Hi-Def and Home Theater Thread 2

[RD Blade]

Cool! Glad you're happy with your purchase. $4000?!? Flat panel TV's have come a long way.

I find out LCD has gotten a lot better and is cheaper than plasma.

As I understand it, plasmas have truer blacks and overall better picture quality than LCDs. Also, plasma TVs are actually much cheaper than their LCD counterparts. If I had to guess the reason, I'd say plasmas are less dependable. A friend of mine went through two plasmas (LG and Magnavox) in as many years before finally buying an Aquos LCD.

[Wes]

Your kid needs to apreciate cheap stuff, don't wanna spoil him. Bout all my mother got me was a 13" CRT/VCR combo. Some cheap bastards swear by Vizio though

[MacrossMan]

Vizio's are nice too bad that they'll discontinue their plasma line.

42" 1080 p with a res at 1920x1080 is a great bargain. I have a Vizio same specs in regards to screen res but at 47"

I also heard that Pioneer will close their manufacturing facilities for most of the plasma screens they provide for other vendors.

So I have you played any action movies on it? No artifact distortions, I hope.

That was a sad day when I heard that Pioneer will stop manufacturing plasma sets as the demand has weakened. According to what I read, LCD's are a lot cheaper to produce, much lighter (so they are cheaper to ship), and with the economy the way it is, consumers are more mindful with their spending; LCD is driving the market now. Pioneer's plasma technology will be used by some of their competitors now; Panasonic in particular.

I've played a few action scenes on the set. I used the opening scene to The Incredibles as reference material to dial in the settings. I then played back the opening of scenes Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Watching Revenge of the Sith is hilarious! It's like all of George Lucas' movie magic has been expsoed. Anything CG is incredibly obvious. Especially when paired next to real actors. The 120hz refresh rate is overkill at times and can cause an occasional "stutter", but for the most part it's not noticeable.

When watching the opening scene on Transformers, the transformation of Blackout is so fluid and smooth I had to watch over like 15 times! And again, watching the movie is like being on the set! The movie looks like the footage that is shown in "the making of" scenes. It's really phenomenal to see. At times you can't tell if you are watching the movie or if you watching the movie being filmed; if that makes sense.

I'm anxious to see what Blu-ray will look like on this thing.

[sharky]

My Polariod which is a rebranded Vizio has been working great since I got it 2 years ago on black friday.

[MacrossMan]

Cool! Glad you're happy with your purchase. $4000?!? Flat panel TV's have come a long way.As I understand it, plasmas have truer blacks and overall better picture quality than LCDs. Also, plasma TVs are actually much cheaper than their LCD counterparts. If I had to guess the reason, I'd say plasmas are less dependable. A friend of mine went through two plasmas (LG and Magnavox) in as many years before finally buying an Aquos LCD.

I am quite happy with the Vizio.

If my memory serves me right I believe the Sharp Aquos was probably the only reputable LCD available when I purchased the plasma a few years ago.

Understand, that when I purchased the Pioneer in March 2005, the cost of plasma sets were just coming down to “real world” prices and the technology dominated the market. The set actually retailed for $4500 at authorized Pioneer Plasma dealers. I found one of their authorized online retailers (Monitoroutlet.com) that offered a discount if you paid by wiring the money; plus free shipping and no tax. The same set in the Elite series sold for $6000 or $6500. I won’t even mention the price of the 50” at that time. You almost always pay a premium for quality merchandise. Although the prices of Pioneer plasmas have come down some what, they are still considered expensive by today’s standards.

At the time, Pioneer was hands down the best set you could buy. Their black levels rival the best CRT’s available today. It’s hard to explain, I guess the best I could describe the Pioneer’s images would stunningly natural. I would argue that there isn’t anything out there today that can even compare or compete with Pioneer plasmas except their new Kuro line or any of their Elite series.

That being said, the Vizio is packed full of clever features. The 3-D effect is “neat” and the “live set” look to movies is “cool”, but overall, it can’t hold a stick to my older Pioneer plasma. I would like to see what a Pioneer plasma could do with the ability to display full 1080p HD with a 120hz refresh rate and 24fps technology.

By the way, my Pioneer plasma is 4 years old this month. Performs as solid as the day it was purchased. I also have a 50" Samsung that was 2 years old in December that still performs flawlessly.

