HDTV vs. New computer (AMD64)

[Am_I_Evil]

ok....so what should i get with my tax return....

a HDTV....

or an AMD64 3500 90nm + a MSI K8N Neo2...(i will get other stuff with this....i priced it and total price for what i will get is about $750)


what i would be upgrading from:


Main TV:
27" Flat Tube Sanyo

or

Computer:
ABIT NF7-S v.2 (BIOS: D27 TaiPan 0.2 [EB][ED] Bpl 3.19C 16.12.04)
AMD Mobile 2600+ @ 2.5GHz (10x250) 1.8 vCore
Thermalright SP-97 w/Thermaltake 92mm Blue LED Smart Fan
1GB Corsair TwinX PC3200XL, Dual Channel (voltage = 2.9, 2.5-2-2-11)
Antec 550 TrueControl PSU
BFG 6800 Ultra OC
Lots 'O Harddrives (474GB, main windows drive = 74GB Raptor)
LG 52x24x52 CD-Burner
Sony 8x DVD Writer
Windows XP Corp. w/SP2

[Riptide]

3500+ and the Neo2 ofcourse. :p

[GamerGuyX]

You should of made this poll. :p

[Am_I_Evil]

also i won't be ordering any of this until about March....if that in any way effects your decision....

[GlowStick]

Hmmm, if your gonna get a GOOD HDTV and HDTV programing id say get that.

Make sure it has DVI input :D

[r2d2d3d4d5]

Is it a real HDTV? I hear a lot don't display the full 1080i.

[Am_I_Evil]

Is it a real HDTV? I hear a lot don't display the full 1080i.


yes.....full 1080i....built-in digital tuner so no set-top box....but probably only a 30".....

[Rakeesh]

If it is labeled as HDTV then it must be capable of 1920x1080i and 720x480p. 1280x720p is optional, thus most CRT tubes don't include it. Anything less must be labeled as EDTV or SDTV, or else it is false advertising.

[Nutty]

27'' ? Wouldn't waste the money on that.. get the PC.. :)

[Am_I_Evil]

27'' ? Wouldn't waste the money on that.. get the PC.. :)


what???

i already own the 27".....as i already own the computer listed below it....i want to know if i should upgrade from that....

what in the post would make you think i wanted to get a 27" TV when it clearly says that that is what i am upgrading from.....

[Am_I_Evil]

probably the TV i'd get:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?j=1&id=1077626340598&skuId=6407854&productCategoryId=pcmcat31800050030&type=product

Samsung TX-P3071WH

[Nutty]

Get an HDTV projector, and play your games on your existing pc through that..

[Slyder]

ok....so what should i get with my tax return....

a HDTV....

or an AMD64 3500 90nm + a MSI K8N Neo2...(i will get other stuff with this....i priced it and total price for what i will get is about $750)

It does'nt matter really.. In around 3 years whatever you get will be considered out of date.

If I had to choose thou, I would say the Athlon64 system.

[Cota]

If it is labeled as HDTV then it must be capable of 1920x1080i and 720x480p. 1280x720p is optional, thus most CRT tubes don't include it. Anything less must be labeled as EDTV or SDTV, or else it is false advertising.

Nope

HDTV covers both 1080i and 720p standards.

Most HDTVs specially DLPs and LCDs don't have 1080i native resolution, DLPs for example use 1280x720p and scale 1080i to fit.

[ynnek]

I'd get a decent sized HDTV, like at least 35" , and make sure I get DirectTV HD Tivo set up with it too.

your computer right now isn't too shabby.

[retsam]

check this out (http://hauppage.com/Pages/products/data_hd.html) why not get a pc and an hdtv card for it....

[Rakeesh]

Nope

HDTV covers both 1080i and 720p standards.

Most HDTVs specially DLPs and LCDs don't have 1080i native resolution, DLPs for example use 1280x720p and scale 1080i to fit.

That wouldn't surprise me actually. I find 720p to be higher quality than 1080i honestly.

