questions about HDTV sets

[cryptique]

An article I read today got me thinking that I might want to jump into the HDTV world sometime soon, because apparently CRT sets (HD and otherwise) are on their way out. I've always been told, though, that CRT HDTV sets are superior in picture quality to any flat-panel HDTV set. Is this true?

 

Does anyone have a CRT HDTV that they love? Or hate? What should I be looking for if I decide to go shopping for one of these beasts? Are there flat-panel innovations in the pipeline that will make the difference in picture quality a moot point somewhere down the line?

 

In terms of the space the unit takes up, I absolutely don't care whether my eventual HDTV set is flat-panel or CRT, so if CRT sets really do provide a better picture at a lower price, that sounds like what I'd want -- if I can still get a good one.

 

I know next to nothing about HDTV, so feel free to provide opinions about stuff like resolution (what's the difference between 1080i, 720p, or other resolutions?) or anything else that's relevant. Bear in mind that I'm in North America.

[Reni]

can you get me one while you're at it? I am not picky.....just one that baseball will look good on!

 

--

 

sorry I am no help in answering your actual question. I don't know anything about that kind of thing.

[EL the Famous]

My suggestion is to go to an electronics store that deals in TV's and home theatres...whatever you have locally that's like The Little Guys Home electronics here in Chicagoland...this whole thing is too complex an issue to get guidance from here on and they can walk you hrough to get exactly what you need.

 

All I know is that the quality of a program in HD is mind-numbingly clearer than on a regular TV and I can't wait until the technology is more commonplace so the price goes down...no way I can afford it right now.

[cryptique]

My suggestion is to go to an electronics store that deals in TV's and home theatres...whatever you have locally that's like The Little Guys Home electronics here in Chicagoland...this whole thing is too complex an issue to get guidance from here on and they can walk you hrough to get exactly what you need.

 

All I know is that the quality of a program in HD is mind-numbingly clearer than on a regular TV and I can't wait until the technology is more commonplace so the price goes down...no way I can afford it right now.

We have a store or two like that around here, I think.

 

I first became interested in HD while watching the World Cup at a local bar. They had the TV on the regular ESPN feed until we noticed we weren't getting the HD feed, so the bartender switched us over, and the difference was amazing. For sports alone, I would definitely like to have it. I'm in a similar boat as far as cost, but I don't want to miss my chance at a good CRT set if that's the way I should go.

[parisisstale]

I know nothing about this either, but my step-father bought one of these a few months ago

 

http://www.sonystyle.com/intershoproot/eCS...nSXRDReview.pdf

 

and, needless to say, it's incredible !!!

[Guest Jules]

I'm not big on the technical jargon, but I did extensive research in the way of quality and repair issues and cost differences, as well as just my own judgement on picture quality. You're maxed out on screen size if you stick with the CRT models. I believe the largest one is 40" or so, and not as cheap as you might think. Yes, a great picture at a lower price, but I would opt for the thinner packages if you can swing it.

 

For the money, the Sony LCD HDTV rear-projection sets (not necessary to get the ultra-thin flat panel LCD or Plasma screens, although Sony's LCD flat panels are incredible), or the similar sized DLP sets from Samsung and others are good choices, and the prices are coming down almost every month. I have a 50" Sony model from last year, and I love it. I paid around $2700, but prices are lower now. These are less than 15" deep and very light (not that you would be moving it around much).

 

Overall, $1000-1200 for a 34" HD Tube (Sony example) or ~$1600 for a 42" LCD Projection last time I checked. For $400 more, it's a no brainer in my opinion.

 

As far as new technologies coming out, or more specifics on the resolutions and contrast ratios, consult a high-end electronics store or any one of many good websites with reviews & quality histories. I found Consumer Reports helpful as well.

 

Also, BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY on any of these newer technologies (except for the tubes). This is still relatively new, and all manufacturers have glitches still being worked out. I have been lucky, but I have heard enough stories.

 

Hope this helps.

[Groo]

All HDTVs have their advantages/disadvantages. I've spent way too much time looking into this stuff, and I understand it far too well. If you'd like, I could explain it to you in excruciating detail.

