Which to buy 1080P vs. 720P?

[NYBuddy]

I am thinking of buying a new plasma, should I pay more for the 1080P capabilities or is 720P enough with 1080i? (also not sure if this post belongs in here, sorry in advance)

[aim2pls]

1080P if your going to use a lot of HD-DVD or Bluray

personally I have a 720P / 1080I LCD .. happy as hell with it

but each to their own ... drop in Best Buy and/or Circuit City and look around ... beauty is in the eye of the beholder

[bobpenn]

Wow, the million dollar question. If you aren't going to get a BluRay or HDDVD player, then 768p (plasma's native resolution) is fine. No one broadcasts in 1080p and the only source of 1080p right now are the high def DVDs, video games and some WMV files. Further, there are no announced plans for the broadcast stations to jump to 1080p anytime in the near future. But with IPTV coming (TV via the internet), things could change in a couple of years.

On the other side, many have argued that the conversion from 1080i to 1080p these TVs do makes HD look better. If you want to future proof, I would go for 1080p if you can afford it. But if you do go for 768p, you probably won't see the difference.

Finally, most articles I have read note that you really can't see the difference between 768p and 1080p on a plasma unless the screen is >60", which for now, is too expensive for most buyers.

[schlar01]

Its hard to say if the average person is even going to tell the difference. There might be a small difference but I have a Sony 50" 1080i and its hard to believe that 1080p could be that much better.

I'd probably get 1080p just to future proof your TV but it depends on the price. I wouldn't pay an extra $1,000 but I might pay $200 more for it. Hopefully you will be keeping the TV for 10 years so it would be worth a little more have the best going forward. Really, it depends on the price difference and how much you want to spend.

[dbmaven]

I am thinking of buying a new plasma, should I pay more for the 1080P capabilities or is 720P enough with 1080i? (also not sure if this post belongs in here, sorry in advance)

As others have said - there are 2 major questions you need to answer (either to yourself, or posted here ;) )
1 - What's your absolute top-end budget limit - "I won't spend more than $$$$.$$"
2 - What size display are you looking for? The size of the room you plan to put it on might influence that decision, and how far away from the set is the optimum viewing position.

[PatentBoy]

... how far away from the set is the optimum viewing position.

This is no doubt the most important question. If you are buying a 36" flat screen and plan on sitting 15 feet away when viewing, there will be no discernible difference between 768P and 1080i/P.

There is a great JPEG on the web which depicts the impact of viewing distance with respect to a standard def, 768P HD and 1080i/P signal.

I can't find the JPEG right now, but there is a calculator here:http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html

Note that for a 50" flat screen, the calculator reveals that you must be within 6.5 feet to obtain the full benefit of a 1080 signal.

[jcurrier31]

Most people say 50" and over 1080p anything below 1080i is fine.

Just remember, 720p TV's are usually 1024X768. Meaning there are only 768 lines of horizontal resolution. The TV will say it accepts 1080i but it only accepts the signal then down converts it to 768.

Just imagine 42", 50", or 58" all with 768 lines of resolution the lines will be much smaller on 42" thus making the picture look better.

[bobpenn]

Most plasmas these days are 1366X768 which is within the standards of high definition. It's true that for screens smaller than 50" you won't see the difference. For 50" it's debatable if you will see it, you need to be fairly close to the screen and you may not want to normally be that close, and larger than 50" the price usually gets out of control, but you could potentially see the difference. 1080p really shines with HD projectors where you are blowing up the image to a huge size, say 100" or greater. There, it's necessary to keep the HD look intact.

Finally, the notion of "downconverting" 1080i to 768p is a complicated notion. I hope I don't oversimpify or just flat get it wrong, but my understanding is that 1080i is in essence 540p interlaced. It has been argued that in theory 1080i should be worse than 720p since there are fewer lines of resolution available, but in reality, with the retention of your eyes, the 1080i fields blur together to build a higher definition image than is technically there. Your eyes build the HD image which appears as sharp as 720p, even with less lines of resolution to work with due to the motion from field to field.

