720p vs 1080p Displays for Watching DVD's

[jhigh2000]

I'm currently in the research phase for a new flat panel display. I had pretty much decided on a 46" 1080p LCD panel (viewing from about 8 feet away), but now I'm questioning if that's the right choice considing that 99% of time I'm going to be watching DVD's. Does normal DVD content generally look better at 720p since there is less upconversion involved? If that's the case, I might be better off saving a bit of money and just going with a 720p panel. I already have an OPPO 970HD dvd player if that makes any difference. Thanks guys!

 

[ejlmoney]

I have been researching this for some time and here's what I've found. (Keep in mind that there are many on this forum that are much more knowledgeable than me.)

1) My understanding is that 1080P matters very little for display sizes less than 60" (Your eyes probably cannot tell the difference in increased resolution)

2) Your source matters greatly. If you do not have (or plan to get) a BlueRay or HD-DVD player (keep in mind that HD-DVD players do not currently output in 1080P), it is unlikely that you we be able to experience true 1080P viewing.

I think the 1080P craze is overblown. Broadcasters will not broadcast in 1080P anytime soon and the new BlueRay players and BlueRay DVDs are expensive. Why not wait?

 

[billy p]

I think you would be just as happy with a 720 native panel with a tv that size. If money is no object then go for the 1080p. With the oppo (IMHO) its best suited for 720p or 1080i displays, mainly though because internal scaler in tvs are not the best.

 

[ctjoe]

does the oppo upconvert the cable feed also or just the dvd?

 

[billy p]

does the oppo upconvert the cable feed also or just the dvd?

Only the dvd's. The cable feed has nothing to do with the dvd player.

 

[ctjoe]

do you use anything for cable conversion or just the scaler in tv. ? I bought but dint hook it up yet, a panasonic 42 plasma. Std signal didnt look that bad at store but was curious what others do. thanks Joe

 

[billy p]

Ctjoe

do you use anything for cable conversion or just the scaler in tv. ? I bought but dint hook it up yet, a panasonic 42 plasma. Std signal didnt look that bad at store but was curious what others do. thanks Joe

if you only have a standard signal that's all your tv will display. Most people have a cable box or digital source for better picture quality or HD. A standard cable feed will only output a basic signal. All upconversion is done at the source and that's usally the dvd player or the cable box and the tv is set to its native resolution.
I hope this helps and answers your question.
Billy p

 

[WmAx]

First thing: why would you want to use an LCD for movies? Please consider the ramifications.

Just personally, I have yet to find a LCD television display(flat panel or RPTV) that can match the tonal reproduction/range of a high quality plasma or CRT. I have spent a lot of time manually adjusting current model displays side by side, trying to pull out as much tonal data as possible, with LCDs lacking considerably next to plasma and CRT. But again, I do understand that some people may prefer the artificial 'enhancement' provided by a LCD. So if this is the case, okay, I get it. However, I would never sacrifice tonal reproduction to have the 1080P over the 720P, even if the source was 1080P. Also, perhaps some specific LCD has a radical design difference that allows it to match a plasma's range; but I have yet to come across this device.

-Chris

 

[ctjoe]

quote:
if you only have a standard signal that's all your tv will display. Most people have a cable box or digital source for better picture quality or HD. A standard cable feed will only output a basic signal. All upconversion is done at the source and that's usally the dvd player or the cable box and the tv is set to its native resolution.
I hope this helps and answers your question.
Billy p


thanks for advice. I will have a comcast HD cable box so hopefuly that helps with my analog signal too.

 

[jhigh2000]

Having read more LCD vs. Plasma discussions than I care to admit, I’ve come to the conclusion that you can no longer definitively state that plasma provides better tonal and black level reproduction than the latest generation higher-end LCD's (such as Bravia or Aquos lines). I'm not sure that the LCD "artificial enhancement" is, but then again I have 0 hours of hands-on experience with tweaking sets side by side. The reason I initially wanted to go with 1080p LCD was because I felt it was more future proof and lower maintenance technology. The LCD would be lighter, run cooler and I don't have to worry about possible burn in (I’m not sure that's such big issue with plasma anymore, but FWIW if you download some manuals for the latest generation plasma sets, the manufacturers still warn about possible burn-in and urge caution).

That being said, I have to balance all of this with my primary intended use, which is watching standard DVD's. If the a 720p set (whether plasma or lcd) will give me equal or even better picture quality than a 1080p set for half-the price then it’s not worth it to pay more right now. I’m just not sure if watching DVD’s at 1080p will not look as nice as 720p. No point in spending a lot of money and getting sub optimal quality for 3 years while waiting for true 1080p content.

 

[WmAx]

Having read more LCD vs. Plasma discussions than I care to admit, I’ve come to the conclusion that you can no longer definitively state that plasma provides better tonal and black level reproduction than the latest generation higher-end LCD's (such as Bravia or Aquos lines).

