Community Newsletter: Q&A: HDTV buying advice: 720p vs. 1080p
- 10/18/07 11:01 PM
3 LCD is the best choice if you are not hanging on a wall.
by mdaneker - 10/15/07 5:35 PM In reply to: Just My Two Cents... by wakewopSo long as the 12 - 17" depth isn't an issue none of the hi-def choices beats Sony's 3LCD, all the clarity and brightness of DLP but no moving parts but a cooling fan on the light bulb. The bulb will run less than $200 on average and is easy to change, I've had mine 2 years, the bulb has been on way past its life expectancy. Plus the 3lcd does not have a glossy screen so there's nearly no light reflectivity. Unlike the ultra-gloss Plasma, the 3LCD has looks like film and standing directly in front of a properly calibrated screen a hi-def DVD shows no flaws, no noise. It's an awesome tv and a remarkably well priced one, I originally thought I wanted an LCD or Plasma, but for the price I decided to check out 3LDC, I was surprised that it out-striped plasma and LCD.
You will notice the difference
by pmh1939 - 10/5/07 11:20 PM In reply to: HDTV buying advice: 720p vs. 1080p by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have played the same DVD player through a 720p TV and a 1080p TV. There is no question that the same signal (player, cables, discs) played through the 1080p TV was considerably clearer and more realistic. With a 50" screen size at anything less than 15' from the screen, the increase in image depth and stability will be easy to see. If you are more than 15' from the screen, the resolution advantage of 1080p over 720p is more subtle but still noticeable until you are about 20' from the image. Over 20' from the screen, with normal vision, your eyes will still notice a difference in favor of the 1080p screen, but it will be more a sense of greater realism in the image.
All of the above assumes that you are dealing with TVs that have components of equal capability except for the difference in resolution. A poor quality 1080p set may not produce an image that looks as good as an excellent quality 720p set, especially with a 480i or 480p signal. Critical components here include the tuners, scalers, screen brightness uniformity, and color/temperature accuracy. Frequently, the 1080p screens get better components than those put into the 720p screens.
1080p HD DVD players can be purchased at a relatively low cost. They do a great job of upscaling regular DVDs, and the 1080p discs look even better. A good 1080p screen provides a better image in both instances than a good 720p screen. You can see this in any store where they demo the same brand 720p and 1080p screens side-by-side.
Futureproof now for a more compatible future
by vdblu - 10/6/07 12:27 AM In reply to: HDTV buying advice: 720p vs. 1080p by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I'd say go with the 1080p. True, full HD content is scarce but it will only increase as time goes by. Already, you have game systems like the Xbox 360 and PS3 capable of outputting 1080p. Also, regardless of who the victor is in the format wars, both Blu-ray and HD DVD support 1080p. Going 1080p now will prepare you better for the future.
Also, do remember that upconverting DVD players upconvert to 1080p. if you have a 720p set, then you're not getting the best picture possible.
Re: futureproofing with 1080p?
by mrichman - 10/12/07 7:20 PM In reply to: Futureproof now for a more compatible future by vdbluWith HDMI1.3 being released the resolutions will go to 1440p in fairly short order. Buying a 1080p tv to futureproof your investment will not work.Your best bet is to look at the displays you are considering and make a decision.
