the problem is.. different brands look different too...

i'm really not sure what i want either but i'm gonna be droppin about 2-3k on a tv soon and i'm also trying to find the best setup....

for now xbox 360 and hd -dvr is all it will be seeing... i'm not messing with blue-ray until they make the xbox addition or the ps3 comes out and it gets most of the bugs worked out.

10/17/2006 7:04:10 AM

Quote :

"blue-ray until they make the xbox addition "

The Xbox360 is getting an HD-DVD addon not BlueRay.

10/17/2006 2:55:34 PM

Quote :

"Can someone explain to me why LCD TV's of all sizes and prices are not 1080i? I have an LCD monitor in my cheapo iMac than can do 1920x1080."

http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/17/sanyo-epson-announce-7-1-inch-1080p-lcd-by-far-the-worlds-smal/

7.1 LCD to offer 1080p

10/17/2006 5:41:39 PM

when will hd dvds be out

10/17/2006 10:17:21 PM

they are out now

10/17/2006 10:18:32 PM

from what ive heard blue ray has a higher capacity, and the backing of movie "companies" or whoever the people are that make the format decisions...

10/18/2006 1:34:48 PM

Umm, it's been going back and forth between the two.

I think in the end it won't be a big deal because players to support both formats will become the norm, and if over time it just happens that the market gravitates to one format, well then players will do the same.

I do know that in some initial testing on the dvdforums, the HD-DVD discs looked better than the Blu-Ray, marginally. Most consumers not named Quinn, Stein, or Neon, wouldn't notice.

10/18/2006 1:52:41 PM

I haven't noticed any difference. Hell, on a good setup, the difference between DVD and HD-DVD/BluRay is barely noticeable.

10/18/2006 3:16:31 PM

Universal players will NOT happen. Both camps are decidedly against letting the other format live. All attempts at universal players, drives and discs have been shot down.

And the difference between HD-DVD and initial BluRay was VERY noticable. BluRay basically looked like an upconverted SD DVD and sometimes not even that good. If you can't tell the difference you should go see an optometrist. While BluRay is getting better there still is room for improvement.

BluRay is 25GB per layer while HD-DVD is 15GB per layer. But there have been dual layer HD-DVDs out for a while now and only recently has BluRay been able to produce the dual layer discs. Either way it's not that big of a deal, if a movie ever exceeded the 30GB they could just use a dual sided dual layer disc.

There are movie "companies" backing both formats, there are more BluRay backers but they have yet to release better quality products than the HD-DVD group.

Though it may seem that I want HD-DVD to win (which would be nice because I wouldn't have to buy another player), I don't really care that much which wins. I just want the one to win to be the better format. Not the format that pays off retailers to hide the other in the back, only show the reference material dvd, and to have retail employees falsley talk it up.

10/18/2006 3:25:58 PM

ps3 all having blu-ray give it a decided edge....

10/18/2006 3:32:41 PM

Right because 400,000 units in North America is going to turn the tide of the format war...

There are millions of Xbox360s already out there with an HD-DVD addon coming out soon.

10/18/2006 3:39:49 PM

There may or may not be multi-format Players (there will be, if time has taught us anything about optical drives)

but there will almost certainly be multi-format Discs

http://blog.pricescan.com/archives/2006/10/could_multiform.html

10/18/2006 4:48:49 PM

I can't remember who it was but one of the companies involved, I think Sony, said that there is no way they are giving rights to a multi-format anything, including this disk.

And who the fuck is going to buy a $60 movie anyways? The HD-DVD/SD-DVD combo discs already retail at a retarded $37.99, consumers aren't going to front the cost so movie companies can stand on the sidelines and put their movies on insanely expensive multi-format discs.

10/18/2006 4:56:58 PM

Quote :

"Universal players will NOT happen."

Sure they will.

http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/10/nec-ships-dual-format-blu-ray-hd-dvd-chip/

10/18/2006 5:04:08 PM

That's not a universal player.

10/18/2006 5:07:35 PM

Are you lacking in the ability to think critically as you appear to be to me at the moment, or just a little slow today?

