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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

Blu Ray and hdtv's


Bakerboy

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Hey all, i'm going to get a ps3 soon because it is the cheapest good quality blu ray player and of course games console and am also going to invest in a 40" (preferably samsung) hdtv - my question is; would i notice the differance between these 2 sets as there is a huge price differance obviously the more expensive one is higer res but will it make THAT much differance to be worthy of the price?

 

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/-/319/405/-/924637/Samsung_40_LE40R74BDX_Freeview_HD_Ready_Widescreen_LCD_TV/Product.html?searchtype=genre

 

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/-/319/405/-/3062321/Samsung_40_LE40F71BX_1080P_HD_Ready_Widescreen_LCD_TV/Product.html?searchtype=genre

 

Tech heads should know more than me :D

 

Thanks!

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Won't make a difference for your existing films and anything filmed in less than 1080p resolution, but newer films on Blu-Ray will be noticably better on the 1080p screen, especially at a 40" size. So for films, YES.

 

For PS3 games, it's almost definitely not worth it - it's still pretty speculative about how many games are actually going to get written to use 1080p, and general consensus seems to be that "very few" is the answer. The console simply isn't powerful enough to run decent games at that resolution.

 

From Sony themselves: "even with [final hardware] in mind, reaching good frame rates at 1080p with next-gen graphics is almost impossible. Instead many developers, ourselves included, are reworking so they run at 720p."

 

Gran Tourismo is the only game currently planned to use 1080p.

 

So for PS3 games, NO.

 

 

 

Personally, I will probably get a PS3, and will probably get an HD-DVD player. However, the ONLY reason I am purchasing a 1080p TV is to run a PC on it.

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Won't make a difference for your existing films and anything filmed in less than 1080p resolution, but newer films on Blu-Ray will be noticably better on the 1080p screen, especially at a 40" size. So for films, YES.

 

For PS3 games, it's almost definitely not worth it - it's still pretty speculative about how many games are actually going to get written to use 1080p, and general consensus seems to be that "very few" is the answer. The console simply isn't powerful enough to run decent games at that resolution.

 

From Sony themselves: "even with [final hardware] in mind, reaching good frame rates at 1080p with next-gen graphics is almost impossible. Instead many developers, ourselves included, are reworking so they run at 720p."

 

Gran Tourismo is the only game currently planned to use 1080p.

 

So for PS3 games, NO.

 

 

 

Personally, I will probably get a PS3, and will probably get an HD-DVD player. However, the ONLY reason I am purchasing a 1080p TV is to run a PC on it.

 

Thanks snooze, that's really helpful...

 

So the cheaper tv, what res does that go upto? 720p? or 1080i? Doesn't state on the site - do you know at all?

 

Also, what makes you choose HD-DVD over blu ray?

 

Cheers

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Having only recently seen an XBox 360 running on a Cineos HDTV in standard old interlaced form and thinking it looked bloody amazing! I'll be sticking with my Bravia and be happy with it if I ever get an HD-DVD/PS3/whatever.

I can only think the people that need more (the best) are just too damn picky! :D

 

 

//edit: Isn't 720p the same as 1080i (effectively)?

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Okay - the cheaper TV is 768 line resolution, and DOES support 1080i.

 

The difference between 1080i and 720p is the mechanism of display. 720p means the whole image is displayed at once. It has 720 lines of resolution, which fits easily into the 768 pixels on the TV.

 

1080i means the source (an HD-DVD, Blu-Ray or whatever) is acutally stored on the disc in 1080-line resolution. To display it via 1080i (because 1080 lines of data won't fit into the TV's 768 lines), the TV "interlaces" the image (a basic description: it doesn't actually display ALL the image at once. It displays half the image - every other line - and then switches back and forth between alternate lines very quickly to give the illusion of higher resolution).

The same image displayed via 1080p would display the whole image at once.