[MacrossMan]

Your kid needs to apreciate cheap stuff, don't wanna spoil him. Bout all my mother got me was a 13" CRT/VCR combo. Some cheap bastards swear by Vizio though

Tell me about it. I had a 13” black & white set with set of vice grips attached to one of the knobs to change the channels with a wire hanger for an antenna when I was a kid. No VCR; they were still like a $1000 at the time. That 13” was a hand me down because it was time for a new set somewhere in the house at the time.

My son just gets the benefit of being able to use this set as his main TV because it is in a guest bedroom that has been designated his play area. We hardly ever have any guests, so I refer to the room as a playroom. His actual bedroom has no TV. When he is older, that guestroom will become his bedroom as it is on the other side of the house. The TV will be his then. I imagine there will be some other new technology available then, but he will be stuck with the “old” Vizio. The next TV he gets will be when moves out on his own or when that one doesn’t work anymore.

[mikeszekely]

Vizio, honest-and-truly, really is a decent brand that's gotten a bad reputation for being the "cheap" sets at Wal-Mart.

That said, my dad only paid $787 for his Philips, and while the larger TVs in Samsung's Touch of Color line seem a little pricey, I'd probably buy the LN52A650 if I was in the market for a new one right now. But since I don't seem to be sitting on large piles of cash right now, I guess I'll still with my four year old Toshiba DLP.

[Gaijin]

Vizio is a great brand for the price you pay. They are no Sony or Samsung, but for what they offer, you really cannot beat.

This year, they're offering a 55" LCD with LED backlighting and 240Hz with 5 HDMI inputs. For $1999 retail. They are going for the kill.

[Vegas]

Vizio is a great brand for the price you pay. They are no Sony or Samsung, but for what they offer, you really cannot beat.

This year, they're offering a 55" LCD with LED backlighting and 240Hz with 5 HDMI inputs. For $1999 retail. They are going for the kill.

just recently bought a samsung ln52a650 and loving it.... but damn vizio has 240hz tv now? i could imagine how ultra smooth the movies play with it.

wow for that price.

Edited March 3, 2009 by Vegas

[Gaijin]

just recently bought a samsung ln52a650 and loving it.... but damn vizio has 240hz tv now? i could imagine how ultra smooth the movies play with it.

wow for that price.

240 is more a numbers game then being something of real benefit.

[MacrossMan]

Vizio, honest-and-truly, really is a decent brand that's gotten a bad reputation for being the "cheap" sets at Wal-Mart.

You're exactly right. Early on when they first entered the game they got a bad rap, but when they were branded the official TV of the NFL I had to give them a closer look. Not only is the XVT series sleek and "un-cheap" looking, it's a work horse and is clipping at the of Sony and Panasonic. I'd say they have surpassed the LG's and Samsungs.

Vizio is a great brand for the price you pay. They are no Sony or Samsung, but for what they offer, you really cannot beat.

This year, they're offering a 55" LCD with LED backlighting and 240Hz with 5 HDMI inputs. For $1999 retail. They are going for the kill.

Cound't agree more. The leaders had better take notice. They are putting out a decent quality product at an affordable price. Vizio reminds me of how Hyundai has re-invented itself. Where they were a laughable brand years ago, they have made a strong comeback and now has Toyota and Honda on their toes.

I saw the inforamtion on the upcoming 55" LCD with 240hz. I don't know what they are trying to do here. 120 is amazing enough. I mentioned in another post how smooth the transformation of Blackout is in the opening scene of Transformers. The weathering is more defined as are the call numbers and badging on him and Scorpinok.

Amazing technology at an incredible price.

[MacrossMan]

Here are some excerpts from Dick De Jong over at HDTV Solutions. The review was submitted on November 13, 2008.

Read the full review here: Vizio's SV420XVT 42" LCD TV

After I settled in and turned my gaze towards the image being output by the VIZIO SV420XVT, I was amazed at the sharpness of the picture. But it went beyond sharpness. The term that came to mind was 3D.

Let me explain. We recently reviewed the Blu-ray disc, Journey to the Center of the Earth, which included a 3D version, the kind where you wear those groovy cardboard glasses.

