Flat panel TVs

[Nords]

Re: Flat panel TVs

Maybe most of you already have HiDef TV's and I'm 'preaching to the choir' here, but if you don't have one you're missing some amazing technology.

I think that one of the best effects of HDTVs is that Craigslist has tons of bargains on CRT TVs and Series 2 TiVos...

I wonder when stores will stop selling CRT TVs & monitors.

[LikaNui]

Re: Flat panel TVs

Maybe most of you already have HiDef TV's and I'm 'preaching to the choir' here, but if you don't have one you're missing some amazing technology.
I've been loving the last couple of days with the new TV. One fun thing is switching back and forth between a standard channel and its sister HiDef channel. The differences are shocking.
One show I've always enjoyed is Survivor. I can do without the interpersonal drama (and sometimes I mute the sound), but the photography in all those scenic exotic locales has always been some of the best on TV. Well, I watched last Thursday's episode in HD for the first time, and the photography simply blew my mind.
I think electronics stores are missing a bet. They always have all the HD TV's all bunched together, but if I was them I'd put one standard TV right in the middle so folks can see the difference. I'd bet that sales would increase noticeably.

[StinkyTheGrump]

Re: Flat panel TVs

Ya isn't it *amazing* the difference!?? I really cannot go back to standard def now, even DVDs look like crap comparatively =D

[tutusue]

Re: Flat panel TVs

Yep...my Sony's picture is incredible, too. Huge difference, huh?! The Oceanic guy was great and programmed my remote. However, I'm a sleep button junkie and while it worked to turn off the DVR it didn't turn the TV off. Of course there was no picture without the DVR but there was still a glow from the screen that was unacceptable. So I need to use 2 remotes when in sleep mode! Certainly a small price to pay for such a great picture.

[LikaNui]

Re: Flat panel TVs

Oh... my... GAWD!!!
The cable guy just left, after installing the HDTV box, and the picture is indescribably amazing. I'm absolutely stunned with how crisp and clear it is!
I've gotta give props to the cable guy. He also hooked up my LG home theater system to the new TV, so combine the exceptional picture with exceptional sound and WOW. And he programmed the Oceanic remote so it controls everything from the one remote instead of using three remotes. The guy was really helpful, and I'm going to send a note to Oceanic about him.
I asked him about that $300 calibration, and he laughed. He said that most of what they do are things us mortals can do, like adjusting skin tones, etc. He said if I'd bought a $10,000 major home entertainment system, like a 60" TV and all the rest, then the calibration might make a difference. But for us mortals we might only see a couple of percentage points of improvement, probably not even noticeable. He agreed with you folks about just getting the calibration stuff on a CD, if I really wanted to bother with it.
Anyway, I want to thank all of you who responded to my questions. Mahalo plenny!

[StinkyTheGrump]

Re: Flat panel TVs

One thing to consider is the energy usage of these flat panels. My 2007 model 50" plasma uses 500-550 kilowatts/hour and LCDs of the same size should use about 25% less. Some of the new technologies that are coming out are supposed to use far less energy than that.

[Nords]

Re: Flat panel TVs

I'm still curious about whether or not to have it calibrated. It's hard to imagine that a brand new $1,000 TV set needs a $300 calibration.

I'd say that calibration is about as necessary as the extended warranty. That's a lot of money for something that should have been done right at the factory before it went to the retailer.

Here's a couple options short of the $300:
http://www.komando.com/toolbox.aspx?mode=print&id=5171

Spouse is still happy with her 1994-vintage Panasonic 32" CRT. With no incentive to upgrade, we may end up skipping over plasma & LCDs for OLEDs or the "next big thing".

[tutusue]

Re: Flat panel TVs

[...]
I'm still curious about whether or not to have it calibrated. It's hard to imagine that a brand new $1,000 TV set needs a $300 calibration.[...]

Maybe just wait 'til you're connected to the HD DVR and service and ask the Oceanic guy the same questions. He was very helpful to me. When I bought the tv at Video Life the subject of calibration never came up.
</insomnia>Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Flat panel TVs

He also said I should have their tech guy come out and calibrate the unit. For $300! I passed. Should I have done that?

Well, that depends. On if it's a real calibration or just some guy coming out and tweaking a few knobs and calling it one. But it looks like Geek Squad is one of the ISF trained ones in the area.

I've never seen it, but from what I've heard, the guys who have have raved about it. It turns a great set to unbelievable. The calibrator will access menus not listed in your user manual and will use a device that looks at the screen to set things up. Usually you don't have a set calibrated right away, but wait 30 days or so to burn in.