10/18/2006 5:15:30 PM

Quote :

"Right because 400,000 units in North America is going to turn the tide of the format war... "

Try a number more like 5 or 6 million. The 'format war' is going to last more than 2 months, you know?

and just like you said, the 360 has an ADD-ON. Most people don't own an X360, and most X360 owners will not buy it.

Why would you 'want' HD-DVD to win? It has less storage space... Everything is else is the same now that dual layer Blu-Ray titles have hit the market.

10/18/2006 5:22:48 PM

Hahaha, GG State409c.

I thought I had read something of the sort recently on engadget, but couldnt find the link

10/18/2006 5:22:50 PM

Quote :

"360 has an ADD-ON. Most people don't own an X360, and most X360 owners will not buy it."

Wrong...everyone I've talked to in person or on forums IS buying it and I've talked to several people in their 40's and 50's that are considering buying an Xbox 360 and the HD-DVD add-on just for the reasonable cost of an HD-DVD player. [Format war withstanding]

10/18/2006 5:50:21 PM

^^^^What you linked is a chip that can handle the playback of both BluRay and HD-DVD. I never said a universal player couldn't be done, I just don't think Toshiba and Sony will be letting it happen any time soon. So you can prove me wrong when a universal player is released.

^^^There won't be 5 or 6 million in 2 months. Sony's had months to prepare for their launch and all they could muster is 500k units. It's going to be quite a while before there are 5 million PS3's. And we'll just have to wait and see how many people buy the Xbox360 add-on.

And I never said that I wanted HD-DVD to win. Less storage space isn't really that big of an issue. Everything isn't the same either.

10/18/2006 5:56:51 PM

well if history has taught anyone anything it is that sony never wins the format war

so there is really no reason to expect that they would this time

10/18/2006 6:07:55 PM

Quote :

"Why would you 'want' HD-DVD to win? It has less storage space"

Bluray presently costs more and looks worse.

I dont know much about being a consumer but there is usually a cost tradeoff in the direction of better quality.

Deinterlacing 1080i internally doesnt really achieve anything any non CRT tv wouldnt have to do anyways.



Every 5-10 years sony creates a new superier format and it dies out.

See: betamax / minidisk / bluray

Maybe they can win this round, if samsung is their hope at 800-1000$ per unit I think history will repeat itself.

[Edited on October 18, 2006 at 6:12 PM. Reason : .]

10/18/2006 6:12:02 PM

the problem is microsoft isn't sure if they're going to support blueray for pcs.
that my friends will fuck them...
( i did some research after my stupid comment )

10/18/2006 8:16:16 PM

Quote :

"^^^^What you linked is a chip that can handle the playback of both BluRay and HD-DVD. I never said a universal player couldn't be done, I just don't think Toshiba and Sony will be letting it happen any time soon. So you can prove me wrong when a universal player is released."

Uh, are you really this retarded? NEC is licensed for both technologies, they have the chip. Toshiba and Sony can't DO anything to stop it from happening.

10/18/2006 11:21:54 PM

Quote :

"Uh, are you really this retarded? NEC is licensed for both technologies, they have the chip. Toshiba and Sony can't DO anything to stop it from happening."

Unless, of course, they violate the terms of the license, which could very well exclude NEC from creating a dual-format drive.

10/18/2006 11:53:33 PM

you know youre in a good position when youre depending on ricoh technology

10/19/2006 12:06:32 AM

Quote :

"Despite the technical success of the chip, legal issues may nix any future hybrid players. Back in July, the European Commission sent the Blu-ray and HD DVDs a letter asking for clarification on some licensing issues."

'

Quote :

"Sony's Blu-ray license apparently prohibits drive makers from manufacturing a hybrid drive."

http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/10/10/nec_hybrid_chip/

10/19/2006 1:00:26 AM

Quote :

"Bluray presently costs more and looks worse."

The new dual layer discs look identical to HD-DVD.

They were stupid + tried to rush Blu-Ray titles out to market before they could get dual layer production into full swing, which is why the first round looked bad.


Now the two formats are, essentially, identical.

more storage space FTW!!

10/19/2006 8:35:04 AM

^^I seriously doubt it's going to make a difference in the end. And even if NEC doesn't push forward, there are a hundred other taiwanese companies that will push out unlicensed hybrid players.