 

To keep it brief: I would reccomend getting an LCD HDTV. I would avoid any sort of "projection" TV.

[Guest Jules]

Yes, if I wasn't clear in my previous post, I would agree the flat-panel LCD TVs are the best option if budget is not an issue. It was for me, and I wanted a larger screen, so I went with a rear-projection model, which has been a great set, but historically has more potential "issues".

[burns3]

CRT - best brightness and contrast, truest colour. Cons: Size, weight, resolution.

LCD - flat form factor, high resolution, no burn-in. Cons: Contrast, brightness, price is high for larger screen sizes.

Plasma - flat form factor, high resolution, richer colour than LCD, lower price at large screen sizes. Cons: Burn in! Still much more expensive than a CRT.

 

Get a CRT while you can or wait a year for SED.

 

http://www.hdbeat.com/2005/08/16/sed-technology-explained/

 

http://www3.toshiba.co.jp/sed/eng/index.htm

 

 

also,

 

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

[Guest Jules]

High definition, or HD, is a high-quality digital TV format that has gained momentum in the past few years. The picture quality is almost photo-like and can be stunning, especially on a large widescreen set.

 

HD signals are capable of containing more and finer detail than standard-definition TV signals, the type we've watched for decades. That's because HD images have higher resolution, meaning there are more elements making up the picture, creating finer detail. It's much the same way that a newspaper photo with many tiny dots looks sharper and more detailed than one with fewer, larger dots.

 

 

High-definition specs

 

There are several different HD specifications, but two have emerged as dominant. 1080i, an HD format with 1,080 lines that are drawn on-screen in two passes, first the 540 odd lines (1, 3, 5, etc.) and then the 540 even (2, 4, 6, etc.). The two sets of lines are woven together in an alternating pattern called interlaced, hence the i.

 

720p, an HD format with 720 lines that are drawn onscreen sequentially, in one pass (1, 2, 3, etc.). This sequential pattern is called progressive, hence the p. Neither HD format is inherently better than the other, though proponents of each would argue otherwise. 1080i signals contain more detail, but you get only half the lines with each sweep. 720p signals contain fewer lines, but all the lines are displayed at the same time, which can make for smoother motion.

 

Most HD content is 1080i. A few content providers, including ABC, use the 720p format. Don't worry that your TV will be able to display only one format or the other. HDTVs can display both 720p and 1080i content because they process the signals into a format their screens can display. We're starting to see high-end TVs designed to display 1080p programming, which theoretically will combine the higher resolution of 1080i and the smoothness of 720p. Some microdisplay projection sets and plasma and LCD TVs with native resolution of 1920x1080 are now available. They're sometimes marketed as

[Moe_Syzlak]

Does anyone know if a cable box is ALWAYS necessary to receive HDTV? We have an HDTV and a cable box for it, but we are about to purchase another (19" or 22" LCD) for another room. Do we need another HDTV box rented from Comcast to use it in HD? Or do they sell them now with built-in converters so we can just plug the cable into the back sans converter box?

[Guest Jules]

Does anyone know if a cable box is ALWAYS necessary to receive HDTV? We have an HDTV and a cable box for it, but we are about to purchase another (19" or 22" LCD) for another room. Do we need another HDTV box rented from Comcast to use it in HD? Or do they sell them now with built-in converters so we can just plug the cable into the back sans converter box?

I currently receive the digital Comcast channels without the box (Chicago area, channels 2.1, 5.1, 7.1, 9.1, 32.1, etc). I don't know if these are considered "HD", but they're just as good. The problem is you can't get any premium HD channels (ESPN, HBO, TNT, etc, etc, etc) without the box.

 

Hope this helps.

[bleedorange]

Now's the time to buy a TV because the new models for 2009 are about to start coming out and the 2008 models are being marked down.

 

I always ask people who are looking for advice how they are going to be watching TV. If you typically watch TV with a lot of ambient light around, then LCDs are a lot better. They're brighter. If you solely want something when it's dark, then plasma is better due to better black levels. Of course, that's pretty general.

 

Some new models are going to have either an ethernet port or wireless capabilities for things like Netflix streaming, YouTube, etc. No idea on price, though.

