What are your thoughts on 1080p? worth the extra cost?

[DarkSithPro]

Recently I got a great deal on a 32" LCD HDTV, with 1080i max res. Now most HDTV channels will either support 720p, or 1080i, with 1080p not supported due to bandwidth limitations. Now I've seen some 1080i/p comparisons side by side and the difference IMHO is negligible, unless you're a few feet away looking for a difference. Do you guys think 1080 progressive is going to make a huge difference, and if so, or no, is the increase in cost worth it in your opnion?

[CR2500]

People complain about 1080p30 looking the same as 1080i60; that is true after the image has been deinterlaced. To see a real difference you need not-too-compressed native 1080p60 video.

[Hidavi]

I hear its almost the same as 720p.

[d6969g]

i just bought a Westinghouse 1080p LCD TV 42" and to me right now their is a slight difference from game to game, some it slows the game down so I just went back to 720p but hopefully soon games will come out that run 1080p as their native res

[Xeneize]

Depends on the viewing distance and Size....

Trust me, if it's a 70-80 inch screen 1080P will make all the difference in the world....

Panasonic claims for a 50 inch TV at 9 feet... 720P is just perfect...


And just to clarify... 1080i is 30 FPS and will never be 60 FPS.

[Night Fisher]

1080P makes a big difference on a large TV (ie: 52 inch). I can't say the
same for something under 40 inches, though.

Here's what I found on the 52 inch 1080P set:

1. 1080i - great for stills, not so great for moving items. Dot crawling and such.
2. 720P - Videogames looks more aliased and distant objects harder to see/blurry.

As an added bonus, hooking a PC up to a 1080P television gets you 1920x1080
resolution. You can basically toss that old PC monitor away if you wish.
The extra bucks for a 1080P actually works out well if you consider the TV
as a replacement for the monitor. It's amazing to sit 8 feet away from the
screen and browse the net, run excel, manage files, etc all without the need
to squint your eyes. It's truly something to experience. Heck, you can play
your PC games at 1920x1080 on a huge screen if you wish. Put it this way,
when my new sharp lc52d92u shows up next week, the dell 2405 monitor
is gone. In my case, the TV will be the only display in the home.

Now, someone mentioned 1080P/24, 1080P/60, etc content. There are TV's
that will be running 120Hz which supports all 24, 30, and 60 hz (ie: they all
convert easily to 120) and there's word 1080P/24 is coming down the pipeline
pretty soon.

So the quick and short answer is: YES if you want a big one, or if you want
an HTPC in your living room; NO if you are looking at anything below 40 inch.

Also consider that when you pay, say $2000 for anything, if you don't feel 100%
satisifed with that purchase after a couple years, it's wasted money. There
are arguments for and against a 1080P set right there. The price of 1080P
sets are dropping and will be dropping further this year. A surprisingly large
number of new TV's coming this year are going to be 1080P, and many of
them will be in the budget range. We've already seen Westinghouse provide
their TV's, but there are many other budget to mid-range 1080P TV's (with
newer/better technology than current 720P) that just entered the market
for nearly the same price as their 720P counterpart. Keep in mind you can't
keep up with technology, but given the current conditions in the market,
purchasing a 720P television can be more of an investment as there are
newer model tv's, with newer technology (not just 1080P) that are in about
the same price-range that are or will be available extremely soon. The
Superbowl is coming, and all the budget to mid-range TV manufacturers
are trying to get their TV's out to cash in.

Anyhow, this message is getting kinda long. Sorry. One word of advice,
anyone going 720P should stick to plasma. IMHO, the 720P LCD's are a
waste of money as the improvements in contrast ratios, black levels, motion,
and higher response rates are mainly in the 1080P models.

Nf.

[Hidavi]

And just to clarify... 1080i is 30 FPS and will never be 60 FPS.

Not so:

The two field rates in common use are 50 and 60 Hz, with the former (1080i50) generally being used in traditional PAL and SECAM countries (Europe, Australia, much of Asia, Africa), the latter (1080i60) in traditional NTSC countries (e.g. United States, Canada and Japan). Both variants can be transported by both major digital television formats, ATSC and DVB.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1080i

[Xeneize]

Not so:

The two field rates in common use are 50 and 60 Hz, with the former (1080i50) generally being used in traditional PAL and SECAM countries (Europe, Australia, much of Asia, Africa), the latter (1080i60) in traditional NTSC countries (e.g. United States, Canada and Japan). Both variants can be transported by both major digital television formats, ATSC and DVB.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1080i

Wow, 1080i is 540iX2 where each 540i is at 1/30..... I'm not sure why they would say that... In fact ESPN has actually said that they would be only supporting 720P because of the 30FPS limitation on the 1080i.... I'll look for more info.

[CR2500]

Whoever invented interlacing, i will ***** them over!

[DarkPretender]

Also depends on the buyer. Some people get a new HDTV every 3-4 years. If thats the case, go 1080i. You won't see cable or satilite go 1080p for at least 2 more years if not longer.

However, I plan on picking up a 1080p next summer. But I won't get another TV for probably 7 or 8 years. For me 1080p is more future proof.

Just my opinion though.

[Night Fisher]

Soon, leasing a television will be popular again...

[DarkPretender]

Soon, leasing a television will be popular again...

