What reason are so many plasmas more than the Vizio - what's better?

[teutonictrio]

I saw the Vizio HD unit at Costco today - very attractive case. They were playing a dvd, no HD feed, so I couldn't compare it with anything else they had up. In shopping the last few weeks and more, the prices are all over the board. Are the units at $3000, $4000, $5000, (all same size) really that much better? Are you paying for marketing and advertising, or truly superior quality? I now start to doubt if I should take mine back and trade it for the Vizio which is $1300 cheaper, but I don't want to be disappointed - it's a delicate balance of how much is the extra (real or perceived - which is it truly?) quality worth to me in dollars, I guess. Some here have units at the high end of the prices mentioned, others have paid around the same price for the Panasonic units - is there truly a difference worth the money spent?

[joemama127]

Have Vizio's been professionally reviewed and compared to similar models from well known makers? That's not to say they aren't good...just unproven. I'm old enough to remember when Samsung was just breaking into the consumer electronics biz and they were regarded with waryness also..

[teutonictrio]

I'm of course playing devil's advocate here, but it is a valid question. I wonder it myself when looking at all the HDTV units out there, all same size, all same or similar features on paper, but a wide range of pricing. One salesperson at Tweeter said 'you get what you pay for', but is that really true?

[mike123abc]

Another factor you have to look at is if the difference in picture quality is worth the money? To some people the answer might be yes, others no. Ok this brand X has better detail in dark scenes when I watch it very carefully up close I can see it, or perhaps the reds or greens look a bit better, etc. What about electronics like OTA HD or cablecard?

It is a difficult and slippery slope. I REALLY want to buy a new TV for the master bedroom, I have been shopping for a couple months and my head starts to spin after a while because there are so many possibilities and options. One minute I am ready to just buy something like the Vizio, then I think I really would like it to have cablecard, then I think what about burn in perhaps LCD, but what about blacks, perhaps rear projection, well what about DLP vs LCOS vs LCD...

"Worth the money" is going to be a hard choice for most people. If you have enough money that it really does not matter if you spend $2500 or $15,000 you may as well get the best money can buy since you will not have to live with compromises. Otherwise it is a tough choice.

[teutonictrio]

"the best money can buy"

That's exactly the point of my post. What is the difference between the more expensive models, if you consider similar size, features, and function? Overall picture? Only subtleties? Superior longevity? Superior components?

I have seen HD units side by side and could tell the difference, quite easily, but truly not always were the more expensive ones better. Never was the cheapest the best, either...

Is 'the best money can buy' really better?

[will792]

Originally posted by teutonictrio
I saw the Vizio HD unit at Costco today - very attractive case. They were playing a dvd, no HD feed, so I couldn't compare it with anything else they had up. In shopping the last few weeks and more, the prices are all over the board. Are the units at $3000, $4000, $5000, (all same size) really that much better? Are you paying for marketing and advertising, or truly superior quality? I now start to doubt if I should take mine back and trade it for the Vizio which is $1300 cheaper, but I don't want to be disappointed - it's a delicate balance of how much is the extra (real or perceived - which is it truly?) quality worth to me in dollars, I guess. Some here have units at the high end of the prices mentioned, others have paid around the same price for the Panasonic units - is there truly a difference worth the money spent?

Supposedly Vizio is a virtual brand for LG products. Many people had quality problems with LG products.

I would consider risk premium. We all know that AAA rated bonds pay lower premium and junk bonds pay more. Is it worth paying more for lower risk products? No simple answer.

If you look at the spec only Vizio unit is better than Panasonic (CR) but you do not have the same knowledge of estimated picture and unit quality. The price reflects that.

Will

[afiggatt]

Originally posted by teutonictrio
"the best money can buy"

That's exactly the point of my post. What is the difference between the more expensive models, if you consider similar size, features, and function? Overall picture? Only subtleties? Superior longevity? Superior components?


