1080P input questions, use as computer monitor

[venkman]

sorry, by optimal viewing distance I was refering to the 45" Sharp Aquos.

[edtyct]

No sets accept 1920x1080, but it's only a matter of time before they do. For the 45" Sharp, at a distance of 6 to 9', you should be able to appreciate the high resolution. At 6' and closer, however, the look of standard TV might not be so good, and at 9', the panel's advantage with HD might start to fade.

Ed

[ralphmcw]

Actually there is a 1080p set that can accept a 1920x1080 signal. The new HP DLP. It got a good review too.
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/art...&page_number=1
The problem for me is that they only come in 58'' and 65'' versions which is too big for my apartment (and too big for my wallet). I will wait until next year when a 50'' 1080p actually accepts a 1080p signal.

[edtyct]

Ralph,

Thanks for the information. I also didn't know that, as the review says, certain Mitsubishi sets can accept 1080p signals via their computer inputs, for whatever it's worth. Despite the glowing review, however, the one little monkey wrench in the HP's works is its wobulation, which is essentially some fancy dancing that allows a display to achieve a given resolution by using only half the pixels that the resolution in question would otherwise require. Other manufacturers have adopted the technique as well. The HD4 chip from TI arranges the pixels at a 45 degree angle to permit rapid, successive illumination, thus permitting 640x720 to simulate 1280x720. I would think that this method would be cheaper to implement than an actual pixel complement, but I'm not sure how effectively, relative to true 1920x1080 chips, it will be able to display actual 1080p material when it arrives, even if its scaling seems solid now (and it may not be). I think that the jury is still out. A Sharp DLP that uses the HD4 chip apparently looks a little on the soft side. This is another of those instances when waiting would seem to be prudent. These early 1080p sets all have certain limitations that are destined to be surpassed by their successors.

Ed