Wow, did I say that right?

Anyway, I don't think that 720p is a downconversion from 1080i. It would be from 1080p for sure.

[Dusty]

No one can really answer the question for you.

For me, I am very happy with my 720p and 1080i set, but if I am buying one, I will still buy a 1080p anyway. I can't tell the difference, but I'll still buy it.

[dalime]

Most the guys have said it here; How much do you want to spend and how far away will you be sitting?
Personally I'm an Elite fan. I have a 50" Elite 720p and sit about 15' from my TV. 1. I probably wouldn't be able to see the difference if I switched up to 1080p 2. 720p looks awesome, especially on HD-DVD.
Go to Best Buy or whatever and look around at what YOU think looks good. Plus, they've got 3 year interest free financing right now :D

[PatentBoy]

Just imagine 42", 50", or 58" all with 768 lines of resolution the lines will be much smaller on 42" thus making the picture look better.

The trade off is that you must be close to set to see the difference...

I have a Pioneer Elite 50" Plasma at 1366X768 and I sit about 10 feet away. The picture is quite nice.

The best thing to do is to simply go to BestBuy, or other place which displays HD content on their display models, and stand a typical distance (for your specific needs) away from the various 720P/1080i screens and compare the sets for yourself.

[NYBuddy]

Most the guys have said it here; How much do you want to spend and how far away will you be sitting?
Personally I'm an Elite fan. I have a 50" Elite 720p and sit about 15' from my TV. 1. I probably wouldn't be able to see the difference if I switched up to 1080p 2. 720p looks awesome, especially on HD-DVD.
Go to Best Buy or whatever and look around at what YOU think looks good. Plus, they've got 3 year interest free financing right now :D

Yeah, I sort of have a price in mind, but I look at a 55" plasma 720P and it looks quite nice for let's say $1800, then next to it is a 50" plasma "true HD" for $3800 and I wonder, "am I missing something here? Is this worth the extra $$ now? Will I regret it later?" I can afford the $1800 and I could make the $3800 work, so what am I to do?

BTW I will be sitting about 10 - 12 feet away from it.

[Mr. Furious]

1080P if your going to use a lot of HD-DVD or Bluray

OK, stupid question time. We're currently looking at a 32" 720p (1366 x 768) LCD for the bedroom. If, down the road, we want to get an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player that does 1080p, will we be able to use it with the 720p TV? It wouldn't be at full resolution, obviously, but would it still work?

Apologies, I'm new to the HD game and the different resolutions and intercompatibility between them confuses me a bit.

[oudabashian]

I believe it depends on the size of TV you are looking for. If you are looking at over 50 inch and plan on purchasing an HD DVD or Blu-ray player, then 1080p is worth it. However, if this is not the case and you can get a very good deal on a 1080i/720p set, then go for it. Trust me, I have HD DVD and Blu-ray, there is a difference between 1080p and 1080i/720p on larger sets. Good luck...

[jcurrier31]

Yeah, I sort of have a price in mind, but I look at a 55" plasma 720P and it looks quite nice for let's say $1800, then next to it is a 50" plasma "true HD" for $3800 and I wonder, "am I missing something here? Is this worth the extra $$ now? Will I regret it later?" I can afford the $1800 and I could make the $3800 work, so what am I to do?

BTW I will be sitting about 10 - 12 feet away from it.


Check this Plasma out at CC. It is a 1080p 50" Plasma, It's going for $2599 right now. (Panasonic)
http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productDetail.do?oid=175537

A lot of people here like the Pioneer Elites, but read some reviews and make your own decisions. I bought mine last year after doing a lot of research and I couldn't be happier.

I have a 42" 720P and sit about 8' away and the screen is perfect, But if I had the money, it would be the 50" in 1080P. I have both Blu Ray and HD-DVD though and it looks great!

JMHO

[oudabashian]

OK, stupid question time. We're currently looking at a 32" 720p (1366 x 768) LCD for the bedroom. If, down the road, we want to get an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player that does 1080p, will we be able to use it with the 720p TV? It wouldn't be at full resolution, obviously, but would it still work?

