Good HDTVs?

[paddyboy]

This is not strictly GTA IV related but the game's delay has motivated me to start saving for a decent HDTV and I was wondering if any of you can recommend any that are good value for money.

 

I'm looking for something in the 26"-36" range and no more than about GB£600 (~US$1200)

 

Any tips?

[shiznit]

I made a topic about this. Its called Everything i need to Play GTA IV. Ill try to look for it. It mught help you. And i like you sign

[shiznit]

http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=287803

there my topic good luck. remmember dont have to read everything. Just read the HDTV part and that might help you get your new HDTV

[paddyboy]

Thanks Shiznit. I already know how HD works and why it's better than a standard TV but my parents have a widescreen TV they bought years ago without researching it much and it sucks.

 

I'm just looking for people who've got HDTVs who are very pleased with them to recommend good brands. I'm looking for:

• Great picture quality
• Good sound
• Preferably with built in Freeview

At the minute I'm looking at Sony's beautiful Bravia range and some of the Phillips ones look good too.

 

Free cookie for anyone who suggests the TV I end up getting!

Edited August 7, 2007 by paddyboy

[GTA-IceMan]

Just a quick question, (Keep the Answer Simple, sorry for hijack) will the Xbox360 Pro Version run fine on any HDTV??

[paddyboy]

Just a quick question, (Keep the Answer Simple, sorry for hijack) will the Xbox360 Pro Version run fine on any HDTV??

All the Xbox 360 models should work with most (if not all) HDTVs. Just stick with the more major brands and you should be okay. I can't see a reason why there would be a HDTV that wasn't compatible.

[TinCan]

A 32" should be your best bet for size vs price, and you don't need full-HD for anything under 40".

Sony and Samsung are known to be the best lcd's quality-wise, they have the same panels, so the difference in quality is down to the electronics. Of this years models the Samsung have a bit better contrast if I'm not mistaken.

You really need to see them irl to be sure they will suit your needs.

 

*check out some av/home cinema forums as well*

 

[OysterBarron]

if you want the best 32" samsung one will do the job nicley good picture and all that. i use a LG 52"HD DLP rear projection tv.

 

its well known that rear projections suffere from degraded picture quality because they basicaly run of a 23" lcd TV inside that gets enlarged and projected onto the screen. but ihave found that due to high def having more pixels it does not distort the projected picture at all compared to what normall def looks like on it. the picture quality is on comparison to the samaung one i think.

 

it has 3 scart sockets

2 component cable ins

1 hdmi port

1 more scart on the side but its the red white and yellow cable plug without the scart if ya get what i mean

 

the only down side is that the response time of the picture getting updated is about 30ms but its not to much of a problem dont notice it unless i use the music visulization it doesnt seem like its moving to the beat if you get what i mean but games play fine on it

 

and on the sound front i would go with a 5.1 surround sound which i use but i also blug it into my DJ amp and speakers to play sometimes.

 

the new samsung surround sound that connects via hdmi is the crispest sound i have ever heard my mates got it and its only 2.1

[soleil]

Well a week ago I bought my Samsung LN-T4066F, which is a 40" HDTV... it's an LCD panel and it's 1080p. It goes for $1999 at Best Buy, though I got $200 off after tax, cause they gave me a deal. (I was buying this other 40" Samsung that was about $1600 but with less contrast and they sold me the last one in stock, but it turns out it was someone else's, so they gave me a deal on the more expensive one. They win by getting more money, I win by getting a deal. haha)

 

It is very light and I carry it around rather easily by myself... so it's awesome if you ever want to move it around your house... but it's not that easy to move it around when you first buy it cause it comes in a huge box... still light but it's huge.

 

It looks awesome and it sounds pretty good to me, though I guess I don't have a lot of experience listening to sound quality of HDTVs so I can't say how it compares to other HDTVs. But I guess one day I'll have speakers for it anyway... maybe a year from now when I can afford it

 

BTW if you have a PS3, this TV looks cool sitting next to the PS3 cause both are glossy black.

[d00d]

With exactly the same budget and range of products in mind as you, I ended up buying a 32" Sony Bravia 720p set (this). It cost me £560 with 3 years warranty from CostCo (although you have to be a member).

 

Alternatively, I was looking at this one before I bought the Sony. A Samsung 32 inch 720p set (here).

 

Both of them in your price range and both come highly recommended. Believe me, the clarity looks a lot clearer in HD. Its worth the jump.

[Ja750]

No tips, but this is the one im getting, saw it in the store and played PS3 on it, It was amazing

[T-Cipp]

at some stores like bestbuy have tv's specified for ps3's or xbox 360's. if you get a regular hdtv chances are you will need equipment such as other hd cables if you want the full experience.

