[ahmadka]

Hi guys! Well I am thinking of buying a new HDTV, primarily for gaming, and watching HD movies..The size range I'm considering is around 37" ~ 42", .. I cant afford anything bigger :P...

So basically I have a few questions for you guys...if you could just help me out here....

1) Considering the fact that I will be using this HDTV for gaming, are there any 'special features' I should look out for in a HDTV ?? Features that can enhance my gaming experience ?

2) For the indicated size range (37" ~ 42") I am not sure if a Full HD 1080p is really recommendable or not...because many people claim that in this size range, it is hard to notice any difference between 1366x768 and 1920x1080 (although I personally think I probably will be able to notice the difference :P )..

3) In addition to the above question...If I get a Full HD 1080p LCD, it will most probably be a Philips one, because thats all I can afford...So is it better to go for a Philips 42" Full HD 1080p LCD, or a non-Full HD LCD, from a more respectable company such as Sony or Samsung ?

4) Is it better to get a slightly bigger LCD, with 'average' specifications, or a slightly smaller LCD, with somewhat 'better' specifications (contast ratio, etc..)?

5) I have seen some HDTV's being listed as 'Analogue' .. (specifically some Sony HDTVs) ?!? Why is this ? Aren't all HDTV's digital ?

I am very confused about all this, since this is my first shot at HDTVs.... If someone can help me out with the above issues, I will be very grateful ! ...Thanks people ..

[jorg]

whats your price range and ill find u the 3 best(also what kind of room its it how many windows ect.)
1-120hz lcd fast respones time
2.better to have the best 720p then a dec 1080p
3.for lcd pannisonic and sony (for gamming sammy has good watching ones)
4.smaller of course
5.that means they accept the signel just in case your still pulling off air way

[katz]

Well I have a 32'' Phillips where I currently am (posted in show your ps3 setup thread) and there is one thing I'm very unhappy with. It crops the digital image the same way it crops the analogue. And you can't configure it.
That way I lose some 5-8% of the resolution. I don't know if other TVs have setting in that area, but Phillips don't.

One thing your TV must have if you don't want to change it in two years is a MPEG-4 tuner. In the US/Canada they're ATSC, but in Europe you have to be careful with th 10+ standards. Some times the tuners are DVB-T, some are DBV-C, but some are T2 or C2 but listed as T or C and the MPEG-4 decoding listed somewhere else in the specs.

For instance what I've set my heart on is the lovely Sony KDL-32W4000:
- 32'' Full 1080p resolution
- MPEG-4 digital tuner
- Analogue receives PAL, SECAM and NTSC
- 33000:1 contrast
priced at a bit over 1000€. that's about 1000€ more than I have right now, so it would be a year or so before I can afford it. But as you can see the specs that is the price of quality.

[jorg]

i havent seen that set in person but my experience is Panasonic is king in the smaller screen sizes. but i will see if i can find one like that to watch

[brennanz28]

ive got a 42" lg in full hd and i have no complaints at all its an awesome tv but if i were to buy a new one it would without a doubt be sony bravia

Just thought I'd add, I buy all my electronics's at newegg.com and I plan on buying a new 42" soon. Cheapest prices I've found so far

[Skill]

First things first: You can always tell the difference between 720p and 1080p. Especially close up, you can always tell. That said, I would be going for a Sony Bravia XBR4 if you want the best for gaming. It has 120hz interlacing, so fast action games will run at their peak. The picture quality is outstanding and the colour panel is 10bit (64x more colours than 8bit). The only problem I've heard about with these is that if you use noise reduction, the quality will suffer significantly. Also, if you are gaming then 1080p is almost never used, 720p is the norm. There are games (40+ now I think) that run at 1080p but the real benefit is Blu-Ray movies. I, personally, wouldn't think of getting a tv without 1080p, but I'm a visual fanatic. If you go for the XBR4 you won't be disappointed, but the price tag can easily turn you off. Hope this helps.

[Sam111]

I have a 720p/1080i Samsung plasma 50" TV and with the PS3 it looks fantastic even when watching standard channels the picture is great but like Skill has said you CAN tell the difference between 1080p and 720p i mean they both look fantastic but as you are buying for Gaming and movies you are better off paying the extra bit more however much it might be and have the full 1080p HD. Also like Spike has said you will see the real difference when watching Blue-ray movies. Stick with 1080p it WILL look truley amazing.

Hope this helped.