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Invisible wrote:
> It seems that LCD TVs go up to absurd sizes, with a price tag to match.
Having just shopped around for and bought one of these, I can answer some
of
these questions...
> - Some of the units claim a contrast ratio of 500:1. Some say 700:1.
> Others claim 1,000:1. Which is fair enough. But then some claim
> 10,000:1. (And yet have similar or identical prices.) Am I *really* to
Part of it is the kind of glass they put in front of the LCD. Some of the
Samsungs, for example, go from 10,000:1 to 40,000:1 by putting a shiny
tinted glass in front instead of a matte glass. You'll probably get more
glare with the higher contrast ratios if it's in a bright room.
> - Gotta love the way websites tell you a TV has audio connectors, but n
eglects to specify whether these are inputs or outputs! :-P
Probably inputs, with one being outputs. That's so you can connect your V
CR,
your video game, your DVD player, etc to the TV. Why would you need lots
of
outputs?
> - I _presume_ (since I haven't found one yet) that it is impossible to
> get a TV with full 1080 resolution that is only 30" across. Is that the
> case? (What, they figure you can't see details that small except on a
> larger device?)
You can get a monitor like that, but it won't have a tuner built in. And
yes, on my 46" HDTV (1080p), it's hard to see all the pixels standing a f
oot
away. Seriously, compare your current computer display's pixels-per-cm to
the 30" 720p display and see.
> - Trying to figure out which TV is going to give me a decent picture is
> maddeningly difficult. If you shop online, you can't *see* anything at
> all, so you just have the luminance, constrast ratio and response time
> to go at. (And the viewing angle - if that actually means anything.) If
> you go to a physical shop things are not much improved; all the TVs I'v
e
> seen look terrible, most of them being driven by a simple RF signal ove
r
> cheap coax cable. (!!) How the *hell* am I supposed to tell which ones
> are any good?
Go to amazon.com and read the reviews by people who actually already boug
ht
it. Or go to a better store where they're actually interested in selling
them. If you're spending $2000 on one, drive to London and look or someth
ing.
> - What are the best brands to go for? (I have a Samsung computer monito
r
> at home that works very well, so I've been tending to look mostly at
> Samsung. But I don't know if they're really the best.)
Dunno. Mine is nice. Many of the differences is stuff you're not likely t
o
use - does it have a USB port where you can plug in a camera and look at
the
images? Does it have an ethernet port that will pick up local weather
reports and put them on screen? Does it have a connector that plugs into
the
bracket that holds the thing to the wall so you can turn it left and righ
t
with the remote control? Does it have (WTF) a recipe book built in?
> - What is HDMI? Does anything use it yet? Is there a specific reason wh
y
HDMI is basically DVI (digital video) plus sound on the same cable. It's
$80
because they can. Radio Shack (the fast food store of electronics around
here) has cables for $20; you can get the same length "monster" cables fo
r
$150. Shop around. It's marketing.
> And of course, the million-dollar question:
>
> - Are there any ways to obtain HD signals yet? (I gather BluRay players
> are actually on sale now, but still prohibitively expensive. Are there
> any other possible sources?)
Computers. Video games. Cable TV here carries some HD channels. Satellite
dishes.
--
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
The NFL should go international. I'd pay to
see the Detroit Lions vs the Roman Catholics.
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