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HD Primer?

post #1 of 2
6/22/08 at 7:23pm
Thread Starter 
I'm looking to make the plunge into HD soon, going to plunk around 2000 on an HD set, possibly the DLP-LED 61" samsung, but possibly a plasma or lcd. but anyway I now discover that most of what I knew about HT (from about six or eight years ago) isn't terribly relevant anymore.

What're the merits and disadvantages of Plasma versus LCD? I haven't seen a clear explanation of this anywhere, AVS segregates them so people don't fight, does HTF have anyone who can explain both in an unbiased manner.

Has the burn in problem been solved? I remember this was an early worry with flat screens.

What's with HDMI? There are different versions of it? what do the different versions do differently? are they backwards and forwards compatible with each other? Is it a physical difference or a data transmission difference?

Blu-ray stand alone or PS3? I'm leaning towards PS3, but remember how unreliable the PS2 dvd player was.

HD AUDIO formats? Are they all lossless? What should I look for in a receiver that is compatible with these?

Are there any other 'new' cables like HDMI I need to worry about?

Is upgrading to 7.1 from 5.1 worth it?

I have Digital Video Essentials, will I need to get a new version to calibrate my HDTV?
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post #2 of 2
6/22/08 at 10:48pm

Re: HD Primer?

Adam, your questions are probably "answered" many times in the various threads, so using "search" might help?

Here are some quick ones..

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam_S
What're the merits and disadvantages of Plasma versus LCD?
Has the burn in problem been solved? I remember this was an early worry with flat screens.

You might find better answers here:
Display Devices (TVs/Projectors) - Home Theater Forum

This LCD vs Plasma is a tricky subject, and you´ll find as many "answers" as there are people buying these both. As far as I know, plasma still has "burn in problems", but then again it (usually) produces somewhat better blacks than LCD. Then again, best LCD-models now are probably quite close...

At least in Europe, "full HD" (1080p) Plasma-models are quite expensive, so if you want 1080p-TV in a decent price, LCD just could be your only "real choice"? Not sure, though. Just don´t buy super-cheap LCD/plasma-models.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam_S
What's with HDMI? There are different versions of it? what do the different versions do differently? are they backwards and forwards compatible with each other? Is it a physical difference or a data transmission difference?

HDMI :: Resources :: FAQ

High-Definition Multimedia Interface - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam_S
Blu-ray stand alone or PS3? I'm leaning towards PS3, but remember how unreliable the PS2 dvd player was.

PS3 is a great piece of "media center" and "full" 1.1/2.0 profile BD-player. No need to worry with that, it´s a "safe buy". Of course, do you play games? Do you need 40gb hard drive? Do you like the design? It *might* have some minor "fan noise", etc etc.

If you have more questions, do it here:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...ilable-14.html

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam_S
HD AUDIO formats? Are they all lossless? What should I look for in a receiver that is compatible with these?

"PCM" is uncompressed. "Dolby TrueHD", and "DTS-HD master" are "lossless".

More info about HDMI 1.3 etc:
High-Def FAQ: Is HDMI 1.3 Really Necessary? | High-Def Digest

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam_S
Are there any other 'new' cables like HDMI I need to worry about?

Not really. Stick with HDMI.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam_S
Is upgrading to 7.1 from 5.1 worth it?

It depends. For many people probably not, but then again it´s probably good to have with some titles.. Then again, you´ll need 7 speakers, of course.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam_S
I have Digital Video Essentials, will I need to get a new version to calibrate my HDTV?

You´ll need this version:
Amazon.com: Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics [Blu-ray]: Sam Dalton, Nick Lane, Joe Kane, Gus Comegys: Movies & TV

Hopely this will get you started at least..
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