Specs To Avoid When Choosing An Lcd Tv

[Nova Phoenix]

LCD specs that are most looked at are contrast, brightness, and response time. These three are crucial in determining what the image on the LCD will look like. Resolution also helps, but as long as it can do a max of 1080i, then I'm not fussed.

So please, help me out. What are specs that I should avoid like the m5 bird flu? All that I know is listed below, but I'll still need help on it. And anything else besides them is appreciated.

Response Time: anything above 8ms

Brightness: Anything below 450 cd/m2

Contrast Ratio: Not sure here. The higher the better is all I know.

PS. I also know that LCDs operate better when light is on around them (not shining at them), and that in the absence of light, especially in dark movis, they suck big time...right?

[Kabal]

PS. I also know that LCDs operate better when light is on around them (not shining at them), and that in the absence of light, especially in dark movis, they suck big time...right?

IMO, YES

It doesn't seem to bother a lot though going by sales of the Bravia X and the like.

[Nevyn72]

LCD specs that are most looked at are contrast, brightness, and response time. These three are crucial in determining what the image on the LCD will look like. Resolution also helps, but as long as it can do a max of 1080i, then I'm not fussed.

So please, help me out. What are specs that I should avoid like the m5 bird flu? All that I know is listed below, but I'll still need help on it. And anything else besides them is appreciated.

Response Time: anything above 8ms

Brightness: Anything below 450 cd/m2

Contrast Ratio: Not sure here. The higher the better is all I know.

PS. I also know that LCDs operate better when light is on around them (not shining at them), and that in the absence of light, especially in dark movis, they suck big time...right?

Sums it up pretty well actually!

Also consider the connections available, at very least 1 HDMI port and 2 Component, more of each is better.

As for resolution, there are two aspects to this;

1) Signals accepted: Saying HD ready just means that it can accept and process a 1080 signal, not display it.

Ideally you want a screen that can accept 1080p not just 1080i, though this is more for future compatibility.

2) Screen resolution: Most LCDs out there have a native resolution of 1366x768, some newer screens have a full HD resolution of 1920x1080.

The later type are more expensive but will be of benefit if you plan to, sit close to the screen, get a larger size, hook it up to a HTPC, connect one of the newer generation HD sources such as PS3, BluRay or HD-DVD player.

Best advice is to set your criteria;

- Size

- Features

- Budget

Look at what is available then research the ins and outs of those models.

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

Peter

[big_marcelo]

LCD specs that are most looked at are contrast, brightness, and response time. These three are crucial in determining what the image on the LCD will look like. Resolution also helps, but as long as it can do a max of 1080i, then I'm not fussed.

So please, help me out. What are specs that I should avoid like the m5 bird flu? All that I know is listed below, but I'll still need help on it. And anything else besides them is appreciated.

Response Time: anything above 8ms

Brightness: Anything below 450 cd/m2

Contrast Ratio: Not sure here. The higher the better is all I know.

PS. I also know that LCDs operate better when light is on around them (not shining at them), and that in the absence of light, especially in dark movis, they suck big time...right?

seriously only use specs as a guide... there's a lot of marketing/misinformation out there... take your favourite DVD and play it back... also ask to watch the TV with SD, HD FTA and Foxtel ... if you watch sports specially.... make sure you test the panel with sports.... refresh rates have improved, however if you are coming out of a CRT ... be careful which panel you choose....

[Owen]

seriously only use specs as a guide... there's a lot of marketing/misinformation out there... take your favourite DVD and play it back... also ask to watch the TV with SD, HD FTA and Foxtel ... if you watch sports specially.... make sure you test the panel with sports.... refresh rates have improved, however if you are coming out of a CRT ... be careful which panel you choose....

Good advice.

Specifications are not worth much, its real world performance that counts.

1080i has the same screen resolution requirements as 1080p, both are 1920x1080.

What is vitally important for 1080i is good deinterlacing in the display, which is a rare thing in any display, including 1080p models.

Many displays use simple bob deinterlacing with 1080i source, especially the cheaper ones, which significantly reduces vertical resolution, although on smaller displays you will be hard pressed to notice.

A 768p display with good deinterlacing with outperform a 1080p model with poor deinterlacing, but no manufacturer gives any real info on deinterlacing performance, so specifications tell you nothing.

1080 res displays are best suited to people who sit VERY close to the screen.

With a 46” screen, you would need sit no more then about 2 meters away for a 1080 display to have an advantage over a 768 model, and with a smaller model you would need to be proportionately closer.

It makes no difference what source you will be using in the future, be it a HTPC, BluRay, HDDVD etc, if you don’t sit close enough you will never see the full resolution provided.

Screen resolution should normally be the lowest priority if you want a good picture.

Factors like deinterlacing performance, video processing, black levels, colour accuracy, motion blur are all vastly more important then resolution.

Unfortunately the only way to assess performance is with your eyes.

