Help me pick out a HDTV 40" or smaller

[6SpeedTA95]

Originally Posted by motivez

I think at this point I'll probably go with that 42" DLP from Samsung for $988.. not sure 2.5x the cost for LCD makes sense at this point unless someone can convince me otherwise, and if the dark issue I saw was just an issue with it being calibrated poorly then it'll probably work out nice

It's only 720p but from what people have said here I wont really see much of a difference

Thats almost got to be a cal issue, before you spend a thousand bucks go check it out again perhaps at a different store or adjust the calibration settings on the TV if it still looks dark. Remember though dark isn't necessarily bad if it reproduces the scenery in a more accurate manner. The others could be over compensating and adding uneccessary detail.

[Ardentfrost]

You'll be happier with the DLP than you would with an LCD. I haven't seen your specific model, but I'm sure it'll be good.

[R-Type]

The main issue I have with the current DLPs is the corner distortion. The only part of the picture that is properly focused is a centered 'oval,' and because they're trying to make up for the darker, fuzzier corners, the center is often WAY too bright for my eyes. As a result, I prefer plasma or CRT screens best. Also, a lot of the lcd and DLP TVs I've seen seem to be tuned for contrast at the expense of color accuracy. I don't need nor want a super bright screen. I want it accurate.

Also, if you can, go for 1080p.. if you want high def, you might as well go all the way and glean the best resolution possible from it. 1920x1080 is the native resolution HD-DVD and bluray movies are being encoded in.

Make sure you get a unit that supports HDMI/HDCP. All current models should support it, but if you go cheap and/or buy an old one to save money, it's possible you'd end up with a non-capable unit and that would prevent you from watching hi-def video discs at full resolution.

[Ardentfrost]

the DLP oval hasn't been true for 7 years.

Color accuracy has been fixed last year with BrilliantColor, and it wasn't the brightness and contrast that caused it, but a problem with blending lights to make yellows. Other technologies never had the problem because they have an active way of making yellow. And, of course, you can always decrease brightness (it'll save you on lamp time). Of course, lamp time is no issue with the modern LED Lamps that DLPs can utilize. Those things can be run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for more than 11 years before any brightness is lost.

[R-Type]

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

the DLP oval hasn't been true for 7 years.

you sure about that? then the stores nearby are still selling some real crapola. The oval was present and viewing angle wasn't so great either.

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

Color accuracy has been fixed last year with BrilliantColor, and it wasn't the brightness and contrast that caused it, but a problem with blending lights to make yellows. Other technologies never had the problem because they have an active way of making yellow. And, of course, you can always decrease brightness (it'll save you on lamp time). Of course, lamp time is no issue with the modern LED Lamps that DLPs can utilize. Those things can be run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for more than 11 years before any brightness is lost.

Well I meant that most manufacturers tune the sets themselves for color scale over accuracy because high contrast sells. I like good contrast but I don't like a stretched color palette that doesn't allow for smooth hues. I don't know what parts of which tech are truly user-tunable, but what I see in the store is largely disappointing compared with a good CRT...and that includes some of the cheaper plasma screens as well.

[Ardentfrost]

omg, I had a HUGE thing written about how each technology works and explaining in what ways each falls short and why I feel DLP is the best technology available, and I accidentally hit my weather button thing at the bottom of my screen and lost it all. Dammit. I mean, I had it all. Describing how each of the 3 main digital technologies (plasma, lcd, and DLP) work and fair in contrast, brightness, and color. I even had a nice little ending paragraph about CRT technology.

godamn

[7960]

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

omg, I had a HUGE thing written about how each technology works and explaining in what ways each falls short and why I feel DLP is the best technology available, and I accidentally hit my weather button thing at the bottom of my screen and lost it all. Dammit. I mean, I had it all. Describing how each of the 3 main digital technologies (plasma, lcd, and DLP) work and fair in contrast, brightness, and color. I even had a nice little ending paragraph about CRT technology.

godamn

like this?

Compare LCD TV vs Plasma TV Vs DLP TV Big Screen tv's

[Ardentfrost]

Nah, mine was more specific... and I ain't rewriting it, lol.