Beyond the occasional snarling dinosaur lunging off the screen, there is an underlying 3D quality to the movie. In every scene, the foreground seems to be separated from the background. This is the 3D effect that I was seeing on this VIZIO when it was showing run-of-the-mill 2D programs. (MacrossMan's comments: This is what I was trying to explain about the depth where it seems like you could put your hand inside the TV or stick your head in to have a look around. The seperation is really something to see!

To perform this visual 3D sleight of hand, the SV420XVT plays back the incoming video source at 120Hz, or 120 frames per second, using a technology called MEMC (Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation). (MacrossMan's comments: This explains the smooth transformation of the characters throughout the movie; particularly Blackout's transformation in the opening scene.

To paraphrase Mother Goose, the SV420XVT reminds me of the little girl who had a little curl. When the picture is good, it's very, very good. And when it's bad, well, it needs to be tweaked. I'll go into more detail in the Setup section.

For now, I don't want to give you the wrong impression. This 1080p LCD produces a consistently superior image.

Edited March 4, 2009 by MacrossMan

[David Hingtgen]

Nothing in particular to note, just that a LOT of stuff* is coming out on Blu-Ray in the next month or two. Just go to blu-ray.com and have a look around.

*As in stuff people have wanted for a while.

[mikeszekely]

Nothing in particular to note, just that a LOT of stuff* is coming out on Blu-Ray in the next month or two. Just go to blu-ray.com and have a look around.

*As in stuff people have wanted for a while.

How is it that there's still movies like Star Wars and the original Indiana Jones trilogy that I'm waiting for on Blu-ray, but stuff like the Terminator films are already on their second Blu-ray release?

EDIT: Am I missing something? I looked at the releases through the end of summer, and nothing's really jumping out at me. Sure, there's some interesting titles, but nothing that'll prompt me to upgrade from DVD at new Blu-ray prices, save maybe Ghostbusters.

Edited May 5, 2009 by mikeszekely

[Duke Togo]

How is it that there's still movies like Star Wars and the original Indiana Jones trilogy that I'm waiting for on Blu-ray, but stuff like the Terminator films are already on their second Blu-ray release?

EDIT: Am I missing something? I looked at the releases through the end of summer, and nothing's really jumping out at me. Sure, there's some interesting titles, but nothing that'll prompt me to upgrade from DVD at new Blu-ray prices, save maybe Ghostbusters.

Depends in your taste in film.

The Blade Runner release is generally considered worth the upgrade alone, it justifies the format. 2001 and Close Encounters are also amazing releases. Really, I don't own anything on BD (though, I am even pickier with BD transfer quality than I am with film in general, do check reviews before buying) that isn't a far superior upgrade over its DVD release.

[VT 1010]

I've been so busy lately that I haven't been following the latest Blu-ray developments. From my limited understanding, T1 is just a repackaging of the old release; T2 on the other hand is supposedly a new master. T2 has been released in so many different versions on the various formats, I've lost count. Laserdisc had around six different releases, IIRC.

Batman (1989), Goldfinger, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, This is Spinal Tap, Pulp Fiction, Braveheart, and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Theatrical versions) are some new releases I'm anticipating. They're supposedly going to release some of the Alien movies as well.

What are the films that will make you take the big leap to HD--Other than Star Wars and Indiana Jones?

[mikeszekely]

What are the films that will make you take the big leap to HD--Other than Star Wars and Indiana Jones?

I don't really know... for me, it's not so much a question of which movies do I want to upgrade as at what price will a movie convince me to upgrade. The X-Men films are a good example. I can't find them for under $25 locally. I do want to upgrade them, but I'll wait until I can find them for around $15, even if that means buying used.

[VT 1010]

I don't really know... for me, it's not so much a question of which movies do I want to upgrade as at what price will a movie convince me to upgrade. The X-Men films are a good example. I can't find them for under $25 locally. I do want to upgrade them, but I'll wait until I can find them for around $15, even if that means buying used.

You can get the whole trilogy for around $55 on Amazon. You may even be able to find it cheaper on eBay.

[Grand Admiral]

I don't really know... for me, it's not so much a question of which movies do I want to upgrade as at what price will a movie convince me to upgrade. The X-Men films are a good example. I can't find them for under $25 locally. I do want to upgrade them, but I'll wait until I can find them for around $15, even if that means buying used.