[Nova Phoenix]

I agree with you (sort-of) with what you said about specifications being JUST a guide.

In my local Target store, there was the Sony KLV-V32A10, two diff Sanyo LCDs (68cm and 81cm), and a Telefunken LCD. They were all playing "Barnyard" DVD (dunno how they managed that, lol). A friend and I looked at all of them, and we agreed that the Sony outperformed them all (with both Sanyos coming close). Especially in a dark scene in the barn, we could make out more detail in the Sony than the Telefunken. The colours in the Sony also stood out more than the others. Also, the larger Sanyo had what looked like analogue-fuzz when viewed up close. The smaller Sanyo seemed to squash things a bit, but it's just the size of the screen I think.

Too bad my local Target still has the KLV-V32A10 at about $1800.

Do replacement lamps still exist for this TV?

[Owen]

I strongly recommend that you make no judgment what so ever on anything you see in a Target store.

The Telefunken and Sanyo’s are the cheapest crap out there, so little wonder that even a base line Sony looked better.

This is really bottom of the barrel stuff.

I’ll say one thing for Sony, they sure know how to set up an LCD TV so that it provides the most horrifically exaggerated contrast and colour.

The outrageously bright and unnatural images sure seem to pull in the punters like moths to a flame.

Personally I find the result hideous and intolerable. Good think you can actually turn thinks down to a normal level, but then the Sonys don’t look much different to the good quality opposition.

[Nova Phoenix]

So what would you say is the "good quality opposition"?

[Owen]

Philips, Sharp, Samsung and others, it all depends on what size and resolution you are after.

If you specify what size and res you want, I am sure some people here will have a more specific recommendation.

Personally I would go with a Plasma not an LCD if I was after a flat panel.

Anything smaller then 42” is a PC monitor not a TV.

[Nova Phoenix]

I'm not choosing Plasma since movies are not all I would use the TV for.

I saw a few Samsung LCDs on display at the local Myers, which were playing some regular TV show. The colouring was horrible! The Sony at Target was still playing "Barnyard" and showed another dark scene, which displayed black and detail well yet again, as well as bright out-there colours.

Despite the age of the KLVV32A10, it's colour and contrast seem to be above a Samsung LCD of equal size.

I'll give the Sony this. The contrast sure doesn't look 1300:1 to me!

EDIT

Size wanted: since I don't have a big room, 32"/81cm will do

Resolution wanted: 1366x768 (I think that's it), or something that can do up to 1080i (I'm not so into the 1080p craze since nothing much has it yet)

[Owen]

I'm not choosing Plasma since movies are not all I would use the TV for.

I guessed that.

I saw a few Samsung LCDs on display at the local Myers, which were playing some regular TV show. The colouring was horrible! The Sony at Target was still playing "Barnyard" and showed another dark scene, which displayed black and detail well yet again, as well as bright out-there colours.

Despite the age of the KLVV32A10, it's colour and contrast seem to be above a Samsung LCD of equal size.

As far as I know current and best Sony LCD’s use panels made by Samsung.

Sony and Samsung have a joint venture going with LCD development and manufacture.

I don’t know if the KLVV32A10 uses a Sammy panel.

Colour is adjustable, so don’t make any assumptions on colour without adjusting the set.

I'll give the Sony this. The contrast sure doesn't look 1300:1 to me!

Its brightness you are seeing not contrast, the brighter the display the greyer the blacks, simple as that. The brightness disguises the poor blacks.

Put the display in a dark room displaying a hight scene and the grey blacks will be VERY obvious.

1300:1 is typical for most LCD, and even the best struggle to get 2000:1.

If the panel is set to deliver 450cd then the black level will be 0.34cd, if the 1300:1 figure is accurate.

EDIT

Size wanted: since I don't have a big room, 32"/81cm will do

Resolution wanted: 1366x768 (I think that's it), or something that can do up to 1080i (I'm not so into the 1080p craze since nothing much has it yet)

A 1366x768 can display a 1080i signal, so can a 480p display, but both cannot resolve it. You need a 1080p display to resolve 1080i as both are the exactly same resolution (1920x1080).

On an 81cm that’s hardly an issue unless you are going to sit close enough the touch the screen.

[Nova Phoenix]

Guess I will, once again, stick to CRTs, and just find a way to shield it from the magnetics of other device. I'm sick of waiting for my Sammy to come back, whether it's a replacement unit or not! I want another TV!! Maybe that LG CRT (the one that has a 10 pg topic here) will do better!!!

[pjc]

Guess I will, once again, stick to CRTs, and just find a way to shield it from the magnetics of other device. I'm sick of waiting for my Sammy to come back, whether it's a replacement unit or not! I want another TV!! Maybe that LG CRT (the one that has a 10 pg topic here) will do better!!!

You may have missed the boat to pick up a decent CRT.