Apologies, I'm new to the HD game and the different resolutions and intercompatibility between them confuses me a bit.

Yes it will still work. Plus you will not be able to tell a very big difference on a 32" set.

[Mr. Furious]

Yes it will still work. Plus you will not be able to tell a very big difference on a 32" set.

Excellent, that's what I was hoping. Thanks for the info!

[Slip Jigs]

1080P. Hands Down. If you don't, you'll regret it in a year or two.

[jcurrier31]

1080P. Hands Down. If you don't, you'll regret it in a year or two.

+1

[Stuart Sweet]

The real question is how big is your TV going to be. Search AVSforum, Wikipedia or other places and you'll find claims that your eye's visual acuity won't let you discern details below a certain size at average viewing distances. I have a 1366x768 37" TV and I think it's just fine. If I were up into the 50" range I suspect I'd want 1080p.

[machavez00]

Most people say 50" and over 1080p anything below 1080i is fine.

Just remember, 720p TV's are usually 1024X768. Meaning there are only 768 lines of horizontal resolution. The TV will say it accepts 1080i but it only accepts the signal then down converts it to 768.

Just imagine 42", 50", or 58" all with 768 lines of resolution the lines will be much smaller on 42" thus making the picture look better.

DLP sets are 1280x720p

[jrodfoo]

1080P for me, PS3-Blu-Ray use :) got a Sammy 40 in LCD. now if those HD channels would just lite up soon!

[Stuart Sweet]

All the 720p TVs I've seen are 1366x768. They show 1080i content by downsampling to that resolution and show 720p content by upsampling to that resolution.

I've gone around and around on this with other people. On the one hand, the only TV with true "pixel integrity", my term for 1 physical pixel for 1 logical pixel in the transmission, is a 1080p TV showing a 1080p signal. But, unlike a computer screen where there is always a fairly sharp transition between light and dark, TV pictures very rarely have adjacent pixels with substantially different luminance, chroma, or hue. That's just not how real life is... there's always a smooth transition between tones. The subjective difference between 720p, 1080i and 1080p on TVs under 42", at average viewing distances can be quite small.

[Wildcat]

We went for the 50" Panny 720P. Couldn't justify the difference in $ since we currently have nothing that would make a 1080P "sing". I don't watch many DVD's at all.

Couldn't be happier with the picture.



If I had the money, I would have about 10 Elite's.

[Steveknj]

I think it's a matter of budget at this time. If you could affort to plunk down the dough for a GOOD 1080P then by all means. You'll be protected from obsolensence for a couple of years, but if the choice is between an excellent 720P(1080i) and an iffy 1080P for the same money, I'd go for the 720P. At some point the 1080Ps will drop in price and then it will pay to get one. It's like anything else, new = more expensive, there's always a sweet spot in price that makes it worth while.

Just be glad you weren't one of those suckers who plunked down $200 extra dollars for an iPhone 2 MONTHS AGO and now can get the same phone for that much less.

[compnurd]

I have 2 720P LCD's and didnt see a need at all for 1080P. I think we will see 1440P broadcast next and skip right over 1080P.

For a comparsion note, when i was TV shopping i was comparing 2 models, 1 720P and 1 1080P with a PS3 playing a Blu-ray Disc. With a 42 inch Tv at 6 ft away me, my wife and the sales guys couldnt see a difference.

[aim2pls]

1080P. Hands Down. If you don't, you'll regret it in a year or two.



bet you always buy monster cables too

[LameLefty]

I can see a difference in 720p and 1080p on 56" sets from my typical viewing distance.

That said, I VASTLY prefer ABC and Fox 720p sports broadcasts over those on NBC in 1080i (though that may be NBC using substandard equipment/software and my local doing a pi$$-poor job of getting the signal to D* for re-encoding). On the other hand, Discovery HD Theater stuff like Sunrise Earth in 1080i is amazing.

