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[soul-assassin]

From personal experience I prefer DLP.  You also need to take into consideration maintenance factors down the road.  Once the gas in a plasma goes out it is useless.  With DLP's, the lamp or tube will eventually blow and those usually run around several hundred dollars each.  Not sure what long term effects LCD screens have.  As someone stated earlier, traditional CRT's still have the best picture quality, but they are extremely heavy and are limited on size.

[Vasher]

I've been through a few DLP's, LCD's, and plasma's and nothing compares to my 60" Sony SXRD (had it since Feb.). Reg. channels, HD channels, DVD's, and the 360 all look f'n amazing. No competition here.

[thax]

DLP is a great choice, fairly inexpensive for a large screen size. The main disadvantages of DLP are that it is rear projection and you will have to change the lamp in the unit after a certain number of hours. These lamps can be very expensive, so make sure you account for this. Make sure you get a newer model DLP that uses LED or a high speed multisegmented color wheel to avoid any rainbow effects.

LCD TV's are also good choices. The main disadvantage is you get a smaller screen size for the amount of money you spend. If you want a 50" screen then you should probably look at other technologies.

I would stay away from plasma, your display device supports activities meant to be fun or relaxing, and worrying about burn-in detracts from this experiance.

I really don't know much about the newer LCOS displays so I can't comment on those.

[halofun121]

Be careful who you talk to in a store. Some guy was trying to tell me that 720p and 1080i are basically the same thing....umm...yeah.

My mom just blindly went out and bought a Sony Bravia 32" LCD. Picture quality was nice, although it has that whacky 1368x768 (or whatever it is) native resolution and no VGA input.

I saw a DLP in Best Buy running at 1080p. I was quite impressed, and did not notice any rainbow effect. Picture was crisp and clear, and they even started PGR3 on it.

This post has been edited by halofun121: Oct 13 2006, 08:04 PM

[thax]

QUOTE(halofun121 @ Oct 13 2006, 07:34 PM)

Be careful who you talk to in a store. Some guy was trying to tell me that 720p and 1080i are basically the same thing....umm...yeah.

In terms of delivered pixel count they are very similar. Typically 1080i is found on CRT displays where interlacing is common, where are 720p is typically on the new LCD, DLP and plasma technologies.

QUOTE

My mom just blindly went out and bought a Sony Bravia 32" LCD. Picture quality was nice, although it has that whacky 1368x768 (or whatever it is) native resolution and no VGA input.

1366x768 is the native resolution of a majority of LCD panels, it isn't exactly whacky.

[Caldor]

Sony's SXRD is in the XBR2 is the model range to get unless you have mega bucks for a 65" native 1080P plasma.

Sony's SXRD in the XBR2 range has:

1. No rainbow effect like single chip DLP - no colour wheel

2. Very small inter pixel spacing - no window effect like all LCDs

3. No motion blur - very fast 5ms total time, thats 2.5ms per blit

4. A native 1080P display - wouldnt accept anything less

5. No dodgy ways for getting 1080P like DLP sets that use wobbulation to get 1080P

6. 10:000 : 1 contrast ratio through a dynamic iris technology

7. Good off angle visbility

[thax]

Looks like that Sony SXRD has some good specifications, they are LCOS based aren't they?

The only disadvantage would probably be lamp replacement (if they are rear projection) and possibly cost. I would guess that since they appear to be really good, they probably cost quite a bit as well.

[mlmadmax]

SXRD are based on LCoS here is an article that explains, if you look toward the bottom of the article it has sxrd listed with LCoS. Even though this article is a little old it has good comparisons of different technologies.

http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5108443-3.html

I have seen and heard very good things about SXRD but they are still prone to dead pixels and I just can't take that risk on a $4000.00 TV. Also there is a lamp replacement and it is $250 for a new lamp. The picture is very good though even up close no screen door effect.

This post has been edited by mlmadmax: Oct 14 2006, 03:48 AM

[Caldor]

Yes it is an LCOS display but there is elements to SXRD being proprietary to Sony. In particular they have a very small interpixel spacing and this is really great for no window effect/ They even had a magnifing scope setup on a stand in front of the display at a media show when they were showing off the product.

Lasers and Sed will rule them all but right now the most realistic option is the SXRD RPTVs. LCDs are too small in screen size and the native 1080P plasma's in large sizes are out of most peoples price range.

I want to use my screen for home cinema as well and if you apply the THX recommendations for screen angle against screen size for most people with their viewing distances that means a 60" or larger screen.

EDIT: And I reckon that being able to change the light source is better than not. Plasma / LCD / CRTS they will all loose brigthness as they age. With being able to replace the lightsouce it lasts longer without the image quality suffering.

