Hey everyone. I've recently been looking into buying a new HDTV and have some questions for all you tech junkies.

Will there be a big difference in quality if I just connect the coaxial from my cable box instead of buying component cables?

Is it hard to calibrate a HDTV? Can I do it myself or is it better if a professional does it?

Do higher refresh rates matter?

What the hell does the contrast ratio mean?

Thanks!

BigSausage

Canada194 Posts

June 16 2009 00:51 GMT

if you want HD quality video you have to buy HDMI cable and plug into the box the cable company gives you. otherwise its wasted, using HDTV watching standard definition.

caliberate HDTV is easy same shit as standard.

refresh rate just reduce the amount of flickering, i doubt there is any, it doesnt make any difference.

contrast ratio means the in lay mans term the sharpness of the image, the higher the contrast ratio the sharper the image. too high wont make any difference it is not detectable by human eyes, aim for something like 60000:1 or higher.

MiniRoman

Canada3953 Posts

June 16 2009 00:52 GMT

I wish I could help but the combination of not knowing anything and being too broke to buy a tv without mass layaway made me say fuck it. There's a lot of information you should read on SRK forums about HDTV for playing next-gen systems on it. Some get upscaling lag and shit that becomes noticable when you play fighting games ~_~

T.O.P.

Hong Kong4685 Posts

June 16 2009 01:00 GMT

You should contact your cable company for HD service. I use comcast and they use component cables for HD.

Higher refresh rates does matter. You should try to get a 120 Hz set these days. 120 Hz reduces the amount of motion blur in fast scenes and reduces judder in all scenes. Your picture will appear smoother.

Contrast ratio matters, but don't buy one of those glossy Samsung tvs because they have a really good contrast ratio. They cheat by using a glossy screen.

Lastly, I think sony tvs are the best. If you're in the United States, the cheapest place to buy a tv is online, try checking amazon's prices. You don't have to pay tax in most states if you buy from amazon.

ZoW

United States3983 Posts

June 16 2009 01:02 GMT

On June 16 2009 09:52 MiniRoman wrote:
I wish I could help but the combination of not knowing anything and being too broke to buy a tv without mass layaway made me say fuck it. There's a lot of information you should read on SRK forums about HDTV for playing next-gen systems on it. Some get upscaling lag and shit that becomes noticable when you play fighting games ~_~

Oh my god thank you so much for pointing this out lol

MarF

Canada156 Posts

June 16 2009 02:04 GMT

Contrast Ratio is your black/white levels, a higher ratio is usually better. You have to be careful tbecause there are many different ways to measure it and different variables to account for so sometimes a TV with a contrast ration of like double another won't actually be that much different.

The refresh rate will reduce motion blur and let you play some movies in 24fps without 3:2 pulldown. 120hz is almost standard now with new TV's but it's not a big deal to stay with 60hz. There's also 240hz if you want to go balls out

You can calibrate your own TV but it would definitely be done better professionally, they go through tons of training for it. I know because my friend is a Geek Squad agent at BestBuy

And yeah HDMI>Component>Coaxial
Component is still technically high-def but it's still not as good as HDMI.. and either one is a million times better than coaxial

If you're doing Gaming then look for a TV with a Gaming Mode feature, it will reduce the lag

azndng

United States344 Posts

June 16 2009 04:03 GMT

first, you have to clarify what TYPE of HDTV you are going to buy (or in the market for). Then the other stuff will be relevant. There are DLP, Plasma, LCD, OLED.

You are either in the market for LCD or Plasma. This draws up a lot of debate weather LCD > Plasma because of the whole burn-in debate. And on the flip side, Plasma > LCD because of color and refresh.

for OP
1. HDMI cables for HDTV... why would you buy a HDTV if you won't use the right cables to get full HD capabilities?
2. Google the model you are gonna buy and type in "Calibrate" next to the model. AVSForum.com should have plenty of help with calibration (and burn-in settings for plasmas). Also, browse that forum to get user opinions of the model you are looking to purchase.
3. High refresh matters if you watch a lot of sports. The problem i found with LCD screens, especially pre-120hz is the blur is very noticeable (think...football being thrown, hockey puck etc) In my personal experience, ( i just got a plasma with 600hz) there is nearly zero blur on any sports i've watched.
4. Contrast, like the others said is your black levels. the higher, the deeper the blacks. but you really can't just look at the spec sheets of any tvs. Just go to the store and LOOK at the tv. Pick up the control and mess around with the color settings, view from different distances, just spend time with the tv at the store and see if the picture is what you desired.

You also have to remember, Standard Definition on widescreen flatpanels are fugly.. some channels are bearable though.

If you are doing heavy gaming, i'd go for LCD

Torenhire

United States11681 Posts

June 16 2009 04:17 GMT

On June 16 2009 11:04 MarF wrote:
Contrast Ratio is your black/white levels, a higher ratio is usually better. You have to be careful tbecause there are many different ways to measure it and different variables to account for so sometimes a TV with a contrast ration of like double another won't actually be that much different.

The refresh rate will reduce motion blur and let you play some movies in 24fps without 3:2 pulldown. 120hz is almost standard now with new TV's but it's not a big deal to stay with 60hz. There's also 240hz if you want to go balls out

You can calibrate your own TV but it would definitely be done better professionally, they go through tons of training for it. I know because my friend is a Geek Squad agent at BestBuy

And yeah HDMI>Component>Coaxial
Component is still technically high-def but it's still not as good as HDMI.. and either one is a million times better than coaxial

As someone who is IN the TV industry, I'll confirm this post for you.

I really like alot of the Samsung displays out, they do very well with the contrast ratios these days. Though they aren't perfect in other aspects. I'll tell you from personal experience with what we've been selling and installing in buildings is that Panasonic plasmas look AWESOME and the NEC panels are a good bang for your buck.

Don't worry too much about plasma screens and their burn ins. It takes a good amount of time being turned on and a single unmoving image before a faint burn in begins. Take my word for this, I paid $699 of my company's money to buy a 65" Panasonic Plasma for the sole purpose of timing how long it took for even the slightest burn-in. I left it on overnight with some logo that was a black and white checkerboard thing (white is all color gas 100% on; The most strain on your plasma / LCD) with a little design in the center and I did not see a signifigant burn-in until noon-ish the next day. I know for a fact the Panasonic displays come with a built-in "burn-in Remover Tool" that actually works quite well if you leave it on for a day or two.

Feel free to send any PMs my way, as well as check the Featured Threads section for "Team Liquid Manpower". There's a bunch of us TV guys around that I'm sure are willing to help out.