The biggest difference between different plasma models is picture quality - black levels, color rendition, the real world contrast ratios, the scalar & electronics capability in minimizing artifacts for SD and HD input signals. Over the past year, LG and Samsung have markedly improved their plasmas, but from what I have seen, still have a ways to go to catch up to Panasonic and Pioneer. But Panasonic & Pioneer are not standing still either. The Vizio is using someone's glass - do you know who? I guess I should stop by a Costco and see if they have one of the Vizio ED or HDs on display. One test is to put your hand over the set and see how much heat it is generating. The 7UY Panasonics and xx40 & later Pioneers are remarkably reduced in power consumption and thus give off less heat.

[R Harkness]

Originally posted by teutonictrio
"the best money can buy"

That's exactly the point of my post. What is the difference between the more expensive models, if you consider similar size, features, and function? Overall picture? Only subtleties? Superior longevity? Superior components?



Most plasmas these days are coming with a host of features. For me picture quality if paramount.

To be blunt, from what I've seen the Vizio plasma sucks. I saw it playing Lord Of The Rings at a local store and thought it was one of the worst plasma images I've seen - washed out, soft, noisy etc. I tried playing with picture settings and found not much could be done - it had pretty high black levels so it couldn't achieve very good contrast.

Blech. It's worth it to move up to something like a Panasonic or Pioneer, which can be found for a good price.

[nessus]

Unfortunately it's extremely difficult to compare one PDP against another. Not all B&M stores carry the same models and the one's on display are often shown in brightly lit environments, not calibrated and who knows what settings have been applied? Even when you try and do some research on the Internet it's difficult to compare the exact same spec's: CR, displayable colors, shadow detail, etc. Some web pages post spec's that are just plain wrong or inaccurate for a particular model. IMO the best approach is to determine what you’re willing to spend on a FP and try to buy the best possible PDP in your price range. Television technologies today are advancing so rapidly that no matter what you buy now, a new, improved and perhaps less expensive version will come along during the next 6 months or so...

[jcpzero]

Originally posted by afiggatt
The biggest difference between different plasma models is picture quality - black levels, color rendition, the real world contrast ratios, the scalar & electronics capability in minimizing artifacts for SD and HD input signals. Over the past year, LG and Samsung have markedly improved their plasmas, but from what I have seen, still have a ways to go to catch up to Panasonic and Pioneer. But Panasonic & Pioneer are not standing still either.

I found the current Samsung SP-P4231 less than impressive. But the specs on the 2005 models has jumped to 68 billion colors and a higher contrast ratio. I don't know if this alone will solve my current samsung concerns - but they are making progress. Panasonic and NEC are the benchmark brands of reasonably priced EDTVs.

JCPZero

[PeterNight]

Yeah - it is pretty subjective. I swear I sat at our local costco for 25 minutes looking at every dark scene, and thought the vizio had better everything then the panasonic edtv (pa25 i think) next to it costing $500 more. The signal was definetly HD.

Per earlier comments on electronics/quality, I am VERY concernced with Vinc's products. I have their DVD player, which with some very neat features, still has a number of quirks. Annoying, but usable. One great feature is that I ripped the new BattleStar Galatica series as a DIVX from england onto a DVD-rw. I fit the first 9 episodes onto a single DVD-RW. It played widescreen - filling my edtv screen, WAY better then the CRAP signal on SCIFI. I picked up their 20" lcd, and had to return it because of MANY quirks. Fortunately it was bought at costco. They took it back, no haggle at all. I would NEVER even consider a VINC product purchased elsewhere based on my experiences. But costco is renowned for their great return police. Which makes the VINC 42 hd plasma look even more tempting.

I have a 5th gen panny 42 edtv for a couple of years now, and am still very impressed with it. But it would move to the bedroom if I get the vizio.

I am still tempted to get the 7th gen commercial panny edtv, but the lack of inputs and stand, plus all the negative reviews of the svideo, are causing me to wait for the new consumer version.

I was briefly tempted to get the nec that many here have had positive comments on. But on principle, I cannot spend that much on a tv never seen.

Yeah it is tough;) Good Luck - and keep reading these forums. I consider it a hobby;) There are a lot of guys here who I would not consider amateurs, with good insights ...
...peter

Originally posted by R Harkness
Most plasmas these days are coming with a host of features. For me picture quality if paramount.

