HDTV Specs

[tennyson]

I've been thinking about getting one lately, and I know a good portion of XBA members have HDTVs. What exactly is the difference between a "low-end" model and a "high-end" one? Are there any specific features or specifications that I should look for when going to purchase one? Thanks in advance!

[CodeMonkey]

One of the XBA members has made his own website that covers all this..
now only if i could remember which member

[LynxFX]

That would be me.

The link is in my sig, go take a look and you can find some good info on it.

In short, the answer comes down to your pocket book. You do get what you pay for but with the right research you can get a whole lot for very little.

What you want is at least an HD capable tv. It will give you HD resolutions but just doesn't have the HDTV tuner to decode over the air HD signals, like old fashioned rabitears. The most common resolutions you will find are 480p and 1080i. The higher models will also usually have 720p. Don't worry if any of them say 540p 525p etc. That is just marketing.

Your next decision will be if you want widescreen or not. Personally I say that is a slam dunk decision but for you it may not be. If you watch alot of movies or DVD's then IMO widescreen is the only way to go. If you still watch more regular tv than DVD's then maybe a normal (4x3) set is what you want. Just know that in the next 3-4 years almost all new shows will be broadcast in widescreen. Alot of shows already are being shot in widescreen. So it just depends on how long you want your investment to last.

As for gaming, I was working on the "What is Burn In" section of the website and will have that up soon. Basically you just have to be smart about it.

[yall]

some of the hdtvs (like mine) are 4x3 but have an enhanced 16x9 mode so that it can emulate a widescreen. i'm quite happy with it because i didnt want a widescreen all of the time, but it looks great when the dvd's are in widescreen on it.

[dougi3000]

which is the cheapest HDTV that actually supports REAL 480p, 720p and 1080i? (not that 720p compatible crap and upscans/downscans to one of the TV "supported" resolutions like 540i/p)

[l Maximus l]

Originally posted by dougi3000
which is the cheapest HDTV that actually supports REAL 480p, 720p and 1080i? (not that 720p compatible crap and upscans/downscans to one of the TV "supported" resolutions like 540i/p)

Mine does. I have a 50" Toshiba Widescreen HDTV...the one I purchased received a #2 ranking on consumer reports and only came in second to the Pioneer that was double the price. I paid about $2500 for it...that was practically a steal since it was on sale.

If you purchase an HDTV, definately purchase higher end cables for your electronic appliances (ie. XBox, DVD Player, etc). It doesn't make sense to buy an expensive television and use cheap cabling. In regards to the XBox, definately purchase the High Definition A/V Pack (Component Video cables) or the Monster 400 series Component Video cables. They are drastically better than the standard Composite cables that come with the XBox.