Need help with 50 inch plasma selection

[gordita]

here's my 2 cents:

Step #1 is always to get a plasma/lcd.
Step #2 is to bump up the cable/sat receiver to make sure you can DVR all your shows in HD.

Once you start watching (and hearing 5.1 sound) shows in HD, you will not like watching anything but stuff in HD.
Step #3 next comes the sound and you will definitely want to get a HtiB or just get decent 5.1/7.1 setup with a sub.
Step #4 after this, you will pop in your occasional dvd's and find it too pixelated on your new tv.
hence, you will want to get either a hd/blu ray player (or at the very least, an upscaling player)....


Step #5 next, you would want a streamer to play files off your NAS/server or youtube on your new tv...

do you see where i'm going with this?

this is not just about 'what new tv should I get'.....

dude...you're going to be spending a lot of $$$ once you buy this tv, i just wanted to let you know.
you may say 'hogwash' but mark your calender and revisit this thread in 6 months and you'll see what I mean....

btw, if anyone cares, i'm currently on step #5....

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: gordita
here's my 2 cents:

Step #1 is always to get a plasma/lcd.
Step #2 is to bump up the cable/sat receiver to make sure you can DVR all your shows in HD.

Once you start watching (and hearing 5.1 sound) shows in HD, you will not like watching anything but stuff in HD.
Step #3 next comes the sound and you will definitely want to get a HtiB or just get decent 5.1/7.1 setup with a sub.
Step #4 after this, you will pop in your occasional dvd's and find it too pixelated on your new tv.
hence, you will want to get either a hd/blu ray player (or at the very least, an upscaling player)....


Step #5 next, you would want a streamer to play files off your NAS/server or youtube on your new tv...

do you see where i'm going with this?

this is not just about 'what new tv should I get'.....

dude...you're going to be spending a lot of $$$ once you buy this tv, i just wanted to let you know.
you may say 'hogwash' but mark your calender and revisit this thread in 6 months and you'll see what I mean....

btw, if anyone cares, i'm currently on step #5....

Step 5 is currently XBMC until something similar comes around which supports HD properly.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: gordita
here's my 2 cents:

Step #1 is always to get a plasma/lcd.
Step #2 is to bump up the cable/sat receiver to make sure you can DVR all your shows in HD.

Once you start watching (and hearing 5.1 sound) shows in HD, you will not like watching anything but stuff in HD.
Step #3 next comes the sound and you will definitely want to get a HtiB or just get decent 5.1/7.1 setup with a sub.
Step #4 after this, you will pop in your occasional dvd's and find it too pixelated on your new tv.
hence, you will want to get either a hd/blu ray player (or at the very least, an upscaling player)....


Step #5 next, you would want a streamer to play files off your NAS/server or youtube on your new tv...

do you see where i'm going with this?

this is not just about 'what new tv should I get'.....

dude...you're going to be spending a lot of $$$ once you buy this tv, i just wanted to let you know.
you may say 'hogwash' but mark your calender and revisit this thread in 6 months and you'll see what I mean....

btw, if anyone cares, i'm currently on step #5....

Step 5 is currently XBMC until something similar comes around which supports HD properly.

step 3 myself (although I did step 4 before step 3)...so step 4. Honestly, I'm content with nice upscaled DVDs, but Blu-Ray/HD DVD is much nicer. at the very least, I am not buying any new DVDs anymore.

yeah, it doesn't end at wanting a new TV...

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: gordita
here's my 2 cents:

Step #1 is always to get a plasma/lcd.
Step #2 is to bump up the cable/sat receiver to make sure you can DVR all your shows in HD.

Once you start watching (and hearing 5.1 sound) shows in HD, you will not like watching anything but stuff in HD.
Step #3 next comes the sound and you will definitely want to get a HtiB or just get decent 5.1/7.1 setup with a sub.
Step #4 after this, you will pop in your occasional dvd's and find it too pixelated on your new tv.
hence, you will want to get either a hd/blu ray player (or at the very least, an upscaling player)....


