HDTV Buying guide.

[wasp_f15ting]

Hello all,

If you haven't already got a HDTV or do have one that is a few years old, I think this thread might help. Most people on here will own one so please share your experiences and defects / flaws you know in your models, so it might help others.

First of all; there are a few options available these days;

Plasma Screens

This is the most recognisable of the flat screen names here are a bunch of positive and negatives.

Positive
-Very rich dark blacks
-Traditionally high contrast ratios (esp on the retired Pioneer Kuro / Panasonic Viera)
-Excellent motion transition due to the characteristics of Plasma most modern models boast 600hz

Negatives
-Not as bright as HCFL or CCFL LCDs ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LCD_backlight )
-High power consumption
-Older models have burn in issues (post 2008 models have managed to get past this)

LCD HCFL / CCFL

This is the traditional method of lighting your PC LCD monitor, and a large majority of LCD HDTVs.

Positives
-High level of Brightness, great for day time viewing in kitchens and areas with high light.
-Fast response times in newer models (not as fast as plasma)

Negatives
- Very Poor blakcs
-Poor contrast ratios with age
-Yellowing of the florescent tubes
-Motion stuttering on older models (Pre-2009)

LCD LED Edge Lit

This is a relatively new method of lighting LCD displays, with edge lit LEDs the frame thickness of TVs can be dropped to very tiny sizes. Be careful when you buy these TVs as they are marketed as Direct LED LCD or Full LED sometimes. So read up on-line and check on your mobile if you are in store making a selection to ensure that it is Direct LED, Direct LED LCDs are more expensive to manufacture.

Positives
-Very thin TVs
-Very low power consumption
-Good contrast ratios
-Good motion handling often up to and beyond 120hz

Negatives
-Edge lit LED LCDs cause blacks to appear grey

Here is an example of what the difference is like between edge lit and Full LED.
Image on the left is edge lit LED / Right is Full array LED.


LED LCD full / Direct

This is the latest technology LCD TVs, these TVs use a large number of LED lights to back light the LCD image. Most have around 200-300 individual zones of dimming to provide inky blacks. Though the technology is new there are some flaws with it. So manufacturers like LG are looking to embed the LEDs as printed circuits onto a film layer behind the LCD layer. This should remedy the dreaded "halo" effect present on these TVs. Here is a review of the LEX 8 which is due to debut next year.

Positives
-Very thin designs
-Great Blacks
-Very good motion handling (200-300hz)
-High contrast ratios
-Low power consumption

Negatives
-Halo effect can ruin films with lots of black
-Local dimming is visible when near the screen

So the above are the criteria for what each TV does and doesn't do. I have excluded OLED screens as there are only two commercial models available and they cost the earth.

I did a fair bit of research of my own and got a LG 47LE8900 tv. Before I got it the halo issue was mentioned, but the reviews did state that the issue was handled well so I bit the bullet and got a really good deal.

First of all, I only had a 24" monitor to watch my movies on before. On my desk it was enough and provided a decent enough experience. However stepping up to this 47" beast has showed me everything I was missing from my blu rays. The difference this TV has made to my enjoyment of films is worth the price of entry. I would go as far as to say that films I have seen on it are better than being at the cinema; not your big action films like avatar and Inception, but stuff like Amelie, Leon, Fifth element. I have started to enjoy watching films and gaming on consoles more as a result of it.

However.. I have noticed that the "halo" issue present in these types of TV is a major flaw, and something that simply cannot be ignored if you watch a certain type of film. Antichrist is the best example of this. During the dark intense scenes you can see each of the segments turn on and off. It becomes really distracting to the viewing experience.. Though this is not an issue on 90% of the content I own it is an issue none the less and I wish for this reason I should have gone with a plasma. But hey.. you live and you learn.

Hope this thread helps a couple of you in making choices around your purchases.

[niat]

Thanks for that wasp_f15ting, very helpful. I wasn't aware of the distinction between the different LED types before.

I was thinking of getting this TV: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003BYRRCG/ref=s9_simh_gw_p23_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=03VK8VGXN4NKZK5HM618&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467128533&pf_rd_i=468294

The price seems to be fluctuating almost daily, between about £850 and £1000 on John Lewis and Amazon. The Sony VAT cashback thing that is on until Christmas knocks some more off the price, which is nice.

This is about the limit of my budget, and I'm guessing that I couldn't get a 46" Full LED in this price range. The price seems to have dropped on this model recently, I think because the new model is 3D ready. Having seen a few 3D demos in store that were very unimpressive and blurry, I'm really not bothered about 3D, especially as it seems to add about £500 to the price of the set.

