Home audio & video: How do you judge a TV's picture quality?
How do you judge a TV's picture quality?
by kitabata - 4/23/08 5:25 PMShopping for a new TV has become something of a mystery to me. I know in general what I'd like in things that are quantifiable. For instance, I know I'd like a TV that's at least 50 inches, at least 3 HDMI ports, has a PC slot, and around 2500 bucks or less. Those things are fairly black and white, either a TV meets those qualifications or not. But then we get into the subjective realm of television shopping - picture quality. In my research, I've heard suggestions such as "do you like sports or fast action movies? Then go with 1080p." or "For the absolute best picture quality nothing beats a plasma" or my personal favorite "Go into a store and watch a floor model yourself."
So I go to the store.
I watch some TV.
And eventually I find something I like. I say to myself, this is the best so now all I have to do is find the place with the best price and buy it. Days pass though, and since I am quite wary of plunking down 2000+ of my hard earned cash (and on top of that a procrastinator) I'm at another store and decide to look at the TVs again. This time, another model looks best. So I say to myself "Now what?". Do I stick with my original pick or jump ship? It then occurs to me that not all TVs are setup alike and that the only way to get a really good idea of what a TV is like (aside from buying it and using it for a few days) is to calibrate each TV the same way each and everytime you watch it. And even then, I'd bet you'd get differences across TVs in the same model. Not to mention the lighting in the store is gonna effect the picture.
What would you do then? Do you base your choice on specs that effect picture quality (i.e. resolution, contrast ratio, refresh rate, etc.)? How much stock do you put into reviews? Would you honestly notice if a TV doesn't produce as deep a color green as another TV? Like I said before, it's a bit of a mystery to me, so if you've got this shopping for a new TV thing down pat, I'd like to hear from you.
Tests so complete. . .
by Coryphaeus - 4/23/08 5:59 PM In reply to: How do you judge a TV's picture quality? by kitabatayou'll know the designer of the circuit boards.
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/
They explain all the tests including color, brightness, contrast, pixel speed, etc. After you're completely absorbed and literate in the definitions, go buy one that looks good to you.
.....
by givemeaname - 4/23/08 6:33 PM In reply to: How do you judge a TV's picture quality? by kitabataBlacks, contrast, good shadow detail, accurate colors, no mosquito noise, power use, # of ports & response time; Are all I looked at when I last got a tv & next time when I get a tv.
It is very hard to judge tv's in the overlite, poor signal, poor calibration & sometimes each tv will have something diffrent on each tv so it VERY hard to make decision at the stores.
I went to the store about 5 times, maybe more looking at tv's. I knew I wanted a RPtv but was unsure Samsung DPL or Sony SXRD, so I went to avsforum & looked at owners threads & looked for the troubles people had on each (not the good stuff), also researched the technology. DPL had more draw backs so I picked-up the sony.
$2500 is a good budget & you can get a real nice tv's with it. Best to start with what type of tv will be good for you; LCD, Plasma or RPtv? Make a list of the pros & cons of each technology. Then when you got that, start to look at the spec's of diffrent model, like if LCD is for you, then you want to look for fast responce times & maybe 120hz, look for the diffrences in models & brands.
Look at brand name tv's, they will have better pictures out of the box (but not always), more reliable & mostlikly has all you need, like PC port, 1080p, good colors, good contrast & more.
& when you get that new tv home make sure to calibrate it to get it to look the best it can + a proper calibrated tv will normaly use a lot less power & save you a little extra $$
very hard
by gabereyes - 4/23/08 9:52 PM In reply to: How do you judge a TV's picture quality? by kitabataIts very hard to see any diffrents in TV's in the store, to much lighting and every model is tweaked diffrently.
This is what not to do, do not buy a TV based on numbers, contrast, resolution, etc.
and do not look at consumer reviews, everyone either had a problem or they own it and its the best one to them, the fact is most dont hookup thing properly and or never seen any other HDTV in a home setting.
You almost have to rely on reviews from CNET, sound and Vision, home theater mag, all of them are really accurate with there reviews.
if you want to pickout a TV based on your eyes in the store you will need to do alittle reading to learn what to look for, but you will need to be carefull, TV company's know what people look for and will setup the TV to look good at first glance.
for example most people are told to look for black level, brightness, and skin tones, so TV's will be tweaked out to push for a good black level, and by pushing the black level to much will cover up detail in the dark area of an image, making this a bad image a higher quality TV will give you a good black level and detail in a dark image, and white's will have a blue tint to them, to give them a brighter look, but this kills color accuracy, and they will also push red to make skin tone look natural.
here is a link that will help.
http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5108580-6.html?tag=nav
how have you enjoyed your current television?
by tubajoe - 4/24/08 1:25 PM In reply to: very hard by gabereyesYou probobly didn't shop this hard for your current television, and it is nowhere near the quality of what you are looking at. I think that if you don't notice a huge difference between the televisions you saw then you should just go for one that has a good review. How about the 50 inch samsung plasma that just got reviewed? It performed well across the board and costs between 2000 and 2500. No tv is perfect, but a new big screen hdtv with good ratings will be an improvement even over a television that came out even a few years ago.
