Author Topic: HDTV SPECS - what to look for (Read 2931 times)

true_blood · « **on:** Aug 07, 2011 at 09:57 PM »

Hello sa mga gurus dito. With too many specs indicated for each HDTV, what are the specs I should be aware of, at ano ang best for each specific spec. Confusing kasi ang dami daming specs na nakalagay for each TV tapos feeling ko nonsense or hindi ko naman siya kailangan. I am canvassing for the best TV na 40" pataas. One spec that I know is dapat 1080p (stay away for 780p and below). Help naman po.

FrancisS · « **Reply #1 on:** Aug 07, 2011 at 11:09 PM »

are you considering an LCD/LED or a PLASMA?

Billabong · « **Reply #2 on:** Aug 08, 2011 at 12:21 AM »

Saan niyo po gagamitin yung TV? Like for watching cable, movies, gaming. Better if you can estimate percentages of usage. Ex. 50% cable, 50% movies or 70% gaming, 20% movies, 10% cable..etc.

Saan niyo po ilalagay yung TV? Controlled ba yung room lighting or maliwanag yung room? Concerned ba kayo sa electric consumption ng TV?

The 'stay away from 780p' isn't always true. If your usage is 100% cable TV (let's assume 720p HD yung broadcast), then better pa kung 720p native yung TV.

true_blood · « **Reply #3 on:** Aug 08, 2011 at 12:52 AM »

from my little research, parang gusto ko LED/ LCD na 46" and above. It will be used solely for 50% movie and 50% PS3 gaming (no cable or free TV). Not really concerned with electricity consumption kasi I'm always out of the country. For the room, for now sa living room muna iseset-up until I get my own house (where I will set up a decent home theater).

Also, is 3D worth it na ba? Feeling ko kasi hindi naman siya magagamit din and hindi pa siya ganun kaganda (unless in the future they will make a lot of good PS3 games in 3D na requirement ang 3D na TV). Sa mga may TV with 3D, is it worth your buck?

true_blood · « **Reply #4 on:** Aug 08, 2011 at 01:39 AM »

also whats a contrast ratio? merong 5M:1 and 8M:1, mas mataas ba mas maganda o doesn't really make much difference.

Also whats a motion rate? meron akong nakita 120Hz, dapat ko bang bilhin ung may pinakamataas na Hz?

I have this bad habit kasi na kapag mas mahal, or mas mataas ang spec e mas dapat bilhin. Please guide me.

arnarn · « **Reply #5 on:** Aug 08, 2011 at 02:37 AM »

since you will also be using the tv for ps3 gaming, plasma is not for you. your better off with led/lcd.wala naman na masyado difference sa PQ ang LED vs LCD. mas mahal ang LED pero mas tipid and mas maganda ang design (slim). If you can afford the LED, then go with it. ok din ang 1080p sayo since may ps3 games ata na 1080p.

eto pa pala pwedenng maging crucial sa decision mo. gusto mo ba ng tv with media playing capabilities or you already have your own external media player? HTH

Billabong · « **Reply #6 on:** Aug 09, 2011 at 10:50 PM »

Based on your answers, I think you should definitely go with a Full HD LED TV. Get the biggest size you can afford kasi over time feeling mo maliit na yung TV mo. Mas immersive din ang experience when watching movies kapag mas malaki ang size. Don't worry much on the technical stuff as most branded TVs have good picture quality. Ang mas importante ay ma-calibrate mo ng tama yung settings para maganda ang PQ.

true_blood · « **Reply #7 on:** Aug 10, 2011 at 05:24 AM »

what do you mean calibrate? how do I calibrate po?

Yup, hindi na ako masyadong magiisip ng technicalities, as long as 1080p at 120 Hz. I dont need the internet capabilities din ng mga high end models. I kinda considering 46" or the 55", I have a feeling na overtime sasabihin ko sana mas malaki nalang ung binili ko.

Also, to make most out of the tv, do I need to buy everytime a blue ray disc movie to get the "very crisp" image and a surround sound( since I will be buying a home theater, from my research dapat 5.1 channel something?) or meron bang mga movies na downloadable sa mga torrent sites na same as blue ray quality with the surround sound (meaning ung 5 speakers ng HT will be working)?

true_blood · « **Reply #8 on:** Aug 10, 2011 at 05:30 AM »

Quote from: arnarn on Aug 08, 2011 at 02:37 AM

since you will also be using the tv for ps3 gaming, plasma is not for you. your better off with led/lcd.wala naman na masyado difference sa PQ ang LED vs LCD. mas mahal ang LED pero mas tipid and mas maganda ang design (slim). If you can afford the LED, then go with it. ok din ang 1080p sayo since may ps3 games ata na 1080p.

eto pa pala pwedenng maging crucial sa decision mo. gusto mo ba ng tv with media playing capabilities or you already have your own external media player? HTH

[/b]

what do you mean media playing capabilities, if I will buy the home theater system, kasama na ba dun ung blue ray cd player? or puro audio speakers lang ang HT? I have a PS3 which can play cds and from my external harddrive, HDMI cable na din un if Im not mistaken? tama ba

arnarn · « **Reply #9 on:** Aug 10, 2011 at 06:32 AM »

Quote

what do you mean media playing capabilities, if I will buy the home theater system, kasama na ba dun ung blue ray cd player? or puro audio speakers lang ang HT? I have a PS3 which can play cds and from my external harddrive, HDMI cable na din un if Im not mistaken? tama ba

i dont mean packages which include bluray cd players or HT. there are tv models nowadays that has media playing capabilities via its usb port. you can attach your external hard drive to the usb port and the tv will play music, photo and video files that are stored in it.