To be blunt, from what I've seen the Vizio plasma sucks. I saw it playing Lord Of The Rings at a local store and thought it was one of the worst plasma images I've seen - washed out, soft, noisy etc. I tried playing with picture settings and found not much could be done - it had pretty high black levels so it couldn't achieve very good contrast.

Blech. It's worth it to move up to something like a Panasonic or Pioneer, which can be found for a good price.

[sievers]

Originally posted by R Harkness
To be blunt, from what I've seen the Vizio plasma sucks. I saw it playing Lord Of The Rings at a local store and thought it was one of the worst plasma images I've seen - washed out, soft, noisy etc. I tried playing with picture settings and found not much could be done - it had pretty high black levels so it couldn't achieve very good contrast.

Blech. It's worth it to move up to something like a Panasonic or Pioneer, which can be found for a good price. [/B]
Couldn't agree more. Spent about an hour today at Costco looking at all their tv's and the visio was possibly the worst looking one there, IMO. I would much rather have a panny or NEC EDTV than that vizio. And it was the new e model.

[adb]

Most of the time there is a reason they cost less. Not always, but usually the case.

Rich Harkness is, in my opinion, very objective and accurate in his opinions. I surely would place stock in what he says.

[foghorn2]

There is a jealousy and loyalty factor also. Many members have spent a fortune on a good plasma, bragged about it on forums, advocated the manufacturer, recommended it to others, etc..

A newcomer at a great price with better specs and picture will instantly bring upon bad biased reviews.
Not to mention sellers of competitive products that may lurk bulletin boards to discourage the sales of the new guy in town.

[R Harkness]

Originally posted by foghorn2
There is a jealousy and loyalty factor also. Many members have spent a fortune on a good plasma, bragged about it on forums, advocated the manufacturer, recommended it to others, etc..

A newcomer at a great price with better specs and picture will instantly bring upon bad biased reviews.
Not to mention sellers of competitive products that may lurk bulletin boards to discourage the sales of the new guy in town.

No.

A newcommer with a better price and specs (performance) will be welcomed. We can all benefit from such advances.

Do you have any particular "newcommer" in mind that has hit the scene offering a better price combined with better performance?

Thanks,

[foghorn2]

Originally posted by R Harkness
No.

A newcommer with a better price and specs (performance) will be welcomed. We can all benefit from such advances.

Do you have any particular "newcommer" in mind that has hit the scene offering a better price combined with better performance?

Thanks,

Yes, the Visio "e" at Costco.
For the price, it is better than any '42 EDTV out there, and its picture and specs rival more expensive HDTV's in the market.

Do you have any particular reason this is not the case other than your opinion of the picture you glanced at?

[R Harkness]

Originally posted by foghorn2
Yes, the Visio "e" at Costco.
For the price, it is better than any '42 EDTV out there,

What does that mean? Better than any EDTV at it's price? Or better than all ED TVs? I can not be sure that what I saw was the "e" model (I'll check). But what I saw was a Vizio and I couldn't tweak it to reach the standard of most ED plasmas. (I hope I'm wrong...maybe it can look good, but I didn't see that it held much promise considering I turned the brightness all the way down and black levels still appeared pretty high).
..and its picture and specs rival more expensive HDTV's in the market.

To which HD displays have you compared the Vizio? Do you mean other plasmas or other HD displays?

Either way, I still strongly disagree that people here react negatively to the introduction of better price/performance products. That is precisely what I, as a plasma owner, DO want. It boads well for any future purchases.

[hamlyn]

Why not return your current PDP to Costco, get the Visio and give us a write-up of your findings?

[jcpzero]

Originally posted by foghorn2
Yes, the Visio "e" at Costco.
For the price, it is better than any '42 EDTV out there, and its picture and specs rival more expensive HDTV's in the market.

Do you have any particular reason this is not the case other than your opinion of the picture you glanced at?

Foghorn2:

You are a new member to this board and may not be aware of the fine and detailed comparisons R Harkness makes. Search his user name and you will see the wealth of information he provides this forum and the detailed reviews of different brands of plasmas.

