Q when comparing 2 tv's

[Semidevil]

so today, I went to Best buy to look at some flat screen tvs. I saw 2 tv's standing side by side. both about the same size, both are LCDs, both are different brands(I forgot the names though). one is 1080P and the other is 720P.

I noticed that the 720P has significantly darker picture quality.

Is this because the BB workers probably just lowered the contrast on one and not the other?

the fact that it is 720P has nothing to do with that correct? 720 and 1080 deal with resolution, so it should not affect the brightness correct?

I want to make sure, because I think a 720P should be okay for me, but if it is going to produce dark picture quality, then maybe not.

thanks.


thanks.

 

[Tiamat]

they always fuck around with the settings to sell certain models over others. If you want, you can probably play around with the settings without getting into any trouble instore.

 

[MustISO]

Unless the store calibrates the TV's properly, they'll need to be setup to see what they can really look like.

 

[montypythizzle]

All of the TVs were fucked when I went to BB, hell, a Westinghouse looked better than all the other LCDs... Pioneers were still the best, imagine that :roll: of course they don't fuck with the most expensive TV..

 

[cmdrdredd]

My bestbuy has a Samsung LCD on display with an identical model next to it which HAS been calibrated. They do this to sell you on their in home install BS and tell you that they can calibrate it and whatnot.

Point is, the difference was quite astounding.

 

[kalrith]

Most TVs in stores like Best Buy are set on "torch" mode, which usually means max brightness and contrast. They are set like that to compete with the bright lights of the store. Unless you have a drop ceiling with 10 flourescent lights in your TV room, you're going to want to tone down the brightness and contrast a LOT. Not only will it give you a more realistic picture, but it will be easier on your eyes, your electric bill, and the life of your TV.

If two LCDs were next to each other with one in torch mode and one ISF calibrated, the calibrated TV would look darker and perhaps even dull compared to the blazingly bright LCD next to it. However, the best-looking TV in the store usually won't be the best-looking TV at home. You should read some reviews of both TVs and put more stock in that than what you see at Best Buy with their bright lights and messed-up settings. Another option is to print out some TV settings from avsforum or from professional reviews and see if a Best Buy employee will let you change the settings. This will be closer to a good comparison, but they'll probably still have a crappy feed and too-bright lights to compete with.

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: kalrith
Most TVs in stores like Best Buy are set on "torch" mode, which usually means max brightness and contrast. They are set like that to compete with the bright lights of the store. Unless you have a drop ceiling with 10 flourescent lights in your TV room, you're going to want to tone down the brightness and contrast a LOT. Not only will it give you a more realistic picture, but it will be easier on your eyes, your electric bill, and the life of your TV.

If two LCDs were next to each other with one in torch mode and one ISF calibrated, the calibrated TV would look darker and perhaps even dull compared to the blazingly bright LCD next to it. However, the best-looking TV in the store usually won't be the best-looking TV at home. You should read some reviews of both TVs and put more stock in that than what you see at Best Buy with their bright lights and messed-up settings. Another option is to print out some TV settings from avsforum or from professional reviews and see if a Best Buy employee will let you change the settings. This will be closer to a good comparison, but they'll probably still have a crappy feed and too-bright lights to compete with.

Bingo. And for all you complaining that workers are changing the settings trying to sell one over the other. Most of the time, from my experience, its customers who change the settings when they are checking out the set. Workers could care less which you buy especially at stores with no commission. The only set I ever set on a daily basis was a mitsu DLP about 3 years ago. It had greens wayyyyy over exaggerated so I would tone that down to make colors a bit more accurate.

My suggestion to anyone looking for a TV is to go to the store, get the remote or the menu buttons on the TV and change the TV off "vivid" mode to "normal" or "standard". This at least puts all the TV's on the same starting point. Sure they still aren't calibrated...but you know ones settings are at least at their defaults and not in "torch" mode.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: kalrith
Most TVs in stores like Best Buy are set on "torch" mode, which usually means max brightness and contrast. They are set like that to compete with the bright lights of the store. Unless you have a drop ceiling with 10 flourescent lights in your TV room, you're going to want to tone down the brightness and contrast a LOT. Not only will it give you a more realistic picture, but it will be easier on your eyes, your electric bill, and the life of your TV.

