Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Montel Williams being busted for drug paraphernalia, the latest MLB hall of fame inductees, or America’s 4G wars, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
With CES 2011 kicking off, I’m psyched to learn about all the new HDTVs from Samsung, Sony, Sharp, Toshiba, Vizio, etc. The show also has me thinking about your gaming HDTVs. Don’t worry, I’m not planning to rob you or anything. I was just wondering what factors go into your HDTV purchasing decisions. After all, powerful consoles like the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 can’t be fully exploited without great televisions to play them on, right?
Is price or picture quality more important to you? Do you prefer LCD with LED backlighting, plasma, or DLP? Do you care about integrated Internet features? Do you rely on a separate sound setup or do you need a television with good speakers? What about refresh rate? Do you care if your TV is capable of 120Hz, 240Hz, or 600Hz?
Let me know what you look for in a gaming HDTV and what model you currently have. If you have a rich uncle, I could use a Samsung PN58C8000. Ha!
We got an AOC 27' LCD tv a few months back and I love it. I'm just now really getting into TV Tech so with this batch of new stuff I'm looking to get another tv from the previous generation because its going to be cheaper lol.
I also have an 27" AOC LCD w/LED backlight. I have yet to notice any differences between LCD, LCD w/LED, and Plasma. The next TV i get will probably a viewer-free 3-D tv. if i were to buy a tv now i would get a 47" inch Plasma (because my room is dark) that does 1080P/i, with refresh rate of 600 mhz of course ( i think that's standard on all plasma's now, right?)
@MLB HOF
Alomar should've gotten in last year. idk who the heck the other guy is.
Wow. I find a huge difference between LCD and LCD with LED backlighting. Plasma sets are also distinctly different than LCD to me. Of course everything should be properly calibrated, which is something most consumers never bother to do.
@rpad
Thats true, i dont think ive done any calibration. Any tips??
Going with a good pro is the best way, but it can be expensive. Here are some discs that help you do it yourself:
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=rt0b3-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000V6LST0&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=rt0b3-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00005PJ70&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>
What do you mean by calibrate, like adjusting the tv settings?
Yup. Most people don't do this or do it improperly.
@ rpad
Hmmm do you recommend one over the other?
@bb
Oh man thats hilarious! I cant believe we own the same brand tv! What are the odds!!
They're the same. One is Blu-ray and one is DVD.
Oh ok. I'll get the blu-ray one. I guess i'll move my ps3 from tv to tv. You should see a purchase tomorrow.
Is the TV calibrator in Windows Media Center any good?
I haven't tried it. I've always used discs for calibration.
Haha dude we have the same tv!
I started with a $99 27" Sanyo CRT with Mono sound and only a coxial hook up when I got my PS3. Then I bought a $650 36" Flat screen JVC CRT (190ish pounds) that actually had several inputs and outputs but was only a 480 tv. I could have gotten a 720p Tv for the same price but only 22", but High def seemed dumb then. (it was the last of my $10,000 shopping card to Best Buy also)
Then I was given a 32" Visio 720p LCD. Love it. Main TV for years. Speakers are great, picture is great, has PiP.
This Black Friday I bought a 42" Emerson 1080p LCD for $400. No features, the Speakers suck. There are virtually no inputs and outputs (which I forgot to check when buying but I knew better). Bought a new Home theater-in-a-box because my TV only outputs Coaxial digital audio.
PRICE is really my only concern anymore.
LBP2 Demo is out. Just got an email about it.
First I decide on a tech to purchase. Currently I have a 50' Panasonic G10 plasma in my living room and we have a 46' Sony XBR LCD in my man cave. I prefer the Plasma simply because of the color quality.
My next will probably be another Plasma since the LED backlit are so expensive, not too mention have 3D shoved at you.
After the tech I read up on the innards of each set to see which one offers the most tech for the money. When I bought my Sony I chose it over a comparable Samsung because of the awesome effects the Sony did when playing a Bluray.
We have a 50" Plasma in the living room hooked up to one 360, the PS3 and the PS2, and a 36" LCD in the bedroom hooked up to the other 360, the other PS2, the Wii and the GameCube.
I have a 42" Magnavox (basically a Phillips). It is a 1080p LCD at 60Hz. Pretty much, it is the cheapest HDTV no current console can push to its limits. (Games don't render over 60 frames per second and the current consoles don't render in 1080p.) I like my simple HDTV though.
Since I don't have an HDTV, nor will I probably have the funds for one anytime soon- I don't really have anything to look for. As long as the picture quality and lifespan is good those are probably the things I would look for.