Step #5 next, you would want a streamer to play files off your NAS/server or youtube on your new tv...

do you see where i'm going with this?

this is not just about 'what new tv should I get'.....

dude...you're going to be spending a lot of $$$ once you buy this tv, i just wanted to let you know.
you may say 'hogwash' but mark your calender and revisit this thread in 6 months and you'll see what I mean....

btw, if anyone cares, i'm currently on step #5....

Step 5 is currently XBMC until something similar comes around which supports HD properly.

step 3 myself (although I did step 4 before step 3)...so step 4. Honestly, I'm content with nice upscaled DVDs, but Blu-Ray/HD DVD is much nicer. at the very least, I am not buying any new DVDs anymore.

yeah, it doesn't end at wanting a new TV...

I agree. I never think a DVD is "too pixelated". A decent upscaling algorithm should take care of that. Perhaps a bit soft compared to HD but certainly not pixelated. If your DVD's are pixelated, something is wrong with your setup.

 

[gordita]

Originally posted by: DBL

I agree. I never think a DVD is "too pixelated". A decent upscaling algorithm should take care of that. Perhaps a bit soft compared to HD but certainly not pixelated. If your DVD's are pixelated, something is wrong with your setup.

my bad. I should have chosen my words carefully.
yes, the dvd picture (regular 480i) is 'softer' than HD, not pixelated.

also, I forgot about Step #6: lol
I respectfully asked for permission to put the tv up on the wall using a sanus tilting wall mount.
The wife agreed to the idea but only on a condition that we paint the wall and make it an 'accent wall'.
obviously, I agreed.
Then, she went out and not only painted it but she didn't like what we did and now, she's looking at some other painting techniques to enhance the wall effect.
at this point, all i can do is smile....even though i'm seething inside.

I understand step #6 does not apply to renters but still...

btw, I settled on the 50 px75u and am very satisfied with what I have. glare is not a problem in my room, but that is an important consideration when choosing a panel.

where do i go for some reading on media streamers?
i would like the streamer to play any video/audio file, youtube videos and the ability to make my own playlists from about 100 folders/subfolders. it must also have an optical out to connect to a HT receiver and HDMI to tv would be a huge plus.
any suggestions?

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: FallenHero
You can stop the debate. I'm going for the 5080 after doing additional research and taking these suggestions into account. Plus, Best buy is matching Amazon.com for me, so I get it for 1000 under what they currently have it listed as.

Good choice! That's what I'm planning to get as well. I must ask. How the heck did you get Best Buy to price match Amazon?

yes, please let us know. I'm going to print out an amazon ad and run it by the BB in my nieighborhood this week. see if I can save a few bucks...

 

[FallenHero]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: FallenHero
You can stop the debate. I'm going for the 5080 after doing additional research and taking these suggestions into account. Plus, Best buy is matching Amazon.com for me, so I get it for 1000 under what they currently have it listed as.

Good choice! That's what I'm planning to get as well. I must ask. How the heck did you get Best Buy to price match Amazon?

yes, please let us know. I'm going to print out an amazon ad and run it by the BB in my nieighborhood this week. see if I can save a few bucks...

its all about the bartering. I am buying a 360 and stand along with it...I said if they want a huge sale, they can "help me out" by offering me something otherwise they lose my money. 30 minutes later they were ready to basically throw in the stand and Xbox for free. I'll take pics when I have a chance. YMMV

 

[walkure]

Originally posted by: FallenHero

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: FallenHero
You can stop the debate. I'm going for the 5080 after doing additional research and taking these suggestions into account. Plus, Best buy is matching Amazon.com for me, so I get it for 1000 under what they currently have it listed as.

Good choice! That's what I'm planning to get as well. I must ask. How the heck did you get Best Buy to price match Amazon?

yes, please let us know. I'm going to print out an amazon ad and run it by the BB in my nieighborhood this week. see if I can save a few bucks...

its all about the bartering. I am buying a 360 and stand along with it...I said if they want a huge sale, they can "help me out" by offering me something otherwise they lose my money. 30 minutes later they were ready to basically throw in the stand and Xbox for free. I'll take pics when I have a chance. YMMV

Why did you want to price match with Best Buy in the first place? Convenience of local pickup/delivery? Peace of mind in case of needing to return it and not wanting to ship back to Amazon? For me I'd pay $0 in tax and shipping on Amazon, so I see little reason to buy locally at BB and then suffer $200+ in tax.

