HDTV Megathread

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mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

dojokm posted:

I'm in the same boat as well. I've been doing some preliminary research and I'm leaning more towards plasma for gaming and HD sports, as there won't be any input lag and the refresh rate can't be beat by LCDs. However, I'm not expert on this, so don't just take my word for it.

Just a little feedback on that issue: I have a 40in 120hz Samsung LCD. As far as picture quality it looks absolutely amazing and the blacks are good, but there's a very jarring motion blur on certain types of movement such as slow camera pans. Turning the 120hz interpolation on helps with this a little, but it's still present and it does have a serious british soap opera effect.

The next TV I buy will probably be a plasma because of this. I assume the issue is still present in LED's.

# ¿ Mar 11, 2010 21:14

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# ¿ Dec 11, 2025 00:10

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

Agreed posted:

It's hard to assess how much of an issue clouding will be until you actually get the set in your viewing environment. Most of the example photos were taken in completely unlit rooms using cameras set for very long exposure times (because otherwise it wouldn't be possible to see it). However there ARE sets that look like that in casual usage, warranty issue if you ask me.

It's the kind of thing that for the most part doesn't become a problem until you go out of your way to see it, then once you've done that you can end up hyper-focusing on it when it really doesn't have much of an affect on your viewing experience. If it's a particularly egregious example, that's one thing, but careful how much stock you put into AVS freakouts.

That said... I don't like the idea of edge-lit. It just strikes me as a poor way to light a set. I mean, you want even lighting, two strips of bright lights on each side just seems like a bad solution, even though it's not so simple as just that.

I have a 40in Samsung with edge lighting, it's not that noticeable on my set. I also have an edge-lit 23in Samsung monitor that is loving atrocious - the difference in lighting is visible in almost any situation.

# ¿ Mar 19, 2010 13:29

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

gently caress, I was all set to buy a plasma because of the poor motion resolution with LCD's but now this trails issue has me rethinking it.

# ¿ Mar 31, 2010 17:59

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

Crackbone posted:

The problems of all sets are overblown - poor motion resolution on LCDs is overblown, so is plasma phosphor trails. Don't fall into the avs trap of looking for poo poo that's wrong with a TV, because you will find something.

I have a pretty decent 120hz LCD now and the poor motion resolution is definitely not overblown. It is extremely noticeable under certain conditions.

# ¿ Mar 31, 2010 19:00

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

I said come in! posted:

Its a 50" Samsung. I am not sure about the model. It is a great t.v. otherwise though.

My parents have a 50in Samsung which I've noticed has pretty quickly developed burn-in lines from watching 4:3 TV. Must be a problem with the panels they've used.

# ¿ Apr 20, 2010 14:16

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

89 posted:

Think I'm gonna buy a Panasonic 50" G20 tomorrow. Depends on if I can finance it or not. Gonna do it at Best Buy. Anybody have any tips on haggling with Best Buy? Planning on buying a stand, too.

Financing is a breeze. I financed through the HSBC Best Buy Card and got 18 months no interest, I just pay about $100 a month on it. It's almost dangerously easy actually.

# ¿ Apr 28, 2010 16:06

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

uncle jimbo posted:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003924UCK/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=A228GNTXW0TH0L

How does this one compare? It's essentially the same thing except slightly smaller, right?

Anything with G25 at the end of the model number is going to be the same TV at a different size.

# ¿ Jun 3, 2010 18:09

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

modig posted:

Judder from the lack of 120Hz bothers me more than poor picture quality.

The G25 is a plasma. 120Hz is an LCD technology to fix an LCD problem.

Also I have a decent 120Hz LCD and it still has that shutter effect, so don't go resting all your hopes on 120Hz. The G25 I've seen is smoother than my 120Hz LCD.

# ¿ Jul 27, 2010 15:09

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

evilalien posted:

120Hz is not an LCD technology and the problem it fixes is present in plasmas like the G25. The G25 is lacking 120Hz/240Hz support and has to do 3:2 pulldown for 24 fps sources which is what people are usually talking about when they mention judder.

Ah, OK. I thought he was talking about motion jutter from normal sources which is a problem I still see with my 120Hz LCD.