[d00d]

 

at some stores like bestbuy have tv's specified for ps3's or xbox 360's. if you get a regular hdtv chances are you will need equipment such as other hd cables if you want the full experience.

Specified? I wouldn't have thought there was any specialist gaming TV - the only thing I'd say is get an LCD set over a plasma set. Its better all round. Increased brightness + longer life, doesn't suffer from burn in (where a static picture burns in an image on the surface for a period of time) and LCDs are better for fast-moving action, ie: sports and gaming.

 

In any case, these "specified" sets just sound like a marketing gimmick to me. Dependent on what console you have/will get, you'll need different things.

 

PS3: A HDMI-HDMI cable (if your TV has a HDMI port, 99% of new TVs do). Or a HDMI-SCART cable (supplied in the UK).

 

360: I...have no idea. It uses SCART, I think. Can a 360 owner clear this up please? I'd imagine the cable comes supplied anyway. But if you plan on getting a 360 elite, it has HDMI output so again, a HDMI-HDMI cable would be required.

 

Edit: Oh, one more thing. If you get a HDMI cable don't waste your money on gold plated or monster jumper HDMI cables. They're just something to pile on the price. HDMI is digital, so either you will receive the picture or not. It can't come out any clearer if you're seeing an image. People who believe otherwise and actually believe that their £80 gold plated HDMI cable gives better quality than my £18 PS3 kit cable really have no idea.

Edited August 7, 2007 by d00d

[soleil]

^ Maybe by "specified" he meant they were hand-picked to bring out the best in the PS3 and 360? Like, all the 1080p ones.

 

I love my 1080p one. When I get a 1080p game (I hear some games are currently in development for 1080p, 60 frames per second) I'm sure I'll love myself for that decision.

[rasomaso]

A 32" should be your best bet for size vs price, and you don't need full-HD for anything under 40".

Sony and Samsung are known to be the best lcd's quality-wise, they have the same panels, so the difference in quality is down to the electronics. Of this years models the Samsung have a bit better contrast if I'm not mistaken.

You really need to see them irl to be sure they will suit your needs.

 

*check out some av/home cinema forums as well*

HE - IS - RIGHT

 

I just wanted to say that...

 

And about that Samsung be sure to check out different series.

For example the type LE32R71B is the series R with 32'' display. All these series differ by parameters like dynamic contrast, number of connectors and maybe some additional functions but aside of that it's basically the same TV, so you can have LE32S71B or LE32N71B etc. The series are like this from the "worst" to best: S, R, N and M. But if you choose at least R you should be happy with it. Not saying that S is bad, but R is obviously better. I have LE32R71B and it's awesome! It's the last year's model and I bought it on Xmas for almost double the current price, so you can save money by buying the older model, but you can also get a better contrast and DVB-T + maybe something more by buying the new one. But before you go and buy it, BE SURE TO CHECK IT OUT IN STORE AND COMPARE.

[OysterBarron]

 

360: I...have no idea. It uses SCART, I think. Can a 360 owner clear this up please? I'd imagine the cable comes supplied anyway. But if you plan on getting a 360 elite, it has HDMI output so again, a HDMI-HDMI cable would be required.

 

xbox360 use component cables which consist of a red green blue connectors for picture and a red and white for sound. and a spare yellow one. if you want to transfere to scart you switch the conecter from HDTV-TV and just plug the yellow red and white into a scart block and away you go on a normal tv

 

hope this helped

[soleil]

So out of the 360s line up, only the Elite has the HDMI connection?

[rasomaso]

I don't know about the 360, but let me clear this up. If you have component cable (with 3 RGB connectors and 2 audio), you can get HD signal into your television, but it will be interlaced (instead of 1080p you'll get only 1080i and even 720p results to 720i). But it will be HD signal just as with HDMI cable, which on the other hand has advantage of the digital data transfer, so you can get progressive signal.

 

But there is no way you're getting the HD signal to the TV via composite cable, which is 1 yellow connector for video and 2 for audio.

Edited August 7, 2007 by rasomaso

[paddyboy]

 

I don't know about the 360, but let me clear this up. If you have component cable (with 3 RGB connectors and 2 audio), you can get HD signal into your television, but it will be interlaced (instead of 1080p you'll get only 1080i and even 720p results to 720i). But it will be HD signal just as with HDMI cable, which on the other hand has advantage of the digital data transfer, so you can get progressive signal.

I have an Xbox 360 Premium with the av/component cable.

 

Is there a noticeable difference in 720p and 720i? The human eye can differentiate well over 60 frames per second, but usually stops noticing "flickering" at about 24/25 fps.

 

Interlaced HDTV images completely refresh 30 times per second, as opposed to 60 times per second for progressive scan. (Half the interlaced image is refresh at a time.)

 

Can anyone with a 30 inch-plus HDTV and a 360 tell me whether there is any noticeable "screen flickering"?