There is a whole lot more to the equation than simply price and ED vs HD. If R Harkness could not get the PQ of the Visio to match the Panny - that is saying something.


JCPZero

[foghorn2]

Originally posted by jcpzero
Foghorn2:

You are a new member to this board and may not be aware of the fine and detailed comparisons R Harkness makes. Search his user name and you will see the wealth of information he provides this forum and the detailed reviews of different brands of plasmas.

Some of us have been researching and examining plasmas for years. There is a huge difference between vizios and the pansonic brands. There is a whole lot more to the equation than simply price and ED vs HD. That difference may or may not be apparent to the average consumer.


JCPZero

Just because he has a history of posts and has done many comparisons does not mean that his one observation alone contradicts what a majority of people see as the ViZio "E" being a better value than all ED's and some HDTV's.

As for the difference in an ED over HD, this is analogous to VGA and SVGA.
It all depends on the source and the set resolution, screen size and viewing distance. Id rather have my 17" lcd computer monitor a SVGA than VGA and day. And I'd rather have an 42" plasma with a 720 than 480 lines of resolution any day, for my PC, my DVD player, my Dtivo, and my future HD box for cheaper price any day given the picture is the same or better.
Knowing this set is basically a LG helps also.

Sure I'm a new member, but that does not make my point of view any lesser than a senior member.

Fact of the matter is that this ViZio has a better picture than the Panasonic EDTV's. And given the S-video problems with the 7UY series and Pansonics lack of responce to it, I would not touch a Panny with any sized pole whatsoever!

[jcpzero]

Foghorn2:

Enjoy your vizio and hopefully anyone you convince enjoys theirs also. I hope it works for you and you have no questions.

JCPZero

[RightHere]

Originally posted by will792
Supposedly Vizio is a virtual brand for LG products. Many people had quality problems with LG products. I've searched through several long threads here and I'm not finding anyone complaining about quality problems w/ any LG products. Any more specifics on these concerns?

[housecor]

The most common complaints about LG PDPs involve their limited color palette and relatively high black levels. If the Vizio only produces 16.7m colors and has typical LG black levels, you may find shadow detail in dark scenes unacceptable due to black crush. The set's weakness will likely be most visible in a dark room.

Foghorn2 - Unless you've viewed the Vizio in the dark next to a Panasonic, your evaluation that its PQ is superior is at the very least premature.

[teutonictrio]

Housecor - the thread on color pallette is quite good, and I've found more than one place that the human eye can't process more than 10million colors maximum (range in studies is typically between 6-8million), but that grayscale and the processing itself are key in the overall picture.

True test is to look at them with your own eyes. Some prefer a sharper picture, some a softer one, some more realism, some think they are TOO realistic, etc.

[R Harkness]

Wait. Hold the presses. Scratch what I said about the Vizio. Turns out I was completely wrong, insane, bonkers.

I just phoned the store and what I saw was a Prima plasma, not a Vizio plasma. Somehow when I saw this thread I mixed the names up.

Very sorry for that senior's moment...I'm normally more careful than that.
My apologies to Vizio owners. :o

I'd be very interested to see the Vizio brand too. It is fantastic if people now have a new choice of plasma that offers excellent picture quality at an even lower price than many other plasmas.

Still...one quibble.

Originally posted by foghorn2

Fact of the matter is that this ViZio has a better picture than the Panasonic EDTV's.

When it comes to assessments of picture quality I'd be more careful about using the word "fact," because each person brings their subjective needs and taste to their evaluation. Often displays will have their own sets of strengths.

