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[KingSparta]

I Am Still Saving For A HD TV

I Am Thinking Of Something Like 50 Inches

But What I Want To Know Is What Do You Look At To Compare One From The Other?

Like One 50 Inch Was 1000+ Higher Than Another, That Seems A Bit Ridiculous Unless There Is A Reason.

[JimH]

Price.

[JimH]

And here's an article on HDMI (which is essential, but...):
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/853

[ThoBar]

2 things are most critcal for me in plasma/lcd selection:

• Contrast ratio -> higher is better, makes a LOT of difference in dark scenes (this is prob why one tv you looked at was 1k more)
• Anti-Motion Judder -> Eliminates scene judders when the full screen is being moved from sideways. Different companies have different ways of dealing with this, but it makes quite a difference, and makes scrolling text a lot more readable.

There is a Samsung 47" LCD that fits these two criteria very well: 15000:1 Contrast and the best anti-judder of any TV priced within AUD$2000.

That is the TV I SHOULD have bought, I got the wrong one. *sigh* expensive mistake

All the usual stuff then applies, set longevity, brightness, connections, .....

[jmone]

I Am Still Saving For A HD TV

I Am Thinking Of Something Like 50 Inches

But What I Want To Know Is What Do You Look At To Compare One From The Other?

Like One 50 Inch Was 1000+ Higher Than Another, That Seems A Bit Ridiculous Unless There Is A Reason.

Here is a nice little doco on what matters, how big etc etc that should get you going! http://www.carltonbale.com/2006/11/1080p-does-matter/ and from that:

The Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) states the the most important aspects of picture quality are (in order): 1) contrast ratio, 2) color saturation, 3) color accuracy, 4) resolution

You will notice that resolution is the lowest attibute of picture quality and the chart in link indicates at what seating distance you will be able to discern the difference for each screen size (for 20/20 vision).  Another problem you will find ist that you can not reliably compare stats like contrast ratio between technologies or even brands eg the LCD boys use "dynamic" contract ratio (massivly overstates it).  FYI - I purchased a Pio Kuro 60" which currently claims the best real world contract ratio but it costs '000's more than others of the same size and their 50" is twice the price of other 50".....Its all a compromise between price and quality. 

I'd recomend starting with what you are willing to spend and check out some reviews of the Panels that fit into your budget.

Nathan

[Griff]

King

Goto Wall Mart

and check out the 46" Polaroid 1080p flat panel lcd

Its around $1300 and $75 for an extra 2 years on the warranty. (in home service)

hey you also got 90 days (i believe) to take it back if you dont like it.

I bought an Olevia lcd flat panel last spring for the Mstr. br. (top rated on the internet, yea)

Couple weeks latter seen the Polariod and bought it for the liv. rm..

The Polariod pic. is way better than the Olevia.

I believe there is also two threads over on AVS about it.

If you read everything out there on the net you will go nuts.

Your best bet, is if you see something you like, take it home and try it.

Make sure of the return policy.

[KingSparta]

I Was Thinking About Subscribing To Consumer Reports To See What They Say.

[KingSparta]

Consumer Report Has The Following In There Rating Chart

Overall score
Overall score is based primarily on picture quality; sound quality and ease of use are also figured in. The displayed score is out of a total of 100 points.

HD picture quality
A trained viewing panel's evaluation of the TV's picture clarity and color accuracy, using known references, when displaying a 1080i HD signal. The picture's quality rating is determined by how well it displays all the attributes of an HD signal including the fine details you would expect from HD. All signals were sent through the component-video input, which can be used to connect a HD DVD player, digital-cable box, satellite receiver, or off-air digital receiver/tuner to the TV.

DVD picture quality
A trained viewing panel's evaluation of the TV's picture clarity and color accuracy, using known references, when displaying a 480p signal, such as the output from a progressive-scan DVD player. The picture's quality rating is determined by how well it displays all the attributes of a 480p signal including the higher-quality image you would expect from a 480p signal compared to a SD 480i signal. All signals were sent through the component-video input, which can be used to connect a DVD player/recorder, digital-cable box, satellite receiver, or off-air digital receiver/tuner to the TV.