# ¿ Jul 27, 2010 16:46

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

fahrvergnugen posted:

Assuming you mean frame interpolation: No, it's not objectively better. If the original picture was in 24p then that's how the director and cinematographer wanted it to look, and that's how it should look. Ditto 30fps, or 60fps material. Film should look like it was shot on film, and video should look shot on video.

If (by some miracle) some of Douglas Trumbull's Showscan material were released, then I'd want to watch it at 60fps, because that's how it was filmed. Just like letterboxing, it's all about the original intent of the filmmakers.

But you're watching material originally shot on film on a medium which is fundamentally different than film. Looking at tiny glowing pixels turning on and off is radically different than looking at images projected onto a screen.

You're already not watching it as the director and cinematographer intended it. Why is the framerate such a big deal when you're already changing the most fundamental properties of the image?

# ¿ Jul 29, 2010 19:03

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

I think I'm going to drop $1100 on a 50" G20. I have a Samsung 5-series 40" 120hz LCD now that I think I'm going to sell to my parents to offset the cost. What do you guys think is a fair price for family? I bought it for around $1500 but prices have fallen a lot so I was thinking something like $400.

# ¿ Dec 22, 2010 20:49

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

lanefrost posted:

well, I bit the bullet this weekend. I was planning on still looking around a bit, because although I wanted the 54" G25, but was having a rough time justifying $1400 for it. That was more than my original budget (before I really started researching tvs and learning about the new ones)

Well, lo and behold I walked in to Sears just to visually check out some other models again, when I see that they have 1 54" G20 left on closeout. Price on sticker... $950. Whoa, seriously? Went and talked to the lady who pulled the tag. Oops, they forgot to do the latest price drop on this closeout since it's been 3 weeks since the last drop (supposed to happen every 2 weeks apparently). Your new price is $895. Sold!

It sat in the living room for a day b/c I had no place to put it yet. I hadn't planned on buying it for a week or so. Yesterday we went out and bought the new media console we'd been eyeing. Basically got both pieces for the same price of the G25 I'd been looking at originally.

GF commented on some pixelation watching regular tv, but then I popped in a movie and it was glorious! She let me watch my tv all night last night, knowing I was wanting to play with it :-)

What the hell, that's an amazing deal. Was it a floor model? I might be going to Sears today...

# ¿ Jan 4, 2011 16:08

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

Euphoriaphone posted:

Has anyone here tried returning a TV to Best Buy recently? I got a new TV a few days ago, but I'm not satisfied with the picture quality, and want to take it back and exchange it for a new one. I'm pretty sure they accept returns on TVs for up to 14 days without a restocking fee, but I was wondering if there would be some kind of repackaging fee if I don't return it in the same condition (like I peeled off and threw away the plastic on the bezel)?

My buddy returned a TV to Best Buy 6 months later under the justification that it was a Christmas present for his Dad and his Dad now wanted a bigger one. And the TV didn't even work (it would turn on but the picture was bad). So your results may vary, but the right manager will let you slide if you insist enough.

# ¿ Feb 22, 2011 22:10

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

Yeah buying a used TV from a stranger is a risky proposition. Especially when you're probably not even going to save that much after shipping etc.

# ¿ Mar 11, 2011 14:55

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

nrr posted:

Hmm. Weird. I've heard that 120Hz was meant to be way better for gaming than 60Hz, and 240Hz is meant to be even better still. I've also heard what you're saying here before as well, that 120Hz introduces more processing and therefore is likely to increase input lag as well, which is the last thing you want for gaming. I've done a hell of a lot of research since I decided to get myself a decent HDTV a few months ago, but so much of it is conflicting and contradictory that it really feels like for all the time and effort, I haven't particularly learnt anything at all. vOv

Well you have to remember, 120Hz on a TV is not the same as 120Hz on a PC. The 120Hz on a TV is really just taking a 60Hz signal and interpolating frames to make it 120Hz, which involves significant processing. The 120Hz on a PC is much better for gaming because it is actually a real 120Hz signal. The only extra processing requirement is on your GPU since it has to render twice as many frames, there is no additional input lag.

