My first HDTV

Ok, so i' m definately buying a HDTV on the 22nd September when i get paid. I' m stuck between 3 Samsung models and i need some advice on which to get.

I' m specifically directing this at Mass, VX, Joe and Loco although any advice from anybody who knows what they' re talking about would be appreciated.

I also need to know what speaker system would compliment the TV.

The TV will be used exclusively for games consoles and my DVD recorder. If i' m likely to run into any problems connecting my PS2, Xbox or Gamecube then i need to know in advance.

The 3 models i' m deliberating over are...

Samsung 26" LE26R74BDX/XEU Freeview HD Ready LCD TV

HD Ready: Yes
Panel Type: PVA
Colour Gamut: 72%
Resolution: 1366x768
Brightness: 500 cd/2
Dynamic Contrast: Yes (3000:1)
Response Time: 8ms
Viewing angle (Degrees): 170°/170°
Backlight: CCFL
Stereo:A2/NiCAM, Surround: SRS TruSurround XT
Speaker: Sound Waveguide Type
Auto Volume Leveller: Yes
Game Mode: Yes
R/F: 1EA, Component(Y/Pb/Pr, L/R): 1EA, Scart: 2EA, S-Video, Composite, L/R: 1EA
Headphone: 1EA
HDMI (+ DVI Audio L/R): 1EA
PC D-sub ( + Mini Stereo ): 1EA
Monitor out, L/R: 1EA
Colour: Black/White

...or...

Samsung 26" LE26R72BX HD Ready LCD TV

HD Ready
Picture:
Visible Diagonal: 26"
Colour Gamut: EBU 100%
Resolution: 1366 x 768
Brightness: 500 cd/m²
Response Time: 8ms
Dynamic Contrast Ratio 3000:01:00
Viewing angle: (H/V) 176°/176°
Backlight: CCFL
Stereo: A2/NiCAM, Surround: SRS TruSurround XT
Feature:
Game Mode
R/F: 1EA, Component(Y/Pb/Pr): 1EA, Scart: 2EA, S-Video: 1EA, Composite: 1EA
Headphone: 1EA
HDMI: 1EA
PC D-sub: 1EA
Monitor out, L/R: 1EA
Colour: Black/White

...or...

Samsung 27" LCD TV - H D READY

HD-Ready
SRS TruSurround XT sound quality for a greater all round entertainment experience.Visible Diagonal 27
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Resolution 1366x768
Brightness 500 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio 800:1
Inputs: PC(D-Sub) DVI Component (Y/Pb/Pr) SCART(2) S-Video Composite Video RF PC Audio In Audio Out Headphone

...

I prefer the look of the last one but it doesn' t have HDMI and the contrast ratio is far lower than the other two so i need to know what kind of a difference that would make.

Dynamic Contrast Ratio is different from Static Contrast Ratio, thats why the first 2 have much higher #s, the first two TVs are probably 600:1 or 800:1, they usually list dynamic contrast ratio when theyre trying to hide a low static contrast ratio.

As far as what difference it makes... you always want a higher contrast ratio as it produces better black levels. On an 800:1 black = dark shade of gray, 1000:1 and 1200:1 produce better blacks but it still looks like dark shades of gray, no LCD I' ve ever seen ever produced the kind of blacks CRTs are capable of. Anyway anything lower than 800:1 sucks.

And I think Samsung LCDs suck, I had a white 720p 32" and returned it because of blur and pixelation on scenes with alot of motion.

I have the first one in its 40" version, and im super happy with my purchase! Ofcourse it isnt as good as CRT screens, but if size and beauty matters its all good! According to what iv read Samsung has some of the best screens out there! Sony and B&O uses the tech in their screens!

The higher the contrast the better, and the dynamic picture enhancer in samsung screens makes normal tv shows look much better aswell!

So unless you can afford a highend Phillips screen, i can really recommend the first screen.

I' ve seen the white 32" 720p one and it looked great , but I only saw some HD presentation and it' s totally different with games - those Samsung TV' s were all over E3 for 360 presentation , since there are many models , some could be great and other have problems like Evil said.Gotta check it with 360 at you shop

I would also try to find a NATIVE 720p TV - but I know it' s pretty hard lately.

Why does everyone buy Samsung? It must be because they are so cheap. I' m not saying their picture quality sucks or anything, but there are definitely better looking TVs out there.