For instance, I don't see where it's a "fact" the Vizio e has a better picture than the Panasonic EDTV. That's certainly not what I see on the long Vizio thread. Most have not been able to see the Panny ED and Vizio side by side while playing with picture controls. Or in a home-theater-like setting (e.g. not under store lighting). If you don't know how the picture controls are set you can't be sure the fault is in the display or the picture settings. However, at least one person did see the Panny/Vizio side by side while tweaking the Vizio's picture controls. He tried to get the Vizio to look like the Panasonic ED and commented:

"That said there was noticeable "noise" in the Vizio picture that was completely absent from the Panny. It was very bothersome to my eye. Moreoever, despite the claimed improvements in Contrast and black levels, no matter how hard I tweaked the Vizion Display (I found the remote behind the tv!), I could NOT tweak the display to yield anything that resembled black. At best, it was a dark blue. The Panasonic on the other hand had clearly better blacks.....

....Despite the black level and noise issue, I suspect many would be very happy with the Vizio though. It's not a bad display at all. It's superior in every way to the Akai EDTV it was beside, but frankly, I found the Panasonic (even with the HD Feed) more enjoyable to watch."

From this post. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=4943860#post4943860)

I understand the Vizio is based on an LG model. If true, I've been following LG for a while. I tested a new LG 42" plasma not long ago and while it was certainly an improvement on last year's LGs - very punchy and definitely deeper black levels - it still displayed more picture noise and higher black levels than the Panasonic 42" plasma. The quote from the fellow above would seem in line with how I saw the LG vs Panny work out.

But still, if the Vizio is essentially the same as the new LGs it should be a pretty nice plasma.

[Lanurd]

Originally posted by R Harkness
Wait. Hold the presses. Scratch what I said about the Vizio. Turns out I was completely wrong, insane, bonkers.



Wow, sure glad I hit the refresh button. Based on specs alone I was thinking this is the guy for me. I can't imagine it being as nice as my existing 240T LCD setup but I need something to replace my Sony 32" CRT TV and just can't justify the Sharp 45".

[orangedawg]

Noob here and a lucker on this website. I am interested in this Vizio. Have an old (14 years old) 30" Toshiba CRT. First, how will this plasma compare to what I currently have? This TV has been abused like no other with paused DVD's/X Box for hours!! No burn in, at least I can't see it but I'm incredibly unsophisticated in this whole thing. I do realize that I am going to have to be careful with burn in and can't abuse the plasma. That's a given.

Second question: I see that it has been mentioned that this Vizio does not have dual tuners in it. If that is the case, what is the function of the PIP? How is it possible to have the PIP work with two different TV channels? Is it a bad thing that it doesn't have dual tuners? Also, what does POP mean (listed as a function on the website)?

Third: I have an Xbox that I use as my DVD player. Is that okay to play DVD's or do I need to get a progressive DVD player as well? Again, not a sophisticated AV guy, just your usual guy. The DVD picture looks fine to me on my 14 yo Toshiba so what do I know?

Lastly, does anyone know anything about the maker of this Vizio other than it appears to be an LG? Opinions?

Thanks so much for assistance as I know really nothing about plasma TV's other than they usually have a good picture and what I have read on the posts in the AVS forum. Also, please forgive any faux paus that I may have made by this post or anything else. I'm just a guy looking for some info. Thanks!!!! :)

[bobaphx]

Rich...
Your brief accessment of the wrong TV caused quite a stir. I hope you will do your best to see a Vizio "e" model, if possible within the next week, before a bunch of forum members run out and buy this TV. Obviously the time you've taken to learn about/compare PQ...and how to improve it, is knowledge that all of us look up to.

This TV has had many posts over the past week because it is an HDTV at a price never seen before. It seems that many of us that are truly considering this TV don't have the bigger budgets that some of our other members have. It might offer the first time many have finally had an opportunity to actually own a Plasma... and an HD Plasma at that. For others it offers an opportunity to spend a bit less on the TV and upgrade other parts of their system. But, we want a good TV with a good picture that we can enjoy and be be proud of.

I think a lot of people would like to buy this TV (now) because:
1. The unheard of low price for an HD (and includes speakers, needed connections, and a stand).
2. It not a total unknown (LG inside).
3. It can be purchased locally instead of taking a chance for a lower price "online".
4. Costco... available a lot of places, and a good return policy, and no shipping worries or delivery times to have to meet.