FrancisS · « **Reply #10 on:** Aug 12, 2011 at 08:43 AM »

check out the sony 55ex720.

true_blood · « **Reply #11 on:** Aug 15, 2011 at 06:39 PM »

Is the Samsung's 3D glasses model SSG-3700CR available in Manila now? This is the light weight one. Anybody own this type?

chrisbn01 · « **Reply #12 on:** Aug 24, 2011 at 01:09 AM »

I have just purchased a 32" full hd and cable viewing isn't that good. Am using sky btw, but SD chanels lang, walang HD. Is it true that cable is much better viewed on a HD ready than on a Full HD? Wasn't able to check kasi the shop didnt have cable.

Would really appreciate your inputs. Thanks!

Jason_10 · « **Reply #13 on:** Aug 24, 2011 at 09:42 PM »

IMO, watching cable on an LCD TV is not that good unless you upgrade your cable to HD. One of the reasons why I sold my LCD and bought a plasma. I'm still on SD cable but the viewing experience is much more acceptable.

SymphonyX7 · « **Reply #14 on:** Aug 25, 2011 at 12:17 AM »

If you play console video games, watch cable TV (even Cignal HD), watch DVDs, watch downloaded HD movies.
Get a 720p plasma TV.

If you play PC games and watch Blu-ray movies.
Get a 1080p LCD/LED TV (same crap really).

If you watch Blu-ray movies only.
Get a 1080p plasma TV or a 1080p projector (if you can live with the installation and maintenance).

That's the shortest advice I can give. The "1080p only for HDTV" is absolute horsecrap. Not everyone needs a 1080p display if viewing pleasure is their aim.

I personally recommend 1080p plasmas for those who use their TV for movies and console gaming only. I know people who actually wanted to buy an expensive LED TV, simple because it's expensive (*facepalm*) and would like to flaunt it to guests, but side-by-side with a top-of-the-line plasma and the LED TV loses badly.

Quote from: chrisbn01 on Aug 24, 2011 at 01:09 AM

I have just purchased a 32" full hd and cable viewing isn't that good. Am using sky btw, but SD chanels lang, walang HD. Is it true that cable is much better viewed on a HD ready than on a Full HD? Wasn't able to check kasi the shop didnt have cable.

Would really appreciate your inputs. Thanks!

Most of Cignal HD's "HD" channels aren't really in full HD, so it's practically useless. The digital tuner may output to your TV in 720p or 1080p, but most of actual content they're displaying isn't even technically HD. The rest of their non-HD channels are just upscaled, so it's slightly better. But only slightly. And it varies greatly according to channel.

Quote from: true_blood on Aug 10, 2011 at 05:24 AM

what do you mean calibrate? how do I calibrate po?

Yup, hindi na ako masyadong magiisip ng technicalities, as long as 1080p at 120 Hz. I dont need the internet capabilities din ng mga high end models. I kinda considering 46" or the 55", I have a feeling na overtime sasabihin ko sana mas malaki nalang ung binili ko.

Also, to make most out of the tv, do I need to buy everytime a blue ray disc movie to get the "very crisp" image and a surround sound( since I will be buying a home theater, from my research dapat 5.1 channel something?) or meron bang mga movies na downloadable sa mga torrent sites na same as blue ray quality with the surround sound (meaning ung 5 speakers ng HT will be working)?

You can download 1080p Blu-ray rips with DTS audio from torrent sites, but they are VERY, VERY BIG (starting at around 9 GB per movie) and will NOT play on the PS3 via external hard drive. The PS3 can only read FAT32 formatted hard drives and FAT32 ones can only store a maximum of 4 GB per file. If you really want the best multimedia experience, buy Blu-ray movies or get a dedicated media player like a Xtreamer or WDTV HD media player. The PS3 is a joke for a media player.

I personally download only 720p H.264 Blu-ray rips with 6 channel AC-3 audio since they're at most 3 GB in size so I can start watching them in 2 hours. I don't like waiting so 9-10++ GB files are no good for me and they're not marginally better than the 720p rips.

If you want true 5.1 surround sound from sources with surround audio, make sure your home theatre system has an OPTICAL-IN/TOSLINK-IN and can decode various audio. Better if it can decode DTS as you can assume it can decode basically everything else. I'm no expert on audio nor am I an audiophile, so I can't recommend you any specific HT systems. The only reason I have a 5.1 HT system is because I need to know where the bloody enemies are when I play games like Modern Warfare 2.

true_blood · « **Reply #15 on:** Aug 25, 2011 at 03:56 AM »

^^
thanks, very informative. So now I have to make sure it can decode DTS and has that Optical in/toslink in. And yes, I have that WDTV HD, pero nakatambak lang sa kwarto kasi PS3 ang lagi ko nang ginagamit.

