different manufactures.

Now, if 720P "is streched and looks like crap" then why do you think 27 manufactures create panels with this resolution?

To reduce production expenses. It is inferior when looking at LCDs to runnng it at its native resolution. That is far from the only factor involved, but it certainly has an impact.

Saw it at Fry's and loved it, but I don't know about HDTV's at all and was wondering if this was a decent TV?

Your eyes are the most important factor when looking at buying a TV for yourself. Much like monitors, it is actually quite foolish to buy one without checking it out for yourself prior to making your choice. If you really like that particular display by what your own eyes tell you, then you might want to ask around about any issues with reliability and such, but don't take the word of anyone else, myself included, about what you are going to like in terms of a good display. I listened to a lot of people last time I was looking to pick up a screen and heard a handful of displays reccomended continually by numerous people and was flat out shocked how bad they were. Use your eyes, if you really like the display you saw yourself and can afford the price, go with it.