Personally I won't even upgrade for $15 unless it's a movie I really feel that needs to be seen in high definition.

I'm planning to upgrade "big" movies like Star Wars, Star Trek, LOTR, and so on, but my more average "once in a while" movies, I'm ok with just watching the DVDs.

[mikeszekely]

You can get the whole trilogy for around $55 on Amazon. You may even be able to find it cheaper on eBay.

Yeah, I saw that... but I already have the first release of third film. Buying the other two separately for $20 each is still $10 more than I want to pay, anyway.

I'm planning to upgrade "big" movies like Star Wars, Star Trek, LOTR, and so on, but my more average "once in a while" movies, I'm ok with just watching the DVDs.

As much as I love the Star Trek TV show, I'm not planning on doing any Trek, save the new one if it turns out to be any good. The movies aren't really the high point for Trek, and In general I don't bother with TV on Blu-ray (Firefly and The Sarah Connor Chronicles being the only two exceptions so far).

As for LotR films, I might be the only person on the boards that actually can't stand them.

But for the most part, I agree, I'm not really in a rush to upgrade my current DVDs to Blu-rays. Most of my Blu-rays are movies that were released on video after the format came out.

[eugimon]

Actually, i wonder what some of the older movies will look like in HD. With the LotR stuff, the HD should make the sets and props look great, but I wonder about the CG stuff and how good it will look.

[bandit29]

Yeah, I saw that... but I already have the first release of third film. Buying the other two separately for $20 each is still $10 more than I want to pay, anyway.

If you are into digital copies, they only way you can get them is with the box set. That's some added value I guess...

I didn't have any version of these movies so I bought the box set. Video quality is good on all of them but the sound...if you have 5.1 system.. is awesome.

Edited May 6, 2009 by bandit29

[bandit29]

I've been so busy lately that I haven't been following the latest Blu-ray developments. From my limited understanding, T1 is just a repackaging of the old release; T2 on the other hand is supposedly a new master. T2 has been released in so many different versions on the various formats, I've lost count. Laserdisc had around six different releases, IIRC.

Batman (1989), Goldfinger, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, This is Spinal Tap, Pulp Fiction, Braveheart, and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Theatrical versions) are some new releases I'm anticipating. They're supposedly going to release some of the Alien movies as well.

What are the films that will make you take the big leap to HD--Other than Star Wars and Indiana Jones?

There are rumors of a remastered T1 coming out later this year...but for now all we get is a repackaged version of the old blu-ray...lame. I've had the JP Steelbook of T2 since Dec. It has the directors cut and theatrical version on 2 separate discs. I don't think I'll get the new skynet edition or the Endo-skull version. I'll rent it to see the extras and compare the audio tracks. US/UK version has DTS-MA. JP version is Dolby True HD. I'm assuming the video will be similar...

I rented the Tim Burton Batman movies...meh..I liked them back in the day...but they put me to sleep. For their age, they look/sound good though.

Gladiator, IIRC is coming this fall.

Edited May 6, 2009 by bandit29

[VT 1010]

Personally I won't even upgrade for $15 unless it's a movie I really feel that needs to be seen in high definition.

I'm planning to upgrade "big" movies like Star Wars, Star Trek, LOTR, and so on, but my more average "once in a while" movies, I'm ok with just watching the DVDs.

I'm obsessive-compulsive, so I improvements in picture quality--even if they are minute--are very important to me.

Yeah, I saw that... but I already have the first release of third film. Buying the other two separately for $20 each is still $10 more than I want to pay, anyway.

I believe the third movie in the set is a new transfer, but I'm not 100% sure.

Actually, i wonder what some of the older movies will look like in HD. With the LotR stuff, the HD should make the sets and props look great, but I wonder about the CG stuff and how good it will look.

Some movies really do benefit from the increase in detail. If it didn't bother you in the theater, chances are the Blu-ray version won't ruin the movie. Your average 35mm film still has a higher resolution and more color detail than the current HDTV standards.

There are rumors of a remastered T1 coming out later this year...but for now all we get is a repackaged version of the old blu-ray...lame. I've had the JP Steelbook of T2 since Dec. It has the directors cut and theatrical version on 2 separate discs. I don't think I'll get the new skynet edition or the Endo-skull version. I'll rent it to see the extras and compare the audio tracks. US/UK version has DTS-MA. JP version is Dolby True HD. I'm assuming the video will be similar...