[r2d2d3d4d5]

I find 720p to be higher quality than 1080i honestly.
:eek2: :confused:

[quik_2_win]

A couple of us at work have come to the conclusion that-

" HDTV is the coolest thing ever.... "

And we wouldn't lie to you. Yes, buy as large a display as your wallet can handle as the resolution is stellar even at 50"-plus. I would not waste my time (or money) on anything smaller than 50-inches.
(cheers)

[Maestros]

Get the PC. IIRC, most HDTV programming is severely compressed so that you really aren't getting that much of an advantage. I think VOOM gives the best compressed signal but I don't know about the rest of its programming. Let the technology mature a bit. In the meantime get that new pc. (xmassign2

[JD-Scorpion]

:eek2: :confused:

720p looks slightly better when there is a lot of action or movement on screen like with sporting events. 1080i looks better with slower movements\ and still images and so fourth. I have 3 LCOS based HDTV TV's that can handle 1080p (which carries the full HDTV resolution).

If you would like me to get more detail about HDTV and so fourth, just let me know (xmasmile)

[r2d2d3d4d5]

720p looks slightly better when there is a lot of action or movement on screen like with sporting events. 1080i looks better with slower movements\ and still images and so fourth. I have 3 LCOS based HDTV TV's that can handle 1080p (which carries the full HDTV resolution).

If you would like me to get more detail about HDTV and so fourth, just let me know (xmasmile)
Eh, OK. Can I ask why? I would have thought higher resolution=better image.

Do providers use higher compression on 1080i? Can TV codecs not keep up? Does the interlacing become more of an issue on fast action scenes? If it's the interlacing I'm guessing 1080p is still better than 720p on fast motion scenes...?

Unfortunately there won't be any HDTV broadcasts in the UK until 2006. :(

[JD-Scorpion]

Eh, OK. Can I ask why? I would have thought higher resolution=better image.

Do providers use higher compression on 1080i? Can TV codecs not keep up? Does the interlacing become more of an issue on fast action scenes? If it's the interlacing I'm guessing 1080p is still better than 720p on fast motion scenes...?

Unfortunately there won't be any HDTV broadcasts in the UK until 2006. :(

Well as you know (p) progressive is render in one whole field or frame, while (i) interlace is render in two separated fields or frames. Yes 1080i has the higher lines horizontal resolution compared to 720p in theory. However, HD-TV’s sets that can handle a 720p single will display a full 720 lines of horizontal resolution in one pass –Vs- 1080i which has to divide it’s horizontal lines into two fields (540 X 2-fileds =1080i) to make up a full frame. Although the human eye (most of the time) cannot detect two fields being render into one full frame at the standard 60hz TV refresh rate. With HD-TV programs such as sporting events (football mostly) with fast pace action and rapid camera shifts can cause picture tearing, pixelization, and color banding will show up more on 1080i HD-TV compared to a 720p HD-TV. That 720 lines of horizontal resolution that is carried within a single pass will look cleaner and would have fewer issues listed above. While the divided 1080 (540 x 2) horizontal lines of resolution will have a slighter disadvantage of making a full frame with all the rapid data. Don’t get me wrong! 1080i HD-TV sets (programs) in some cases does look better than 720p HD-TV sets (Slow pace programs and still pictures).

Here's an article I wrote awhile back for another forum:

Well I thought I would help out those who are lost or need a touch up lesson on HDTV technology. All current HDTV at least carry the 480p scan format which is most if not all "DVD's" are geared toward. The two main flavors that HDTV come in is 720p and 1080i. And there is that "HOLLY GRAIL" resolution 1080p that can only be seen in the current LCOS or Liquid Crystal on Silicon sets. I personally own a few Toshiba 57in LCOS TV's and has the best HDTV picture I ever seen. The blacks or shadow details aren't the best compared to your average Direct HD-TV or HD CRT base rear projection TV. But the overall picture contains the full HDTV resolution (1920x1080).


