Do we really need LCD apart from shape and style?

paddylonglegs

Most of the LCDs I'v seen on display aren't really doing justice for what they should do,or am I wrong?

To be honest I'v seen some CRT tvs that have better quality picture,and at the end of the day,isn't that all that matters?At the moment I would love to have an LCD,as a space saver due to lack of space in my small apartment.The tube at the back of the CRT is bloody huge and ugly,but the only reason I would get HDTV enabled LCD is because it will sell better when I upgrade in a few years.When sky bring out HD this year will we really need to watch reruns of Lovejoy and Bullseye in jaw-dropping quality?And nearly all DVDs in our collections aren't HD formatted either.

Just wondering what the rest of you think.Also in the middle of looking for a TV so this will give me the answers (hehe)

I'v seen the promo DVDs for Panasonic HDTV in Peats,and they are jaw-dropping,but is there a need to shell out so much so early?

Creamy Goodness

you're like me, i still think CRT offer better quality, and that the only thing these plasma's and LCD's have to offer is the space the save.

while i think HDtv is astonishing i don't think i could ever splash out over a grand for a decent one.

Guy:Incognito

I'm a size man, thats why I went for the Sony 50" rear projection . It's HD ready of course . Gotta say, I love it. Mmmmmmmmmmm 50" . Was playing dod on it the other day, people are hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooge.

TempestSabre

Current PAL stuff looks dire on it. Its just like TFT's for computers, the native res looks best. A CRT doesn't have these limitations. I guess if you think its too expensive it really is. Personally I don't watch TV enough to justify a mega screen or the money to blow it on a whim. When you can get a good CRT 28-32 widscreen for around 500, I don't see the point either.

The promo DVDs for HDTV look amazing though.

I hear its sending ripples through Hollywood as a lot of stars look at bit rougher than they'd like.

rabbitinlights

at the moment, you have to go to the high end LCDs (€€€€€€) to get decent quality on PAL TV, In a few years the decent LCDs and the coming OLEDS will be a realistic price and HDTV will be the standard broadcast TV, so personally unless your willing to buy a decent LCD at the moment, there is no point in buying a crappy model just for the sake of it, unless your really stuck for space.

I would imagine SkyHD will have a huge affect on LCD sales and that will affect the cost of manufacturing so in 12 months we should see a huge drop in the high end LCD prices.


S.

Maxwell

I can understand the first posters concerns and it really was mine when I went looking for a new TV and looked at the TV's set up in Curry's/Dixons etc - they look seriously crap. This is because of the seriously bad feed that they are getting - most TV's would look the same.

That said, you will get what you pay for. If you pay €800 for an LCD, you will get a poorer quality of screen. Although that said, don't pay over the odds for a Sony one!!

LCD have problems with fast moving images - especially football etc and that is the reason I didn't get one. I stumped up the cash and went for a 42" Plasma and the picture is simply stunning!!!

MY advice is to do your homework and see each individual screen in action first - especially with a TV analogue/digital feed(Request it when you are buying!)......DON'T be fooled by the usual Incredibles/Monsters Inc DVD feed....Eastenders won't look like that when you get it home!

Villain

One word people, PROJECTOR.

Once you get one you will never want anything else

Maxwell

irish1 wrote:

One word people, PROJECTOR.

Once you get one you will never want anything else

Amen to that!

The best thing I own!

I don't even watch movies on my 42" Plasma because it doesn't look as good/big as the projector!

You simply cannot beat a 10foot wide movie at home!!

Gatster

LCD have problems with fast moving images - especially football etc and that is the reason I didn't get one. I stumped up the cash and went for a 42" Plasma and the picture is simply stunning!!!

Er, no. Performance of this nature is based on the signal processoing in the unit, not the type of display being used. A lot of Plasmas before about 2002 (at the time the only large flat screen Tv's) suffered in some way from ghosting/frame dropout etc. Cheaper LCD's/Plasmas will still suffer these problems.

This explains some pro's and con's of each...
http://www.beststuff.com/articles/7987/

kco3d

i thought projectors were expensive to maintain? bulb life fairly short and they not too cheap?

rabbitinlights

Projectors are very good, but alot of people just simply cant put them into certain rooms, either because of space or sunlight, if you have a dedicated room then thats fine, most people who rent or share a house cant do this?

Villain

Well a bulb for mine is €250 but you should get at least 1000 hours that the minimum, if you let it cool down each time fully and clean the filter regulary and run in economy mode you should get 2000 hours. We have ours 2 years and we have 240 hours up on it.

byte

Stekelly wrote:

I'm a size man, thats why I went for the Sony 50" rear projection . It's HD ready of course . Gotta say, I love it. Mmmmmmmmmmm 50" . Was playing dod on it the other day, people are hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooge.

Yes they''re a fine set alright. They're also in big demand, Sony can't supply enough of them apparently!

I would just wonder how much a bulb replacement will cost! They refer to it as "3LCD" so I assume it means 3 LCD bulbs?

Guy:Incognito

byte wrote:

I would just wonder how much a bulb replacement will cost! They refer to it as "3LCD" so I assume it means 3 LCD bulbs?

No, it's just the one bulb, 3 separate panels though reflect the 3 colours (red, Green , Blue)

secret_squirrel

paddylonglegs wrote:

And nearly all DVDs in our collections aren't HD formatted either.

Thats not such an issue if you get an upscaling dvd player like the Samsung 850/950 series. Pretty cheap and almost HD quality.

Unless your tele is worn out it would be worth waiting a year until the format settles down a bit. At the moment most HD sets are native 720p. Give it a year or 2 and the good ones will be native 1080p.

paddylonglegs

irish1 wrote:

One word people, PROJECTOR.

Once you get one you will never want anything else

Yeah dude,projector night is the business,hook it up to a mean-ass surround sound and turn it up to 11,flick on Braveheart and away ya go.Just love the smell of freshly popped popcorn,and it doesn't cost 9.50Eu for the night either!

Unfortunately its not really an every day practical thing though,you need a good size room and completely free of daylight.Don't get much of a kick out of watching a 10foot version of Dobbo on 6.1 news aswell.

Just got myself a 32' Samsung Slimfit for 550Eu including stand.Still a CRT but slimmer by about 33% i'd say.Looks style-ish too.Would reccomend it people if you're not quite ready for LCD life

TempestSabre

paddylonglegs wrote:

....

Just got myself a 32' Samsung Slimfit for 550Eu including stand.Still a CRT but slimmer by about 33% i'd say.Looks style-ish too.Would reccomend it people if you're not quite ready for LCD life

Saw these myself and though they looked excellent.

secret_squirrel

paddylonglegs wrote:

Just got myself a 32' Samsung Slimfit for 550Eu including stand.

I've never seen one switched on myself but some of the hifi mags have criticised those sets for the pciture distortion the extra short tube creates. Having said that I mentioned this in another thread in this forum and 3 or 4 posters said they loved theirs!

paddylonglegs

They had it set up and the whole lot where I bought.I thought it was an LCD when I saw it first straight on,will keep you posted on the quality when I get it set up