[AMike]

I faced the same question a few weeks ago when I was buying a new plasma. I decided to go with the 720p because I have no intention of upgrading to HD-DVD or Blu-ray anytime soon. In addition, I got a great deal on the television that was too good to pass up.

[dbmaven]

I don't know if it depends on where you are - but
on a scale of worst to best for me:
Fox (looks good, but when compared to others, it's "dull", just not as sharp/crisp)
ABC/ESPN - good or very good
NBC - same
CBS - of all, the best. Much sharper/clearer.

I haven't paid much attention, but I suspect that CBS is in 1080i.

(My set: Sony KDS-60A2000 1080p/HR20 via component).

[Steveknj]

I don't know if it depends on where you are - but
on a scale of worst to best for me:
Fox (looks good, but when compared to others, it's "dull", just not as sharp/crisp)
ABC/ESPN - good or very good
NBC - same
CBS - of all, the best. Much sharper/clearer.

I haven't paid much attention, but I suspect that CBS is in 1080i.

(My set: Sony KDS-60A2000 1080p/HR20 via component).


On that note, I find during Yankees broadcasts, YES Network 1080i is absloutlely the best picture I've seen of ANY network.

Again, on this debate, there are SO many factors involved that to just say 1080P is HANDS DOWN the best is wrong.

[dbmaven]

On that note, I find during Yankees broadcasts, YES Network 1080i is absloutlely the best picture I've seen of ANY network.

Again, on this debate, there are SO many factors involved that to just say 1080P is HANDS DOWN the best is wrong.

I agree wholeheartedly with that comment. And when viewing on 622H (MPEG4), it looks better than when it's on 94/95 (for out of market viewing) - which I believe is MPEG2.

It's gotten to the point that there are cases where I wish they wouldn't show closeups of some of the players.... ;)

[Steveknj]

I agree wholeheartedly with that comment. And when viewing on 622H (MPEG4), it looks better than when it's on 94/95 (for out of market viewing) - which I believe is MPEG2.

It's gotten to the point that there are cases where I wish they wouldn't show closeups of some of the players.... ;)

Can you say Matsui?

The detail is really pretty amazing. You can clearly see people sitting behind home plate or those grasping for a foulball or HR. Whatever they did they did right!! Now we need to get the added features that you can get with the SD version of YES and it will be perfect. Now, why doesn't SNY broadcast roadgames in HD? YES does all games in HD.

[richlife]

I would always go for the future (1440 is a pipe dream right now -- 1080p will be a norm in 2 years). An never judge anything by NBC HD -- the worst "HD" capability in the industry (they emply every trick they can except upgrading their equipment and the result still looks like sh**. And BTW, since I learned about them, I think monoprice.com is fine ;) .

Edit: Also remember that almost everyone will agree that when it comes to HD, the larger the screen (considering your actual viewing distance) the greater your satisfaction with your new HDTV. So 1080p is better.

I can see a difference in 720p and 1080p on 56" sets from my typical viewing distance.

That said, I VASTLY prefer ABC and Fox 720p sports broadcasts over those on NBC in 1080i (though that may be NBC using substandard equipment/software and my local doing a pi$$-poor job of getting the signal to D* for re-encoding). On the other hand, Discovery HD Theater stuff like Sunrise Earth in 1080i is amazing.

[dbmaven]

Can you say Matsui?

The detail is really pretty amazing. You can clearly see people sitting behind home plate or those grasping for a foulball or HR. Whatever they did they did right!! Now we need to get the added features that you can get with the SD version of YES and it will be perfect. Now, why doesn't SNY broadcast roadgames in HD? YES does all games in HD.

Matsui. :lol: Whoever started calling him 'godzilla' must've seen a closeup in HD... :D

I believe there are still some road games not available in HD on YES - if the home team stadium is not equipped to handle it. Not sure though.....Kansas City comes to mind, so we'll find out within the next week...