HD TV
by geoffinak - 10/6/07 1:45 AM In reply to: HDTV buying advice: 720p vs. 1080p by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Yes buy the 1080. Then a HD DVD player
Why buy a big $$ HD TV and not spend 150 bucks for a HD DVD and watch hgow things turn out. My money is on DVD as it's the standard now. Beta was much better then VHS, but VHS already had made in roads into the market.. Just get the HD DVD and sit back and enjoy your new HD TV
Geoff
1080 vs 720
by mrtazmania2 - 10/6/07 4:17 AM In reply to: HDTV buying advice: 720p vs. 1080p by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
50 inches with 1080p (TH-50PZ700) or the 50 inches with the 720p (TH-50PX75). Is there a difference? Absolutely!! the 1080 is going to have more pixels than 720, giving a more "colorful" view. I have seen every combination of tv out there from the simplest setup to the most complex and I can honestly say that uunless you have an HD signal, it really doesn't make a difference which tv you get, the picture is going to be about the same. Now a 1080 picture on a standard analog signal, does give you a clear picture, but it has drawbacks.....since the signal only has 480dpi and the tv is set for 1080, you get a "film grain effect" when viewing a standard analog picture.....in other words the picture is clearer but you'll notice the lack of pixels more easily with a higher dpi set than with a loower one. If you have HD signal however, thats a whole different ball of wax. With an HD or digital signal you're going to want the 1080 for sure, if you do not have HD signal available to you (via cable or satellite provider) then the 720 is going to work better overall. Hooking up a dvd player is the same story, they usually have the standard rca connections and possibly an s-video, some have the hdmi and for a dvd player, this does not give you any real advantage as the dvd you are viewing is in whater format its in and therefore the screen resolution is only going to be whaever the source is. If the dvd player has components then thats the better way to hook it up as it will give you the most options.
Now on to how to hook it up.
Everyone who sells hd tvs will tell you the only true way to hook up the hd tv is with an hdmi cable, they'll tell you it has the best throughput of all the connections. Truth of the matter is, however you receive your signal, be it through the air via antennae (hd or standard) or through the cable company (coax) or via satellite (digital)or via a dvd player with hd connections; whatever that signal is is the best its gonna get so the way the tv is hooked up to this equipment can but does not always, make a difference. The standard component cables are 99 times out of 100 the overall best way to hook up the tv to a set top box (hd tuner, satellite, cable, or dvd) and the cable or satellite company usually provides those so theres no additional cost to you. HDMI cables are expensive and really only give you one basic advantage, 1 cable and 1 hookup, rather than the 5 that the component cables use. Theres also a disadvantage of an HDMI cable has and that is its 1 connection instead of 5....with componant cables, if one of the connections goes bad, you don't lose everything and that one connection can be replaced fairly easily and inexpensively, if the HDMI cable goes bad (and I have seen alot of them go bad) you have to replace the whole thing.
In conclusion....1080 has more pixels than 720 but if all you have is standard reception 720 is the better choice; HDMI does not give you any special advantages and is usually just an option in connecting and , in my opinion, a waste of money; dvd players play the format the movie is in, and if the dvd player and tv can play in higher resolution it will.
I have been installing cable and satellite systems for years and have seen just about every possible configuration you could imagine and honestly, from viewing all these different options, it all boils down to what looks best to you.
Panasonic 720P or 1080p
by cgkama - 10/6/07 6:33 AM In reply to: HDTV buying advice: 720p vs. 1080p by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Dear Yves,
I work in the AV business and in my opinion you should get the 1080P set. I base this on the simple facts that while 720P is a very good picture and it is very hard for the human eye to tell the difference between 720P and 1080p resolutions on Plasma panels of 50" and smaller,you will eventually buy a Blu-Ray or an HD-DVD player or maybe
one of the LG and or Samsung Dual Players that let you have it both ways.While this format war goes on for who knows how long,one thing is for sure-1080P is here in a big way,and while 720P sets will continue to be sold for some time-believe me,from what I have seen and heard from the Consumer Electronics side of this-1080P is fast on it's way to becoming the norm in the larger flat panel and RPTV's as well.
720 vs 1080
by servaes_marc - 10/6/07 7:37 AM In reply to: HDTV buying advice: 720p vs. 1080p by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
In short, the answer to your question is yes.
When playing a 480 DVD signal through a 720 or 1080 monitor, the 1080 will show a cleaner image, but not neccessarily a sharper one. Here's why. Flat screen monitors create an image with pixels. The smaller the pixels are, the more seamless the image will look, even when fed by a lower resolution source. Even with no image fed into the monitor and just a blank white screen, you'll see the individual pixels easier on the 720 monitor than on the 1080 monitor.
