What do I want? LCD, Plasma, CRT-TV

[Browncoat]

Not sure exactly where this thread should be so i'll try it here.

ok. the format war seems to be over. So I am assuming I want a blu-ray player? There any point in getting a blu-ray player with normal widescreen CRT-TV? I'm thinking that i'll need a high definition TV. Do I want plasma or LCD? I've heard that plasma's are very power hungry? I've noticed that the widescreen TV's in the stores(both LCD and Plasma) have different resolutions, what resolution do I want to represent blu-ray movies best?

Whats the deal with contrast ratio's(I think thats what its called) all the TV's seem to be different.

What do I want? How much should I expect to be paying?

This is all new to me..

[Baldrick]

You want to change the topic subject so it better describes your topic! Just click on the edit-button on your first post to change it.

How much are you willing to spend?

If you are watching lots of movies and have a pretty dark room I would get a 50" Plasma with 1080p.

[jagabo]

ok. the format war seems to be over. So I am assuming I want a blu-ray player?

Yes, if you want high def video on discs. A PS3 may be your best deal at this point.

There any point in getting a blu-ray player with normal widescreen CRT-TV?

Not really. You may get a very slightly better picture depending on how the player is connected and how good the TV is.

I'm thinking that i'll need a high definition TV. Do I want plasma or LCD?

Both have their strong and weak points. But both technologies have been improving over the years so you have to do some research about particular models. Some general trends (keep in mind there are exceptions with some models):

Plasma: good black levels, not so bright but ok for dim rooms, shiny screens reflect light sources behind the seating position, possibility of "burn in" if left on the same image for a long time (less of a problem on newer sets), high power consumption, good off-axis viewing.

LCD: not so good black levels, very bright (suitable for sunny rooms), matte screen doesn't reflect light sources behind seating position, no burn-in problems, lower power consumption than Plasma (depending on model and settings), motion blur problems, poor off-axis viewing.

I've noticed that the widescreen TV's in the stores(both LCD and Plasma) have different resolutions, what resolution do I want to represent blu-ray movies best?

1080p with 1:1 pixel mapping. But if you sit 10 feet from a 32" TV you won't see much difference between 1080p and 720p. In general, the farther away you sit the bigger you want, the closer you sit and the bigger the TV the more 1080p becomes necessary. But keep in mind that you will likely be watching a lot of standard definition material too. A 50" 1080p HDTV may look great from six feet away with a Blu-ray disc. But standard definition sources will look blurry and you'll notice all kinds of defects that you wouldn't see on a smaller TV.

Whats the deal with contrast ratio's(I think thats what its called) all the TV's seem to be different.

Contrast ratio is the ratio of the brightest whites and darkest blacks the TV can display. But be careful about the contrast ratios the vendors publish. They are usually not measured in any usable state of the TV. The black level may be measured with a totally black image and the backlight (LCD, rear projector) turned down to it's lowest setting. The white level may be masured with a totally white picture and the backlight turned all the way up. This of course gives a very high contrast ratio but doesn't mean anything in terms of normal viewing. Try finding independent reviews which measure the contrast level using an ANSI checkerboard pattern (both black and white on the screen at the same time).

Generally, more important than the contrast level is the black level. How dark the darkest parts of the picture can be. Many LCDs and older plasmas could not produce very dark blacks. The darkest parts of the picture may be gray rather than black.

What do I want? How much should I expect to be paying?

You have to do a lot of research and answer those questions yourself. I bought a 46" Samsung LNT4665 which had the right combination of characteristics for me.

[jman98]

Note that with many modern LCDs, the "poor off-axis viewing" that jagabo refers to is no longer an issue. I can stand at the side of my Samsung LCD HDTV and I can literally see the image perfectly until I move too far behind the screen to see anything. This was not true of earlier LCDs. My father has an LCD that's a couple of years older than mine and his angle of viewing is much poorer than mine.

Many say that black levels are not so good with LCDs, but they are fine for me. I suspect that all but the most hardcore of video enthusiasts would find them acceptable.

[jagabo]

What happens with off axis viewing varies. On older LCDs the colors shift as you get off axis and/or the picture nearly disappears (you've probably seen this sort of thing on laptop computers). In general, the newer the LCD the better the off axis viewing is.

The black level on my Samsung 4665 is comparable to most plasmas. The picture is visible to nearly 180 degrees to the side with little color or brightness change. But the black level rises once you get beyond ~45 degrees.

The black level is more of an issue for those who watch TV in very dark rooms -- for a movie theater like experience.

[dphirschler]

You want to save your money.

[Richard_G]

You're in PAL countries so the difference between HD DVDs and SD DVDs is nothing like as noticeable. Wait until the prices come down to something sensible.

[Browncoat]

Thank you all for your input.

[edDV]

Prices are dropping fast for HDTV sets. BluRay players and discs are still sky high and not as good as they will be when more companies compete.

Expect a major consumer revolt when the BluRay backers turn on HDCP. It may sink the fragile format sending it to join HD DVD as a footnote.