# ¿ Aug 22, 2011 13:45

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

nrr posted:

Ok, except the 120Hz and 240Hz are better for gaming was something I heard specifically in regards to gaming on HDTV's. So what's the benefit of having a 120+Hz tv if they don't even accept anything but a 60Hz signal? And how is "120/240 is better for gaming," a common point of view that I've seen around various boards and reviews if all it essentially does is create more latency which is the very last thing anyone wants for gaming? Would hooking an HDTV up to my PC's HDMI output make any diffrence?

120Hz isn't really better for gaming. You can't really use the frame interpolation because it adds significant processing lag (at least on my TV).

Hooking up an HDTV to your PC's HDMI output makes no difference because as pretty much everyone has said already, the vast majority of 120Hz TV's don't actually accept 120Hz input.

# ¿ Aug 25, 2011 15:22

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

nrr posted:

Welp, yesterday I pulled the trigger on the 47LV5400 because the sale was ending today, so maybe I wasted my money on 120Hz? I guess not entirely, because I can avoid the 60Hz blueray judder, and I got it for just over $1100CAD which includes a 3 year Future Shop warranty that supposedly includes parts, labour, sending a guy out to me to inspect and diagnose any problems, and "usually" replacing the set entirely if there are problems for something of equal or greater value.

I actually own a 120Hz and the good news is that if you like watching sports it makes them look way more awesome, so at least you have that too.

# ¿ Aug 26, 2011 13:53

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

ShaneB posted:

Since I watch a lot of streaming netflix content, I'm concerned about reading things like this in reviews:

"Essentially the 120Hz judder reduction feature is not adjustable in the D6000. The ensuing picture from the D6000 has a soap opera effect without the depth created by natural background blur."

Found on a review for the Samsung UN46D6000: http://reviews.lcdtvbuyingguide.com/samsung-lcd-tv/samsung-un46d6000.html

With all this judder reduction/120-240hz stuff out there, I'm pretty nervous about getting a set that will make my netflix or SDTV viewing look like video. How can I be sure a set won't have these issues?

Really? I have seen a lot of Samsung LCD's and I have never seen one where you can't turn Auto-Motion off. That seems like a horrible thing because while it's great for sports, I certainly would not want it on all the time. It does have very noticeable effects.

# ¿ Oct 17, 2011 17:46

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

I can't find any threads that would catch this question so I figure this is probably as good of a place as any to post it...

Anyone have any good / bad soundbar reviews? I'm moving to a smaller place and I'm thinking about getting rid of my cheap 5.1 system for a soundbar but I have zero experience with them.

# ¿ Nov 14, 2011 17:38

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

Ditch posted:

We just got a 60" Samsung D8000 LED TV. The first thing it was used for was a video game, and it looked fine. Then we went to TV (HD recordings of course), and it would become blocky/pixelated whenever there was motion. The refresh rate is something like 960fps, or at the very least more than enough to handle HD TV. Previously we had the same cable box hooked up to a smaller, mid-quality TV and there were no problems. The video game, with lots of fast motion, did not look pixelated.

The TV is connected with a good HDMI cable so we strongly doubt that is the problem. Also, the software is up to date.

So... um.... help.

Your cable company is probably overly-compressing the HD signal, which results in high-motion scenes being blocky/pixelated. When I had Comcast in DC I had the same problem and switching to FIOS cleared it right up. There's probably nothing you can do about it outside of switching to a different provider.

# ¿ Nov 18, 2011 15:37

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

Ditch posted:

Well, FIOS is what we have.

Weird, I wouldn't think they would need to compress on fiber. If it only happens with cable and not other content it is almost definitely an issue with your signal, maybe you should contact Verizon.

# ¿ Nov 18, 2011 16:59

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

coolskillrex remix posted:

??? the pixels are rectangular. it looks fine. Id take a 1024x768 50" plasma over really almost any led lcd any day of the week. Maybe a top of the line 50" local dimming RGB LED would beat it out. Maybe.

Yeah as a 120Hz LCD owner I recommend plasma to all my friends. My set looks great but as soon as you get a lot of movement there is a lot of very very noticeable motion blur and AutoMotion is really only an option for sports as it makes everything look extremely artificial.