Most reviews you' ll see for HDTVs out there are just for movie viewing, Im sure samsung Tvs get good reviews for that but playing games and watching movies is totally different. So ifyou see a TV with good reviews and all that was tested was movies it could be total shit with games.

I' m very picky with response time as its vital for gaming, and alot of companies lie about their response time in the specs, the only LCD brands I' ve owned that dont create a mess in fast-moving action games are Sharp, Viewsonic, and Westinghouse. This is all for stuff under $2,000. I' m sure you can get a really expensive samsung without any problems but for the budget $1000-$2000 stuff I really like those 3. The worse that I' ve owned are Syntax, Samsung, and EMPREX is absolute total garbage.

ORIGINAL: Joe Redifer

Why does everyone buy Samsung? It must be because they are so cheap. I' m not saying their picture quality sucks or anything, but there are definitely better looking TVs out there.

What would you recommend?!

I have the first one in its 40" version

Yeah that' s why i wanted your opinion. Any chance you could post some photo' s of it with a game running?!

Oh, and have you noticed any " issues" with it?!

And I think Samsung LCDs suck, I had a white 720p 32" and returned it because of blur and pixelation on scenes with alot of motion.

Seriously dude, i don' t know shit about HDTV' s. Any chance you could explain what problems it had in more detail?!

What do you own now?

I have a 40" Westinghouse, and 37" Viewsonic.

The problem is bad response time... on the particular samsung TV (and on a 1080p emprex as well) the response time is supposed to be 8ms but it feels like 24+ms, which leads me to believe they lie about their specs, what you see is motion blur or ghosting on objects that are moving fast on your screen, and when there is too much going on you also notice pixelation on and off the screen for some split seconds which just looks horrible to me.

But that is just what I am anal about, I absolutely fucking hate ghosting and pixelation even if it only happens for a split second.

And showing pictures of a static image on an LCD isn' t going to prove anything, any decent LCD will look good on a still image, its when theres motion going on that you get problems.

What would you recommend?!

Well I have a Sony KV-34XBR960 or something like that. It is a CRT and weighs even more than Evil Man' s ass!* CRTs give you the sharpest picture quality, multiple native resolutions and instant response time, but they can have geometry issues, convergeance issues, their size is limited and you can' t hang them on the wall. I haven' t really done too much research in LCD TVs, but I don' t think I could stand a non-native 720p and/or 1080p resolution. They scale EVERY image to the bogus 768p native resolution. Gay!





*Yes, I am kidding.

One of the new things in LCD technology that you need to consider, which mostly affects LCD monitors is very low (good) response rates (8ms and below) are often achieved by changing the colour depth from 8 bit to 6 bit, so instead of having 16.7 million colours you end up with 16.2 million. I mention this because it seems this a is a favorable method among manufacturers and its starting to get popular. The result is that you get excellent response rates with virtually no ghosting but the downside is that you gwet this (half tone) effect, look at the colour in news papers and thats sort of what you get only much less pronounced.

I have a 6 bit monitor and I have no regrets as I see no ghosting while playing my games and the difference in colour isn' t niticeable 99% of the time.

but I don' t think I could stand a non-native 720p and/or 1080p resolution. They scale EVERY image to the bogus 768p native resolution. Gay!

That' s true but the upscale is so minute (like 6%) it doesnt matter, my LCD has options to play 720p at actual 1280x720 and displays black bars around the edges, or just the normal mode which upscales it to 1366x768 and fits the whole screen and it looks the same.

I dont know why they make 720p LCDs 768p, my 1080p LCD is actually 1080p, but my 720 is 768 =/

They make them 768 because it makes SDTV look much better than at 720.

A lot of companies pretty much lie about their specs. They will say something like 8 ms respone time but it will be gray to gray response time instead of white-black-white response time which is usually twice as long. So it is actaully 16 ms.

I would recommend getting the VGA adapter so you can set it to the exact resolution. It looked significantly sharper when we used mine on my roomates TV.

Good luck getting anything faster than 8 ms or at native 1280x720 for a TV.

"If you knew how good I am you would think I'm modest."

My samsung screen is perfect for games, iv had even the pickiest gamers fall over backwards with amazement on how good it look when playing! There is no ghosting at all on the screen! Maybe Evil Mans house is just haunted!