If two LCDs were next to each other with one in torch mode and one ISF calibrated, the calibrated TV would look darker and perhaps even dull compared to the blazingly bright LCD next to it. However, the best-looking TV in the store usually won't be the best-looking TV at home. You should read some reviews of both TVs and put more stock in that than what you see at Best Buy with their bright lights and messed-up settings. Another option is to print out some TV settings from avsforum or from professional reviews and see if a Best Buy employee will let you change the settings. This will be closer to a good comparison, but they'll probably still have a crappy feed and too-bright lights to compete with.

actually my bestbuy has the insignia home theater section with a darkened room. They display all their top sets in that room (more controlled lighting). So the TVs there do look better than in the normal store area.

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: kalrith
Most TVs in stores like Best Buy are set on "torch" mode, which usually means max brightness and contrast. They are set like that to compete with the bright lights of the store. Unless you have a drop ceiling with 10 flourescent lights in your TV room, you're going to want to tone down the brightness and contrast a LOT. Not only will it give you a more realistic picture, but it will be easier on your eyes, your electric bill, and the life of your TV.

If two LCDs were next to each other with one in torch mode and one ISF calibrated, the calibrated TV would look darker and perhaps even dull compared to the blazingly bright LCD next to it. However, the best-looking TV in the store usually won't be the best-looking TV at home. You should read some reviews of both TVs and put more stock in that than what you see at Best Buy with their bright lights and messed-up settings. Another option is to print out some TV settings from avsforum or from professional reviews and see if a Best Buy employee will let you change the settings. This will be closer to a good comparison, but they'll probably still have a crappy feed and too-bright lights to compete with.

actually my bestbuy has the insignia home theater section with a darkened room. They display all their top sets in that room (more controlled lighting). So the TVs there do look better than in the normal store area.

Mine has the Magnolia Home Theater, but I assumed that OP's didn't or that the TVs were not in that room. I also don't remember seeing too many LCDs in mine but mostly high-end plasmas and rear-projection.

Edit: Even in a low-light setting, the TV's settings and the input source still come into play. They might still be in torch mode even if they're in a darkened room, and they might have a crappy source as well. I watched Planet Earth on Blu-Ray on a Pioneer Pro 150 the other night at Best Buy, and it actually looked really nice. I didn't mess with the settings since I know that nothing else compares to its picture quality, but I would have printed out the settings from avsforum had I wanted to compare the TV with one or more others.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd

Originally posted by: kalrith
Most TVs in stores like Best Buy are set on "torch" mode, which usually means max brightness and contrast. They are set like that to compete with the bright lights of the store. Unless you have a drop ceiling with 10 flourescent lights in your TV room, you're going to want to tone down the brightness and contrast a LOT. Not only will it give you a more realistic picture, but it will be easier on your eyes, your electric bill, and the life of your TV.

If two LCDs were next to each other with one in torch mode and one ISF calibrated, the calibrated TV would look darker and perhaps even dull compared to the blazingly bright LCD next to it. However, the best-looking TV in the store usually won't be the best-looking TV at home. You should read some reviews of both TVs and put more stock in that than what you see at Best Buy with their bright lights and messed-up settings. Another option is to print out some TV settings from avsforum or from professional reviews and see if a Best Buy employee will let you change the settings. This will be closer to a good comparison, but they'll probably still have a crappy feed and too-bright lights to compete with.

actually my bestbuy has the insignia home theater section with a darkened room. They display all their top sets in that room (more controlled lighting). So the TVs there do look better than in the normal store area.

Mine has the Magnolia Home Theater, but I assumed that OP's didn't or that the TVs were not in that room. I also don't remember seeing too many LCDs in mine but mostly high-end plasmas and rear-projection.

Edit: Even in a low-light setting, the TV's settings and the input source still come into play. They might still be in torch mode even if they're in a darkened room, and they might have a crappy source as well. I watched Planet Earth on Blu-Ray on a Pioneer Pro 150 the other night at Best Buy, and it actually looked really nice. I didn't mess with the settings since I know that nothing else compares to its picture quality, but I would have printed out the settings from avsforum had I wanted to compare the TV with one or more others.

I had the name wrong, but you know what I mean then.

What they did is plug in an HD DVD player to one set uncalibrated out of the box. Was some 42" Samsung LCD. Other set, same model with the same HD DVD player model (different HD DVD player though) both connected via HDMI. That set however was calibrated. You could see the differences immediately. Obviously calibrated screens are supposed to look more natural.