LCD/Plasma/CRT/DLP - questions

[Lyris]

Samsung has contract ratio of 5000:1, Toshiba has 1200:1

The Samsung one is a doctored number and is in effect when Dynamic Contrast is turned on (in other words when all of the contrast range in the picture is totally crushed). Ignore that point.

Get the Toshiba.

Sony KDL26S2010U 26" ?747.26p at empire direct.

It's great and that actually IS the newer model. Go get it!

[Chunky]

The Samsung one is a doctored number and is in effect when Dynamic Contrast is turned on (in other words when all of the contrast range in the picture is totally crushed). Ignore that point.

So what is the true contrast ratio for them ? This was the advice i was looking for to be honest, everyone else seems to be going for the Toshiba at the moment anyway.

[Lyris]

I don't know what the true contrast ratio is, but the answer is probably "not low enough to worry about".

[gIzzE]

Contrast ratio specs mean **** all, and manufacturers should be banned from printing them. What they should give you is the light output at 0ire (absolute balck) but they wouldn't dare!!!
Some of them give out more light output at 0ire than others at 10ire (black is 0 white is 100) which means anything below this just isn't shown, you simply miss loads of detail.
It is not the end of the world, look at it like this, you can listen to drum and bass without the bass, but once you have heard it with everything there it is hard to go back to having the bass missing again!

I am yet to see an LCD with decent black levels, I have a Panasonic and you can't see the difference between 0, 1, 2 and 3 ire, it starts around 6 ire and because of this you loose the 3D depth in the image, it always looks a little flat.

Sorry, just really annoys me when they talk about contrast ratio, we really want to know if it can produce blacks, so why not put that figure down!!??

[Chunky]

So which do you think i should go for gIzzE ?

[gIzzE]

Well I like the panasonic range best, I hated the Samsung, I took mine back after 2 days as I thought it was awful, crushed whites, no detail in the dark areas and it frame rate converts everything to 60hz and I can't stand judder, but I notice it more than most people. There is no way to turn this off either, I called Samsung and asked if you could but it just isn't possible, it converts it back to the screens internal buffer which is 60hz.


I only use it in the kitchen but still has to be right.

[Lyris]

Well I like the panasonic range best, I hated the Samsung, I took mine back after 2 days as I thought it was awful, crushed whites, no detail in the dark areas and it frame rate converts everything to 60hz

Seriously? I didn't know that.

Crushed range was another little feature of "DNIe" I couldn't stand as well. Brought out all the MPEG blocking on the best DVDs. From what I gather a feature of MPEG (2) compression is to slack and save space on areas of the picture you aren't as likely to see. So who thought it would be a good idea to gack the contrast and make those areas visible?

[gIzzE]

Funny thing is the demo they have where they split the screen down the middle with DNIe on on one side and off on the other, the side where it is off looks so much better. But you don't get the option to turn it off!!

[Lyris]

Yeah, I noticed that too. The side with DNIe on had false contouring and looked a lot worse. I guess they're really pleased with it!

[gIzzE]

Must be!!

[sputnick]

gIzzE i've been lookin at the panny 8 series plasma's.....again, but a couple of things are putting me off.

1, silly resolutions they use for the so called high def.....1024x768??? why not 1280?

2,on av-sales.co.uk the model i'm looking at comes with 1 terminal board, but the hdmi is out of stock(which i'll need for my tosh hd-dvd player).

so my question is, are the 8 series hd plasma's still the best? where is the best place to buy one(with stock and decent prices)? are the px60 panny panels any good, as they are complete with stand, hdmi,speakers etc!!

[gIzzE]

gIzzE i've been lookin at the panny 8 series plasma's.....again, but a couple of things are putting me off.

1, silly resolutions they use for the so called high def.....1024x768??? why not 1280?

2,on av-sales.co.uk the model i'm looking at comes with 1 terminal board, but the hdmi is out of stock(which i'll need for my tosh hd-dvd player).

so my question is, are the 8 series hd plasma's still the best? where is the best place to buy one(with stock and decent prices)? are the px60 panny panels any good, as they are complete with stand, hdmi,speakers etc!!

1. I agree a true 16:9 resolution would be better, but then I would take the PW8 over just about every other so called 'HD READY' plasma on the market. Even with HD material it trounces the competition.

2. I hate hdmi, and I would go with component out of the Toshiba HD-DVD player anyway. Analogue in on the Panny screens is amazingly good, and really shows up why hdmi should have never been allowed.

3. I don't like the Panasonic Viera range myself, too much processing and not enough control of the picture settings, I would leave well alone.
The Panny 8 series is still the best imho, I have spent alot of time with the new Pioneers and just can't see why they get the praise they do, and the only screen I would consider is the Fujitsu 50", however, I would rather spend the extra on a decent scaler and stick with the Panny, this combo beats the Fuji hands down.

I would stick with Av-Sales myself, I have bought 3 screens from them and had wonderful service and have sent probably 100 people to them over the last 3 years and they have all been chuffed to bits.
Get them to send the hdmi board in when you need it, if you actually need it. I have one but never use it, just isn't as good as analogue, I prefer to use an hdmi-vga converter.

[sputnick]

1. I agree a true 16:9 resolution would be better, but then I would take the PW8 over just about every other so called 'HD READY' plasma on the market. Even with HD material it trounces the competition.

2. I hate hdmi, and I would go with component out of the Toshiba HD-DVD player anyway. Analogue in on the Panny screens is amazingly good, and really shows up why hdmi should have never been allowed.

3. I don't like the Panasonic Viera range myself, too much processing and not enough control of the picture settings, I would leave well alone.
The Panny 8 series is still the best imho, I have spent alot of time with the new Pioneers and just can't see why they get the praise they do, and the only screen I would consider is the Fujitsu 50", however, I would rather spend the extra on a decent scaler and stick with the Panny, this combo beats the Fuji hands down.

I would stick with Av-Sales myself, I have bought 3 screens from them and had wonderful service and have sent probably 100 people to them over the last 3 years and they have all been chuffed to bits.
Get them to send the hdmi board in when you need it, if you actually need it. I have one but never use it, just isn't as good as analogue, I prefer to use an hdmi-vga converter.

thanks for the advice mate.

still dont know what to do!!

[Yoshimax]

As previously reported my Samsung LE40M51 had a strange red pixel problem in dark areas of the screen - This seemed to come & go and so I've lived with it whilst waiting for a replacement.

Got the call today - The M51 is discountinued so they're giving me the M61 at no extra cost - It was ?300 dearer when I selected the M51 so it's fair to say I'm way chuffed

Joy.

[Simmy]

As previously reported my Samsung LE40M51 had a strange red pixel problem in dark areas of the screen - This seemed to come & go and so I've lived with it whilst waiting for a replacement.

Got the call today - The M51 is discountinued so they're giving me the M61 at no extra cost - It was ?300 dearer when I selected the M51 so it's fair to say I'm way chuffed

Joy.

Congrats M8 - the M61 is a fantastic set ! Been enjoying mine for 5 months now - oh how HD time flies

Getting greedy for inches though want 60 of them now, if not 100