ORIGINAL: Vx Chemical

My samsung screen is perfect for games, iv had even the pickiest gamers fall over backwards with amazement on how good it look when playing! There is no ghosting at all on the screen! Maybe Evil Mans house is just haunted!

Yours it the first model right?!

What' s the difference betwwen the first and second?!



What about Sony' s Bravia range?!

* 26" S-series BRAVIA LCD TV
* HD Ready
* Integrated Digital TV Tuner
* High Performance LCD panel
* Wide Viewing Angle 178 degrees
* BRAVIA ENGINE
* Fast Response Time 8ms
* High Contrast 1200:1
* Resolution: 1366 x 768
* PAL / NTSC
* SRS TruSurround XT for enhanced surrounding effect
* BBE technology for clear and easily audible sound
* High Aperture Ratio Speaker Cover
* Silent Start & Quiet Power On
* Light Sensor to Control Backlight for Optimum Picture Quality
* PIP Freeze to Pause Important Scenes on the Spot
* Swivel to Adjust Display to the Best Viewing Position
* High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)
* PC Input for use as a PC monitor

* HD ready
* Intergrated digital freeview tuner
* 3D comb filter
* 1 X HDMI
* 2 x scart
* 1 x composite input
* PC input
* VESA Compatible
* 26' ' screen
* Picture in picture function
* Virtual Dolby surround
* Wall mountable
* WXGA (1366 x 768)

Yours it the first model right?!

What' s the difference betwwen the first and second?!

¨

The color of the lower part of the tv

The Bravia from sony is just a samsung screen with Sony slapped on the front of it! Its most likely the same hardware as the screen i have!

Microsoft openly chose the Samsung models for their display pods. What would be the difference in image quality for one of these LCD HDTV' s compared to a CRT (PC) monitor set to the same resolution (768)???

Would it be just as sharp but with more vibrant colours?!

Oh, and VX, what' s the ' Game Mode' ???!!!

I really like the Samsungs models, the 3rd model in my original post especially. I just need to know which will give the best image quality.

Sharp Aquos is the nicest looking LCD I have ever seen; it will however set you back a pretty buck. But if you don' t mind mortgaging your house to buy a TV, then I definitely recommend it.

That bravia has a 1200:1 contrast ration, so yeah, thats better than all the TVs you' ve listed.

And CRTs are the best assuming its not interlaced, which pretty much all CRT HDTVs are, but you can get a big ass CRT monitor that will be better than any LCD in the 26" range.

Y' know, I' ve always said that I will only use a tube (CRT) for my video games, but then I went and got my projector, and all my systems (except for Gamecube) are hooked up to that! Technology just keeps advancing, so even the cheaper LCD TVs do the job reasonably well.

If SEDs deliver all they are supposed to, then that will be my next step. We shall see at the end of 2007 (when they are " supposedly" being released.)

Majik, have you gone to a store and actually eyeballed some sets? That' s the BEST way to shop for a TV in my opinion.

bring you 360 in the store and ask if you can test out the LCDs with it. If they get a commision they will gladly let you do it. If they wont let you just walk right out the door until you find a place that wants to sell.

Ok, i think i' m getting one of the the Samsung R74' s.

The ones used on Microsoft' s 360 pods are R73' s and i was consider getting one of those, but take a LOOK for yourself and tell me what you think.

Go for it majik, good price too.

Change is inevitable. Except from a vending machine.

Viva La Revolution! erm, I mean Viva La Wii!

ORIGINAL: Silentbomber

Go for it majik, good price too.

I was going to wait until the 27th when i get paid but i may just empty my game fund (currently standing at £900) and buy the TV early and then transfer my wage into the other account once i' ve been paid.

you have an 900 game fund??

what job do you have?

Change is inevitable. Except from a vending machine.

Viva La Revolution! erm, I mean Viva La Wii!

ORIGINAL: Silentbomber

you have an 900 game fund??

what job do you have?

I' m at uni. Well, term doesn' t start for another 2 weeks yet.

I work part time in Gamestation, work part time at the Emporium Bar in Middlesbrough (ususally Friday/Saturday nights), i do data analysis for my dad' s consultancy business, my parents pay my rent, i have a student loan and i have a £2500 overdraft on my Switch.

