Please explain HD TV specifications

NOWSE

I'm on the verge of committing to buy an HD TV but I need some help over some of the specifications.

Resolution is described as being either HD Ready (768) & Full HD (1080p). Some sets are stated to be 50hz & other 100hz (some even higher numbers).
I don't intend to use the TV for gaming & watch very few DVDs. The set will be mostly used to watch broadcast programmes, especially sport & films. I have seen HD TVs where fast moving action, especially sport is awful. In most electical shops the TVs show specially shot promos with static scenes or slow pans so that HD is shown to its best advantage. As a result i have found it difficult to decide the specifications I desire in an HD TV.

I currently have my eye on a Samsung Full HD but it is only 50hz. Do I need to find a 100hz? Would a set that was HD ready with 100hz proove a better buy than the one I'm considering?

I have tried to find this info on the net but I'm none the wiser.

kippen_noedel

hmmm

simple rule of thumb, 37" or smaller little to gain by going above 780p

the higher the default hz, the better the tv at displaying fast moving images.

not much else I can comment on, only what I looked for when buying a tv myself.

Now ask me about computer monitors, I can help there.....

S0litaire

If all you're going to be watching is TV (Sat or Freeview) then all you'll need is 720p (or in PC scale 1280x720 = HD Ready). Their is really not much to gain from going up to 1080 for just TV. If you have Bly-Ray player or a Console like the PS3 or Xbox then 1980p (1920x1080 = Full HD) will give you the best picture.

As for the 50Hz or 100Hz that it's how many times the screen is refreshed. So things will look smoother the higher the Hz.

Most are 50Hz or 60Hz (basic cheap sets) more are coming out with 100Hz as standard. Which should give you a smoother picture during action movies or sports.

aliEnRIK

With you watching SD content id suggest a panasonic plasma as they work really well with sports etc. 100Hz usually doesnt make a visual jot of difference and its down to how well the processor works at 'filling in the gaps' as broadcasts are 50Hz anyways (Bluray is 24 Hz which makes viewing blurays difficult if the tv isnt equiped for it). You need a tv with a good internal 'scaler' (Makes an SD image fit the screen)

You dont NEED a 1080P tv and a lot of 720 tvs are better than their 1080P counterparts (Especially at the cheap end of the scale)

You dont say what size your after but you can look at some reviews HERE ~
WHAT HIFI TVs

Dont use Currys or Comet etc to decide as theyre NEVER setup correctly anyways

Taffybiker

No one has mentioned i or p yet. I means interlaced and P means progressive. It is to do with the way the picture is made up. A 720p will almost certainly look better than 1080i.
However, 1080p is the true HD standard. Whilst the difference between the standards is negligable at the moment, this is largely because true HD is not being received. Mostly it is electronic upscaling. To future-proof your investment though, 1080p and at least 100Hz would be the way to go in my opinion.

Rich44_2

Ok two levels of HD ready

720
1080

The higher the better. Each of these has two type Interlaced and Progressive

Interlaced means only each frame of the picture is displayed in alternate fields -This is what Sky and Freesat HD broadcast in

Progressive means each frame is sent progressively this gives the best quality but uses too much bandwidth to be broadcast (at present)

If you're buying a TV now get a 1080p set as HD content is only going to get more and more widespread and you don't want to have to go and buy another set in 6-18 months time to catch up again especially if you're thinking about buy Blu-ray in future or even buying a Freesat HD box as they're getting cheap now.

Argos had a 42" Hitachi 1080p TV the other day for £399.99 ok the contrast ratio was a touch low but for the money you can't go wrong.

Whatever you buy go see it working in a shop before buying and shop around as well, check it out in a shop then check online for a better deal.

What no one else has mentioned is the back lights currently these are cold cathode ray tubes but the newer TVs are now using LED backlights which give a far superior image with much less bleed around the edge (when you can see the backlight) and give a much more even light source, look carefully at some LCDs and you can see where the backlight drops off and the light looks uneven.

Don't forget as well you can hook a PC up to one of these screens and use that as a source of HD content as well

david39

Be careful comparing tv's in showrooms.

Most demo sets are set up by people who have not the vaguest idea of how to do it, so the standard of display you see is either hit-or-miss OR as set by the manufacturer who will over-saturate contrast and colour to make their sets stand out amongst others. My Panasonic, which is an excellent set, when re-set to factory settings looks awful in the house, but you could understand why it would stand out in a bank of competitive sets.

Alternatively, it will have been set up by someone who knows what they are doing and who may well have dummed down some of the better displays to make the sets they want to clear look superior.

Finally, viewing conditions in showrooms seldom equate to those in your living room, so always bear that in mind, too.

Rich44_2

As much as anything else it's to get an idea of the size and what the TV looks like in the flesh as much as the image, totally agree with you re manufacturers setting up the screens like that I spent a not inconsiderable amount of time changing the contrast brightness on 100 monitors when we replaced an IT room brightness set to 100% you could feel it melting your eyes LOL.

They tend to dumb down the displays (when they do this of course) of the ones that don't make them as much commission which was why I said buy elsewhere, comet always used to have codes on the back of their POS telling the salesman what their commission would be

Either way comparing in showrooms is still better than buying blind so to speak but very good points as well.

It's always worth actually having a proper play with all the settings when you're comparing as well.

roddydogs

"You cant go wrong" ??? with a cheap vestel re-badge from Argos, are you serious?

Rich44_2

read it again FOR THE MONEY!!! !!!!!! why do people only read half of your post

Besides it's still put together by Hitachi I suppose all the Sony Bravia models are Samsungs by your logic?

roddydogs

Contrast ratio 1300-1 ! yes just a "touch" low!