Also I have read all the glowing reviews of the Pioneer 50" 720p model, but I'm confused about their 1080p 50" models. The "elite" is the best one right? I just don't understand from their website (http://www.pioneerelectronics....2076_310069651,00.html ) what the advantages are. But I know I want a future-proof model, so I am fairly certain I am willing to pay a little extra for 1080p. We will use this TV for at least 5 years, probably more.

EDIT: After a couple more hours of reading and shopping, I see that the KURO PDP-5010FD is the first 1080p 50" model available (cheapest price is $3469 on Amazon). This site lists all the models in a nice readable list: http://www.visualapex.com/plas...?MFR=Pioneer-Plasma-TV

The higher level 50" model is the KURO PRO-110FD ("Elite"). It is about $900 more on Amazon. I do not know what specifically makes thie "elite" worth $900 more.

So at this point I have to decide on the 720p 50" for under $2500, or the 1080p 50" for about $3500.

But 50" is minimum. Also will have to check some Samsung or Panasonic 58" models which seem to be around $3500 (same as the 50" Pioneer 1080p).

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Are you sure you want to use the built-in speakers?

360 and Movies would be a LOT cooler with some good sound to go along with it.

Something like a ~$2500 Pioneer 5080 and a ~$500 HTIB from Onkyo would be a nice ~$3000 total system.

woops...had no idea this was a resurrected dead thread..that I had already commented on

still, i can congratulate the OP on his Kuro, you are now the envy of many on here

this past weekend I checked out the 1080p 50" Elite model at a local Tweeter. they were feeding it Blu Ray and it looked to be pretty well calibrated. I almost creamed my pants, but at 5k.....I still don't see the 2x price premium for going 1080 a reasonable decision.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: walkure

Originally posted by: FallenHero

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: FallenHero
You can stop the debate. I'm going for the 5080 after doing additional research and taking these suggestions into account. Plus, Best buy is matching Amazon.com for me, so I get it for 1000 under what they currently have it listed as.

Good choice! That's what I'm planning to get as well. I must ask. How the heck did you get Best Buy to price match Amazon?

yes, please let us know. I'm going to print out an amazon ad and run it by the BB in my nieighborhood this week. see if I can save a few bucks...

its all about the bartering. I am buying a 360 and stand along with it...I said if they want a huge sale, they can "help me out" by offering me something otherwise they lose my money. 30 minutes later they were ready to basically throw in the stand and Xbox for free. I'll take pics when I have a chance. YMMV

Why did you want to price match with Best Buy in the first place? Convenience of local pickup/delivery? Peace of mind in case of needing to return it and not wanting to ship back to Amazon? For me I'd pay $0 in tax and shipping on Amazon, so I see little reason to buy locally at BB and then suffer $200+ in tax.

Also I have read all the glowing reviews of the Pioneer 50" 720p model, but I'm confused about their 1080p 50" models. The "elite" is the best one right? I just don't understand from their website (http://www.pioneerelectronics....2076_310069651,00.html ) what the advantages are. But I know I want a future-proof model, so I am fairly certain I am willing to pay a little extra for 1080p. We will use this TV for at least 5 years, probably more.

EDIT: After a couple more hours of reading and shopping, I see that the KURO PDP-5010FD is the first 1080p 50" model available (cheapest price is $3469 on Amazon). This site lists all the models in a nice readable list: http://www.visualapex.com/plas...?MFR=Pioneer-Plasma-TV

The higher level 50" model is the KURO PRO-110FD ("Elite"). It is about $900 more on Amazon. I do not know what specifically makes thie "elite" worth $900 more.

So at this point I have to decide on the 720p 50" for under $2500, or the 1080p 50" for about $3500.

But 50" is minimum. Also will have to check some Samsung or Panasonic 58" models which seem to be around $3500 (same as the 50" Pioneer 1080p).