 

Some of the newer technologies like OLED are supposed to be really good, but they're still relatively expensive.

[Moe_Syzlak]

I currently receive the digital Comcast channels without the box (Chicago area, channels 2.1, 5.1, 7.1, 9.1, 32.1, etc). I don't know if these are considered "HD", but they're just as good. The problem is you can't get any premium HD channels (ESPN, HBO, TNT, etc, etc, etc) without the box.

 

Hope this helps.

Yeah that's kinda what i figured. But if I can get the digital versions of those channels, it should be pretty good for a small TV. So to be clear, you are saying you get digital version of the local networks, not the HD version, right? All networks will have a digital signal in a few weeks, but that doesn't mean they are all HD.

[ikol]

If ATT U-verse is available, you can get extra boxes for like $5/month and not only can you get the HD channels but you can even watch stuff from the DVR.

[Artifice]

Yeah that's kinda what i figured. But if I can get the digital versions of those channels, it should be pretty good for a small TV. So to be clear, you are saying you get digital version of the local networks, not the HD version, right? All networks will have a digital signal in a few weeks, but that doesn't mean they are all HD.

 

Most new sets have over the air tuners, and believe it or not, if you live in a larger town, you can justs lap some rabbit ears on them and get HD local channels for free, old school style.

 

My mom just watches the networks anyways, so I canceled her Direct TV, installed a roof antenna for her 32" Sony flat panel, and she gets 7 HD channels and 15 digital channels in the local market, for free. She loves it.

 

The picture's actually better too, because its not compressed.

[VenusStopsTrain2]

I know you are looking at getting a tv....and this doesn't exactly answer your question but hopefully it will help you get an idea of what you may want to talk about with whoever helps you at the store you go to.

 

Things to look at and know when searching for a tv:

 

Be able to answer these questions before you go to the store:

 

1. How big is your current tv?

2. How far away do you normally sit from your tv? (because of your couch you will give a range such as 3-8 feet)

3. Is the room brightly lit or dark most of the time?

4. How big were you thinking of going?

5. Do you want to wall mount the tv?

6. What electronics are you going to be hooking it up to?

7. Are you interested in external speakers for surround sound?

8. Do you want the tv delivered or do you have a big enough vehicle to fit it into? The newer tv's really should NOT be laid down because one of the two kinds (LCD/Plasma) has 3 pieces of glass in it, and if you lay it down you can shatter or scratch the glass. The boxes are a bit larger then the tv's so ask them to measure the box if you aren't sure to figure out what can fit in your car.

 

There are a lot of good deals out there right now because of the Superbowl and stores want to build up the traffic and get sales up. Some stores price match so ask if they do and then look around. Best Buy does with several retailers, not Sam's Club though.

 

Things you will need to buy at some point. Read the customer comments on Best Buy or any website you can find to see the difference these products make.

 

1. A Surge Protector, the one you have currently will not work for the new tv's because the new tv's need to have a protection for the amount of electricity flowing into the tv. Normal surge protectors do not do this. There are color coded ones now and I think the Monster Power (this is just one of their protectors) ones are the best. You might be able to find this on You can get them really cheap on monoprice.com as well as newegg.com. (I only give the bby link since it was easiest for me to find for customer comments on the product.) They are color coded for specific devices and will keep the electricity flow even to the tv. This will protect your new tv from ruining the picture as well as keeping it from damaging the pixels or lines on the tv. I know this may be unclear, but most surge protectors will not keep the flow even and this can damage your display. This happens normally when you are turning on and off other devices or you have power surges.

2. Screen cleaner. The new tv's require special cleaner withOUT ammonia in it to clean the screens. The screens also can not be cleaned with water. Anyone that sells tv's should have the cleaner as well as the special cloth that actually pulls the dust OFF the screen instead of moving it around. It does work, I've used this cleaner on the tv's at work.

3. HDMI cable. Here is one I found on our website. Again, you can get them really cheap on monoprice.com as well as newegg.com I only give the bby link since it was easiest for me to find for customer comments on the product.

4. Wall Mount supplies. If you are wanting to wall mount the tv, you will want to look into pricing on that as well.

 

If you have questions about these tv's let me know and I'll ask at work for you.