TV technology changing no known leader yet = simple solution
by translab - 4/26/08 3:36 AM In reply to: How do you judge a TV's picture quality? by kitabataIn 2008 there is a very simple solution for this dilemma, providing you can still buy the solution i have chosen.
Buy a DIGITAL 100 HZ PIXEL SCAN CRT model they are DIRT CHEAP ( clearcance sales ) top of the line CRT ( yes heavy and old technology glass tube) but with PROVEN AND TOP OF THE LINE TECHNOLOGY.
They have ALL the features of the "flat" tv's at a fraction of the cost, they have NO problem with BLACK ( BLACK = BLACK ), they have NO GHOSTING ( NO GHOSTING )
They have nothing else then TOP EXPERTISE AND TOP ENGINEERING OF 100 YEARS TV MAKING.
GOOD ADVISE === BUT A 32 inch PHILIPS (also real flat on front )or what have you out there, they come with 24 month waranty, at a price of 400 $, THEN WITHIN 24 months the problems of FLAT problem screens will be resolved, you go back to the store and BUY A GOOD FLAT ONE at again 400 $
It is all depending of what you want, do you want to let OTHER people see that you have a 50 inch TV with bad quality and poor techniks (and at a rediculous price), or do you want a GOOD TV ( and affordable)for you (yourself) to LOOK AT ???
Be SMART !!!, it is NOT a matter of bad taste to choose for QUALITY and PROVEN TECHNOLOGY !!!
PS. I have bought 3 sets PHILIPS PW329551 for 1.200 $ , have sold my 2 old units for 250 for 2, and enjoying now 2 of them in my home for 950$ both, AND A FREE SPARE UNIT in the box.
PS2. they have another positive point, they were not mad in CHINA, but in EUROPE = SUPERIOR QUALITY, so i am happy with my solution, i would do it over any time, and i know what i am talking about, i am a qualified engineer in electronics.
Peace for all that look elsewhare, and i wish you a cheap consumer credit, and easy paybak terms ( i paid cash )
Bye.
Eduard / Translab www.transab.be
...
by givemeaname - 4/29/08 12:39 PM In reply to: TV technology changing no known leader yet = simple solution by translabCRT's do ghost as so with LCD's, that was the 1st thing I noticed when I got my SXRD, no ghosting!!
Yes my CRT make GREAT blacks BUT shadow detail is very lacking, maybe a pro calibration could fix it, but my Sony SXRD A2000 has much better shadow detail, I am sure some of that is the SXRD has about 3x's the number of stuff I can tweek.
QUICK and E A S Y
by Hammerhead2006 - 4/27/08 7:00 PM In reply to: How do you judge a TV's picture quality? by kitabataSpeaking from over 30 years of repairing electronics.
If you SEE a picture that looks better TO YOU or HEAR a Stereo that sounds better TO YOU than any others in the STORE,
BUY THAT SET THAT YOU SEE OR HEAR!
DO NOT, DO NOT buy the SAME MODEL from the warehouse or in a BOX, take THAT set!
The reason being that all sets are manufactured to a set of TOLLERANCES! Some sets come out to the EXACT settings that were specified in the DESIGN, but ALL sets will be within TOLLERANCE, but that is the SOSO set you see all over the place.
Get the model number AND THE SERIAL NUMBER of the set you are looking at and DEMAND THAT SET!
Then IF the set has to be delivered CHECK THE SERIAL NUMBER BEFORE IT COMES IN YOUR DOOR! IF IT ISN'T THE RIGHT SERIAL NUMBER REJECT IT RIGHT THERE, as with most companies if they get it in your door then it is ACCEPTED BY YOU as the set you ordered.
If the store won't do it take your money someplace that will as you will be much happier in the long run!
How do you judge TV's picture quality
by JCipo - 4/28/08 6:23 PM In reply to: How do you judge a TV's picture quality? by kitabataForget the numbers and all the other crap. Just find a high contrast LCD HD TV and look at the displays at different retail outlets. Samsung with a 4000 to 1 contrast is great. Now the other systems are great but plasma TV sucks power even when it is off. Burn in (permanent marks on your screen) may still be a problem with plasma as well. Also, new technology makes the LCD seeable at all angles.
Get an extended warranty if you are worried about reliability. I have a free one with my credit card.
Remember to, most people will see their programs on cable and the quality of this picture is more in the hands of the cable company.
A quick glance at the mass of sets lined up in a store is
by NM_Bill - 4/28/08 7:04 PM In reply to: How do you judge a TV's picture quality? by kitabatacertainly not an easy solution. They all look pretty darn nice, even if each a bit different. We can not know how well or not the sets on display are calibrated. We have to rely of fairly objective reviews such as those here at C/NET at to an experts serious observations. C/NET then assigns a numerical rating. Even if the might be wrong by, say two points on each, their overall assesment has real value. I would particular read the text of the reviews about picture flaws observed & judgments of reliability.