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

ah. you resurrected it yourself!

my thoughts are--if you are willing to spend the money for a Kuro, then don't even consider a Panasonic or Samsung. best thing you can do is see and compare them yourself. I would certainly spend the 2500 on the 50" 720p, then spend the other 1k that you seem willing to unload on a very decent system.

 

[marcplante]

Depending on how far you're sitting away (More than 10-11 ft) I'd strongly recommend the Panasonic 720P, possibly the 58" if you can afford the size. Remember that a lot of movies run in letterbox, so you're giving up a big chunk of your screen right off the bat. resolution shouldn't be an issue for a 58" even at DVD resolution outside of 11 feet.

remember there is audiophile and videophile stuff out there that can run into $$$ the marketing departments are trying to get you to upgrade. Just go look at the pictures and see what you're happy with.

If you have a Costco in the area, you have the luxury of taking one home for up to 90 days to decide if you want it. I'd argue that there are nuances in picture quality, but unless you're going to be comparing directly side by side, the Panny will do well enough that you won't miss anything. With the few hundred dollars you save on the screen, you should get a very basic 3 speaker surround system. A large screen will lose its impact with mediocre sound. In fact a smaller screen can have a much more compelling presence than you'd expect with rich sound accompanying the picture. $500 should be able to get you a small basic amplifier and some very small but competant speakers (anything is an improvement over what's in the cabinet).

Yes, I havbe large speakers on my plasma, but I have a set of $250 bookshelf speakers on our 27" crt that really bring the screen to life.

BTW, one last issue is source. Plan on an *upconverting* DVD player to get the most out of your screen. They can be had relatively cheap. Also if you can get FIOS in your area, the picture quality is worth it, otherwise plan on an HD package from your cable or satellite operator. realize that for most operators non-HD channels will be lacking on plasma (we tried Cox, DirecTV and Dish before FIOS, though I'm fine with the picture quality on all channels with FIOS.

YMMV of course,

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: marcplante
Depending on how far you're sitting away

That's really what we need to know in order to recommend a size and resolution to you. If you are 10 feet away, for example, you won't see any difference between a 50" 720p and 1080p TV. However, if you went up to 58-60" at 10 feet away, then I'd recommend going with 1080p. Here's a chart that shows at what distance the average person can start to perceive the advantages of 1080p over 720p. Many people say that they have to be closer than the chart says in order to see the advantages of 1080p, while others (very few) say they can tell the difference from farther away than the chart says.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Are you sure you want to use the built-in speakers?

360 and Movies would be a LOT cooler with some good sound to go along with it.

Something like a ~$2500 Pioneer 5080 and a ~$500 HTIB from Onkyo would be a nice ~$3000 total system.

woops...had no idea this was a resurrected dead thread..that I had already commented on

still, i can congratulate the OP on his Kuro, you are now the envy of many on here

this past weekend I checked out the 1080p 50" Elite model at a local Tweeter. they were feeding it Blu Ray and it looked to be pretty well calibrated. I almost creamed my pants, but at 5k.....I still don't see the 2x price premium for going 1080 a reasonable decision.

Take into consideration the Elite extends the Pioneer warranty to 2 years instead of 1 and offers more control for ISF calibration resulting in a VERY accurate image (ISF calibrating a Pure Pioneer voids your Pioneer warranty). Other pluses include night and day settings, network capabilities and other little things. But the two MAIN selling points for the Elite are the 2 yr warranty and an EXTREMELY accurate picture. The only other display in the Elite's category is the Fujitsu Avaimo which is quite a bit more.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: FallenHero

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: FallenHero
You can stop the debate. I'm going for the 5080 after doing additional research and taking these suggestions into account. Plus, Best buy is matching Amazon.com for me, so I get it for 1000 under what they currently have it listed as.