QUOTE(mlmadmax @ Oct 14 2006, 12:02 PM)

I have seen and heard very good things about SXRD but they are still prone to dead pixels

Some of the first generation XBR1's had a green blob problem although thats not dead pixels - these were fixed uner warranty. I have never heard of dead pixels on any LCOS display - the technology is a mix of reflective and transmissive approaches and I honestly cant see how any dead pixels could ever occur. Please provide examples if you can.

The current generation XBR2's to my knowledge have not had any units with green blob problems

This post has been edited by Caldor: Oct 14 2006, 07:40 AM

[mlmadmax]

Both LCD and LCoS are liquid crystal based they just use a different substrate, so you could say that LCoS and therefore SXRD are based on LCD technology.

Any liquid crystal based technology can get dead pixels and that is a fact, I am not trying to bash SXRD because it is a really great TV and dead pixels are becoming less of a problem but they can still happen.

Like I said before I can't spend $4000.00 on a tv only to have it develope a dead pixel becuse that would drive me crazy, some people might not care but I do.

http://www.retailaccess.com/tech_training/...plays.html#lcos

The above article is kind of a long read but in there it does say LCoS displays can develop dead pixels, I also understand that SXRD isn't exactly LCoS but they are ver very closely related.

This post has been edited by mlmadmax: Oct 14 2006, 05:26 PM

[Navillos]

i say a standard tube, flat screen, widescreen HDTV. i mean, LCD (motion blur) and Plasma (Burn In) screw that nonsense. Even DLP is better then those two. Plus who want to spend a few grand on a T.V. thats friggin ludacris

[Migit109]

if you really want some good oppinions on what to get you need to know what size room your going to be in so you can find out what size display you need and then how much money your willing to spend.

but if you want some really good suggestions hop on the avsforum.com and they can get you going in the right direction

oh and plasma is about suseptable to burn in as crts are now adays and dlp's can have problems being there is a mirror in there spinning at 7200rpm and lcd is actually getting right up with plasma its mainly the best choice for under 40" BUT dlp is a steal if you want a big display

This post has been edited by Migit109: Oct 14 2006, 05:56 PM

[Caldor]

QUOTE(mlmadmax @ Oct 15 2006, 01:52 AM)

Both LCD and LCoS are liquid crystal based they just use a different substrate, so you could say that LCoS and therefore SXRD are based on LCD technology.

http://www.retailacc...plays.html#lcos

The above article is kind of a long read but in there it does say LCoS displays can develop dead pixels, I also understand that SXRD isn't exactly LCoS but they are ver very closely related.

I understand what your saying and I appreciate the link. I'll take a look.

The thing about LCOS is that it is both a transmissive (like LCD) and reflective (like DLP) technology. It is substantially different to LCD and I think this is why in a practical sense there has not been dead pixel problems.

To the other poster I wouldnt get a HDCRT, even though they provide the best image quality for all currently available displays you have these problems:

1. Which HDCRT actually supports a native resolution of 1080P with HDMI and HDCP compliance?
2. Which HDCRT is available in a 60" screen size?
3. If one ever was released with this, could you image how large and heavy such a unit would be?

Rather go onto the AVS forum and have beginners ask the same questions over and over have a look at this URL which has a viewing distance and screen size calculator:

http://www.myhomethe...ancemetric.html

To support the recommended THX viewing angles most people need a 60" or bigger display for high def material. The old rules about screen size arent applicable for high defintion sources.

EDIT: That article is out of date in some areas. The Sony SXRD has a true 5ms refresh, which some manufacturers would call a 2.5ms refresh. The advnaced iris technology for contrast results in contrast ratios typically better than LCD and Plasma displays.

I'm suprised how people keep recommending LCD and DLP displays despite the clear evidence of the shortcomings. The latest generation Plasma's are good for image quality and have made many advnaces with the burnin problem but the cost of a 60"+ plasma that has a native 1080P capability is very expensive.

[Bogg2]

This last post makes me a happy plasma owner

[BigDog1002]

QUOTE(ChldsPlay @ Oct 11 2006, 12:03 AM)

I still prefer the picture quality of my 6 year old CRT than that of anything I've seen of DLP, Plasma, and SXRD at the stores.  None of those seem as crisp on the edges.  Unfortunately, being 6 years old, I have no HDMI, so I'm hoping studios don't start implementing that copyright crap to downscale movies anytime soon.  When I do get another TV, I'll probably go with CRT again, depending on what comes out by then.  It just looks better to me, and it's a hell of a lot cheaper.  Don't want to have to replace bulbs either.

You, my friend, are correct. No picture can ever top the display of a HDCRT.. only problem is the sizes available and the A/V connections available. I have one HDCRT (oh yeah and the size too.. thing is a freaking TANK.. impossible to move) and a 42" Panasonic Plasma.. I love the plasma but the CRT is still the best image quality

This post has been edited by BigDog1002: Oct 17 2006, 08:19 PM