So the question is: Shall I get this one, or are there better alternatives in this price range? I like the fact that this one has internet TV so I could watch iPlayer etc, and Freeview HD is appealing as I'm thinking of getting rid of Sky.

[wasp_f15ting]

The LG one I have is  full LED and is now £1059.99 from here
I can vouch for their customer service. Very fast delivery. Plus this is £440 off the nearest retail price from the high street.

Bar the halo issues I mentioned above, the sound is awful (none issue for me as I have a separate sound system) It did get several awards and praise so read up on it again if it tempts you.

However, buying the Sony one from JL will get you a 5 year warranty which can be very useful. The TV on your link is edge lit, and the comparison picture I posted above is on Sony Edge lit versus direct lit. So might not be the best.

I was pondering the same thing around 3D, the way I saw it was there are maybe 2-3 actual blu rays in existence that support 3D. And the technology is at it's infancy. So there is no point yet to get it. 3 years from now I think it would be a good choice.

[Santa's Boyfriend]

I'm not sure the current model of 3D TV is a good choice.  The main issue for me is that the glasses cost the earth as well as the TV itself, and if you want to watch a film with friends it really limits how many people can watch it.  Surely it'll be possible to produce a TV that uses the same kind of technology as 3D cinema?  Or a 3D projector maybe?

[wasp_f15ting]

There is one LG LCD that has passive 3D, but they are yet to perfect the technology. The LG D950 series has it, however it has a film on top of the front layer of the screen which reduces the colour palette and brightness.

I do think that the whole 3D thing is a bit of a scam at present, a lot of manufacturers were producing high refresh rate TVs before the 3D Blu-ray standard got defined. Then those models rose in value by a couple of hundred quid..

Even when watching Imax 3D of Avatar I felt the screen was not big enough, because 3D makes you want full coverage, so viewing it on a "small" 50" is going to look worse over time..

[AsparagusTrevor]

I do think that the whole 3D thing is a bit of a scam at present, a lot of manufacturers were producing high refresh rate TVs before the 3D Blu-ray standard got defined. Then those models rose in value by a couple of hundred quid..

And of course old CRT TVs and monitors had high refresh rates for decades. I remember there was even a Master System light-gun game which used 3D shutter glasses in pretty much the same way the 'new' technology is achieving it today.

Even when watching Imax 3D of Avatar I felt the screen was not big enough, because 3D makes you want full coverage, so viewing it on a "small" 50" is going to look worse over time..

Aye, one of the worst parts of 3D film is when something 'popping out of the screen' is cropped by the sides of the display, ruins the immersion for me. You'd really need a panoramic screen to prevent this, but that would be ridiculously expensive and give people neck problems.

[VegaLA]

Very usefull thread Waspy, thanks.

News to me about Plasmas. I always thought the burn issue was part of the technology and the trade off for the great picture quality is the lifespan of the TV, but i'll be re-thinking what to buy next as I had planned on getting a LED. Plasma prices are dropping here so i'll have to chew on this a bit longer.

Thanks again.

EDIT to add:

Engadget have posted an article about 'Local dimming' if anyone is interested.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/04/hd-101-what-is-local-dimming/

[wasp_f15ting]

Oh wow,

Just watched the below documentary. Its blown my mind..

http://media.panavision.com/ScreeningRoom/Screening_Room/Demystifying_Part1.html

No wonder THX reccomend you sit 5 ft away from a 50"

I didn't know there was so much to the whole resolution issue.

[wasp_f15ting]

Very usefull thread Waspy, thanks.

News to me about Plasmas. I always thought the burn issue was part of the technology and the trade off for the great picture quality is the lifespan of the TV, but i'll be re-thinking what to buy next as I had planned on getting a LED. Plasma prices are dropping here so i'll have to chew on this a bit longer.

Thanks again.

EDIT to add:

Engadget have posted an article about 'Local dimming' if anyone is interested.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/04/hd-101-what-is-local-dimming/

Aye they resolved the burn in issue with sub pixel refresh rates. So it strobes the pixels beyond a rate that we can percieve. So even on static images it gets rid of the issue. Even the whole plasma gas issue has been resolved now, with most manufacturers saying the picture is good for tens of thousands of hours.

[Marv Orange]

I bought a hdtv today 2 resources I found invaluable in helping me decide are

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk

and of course

http://www.avforums.com