What res should I set devices at on a HDTV

[Blayze]

I've been looking at getting a HDTV, and I'm leaning towards something in the 37 inch range. Most of the sets I've looked at are 720p native res. Looking at the details for some of them show that the HDMI ports can accept 1080i or 1080p.

If I bought a device to hook to the HDTV though HDMI should I use the highest res possible by the device (1080i/1080p for a Blu-ray/HD DVD player), or go with the native res of the HDTV (720p)?

 

[Shawn]

Are you sure it's 1280x720 and not 1366x768? If it's truly 1280x720 then just use 720p.

 

[jkresh]

costco has a westinghouse 38inch 1080p set for $800. Depending on how far you sit and what uses you have that might make sense.

 

[Rio Rebel]

Originally posted by: Blayze
I've been looking at getting a HDTV, and I'm leaning towards something in the 37 inch range. Most of the sets I've looked at are 720p native res. Looking at the details for some of them show that the HDMI ports can accept 1080i or 1080p.

If I bought a device to hook to the HDTV though HDMI should I use the highest res possible by the device (1080i/1080p for a Blu-ray/HD DVD player), or go with the native res of the HDTV (720p)?

There is not a universal answer, but in most cases, you will do better matching the source to the native res of the tv.

 

[Mrfrog840]

yep. If you have a 720P TV set the resolutions to 720P. If you have a 1080P TV set the resolution on HD/Blu-ray player to 1080P

 

[Blayze]

Originally posted by: Shawn
Are you sure it's 1280x720 and not 1366x768? If it's truly 1280x720 then just use 720p.

The sets I've looked at are 1366x768. Would that make a difference choosing 720p?

So far it sounds like I'm better setting everything to the native res of the TV.

42 inch sets cost a little more, but I'm worried that they will be to big. This is going to be used in a small room, and the viewing distance will be between 5 and 8 feet usually. Should I go for the 42 or play it safe with the 37? I have a 27 inch CRT in here now.

 

[jkresh]

Blayze, it depends on teh experience you want to have, from 8 feet a 42 is not too big (in fact I am pretty sure 8 feet is far enough away that you cant visually tel the difference between 1080p and 720p so some would say a 42 is too small from 8 feet), from five it will certainly be bigger then your used to but again depending on your point of view not too big (I have a 106inch screen setup from about 10 feet and I don't think its too big). There is a 1080p vizio 120hz display thats supposed to be at costco for around $1000 sometime this month, which would be the least expensive 120hz set out there and a great deal on a 1080p display (though as I said from 8 feet you wont be able to tell 1080/720p) look at http://www.carltonbale.com/wp-...s/resolution_chart.png to see distance vs resolution visible resolution for the average human.