Every month i put about £200 into my current account that i use for bying things like DVD' s, CD' s and games. I just can' t remember the last time i bought a CD or a DVD...

Majik , let me know how' s your new TV doing - I' m thinking about getting some LCD TV instead of projector lately and those Samsung LCDs look nice.

It' s so fuckin hard to get a CRT HDTV :(

It' s so fuckin hard to get a CRT HDTV :(

It' s a cryin shame. I was eyeballing one at Best-Buy over labor day, and it was running for 599 with financing. Sadly, I wasn' t carrying what they were asking for money down, which is a good thing, otherwise I would' ve dumped all my funds into that thing, and had nothing left come Wiitime.

HDTV kick ass!

Even if you break 2 legs from a crab it still runs!
What you gotta do is find its weak spot and do massive damage at it.

Yes, your ass. Because yours didn' t have component inputs

I play in HD.

You see with a HDTV you wanna play in HD..

Even if you break 2 legs from a crab it still runs!
What you gotta do is find its weak spot and do massive damage at it.

ORIGINAL: ]GaNgStA[

Majik , let me know how' s your new TV doing - I' m thinking about getting some LCD TV instead of projector lately and those Samsung LCDs look nice.

It' s so fuckin hard to get a CRT HDTV :(

Yeah ofcourse. I' ll likely be getting in next Saturday (once i' ve been paid on the 22nd) and i' ll post a ton of pictures of it up and running and of the ports etc.

I might go for 40" samsung LCD if I won' t be getting my native 720p projector.

I' d love to hear your opinion on DVD playback :)

How big will your TV be? 32?

ORIGINAL: ]GaNgStA[

I' d love to hear your opinion on DVD playback :)

How big will your TV be? 32?

27" actually. Only because i plan on getting a bigger TV early-ish next year when i move into new accomodation. I figured that for right now 27" would be big enough, especially seeing as split-screen gaming is dead.

I really want a 1080p HDTV but the cost and size is putting me off.

I' d love to hear your opinion on DVD playback :)

Specifically?! Is there something i need to know about DVD playback on the Samsungs?!

No it' s just that I' d like to know how they handle DVDs - it' s different for every HDTV.

I don' t know if there' s LAG when displaying 480i signal , but they deal with it pretty nice - I' ve seen some analog television show playing on it and it was really good.

I wouldn' t go below 36" now , but I have a big room and I' m sitting far from TV.

That' s why 100" HD Projector is still on my mind :)

ORIGINAL: ]GaNgStA[

No it' s just that I' d like to know how they handle DVDs - it' s different for every HDTV.

I don' t know if there' s LAG when displaying 480i signal , but they deal with it pretty nice - I' ve seen some analog television show playing on it and it was really good.

I wouldn' t go below 36" now , but I have a big room and I' m sitting far from TV.

That' s why 100" HD Projector is still on my mind :)

What size TV did you buy to replace the one you had your Xbox hooked up to?

I' ve been playing on 29" TV at first and now (for over e year now to be precise) I have a nice 36" 16:9

That' s why I can' t go any lower than this :)

Yes, your ass. Because yours didn' t have component inputs

I play in rather close quarters, so I' m not planning on going enormously huge, maybe a 26 or so.

Ok, after much deliberation and several trips to several stores to see HDTV' s in their natural habitats i' ve norrowed it down to either the Samsung R74 range or The LGLX range.

I think i' m actually going for a 32" instead of my previous planned 27" and i' m going to have it on a stand rather than mounted on a wall.

When i went to see the TV' s side by side i found the LG to have a nicer picture. The samsungs are extremely nice too and there' s not much difference in the price. Either way, next weekend i' m buying one of them.

What i now want to know (Joe) is how Gamecube and Dreamcast games will look when displayed on a TV that has a native resolution of 1366 x 768.

Majik my tv is a native resolution of 1366 x 768.

I can try it on my GC tonight.

But its the Swedish election for the GOv live on TV now,i need to see who wins first.

Even if you break 2 legs from a crab it still runs!
What you gotta do is find its weak spot and do massive damage at it.

ORIGINAL: QuezcatoL

Majik my tv is a native resolution of 1366 x 768.

I can try it on my GC tonight.

But its the Swedish election for the GOv live on TV now,i need to see who wins first.

Yeah, try RE4...