Rich H
Second Unit
- Joined
- May 22, 2001
- Messages
- 283
Folks, I've done a fair amount of TV shopping recently and I must rant......
I find most big tv screens of almost any technology to be wanting. Too many distracting artifacts.
I own a Panasonic 27" Tau TV, approximately 7 years old. Very nice picture.
Over the years I've kept a casual eye on the expanding tv sizes, wondering when I'll feel compelled to go with a bigger screen. Back when I bought my 27," to my eye the "sweet spot" in screen quality was the 30-32" sets. Above that the image started to become compromised, looking less clear, with lines and other artifacts starting to become more noticeable.
My purchase this year of a DVD player compelled me to pursue
a bigger screen - to really see what was available. And I can't believe how underwhelming my search has been - essentially, despite all manufacturer's hype and the "explosion" of home cinema options, I still see the same problems.
When I look at the latest CRT screens, the larger the screen the more artifacts I see. There always seems to be a very obvious processing of the picture happening. I know that in some cases this can be artifacts of DVDs being revealed, and I know what those artifacts look like. But the processing I'm talking about happens both on DVDs and broadcast. It's that swimmy, smudgy blurring as the fancy new processors try and do their thing to supposedly render a better picture. I find it terribly distracting. When I come home to my Panasonic 27" it's a relief - I see a very vibrant, clear picture with non of this artifacting. Frankly, I'm amazed at what many people will put up with visually just to have a bigger screen.
These artifacts have been obvious on virtually ever CRT I've looked at, including the newer HD models by Panasonic/Sony - less so on the Louwe, but still there.
FWIW, good rear projection TVs strike me as smoother in this regard - stunning actually, but I find the beamy quality of RPTs frustrating.
Funny enough, after all this ranting, the images that have impressed me the most have been from the new generation of Plasma screens (such as the Panasonic 42" model). I'm certainly aware of all the knocks against plasma picture quality, and the technical arguments in CRT's favor. And in fact I thought plasmas sucked until recently. But on a good source the newer Plasma pictures simply amaze me - smooth, rich, more like looking out a window. I directly compared the new DVD of North By Northwest on the "hot" new Sony HV-40"XBR vs a Panasonic plasma, and while both had exceptional detail, the artifacts - especially those outlining people's clothes - were significantly less present in the Panasonic, making it a more pleasurable viewing experience.
So, there's my rant. Currently the only thing that makes me want to replace my 27" Panasonic is a friggin' expensive Plasma model.
Any comments? Slings? Arrows? Anyone agree?
Thanks,
Rich H.
I find most big tv screens of almost any technology to be wanting. Too many distracting artifacts.
I own a Panasonic 27" Tau TV, approximately 7 years old. Very nice picture.
Over the years I've kept a casual eye on the expanding tv sizes, wondering when I'll feel compelled to go with a bigger screen. Back when I bought my 27," to my eye the "sweet spot" in screen quality was the 30-32" sets. Above that the image started to become compromised, looking less clear, with lines and other artifacts starting to become more noticeable.
My purchase this year of a DVD player compelled me to pursue
a bigger screen - to really see what was available. And I can't believe how underwhelming my search has been - essentially, despite all manufacturer's hype and the "explosion" of home cinema options, I still see the same problems.
When I look at the latest CRT screens, the larger the screen the more artifacts I see. There always seems to be a very obvious processing of the picture happening. I know that in some cases this can be artifacts of DVDs being revealed, and I know what those artifacts look like. But the processing I'm talking about happens both on DVDs and broadcast. It's that swimmy, smudgy blurring as the fancy new processors try and do their thing to supposedly render a better picture. I find it terribly distracting. When I come home to my Panasonic 27" it's a relief - I see a very vibrant, clear picture with non of this artifacting. Frankly, I'm amazed at what many people will put up with visually just to have a bigger screen.
These artifacts have been obvious on virtually ever CRT I've looked at, including the newer HD models by Panasonic/Sony - less so on the Louwe, but still there.
FWIW, good rear projection TVs strike me as smoother in this regard - stunning actually, but I find the beamy quality of RPTs frustrating.
Funny enough, after all this ranting, the images that have impressed me the most have been from the new generation of Plasma screens (such as the Panasonic 42" model). I'm certainly aware of all the knocks against plasma picture quality, and the technical arguments in CRT's favor. And in fact I thought plasmas sucked until recently. But on a good source the newer Plasma pictures simply amaze me - smooth, rich, more like looking out a window. I directly compared the new DVD of North By Northwest on the "hot" new Sony HV-40"XBR vs a Panasonic plasma, and while both had exceptional detail, the artifacts - especially those outlining people's clothes - were significantly less present in the Panasonic, making it a more pleasurable viewing experience.
So, there's my rant. Currently the only thing that makes me want to replace my 27" Panasonic is a friggin' expensive Plasma model.
Any comments? Slings? Arrows? Anyone agree?
Thanks,
Rich H.
Check this post by me not too long ago: 
