[Cujo]

While HDTV (High Definition TV) has been around for a bit now, its only been in the last couple of years that the technology has hit a price point for the average consumer to afford. Some people are well versed with the technology, however others are still new to the HD game. This post will serve as a general introduction to the technology. For the initial stages this will be a work in progress, so feel free to PM with information you think should be added here or if there is a mistake and a correction is needed.

- Cujo
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.: The Basics :.

High-definition television (HDTV) is a digital television broadcasting system with a significantly higher resolution than traditional formats (NTSC, SECAM, PAL). While some early analog HDTV formats were broadcast in Europe and Japan, HDTV is usually broadcast digitally, because digital television (DTV) broadcasting requires much less bandwidth if it uses enough video compression. HDTV technology was first introduced in the US during the 1990s by a group of electronics companies called the Digital HDTV Grand Alliance. (Info courtesy of Wikipedia)

Current List of Available Resolutions:

• 1080p 1,920×1,080
• 1080i 1,920×1,080
• 720p 1,280×720
• Wide-screen 480p (DVD, EDTV) 852×480
• Regular TV Up to 480 lines

Visual Representation of Television Resolutions:


Types of HDTVs:
There are several different ways to display HD images (Types of HDTVs). The most common are CRT-based - either RPTVs (large) or Direct View (small).

Each type of HDTV has advantages and disadvantages.
Here is a short list for each display type:

CRT-based RPTVs
There are no CRT-based RPTVs that can natively display 720P. If the TV accepts 720P it gets converted to 1080i or 480P/540P, depending on the set.


Direct View HDTVs (Tube TVs)
There are no "consumer" Direct View TVs that can natively display 720P. If the TV accepts 720P it gets converted to 1080i or 480P, depending on the set.


LCD-based RPTVs

Advantages:

Light/compact for its screen size
High resolution – 720P (some are 768P or 788P) (720P is considered by many, but not all people, to be superior to 1080i)
No need for convergence.
Typical home use is not severe service so you don't need to worry about burn in on LCD-based RPTVs. (Some greyscale degradation possible in very severe service like on-all-day, every day on same channel.)

Disadvantages:

Periodic lamp replacement - about 2-3 years - ~$200-$400.
More expensive than CRT-based RPTV
Doesn’t display blacks well (more like a dark purply grey)


DLP-based RPTVs

Advantages:

Light/compact for its screen size
High resolution – 720P (720P is considered by many, but not all people, to be superior to 1080i)
No need for convergence.
No possibility of burn in
Some newer 1080P sets (wobbulation)

Disadvantages:

Periodic lamp replacement - about 2-3 years - ~$200-$400.
More expensive than CRT-based RPTV
Doesn’t display black gradients well
Some people see a "rainbow effect"


Plasma

Advantages:

Sexy, thin, can hang on the wall
Available in sizes to 63" (70" has been announced) (very expensive in larger sizes)
Excellent resolution (768P typical)

Disadvantages:

Expensive
Some of the less-expensive plasmas do not display blacks well
Susceptible to burn in
Some have difficulty with multiple inputs

Be careful - inexpensive plasma displays may be 480P only.


Flat Panel LCDs

Advantages:

Sexy, thin, light, can hang on the wall
Excellent resolution (768P typical)
(1080P units are available, more expensive)

Disadvantages:

Expensive compared to others
Only available in "smaller" sizes at this time
Doesn’t display blacks well

Be careful - inexpensive flat panel displays may be 480P only.


Front Projection

Advantages:

Large, variable screen size
Compact unit
Excellent viewing angles

Disadvantages:

Typically need dedicated, darkened "home theater"
Lamp life (LCD/DLP) - about 2 years - ~$200-$400.
Be extremely careful when buying regarding resolution. 720P units are not inexpensive, yet some units are on the market with lower (non-HD) resolutions for ~$1000…


LCoS-based RPTVs

Advantages:

High resolution – 720P/1080P, depending on model/price
No need for convergence.
Better blacks and colour than LCD

Disadvantages:

Only a couple of manufacturers
New technology

* Dead Pixels Any fixed pixel display (LCD, DLP, Plasma, etc) has the potential to have dead pixels. This is a "disadvantage" of these displays.


OLED

Organic Light Emitting Diodes – possibly the future of flat panel displays
Will make inroads into PDAs, cellphones, digital cameras, etc.

Advantages:

Can be made into a flexible thin display – like plastic
Sexy

Disadvantages:

Not yet available for TVs
Largest size to date – 20", proven only in small displays – 4" or less
Concerns regarding long term viability of actual OLED system (display fades quickly)


Future Tech
SED - Still in its early stages

.: TV Size :.

Deciding on which HDTV type to purchase is bad enough, but what about the size of the TV? Most people agree bigger is better. What if you don't have the cash for a 58" plasma? Are you missing out on those high end resolutions? The answer isn't really a yes or a no. Your viewing distance can play a major factor.



What the chart shows is that, for a 50-inch screen, the benefits of 720p vs. 480p start to become apparent at viewing distances closer than 14.6 feet and become fully apparent at 9.8 feet. For the same screen size, the benefits of 1080p vs. 720p start to become apparent when closer than 9.8 feet and become full apparent at 6.5 feet. Basically, if you buy a 50" TV and you measure your viewing distance as 11 feet away, your eye with an assumed 20/20 vision would not be able to tell the difference between 720P vs 1080P.

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Note: Its still in progress, but I felt I should post this to get feedback. Thoughts?

[Squirrely1]

I've been looking for something like this for quite some time. Now you've gone over the pros and cons for each type of display, but say someone was looking for a flat panel LCD, preferably 37'' or 42''. What brand would they go with? Some people say Sharp, some say Samsung, others say Sony, but you seem to know what you're talking about so I'll ask you. Which brand has the best bang for the buck?

[J_A_X]

I've been looking for something like this for quite some time. Now you've gone over the pros and cons for each type of display, but say someone was looking for a flat panel LCD, preferably 37'' or 42''. What brand would they go with? Some people say Sharp, some say Samsung, others say Sony, but you seem to know what you're talking about so I'll ask you. Which brand has the best bang for the buck?

Sony have very good LCDs, but they cost 300-400$ more than the competition cause you're buying the brand. Sharp and Samsung are the best in the market. I personally *love* Samsung. Great company, great quality. But it all comes down to preference. Just go to any electronics store, they should have both brand there and just do a side by side comparison (just make sure that both displays are showing the same feed at the same time, it helps).

[Maelgwyn]

I agree with JAX - my parents have a no name brand and its awesome. The best thing to do is compare them if they are playing a movie and buy that way - its more a personal preference

[Evil Pig]

Remember though that if you're going to compare picture quality in store, make sure they ARE playing a movie (from DVD or Blu-Ray even better) and not some digital cable feed. Around here most stores just plug in the one cable feed to 30~ different TVs, so two identical TVs can sit one next to each other but have very different picture quality.