[shendley]

I went around and around with this question this summer when I was debating getting a 58" 720p Panny while the price was plummeting. I finally decided to go for it as what appeared to be the most reliable info I could find on this suggested that for a screen that size from my viewing distance (11 feet, approximately), you would just begin to possibly see more detail in a 1080p set. I figured if that was accurate it would take setting up the two sets side by side to really see a difference - something I never plan on doing! And since the 720p set was about $1700 less than the corresponding 1080p sets Panasonic was just coming out with, I just couldn't justify that much more money for just possibly, barely discernible improvements in picture quality. And as for high def discs (I went with HDDVD), they look absolutely fabulous on my 720p set.

[pfueri]

I am thinking of buying a new plasma, should I pay more for the 1080P capabilities or is 720P enough with 1080i? (also not sure if this post belongs in here, sorry in advance)

BUY 1080 P! THE COST IS NOT MUCH MORE THAN 720P.YOU WON'T BE SORRY YOU DID!

[ghostdog]

No one can really answer the question for you.

For me, I am very happy with my 720p and 1080i set, but if I am buying one, I will still buy a 1080p anyway. I can't tell the difference, but I'll still buy it.

You can tell the difference when playing a HD dvd.;)

[dmurphy]

Yeah, I sort of have a price in mind, but I look at a 55" plasma 720P and it looks quite nice for let's say $1800, then next to it is a 50" plasma "true HD" for $3800 and I wonder, "am I missing something here? Is this worth the extra $$ now? Will I regret it later?" I can afford the $1800 and I could make the $3800 work, so what am I to do?

BTW I will be sitting about 10 - 12 feet away from it.

If it were me (and it isn't!), I'd buy today at $1800, and then in 2-3 years when the 1080p panel prices come way down, pick up one of those for $1800 as well, and move the 'obsolete' (ha!!) display to the bedroom.

But that's just me. :)

[dmurphy]

I agree wholeheartedly with that comment. And when viewing on 622H (MPEG4), it looks better than when it's on 94/95 (for out of market viewing) - which I believe is MPEG2.

It's gotten to the point that there are cases where I wish they wouldn't show closeups of some of the players.... ;)

I don't usually do this, but "+1"!!

The MPEG4 broadcast on 622 is amazing. Makes me feel like a schmuck for holding onto the HR10-250 for so long. Should've jumped on the HR20 bandwagon long ago!

[shendley]

I really think these kinds of unqualified judgements are unhelpful with this question. You always have to take into account the two other variables of size of screen and viewing distance from screen. If you get a big enough screen and sit close enough to it you'll be able to tell a difference between 720p and 1080p every time. The real question is will you be able to tell a difference with the size screen you're looking at viewed at the distance you want to sit from the screen. Here's a link to some information I found helpful in making a decision: http://www.carltonbale.com/2006/11/1080p-does-matter/

You can tell the difference when playing a HD dvd.;)

[davring]

Resolution aside, the thing I notice most with a 1080P set(at least mine) was the richness and depth of the colors. Everyone is correct in that the viewing distance makes a difference, but with more pixels rendering the image I think the 1080P has an edge.

[homebase]

Resolution aside, the thing I notice most with a 1080P set(at least mine) was the richness and depth of the colors.

I agree with this.

After spending a good amount of time researching flat panels (like most folks here) we found the 1080p offerings from Pioneer, Panasonic, Sony & Samsung models consistently looked better than any other 720p of any other name no matter what store we were at We decided to spend the $$ on the 1080p 42" plasma from Panasonic. Got it home, wouldn't power up. Took it back and spent even more $$ on the Samsung 46" LCD model. I had reservations about pixellation with an LCD. After watching a couple football & baseball games, then watching the tennis match, I'm a believer.

TV is now a cinematic experience. That old 32" Sanyo Direct-vew HD we had was nice, but this thing removes the need for us to ever go to the movie theater again.

My vote is to go for the 1080p.

[chopperjc]

[QUOTE=aim2pls;1089521]bet you always buy monster cables too


!rolling

[n-spring]

BUY 1080 P! THE COST IS NOT MUCH MORE THAN 720P.YOU WON'T BE SORRY YOU DID!

No need to shout...