It's my opinion that DLP beats out both LCD and Plasma in brightness, contrast, and color. Price is generally better (for single chip systems), but you can't get a small dlp screen.

[R-Type]

can you explain how they scale the color levels in the final framebuffer (which I assume is 24 bits/maybe 48 for CMY color channels in high end devices?) to specific levels of brightness? In the early days, they would cut the accuracy down so they could maintain response time at eye piercing brightness levels in place of accurate color. That's what I was really getting at. I'm sorry to hear about your post.. i would've liked to read it.

[Ardentfrost]

DLP doesn't have the pixel speed limitations of plasma and LCD. Every color for every pixel (and I mean the entire available spectrum of shades and hues) reacts at the same speed. In LCD's and Plasmas, however, you have to worry about the pixel duty cycle (that is, how fast a pixel can go from black to white and back to black). On DLP, that is the speed of the mirror (which is incredibly fast). With Darkchip 3, the ambient light escaping the chip is practically zero, so there is none of that to overcome through color brightness either (surrounding light can cause color to look washed out).

Brightness (which is also used to achieve shade) relies solely on the lamp and the mirror flickering. The brightest a pixel can be is mirror tilted toward the lense all the time (or, at least the max amount of time the color wheel allows in single chip systems... there is no color wheel in 3 chip systems). If the mirror flicks half to lense and half to light trap, the shade is then half of what it was originally.

But that only achieves shade, hue is just mixing colors. The color wheel spins fast enough so that different colors aren't noticeably affected by the mixing. There used to be a problem with yellows (which was mostly caused by how our eyes interpret that color), but as I mentioned before, the new BrilliantColor technology addresses those issues (as well as making other colors look better to boot).

[motivez]

What do you guys think about this one?
Amazon.com: Sony KDS-50A2000 Grand WEGA 50" SXRD 1080p Rear Projection HDTV: Electronics

It's $1799 at Best Buy at the moment

[motivez]

One of the other concerns I have with projection or DLP is replacing the bulbs.. seems like that'd get expensive after awhile..

[thomez]

Originally Posted by motivez

One of the other concerns I have with projection or DLP is replacing the bulbs.. seems like that'd get expensive after awhile..

Not a big deal when you consider how long they last.

I am a big fan of my Samsung DLP, Sony SXRD is very good as well. If I were you I'd buy a 720P Samsung and live happily ever after

50" for only $1200 plus shipping

Amazon.com: Samsung HL-R5067W 50" HD-Ready DLP TV: Electronics

56" like mine for $1800 plus shipping

Amazon.com: Samsung HLR5667W 56" DLP HD TV: Electronics

(pretty sure you can find a better price on the 56" than that too)

[motivez]

What's the difference between the DLP and SXRD exactly?

[thomez]

Sony didn't want to pay Texas Instruments to use the DLP technology, so they developed their own. SXRD is basically the same principle but with a slight variation. I have never really heard either is better than the other, but the DLP is generally always cheaper.

[motivez]

I know SXRD uses some "3 chip" technology, whereas DLP generally uses 1 chip.. which makes it easier to see the rainbow effect or something?

[6SpeedTA95]

Originally Posted by thomez

Sony didn't want to pay Texas Instruments to use the DLP technology, so they developed their own. SXRD is basically the same principle but with a slight variation. I have never really heard either is better than the other, but the DLP is generally always cheaper.

SXRD is pretty different from DLP, let me dig up some articles for us...

Samsung and Sony both make great tv's but the new samsungs dont have the rainbow affect you could also look at mitsu DLP's.

[6SpeedTA95]

Howstuffworks "How LCoS Works"

[thomez]

Originally Posted by motivez

I know SXRD uses some "3 chip" technology, whereas DLP generally uses 1 chip.. which makes it easier to see the rainbow effect or something?

I've never known anyone to see a rainbow unless they were looking for it. It is a rare person's eyes, that is it. The Samsung DLP is simply the best value in HDTV.

[motivez]

Seems like a lot of the SXRD television's have the big green blog issue, not just the first generation ones

I suppose I'll be staying away from that.

What about non HD source stuff though? I still watch a lot of non-HD television.