PS3 Forum - Playstation 3 Forums

Lostdog · #1 03-29-2007, 05:25 PM

I'm deciding whether to take the HDtv plunge but don't know which set to look at.
I'm in the UK replacing a 32" Panasonic thats about 4 years old and still in very good nick, anyone know somewhere they take trade ins? However I am after a 37", or 40" depending on unit size, either LCD or Plasma.
I've been advised that Sharp are very good but am wondering what all of you think.

Oz1421 · #2 03-29-2007, 08:58 PM

I am looking into getting the Sony Bravia 46xbr2 model. They also have a 40 inch model if you wish to look at that from reviews I read in PC magazine they are one of the best ones out, but that was a couple of months ago so things are bound to change. However, the Sharp models are also nice a friend of mine has one and I have to say I was pretty impressed.

I wouldn't bother looking into plasma anymore LCDs have finally caught up with them in recent months.

Charlie · #3 03-29-2007, 09:18 PM

Sharp is pretty good, but my favorite for LCDs is Samsung. They have some really nice sets and the price is pretty low, especially next to Sony ones. If you have the space for it, you might want to get a Plasma for gaming. The colors, blacks, refresh rates are better than LCD and they're cheaper as well. While LCD has been getting larger and better lately, plasma is still the better format for gaming.

thegeth · #4 03-29-2007, 10:17 PM

I have a 23" philips lcd HDTV, rent it from hughes for £17 a month, screen looks bigger than it actualy is and i don't notice the change of screen size going from a 28" to 23".

Hondan · #5 03-30-2007, 03:07 AM

I have two 50" Sony SXRD LCoS HDTVs, and I love them. I had a Panasonic first generation projection HDTV before I got the two Sonys, and the Panasonic worked perfectly for nearly 4 years. In fact, I sold the TV to my friend at the end of last year and it is still performing great. I bought a Samsung Dynaflat set in 2005, but the chipset burnt out in 2006, I may have had a lemon, but I would not go with Samsung anymore despite how nice the picture looks. Anyway, I would personally stick with Panasonic or Sony.

EDIT: When you are shopping for a HDTV, you must first determine what type of TV you want. (Plasma VS LCD VS LCoS VS DLP VS CRT Projection VS SED/FED VS OLED) Now each format have their own flaws and advantages. Once you have decided on a format, you can narrow your selection down much further. I personally chose LCoS due to its balance between performance, durability, and cost.

Lostdog · #6 03-30-2007, 05:42 PM

I've never heard of LCos, SED/FED or OLED!!!
What are they?

Oz1421 · #7 03-30-2007, 06:19 PM

Heh Hondan, seems like you just overloaded Lostdog.

Is SED even out yet? I don't believe it is, you can think about it as the picture quality of a CRT with the dimensions of a flat panel. It is suppose to have a lot promise to it but time will tell. In any case, I wouldn't consider it unless you looking in forking over a lot of cash for it when it first hits the market.

BOMBVAIN · #8 03-30-2007, 07:08 PM

If you are a hardcore gamer go with LCD, the plasma "burning effect" on the screen is very anoying and lately has been a topic of conversation in this forum, just read the threads

Hondan · #9 03-30-2007, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lostdog

I've never heard of LCos, SED/FED or OLED!!!
What are they?

LCoS = Liquid Crystal on Sillicon
SED = Surface conducting electron emittor display
FED = Field emission display
OLED = Organic Light Emmiting Diode

LCoS is similar to DLP in principle, where there is a backlight and then there is a refletive surface in which the light is separated into multiple beams and then joined back together. Except in the case of LCoS, liquid crystal on aluminum panels are used as the reflective surface rather than mirrors. Now comapring a 3 panel LCoS TV to a 3 mirror DLP TV, typically the LCoS TV can produce a higher contrast and slightly deeper colors than the DLP. However, the downside of the LCoS and DLP displays are, similar to any LCD based display technology, that they are unable to produce a true black due to the usage of a backlight. "Screen door" effect, where individual pixels can be seen at a close range, can haunt some of the LCoS displays, but luckily I cannot see the effect on my SXRD, due to its superior manufacturing process.

SED is a type of FED, the technology is still in its infancy stage and typically not availble to the consumers. Like what Oz1421 said, The SED/FED display technology is somewhat of a combination of Plasma and CRT technology. Similar to Plasma, however, instead of shooting hot xenon and neon gas to a screen of phospher, the image for SED/FED based displays are generated by shooting electronsto a panel of phospher. The advantages of SED/FED is that they are capable of generating a true black level, they are also less succeptible to "burn-ins", which was a huge problem with plasma displays. In addition, FED based displays can also produce a much higher contrast and color level than most other displays, and it is not limited by the "native resolution" that have plagued LCD users for ages.

Finally, OLED uses two layers of organic molecules, and run postively and negatively charged electrons through them to emit the light. OLED is great, since it can produce superior picture quality beyond that of an LCD, and without using a backlight, the OLED panels canbe very thin, light and portable, while consumes less electricity. However, one major problem with OLED is its life expectancy, since the two layers of the panel are organic. Once the layer molecules die out, both the brightness and color of the panel will fade.

wiggo_the_red · #10 03-30-2007, 11:22 PM

Hi,

I have a Toshiba 42" LCD Panel (42WLT66), I did alot of research on LCD and Plasma before I got the PS3 (I got the new TV purely for games on it and of course Blu-Ray), and I have to say I have been very impressed with the quality.

It outputs at 1080i, has 2 HDMI ports, essential for true HD gaming and Blu-Ray, built in Digital TV Tuner and a few component and scart connections.

I live in the UK and you can now purchase this one for about £1000.

Overall you would be wise investing in a new panel, its just upto you which one you decide to go for.

Good luck.

Wiggo

Lostdog · #11 03-30-2007, 11:30 PM

Ok thanks all, especially Hondan who yet again shames us with his vast array of knowledge of all things techy!!!!

I read many reviews on both Plasma, LCD and checked out SED. SED looks to be the future but is probably not going to be generally released until late this year early next and maybe out of my price range.

However I need to speak to some retailers and try and get a good deal. Will let you know!

jakemate · #12 04-05-2007, 10:59 AM

personally, i bought an infocus in76 projector, people seem to forget projectors and the quality that they are reaching, mine is hd ready, etc etc, but the fact that my screen is eight foot wide makes all the difference ,to me anyway.
my friend uses the in72 which he bought fo £420 which also has hdmi and component inputs and the pic quality is amazing.

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