As I stated, I have not yet found a LCD television that matches a high quality plasma or crt in tonal range reproduction(LCD simply seems to gloss over subtle tonal information when compared side by side), when adjusting setting on both from the same source, and that does include some of the latest Sony displays(I was shopping for televisions for the past few months). Of course, I have not compared every model that exists -- that is not likely for anyone to accomplish, but all LCDs showed exactly the same type of problem with tonal reproduction, though of course, the level of which this occurred varied between different models. This was a subjective comparison, of course, as I had no practical way to do a better controlled bias-free comparison. I might even be imagining the differences, even though they seemed rather pronounced. This does not mean that such LCD television does not exist; but I have not found it yet. Such LCDs certainly DO exist, and have been even compared in bias-free 'blind' conditions against CRT, such as in the high-end graphics display market for commercial graphics use, but these units cost several thousand dollars for a 20-23" display, and require extensive software correction to correct for nonlinearities inherent of the device(s). It is, of course, only a matter of time before such ability is present in normal LCD displays.

-Chris

 

[emorphien]

You NEED a 1080p display to get the most out of your 480p content. How else can you see your SD-DVDs in High Definition?


I hear that there is a new upconversion SD-DVD player that has a chip in it that can actually create data from nowhere. If your source material has fuzzy green blobs as trees the chip actually knows it's a tree and adds branches and leaves. Not enough detail in dark areas, this chip knows what it's suppoused to be and renders a High Definition scene from thin air?

This chip makes HD-DVD and BLU-RAY obsolete. Actual HD content is for suckers!

Good thing too, actual HD is looking like a big-time flop!

 

[gmichael]

Have I walked into the twilight zone?

 

[mtrycrafts]

You NEED a 1080p display to get the most out of your 480p content. How else can you see your SD-DVDs in High Definition?

How can you get more resolution out of a source that is 480i? It is already resolution limited. That 1080p will have two lines for each of the 480i with the same data on it, not new data.


I hear that there is a new upconversion SD-DVD player that has a chip in it that can actually create data from nowhere.

That is what it has to do then, something from nothing. Good luck. What it will do most likely is averaging and it is still making things up, guessing, no?


If your source material has fuzzy green blobs as trees the chip actually knows it's a tree and adds branches and leaves.

Oh, an intelligent chip knows what is on the picture?


This chip makes HD-DVD and BLU-RAY obsolete. Actual HD content is for suckers! Yeah, sure

Perhaps this was all a jest? Pulling our leg?

 

[raminolta]

720p versus 1080p is a too obvious, easy understanding difference to base a decision on. Just by reading a line in the specifications one will know if this a 720p or a 1080p! screensize is another easy-to-know one.
Other factors are harder to observe: image quality from different aspects: color, black level, contrast, image depth. Sometimes one needs to do a careful side-by-side comparision to notice the differences.

It is like camera resolution versus other not-so-obvious merits!

As per viewing SD material on 720p or 1080p: I couldn't care for less about 720p/1080p for SD material. I wouldn't care for less about 720p/1080p if my TV is smaller than 60". That is just me and my personal preferences. No claim, how others would see things.

Right now, i am watching SD DVD materials on a 100" screen from a front projector sitting a mere 10 away from the screen and, I am amazed with the picture to such an extent that i think i will never be able to enjoy watching a movie on a TV anymore even if it is a 40" TV or even 50"!
I am using an Oppo DVD player.

Ramin

I'm currently in the research phase for a new flat panel display. I had pretty much decided on a 46" 1080p LCD panel (viewing from about 8 feet away), but now I'm questioning if that's the right choice considing that 99% of time I'm going to be watching DVD's. Does normal DVD content generally look better at 720p since there is less upconversion involved? If that's the case, I might be better off saving a bit of money and just going with a 720p panel. I already have an OPPO 970HD dvd player if that makes any difference. Thanks guys!

 

[markw]

Standard DVD's are only 420i. That's all there is to it.

I'm currently in the research phase for a new flat panel display. I had pretty much decided on a 46" 1080p LCD panel (viewing from about 8 feet away), but now I'm questioning if that's the right choice considing that 99% of time I'm going to be watching DVD's. Does normal DVD content generally look better at 720p since there is less upconversion involved? If that's the case, I might be better off saving a bit of money and just going with a 720p panel. I already have an OPPO 970HD dvd player if that makes any difference. Thanks guys!

So. even with all the upconverting in the world it'll never equal the resolution of a 1080p screen. The native resolution just ain't there.

Actually, 720 is a bit much for a 480 DVD also. IMNSHO, there would be no significant visible difference from a standard DVD on either a 720 or 1080p screen.

Now, those new fangled HD DVD's are another matter entirely but, having lived through so many format wars in my time, I'm just gonna sit and wait on this one or at least until combo players ar ereleased and attain reasonable prices.