10/19/2006 10:10:32 AM

That license will never stand.

10/19/2006 10:19:44 AM

So, DUDE at the circut city says dlp will look choppy at angles and unless you're standing far away. Which I experianced first hand, dlp does look grainy and staticy. This was my first time seeing one of those animals and they weren't that pretty.

I should've been a few miles away for improved picture maybe. Or samsung makes some shitty dlps.

10/19/2006 10:20:02 AM

stop trolling and kill yourself

10/19/2006 10:21:35 AM

^^because it couldnt have been a shitty video feed

10/19/2006 10:48:26 AM

Quote :

"shitty video feed"

10/19/2006 11:02:17 AM

ok, I'm going to need a TV in the 40"-60" range

not a lot of gaming, occasional PS2 use, mostly HD, DVR, cable, and DVD viewing

what should I go with?

should I go with the new flat panel stuff because they look really nice and don't take up space?

or just go with a rear projection?

what lasts longer?

10/19/2006 11:04:09 AM

^^^^^ do you trust everything the guys at circuit city tell you, what makes them an expert? the fact that they are paid commission to sell higher priced items, and will therefore tell you whatever half-truth they need to make it happen, is reason enough to stay away.

the biggest reason of course is that they generally have no effing clue about what they're selling other than what the sales manager tells them to say. they're not experts. you might as well be taking Earl's advice with the quality suggestions you got from the store.

10/19/2006 11:23:14 AM

Attn Quinn,

If you were going to purchase a video displaying peice of equipment between now and 6 months, where the main focus is for watching HD game broadcasts at a viewing distance of no more than 10 feet, what would you get?

10/23/2006 7:47:39 PM

^^ Circuit City is not on commission.

10/23/2006 7:50:05 PM

^^

Good question

I wouldnt get anything larger than 56 inches unless moving was in the near future. Im not a big fan of sitting right on top of large rear projection televisions. Something about the glowey white effect produced by the shit they put behind the rear fresnel annoys the shit out of me. Whites in real life do not sparkle, why the fuck does the tv have to.....ok rant over moving on

If you are not bothered by single chip DLP artifacts : Get a DLP because its got the best size / image quality / price ratio

If you are bothered by single chip DLP artifacts youre kind of fucked because there are not very many rear projection LCD solutions available. The sony models are pretty price competitive with the DLPs but it can be argued the image quality is worse(3LCD line not SXRD). If i had the money and wanted a RPTV i would just buy an SXRD but its obviously alot more expensive.

If you are rich get a plasma because i want to see how one looks that's not setup in tweeter or bestbuy hahahaha.

Whatver you do make sure you get a tv with a built in tuner and a damn good deinterlacer(good luck finding reviews for that kind of stuff, it is commonplace in projector reviews I dont know about TVs). Completly avoid time warner at all costs.

[Edited on October 23, 2006 at 8:10 PM. Reason : .]

10/23/2006 8:09:55 PM

so i got my 46" samsung dlp tv today

very nice

only downside is no QAM, but i got a temp antenna before i get twc box since it will be $5 per roommate
i need the espn hd

10/23/2006 8:56:35 PM

HD-DVD has one big thing going for it... it has HD in the title... and HD is booming with HD TVs, HD Channels, etc etc... everyone wants something in HD and they can instantly associate it with HD-DVDs. Blueray on the otherhand does not have that same universal understanding by any level of consumer. I think this will make a significant impact on the success of HD-DVD.

Back on topic, I'd personally go with SXRD if you chose any projection style TV, otherwise LCD or Plasma is the way to go. Plasma's are competitively priced and no longer have any of the issues that plagued them when they first came out (but the said can be said about all formats). I think it really comes down personal preference and which one you think looks the best... go into a smaller store where its just one TV in a room and actually check it out then... larger stores make it difficult to tell the true qaulity of TVs IMO.

10/24/2006 1:46:52 AM

I still don't see why anyone would want HD-DVD to 'win'.

it's inferior tech.

10/24/2006 2:13:33 PM

Dear uneducated poster,

Just because it holds more data, doesnt mean its worth the insane price premium.

and its sony for christs sake, are you out of your fucking mind?

