1080p sets

[gparris]

This past weekend, I had the chance to view, side by side, the Mits 62" 1080p next to a 62" 720p with a HD Tivo recording of "House".
Standing at 10 feet and then, at 15 feet, the picture on the 1080p set looked sharper and I could see more facial details and other fine details at the 10 foot range than on the 720p set.
The store was an upscale store, not big box and the 720p set was not thousands, but hundreds cheaper (yet)...this could be the beginning of the 720p discounting as more and more 1080ps come to market.
Would I buy the 1080p DLP?
No.
Not until they get in the 1080p SXRD 60" in a week or so and they said they plan to put it right next to the other two sets...I can hardly wait!

[Mark Strube]

The problem is that "House" is transmitted in 720p... was their tuner outputting a 720p signal or an upconverted 1080i? Is the native format of the 720p set actually 1080i which is then downscaled? The true test would be a true  1080i or 1080p signal being sent to both sets, and each with the same exact (if they're the same brand) or equivalent video settings on both sets, IMO.

Have them grab something from CBS-HD... (CSI preferrably), they have the best network 1080i quality, as far as I've seen.

[gparris]

Calm down, the 720p was upscaled to 1080p and looked terrific.
I didn't want to go thru the CSI that was on the HD Tivo, but since you had to bring up CBS's stellar 1080i, yes it looked great, too.

[StarvingForHDTV]

I would think a good comparison would be football.  Watch a 1080i game on the 1080p set and watch a 720p game on the 720p set.  Please let us know the results if you do this type of comparison.

[gparris]

The place where I watched this 1080p set was the Sound Advice store in Tampa, Florida during the Bucs-Packers game...Tampa won.

I am still wishing there was blurring effects or anything to hide the score, but the action was clear.

Any more questions?  :wave:

[gparris]

Lesson-Learned: Never go into a big box store and get good comparisons...never.
Today, I went into a high-end store vs. my CC and BB experiences with bad setups, analogue inputs and so on.

At first, my thoughts were from the CC and BB store - that the A10 and SXRD were almost the same with some difference in clarity over the 50A10 with the SXRD and I was wrong...big time, at least to me.

This store had everything (almost) and of course, HD feeds with setups, quite unlike those big box stores...don't get me started.

The A10 50" Sony with its 720p picture was right next to a 52" Mits 1080p set  and next to it, a 60" Sony SXRD and among the other customers and I we were at about 10 feet away from the screens.

There other customers I was with were interested actually BUYING these sets, eyeing the sets very carefully, like me.

The A10 looked good, but the SXRD looked like someone had filled in the dots, much clearer than A10 set,  while the Mits 1080p set looked grainy, rainbows and colourful edges appeared on closeups.

Yes, this was a football game.  :rolleyes:

Everyone agreed the A50 was a nice bedroom set or " beginner" set, but if you could afford the SXRD, go for it.
While the Mits has no side speakers, still a nice picture, it just was not as clear and had rainbow effects,  to more than just me...the others noticed it, too.

The result?

The customer interested in buying a 50" 1080p set is waiting the two weeks to get the 50 inch SXRD in and said he will patiently wait...it was in the other area and looked fantastic, too...definitely worth waiting for over the A10 set.
So will I when my checkbook allows, speaker ears and all.

The other customers, since the 60" SXRD is going to be their main theater set, bought this size, as the 70 inch Qualia, sitting in a room all by itself, was still a little to pricey for any of us, yet a fantastic picture!  

[Bebop]

I was at BB (Greenfield) today and surprised to see the 60" 1080p Sony there for $5K. The picture is very smooth and beautiful considering that it's probably using component inputs. I went to Colders last week and actually have to ask which one is a 1080p set. I couldn't tell the difference. After seeing the Sony, there is no way I'll even consider the 1080P DLP, unless it's a 3 chips full 1080P. I can't wait till the SXRD drop in price.

While I was at BB , an elder couple asking what the difference between the JVC (HD-ILA), Sony(SXRD), and Panasonic(LCD) projection TVs. The saleman replies "the panasonic is LCD and it has a much wider viewing angle". The answer made me cringed and I gave him a funny look.

[Mark Strube]

Can the new Sony SXRD 1080p sets actually accept a 1080p signal, unlike the new "1080p" DLP Toshiba's and Mitsubishi's?

[gparris]

Nothing is transmitted in 1080p and so far there is no nothing solid on even if the HD DVDs or Blu-ray players will send out a 1080p signal.

The information from Sony is that these sets could be configured to accept 1080p once it becomes necessary, but it isn't and why worry about it?

Even those manufacturers like HP, I believe, who claim 1080p inputs could have it but if the need ever arises, the configuration for input acceptance could change, leaving the input useless.  

Bebop, the horrific statement from that BB employee is just that...scary, and it is not even Halloween.
Maybe BB had to move the Panasonics more that day...not a difficult task with lies, but then again... :rolleyes:

[Mark Strube]

The new PS3 will have dual HDMI 1080p outputs. However only the latest generation of HDMI chips can actually read the 1080p signal. My question is quite valid.

[Bebop]

The Sony doesn't even support 1080P using the PC/VGA connector.

http://www.sonystyle.com/intershoproot/eCS/Store/en/documents/specifications/KDS-R50XBR1_manual.pdf

[gparris]

The new PS3 will have dual HDMI 1080p outputs. However only the latest generation of HDMI chips can actually read the 1080p signal. My question is quite valid.

Yes, since you are certain the Sony PS3 definitely has 1080p outputs, why wouldn't its own new SXRD line not be able to be configured to accept this?
Seems inconsistant, even for Sony, so until there is an actual PS3  out there for sale I will not worry about it, unless you feel you have to.
I cannot believe Sony would not have this feature in its new line of sets for its own gaming system, unless this is just the first generation of SXRD sets.
Many consumers, like myself, do not do gaming, but instead will buy a set like the SXRD for HD movies, sports and the like and enjoy its TrueHD ability without the wobblation and rainbow - or whatever I and the others in that store were witnessing on the Mits DLP.

[StarvingForHDTV]

the wobblation and rainbow - or whatever I and the others in that store were witnessing on the Mits DLP.

That's what I was worried about.  Thanks for sharing your experience of comparing some of the new technologies at a real store.

[tazman]

A good compariison IMO would be getting into the store when Smart Travels is airing on PBS-HD.  That is a 1080i signal and from my viewing perspective has been the best quality HD programming I have seen, better than any football on FOX, ABC or CBS.

[Mark Strube]

Ehh... not gonna compare with something I'd never watch anyways... and IMO pbs-hd has always had a less-than-stellar picture quality.

I think the best comparison would be CSI: Miami (my favorite of the CSI's)... and to do an upscaling test, send The Fifth Element superbit at 480p to both sets.

Although I'm sure this might be hard to manage in some store spur of the moment like that.