Gladiator, IIRC is coming this fall.

The only complaint I had about the first T1 release was the lack of a proper mono track. I don't remember having any issues with the picture quality (T2 on the other hand...). I did't feel like importing T2, so I'll probably pick up the local double-dip here.

Gladiator? Looks like there's one more movie for me to get...

[eugimon]

Some movies really do benefit from the increase in detail. If it didn't bother you in the theater, chances are the Blu-ray version won't ruin the movie. Your average 35mm film still has a higher resolution and more color detail than the current HDTV standards.

The film has a higher potential resolution but the quality of the particular print, projector and screen can introduce a lot of fuzz into the experience.

And CG is just one of those things that translates poorly, I found. Stuff that is passable in a movie theater quickly jumps out at home.

[Letigre]

Actually, i wonder what some of the older movies will look like in HD. With the LotR stuff, the HD should make the sets and props look great, but I wonder about the CG stuff and how good it will look.

This is why I have hesitated about buying Casablanca..that, and I'm not interested in damn collectors set, I just want the figging movie.

CG for the most part seems to depend simply on how well the effects were done in the first place.

Edited May 6, 2009 by Letigre

[Wes]

This is why I have hesitated about buying Casablanca..that, and I'm not interested in damn collectors set, I just want the figging movie.

CG for the most part seems to depend simply on how well the effects were done in the first place.

Look on projectorcentral.com . I know they're big on classic films and a number of their projector reviews go over how Casablanca looks on them.

[VT 1010]

The film has a higher potential resolution but the quality of the particular print, projector and screen can introduce a lot of fuzz into the experience.

And CG is just one of those things that translates poorly, I found. Stuff that is passable in a movie theater quickly jumps out at home.

That's quite true; but a good print, in a quality theater is still a common occurrence. Furthermore, this doesn't take into account D-Cinema (Yes, old movies are shown in this format occasionally).

In my opinion, one of the reasons CG looks so awful is partially due to the framerate. If viewed on the proper display, I've found CG to be a little less jarring.

Then there is the psychological effect. Sometimes people have a tendency to look for the flaws. With a large high resolution display it is much easier to spot the little flaws in a movie when you focus on them. Repeated viewings would only increase this problem.

I think the whole issue has been blown out of proportion. Just because you suddenly notice a wire or something doesn't mean the movie is now ruined.

[the white drew carey]

In preparation for our move to France, I've been looking into picking up a multisystem LCD that I can either take with, or pick up there and bring back.

Anyone use/have one of these, and are there any recommendations?

[azrael]

In preparation for our move to France, I've been looking into picking up a multisystem LCD that I can either take with, or pick up there and bring back.

Anyone use/have one of these, and are there any recommendations?

How big are we talking about? Since you're going to be traveling with it, size can be an issue.

[the white drew carey]

How big are we talking about? Since you're going to be traveling with it, size can be an issue.

I'm hoping of keeping at least the 32" size. Size isn't realy an issue because we're having our stuff shipped to us or, if I buy it over there, shipped to the states in 2-3 years.

[mikeszekely]

If you are into digital copies, they only way you can get them is with the box set. That's some added value I guess...

I believe the third movie in the set is a new transfer, but I'm not 100% sure.

You guys know we're talking about the third X-Men movie, right? I can definitely live without a digital copy or a better transfer. Hell, I could probably live without the movie at all...

[VT 1010]

Touche

[Wes]

In preparation for our move to France, I've been looking into picking up a multisystem LCD that I can either take with, or pick up there and bring back.

Anyone use/have one of these, and are there any recommendations?

Ha Ha you're moving to France. Find Yoshi tell him to post more.

[Repiv_Onex]

In preparation for our move to France, I've been looking into picking up a multisystem LCD that I can either take with, or pick up there and bring back.

Anyone use/have one of these, and are there any recommendations?

Samsung. Since it's the only brand now that has a DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), the next in-thing in the future. Series 6 and above has a built-in Media Play(er) which plays mkv/avi/mp4/mpg/h.264/h.263/divx/xvid/flv/rv and a USB2.0. And it's really cheap consider the picture quality and functions it has.