Good choice! That's what I'm planning to get as well. I must ask. How the heck did you get Best Buy to price match Amazon?

yes, please let us know. I'm going to print out an amazon ad and run it by the BB in my nieighborhood this week. see if I can save a few bucks...

its all about the bartering. I am buying a 360 and stand along with it...I said if they want a huge sale, they can "help me out" by offering me something otherwise they lose my money. 30 minutes later they were ready to basically throw in the stand and Xbox for free. I'll take pics when I have a chance. YMMV

That is a GREAT deal if they threw in that 360 and stand for free WITH the pricematch. Great deal man, and congratulations!

 

[walkure]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: walkure

Originally posted by: FallenHero

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: FallenHero
You can stop the debate. I'm going for the 5080 after doing additional research and taking these suggestions into account. Plus, Best buy is matching Amazon.com for me, so I get it for 1000 under what they currently have it listed as.

Good choice! That's what I'm planning to get as well. I must ask. How the heck did you get Best Buy to price match Amazon?

yes, please let us know. I'm going to print out an amazon ad and run it by the BB in my nieighborhood this week. see if I can save a few bucks...

its all about the bartering. I am buying a 360 and stand along with it...I said if they want a huge sale, they can "help me out" by offering me something otherwise they lose my money. 30 minutes later they were ready to basically throw in the stand and Xbox for free. I'll take pics when I have a chance. YMMV

Why did you want to price match with Best Buy in the first place? Convenience of local pickup/delivery? Peace of mind in case of needing to return it and not wanting to ship back to Amazon? For me I'd pay $0 in tax and shipping on Amazon, so I see little reason to buy locally at BB and then suffer $200+ in tax.

Also I have read all the glowing reviews of the Pioneer 50" 720p model, but I'm confused about their 1080p 50" models. The "elite" is the best one right? I just don't understand from their website (http://www.pioneerelectronics....2076_310069651,00.html ) what the advantages are. But I know I want a future-proof model, so I am fairly certain I am willing to pay a little extra for 1080p. We will use this TV for at least 5 years, probably more.

EDIT: After a couple more hours of reading and shopping, I see that the KURO PDP-5010FD is the first 1080p 50" model available (cheapest price is $3469 on Amazon). This site lists all the models in a nice readable list: http://www.visualapex.com/plas...?MFR=Pioneer-Plasma-TV

The higher level 50" model is the KURO PRO-110FD ("Elite"). It is about $900 more on Amazon. I do not know what specifically makes thie "elite" worth $900 more.

So at this point I have to decide on the 720p 50" for under $2500, or the 1080p 50" for about $3500.

But 50" is minimum. Also will have to check some Samsung or Panasonic 58" models which seem to be around $3500 (same as the 50" Pioneer 1080p).

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

ah. you resurrected it yourself!

my thoughts are--if you are willing to spend the money for a Kuro, then don't even consider a Panasonic or Samsung. best thing you can do is see and compare them yourself. I would certainly spend the 2500 on the 50" 720p, then spend the other 1k that you seem willing to unload on a very decent system.

Here is the Pioneer 50" 1080p on Amazon (currently $3549 on Weds. 11/28, up from $3469 on Tues. 11/27!!! ):
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-...p-Plasma/dp/B000TZ8544

The older 720p 50" is currently $2619.96:
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-...qid=1196300553&sr=1-11

Even though the 720p has rave reviews (claiming it beats other 1080p 50" screens, likely comparing to Samsung, Panasonic, and others), why at this point would I not want 1080p? Isn't it true that if you only have a 720p, you are sacrificing quality on the following (but NOT cable HD channels, since those are only 720p anyway):

Blu Ray
HD DVD
PC gaming / use on plasma TV in higher resolution than 720p
Xbox / Playstation 3 (though I don't think either actually has any games that output 1080p at this time)

Sure it'd be nice to save $800-$900 on the 720p, but I think I'm willing to spend up to $3500. So is there any drawback to the 1080p besides price? Does it make standard definition stuff look worse with stretching/scaling? My guess is that it can't be that bad, because 1080p screens are all the rage now, and I don't see people avoiding them.

