40"-46" LCD

[eville84]

Hi all,

Ive been trying to look over cnet but have not had much luck.

Im looking for:
40"-46" lcd1080x1920 (1080p). DVI input support$4000 price range

I've looked at the Samsung 46" LT-P468W model. I'm not sure of its quality though. Does it have that glass finish over it? Ive never been a fan of seeing that glossy glass over LCDs. Although I am not that familiar with LCD's of this size so i have no idea if its mandatory or not.

Does anyone have any other models they suggest or comments on the LT-P468W model?

The reason i was looking for DVI is so i can hook my computer up to the screen to play the HD content i have on it.

 

[TeraMedia]

Sony and Sharp are just now coming out with LCDs in that size range supporting 1080p, some in the $3500 - 4500 range. Stay clear of the Sharp AQUOS 45" as they don't actually support 1080p inputs, but the 46" does.

You should also consider:
- HDCP support, in case you ever connect Blu-Ray / HD-DVD
- Cablecard support, if you want to eliminate a STB for HD cable TV
- pixel response time

You can connect DVI-I out to HDMI in with an inexpensive adapter (it just uses a different connector; the signals are essentially the same except for audio), so don't worry about trying to find a TV that has specifically DVI in.

Crutchfield is already marketing all three of these brands, but their prices tend to be high.

Also there are now 1080p plasmas available from Panasonic and Pioneer, in case you choose to go that route. I've seen the 65" at a local Best Buy/Magnolia, though, and I didn't like the scaling job it was doing on a non-1080 source. There were visible line fragments running horizontally across the picure, about every half-inch or so. Of course w/ Plasma there remains the burn-in concern, in spite of the picture shifting they're beginning to employ to minimize its observability. That might be a reason to steer clear if for PC use.

Edit: I was off on the pricing. Looks like the Sharp models on CNET are in the $1.8k -> $3.5k range, which is well within your target. If you connect your computer to a receiver, then the primary difference between HDMI and DVI - embedded audio - doesn't even matter.

 

[smooth1_1]

I too am looking to get a 1080p 40-46" LCD TV, but I think I'm gonna wait for the TV's to come out with HDMI v1.3. I'd hate to spend all that money and then realize the new standard in hi-def is not able to be seen on my brand new, $4000 TV, again putting me behind the times and wanting more.

Quoted from http/www.digitalhome.ca/content/view/1344/51/

HDMI Licensing announced the new HDMI 1.3 specification will more than doubles HDMI’s bandwidth and adds support for Deep Color technology, a broader color space, new digital audio formats, automatic audio/video synching capability (“lip sync”), and an optional smaller connector for use with personal photo and video devices. More importantly for consumers, products implementing the new HDMI specification will be backward compatible with earlier HDMI products.

Deep Color lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors allowing consumers to enjoy unprecedented vividness and accuracy of color on their displays. Deep Color eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors. It enables increased contrast ratio, and can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white.


Now we just need to get THG's attention to make a new article comparing new 40-46" LCD TV's, since I trust their reviews above anyone else, and at $2000-$4000, it's a purchase larger than most new PC's or any compnent inside.

btw, Consumer Reports likes the new Sony Bravia's XBR2 tv's, and just about anything from Viewsonic, Toshiba and Samsung are among the best of the best