 

If I wasn't running the PC, I would be happy with a 1080i screen for now (small text, where individual pixels really matter, like on Windows, displays REALLY badly when interlaced). By the time the Blu-Ray/HD-DVD debate has resolved and the next generation of truely-1080p-supporting consoles are out, 1080p TV's will probably be dirt cheap anway as I'm sure some new (SED?) technology will be out by then!

 

And the reason I would lean towards HD-DVD rather than Blu-Ray (although I wouldn't worry too much, as I'm sure dual-format players will be affordable within 18 months anyhow) is because of PORN!.....

 

 

.....although probably not in the way you think ;)

 

The porn industry was largely the driver behind the success of VHS over the (arguably superior) Betamax format. Because the porn industry really led the technology surge in terms of film sales, they had a lot of clout in terms of format popularity, and cheaper unit manufacturing costs and more open standards (VHS) beat higher quality and proprietary technology (Betamax) in the porn market!

 

The same features can be applied to the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray battle.

 

Although, as I mentioned, I wouldn't worry too much - the formats are pretty similar, so dual-format players will be much easier to make (I don't think anyone even tried a VHS/Betamax dual player).

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Good info snooze, that answer's my question pretty well - I take it blu ray films will look better in 1080i than 720p?

 

Well, the simple answer is YES.

 

However, it does really depend on the TV.

 

A 1080i image will show more resolution, therefore better detail, overall than a 720p image. How well that extra information is displayed depends on how well the TV does the interlacing. The difference is more noticable in images with lots of small, fast moving parts - sports is usually the best example, where a "p" (progressive scan) motion image will look MUCH smoother than an "i" (interlaced) motion image.

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Guys, what do you think of this panasonic set coming out early april? seem's to be damn good for the money - 42", supports 1080p....

 

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/-/319/405/-/3330595/Panasonic_Viera_42_TH_42PX70PED_HD_Ready_Freeview_Plasma_TV/Product.htm

 

Better picture quality than the samsungs would you say? I noticed it says 'up to' 10,000:1 contrast ratio if it's that high it's gotta be worth the money?

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I agree that the technology arguments (plasma lifespan vs LCD response times, plasma noise vs LCD viewing angles, etc. etc.) have become pretty much a non-issue with the latest of both technologies.

 

And to be honest, even at 42", you'll be more than chuffed with a decent TV, either LCD or a plasma.

 

My personal opinion is that Plasma suits real-life films and TV better (probably especially non-HD TV broadcasts), whereas LCD is better for games consoles and PCs (which is why I'm going LCD). But to be honest, as I said - either technology will satisfy, I'm sure.

 

Thoroughly recommend getting a good demo somewhere if possible. Find a proper AV shop (not a Comet/Curry) and get them to demo a plasma vs an LCD for different input types for you.

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Like a lot of people, I have a HDTV but have never seen it display HD because I won't buy a SkyHD box. Seems a waste.

 

If I buy a PS3 will I be able to play downloaded HD movies and shows?

PS3 can play DivX, XviD etc in addition to DVD, right?

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@Pot: None at all. As I mentioned before, anyone happy to go to a flatscreen will be seriously content with either LCD or Plasma, 1080i or 1080p in my opinion.

The only thing I would point out is that many people who don't buy a flatscreen TV without having demoed it first are frequently disappointed with motion handling, particularly in sports, as the flatscreens are usually worse for that kind of display than the CRTs that they had before.

 

@Jake: Yeah - I'm not SkyHD either (btw - SkyHD is only 1080i too) - seems way overpriced for what you get at the moment. I only really want an HDTV for my PC. And, yes, the PS3 should happily play all the porn that you've already downloaded ;) More specific info about supported formats here.

 

@Pot: Well, in theory, you could play any resolution movies through your PC. However, depending on your graphics card and TV, you may not be able to actually get the display you're hoping for. You can get into all sorts of problems with 1:1 pixel mapping and resolution mismatches. Ideally you want a graphics card that you can set precisely to the native resolution of the TV you're trying to pair with.

Also, of course - you still can't play Blu-Ray or HD-DVD discs through your PC unless you've got the corresponding drive (you could download the movies, but them HD films are going to be seriously mahoosive).

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