Philip

[Nova Phoenix]

Then I may be forced to go over my 1K credit card limit and buy the LG CRT that Myers has at $1299. And if I do that don't worry, I won't be forced into buying the floor model this time - I'm not making that mistake again!

[gf1966]

I still cant justify the 50-100% premium charged for a 5-10% improvement in picture quality particularly with 1366x768 32" LCD panels (which are only good for 720p sources anyway). So for me the biggest spec to be wary of is the price.

[Nova Phoenix]

Yeah, the price for LCDs is still too high. And the ones that are in my budget are unacceptable (high r/t, crap contrast, lack of HDMI...and thats just for starters). Plasma are no better either. I've seen some cheap ones, but they have bad resolution (800x480 or something).

So it will always be CRT for me, for a long while. I hope the speakers inside the LG CRT will not cause it's tube to develop hotspots (shot at the Sammy I bought).

[Nova Phoenix]

Pardon the double post, but there is one LCD that I have read up about that seems to grab my interest: the Samsung LA32R71BDX. In-built HDTV tuner, 5000:1 contrast, 8ms r/t, 500cd/m2 brightness, and HDMI. One reviewer on cnet.com.au said the PS3's HDMI might not work on it though - confirmation??

Anyhoo, does anyone have anything (positive or negative) to say about the Samsung LA32R71BDX?

[Owen]

5000:1 sounds like wishful thinking on the part of Samsung.

Sony quote less then 2000:1 for there Samsung manufactured panels.

Remember its not contrast ratio that’s important, its black level.

It’s easy to make a display brighter which will give you better contrast numbers, but the extra brightness is unusable in anything other then a bright viewing environment.

No one states black level figures in there spec’s.

[Nova Phoenix]

In other words, don't bother with LCDs all together, is that right?

EDIT: Or perhaps not...maybe? The only reason my interest in LCD TVs came up again was because I read that in a bright environment, they will look better in all scenes, and in a dark environment, they will look utterly horrible.

Comparing both the TVs I have mentioned so far (Sony and Samsung), both have brightness of 500cd/m2. The Sony has 1300:1 contrast, while the Samsung in question has 5000:1. Though you wouldn't think so when viewing the displayed Samsung at my local Myers, unless it was crappy reception (it was displaying a TV channel, prob digital due to the in-built tuner). The Sony was playing the "Barnyard" DVD, probably through Component inputs. Ironically, the Samsung seemed to do a bit worse in blacks than the Sony.

[madmax]

In other words, don't bother with LCDs all together, is that right?

If you're only after a 32" flat panel, you have no choice - plasmas don't come that small.

[edit] Now I see you in the SXRD 60" & 70" thread...... - you really need to decide what size tv you want before you can go much further.

[Nova Phoenix]

If you're only after a 32" flat panel, you have no choice - plasmas don't come that small.

[edit] Now I see you in the SXRD 60" & 70" thread...... - you really need to decide what size tv you want before you can go much further.

What I want....okay then, here it is:

TV Aspects

- Physically, it should be a Widescreen

- Capable of doing 1080i (1080p is not important to me until there is lots of stuff that actually uses it)

- In-built HDTV tuner (not truly needed but will free up a HDMI port)

Connections

- At least one HDMI (for the Playstation 3 and a HD STB if one is not built in)

- At least two Component (one for the Xbox 360, the other for whatever)

- Standard connections (probably wouldnt be used much if at all though)

Uses of the TV

- Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 gaming

- TV watching (digital, of course)

- Movies (DVD/HD/BR)

Now you know. Care to recommend me anything, based on the above information I've just shared?

[Platinum1503560545]

i'm yet to see an LCD TV that is worth watching or purchasing. save your money. Ralph.

[shrek]

5000:1 sounds like wishful thinking on the part of Samsung.

Sony quote less then 2000:1 for there Samsung manufactured panels.

Remember its not contrast ratio that’s important, its black level.

It’s easy to make a display brighter which will give you better contrast numbers, but the extra brightness is unusable in anything other then a bright viewing environment.

No one states black level figures in there spec’s.

The Sony is not manufactured by Samsung. The panel (not the tv) is made at a JOINT venture plant (not a Samsung plant). The Sony engine and everything else in the Sony is made in Japan and the Samsung is made in Korea.

[drsmith]

I tried two LCD TV's last year. In a dark environment the back light black level was well below bar in both cases. Their depth makes them suitable in a well lit room with space limitations and the 1920x1080p ones can make good giant PC monitors. My view is that for home theatre though they don't yet cut the mustard and won't until we see units with a static contrast ratio of 3000:1 or more. I personally would not now consider one until the static contrast ratio exceeds 5000:1.

[Nova Phoenix]

CRT it is then. They still outperform LCDs. It's just a shame that very few have HDMI inputs. The ones that do (LG and Samsung) are hard to find, and some Sony WS CRT that has HDMI is even rarer.