AndyC Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Ok, as anyone who's recently been into an electrical shop will know all too well all this HD stuff is very confusing and I could really do with some help, please I'm getting a PS3 on Friday and I'd like to get full use from it so I need (apparently) full HD which is 1080p (as opposed to 1080i). The main difference as I understand it (other than the techy stuff) is that the picture on the p refreshes much quicker and is therefore much better suited for sports & games. Nobody can really tell you though what the actual tangible difference is, ie whether you can even really tell, so: (1) Do I really need to spend a decent chunk more wedge for this p business? (2) Can you tell any difference at all with it? (3) Does anyone have any recommendations of what is a decent buy (and I don't want to spend brewsters; £1500 absolute max but the lower the better, 37/40in, I don't need a receipt either ) If anyone can just sort out my very confused head (yeah, yeah I know thats normal anyway) I'd really appreciate it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ir_fuel Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 1080i = interlaced 1080p = progressive The first one means that at lets say 60hz it sends the even lines 30 times a second and the odd lines 30 times a second, the 2nd one is sending the entire image 60 times a second. (yer good old PAL tv signal is interlaced at 50 or 60hz depending on country and format.) From what i read its quite hard to notice the difference between 720 and 1080 (especially when antialiasing is used) on a TFT screen, but i dont speak from personal experience here. I would check the price difference, but if it really costs a lot more to get 1080p as opposed to i, i wouldnt bother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sl114 Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 basically prograssive decodes the VERTICAL lines to your screen like a book. Interlanced does the same but every other line and then goes through the pass again and shows the other lines. Because interlaced video is composed of two fields that are captured at different moments in time, interlaced video frames will show motion artifacts when both fields are combined and displayed at the same moment. This in a way gives you a flicker. When you compare interlaced to progressive, you can see in solid colour, specifially red, that they appear to be jumping. We noticed this when we compared a Bravia to a normal plasma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyC Posted March 20, 2007 Author Share Posted March 20, 2007 Thanks for the replies guys, but I'm not much clearer. Is the p a big song & dance about nothing really? The more I think about it, its really just a way for the manufacturers to milk a load of wedge (take Sony for example, was in there today and the difference is £600 on a 40in! ok it may do other things too but come on) out of people for a technology that isn't going to be fully realised for what - 5/10years by which time I will have replaced the thing anyway? Or am I talking b*****ks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sl114 Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Personally looking at the differences between i and p, i can see a difference so i would go with a p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GC350z Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 I think you're right. I got an LCD that did the job and nothing else. Picture is better than normal tv but not as good as the really expensive ones. I see no point in upgrading until tv is fully broadcast in digital and not just a few channels as it is now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sl114 Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 I think you're right. I got an LCD that did the job and nothing else. Picture is better than normal tv but not as good as the really expensive ones. I see no point in upgrading until tv is fully broadcast in digital and not just a few channels as it is now. Im exactly the same, but i would fork out for a Bravia as i can see the results already, however freeview looks shite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyC Posted March 20, 2007 Author Share Posted March 20, 2007 Thats really useful Louis, the problem in the shops is that they can't show you the difference cos they've got nothing that really makes full use of it. The PS3 will change that and I'm told if I go in the Sony shop next week they'll have it running through their splitter and I can see side by side - should be interesting. My main concern is paying a big chunk for something I'm not even going to tell but if you say that its a noticeable difference then its probably worth plumping for the p now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 If you are looking at the sony Bravia 40 inch lcd check comet out i think they are selling the v series for less than a grand,I bought one in the sales for just over a grand and have no problems at all with it looks good too. max. