Latest, greatest in TV: Do you need it?
Remember when buying a television was easy?
You just settled on what size you wanted and chose a cabinet in black, silver or the look of real wood.
Now you have a plethora of choices, including technologies such as LCD, plasma and DLP rear projection. And you’re shopping with the knowledge that whichever type you pick, it will get more advanced technologically and less taxing financially if you just wait a little longer.
The latest thing to watch for is a mysterious number-letter combination that has been cropping up increasingly in advertisements and reviews: 1080p. The term is sometimes mentioned in hushed, reverent tones, as if it were a secret covenant known only to those who have reached the highest state of consumer electronics enlightenment.
It’s the maximum possible resolution in high-definition television. Technically, it refers to an image that is made up of 1,080 lines of digital information. The “p” stands for progressive -- a regimen that scans those lines all at once 60 times a second for a brighter image than with earlier scan technologies.
Until recently, only a handful of 1080p models were available, and they cost several thousand dollars more than the more common 720p sets.
But this year, 1080p has gone mainstream. You can get a 1080p, 42-inch LCD flat-panel set for as little as about $1,800.
A TV at 720p is available for about $1,000.
Is 1080p worth the premium cost? Experts are divided, mostly because no home TV channels -- whether conveyed by broadcast, cable or satellite -- show programming in resolution as high as 1080p.
Richard Doherty, head of consulting firm Envisioneering Group, thinks that will change.
“If you plan to keep your TV a long time, you’ll get the benefit,” he said. “I would be surprised if there is not broadcast of 1080p within a decade.”
While you’re waiting, there are movies that can be viewed in 1080p. These are in the Blu-ray and HD-DVD formats, which are kind of like regular DVDs on steroids. Studios are turning out more and more of these upgraded discs, especially of recent releases. But you will need either a Blu-ray or HD-DVD player (more expense) to play them.
Van Baker, a research analyst at Gardner Inc., wasn’t so bullish on 1080p for home users.
“We are in the era of specsmanship,” he said. “People have gotten hung up on the numbers.
“The real question is, how much resolution do you really need?”
Baker doesn’t foresee that broadcast or cable channels will be offering up 1080p programming anytime soon because it uses up valuable bandwidth.
“Broadcasters are trying to squeeze more channels into their bandwidth, not less,” he said. In addition, cable providers probably would have to add equipment to get true 1080p to most homes, and satellite companies would need to add satellites.
Even with the advent of Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs, which debuted last year, average home viewers may not notice much of a difference, especially on screens smaller than 50 inches.
Baker thinks viewers might be better served by getting the most out of equipment they already have.
“Studies have shown that a lot of people who think they are watching real HDTV are not,” Baker said. That’s because just having an HDTV set usually isn’t enough. Cable and satellite companies don’t provide HDTV signals, in most cases, unless an extra charge is paid.
“My advice is to spend a little less on a TV and put the money toward HDTV services,” Baker said. “Then it will look fantastic.”
Doherty counters that home viewers should not necessarily go for the bargains.
“You are talking $2,000 for something that the average American watches five hours a day,” he said.
“If you are going to watch that much TV, why not do it on the best possible display?”
If you do settle for 720p, you can be comforted by the fact that in many cases, those TVs will be able to convert signals to 1080i. The “i” stands for interlace, a scan technology that needs two split-second passes to complete an image.
The difference between interlace and progressive can be subtle. Bill Hunt, co-owner of the Digital Bits website, which tracks the latest in disc technology, can see it.
“When the camera pans and there is a lot going on, you might see some stutter in the image with 1080i,” he said. “The movement is too fast for the interlace processor to handle. Progressive is much smoother.”
But Hunt goes far beyond even a 50-inch screen for his viewing. On his living room ceiling, Hunt installed a powerful front projector to beam movies on a 110-inch screen.
The image is glorious, but nearly every tiny flaw is evident.
The rule of thumb seems to be, if you are buying a set measuring 50 inches or larger, seriously consider 1080p. Especially if you plan to watch movies in the Blu-ray or HD-DVD formats.
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Choosing a TV
Beyond the 1080p debate are the long-standing questions about which type of digital TV set is best. All have pros and cons and are suited to different viewing situations.
LCD flat panel
Pros: These popular sets have fallen so much in price that they are nearly on par with plasma models. They’re lightest in weight of all HDTV types on the home market and are the green choice because they use relatively little electricity. Former problems with pixel burnout (those pin-point black spots that marred the picture) largely have been eliminated. “It’s been years since I’ve seen a dead pixel,” industry consultant Richard Doherty said.
Cons: LCD sets aren’t as widely available as plasma in the larger screen sizes that many home viewers want. Some manufacturers offer sets in the 50-inch and even 60-inch neighborhoods, but these usually carry a premium price. Also, videophiles have noted that LCDs aren’t capable of producing true black in images.
Plasma flat panel
Pros: Plasma is still the big-screen king in flat-panel televisions, with sizes available all the way up to a 103-inch Panasonic suitable for baronial living (at $70,000 a pop). The image quality is top-notch, especially with dark tones. “It’s the best picture quality you can have, especially in a darkened room,” analyst Van Baker said.
Cons: Plasma sets can be deceptively heavy, despite their thinness. “There have been some very bad stories about people trying to hang a 60-inch plasma on the wall by themselves,” Doherty said. These sets don’t give off nearly as much heat as when they were first introduced, but they’re still hotter than LCDs.
Rear projection
Pros: These sets come in a variety of types -- including DLP and LCD projection (not to be confused with LCD flat panel) -- and offer HDTV at bargain prices. “They are still the best bang for the buck for the big screen,” Baker said.
Cons: They aren’t flat panels. These models run 10 inches and more in thickness. Not only are they not suitable for hanging on a wall (at least not without a lot of trouble), they also suffer from a lack of hipness. “These days,” Doherty said, “everyone wants the flat.”
CRT
Pros: Some of these old-fashioned picture-tube TVs can deliver HDTV (but check carefully; most models can’t). They deliver high-quality images, often at bargain prices.
Cons: CRTs are so heavy and thick that screen sizes usually top out at about 30 inches.
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Price watch
Here are average prices, but big discounts are available. Expect price drops by year’s end.
*--* Size LCD Plasma DLP 32” $1,136 $1,299 NA 37” 1,503 1,711 NA 42” 1,716 1,738 $1,369 65” 10,000 9,060 2,873
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Source: ISuppli
Los Angeles Times