If you feed in a 480 signal to a 720 or 1080 monitor, the upconversion does not increase the true resolution; it cant. What it does is interpolate the larger 480 pixels of the source and break then down into more pixels that are smaller, creating the illusion of smoother edges. That's where the 1080 screen works better than the 720. Of course, the 1080 monitor will cost you more than the 720, sometimes quite a bit more.
In the long run, it's better to get the 1080 monitor up front because your system will grow into it in the near future. Plus you won't have to make a second upgrade from 720 to 1080 sometime later. 720 is better than 480, but it still is not truly spectacular in comparison to 1080. Someday when you get a good camcorder that produces a 1080 image, you'll truly appreciate the better 1080 monitor.
On a side note, most Hi-def broadcasts are much more compressed than the images you get from a Hi-def camcorder. So when you finally play your Hi-def camcorder into your 1080 monitor, you'll see an even better image than you will when watching the Superbowl. The quality is motion picture film-like, and you'll be really glad you sprung for the extra bucks for the 1080 monitor.
If movies are your thing...
by Hi-def Jeff - 10/6/07 8:03 AM In reply to: HDTV buying advice: 720p vs. 1080p by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Yves,
Unless you are buying both TV's to sit side-by-side and watch the same content, you won't notice the difference...if there is any. It is unlikely that there would be any difference to see.
The Panasonic plasmas are quite nice though. Either would look great when properly set up. Hopefully, you have an antenna or other source of HD for your TV. (HD cable or satellite)
I recommend purchasing the lower priced model and use the savings to offset the purchase of a dual format DVD player - around Christmas 2008. The prices are already dropping nicely and they should be quite affordable by then. A dual format player purchase will allow you to view any title released and not worry about the war. If one does loose soon (and within the next 5 years would be soon) you would be able to pick up all of the losers titles at bargain prices to further offset your purchase price.
If you try to wait out this format war, you may be waiting a very long time! (The Beta/VHS war took over a decade to resemble a win, but the last Betamax machine didn't actually roll off the lines until 2003!) In today's world economy, there's a lot of money to go around. They both can survive on their partial shares of the take, but greed demands that they have it all. It is conceivable that the two will co-exist indefinitely.
For help with set up of your TV go to "Do's & Don'ts":
http://www.wowvision.tv/main.htm
Enjoy your new TV!
Highdef Jeff
WOWVision!
www.wowvision.tv
Personally I recommend 1080p...
by ru4real2 - 10/6/07 10:15 AM In reply to: HDTV buying advice: 720p vs. 1080p by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I know you stated several times in you question that you do not intend to upgrade to an HD source "any time soon". From my point of view though, I spend about 3 grand on a top of the line 1080 full system (bought just over a year ago, so I'm sure prices are a little lower now) for one reason: future proofing. Unlike computers, PDAs, cell phones etc etc, the TV industry doesn't see wide spread improvements on a continuing basis. I think one of my university professors put it best when he said that he worked in the television industry for 25 years and didn't see a single technological change in that entire time!
Yes we are going through a period of continuing upgrades right now (480i, 480p, 720, EDTV, 1080i, 1080p) etc. There were a number of foces causing this slow roll-out, but now that we have hit the 1080p platue, I fully expect things to sit at that level for quite some time. It likely won't be another full 25 years before we see further improvements, but do not expect things to keep increasing year-by-year. For that reason, I recommend to anyone buying a new set to get something that can display 1080p.
The short answer to your question though is, if you really don't mind buying a TV now and replacing it in 2-3 years, then get your 720p TV. It will display your regular up-converted DVDs just fine.
