What To Look For In A Flat Screen TV Purchase

[David Eastwood]

The only thing I would add is - don't underestimate the size. Crutchfield has a good guide here. If in doubt, use a tape measure for the viewing distance - don't estimate.

I've worked my way up via a 42" Sony DLP (still going strong after a bulb replacement, and now the bedroom TV), a 46" Samsung LED (now in the basement) to a 55" Samsung 3D LED - from the 32" Sony tube the cabinet was built to hold. I can't imagine how I ever watched the letterbox LaserDisc version of Lawrence of Arabia (for example) on that old Sony - but it was the bee's knees when I bought it, 25 years ago.

According to Crutchfield (and other corroborating sources), for my layout, I should be looking at a 65".

"Oh honey, about the TV.... "

[LouieAtienza]

Most all flat screens nowadays are 1080p, even the smaller ones. We have 1080p on our cable service here as well. Also if you install a BluRay or video game system it's nice to see in 1080p. I agree with the others Samsung has the best value for the buck, LG has some good deals too. We have some Vizio panels at work which have lasted a long time. I'd say at least 3-4 HDMI ports would be good to have.

What I would look for are LED TVs with LED backlighting. Some still use fluorescent backlighting; it does make a difference as far as having the screen evenly bright; the more advanced TVs have a full LED backlight which shuts off the dark areas, which boosts contrast.

[Wadcutter]

What are you guys referring to when you say "1080P?"

[SongwriterFan]

1920x1080 resolution.

P = progressive scan (not interlaced).

I doubt you can buy a 1920x1080 LED/LCD these days that is 1080i instead of 1080P, though.

And as to size, you really cannot go too big. Trust me.

Upstairs, I have a 90" LED and I sit about 7-8' away from it. That breaks ALL the rules, but it's just fine.

[robj144]

Originally Posted by Wadcutter

What are you guys referring to when you say "1080P?"

It's the resolution of the TV. For smaller TV's at a typical distance, 720p (720 lines of horizontal resolution) is fine and the TV's are cheaper. For larger TV's, 1080p (1080 lines of horizontal resolution) is needed because the picture will become slightly pixelated with 720p. The "p" means progressive which means the picture is displayed all at once, while an "i" (1080i) is kind of fudging the resolution by displaying two images which are interlaced to achieve the noted resolution.

To summarize, 1080p is the sort of the gold standard now. However, 4k (4 times the resolution of 1080) is coming right around the corner. I just got a 4k TV for my office at work... it's great as a monitor.

I would not worry about 4k for your purposes though.

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by robj144

I would not worry about 4k for your purposes though.

Once he sees the prices, that will be a non-issue.

Also, there's practically ZERO content for it. And I seriously doubt that any high-quality 4k will be going out across satellite TV and/or cable any time soon (if ever).

If one were projecting a STATIC eye-test chart in 1080P vs 4k on a 90" LED at a viewing distance of 8', one could probably tell the difference easily enough. But once you add MOTION to it, it's practically impossible to tell the difference, IMO, except in contrived scenes.

[LouieAtienza]

"P" stands for progressive, meaning the whole screen is refreshed. "I" stands for interlaced, meaning only every other line gets refreshed. P is better as images will appear sharper.

I think the content for 4k will come sooner than most expect, though I'd wait till it's more commonplace and the price drops. They already have 15" laptops with 3200 x 1800 resolution, which rivals high-resolution printing. You'll definitely see the difference, especially in images that have sharp lines, since there'll be less need for anti-aliasing.

[robj144]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

Once he sees the prices, that will be a non-issue.

Also, there's practically ZERO content for it. And I seriously doubt that any high-quality 4k will be going out across satellite TV and/or cable any time soon (if ever).

If one were projecting a STATIC eye-test chart in 1080P vs 4k on a 90" LED at a viewing distance of 8', one could probably tell the difference easily enough. But once you add MOTION to it, it's practically impossible to tell the difference, IMO, except in contrived scenes.

I agree to some extent, but like I said a 65", 4k TV makes an excellent monitor... seriously. I'm using it as a digital white board.

[Wadcutter]

Thanks again for all the responses on the 1080P deal. Got it.

[mjz]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

Once he sees the prices, that will be a non-issue.

If one were projecting a STATIC eye-test chart in 1080P vs 4k on a 90" LED at a viewing distance of 8', one could probably tell the difference easily enough. But once you add MOTION to it, it's practically impossible to tell the difference, IMO, except in contrived scenes.

This is absolutely not true.

I shoot 5k, edit in 4K(4096×2160), and downsize to HD (1920 x 1080) for delivery for a living. The difference is as huge as going from Standard Def to High Def. It's quite amazing. But don't believe me.... go to a retailer and look at them side-by-side. If you can't tell the difference when motion is added to it, something is wrong with your visual perception.

There is a ready stream of content available -- every Hollywood movie is imaged in 5 - 6k on Arri Alexa, Red Dragon, And Sony Cine Alta. I venture to say most night time episodics are also imaged in ultra high-def.

The issue is delivery to the home.
And it's getting closer and closer.
You see it on trade show floors now and it will saturate over the next 24 months.

Appliances are beginning to finally ship that allow for content download through the net and stored on hard drive,.

Drive costs are getting low enough to make the storage practical for the consumer.

Costco sells a 50" for $3,000 +/- Expect prices to drop considerably in the next 24 months.


It's here.

max

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by mjz

This is absolutely not true. . . . go to a retailer and look at them side-by-side.

I did exactly that.

Don't you wonder why they use very special feeds for the 4k sets?

As I said, if you contrive the image to look better with 4k, one can notice a difference. But on 99% of most movies, I doubt most people could tell the difference in a double-blind A/B test.

[SongwriterFan]

Here's a good article on the different resolutions and where it matters (or not):



http://carltonbale.com/does-4k-resolution-matter/

[Wadcutter]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

Here's a good article on the different resolutions and where it matters (or not):



http://carltonbale.com/does-4k-resolution-matter/

Awesome, thanks SF!

[mjz]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

I did exactly that.

Don't you wonder why they use very special feeds for the 4k sets?

As I said, if you contrive the image to look better with 4k, one can notice a difference. But on 99% of most movies, I doubt most people could tell the difference in a double-blind A/B test.

Very special feeds? Yeah...ok

Hardly a contrivance. I've been shooting the format since Feb 2008.

Even the upscaling mode which takes 1920 to 4096 is very noticeably different.

I don't need a chart, I shoot it everyday and compare it to HD every project we output -- which this year will top 200. And I just returned from Costco -- our trip for frozen blueberries turned into $200 order -- Typical.
Two 4K display right next to the HD displays. Plain as day.

Let's see. They were 55" and I was 3 feet away.
How does that stack up on the chart.?

max

[LouieAtienza]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

I did exactly that.

Don't you wonder why they use very special feeds for the 4k sets?

As I said, if you contrive the image to look better with 4k, one can notice a difference. But on 99% of most movies, I doubt most people could tell the difference in a double-blind A/B test.

How do you contrive an image for 4k sets? Take it with a 4k camcorder! Take same image and downscale it to 1080 and a/b them; you WILL notice the difference. Just compare hair at 4k and 1080...