Plasma is very much superior unless you're going to drop like $2000 on an absolute top-of-the-line LED set.

# ¿ Nov 22, 2011 15:49

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

CHARLES posted:

What's people's opinion of the Sharp LC-70LE732U LCD/LED TV? There's a dood at my university that's trying to convince us to upgrade the smart classrooms with them (the rooms are going to get flat screens of some kind no matter what.)

I'm a little worried about bulb burnout. One of his arguments is that we won't be paying for bulbs as much (currently we have projectors) but I'm not sure. How much of a problem is bulb burnout going to be with these? Better/worse than projectors?

Edit: just editing to say, we're looking for something that has good picture quality from multiple angles in a place with windows, supports a large variety of inputs, can be wi-fi enabled (maybe), and won't break down under heavy usage (12 hours a day.)

Maybe I'm missing something here, but that's a LCD TV. Bulbs are only used with projection TV's like DLP's, which are pretty difficult to even find these days.

# ¿ Nov 30, 2011 17:33

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

DoktorLoken posted:

If you're willing to consider plasma, the Panasonic ST30 is hard to beat period.

A friend of mine bought a ST30 and it looks amazing. Blows my Samsung 120Hz LCD out of the water. It's very reasonably priced, even more so if you want to lose the 3D and just get a S30.

# ¿ Dec 21, 2011 16:10

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

Lovie Unsmith posted:

Maybe I need clarification then? My understanding was that the TV is really at 60Hz, and SmoothMotion/TruMotion/VividMotion/etc. simulate the effect of 120Hz?

Your TV is in fact running at 120Hz, but the signal it gets is only 60Hz. The SmoothMotion/etc effect is when it takes that 60Hz signal and tries to interpolate frames to make it 120Hz - essentially it is creating an extra frame from the two surrounding it.

# ¿ Jan 18, 2012 15:37

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

Rupert Buttermilk posted:

I'm still mystified as to who thinks this looks good. This being the HDTV Megathread, I have NO doubt that this argument has been brought up multiple times, so I won't further it beyond asking if anyone has a link or something that explains the reasoning behind this. I'm not being sarcastic, I genuinely want to read more about this new fad of smoothing out the tv's output, so as to give everything more frames. I haven't met anyone who actually prefers it.

It's odd, since you'd think 'the more, the better!', but give me my 24/29.97 fps anyday.

I actually do prefer it on for sports, and off for everything else. My Samsung LCD tends to get blurry during fast-moving scenes and it helps a lot with that.

It tends to completely destroy any kind of dramatic effect due to the unnatural appearance of movement, but that doesn't really come into play with sports.

# ¿ Jan 18, 2012 17:29

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

VulgarandStupid posted:

Are there any consumer screen calibraters that are any good? We have enough TVs and monitors in this house where it could be worthwhile to pick one up, plus I'm sure a few friends wouldn't mind throwing a few bucks my way to calibrate their screens. So far I generally throw most TVs into cinema mode, or game modes for games. I got some settings for my plasma off AVS forums a while ago but I'm pretty sure I lost those settings a while ago. I'm not super picky about things, but a little money and a weekend project wouldnt be a bad price to pay to make every display in my house look better or be more accurate.

Here is a pretty good article on monitor calibration.

# ¿ Feb 10, 2012 21:10

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# ¿ Dec 11, 2025 00:10

mega dy: Dec 6, 2003

r.y.f.s.o. posted:

I'm cheap and looking at the Vizio E371VA

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1875200&CatId=3649

120hz interests me, but this review:

http://www.televisioninfo.com/content/Vizio-M320VT-LED-LCD-HDTV-Review/Motion.htm

says that 3:2 pulldown performance was lackluster, which confuses me a bit since 120hz are supposed to avoid the whole 3:2 pulldown problem altogether I thought?

Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

As a 120Hz LCD owner, I recommend you get a plasma. A friend of mine has a 50in ST30 that cost a little over half of what I paid for my 40in 120Hz LCD and it absolutely blows my TV out of the water in pretty much every aspect. I hate him.

# ¿ Feb 22, 2012 04:51

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