going HDTV for the first time....

[Bravo]

I know, I know, I am johnny-come-lately on going to HDTV, but I am ready to take the plunge....

I have picked out a Samsung 720p 50 inch plasma as my screen and am wondering about HDMI compatible AV receivers...as I want video switching and upconversion of my existing DVD player...

I am going to upgrade my DirecTV dish and DVR (saying goodbye to my beloved Tivo).

Does anyone have a HDMI compatible AV receiver to recommend?

 

[Slingblade61]

why 720 and not 1080?

 

[Rockford35]

why 720 and not 1080?

My question too.

R35

 

[West Coast Duffer]

Prices are not a big issue on panels anymore and you can get a 1080 at a great price.

 

[Bravo]

1)All broadcasting is done in 720. Broadcasting in 1080 will not commence for several years. Therefore the only rationale (now) for getting a 1080 would be for DVD's....

then....

2) I got on an AVS board that has a sticky on the subject of 720 vs 1080. They have a 'chart' which indicates if the human eye can discern the difference when viewing a 1080 DVD....on 1080 screen

My seat is 17 feet away from the screen, which will be 50 inches diagonally. At that combination of screen size and distance, the chart indicates you cannot tell the difference....you would have to be much closer to the screen to see any difference.

 

[Slingblade61]

It's not about performance, it's psychological satisfaction .

Of course you can't tell the difference but what a feeling knowing that you are capable!

How come plasma and not LCD?

by the way, many things are broadcast in 1080i It's the progressive scan (1080p) that is down the road a ways.

 

[Wi-Golfer]

I have had my 52" HDTV for about 4 years now, it's switchable between the 720 & 1080....I have never noticed a difference either way.

 

[Bravo]

Check this chart:

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/assets/download/0602_tech_talk2_large.jpg

 

[Bravo]

It's not about performance, it's psychological satisfaction .

Of course you can't tell the difference but what a feeling knowing that you are capable!

How come plasma and not LCD?

by the way, many things are broadcast in 1080i It's the progressive scan (1080p) that is down the road a ways.

I've got a large, lightly lit room, with some wide viewing angles....

 

[Rockford35]

Technology is such a connundrum. The computer that I'm typing this on is pretty much obselete by the time it's delivered to my house.

The same goes with 780p vs 1080p. Why buy something that is obselete, or has the potential to be within a couple of years of purchase?

The reason that 780 is cheap now is because 1080 is on the horizon. The fact that Blu Ray, Playstation 3, some programming, etc is in 1080 already leads me to believe that "several years" means less than we think. Just like anything else, it's closer than we know. With a market striving for the biggest, baddest and best, I'm will to gamble a few extra hundred bucks on a machine that is backwards compatible to the current native resolution of 780, while still giving myself the option of 1080p in the very near future.

I'd engulge more, but I have to return my Playstation 3, as the PS4 is due out in early 2010 and my DVD player, which doesn't support Blu Ray or HD for some reason....I just bought them each this year, but in two years, I'm already falling behind....

Know what I mean?

R35

 

[Bravo]

Found the receiver I want...handles HDMI 1.3 and has full video switching with mult-room capability for my patio and kitchen......

Home Theater: Onkyo TX-SR605 A/V Receiver

 

[LyleG]

at your seating distance, 720p is more than fine. You will see no difference from a higher res set. Plasma is also better than LCD if you plan on watching anything that involves fast movement on screen thanks to motion blur. The new 120hz LCD's are a bit better but still blur to some degree.

Enjoy your new set.

 

[15andlife]

Go with the Onkyo Bravo thats what we have in our living room and we have 2 HDMI ports on it, one for the DVD player (which upscales) and one for the PS3. Its a great reciever but your speakers matter even more. If you dont want to drop the coin on the Onkyo go with a Sony I have a sony 5.1 setup in my room and it is awesome. Best of luck (PS if anyone wants to see our setup i can post a pic just to show it off)

 

[Slingblade61]

Whatever it is..................... you're going to love it!

 

[EDSGolf]

I just got the Sharp 37" LCD HDTV, total nightmare hooking it up, but appears to be working now.