# Hdtv?????



## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

ok now i got the xbox i really have decided it's time to upgrade my tv,

but i want HD

now i'm gettin confused about hd 720 i & p and hd 1080 i & p what the hell is it all about, and is there a real difference between the 2, and is there anything tranmitted in 1080 and is the xbox better on a 1080 or a 720 


helllllllllllp!!!!!!!!!!!


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## badly_dubbed (Dec 11, 2008)

1080p is the best lol

thats all i know!  but there is a difference


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

:lol: thanks mate


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## Jakedoodles (Jan 16, 2006)

No, not really. Well, yes, but not so you would notice a difference on anything less than a 50 inch screen, and even then you'd have to be close up. 

I usually put my xbox on 720p, which goes against the grain of what you think would be the best quality, but 720p looked better than any other res.


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## Russ (Jun 27, 2006)

There is 1080i, and 1080p, the I is interlaced and the P is progressive.

To dumb it down the difference between the two is interlaced scans down the tv but does every other line, so misses one out and on the second run then does the ones it missed.

With progressive it does every line as it goes so on the second run doesn't do the ones it missed as such.

I hope that kinda makes sense.

Progressive is better but unless you really have a keen eye then you won't tell i don't think. My tv is interlaced and my friends is progressive and with content running i can't see the difference and neither can he.

Sky HD outputs in 1080i if you want it to, the ps3 does both I and P.

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1487 this chap probably explains it slightly better than i can


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## MarcC (Nov 3, 2007)

P is for Progressive, i is for interlaced.

Progressive is superior to i. screens showing 1080i are not as good as 1080p.

Blu Ray won the format war, HD DVD is dead.

imo 32" and under = LCD 32" and over = plasma.

if it was my money i'd buy 32" LCD Panasonic 100Mhz, and a PS3 for the blue ray.

Hth
Marc.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Kind of linked to this... I am new to LCD/HD - the Freeview picture on my LCD is frankly shocking!

How can I go about improving this? Is V+ the way forward for me?


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

i agree on the lcd upto 32" and plasma above that size, i used to work for martain dawes and richer sounds so i know a little about plasma and lcd but high def was just a rumer when i worked there so i never leaned abot it,


i'd probably be looking around the 32 inch size as it's only goin in the bed room and it will be replacing a 28 inch,


so whould i be right in thinking that at that size i would be ok with a LCD running 720 HD and this would be ok for the XBOX and a blueray player in the future (probably a PS3)

thanks,


also just to throw a spanner in, my father in law is looking for a new tv in his main room 40 - 50 inch, we have already decided that it's a plasma for him but we were looking for a 1080 but would he be ok with a 720 too.

many thanks


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

RussZS said:


> Kind of linked to this... I am new to LCD/HD - the Freeview picture on my LCD is frankly shocking!
> 
> How can I go about improving this? Is V+ the way forward for me?


i remember this was a problem back when i used to sell them, long before HD,

unless you were playing dvd's on them the picture quilty is poor, it is somthing to do with theway the tv signals are transmitted and the quility they are in, i think it was because tv companies were transmitting thinkin people still use 28" crt screens were imperfections are not well noticed :thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

nicp2007 said:


> i remember this was a problem back when i used to sell them, long before HD,
> 
> unless you were playing dvd's on them the picture quilty is poor, it is somthing to do with theway the tv signals are transmitted and the quility they are in, i think it was because tv companies were transmitting thinkin people still use 28" crt screens were imperfections are not well noticed :thumb:


Indeed - I still have my 28" CRT above my 32" LCD (which is doubling up as a PC Monitor) so I can still use that for TV luckily.

I'm just wondering if VM V+ will help matters along at all?


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## Silver R26 (Jul 19, 2008)

I recently went to purchase a TV and had my head set on a 32" 100 hertz 1080 one, the salesman which I presume was on comission said not waste my cash with that spec at that size and I wont notice the difference between that one and a 720. So went for a 32" 720p one which was £300-£400 cheaper. I am really pleased with the picture quality of it

Ended up with this one http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/product/446351/SAMSUNG-LE32A457C1DXXU was more expensive when I purchased it but found it at richers sounds for less so they priced matched it. Might be worth looking in John Lewis as there prices are good and to a free 5 year guaruntee


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Silver R26 said:


> I recently went to purchase a TV and had my head set on a 32" 100 hertz 1080 one, the salesman which I presume was on comission said not waste my cash with that spec at that size and I wont notice the difference between that one and a 720. So went for a 32" 720p one which was £300-£400 cheaper. I am really pleased with the picture quality of it
> 
> Ended up with this one http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/product/446351/SAMSUNG-LE32A457C1DXXU was more expensive when I purchased it but found it at richers sounds for less so they priced matched it. Might be worth looking in John Lewis as there prices are good and to a free 5 year guaruntee


This is true. The only reason I went for 1080P was so that I could use it as a PC monitor and not lose much res over my old 24" 1920x1200 screen.

