1080p 70" TV's Best Choice

[swgiust]

Who's making a 70" in 1080p? I know Sony has one for $ 11,000 but I was
hoping for something slightly less expensive. It seems foolish to even consider
anything in 720p doesn't it? Hopefully HD DVD/Blueray/Holovision will be available
soon.

Thanks

[edtyct]

At this point, 1080p comes with a price. Remember that just about everything these days that boasts that format upconverts to it rather than accepts it, with a few expensive exceptions. The 720p format is not simply a poor man's alternative, however. A display's character has much to do with the interplay between the size of its screen and sitting distance. A relatively small--say, 46"--panel that can upscale to 1080p will require viewing at fairly close proximity for the eyes to realize the fine detail. At a normal distance (8 to 12 feet or so), the advantage is all but lost. The picture will still look good (assuming that the elements other than pixel count are up to snuff), but the pixels will be too small for the eye to resolve fully. The screens that really benefit from 1080p are those with front projectors in a large room with a long throw (although the 70" Sony RP SXRD is getting up there). But then again, upconverting a standard broadcast to the 1080 of a fixed pixel panel is not exactly everyone's cup of tea. That's a lot of scaling.

LCD direct view panels are able to squeeze a lot of pixels into a relatively small space. Plasmas have to get much bigger to achieve similar formats. Sony's SXRD is reflective, not transmissive like normal LCD, leaving more room for pixel counts. Nevertheless, it is sobering that the 70" model is the only 1080p option offered. Even if the fill factor is superlative, however, you still won't want to put a 70" TV in a room that requires you to sit too close to it.

Ed

Even if hi rez DVD comes in 720p/1080i in the first wave, the benefits will be palpable for most of us. Is anyone here dissatisfied with HDTV?

Ed