I would totally lease a TV.

[Nitz Walsh]

i just bought a Westinghouse 1080p LCD TV 42" and to me right now their is a slight difference from game to game, some it slows the game down so I just went back to 720p but hopefully soon games will come out that run 1080p as their native res

Do you have a PS3? If you have an Xbox 360, why would choosing 1080p slow the game down, when it's simply being upscaled?

[monkeydust]

I haven't been able to really tell the difference. But, I'm not sure what I am looking for. Got PS3/Bluray on 1080p and 360/HD-DVD on 1080i.

[Steppy]

IMO the difference is fairly minor on actual 1080p content even on larger screen sizes(I have a 56" 720p DLP, and access to a 50" 1080p). On non 1080p native content there is almost no difference. Unless you are a huge movie buff, IMO there isn't enough 1080p content now or in the next couple years to make it worth the money...when the content finally comes you can probably get a much larger 1080p with more features for less money than if you got it now.

[Treeckcold57]

Whoever invented interlacing, i will ***** them over!

lol...yeah...if you want to but you'll go the jail.

[Hidavi]

Good to know then. I had a feeling all this 1080p thing was being overblown.

[Vengeance]

Soon, leasing a television will be popular again...

I know, I am looking at getting a 32in Westinghouse myself. Going to be paying way to much but I can't sfford to go out and drop the cash on one all at once right now.
It only does 720p and 1080i but thats 100% better than my 480i SDTV.

[Hidavi]

Leasing TVs is still quite popular, hence the success that is Rent-a-Center.

[FX-Overclocking]

How much does it cost to rent a $2400 TV for 2 years? Probably nearly $2000 if I'm guessing right.... why do that?

[Hidavi]

^Cuz you're desperate for it now and can't really afford it.

[Vengeance]

^Cuz you're desperate for it now and can't really afford it.

It all depends on where you go. I'm looking at Arron's. The TV I am looking at sells for $1000. I'll be paying $89 a month for 18 months. Some places like Rent a center or colortyme you end up paying more than 2x what the TV sells for.
But also I am thinking about going to Walmart and getting one there. They have a bunch of 26in LCD HDTV's on clearance for $500+

[Vengeance]

Bestbuy also has a 30in CRT wide screen HDTV for like $549 that doesn't look bad. But it is heavy and will take up a lot of space. And I can't hook my PC up to it. I am wanting one A big one to put on my desk back up against the wall. If I get the 30in CRT HDTV it will take up most of my desk.

[Hidavi]

Bestbuy also has a 30in CRT wide screen HDTV for like $549 that doesn't look bad. But it is heavy and will take up a lot of space. And I can't hook my PC up to it. I am wanting one A big one to put on my desk back up against the wall. If I get the 30in CRT HDTV it will take up most of my desk.

Ohhhh, thats right, you have that 8800 monster card that you'd like to use too...

I can offer a solution involving that CRT, but first I need to know something:

Is your PC in the same room as your 360?

[Vengeance]

Ohhhh, thats right, you have that 8800 monster card that you'd like to use too...

I can offer a solution involving that CRT, but first I need to know something:

Is your PC in the same room as your 360?

Not yet, but it will be when I get a new TV.

[Hidavi]

Not yet, but it will be when I get a new TV.

So here's what you do:

You connect your PC to that CRT via VGA/DVI (they sell extenders and really long cables if needed). Then, you use a wireless kb+m to play. Thats how I'd do it...

unless that CRT doesn't support PC input through VGA/DVI (like mine )

[Vengeance]

So here's what you do:

You connect your PC to that CRT via VGA/DVI (they sell extenders and really long cables if needed). Then, you use a wireless kb+m to play. Thats how I'd do it...

unless that CRT doesn't support PC input through VGA/DVI (like mine )

Nope It doesnt! No VGA/DVI inputs.

[Hidavi]

WTF is this ****?! CRTs that don't do PC input. And mine isn't even an HDTV its an HD monitor And mine has DVI, just not compatible with PC.

Anyway, its not like I use my PC with my TV, so it didn't really matter to me, but it is really stupid.

IF you don't mind refurb, Newegg has a refurb 30" LCD HDTV for $500: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16889022007

Research that model # on Google/Yahoo and see what comes up if you're interested.

[Vengeance]

That doesn't look bad either, I just worry about ordering something that big online. Here the one I was looking at at Bestbuy.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7600955&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat95100050022&id=1130981752759

or this one for $579

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7685089&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat95100050022&id=1134703573897

But neither of them have PC inputs or even headphone jacks so I don't have to hear my wife yelling to turn it down.

[Hidavi]

Newegg is a trusted site. I've been a customer there for years and have paid them a few grand in that time, no regrets ever. As long as you do the research and see that everything's all good, it should be just fine to order that baby.

Well, for headphone jacks, there's a simple solution: Get a y-adapter that takes composite audio and converts it to 3.5mm audio. That's what I use and they should have it at Radioshack.

[painkiller]

Well IMHO 1080p is overblown under 37" TVs and it also depends on how far away you are looking at the picture. I'm in a market for 32" TV so I wont be going for 1080p on that, but I'm waiting for the price drop on 1080p projectors to come down near 1500€

[CR2500]

To make a bigger difference I think the HD standard should have went from 720p directly to 1440p..