Also I have read the articles about viewing distance, and I understand it, however we definitely want the biggest screen possible (for the money). I'd love the Pioneer 60" 1080p, but that is $4400-$4500, so I don't think we're spending that much. But I will look at the Panasonic and Samsung 58" models, which are comparable in price or even cheaper to the Pioneer 50" 1080p. I plan to hit up a store or two this weekend to see for myself (though it's hard to really judge just from looking for a few minutes in a store).

Can you all clarify the questions above about 1080p? Thanks!

 

[JackBurton]

Easy to answer, if you have the money, get the 1080p Kuro (5010). If not, get the 720p Kuro (5080) as it is still a great display.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: walkure
Can you all clarify the questions above about 1080p? Thanks!

You're opening a whole can of worms with that. Post a new thread. Bottom line = 1080p = better for all sources.

 

[walkure]

Not trying to open the whole can of worms. Just wondering if I have the facts correct about which sources give potential benefit at 1080p. I believe they are BluRay, HD-DVD, PC gaming/use, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 (though I'm not sure if any games actually output 1080p at this time). On the other hand, I have read that cable/satellite only broadcasts their HD channels at 720p, in which case it is not even possible to realize a better picture solely by having a 1080p model (assuming all other factors equal).

Thanks.

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: walkure
Not trying to open the whole can of worms. Just wondering if I have the facts correct about which sources give potential benefit at 1080p. I believe they are BluRay, HD-DVD, PC gaming/use, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 (though I'm not sure if any games actually output 1080p at this time). On the other hand, I have read that cable/satellite only broadcasts their HD channels at 720p, in which case it is not even possible to realize a better picture solely by having a 1080p model (assuming all other factors equal).

Thanks.

No. HD stations either broadcast in 720p or 1080i. You can find this list online. When a station broadcasts in 1080i, a 1080p television will de-interlace the picture to give you a 1080p image. The quality of that image is solely dependent on how the 1080i signal was sent as well as the compression used. However, in just about all cases, the picture will contain more detail than a 720p image when it is displayed on a 1080p TV. This will make a noticeable difference provided you sit at least as close as the recommended seating distance for 1080p for your screen size.

IOW, it is a myth that Blu-ray,HD-DVD or a PC source are required to see a real 1080p signal. Of course, most consumers give too much weight to the 1080p factor when choosing a TV as this is near the bottom of a short list of what makes a quality display.

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: JackBurton
Easy to answer, if you have the money, get the 1080p Kuro (5010). If not, get the 720p Kuro (5080) as it is still a great display.

..as is a 1080p Panasoinc if you really want 1080p and prefer not to spend 2x for 10% more.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: JackBurton
Easy to answer, if you have the money, get the 1080p Kuro (5010). If not, get the 720p Kuro (5080) as it is still a great display.

..as is a 1080p Panasoinc if you really want 1080p and prefer not to spend 2x for 10% more.

True. I'd say Panasonic is my second choice right under Pioneer.

 

[walkure]

Originally posted by: DBL
No. HD stations either broadcast in 720p or 1080i. You can find this list online. When a station broadcasts in 1080i, a 1080p television will de-interlace the picture to give you a 1080p image. The quality of that image is solely dependent on how the 1080i signal was sent as well as the compression used. However, in just about all cases, the picture will contain more detail than a 720p image when it is displayed on a 1080p TV. This will make a noticeable difference provided you sit at least as close as the recommended seating distance for 1080p for your screen size.

IOW, it is a myth that Blu-ray,HD-DVD or a PC source are required to see a real 1080p signal. Of course, most consumers give too much weight to the 1080p factor when choosing a TV as this is near the bottom of a short list of what makes a quality display.

So what else gives a real 1080p signal besides Blu-Ray, HD_DVD, or PC source? The way I am understanding your comment above is that even if an HD channel broadcasts in 1080i and then the TV de-interlaces it, that is not true 1080p. I could definitely be misunderstanding though.

Also, if you watch a Blu-Ray disc on a 720p TV, aren't you missing out on extra resolution (i.e. the extra 360 lines that you would be displayed if watching the same Blu-Ray disc on a native 1080p TV? That was one of the benefits of getting a 1080p TV that I had in mind (again, unless I am wrong on this).