[n-spring]

DLP sets are 1280x720p

That's so yesterday. Check out the 56" DLP 1080p LED from Samsung. Model number HL-S5679W.

[uscboy]

The real question shouldn't be 720 vs. 1080 because the answer is 1080, the
question should be plasma (no) vs. LCD (yes), but hey, that's JMHO. :)

[purtman]

If you can hold out, wait until right after Thanksgiving and then get the 1080 with near-720 prices.

[n-spring]

The real question shouldn't be 720 vs. 1080 because the answer is 1080, the
question should be plasma (no) vs. LCD (yes), but hey, that's JMHO. :)

This is so subjective, and you left out DLP and LCoS. My preference has been to stay away from plasma because of the power consumption and heat dissipation.

I first bought a Sony 3-LCD 42" rear projection set for the living room. Been very happy with it. The A/V folks talked me into buying a Mitsu 50" 1080p DLP for the home theatre. The first one they brought was defective, and I told them to take back the second one for two reasons: 1) the fan and color wheel were too noisy, and 2) I could see the infamous "rainbow effect" while watching in my pitch black room.

Samsung has supposedly fixed the "wobulation" in picture by eliminating the color wheel and using LEDs in their new DLP sets. I have not seen one in action though.

I now have a 60" Sony 1080p SXRD (Sony's version of LCoS) in the home theatre and I'm very happy with it. But, to each his own, as they say.

The end-all, be-all to the HD display was supposed to be SED developed by Canon, but alas, the lawyers have stymied development and it looks like it will be "professional grade" (read $$$$) when it finally sees the light of day.

[uscboy]

I left out DLP and LCoS because IMHO they're not as sharp as other
technologies. I've seen projection sets of both kinds in friends houses and stores
and now that I have an LCD set, it's great... viewing angles, sharpness,
brightness, etc... they all are better on my LCD and other friends' plasma sets
(which they all regret buying because of reflections) than they are on projection sets.

Projection sets fill a certain market segment - those who want larger than
average size sets but don't want to take out a second mortgage to get one. I
just don't feel that the jump from 46-47 inches of LCD (or plasma if you must) to
55"+ is worth going to an inferior technology - again, IMO.

[Proc]

I bought a 46" Sony Bravia 720p (1080i). I don't watch DVD's and our game system for the foreseeable future is the Nintendo Wii, which isn't high def. I've got that on a SD Sony Wega in the basement.

As for the 720p vs. 1080p, I agree with the majority of posters here. If you are a DVD-er or gamer, then 1080p. If you are primarily a TV watcher only, then 720p. Figure out your budget and your viewing habits (HD-DVD's, Blu-Ray, type of video games, size of screen, etc.) and combine that with your budget to make the correct decision.

[JFHughes08088]

Most people say 50" and over 1080p anything below 1080i is fine.

Just remember, 720p TV's are usually 1024X768. Meaning there are only 768 lines of horizontal resolution. The TV will say it accepts 1080i but it only accepts the signal then down converts it to 768.

Just imagine 42", 50", or 58" all with 768 lines of resolution the lines will be much smaller on 42" thus making the picture look better.

I have a 65 with 1080i. With a good HD signal, anything better would make me have to buy new glasses!

[ghostdog]

I really think these kinds of unqualified judgements are unhelpful with this question. You always have to take into account the two other variables of size of screen and viewing distance from screen. If you get a big enough screen and sit close enough to it you'll be able to tell a difference between 720p and 1080p every time. The real question is will you be able to tell a difference with the size screen you're looking at viewed at the distance you want to sit from the screen. Here's a link to some information I found helpful in making a decision: http://www.carltonbale.com/2006/11/1080p-does-matter/

I agree, there are a million different scenarios you could consider. Heh today you might be at 15 feet, tomorrow, 10.
The only way to answer this question is in generalities.
Overall 1080P provides a 'better' HD experience than 720P, period.

