The Official HD TV help thread!

[NathanRomano]

I notice a lot of these threads. Might as well have an official one. O.K. My question. If I get a 32" HD TV, but it's 720p, is there going to be a huge difference between that and 1080?

[MisterChristian]

720p is perfectly fine for TV's less than say 50 inches. You don't need 1080p. You won't even notice the difference anyway.

If you're thinking of a 50+ inch flatscreen or even a projector then ensure you get 1080p. The bigger the picture then you must have the resolution...

[AshleysDad]

100% Mr Christian is right. Unless you watch the tv from 4 inches away from the screen you will not see a difference at all.

[Donnie_Darko]

Okay, here's one.

I recently bought me some Tritton AX360 5.1 Headphones (http://www.trittontechnologies.com/products/TRIGA600.htm). They have a digital decoder for the 5.1, which has Coaxial and Optical inputs. I'm currently using the Optical for my Xbox360, and the Coaxial for my Upconverting DVD player. Now, the question is, if I'm running the digital cable box and my DVD player via HDMI into the HD TV, can I run the Coaxial out of my TV into the decoder, and have 5.1 from both sources?

I know that's kind of open, but I'm assuming this will work. I could just try, but, I like posing questions for people to expose their big brains. :D

[AshleysDad]

Dude, buy a friggin' receiver. Get one with HDMI switching. Run one hdmi cable from the receiver to the tv. Everything else is connected to the receiver to whatever else you have. Easy. Plus, that kind of receiver has digital audio inputs and outputs and some will even act as a video processor.



To answer your question: I have questions. Are you using the tv and the headphones for sound? How do you have the Xbox hooked up to the TV? In theory, yes, you should be able to run audio out of your tv (which it sounds like you are using as a receiver) to that decoder and get 5.1 from your xbox, cable and dvd.. The HDMI carries both audio and video feeds. You just may have to assign the digital inputs and output like with a receiver.

PS I looked at the link of your headphones and I would upgrade the coaxial wire. It looks cheap. Get a true digital audio coaxial cable. Ultralink makes one that rules. Never use the wires that come with any product. Optical wires are usually ok though (more length may be needed). Get the most out of your equipment.

[rilocay]

For what it's worth, i've got a 40" 1080p unit (when they first came out, were costly for me) and maybe it's cause ive watched it for a while, but i do think you definatly notice between 720p, 1080p and 1080i, etc. Especially if/when you get blu-ray.

[AshleysDad]

For what it's worth, i've got a 40" 1080p unit (when they first came out, were costly for me) and maybe it's cause ive watched it for a while, but i do think you definatly notice between 720p, 1080p and 1080i, etc. Especially if/when you get blu-ray.

If what you say is true, your unit is not really 1080P. Most Manufacturers faked its way to 1080P at first. It was all interpolated like those cheap Mustek (Chinese) cameras with their 7 MP pictures they claimed. This is not my opinion. This comes from the mouth of Sharp, JVC, Toshiba, LG, Samsung and Sony. It was also written in a few magazines such as CE Pro and Home Theater. For a couple years 1080P was a marketing thing because nothing was able to giev a 1080P feed. This was before HD DVD or Blu Ray.

Techincally, all 1080P means your tv is able to accept and dispaly an 1080P feed. Blu Ray is 1080P output and that is why it looks so much better. If you get a dvd player that upconverts to 1080P it will probably not look all that much better. I believe some Blu Rays will upconvert reg dvd's.


And for those in the cheap seats, just some friendly info: 720P is a higher resolution than 1080i.

Never buy a Chinese no name brand like Vizio or Westinghouse or Dynex or Insignia or Sunbright or Poloroid or any other brand you never heard of without buying an extended service plan. Trust a man who really knows. All of these no name brands come out of China. Three different factories make like two dozen names. People just take these panels and put their name on them. Poloroid and most others are marketing companies when it comes to flat panels and all their panels are outsourced by China. Since China is a shitty trading partner, they do not follow the laws for importing products into the USA. They are not shipping parts to fix these TV like they are supposed to. They are supposed to have a ready supply of parts for 7 years. This is why when somethign breaks you can't get it fixed. There are no parts to fix it unless they steal from a different broken model. If you get the extended service contract, they will have the ability to get you a new panel rather than wait weeks and months for a part. If you just bought it take it back to the store. The store will take it back. Some for up to a year even if the store policy is 90 days.


Many LCD panels are made by the Koreans (LG and Sansung). They are huge makers of panels. Toshiba panels are made by LG. Pioneer plasmas starting in the 3rd or 4th quarter will be made by LG and Sharp will make their LCD panels.

Here is a jewel too. One trick to get the prices lower for off brand names is to get around the taxes. Thanks to NAFTA if something is shipped from Mexico their are no taxes. So what some companies do is buy from the Chinese. The Chinese company will manufacturer the panel, test it and take it apart. Then ship the parts to Mexico. Use the cheap labor there in Mexico and put the panels back together and ship into the USA within a certain time period and avoid the taxes. On a brand like Vizio that is why is says assembled in Meixco, made in China. What does that mean to you? Less money from taxes and it makes it looks like China is not shipping as much as they really are into the USA.