talkmagic.co.uk

Im getting a PS3 and a HD tv in January.

What kind of specs do you need to look out for with HD tv?

I understand you need something along the lines of 1080i or p or something to that effect.. not too sure though..

I just want a good HD tv that doesnt cost the earth..

a 1080i TV has 1,080 lines of pixels, however only half are used at any one time. a 1080p TV uses all the pixels at the same time, therefore more pixels = better picture if it's connected to a PS3 which can provide FULL HD images... awesome!

however you also need to consider what else you use the TV for since the FULL HD TV's can look fairly average if the originating signal is poor.

not sure what your system is in the UK, however in AUS we hv 5 free to air networks. only one of them broadcasts in 1080i, while 2 broadcast in (approx) 720. That's all about to change as each of the networks brings more channels on line each including HD channels later in the year. based on the above, watching a program on a FULL HD TV ranges from amazing to down right terrible.

our major cable (pay TV) supplier is FOXTEL. around 70 channels in standard definition digital. again, picture quality for these ranges from excellent to awful.

I guess the thing to remember is a FULL HD 1080 TV has the ability to maximise a picture and provide amazing images... watch a newer Blu-Ray movie on your PS3 and you'll see what I mean. Down side of course is these TV's tend to "amplify" any imperfections as well. So if you enjoy watching old episodes of "M*A*S*H" or something like that... the result is not too good.

another interesting note... watching a live broadcast, say the News in 1080... the "hot weather girl with the beautiful eyes" may look a little older as you start to notice every line on her skin! also, movies with average special effects get caught out, for example, watching the movie "Fantastic 4" on Blu-Ray... the "THING's" suit looks very "rubbery". Is it possible there's just too much detail?

this will change as studios spend more on special effects. The big attraction for the studios on all this high def stuff is the movies are so darn big in terms of file size they are impossible for most people to download illegally.

so to answer your question:

Quoting I.D. What kind of specs do you need to look out for with HD tv?

to maximise the "potential" of your PS3 you need a FULL HD 1920 x 1080p television. however there are pros and cons to consider based primarily on what "else" beyond watching Blu-Ray and playing PS3 games you want to do.

Make sure you get "i" (it stands for intergrated) because produces a better picture quality.

cheers.

primarily playing ps3. apart from that watching tv. will never pay for HD channels.. ever.. so whatever HD channels comes free with standard subscription ill watch but sky sports HD.. forget it

I watch regular tv.. nothing flash.. Ive not even played a console in 18 months!!

You've got to realize that the picture quality is actually reduced when watching NON-HD TV or movies. So don't be disappointed when watching regular sky!

Citrus wrote:Make sure you get "I" (it stands for intergrated) because produces a better picture quality.

I believe 1080p is better than 1080 "i". the "p" stands for "progressive" scan which means all pixels are being used at the same time. However the general opinion appears to be the benefits of 1080p over 1080i are only relavent if you have a big screen. here's a good link:

http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/home_av/tv ... 0-2,00.htm

I.D wrote:primarily playing ps3. apart from that watching tv. will never pay for HD channels.. ever.. so whatever HD channels comes free with standard subscription ill watch but sky sports HD.. forget it

I could be wrong here, but I think that all HD channels on Sky cost extra. So you probably won't see any difference in picture quality when watching TV

kolm wrote:

I.D wrote:primarily playing ps3. apart from that watching tv. will never pay for HD channels.. ever.. so whatever HD channels comes free with standard subscription ill watch but sky sports HD.. forget it

I could be wrong here, but I think that all HD channels on Sky cost extra. So you probably won't see any difference in picture quality when watching TV

Spot on. Sky HD is subscription only for the premium stuff.

A classic example of misunderstanding the HD technology is that whatever you buy, the 'HD' at the end means the TV is better quality. It sure is... but it will only ever be as good as the signal going in.

If that signal is standard definition—i.e. from a regular DVD, TV signal or SKY (non-HD) signal, then the lower resolution SD picture is simply going to be digitally re-scaled to fit the screen.

It's a bit like taking a photo on a low-end camera phone and viewing it as your desktop picture on a 19" monitor.

Expectations are high, and as I've said before, I actually ended up taking an HD set back to the shop because I felt it was mis-sold—due to the fact that when it was demonstrated to me they used an HD showreel. Upon getting the set home, the quality was awful from our regular source stuff (Sky+, DVD etc.)

The bottom line is, if you've got the dosh anyway, then go for the best model available. But, if you're wishing to integrate into your standard setup, get a budget model for now which will look just as good, and then upgrade in a few years time when HD becomes the default standard.

oh yeh of course, my bad. I have V+HD and had we got a hd tv we would get some channels. V+HD is currently free for me. But I wouldnt have paid for it, thats what I meant.

Makes sense Seige, I wont be going to subscribe to HD until it is standard. Its only the PS3 I want it for.. So many choices though.

It's bad enough being forced to pay for a TV licence, buy a Freeview box or subscribe to Sky/Cable without also being 'encouraged' to pay extra for HD broadcasts as well.
If the programmes were worth it there might be some justification but, IMHO, the stuff we get offered in the UK is generally of a very low standard, endless so called 'reality' shows, Z list celebs doing uninteresting things on ice or in the jungle, repeats of stuff shown dozens of times before and boring bl**dy soaps. Not exactly worthwhile investing in HD/home cinema receiving equipment!

Hang about, go previous. A normal telly is only 625 by about 830, right? Even a cheap-o computer monitor will do 1024 by 768 without thinking about it. You can already get USB Freeview cards, and you can record to hard disk. So when USB HD cards come along... anyone thinking what I'm thinking?