I know it is easy for people (even me at first) to only look at 1080p vs. 720p and say that the 1080p TV is automatically better. After reading reviews of Pioneer 5080 (the 50" 720p model), I am convinced that a 720p TV can potentially look better than a 1080p TV (at least in the case of this Pioneer). But at the same time, I'm trying to understand the true benefits of the 1080p (hence my questions above).

Thanks for your time.

 

[walkure]

Originally posted by: JackBurton

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: JackBurton
Easy to answer, if you have the money, get the 1080p Kuro (5010). If not, get the 720p Kuro (5080) as it is still a great display.

..as is a 1080p Panasoinc if you really want 1080p and prefer not to spend 2x for 10% more.

True. I'd say Panasonic is my second choice right under Pioneer.

At the 50" level, I am happy to pay a somewhat higher price for the quality of the Pioneer. However, for around the same price, I do want to look into a Panasonic or Samsung 58" model, because I would really like as large of a screen as possible. I know there are considerations on viewing distance vs. screen size, which I understand and have experienced. It is easy to sit too close when watching things like news or sitcoms.

But I watch far more sports than anything else, and on screen the players are not nearly as big as the characters on a typical TV show. In a football game there are 22 players on the field; in basketball there are 10 on the court. So the wider angle shot of the game (allowing you to see the whole playing field/court) makes the details of the players that much smaller. Thus, I have no reservations about wanting a larger screen!

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: walkure

Originally posted by: JackBurton

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: JackBurton
Easy to answer, if you have the money, get the 1080p Kuro (5010). If not, get the 720p Kuro (5080) as it is still a great display.

..as is a 1080p Panasoinc if you really want 1080p and prefer not to spend 2x for 10% more.

True. I'd say Panasonic is my second choice right under Pioneer.

At the 50" level, I am happy to pay a somewhat higher price for the quality of the Pioneer. However, for around the same price, I do want to look into a Panasonic or Samsung 58" model, because I would really like as large of a screen as possible. I know there are considerations on viewing distance vs. screen size, which I understand and have experienced. It is easy to sit too close when watching things like news or sitcoms.

But I watch far more sports than anything else, and on screen the players are not nearly as big as the characters on a typical TV show. In a football game there are 22 players on the field; in basketball there are 10 on the court. So the wider angle shot of the game (allowing you to see the whole playing field/court) makes the details of the players that much smaller. Thus, I have no reservations about wanting a larger screen!

Bigger is just about always better. Personally, I'd choose the 58" Panasonic over the 50" Pioneer every time.

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: walkure
So what else gives a real 1080p signal besides Blu-Ray, HD_DVD, or PC source? The way I am understanding your comment above is that even if an HD channel broadcasts in 1080i and then the TV de-interlaces it, that is not true 1080p. I could definitely be misunderstanding though.

Yes and No. It's complicated.

In general, if it's Live TV such as a sporting event, then the moving areas of the picture have a more limited resolution. However, if it is a properly encoded movie transmitted at 1080i at 60 frames/sec, the FULL 1080p signal can be rebuilt (since only 30 frames/sec are needed) by a 1080p TV. In theory, only the level of compression (which has nothing to do with the resolution) used by your cable company would degrade the picture.

There is a good website but I forget the link at the moment. Maybe someone else can provide it.

Also, if you watch a Blu-Ray disc on a 720p TV, aren't you missing out on extra resolution (i.e. the extra 360 lines that you would be displayed if watching the same Blu-Ray disc on a native 1080p TV? That was one of the benefits of getting a 1080p TV that I had in mind (again, unless I am wrong on this).

Yes, you would be missing the extra resolution. The only other thing to consider here is if you could resolve this resolution anyway based on your screen size and seating distance.

I know it is easy for people (even me at first) to only look at 1080p vs. 720p and say that the 1080p TV is automatically better. After reading reviews of Pioneer 5080 (the 50" 720p model), I am convinced that a 720p TV can potentially look better than a 1080p TV (at least in the case of this Pioneer). But at the same time, I'm trying to understand the true benefits of the 1080p (hence my questions above).

Thanks for your time.