Decisions, decisions

HD Ready is a European initiative that sets down a minimum set of standards for HD displays. For a TV to use the HD Ready label it has to offer a minimum resolution of 720 lines in 16:9 widescreen and must accept input via the latest digital cables.
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one would hope this 'HD Ready' initiative would spec HDMI as a minimum.
 
Plasma's life is five years don't know about lcd.
 
Interesting ... that bit about the increasing the resolution of the picture resulting in pixelation.

I wonder if I can get a LCD screen with a slot for a decent video card so I can enable anti-aliasing and advanced lighting and shading?

:p
 
All HD standards are actually US standards, and there is a whole list of them.
Upscaling doesn't introduce pixelation. What causes pixellation is simply the fact that your are watching a much bigger screen, so any minor flaw is magnified.

LCD and Plasma all have their advantages and disatvantages, but in my experience Plasma delivers superior image quality.

I would also use a plasma monotor over a LCD model for gaming. Thid due to the sometimes poor response time of LCD pixels.

Unfortunately HD has become a buzzword that marketeers have cottoned on to. Just because a screen has the right number of pixels it doesnt mean that its image quality will be good.
 
Personally i think it would be best to see what happens to the SA broadcasting environment. Probably around 2010 or so we should know where we stand. No use in buying something that you can't really use. By that time the BlueRay HD-DVD should have come to a head as well, and you would be in a better position to make an informed decision. Should your TV break before then, hmm well there's always the second hand market for a cheapy to hold you over :)
 
We demand answers Mr. Gerdus van Eeden !!!

Gerdus van Eeden, chief technology officer at MultiChoice, which owns DStv, has this advice for consumers who don’t have the time to study the technology before buying an HDTV: look for displays that are marked with the “HD Ready” logo, he says.
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Ask this monkey to simplify for us, consumer that don't have time to ponder/study why are we getting ripped of by MultiChoce over "inferior quality" satellite broadcast (not to mention average [for lack of stronger non offending expression] content)??????
 
It must also support HDCP, an antipiracy scheme.
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Oh yay! I must go and buy one of these! I love the movie studios telling me what I can watch and where.
 
DSTV / MultiChoice need to get their act together w.r.t. introducing decoders that have, at minimum, a DVI output. HDMI would be first prize, but there have been a number of issues with getting hardware (such as DVD players and yes, set-top / cable boxes) to properly support the HDMI standard.

I would love to see a PVR decoder with 2 HDMI outputs, supporting at least the HDMI 1.1 standard.
 
 
warming up to ESKOM

CRT longest life - least power consumption.......but dying as I type
LCD second longest....more power consumption....software integration can improve pic quality,generally the spacial deals are older tech and pixel and aspect ratio,make the object look better off than on.
and da...taaaaaaaaaaaaaaah the eskom winner is Plasma ,short on life high on heat and energy and the most expensive...this one generally comes with a free aircon and a white noise generator.....but hey can't be louder than that Xbox nestled in the low slung wheeled cabinet nearby. this is the ESKOM best buy for global warming.

they are computers...........with a tuner......
 
question guys, my tv say's hdmi but doesn't have the hd-ready sign. can i play hd on my tv?
 
xhozican said:
CRT longest life - least power consumption.......but dying as I type
QUOTE]

But here it's dying a very long and slow death.
And except for closet space, I dont really have a big want for LCD or plasma.
I'd buy 2 74cm crt televisions any day rather than 1 LCD. Ofcourse, if you have the money to spare... fine, why not.

I do think though that if something will really strike home, it will be those laser tv things. But that's if they decide not to rip off the consumer's by overpricing it, because it's supposed to be allot more affordable than an LCD.
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mcleodd said:
Only if your TV supports HDCP otherwise Blu-ray and HD-DVD movies will only display in DVD quality. Best option is to Google your particular TV and check that way.

More here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDCP
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Yes if you don't have HDCP you will not be able to watch full
HD content from the BD/HD_DVD disk once this setting is enabled
on these disks. AFAIK, these settings have not been enabled yet.

If you're unlucky (like me) to own an HD capable set without
HDCP you can

1. Use a PC/laptop with AnyDVDHD
2. Use a Japanese market BD Player/HD-DVD player (as by law downscaling is
not allowed in that country until at least 2008/2010). I guess SONY has to do its
patriotic duty at home.

Local prices are atrocious. In the States a 32 inch SHARP 1920by1080
set costs $1200 - that's R9.000 or less. In South Africa such a set
will cost you about R30.000.

At this stage however, I'd wait. First of all HD sets are way overpriced and
still new technology - which means technical and aestheic glitches.
Secondly the cost of HD-DVD/BD Players is very expensive. I know
a PS3 has a BD player but the quality is probably not as HOT as
a stand alone model. Secondly it is R6000.
Which format will win? Who knows. HDDVD or BD?
Finally HD movies are not selling. Some disks sell only about
a 100 or less copies in the US, while a 'top seller' is a disk which
sells over a 1000 copies.
Most HD films are also not worth beeing seen on HD. Most of them
are Hollywood junk with repeated, formulaistic themes and plots.

So I say wait. Wait till a full 1080P set in 50 inches costs $1500 or
R15000 or less. Wait till BD movies cost R150 or less each.
Wait till we know who the winner is. Wait till a BD/HD player
costs R1000 or less, ie wait till the current SD pricepoints have been met
for HD.
 
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