[bleedorange]

Definitely buy your hdmi cables online. I use monoprice.com for all my cables. I got a 6 ft. black hdmi cable for less than $8, which includes shipping. And I got it in about 3 days. The cheapest cord at Best Buy is $30. HDMI cables in retail stores are such a ripoff. It's a digital signal, so there is no real difference between a cheap cord and a $150 one from Monster.

[cryptique]

Resurrecting a very old thread. Nearly four years later, I still haven't bought an HDTV (except for an older, used CRT with a relatively small screen that I got cheap from someone at my office, and still haven't hooked up to HD service), but the World Cup is coming around again...

 

 

Also, I wanted to post a link to this fascinating article. The gist of it is that virtually everything the HDTV manufacturers are trying to tell you about their sets is completely made up. For example, 60 Hz, 120 Hz, 240 Hz -- doesn't make a damn bit of difference in terms of motion blur, to human eyes. And an insanely high color gamut is actually a bad thing.

 

(Found that link at The Consumerist)

[Guest Speed Racer]

I've never understood why any of those extras would be remotely attractive to anyone. To me, they're no different than the bloatware that is pre-installed on computers. Watching television is supposed to be a mindless activity for god's sake, and it seems manufacturers are doing everything in their power to complicate the process.

[Good Old Neon]

I've never understood why any of those extras would be remotely attractive to anyone. To me, they're no different than the bloatware that is pre-installed on computers. Watching television is supposed to be a mindless activity for god's sake, and it seems manufacturers are doing everything in their power to complicate the process.

 

The whole new industry push of – “you all now all of sudden need 3-D TV” is one of the more ridiculous and totally unnecessary marketing trends to have come around in a long while.

[cryptique]

I will never buy a 3-D TV. If the day comes when only 3-D TVs are sold, I will quit watching TV.

[The High Heat]

Resurrecting a very old thread. Nearly four years later, I still haven't bought an HDTV (except for an older, used CRT with a relatively small screen that I got cheap from someone at my office, and still haven't hooked up to HD service), but the World Cup is coming around again...

If Wal Mart is good for anything it's their selection of tvs. I just bought a Samsung 40", 1080p, 80,000:1 from there a couple of weeks ago for $700. Best Buy was selling the same model for almost $200 more. I only watch DVDs on it right now because I really don't watch television, but Ill most likely get an antenna before the World Series rolls around. The difference from my analog is significant, and I love seeing things I hadn't noticed before. I was wanting to get the Sony 40", 140,000:1, but it was about an inch too big for the tv cutout in my townhome; but even that model was in the $700 range. You might want to at least check out Wal Mart and/or Sam's Club.

[jimmyjimmy]

I'm buying my first HDTV this weekend. Only because my old one is dying.

 

After being overwhelmed by all the specifications you look at trying to make a responsible purchase I've come to a few conclusions.

 

1.) I'm having a hard time referring to these as "televisions'. Having used CRTs all my life they look and feel kinda cheap and alien to me (I mean this in respect as a static object that will sit in my home). Of course I haven't found one with faux wood veneer on it yet, so they've got that going for them.

 

2.)I spent an hour in Best Buy the other day. I don't like Best Buy, but this was a good experience. I talked with a kid working there who was very helpful and enthusiastic about the product. Very knowledgeable. So Best Buy...not so bad.

 

3.) My current TV is like a twenty four inch screen. Standing in the store, and I'm a little ashamed to admit this, but I was drawn like a moth/flame analogy to those huge monolithic black 40+, 50 inch class units hanging there on the walls. If you had any concept of how small my living room is you'd laugh at the notion of me purchasing such a thing. I'll buy a 32 inch screen, it will look like and feel like the screen from a Drive Inn Theater in my home and I am very excited at the notion of watching summer baseball on it.

 

4.)I'm buying a Sony mostly because I think it looks rather handsome. Superficial? Probably, but I don't want to waste any more time thinking about it.

[Winston Legthigh]

I've been very happy with my LG HDTV.

Blu-Rays look amazing.

Looking forward to seeing the World Cup in HD.