We all have our budget of hard to come by money. I am one liable to wait a bit & spend a bit more to gain some assurance of greater performance & relibility of a name brand rather than going a bit cheap & having to live with an off brand for several years.
Look for sets with good black levels & internal processing circuitry which produces sharp standard definition pictures as well as high def. What are enumerated as factors often gets beaten top death when they very well may be non-issues for most of us. For instance I have a DLP & yet mosquito or screen door effect are not a factor for me. I also have an older LCD without stats equal to those current, yet refresh rate is no factor to my eyes. Admittedly, that may be an important factor to your eyes. I just have not had any problem with fast motion blur.
You bucks & your eyes are the focus here. Time has brought very welcome relative more affordable sets. Yes, I would pay cose attention to not selecting one with poor color reproduction accuracy. Just my negligible opinion, but I don't lust over the future proofing of needing 1080. Have you paused long enough to notice the great picture quality of Pioneer 720 sets. They truly did pioneer them, even if discontinuing integrated manufacture now due to high costs. Some folk now will surely benefit from the now lower price as discontinued while inventory is still available. Up to now they carried a substantial price premium.
Down pat? Who is really down pat & the market is a moving target. Choose some reviews to rely on & make your move at your pace. Even if the store allowed you a long time to adjust the picture as you wished, would that actually work for you? Probably not. I'd give a close look at C/NET reviews & read through them quite well so to understand details best I can. With notes about quality, etc. I would embark upon shopping. Yes, I personally would stay with good brand names noted for reliability.
If waiting for some ultimate moment - it will disappoint because it will not happen. A few significant fine price reductions on well regarded sets will will be lost by disappearing inventory, however.
Notes from a Multiple Flat Screen Shopper
by kkimbo - 4/29/08 8:36 AM In reply to: How do you judge a TV's picture quality? by kitabataYou say "the only way to get a really good idea of what a TV is like (aside from buying it and using it for a few days)." Well, I agree, and that's exactly what I did. I took advantage of local stores' 30-day return policy and actually bought and returned nine HDTV's over a one-year period. I didn't plan it that way, it just happened that way, due to either minor flaws in some of the sets (such as a flaw on the glass screen) or the fact that I just didn't like the picture when it was actually set up in my house. This procedure is, admittedly, a bit of a hassle and rather hard on the back, but really not too bad. These sets included LCD and plasma sets of both the 720p and 1080p variety and several brands. After all my efforts, I finally, and thankfully, ended up with a plasma HDTV. There is no doubt in my mind that plasma sets have the most realistic and natural-looking picture of all HDTV formats. I have a 1080p Panasonic, but I bought my ninety-year-old father a 720p Panny plasma and it is also superb. My brother has a 1080p LCD and greatly regrets not getting a plasma, since he looks at ours all the time. (Although I'm sure there are tons of people who like their LCD's.) So, kitabata, that's my two cents worth regarding your dilemma - good luck in your shopping endeavor. One final word of advice in addition to my recommendation of getting a plasma - if you purchase a TV at a reputable store like Circuit City or Best Buy and decide you don't like it within thirty days.... take it back and get one you DO like.
(NT) You must be the unluckiest guy or you have a truck...haha.
by ahtoi - 4/29/08 8:50 AM In reply to: Notes from a Multiple Flat Screen Shopper by kkimbokkimbo, the store maybe made $20-$50 bucks net on your
by NM_Bill - 4/29/08 12:19 PM In reply to: Notes from a Multiple Flat Screen Shopper by kkimbotransaction but had to put up with your extreme indecisiveness. The customer may always be right atg some place, but others would have invited you to do your business elsewhere. If there would be a monetary figure put on their time accomodating you, they took a loss on the sale. Thank goodness most customers don't play that game.
Didn't you get a notion of you should have been actually pitching in to learn what you needed & wanted?
Can you say restocking fee.....
by gabereyes - 4/29/08 8:31 PM In reply to: Notes from a Multiple Flat Screen Shopper by kkimboyou are the reason.......... they have them.
gawd
by jostenmeat - 4/30/08 12:02 PM In reply to: Can you say restocking fee..... by gabereyesI'd prolly want to kik him in the ballz too. is there a line?
i remember an old summer job during college days, working in a big chain record store.
there was a kid who didn't know which cassette single she wanted. she came into the store like ten times during my shift. each one she unwrapped, played it in her car, figured it was the wrong one, came in to me to exchange it. ya, guess who shrink-wrapped all those $2 tapes?
too bad she didn't have ballz to kick. but $2000 tv's is another story. while it might have been the best selfish way for the OP, it is so sad that one cannot narrow down the choices beforehand in any way. its really not that hard. especically if given a certain budget, screen size, viewing practices, etc.
in defense of the OP, he did have to take some efforts to change out 9 tvs I guess. BUT STILL....... !
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