~Pete
Panasonic good choice
by jbaroni - 10/6/07 11:52 AM In reply to: HDTV buying advice: 720p vs. 1080p by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
First, congrats a choosing the Panasonic plasma. I bought the 50 in pro series monitor last Xmas and have enjoyed it from day one. I check occasionally on the new models and they now offer a much better package in their consumer line. There are so many considerations that each person may prioritize differently. I did not take the time to check the difference in price between these two models but I am sure the 720p model would save you enough to buy a hi quality upconverting DVD player and for just slightly more, a Toshiba HD player that is suppose to be a top notch upconverter. One of the units you listed is suppose to have an antiglare coating which is one of the few complaints about plasma. Will you have problems with reflections? Reading many reviews leads me to believe the difference between 720 and 1080 at 50in isn't going to be very discernable unless you sit within 7ft or plan to read text on it. You do not mention anything about HDTV. I was extremely lucky to be able to have Verizon Fios available when I purchased my Panny. The picture quality improved on my regular non HD 4:3 over cable but the quality of the HD pictures are amazing. I have become an HDTV snob, now and only surf between the 15-20 HD channels that are part of my basic package. I buy or rent DVDs of series I don't have access to and their upconverted pictures are for the most part nearly HD in quality. I have a fairly large viewing room and sit 14ft away from my screen. I feel it is to small for movies and some TV shows. HDTV is only broadcast in either native 720p(sports channels/better for action) or 1080i(more detail) and 1080p transmision isn't even on the radar screen. If this is going to be your primary viewing medium for the next five years or more then I would lean towards the 1080p set if like me you see it transitioning to your bedroom or spare set in a couple of years, then go with the 720p.
Response
by stephenng2000 - 10/6/07 12:56 PM In reply to: HDTV buying advice: 720p vs. 1080p by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Yves, Buy the Panasonic TH-50PZ77u. It's a brand new model. It has ANTI-Glare with 1080P. You will see a difference in 1080P wih a big screen size of 50" and above. Check-out J&R Music World. My preference is Blue-Ray format. Blue-Ray picture quality is better than HD. I have both format and I did a side by side comparison. Blur-Ray is my choice for 1080P. I hope this is helpful.
stev:-)
50 inch
by tedtks - 10/6/07 12:57 PM In reply to: HDTV buying advice: 720p vs. 1080p by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
best way to look at it is PLAN AHEAD !
Later when u upgrade your player - and you bought the 780p
then what ? ? a new tv ??
Tv purchases are expensive and you need to think what u will
possibly need in the future.
unless this is really Bill Gates in descizzzze 
ted
Futureproof yourself...
by Michael Vasovski - 10/6/07 1:44 PM In reply to: HDTV buying advice: 720p vs. 1080p by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Get the best that you can afford. 1080P will be the defacto standard for some time to come. If you can afford it...
As for formats, it's not such the deal that it once was. Expect to see hybrid players playing both formats, at a reasonable price, in the near future. One is already available. But it's quite expensive.
My line of thought, when making purchases like this is; if I even have to think about it (can I afford it?) I don't buy it. I only buy something when I can do it solely as a reaction (I don't even have to think about it). That's when I know that I have more than enough money and that it's an appropriate time... Always buy the best that you can afford.
Viewing files made from emails.
by ANDRADE-PAEZ - 10/6/07 3:49 PM In reply to: HDTV buying advice: 720p vs. 1080p by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I used to file my mails. I did that in Outlook folders I named for, you know, JOKES, MISCELANEA, HUMOR, etc. Recently I had to free some space in the Outlook so I could continue to receive my mails, and I began to file that mails in folders in my hard drive, under My Documents. With emails that contain PowerPoint documents I had no problems, when you open them it's asked: what do you want to do? open? or save in disk?, after choosing open and looking at them I marked save in disk and filed them, and I always can re-read them; with mails that contained videos, after watching them I marked File>Save As and saved in the folder in My Documents, there were saved like a file with the Mozilla Firefox icon, which is my Internet access, but when I want to see the videos again and open the file all that I get is the sender's name, address and the topic name and the video is gone. How can I do to rescue the videos. Thanks in advance and forgive my english. Pedro.
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
 |
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