[aim2pls]

I agree, there are a million different scenarios you could consider. Heh today you might be at 15 feet, tomorrow, 10.
The only way to answer this question is in generalities.
Overall 1080P provides a 'better' HD experience than 720P, period.


when you can find 1080P ... btw .. as i remember its not part of the broadcast standard

[Cobra]

I can see a difference in 720p and 1080p on 56" sets from my typical viewing distance.

That said, I VASTLY prefer ABC and Fox 720p sports broadcasts over those on NBC in 1080i (though that may be NBC using substandard equipment/software and my local doing a pi$$-poor job of getting the signal to D* for re-encoding). On the other hand, Discovery HD Theater stuff like Sunrise Earth in 1080i is amazing.

I agree with you lefty, nbc's broadcasts in sports are not very good, havent been, I would agree with the substandard equipment on there part.

[Chuck W]

Funny this topic came up. I just purchased a 1080p Sony XBR4 40" LCD yesterday. I looked at plasmas, but since I wanted a 1080p set, but was limited to 40-42 max size, due to space, my only choice was the Panasonic 42" 1080p plasma, set, which I didn't really like.

Since I'm a sports guy, I was leary of the motion blur, some LCDs have, however the new breed of 120mhz refresh rate LCDs, seem to have hit a sweet spot with regard to this. The XBR4 does an excellent job of removing the motion blur. I was impressed with how great the the football game looked last night(minus NBC's issues).

With all that said, personally I would go with a 1080p set, if possible. With high def DVD's out there(if the damn format war would end), it's a good thing to have now and later.

I dunno if you are dead set on a plasma, but you should give the newer higher refresh rate LCD's a look, as well. They have come leaps and bounds beyond, what they were just a couple years ago.

[Cage]

Well, I believe in going for the most possible clarity and I got a 42 inch Sanyo Plasma. I cannot tell the difference between them unless I am watching Basketball in HD. Also, if I had the $$, I would go for the best, most expensive quality of HD, just to flaunt it.:)

[aim2pls]

Well, I believe in going for the most possible clarity and I got a 42 inch Sanyo Plasma. I cannot tell the difference between them unless I am watching Basketball in HD. Also, if I had the $$, I would go for the best, most expensive quality of HD, just to flaunt it.:)

ahhh YES .. the ole peter-meter test ...... He who dies with the most toys wins

[duck33]

If your going to buy a plasma then I would look at buying a Pioneer Elite, they are the "top dog" in the plasma industry, of course they will cost you top dollars, but they have the best picture for any plasma. Otherwise look at any of the Sony Bravia XBR LCD's, or Sony's SXRD (rear projection) line.

[ghostdog]

when you can find 1080P ... btw .. as i remember its not part of the broadcast standard

You will not find it being broadcast.
You will find it when you rent or purchase Blu-Ray or HD-DVD.

[HDTVFan]

I left out DLP and LCoS because IMHO they're not as sharp as other
technologies. I've seen projection sets of both kinds in friends houses and stores
and now that I have an LCD set, it's great... viewing angles, sharpness,
brightness, etc... they all are better on my LCD and other friends' plasma sets
(which they all regret buying because of reflections) than they are on projection sets.

Projection sets fill a certain market segment - those who want larger than
average size sets but don't want to take out a second mortgage to get one. I
just don't feel that the jump from 46-47 inches of LCD (or plasma if you must) to
55"+ is worth going to an inferior technology - again, IMO.

You have to define sharpness. DLP and LCoC screens will be brighter and contrast ratio is better than LCD. Those are the facts. They are not inferior technology. I have both and they both have their +/-.

[john13154]

Can you say Matsui?

The detail is really pretty amazing. You can clearly see people sitting behind home plate or those grasping for a foulball or HR. Whatever they did they did right!! Now we need to get the added features that you can get with the SD version of YES and it will be perfect. Now, why doesn't SNY broadcast roadgames in HD? YES does all games in HD.

I also agree YesHD provides a fabulous picture.
If I remember correctly from an earlier thread, SNY doesn't travel with their HD equipment unless the away games are close. If someone else remembers that thread, let me know if that's correct.