[Otter]

Wait until Christmas.

 

Now that the game's been delayed, you can hang tight and get yourself a 1080p TV for a ripper bargain over the holidays.

 

rasomaso, like most of the people in this thread, is confused. Component video is not inherently interlaced.

 

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS 720i

Edited August 8, 2007 by Otter

[SIP YEK NOD]

lol, the blind leading the blind

[Primer43]

lol, the blind leading the blind

lol.

 

 

They won't be making 1080p games for the new consoles will they?

 

I have 1080i monitor, and I thought they'd be sticking to that.

 

 

[paddyboy]

 

Wait until Christmas.

 

Now that the game's been delayed, you can hang tight and get yourself a 1080p TV for a ripper bargain over the holidays.

 

rasomaso, like most of the people in this thread, is confused. Component video is not inherently interlaced.

 

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS 720i

Yeah I'm planning on waiting until the post Christmas sales. I have to save up anyway.

 

I'm not really worried about going up to 1080p. But can an Xbox 360 with a component cable make the most of a 1080p TV? Are there any games out yet that support 1080p?

[Otter]

Yes, if you buy a TV that can support 1080p input via component (read the fine print! 2005 era 1080p screens can't actually accept 1080p signals, believe it or not!)

 

 

As for 1080p games, there are a few, with more to come. Additionally, the dashboard, original X-box games, and HD-DVD movies are rendered fully at 1080p, and 1080i games can be up-converted to 1080p within the X-Box.

 

Whether the X-Box can render 1080p at higher frame rates than 30, however, I don't know. It's not part of the ATSC standard, but most 1080p monitors can display at least 60htz.

 

Anyhow, you'll want to be sure that your TV has DVI inputs and VGA inputs as well, so you can hook up all your goodies if need be.

 

 

Now, if you just want HD, and you want a cheap TV, stick to Samsung, Toshiba, or even the Best Buy house brand (research it first - many of them use toshiba screens) and get yourself a 27'' 720p monitor. 720p will run smoother with higher potential frame rates. 1080i is a waste of your time on a 720p television. At this size, of course, the only choice is LCD, so do a little research. Don't be too picky though, especially when you're in the store - when you get your new TV home, and set it up in your bedroom, you'll be really happy with it.

Edited August 8, 2007 by Otter

[rasomaso]

 

Wait until Christmas.

 

Now that the game's been delayed, you can hang tight and get yourself a 1080p TV for a ripper bargain over the holidays.

 

rasomaso, like most of the people in this thread, is confused. Component video is not inherently interlaced.

 

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS 720i

You are the one who's confused so just shut up. There is no such thing as 720i output signal, because HD signals are only 720p, 1080i and 1080p. But that doesn't mean you'll get progressive signal through component cable, because it's only analog, so it doesn't matter if the signal is 720p. As a result you'll get always interlaced picture unless you'll use digital transfer via HDMI.

 

 

And to answer the question about the difference: Yes it is difference, the motion becomes less smooth with interlaced picture.

Edited August 8, 2007 by rasomaso

[Otter]

 

 

Whoa, chill out home boy. You're dead wrong. VGA is an analog signal too, bro.

 

But you could be even more confused than I thought. You do know what interlaced video is, do you not?

 

Anyhow, seeing as how you're obviously so dramatically convinced, please, by all means, provide some actual information.

 

EDIT - here's some further info to quell your analog vs digital fears.

 

http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/34579/122868.html

Edited August 8, 2007 by Otter

[rasomaso]

Hey man sorry you may be right, I didn't find anything about interlaced and progressive pictures in the link you provided but I did some research. I thought all the analog cables are not able to do that progressively and yes I know what does it means.

[Otter]

Hey man sorry you may be right, I didn't find anything about interlaced and progressive pictures in the link you provided but I did some research. I thought all the analog cables are not able to do that progressively and yes I know what does it means.

No worries, bro - I have an advantage; I work in television.

 

A lot of people think "digital" is inherently better, but that's not quite the case. Salesmen, on the other hand, will come up with ridiculous "facts" to sell a product, so there is a lot of misinformation out there. It makes it harder for all of us.

[rasomaso]

So let me get this clear: If I have the composite cable I won't get the progressive signal, but with a component cable I can get it p because the video signal splits into three main colors right?

[Otter]

 

So let me get this clear: If I have the composite cable I won't get the progressive signal, but with a component cable I can get it p because the video signal splits into three main colors right?

Essentially.

 

Composite video is actually rather poor quality. There's no technology that outputs progressive video through composite.

 

Component video's three cables - one of them is black and white (luminance) and the other two are color difference - provide such a high bandwidth that the resolution could theoretically go higher than 1080p when we start seeing the even higher definitions.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video