Are those pirated Blu-Ray discs any good? Sabi ng colleague ko ang ganda daw ng pirated Avatar Blu-ray, umiikot daw ung sound, pero ewan ko lang.

kraut · « **Reply #16 on:** Aug 25, 2011 at 03:46 PM »

bro try mo yung link na 'to

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/251/what-to-look-for-when-buying-an-hdtv/;_ylc=X3oDMTNvamE2N3NvBF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEX3MDMjI3MDgyMjgEawNXaGF0IHRvIGxvb2sgZm9yIHdoZW4gYnV5aW5nIGFuIEhEVFYEc2VjA2ZwLXB1bHNlBHNsawNNb3N0IFBvcHVsYXIgU2hvcHBpbmcgR3VpZGVzIChyaXBwZWQgb2ZmKQ--

chrisbn01 · « **Reply #17 on:** Aug 25, 2011 at 07:23 PM »

Thanks MrSmith, that was very informative.

As for cable viewing, I don't have plans to get HD channels unless they become dirt cheap.. so i'll stick to SD for quite some time. You've mentioned 720p plasmas, 1080p LCD/LED.. but what about 720p LCD/LED? I've read kasi statements that claim SD channels are better on a 720 32" than on a 1080p 32".

Also, do signal boosters from Toshibas really make a big difference? If shops lang sana have cable, I wouldn't be asking these questions kasi I would be able to compare them side-by-side, but I haven't been to one that do have cable. Am sure they do that so you won't get discouraged buying flat panels when you've been so used to watching them on CRT's.

I agree re: plasmas, but the only reason why I didn't consider it is because of the power consumption which most people say are way higher than LCD/LED. Would anyone know how much, in estimated cost per month, would be the difference when having a 32" LED versus a 40/42" plasma, both playing 8 hrs a day, and both on their most optimal settings?

SymphonyX7 · « **Reply #18 on:** Aug 26, 2011 at 10:46 AM »

Quote from: chrisbn01 on Aug 25, 2011 at 07:23 PM

Thanks MrSmith, that was very informative.

As for cable viewing, I don't have plans to get HD channels unless they become dirt cheap.. so i'll stick to SD for quite some time. You've mentioned 720p plasmas, 1080p LCD/LED.. but what about 720p LCD/LED? I've read kasi statements that claim SD channels are better on a 720 32" than on a 1080p 32".

Also, do signal boosters from Toshibas really make a big difference? If shops lang sana have cable, I wouldn't be asking these questions kasi I would be able to compare them side-by-side, but I haven't been to one that do have cable. Am sure they do that so you won't get discouraged buying flat panels when you've been so used to watching them on CRT's.

I agree re: plasmas, but the only reason why I didn't consider it is because of the power consumption which most people say are way higher than LCD/LED. Would anyone know how much, in estimated cost per month, would be the difference when having a 32" LED versus a 40/42" plasma, both playing 8 hrs a day, and both on their most optimal settings?

Native 720p displays are always better for SD content, it's just that plasmas have a luminosity that's closer to CRTs which is why SD cable looks much better on it. Native 1080p displays for anything other than 1080p content is horrible.

Regarding the signal boosters on Toshiba's RV600 and RV700 models, I've seen them in action and they do make a difference. The thing is though, is your cable provider sending you digital or analog? I know SkyCable has digital tuners that receive digital through the tuner and output analog to your TV over a very short distance, thereby giving you the best signal. If you have this, the signal booster is practically useless. If your cable provider is say, CableLink for those living in places like Paranaque, they're sending analog signals over a very long distance and that's where the signal booster will be most useful.

Regarding the plasma power consumption, those 280W+ numbers are its maximum. You should remember that plasmas have individual/independent pixel lighting and the darker the scene, the lower the power consumption. The power consumption is very dynamic and dependent on the brightness of the scene that's currently being displayed. If you want to conserve energy, simply put the plasma into cinema mode (which is IMO, the most natural display setting for plasmas). This is also why plasmas practically demolish edge-lit LED backlit LCD TVs when it comes to black levels and overall picture quality.

If you want a clearer demonstration, visit Anson's Makati. They Panasonic and Samsung booths are beside each other and it's easy to compare the plasmas with their LED TVs. The Panasonic there also uses HD sources for playback. I've been to many appliance stores and most of the Panasonic booths there only playback SD sources, which totally undermine plasmas to uninformed buyers.

chrisbn01 · « **Reply #19 on:** Aug 26, 2011 at 06:00 PM »

^ Thank you very much for all those answers. Will take them all into consideration when buying my 2nd unit by the 2nd week of Sept. I'm almost sure in getting the plasma because will be using it 80% of the time for SD cable channels and the rest will be for SD/720p movies/NFL games (which would start 2 weeks from now, YEY!)