Plasma TV's & HDTV?

shinobi

Folks,

Just wondering if plasma TV's are HDTV capable?
I've tried googling but to no avail.

Thanks in advance.

Calibos

Needs to be of 1280x720 resolution or above and have component inputs to be compatible with the only European HDTV broadcaster (Euro1080) at the momment. If you mean compatible with the Sky HDTV service to be launched in 2006 then it will need to have a HDCP enabled HDMI or DVI digital input.

richieg

There are extensive discussions on avforums on this already....worth checking out as only certain TVs are compatible

big_moe

pioneer are the leaders at the moment i think with hdtv plasma's. they have a 43, 50 and 63 inch plasma all with hdmi, component and the usual connections. and all are hdtv compatable.

MOE

Will_H

I believe NEC have HDMI aswell - the 42" XR3 & VR5....

The XR3 is the better speced [read: more expensive] machine....

From their Spec sheet.....
HD Video Signal Compatibility 480p 480i, 525p, 525i, 540p, 625p, 625i, 720p,1035i, 1080i

hshortt

Thanks for the info on this guys, I was just wondering the same thing too. I'm about to be in the market for a 42inch plasma and clearly I want something capable of High Def, although if proper High Def broadcasts wont take place for 10 years then it won't matter eh? haha.

So, how much should I expect to pay for a HD compatible set?

Cheers

pH

Most modern plasmas are compatible with a HD feed, meaning they will accept say 720p and scale it down to the panel's resolution.

Because it is a digital signal, the picture should still look great on say a 480 line set (just not all the HD detail in the broadcast is shown).

HDTV compatible is not the same thind as being able to show the picture at true 720p.

Because HDTV is new and there's no real market, true HDTVs are at a premium. Unless you're loaded it's probably best waiting to buy a true HD set. As the products become more mainstream, prices will drop quickly.

hshortt

Thanks PH. The terms can be quite confusing, so I appriciate your response.

TCP/IP

I am in the same boat at the moment stay away from the NEC screen they are terrible the Pioneers are currently the only ratified HD plasma in Europe, take a look at the Philips 42PF9966/12 screen it will also do the job but some people do not like ALIS screens, be very very careful about people telling you a screen is high def suitable, it may be suitable for some high def material but 99% will not work with Sky's new High Def service

hshortt

So I'll be bold and ask one more question, where in Ireland can I get one. I like the look of the Philips, some UK prices put it at 2149.00 stg. Roughly 3,300 Euro.

Cheers guys, & thanks to Tcp for the last post.

TCP/IP

You can get the Philips screen in Arnotts and also the Philips store on Dame Street

Krusty_Clown

Sorry, not plasma related, but I see the Dell 26' LCD purports to have a Digital TV capability with the following specs : 480i,480p,576i,576p,720p,1080i. Does this meet the requirements of being HDTV capable?
Does anyone have any opinions on the spec of this TV?
Brightness: 450 cd/m2 (typical)
Contrast Ratio: 500:1 (typical)
Response time: 25ms (typical)

I do like the idea of the dual TV tuners, so you can have split-screen PC/TV reception.. If the price dropped by 500 quid, it'd be even better (currently 1,500 euro).

richieg

TCP/IP wrote:

You can get the Philips screen in Arnotts and also the Philips store on Dame Street

How much are they and do you know if they deliver nationwide?

TCP/IP

The Dell LCD can display a high def signal but will not work with SkyHD as it does not accept a HDCP signal over HDMI or DVI so for SKY HD it will be useless