SD picture quality
Indicates how a TV displays "regular," non-HD TV programming. This picture quality score is based on a standard-definition (SD) TV signal, known as 480i, sent through the TV's component-video inputs, except where indicated. The SD images are evaluated by trained panelists, using known references. Common sources of this standard-definition signal are digital cable boxes, satellite boxes and non-progressive-scan DVD players.

Sound quality
This is measured from the set's built-in speakers using computer-driven test equipment. You can get better stereo sound if you bypass the built-in speakers and route the TV's sound to a receiver and external speakers. With a multichannel sound system, you can get the enveloping experience of surround sound from digital broadcasts and also DVD movies.

Remote ease of use
Assessment of the usability of the TV's remote control, considering button layout, labeling, and practical features.

On-screen menu ease of use
Assessment of the usability of the TV's on-screen menu, considering its interaction with the remote, menu layout, and practical features.

Viewing angle
Indicates our evaluation of picture quality for clarity and color accuracy at various horizontal and vertical viewing angles. It is not factored into picture quality or overall scores.

Screen size (in.)
The size of the television's screen, measured diagonally in inches. In general, the larger the screen size, the farther away you need to sit for optimal picture quality. With HD sets, sit at least 4 feet from a 37-inch or smaller set, 5 to 9 feet from larger screens. With standard-definition models, you need a little more distance because the detail isn't as fine.

Native resolution
Applies to "fixed-pixel" display types such as LCD, DLP, plasma, and LCoS. It's expressed in horizontal by vertical pixels (for the picture elements making up a displayed image). Incoming signals of higher or lower resolution must be down- or up-converted as necessary to match the set's native resolution. Generally, the more pixels a display has, the more visible finer details become -- but many other things affect the results.

ATSC digital tuner
An ATSC tuner can receive over-the-air broadcast digital signals, which may include high-definition widescreen images and multichannel sound. A TV with a built-in ATSC tuner, called an integrated HDTV, requires no additional equipment other than a roof antenna to receive the broadcast networks' HD offerings. (You must be close enough to a station transmitting digitally, with no trees or other obstructions blocking the signal.) However, you won't get premium stations offered only on cable or satellite. For that, cable subscribers still need a box or CableCard provided by the cable company; satellite subscribers need an HD receiver/dish setup. ATSC stands for Advanced Television Systems Committee, a nonprofit organization developing voluntary standards for digital television. They defined the signal formats that are used, which include 480p, 720p and 1080i.

QAM digital tuner
This tuner can receive some digital cable broadcasts, which may include high-definition widescreen images and multichannel sound. A QAM channel can be either unencrypted (in the clear) or encrypted (scrambled). Encryption allows the service provider to define and control the subscription levels (conditional access). With unencrypted channels, you need no other equipment to view the broadcast. With encrypted channels (typically premium channels such as HBO), you need either an external cable box or, with a CableCard-ready TV, a CableCard from your service provider. QAM refers to Quadrature Amplitude Modulation, a way of encoding a digital signal that differs from that used for digital off-air (ATSC) broadcasts.

CableCard-ready
Also known as "DCR" (digital-cable-ready). When used with a CableCard, these TVs can receive the encrypted cable channels (to the level permitted by your subscription package). You would get a CableCard from the provider. Note that the first-generation CableCard-ready TVs are one-way. They can receive signals but can't communicate back to the provider, so they can't be used for interactive services like subscribe-on-demand. Second-generation CableCard TVs are expected in 2007.

Component-video inputs
Component-video inputs use three separate jacks that separate the video signal into three parts: two for color and one for luminance. This provides slightly better quality than an S-video connection, most evident in color fidelity. They can be used only with a DVD player, digital-cable box, or other equipment that has component-video output.

HDMI inputs
A relatively new form of digital audio/video input in some high-definition TVs, it matches a corresponding output in some DVD players and digital TV tuners. Like DVI, it potentially allows content providers to control your ability to record the content. Unlike DVI, HDMI carries audio and video signals on the same cable.

