Good review of HDTV???

[cjasov]

I'm looking to make the jump into HDTV. I've always enjoyed this site for the audio side of the equation, but I'm wondering about a good source that focuses on the video side. What I'm curious about are the things to look for in a decent RPTV. Reviews on various brands; the differences in models of the same brand; do I want a built in HDTV tuner or not; what connections should I look want... and so on.

Any suggestions?

[woodman]

I'm looking to make the jump into HDTV. I've always enjoyed this site for the audio side of the equation, but I'm wondering about a good source that focuses on the video side. What I'm curious about are the things to look for in a decent RPTV. Reviews on various brands; the differences in models of the same brand; do I want a built in HDTV tuner or not; what connections should I look want... and so on.

Any suggestions?

I can sum it all up for you right here and right now. If that sounds presumptious, it's because I've spent my whole life actually working on these things.

First: never mind "reviews" of the sets - wherever they appear. Reviews are nothing more than opinions, filtered through the biases, attitudes, beliefs, etc. of the reviewer. They carry zero weight with me and I suggest the same for you.

Second: all HDTV sets are good - or at least are capable of excellent performance. Most all of them will not be performing up to their maximum capabilities as they come out of the box. This is because they're set to excessively high levels of contrast and brightness so that they can be seen in brightly lit showrooms. It's very important that you equip yourself with one of the HDTV setup DVDs that are available so that you can properly adjust your set to the proper levels. This will not only enhance your viewing experience, but significantly add to the set's life expectancy as well.

Third: if you are going to be watching a lot of standard 4:3 aspect ratio programming on a 16:9 ratio set, the various "stretch modes" of the different mfgs. is an important feature to check out. Some mfgs. simply stretch the picture horizontally - resulting in people looking very fat and unnatural. Some people are not bothered by this, saying they just get used to it. Other mfgs. offer such stretching that looks more natural in various ways. It's something that you need to check into for yourself. While on the subject of aspect ratios, I urge anyone and everyone to get a 16:9 screen rather than a 4:3 because the "widescreen" is the future of television and video.

Fourth: if you have control over the ambient light in your viewing room, I highly recommend a front projector as the "biggest bang for the buck" and the best value besides. I do NOT recommend a widescreen CRT direct-view TV set for a multitude of reasons - the most important of which is the small screen sizes available compared to what your dollar will buy with other types of displays. CRT-based RPTVs are the next best value after a front projector. Also in the RPTV category are now to be found sets that use DLP and LCD technologies. These are higher priced, but offer some advantages over their CRT-based cousins, like shallower cabinets and lighter weight.

Fifth: to get the maximum enjoyment out of an HDTV set requires that you also equip yourself with a surround sound system. This is a whole other subject however and I won't try to cover all of that here.

Sixth: don't be overly concerned with "resolution" as so many people seem to be. The picture quality of ANY set that you might consider will be far better than anything you've had before, regardless of it's stated resolution spec. Also, don't be overly concerned with the number of input terminals provided. The A/V receiver (sound) should be capable of switching all of the video sources for you along with the audio. Do not believe those that tell you that you shouldn't route the video signals through a receiver because you'll lose picture quality ... they don't know what they're talking about.

Last: be sure to buy extended warranty coverage on whatever set you buy - this in direct contradiction to what others will try to tell you. It's most definitely not a waste of money in my book.

Hope all of this helps you

[cjasov]

Thanks Woodman. Got a couple things to ponder...

So if all HDTV sets are capable of being good, why would I consider anything thing but the base models of any given manufacturer? Mitsu for example has the Gold Series, Diamond Series, etc. why not just get the entry level series.

I have to disagree on the statement that "ANY set that you might consider will be far better than anything you've had before." I have a neighbor who has a rear projection HDTV and the picture is horrible. If I end up with what he has I'll be really bummed. He uses Dish Network, but doesn't have the HDTV receiver. Don't some sets do a better job of taking a non-HDTV signal and upgrading the quality?

[woodman]

Thanks Woodman. Got a couple things to ponder...

So if all HDTV sets are capable of being good, why would I consider anything thing but the base models of any given manufacturer? Mitsu for example has the Gold Series, Diamond Series, etc. why not just get the entry level series.

The only reasons to consider an upper level set from a given mfgs. line rather than their "entry-level" model would be:

a: if you had plenty of money available to spend and wanted to get the very best performance possible (even if that was only 1% percent better than the cheaper model),or

b: there were features on the higher-priced model that the cheaper one didn't have.



I have to disagree on the statement that "ANY set that you might consider will be far better than anything you've had before." I have a neighbor who has a rear projection HDTV and the picture is horrible. If I end up with what he has I'll be really bummed. He uses Dish Network, but doesn't have the HDTV receiver. Don't some sets do a better job of taking a non-HDTV signal and upgrading the quality?

I'm sorry but you're disagreement with my statement is most likely being misled by what your neighbor's pix look like. While it is true that some sets are fussy about the type of interconnect that's in use for certain types of video signals (SDTV vs. HDTV), I'd bet my bottom dollar that your neighbor's set is either defective somehow, or that it's in dire need of what's called "calibration". Some sets get out of the factory in very poorly setup and adjusted condition. What brand is the neighbor's set anyway? Another possibility is that his satellite receiver is defective. Without seeing just how horrible his pix actually are, it's difficult if not impossible to speculate on the matter. But my statement still stands ... a properly adjusted HDTV is capable of looking far "better" than anything consumers have ever had before. Of course the quality of the signal source is involved as well. Any set can only produce pictures commensurate with the quality of the signal source - that's a given.

Hope this answers your ponder(s)

[ThreeDHomer]

Do I understand you right Wood that you would recommend buying a 34" over a 32" if the sets expansion mode was a solid one? How about a 30" Can I equate that viewing size to my current 27"?

[woodman]

Do I understand you right Wood that you would recommend buying a 34" over a 32" if the sets expansion mode was a solid one? How about a 30" Can I equate that viewing size to my current 27"?

No, you didn't understand me at all. I said "I do not recommend buying any widescreen direct-view set" - period. Furthermore, I don't recommend any direct-view HDTV set ... only an analog one, to be used for a few years until 16:9 ratio programming becomes dominant. Then, I'd recommend moving up to a large screen front projector or RPTV.