If you do a google for calibration, you'll find a ton of stuff. You can do a basic calibration yourself with a DVD.

Also, to get a crystal clear picture I have it set at Wide Mode: Normal, which leaves 4" black lines on each side of the picture. If I switch to Wide Mode: Full, the image fills the whole screen but the stretching makes the image kinda blurry. Is there a setting I need to change?

It really depends on your source. Standard TV has a 4:3 aspect ratio (The screen is "4" wide and "3" high) while the HDTV screen is 16:9. You stretch a 3:4 to "fit" a 16:9 and everyone suddenly looks "fat". Some shows may be in 16:9 but stuffed into a 4:3 frame by putting bars at the top and bottom. You can zoom in to fill the picture, but you're zooming in a SD signal - it's going to be fuzzy.

But once you get a true HD signal - you might want to but tethers on your socks.

[Jim75]

Re: Flat panel TVs

I think the source, or input, that the image originates from is what makes the difference. If you watch a non-hi-def tv program on a large hdtv, the picture will not look super sharp, not bad, but not that amazing clarity. Hi-def programming or a blu-ray disc will demonstrate the capability of the tv to be super sharp. If you watch a standard DVD on a large tv it will just make more obvious the limitations of the format. If you get a hi-def reciever box (if your tv doesn't have that capability) and subscribe to hi-def programming, I'm confident your picture will be awesome.

Also, in order for the tv program to fit a wide screen, it has to be filmed and broadcast in widescreen format. Otherwise, on a wide screen tv, you will either have to have the black bands on the sides of the picture or have the picture un-naturally stretched to fit the screen. I personally prefer the black bands to an un-naturally stretched picture.

I don't think you need to pay $300 to get it calibrated. You may need to read enough of the manual to make some adjustments on your own. I think, as mentioned above, brightness is one of the main adjustments that need to be tailored to the typical lighting of the room.

[anapuni808]

Re: Flat panel TVs

i figure it just took my eyes a while to get used to looking at a wide screen instead of the square box we've all been used too all these years.

did they tell you what the "callibration" is supposed to accomplish? It better be something really good for $300!

i wonder if it tickles?

[LikaNui]

Re: Flat panel TVs

Well, I just watched "Chuck," and I had it set on Wide Mode: Full for the whole hour. I was wrong earlier in saying that the image was somewhat blurry. It's actually pretty clear! It's just looks... stretched. Kind of 3-D. Kind of a fisheye effect. Well, the 3-D comparison is the most accurate, I guess. Maybe Anapuni is right that it takes a while for the image to fine-tune itself.
And yes, it's still on the factory settings.
I'm still curious about whether or not to have it calibrated. It's hard to imagine that a brand new $1,000 TV set needs a $300 calibration.
Has anyone else been calibrated?

Gee. There's a question I never imagined asking.

.

[tutusue]

Re: Flat panel TVs

[...]but I'm really happy with my TV

And, that's really all that's important!

[anapuni808]

Re: Flat panel TVs

I have a new Sony Bravia 32" set on "wide mode: full" and it's not distorted. Maybe because my screen is smaller? I'm also hooked up to Dish Network but I don't know if that would make any difference with reception. as for "callibration" - I seem to recall that there was an "auto" mode for the original setup and I just left everything at factory default. I did notice that after about a week, the colors, clarity etc. were much better but also don't know why that happened. I not much of a TV techie so i may have made some mistakes in the setup but I'm really happy with my TV

[Honoruru]

Re: Flat panel TVs

I'm using one of Oceanic's digital TV/DVR boxes. Oceanic says I need to upgrade to HD service for an extra $6.95 a month, and that I need to switch to an HD DVR box. Will that fix the full-screen problem?
I plan to hook my 2008 LG home theater system (model LHT764) to the new TV. The sound from that is pretty awesome. (I was going to post a link, but LG's server is in maintenance mode at the moment.) The Oceanic guy will be here Thusday with the HD DVR box, so hopefully I can talk him into wiring up the LG system at the same time.
(Eh, Tutu, you're not the only "non-techie" here. )

Why do we need to have a Ph.D. in physics to install household electronics now days? One of the reasons I'm refraining from "upgrading" my old television set (a perfectly functioning Sony) to a state-of-the-art HD entertainment system is because I hate the thought of all the research that's involved. It's a bit frightening.