DVI inputs
Digital Visual Interface, a relatively new form of digital video input in some high-definition TVs; it matches a corresponding output in some DVD players and digital TV tuners. Like HDMI (See "HDMI"), it potentially allows content providers to control your ability to record the content. Unlike HDMI, DVI requires a separate audio cable to carry the audio signals.

Overall height (in.)
The height of a TV, in inches. For flat-panel LCD and plasma sets, this includes the base and detachable speakers, important if you plan to place the TV on a stand or in an entertainment center. See "Panel size without base" if you plan to wall-mount only the display. For rear-projection TVs, the height includes the stand only when it is part of the set.

Overall width (in.)
The width of a TV, in inches. For flat-panel LCD and plasma sets, this includes the detachable speakers, important if you plan to place the TV on a stand or in an entertainment center. See "Panel size without base" if you plan to wall-mount only the display. For rear-projection TVs, the width includes the stand only when it is part of the set.

Overall depth (in.)
The depth of a TV, in inches. For flat-panel LCD and plasma sets, this includes the base and detachable speakers, important if you plan to place the TV on a stand or in an entertainment center. See "Panel size without base" if you plan to wall-mount only the display. For rear-projection TVs, the depth includes the stand only when it is part of the set. Also allow extra room for cables to connect to the back of the TV.

[KingSparta]

LCD & Plasma TVs
Both are better than ever. One plasma hits a new high

PACESETTER    The Panasonic TH-50PZ700U 1080p plasma TV has the best picture quality of any flat-panel TV we've tested, with very fine detail, rich colors and deep blacks.Bigger, better, cheaper--those three words sum up the major trends in LCD and plasma TVs this year.

The supersizing of flat-panel screens is hard to miss. More LCD sets are sporting bigger screens, so we’ve added a new size category (46- to 52-inch models) to our Ratings. In plasma TVs, 50 is the new 40. Forty-two-inch screens are still going strong, but 50-inch and even 60-inch screens have become the star attractions in many electronics stores.

More new TVs of both types can display excellent picture quality with high-definition programming, though lower-scoring models fall short of that to varying degrees. That gives you more reason than ever to use our Ratings of LCD TVs and plasma TVs (available to ConsumerReports.org subscribers only).

The best sets are better than ever. The Panasonic TH-50PZ700U had the best picture of any flat-panel TV we’ve ever tested. One of the new breed of 1080p plasma sets now hitting stores, it combines “full HD”--1920x1080 native resolution, the highest currently available--with the characteristic strengths of plasma technology. Its ability to reproduce the finest detail, plus its rich, vibrant colors and deep blacks, lend an almost three-dimensional look to images.

While screen size and picture quality are on the rise, prices continue to fall. We might not see the extreme pricing fireworks we saw at the Black Friday sales last Thanksgiving, but you can bank on plenty of good deals on plasma and LCD TVs this holiday season. Prices of 42- and 50-inch plasma TVs could be about one-third lower than they were last December, predicts Ross Young, president of DisplaySearch, a research firm in Austin, Texas. LCD sets with 40-inch and larger screens, especially those with 1080p resolution, could cost you about 25 percent less.

LCD TVs outsold plasmas by about three to one last year, in part because they come in more, and smaller, sizes than plasmas, which start at 42 inches. But if you’re buying a bigger TV, don’t blindly follow the crowd down the LCD path. In some cases, a plasma display can give you a more satisfying TV-watching experience. (See Why buy a plasma TV?)

Whichever TV type you ultimately decide on, don’t skimp on screen size. In our surveys, many consumers said they would buy a bigger set if they could do it over. A 40- to 42-inch screen is a sensible choice for an average-sized room. A 46- to 50-inch or larger TV requires greater distance between you and the screen to ensure optimal picture quality.

[thurston]

check out the reviews on cnet.com too.

[Griff]

Well

Are you done procrastonating ?

 

Did you bite the bullet and buy one ?

I can help you set up Sat. dishes in your tomato patch.