10/24/2006 3:47:30 PM

uneducated my ass. You think b/c you know a few things that makes you Tech Talk 'God'?? Either way, you lose, buddy...



Price premium? That is a moot point. They are both prohibitively expensive at this point, and we all know prices will come down as the tech gains traction.

HD-DVD is still inferior technology. And there is no "insane premium" to talk about. Talk about uneducated...

I'll save you the trouble: "BUT TEH BLU-RAY PLAYER IS $1000!!?!?!"
I'm getting mine, along with a next-gen console, for $600. Only $100 more than the cheapest HD-DVD player.


What has being so anti-Sony every done for you? You're that blind that you would support the inferior technology b/c it bears a different logo? Ridiculous. but expected from such a tool.

[Edited on October 25, 2006 at 12:33 PM. Reason : d]

10/25/2006 12:30:57 PM

Quote :

"What has being so anti-Sony every done for you? "

Uh...

Beta cassettes
MiniDiscs
Memory Sticks
UMDs

Quote :

"I'm getting mine, along with a next-gen console, for $600. Only $100 more than the cheapest HD-DVD player."

Too bad the PS3 doesn't upscale, which is absolutely laughable -- not to mention that if the PS3 is to Blu-Ray what the PS2 was to DVD, it's going to be a shitty player that puts a poor quality image.

Not to mention it's a first release of video game console that has been plagued with production issues from a company thats last first iteration has was plagued with disc read issues.

Oh yeah, and good luck trying to get a PS3 any time soon if you haven't already pre-ordered.

I'm rooting more for HD-DVD because it's history isn't marred with Sony fuckup after Sony fuckup at a Sony price.

[Edited on October 25, 2006 at 1:06 PM. Reason : .]

10/25/2006 1:04:37 PM

Quote :

"I'm getting mine, along with a next-gen console, for $600. Only $100 more than the cheapest HD-DVD player."

So you are comparing the projected price of your box which we aren't sure when it will actually hit the shelves (as Stein mentioned)

to the cost of an HD DVD player today?!

I think you're real fucking moronic if you think you have all this figured out. At this point, due to a lot of different reasons (from technical to price to availability), there is no clear winner yet.

10/25/2006 1:21:37 PM

friend of mine just got a Sony 55" LCD projection for $1000 (with a stand included). Its about a year and a half old and there *might* be an extended warranty on it.

1) does that price sound right?

2) do they need to get an upconverting DVD player or will the standard one using the component outs work fine?

10/25/2006 2:56:21 PM

i'll buy an all-in-one unit that also plays divx/xvid when i can get it for $79.99

i'll be waiting a couple of years

10/25/2006 6:30:34 PM

Quote :

"I'm getting mine, along with a next-gen console, for $600. Only $100 more than the cheapest HD-DVD player. "

My dad got his hd dvd player for 363 shipped about 3 months ago.

As stein pointed out, if the ps2 is any indication of the ps3's ability to read and display video from the media in which it stores games, youre in for a $600 disc read error in a year.

But I like how angry you got before wasting your time posting, so Ill explain to you what a potentimeter is and how to adjust it to at least get 3-6 more months out of your beloved console.

By the way im not anti-sony, i said i would buy an sxrd if i wanted a RPTV for a living room.

Im hardly a tech talk "god" as you put it. I dont believe the best technology from a nerd point of view makes it in an actual market (i mean fuck, look back in time at all the times something faster/cooler/morestorage failed to a competitor with a price edge). I dont have a sony bias, but just dont believe buying their unavailable console that they cant make due to yield issues, or buying samsungs 1000$ paperweight, or buying sonys own bluray dvd player (WHICH WAS DELAYED YET AGAIN) is a good idea.

Yeah im a wizbang fucking idiot alright.


[Edited on October 25, 2006 at 6:58 PM. Reason : RAMBUS IS SO MUCH FASTER FUCK DDR ]

10/25/2006 6:49:46 PM

The xbox had the same issue with the Thompson drives.

New tech will always have issues. It is par for the course when you are an early adopter in a lot of industries. My PS2 developed issues, so I just cleaned the lens and it was good to go.

The large companies just get harder by it because they typically sell many more units.

10/25/2006 7:01:24 PM