HDTV Advice

[mid]

It's 'special' because it comes with the adaptor (otherwise available here) that connects to the DVI output and delivers component to the screen.

If your HDTV has VGA, DVI or HDMI inputs, it's a tad superfluous.

Oh, and Marcus - Optical is one of the two possible spdif digital connectors, the other being coax. Which amp do you have; I'll check if you want.

Personally, I'd use the Arcam rather than the PC anyway; the superior sound from Arcams well outweighs the minor loss of image quality from using the display's scaler in my book. But then, my amp costs more than my TV so I would say that.

edit - if it's the Arcam FMJ AV8, it's got two optical inputs alongside a massive five coax ones. Also, I'd envy you it more than I do your plasma, frankly. My Pioneer is nice, but not that nice.

[Gruce]

But do I need the ATI software to outpuyt 720, 1080 etc or will any recent graphics card with the latest drivers output the best of what the TV is capable of?

[marcus]

My amp is the Arcam FMJ A32 amp, and DV88 DVD player, I could look behind it but it means moving my whole setup, so if you know what its got offhand that would be great!

[Angry the Clown]

I think the FMJ A32 is a two channel device with only analogue inputs isn't it? I?m not sure it has digital inputs of any kind. How?s your DV88 hooked up to it, Marcus?

Personally, I'd use the Arcam rather than the PC anyway; the superior sound from Arcams well outweighs the minor loss of image quality from using the display's scaler in my book. But then, my amp costs more than my TV so I would say that.

Tempted to agree with this, although an HTPC running nvidia codecs and ffdshow will shatter even the highest end DVD players on image quality. If looking to build a PC for viewing HD content now instead of having to wait goodness knows how long for the children to agree on a single HD disc format it's actually a tempting route to take as the wealth of films in HD out there on newsgroups is superb... Despite my friend constantly taunting me with his 1920x1080 files of Fellowship of the Ring extended, Alien, Two Towers extended...etc it is however a route I have personally abandoned having simply found no new TV of any kind that appeals to me so I am keeping my FMJ DV27a. I'd have it SDI modified, but again, there's just no flat panel display out or coming out which I believe will satisfy my demands.

Panasonic HD8 I could never dream of running without a scaler, so I'm already looking at ?3500 for all that plus another ?260 for a zektor component switcher which is too much for a 1024x768 display, and the new Pioneer's whilst sexy still don't allow you to bypass the processing in their blasted media boxes so you can't get the best out of panels themselves. I'm so effin' sick of my damn interlaced CRT hogging up 3ft of precious floorspace though...

[in5ane]

Just buy something and enjoy it. Lifes to short to worry about 1024x768 not being truly hi-def. Seriously, I used to get caught up with similar stuff, but just recently decided to bite the bullet and buy a plasma. I know it's not true hi-def, I know the deinterlacer isn't perfect, but none of that really really matters. It's just a TV, and there are more important things in this world!

[Angry the Clown]

Just buy something and enjoy it. Lifes to short to worry about 1024x768 not being truly hi-def. Seriously, I used to get caught up with similar stuff, but just recently decided to bite the bullet and buy a plasma. I know it's not true hi-def, I know the deinterlacer isn't perfect, but none of that really really matters. It's just a TV, and there are more important things in this world!

Well 1024x768 isn't so much what bothers me. When you sit a certain seating distance from screen, say seven or eight+ feet, a 42 inch of that resolution against a 42 inch displaying full 1280x720 is not going to show up a significant enough drop that one would really notice.

I don't mind spending a fair bit of cash, so long as I can get the best out of it and I weigh it up against what I am getting for the money. As good as the new Pioneers are said to be, I think I just need ultimate control over my image for this kind of money - as such, whatever prices the Panasonic HD8s are showing come December or January will probably dictate what route I take and how soon I take it.