Blu-Ray via PS3 in 1080P looks simply incredible!


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

RussZS said:


> Indeed - I still have my 28" CRT above my 32" LCD (which is doubling up as a PC Monitor) so I can still use that for TV luckily.
> 
> I'm just wondering if VM V+ will help matters along at all?


am i right in thinking that V+ is just virgins sky+ so you can record pause etc etc,

if so i think the picture quility will be the same as any digital signal  i think anyway not 100% about it,

but i reckon in the next 2-3 years all tv will be in high def and then that will solve all our problems :thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

nicp2007 said:


> am i right in thinking that V+ is just virgins sky+ so you can record pause etc etc,
> 
> if so i think the picture quility will be the same as any digital signal  i think anyway not 100% about it,
> 
> but i reckon in the next 2-3 years all tv will be in high def and then that will solve all our problems :thumb:


Let's hope so.

I have read that the Virgin picture is a touch better than Freeview as it's less compressed, and the box does a great job of decoding, and has an HDMI output etc.

I'm keen to see one in action or take a recommendation before I make a decision.


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

Silver R26 said:


> I recently went to purchase a TV and had my head set on a 32" 100 hertz 1080 one, the salesman which I presume was on comission said not waste my cash with that spec at that size and I wont notice the difference between that one and a 720. So went for a 32" 720p one which was £300-£400 cheaper. I am really pleased with the picture quality of it
> 
> Ended up with this one http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/product/446351/SAMSUNG-LE32A457C1DXXU was more expensive when I purchased it but found it at richers sounds for less so they priced matched it. Might be worth looking in John Lewis as there prices are good and to a free 5 year guaruntee


my mate has the 40 inch of that tv it is very nice,

i probably will go to richer sounds as it's still the same manger as it was when i worked there so will hopfully get a good deal 

p.s

also don't always assume that a salesman gets more commision for more expensive items,

i've worked in electrical retail and car sales and both payed higher commisions for cheaper cars tv's etc etc

ie, say you have a panasonic all singing all daceing plasma sat next to the cheap un known brand, you would chose the panasonic just because you know the name and think it's good so it is actually harder to sell you the cheap one in theary..

don't get me wrong this isn't always the case, and i do have to say that 9 times out of 10 the salesman will be honest on what he personlly thinks is best regardless of the commisions :thumb:


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

RussZS said:


> Let's hope so.
> 
> I have read that the Virgin picture is a touch better than Freeview as it's less compressed, and the box does a great job of decoding, and has an HDMI output etc.
> 
> I'm keen to see one in action or take a recommendation before I make a decision.


bear with me a min, i've just remembered i have a friend that works for virgin i'll give her a call and see if she can shed any light on it :thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

nicp2007 said:


> bear with me a min, i've just remembered i have a friend that works for virgin i'll give her a call and see if she can shed any light on it :thumb:


Thank you


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## Pandy (Jan 19, 2008)

If you want super clear Blu-ray playback try and get a TV with 24p technology - its the same as you get in a cinema (dont know what it means thats all i know )

And yeah digital telly should all be in HD in a few years :thumb:


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## JasonRS (Aug 8, 2006)

nicp2007 said:


> but i reckon in the next 2-3 years all tv will be in high def and then that will solve all our problems :thumb:


Unlikely, the rest of the world has been well ahead of the UK for HD reception for years (we got HD easily a decade after the US), yet it's still only a small proportion of the generated for TV content that is actually created in HD. Just because the UK finally caught up with the rest of the developed world it doesn't mean everythings about to change.

Transfers from film etc are all possible as the film neg has a greater resolution than the existing HD formats, although there's a cost associated with it, it's not as high as an original production in HD.

For production companies to upgrade their equipment to record in native HD, the costs are quite substantial when compared to the actual market of selling content, so it's going to be a long, long time before they all upgrade.

Even the BBC is inconsistent in what it records in HD e.g. Torchwood is, but Doctor Who isn't.


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

RussZS said:


> Thank you


the wonders of msn :thumb:

*"Virgin won't really be that much better than normal TV unless you get a V+ box which you can use connected using an HDMi cable which is infinitely better than any scart cable you may be using now."*

so in esance the V+ box will be better due to the way you can connect it :thumb:

hope that helps


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

JasonRS said:


> Unlikely, the rest of the world has been well ahead of the UK for HD reception for years (we got HD easily a decade after the US), yet it's still only a small proportion of the generated for TV content that is actually created in HD. Just because the UK finally caught up with the rest of the developed world it doesn't mean everythings about to change.
> 
> Transfers from film etc are all possible as the film neg has a greater resolution than the existing HD formats, although there's a cost associated with it, it's not as high as an original production in HD.
> 
> ...


so were are looking at 2020 before we get it :wall: gutted,


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## Russ (Jun 27, 2006)

If i wanted a tv that had an awesome picture quality at around 37" and above it would only ever be a panasonic. 