These are the correct native resolution formats. No resampling, up converting, or down conversion format found in many fix-pixel formats. These are the standards that most Direct TVs or CRT rear projection follow. (Example: 480p would be 720x480p i.e. Verticle=720 Horizontal=480)

Analog TV Resolution: 480i or 720x480i [525/30]
DVD Resolution: 480p or 720x480p [525/60]
EDTV Resolution: 480p or 800\852x480p [525/60]
HDTV Resolution: 720p or 1280x720p [768/60]
HDTV Resolution: 1080i or 1920x1080i [1080/30]
HDTV Resolution: 1080p or 1920x1080p [1080/60]

Several standard display sizes are:
VGA: 640 x 480
SVGA: 800 x 600
XGA: 1024 x 768
SXGA: 1280 x 1024
SXGA-Wide: 1600 x 1024
UXGA: 1600 x 1200
HDTV: 1920 x 1080
UXGA-Wide: 1920 x 1200
QXGA: 2056 x 1536

Interlace: A video scanning system in which alternating lines are transmitted, so that half a picture is displayed each time the scanning beam moves down the screen. An interlaced frame is made of two fields. (Example: 480i = 240 lines per field 240x240=480i so at 30fps)

Progressive: A video scanning system that displays all lines of a frame in one pass. Contrast with interlaced scan. (Example: 480p = 480 lines per field at 60fps)

What’s this [525/60] or [525/30] and so on?
480i\480p are actually 525i\525p lines of vertical resolution. It goes for 720p, which is actually 768p lines of vertical resolution. So why the mislabel of the horizontal line's of a TV set? Too make it simple and sweet: just think of the extra vertical lines as buffering or ceiling top.

Interlace -Vs- Progressive: Well it depends on the material and the amount of data is being shown on screen. Example: 1080i has more lines of horizontal resolution than 720p format. But 720p has 1080i beat when it comes to a lot of action on screen "Football comes to mind". Why? Because all the lines of 720p are drawn at once not in two fields like 1080i so thus leaving less error for stair-stepping effect or digital blocking. But 1080i can show way more detail in a "still" picture on TV than 720p. So by that token 1080p eats up 720p by a mile.

So what is HDTV full true resolution: 1920x1080 is the full load!
Most HD Direct TVs and HD CRT base rear projection TVs carry this format. And a few fix-pixel sets (Plasma, LCD, LCOS, and DLP) carry the full format resolution. But all set's aren’t made equal. Example: The guns or CRT rods in rear projection TVs can very in size and effect the outcome of 1920x1080 resolution. A 6inch\7inch CRT's cannot match what a 9inch CRT's can produce. The 9inch CRTs can carry the full load while 6inch\7inch CRT come pretty close and are widely used over the 9inch CRTs.

Fixpixel Formats: Plasma, LCD, DLP, and LCOS belong to this family. Most if not all fix-pixel formats tend to do some type of conversion to HDTV material to fit its resolution. Don’t get me wrong CRTs and Direct TVs do some type of conversion but it isn’t that harsh compared with fix-pixel sets. Example: A fix-pixel set with a resolution of 1376x768 must up convert the native resolution of 720p 1280x720p to 1376x768. By the same token down sample 1080i 1920x1080 to 1376x768. But there are more fix-pixel sets that try to at least match one of the HD native resolution heads on. Toshiba 57HL83 57inch LCOS is one of them but goes a step further with 1080p.

Conversion Terms: down-sampling, up-sampling, resizing, scaling, rostering, native correction, and many more

[Warning MY Opinion]

PLASMA -Vs- LCD -Vs- Direct-TV -Vs- CRT Rear Projection -Vs- LCD -Vs- LCOS -Vs- DLP

Shadow Detail "Black Image" Winner:
1. Direct TV "Flat HDTV Boob tube "
2. CRT Rear Projection
3. LCOS
4. DLP
5. Plasma and LCD

Contrast & Brightness Winner:
1. Direct TV & CRT Rear Projection
2. LCOS & DLP
3. LCD
4. Plasma

Color Saturation & Hues Winner:
1. LCOS
2. CRT Rear Projection
3. LCD
4. Direct TV
5. Plasma
6. DLP

Vivid detail winner:
1. LCOS
2. LCD
3. CRT Rear Projection
4. DLP
5. Plasma
6. Direct TV

The above list is to give you example and not to be taken as the gospel truth. You can only form a good opinion if there are bases to do so. I can’t say this list cant be change...because the TV manufactures are always improving their product flaws. Example: LCD use to look horrid compared to CRT's and Plasma but that isn’t the case at the moment. Hitachi and Sony have quite a few LCD rear projection sets that equal and succeed Plasma and Direct TV sets. But it’s a cat and mouse game! It just boils down to your opinion or taste on what you like and not others opinions. I will add more material and answer more questions if needed. Just remember I'm human and I do make mistakes as such.