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sl114 Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 What you want them to do is show you the PS3 on it, which will look amazing. However you want sky, freeview, analogue, HD-DVD and a normal DVD player. I can tell you now though anything that isnt HD will not look that amazing and be quite pixelated. freeview will be very bad and Sky not that great. However DVD and analogue should be ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 www.avforums.co.uk enjoy PS why would people keep fixing themselves over brands, I don't know There's MUCH better kit out there than Bravias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sl114 Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 www.avforums.co.uk enjoy PS why would people keep fixing themselves over brands, I don't know There's MUCH better kit out there than Bravias Im not fixated on brands, just out of the screens i compared at work, i found this to have the best picture and oclour contrast in a price bracket up to £3.5k for a 52" screen. However if i had the money, it would be fujitsu all the way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyC Posted March 20, 2007 Author Share Posted March 20, 2007 What you want them to do is show you the PS3 on it, which will look amazing. However you want sky, freeview, analogue, HD-DVD and a normal DVD player. I can tell you now though anything that isnt HD will not look that amazing and be quite pixelated. freeview will be very bad and Sky not that great. However DVD and analogue should be ok. Good advice mate, I understand your point on the other non HD stuff - freeview though I'm not bothered about, I'll never use it. Sky is horrendous through anything unless its their HD stuff imo (yeah, like they aren't sending out a crap service to make people buy their HD box that bit sooner). Isn't it amazing how Sky always used to look pretty spot on till they got close to bringing out their HD offering? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyC Posted March 20, 2007 Author Share Posted March 20, 2007 If you are looking at the sony Bravia 40 inch lcd check comet out i think they are selling the v series for less than a grand,I bought one in the sales for just over a grand and have no problems at all with it looks good too.max. Thanks Max, sounds like a decent price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyC Posted March 20, 2007 Author Share Posted March 20, 2007 www.avforums.co.uk enjoy PS why would people keep fixing themselves over brands, I don't know There's MUCH better kit out there than Bravias Good link, Valerio, cheers dude there's an absolute raft of info on there - will need to have an hour or so to wade through I reckon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennydies Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 I bought mine off here: http://www.electrical-deals.co.uk/Servi ... efault.asp They are "refurbished" but mine arrived the next day looking brand new... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M13KYF Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 basically prograssive decodes the VERTICAL lines to your screen like a book. Interlanced does the same but every other line and then goes through the pass again and shows the other lines. Because interlaced video is composed of two fields that are captured at different moments in time, interlaced video frames will show motion artifacts when both fields are combined and displayed at the same moment. This in a way gives you a flicker. When you compare interlaced to progressive, you can see in solid colour, specifially red, that they appear to be jumping. We noticed this when we compared a Bravia to a normal plasma The image is scanned with HORIZONTAL lines and not vertical although it depends on how you look at it but it is a series of lines running from left to right stacked on top of each other. The Image is made up of 1080 horizontal lines from left to right stacked on each other. Some material will appear smoother for instance any movement horizontal travelling accorss the screen in I mode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sl114 Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Opps grammar mistake, was meant to say "progressive decodes the lines VERTICALLY to your screen like a book." so reads the horizontal lines one by one vertically, top to bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M13KYF Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 I'd go Plasma rather than LCD. LCD you get alot of motion blur wihich I find really annoying. The plasma refreshes alot better but you need to pay big dollar for a good one. Pioneer do some of the best in plasma. Also the rule with LCD or Plasma is you get what you pay for in terms of quality of picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M13KYF Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Opps grammar mistake, was meant to say "progressive decodes the lines VERTICALLY to your screen like a book." so reads the horizontal lines one by one vertically, top to bottom. I thought so, seeing as we are both in TV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sl114 Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Opps grammar mistake, was meant to say "progressive decodes the lines VERTICALLY to your screen like a book." so reads the horizontal lines one by one vertically, top to bottom. I thought so, seeing as we are both in TV I didnt know you were too? Well im not really in tv, i work in the digital media section. WHo do you work for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M13KYF Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 a post production company website is below Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Not really into this stuff but I have an option of a 42" plasma panasonic for £400 - is that a good deal, I think it might not have a warranty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sl114 Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Not really into this stuff but I have an option of a 42" plasma panasonic for £400 - is that a good deal, I think it might not have a warranty depends on the model, age, quality, is it a refurb, where from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M13KYF Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 worth a sniff for £400 but would want to see the quality of the picture. TBO alot of telly still looks best on a CRT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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