I think the pioneers are hard to beat for picture quality but they cost the earth i have found and i myself went for a panasonic and even though three years old isn't much out there i don't think that is much better. 

Samsung for lcd up to 32" and anything above that size i would be going plasma and panasonic....

Also SKY HD is something else, if you watch say a football match on sky sports HD, and then watch say a normal match on bbc it makes you cringe, and i don't bother if i can help it as sd quality is dire.


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## davidcraggs (Aug 1, 2007)

i agree with Russ about Panasonic/ Pioneer.

Dunno about games consoles but the only thing that can take advantage of 1080p is blu ray/ HD dvds so if you don't intend watching them just go for 1080i. Sky HD, Freesat etc is only broadcast as 1080i.


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## Silver R26 (Jul 19, 2008)

nicp2007 said:


> my mate has the 40 inch of that tv it is very nice,
> 
> i probably will go to richer sounds as it's still the same manger as it was when i worked there so will hopfully get a good deal
> 
> ...


Good point well made there :thumb:, I am always negative towards salesmen when in reality I shouldn't be


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## NeilG40 (Jan 1, 2009)

I've had my panasonic 42pz80b for just over a week and I'm loving it, blu-rays look great.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

nicp2007 said:


> the wonders of msn :thumb:
> 
> *"Virgin won't really be that much better than normal TV unless you get a V+ box which you can use connected using an HDMi cable which is infinitely better than any scart cable you may be using now."*
> 
> ...


Thanks mate  :thumb:


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## richjohnhughes (Sep 24, 2007)

nicp2007 said:


> ok now i got the xbox i really have decided it's time to upgrade my tv,
> 
> but i want HD
> 
> ...


from what i know -

Progressive should be be better for faster moving images like sports and games.

my panasonic is 720P and it handles xbox games very very well.

dont get too drawn in to the facts and figures from the marketing bumf..........get yourself off to the shop and look with your own eye. make sure you see standard tv source also.

you will see no difference between 1080P and 720P on anything below 50 inch in HD - but on SD the large screens are going to be worse !!!

for me Plasma is the way forward. certainly on larger screens.

before you do anything - have a look at a Panasonic Plasma, they might cost a bit more than a LCD, but you get what you pay for. :thumb:


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## MarcC (Nov 3, 2007)

standard tv is broadcast in VGA 640x480 when this is streched to fit a larger TV you loose resolution, which is made worse by the way LCD screens go blockey, imo having nearly bought myselfa TV 6 months ago. The Panasonic 100Hz screens were producing the best Standard Def pictures. 

Currys now have the 1080p 32" Panasonic for £599 so at that price why buy a 720p?

It's true for broadcast TV hi def at 720p is a way off. But if you're going to have blu ray player within 12 months, why not have the full resolution available.

I only buy a TV about every 5 -8 years, so i like to have the right stuff in it. 

PS.still waiting for the old CRT to break, it might have a suicidal fall.  shhhh.


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## MarcC (Nov 3, 2007)

loads of 720p content available from the USA via the power of the internet.


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

i''m the same my old 28" crt is still goin strong and has a very good pick so i would't be replaceing it if it was'nt for wanting HD


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## JasonRS (Aug 8, 2006)

MarcC said:


> standard tv is broadcast in VGA 640x480 when this is streched to fit a larger TV you loose resolution,


That's wrong

PAL is the European standard and it has 625 scan lines and has been around since before the idea of VGA and pixel based resolution.

HD standards of 720 and 1080 only refer to the scan lines and again nothing to do with any VGA, SVGA, XGA resolutions, they are referenced against for simplicity, and to make selling displays a little easier.

If a PAL broadcast is displayed on a panel with more than 640 lines it doesn't lose resolution, all the information is still there. It will only appear blocky if the display has low quality upscaling circuitry which most "cheap" dsplays are plagued by.

Anyhow,

Just because a cheap TV can display 1080p, it doesn't mean that it will produce a better image than a similar priced display that only does 720p or 1080i.

It's also worth considering that 1080p is unlikely to become a broadcast standard anytime soon due to the substantially higher bitrate required, most transmissions in the US and Asia are still in 720p, and 1080p was created as a marketing ploy by Sony to increase their market share and strengthen support for Blu-Ray.


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