The point is, really, that no one wants to make and expensive mistake (this is still an expensive "toy" for entertainment). However, there is only a short time to think about it and only a short timeframe to buy it. Sooo, is this the time/opportunity to sieze the moment, or should we let this one pass and wait a while longer for something else that would be relatively inexpensive of but much better... and worth the wait.

Rich... you've gotten yourself "involved"... can you help with your honest and best opinion?

[R Harkness]

bobaphx,

Sorry, some quick phone calls around show no Vizio plasmas in my area.

If it is basically LG then it should be a decent plasma. I don't even know the price on the Vizio models.

[Gooddoc]

Originally posted by orangedawg
Noob here and a lucker on this website. I am interested in this Vizio. Have an old (14 years old) 30" Toshiba CRT. First, how will this plasma compare to what I currently have? This TV has been abused like no other with paused DVD's/X Box for hours!! No burn in, at least I can't see it but I'm incredibly unsophisticated in this whole thing. I do realize that I am going to have to be careful with burn in and can't abuse the plasma. That's a given.


I've never seen this panel, but from the threads so far it seems this should be a drastic step up in PQ from your 14 yo CRT. Burn-in varies between manufacturers and the Visio is certainly an unknown. I do know that the panasonic's are as resistant as your CRT to burn-in. I have a 50" HD7UY and have never even seen image retention so burn-in is not even on my radar screen with this panel. And yes, I pause DVD's and my DVR for 15-30 mins at a time without an ounce of retention. I am sure you could get burn-in, but not in any normal use situation.


Originally posted by orangedawg

Second question: I see that it has been mentioned that this Vizio does not have dual tuners in it. If that is the case, what is the function of the PIP? How is it possible to have the PIP work with two different TV channels? Is it a bad thing that it doesn't have dual tuners? Also, what does POP mean (listed as a function on the website)?


The PIP will work with other inputs, say internal tuner and STB (Set-top box or cable box) or DVD player. POP is likely Picture-Out-Picture which is usually a split screen so the second picture is not "in" the first picture, but totally separate.


Originally posted by orangedawg

Third: I have an Xbox that I use as my DVD player. Is that okay to play DVD's or do I need to get a progressive DVD player as well? Again, not a sophisticated AV guy, just your usual guy. The DVD picture looks fine to me on my 14 yo Toshiba so what do I know?


whether your Xbox will be acceptable to you is viewer dependent. All I can say is that most mid to high end DVD players will produce a significantly better image on your panel.


Originally posted by orangedawg

Lastly, does anyone know anything about the maker of this Vizio other than it appears to be an LG? Opinions?

Thanks so much for assistance as I know really nothing about plasma TV's other than they usually have a good picture and what I have read on the posts in the AVS forum. Also, please forgive any faux paus that I may have made by this post or anything else. I'm just a guy looking for some info. Thanks!!!! :)

Good luck!

[foghorn2]

Originally posted by housecor
The most common complaints about LG PDPs involve their limited color palette and relatively high black levels. If the Vizio only produces 16.7m colors and has typical LG black levels, you may find shadow detail in dark scenes unacceptable due to black crush. The set's weakness will likely be most visible in a dark room.

Foghorn2 - Unless you've viewed the Vizio in the dark next to a Panasonic, your evaluation that its PQ is superior is at the very least premature.

I have a very bright room that this will be in that would not matter, also I have viewed this in the dark (my brother purchased it yesterday) and the picture is incredible!

[will792]

Originally posted by RightHere
I've searched through several long threads here and I'm not finding anyone complaining about quality problems w/ any LG products. Any more specifics on these concerns?

A few links on LG TVs:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=492836
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=490267
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/messageview.php?start=20&catid=18&threadid=417353

I read much more on problems with LG upsampling DVD player (cannot recall model #). A number of owners returned them.

The listed links are a small sample. I definitely read more.

Will

[RightHere]

Will - I'm not saying that there aren't issues with LG screens. I don't know if there are or not. But I haven't been able to find any patterns stating that is the case. From the links you provided:

#1 - A report from one person that they had a power supply problem. NO responses (and on a forum this active, it leads me to believe it's not a common issue).

#2 - Problem was with the DVD player, not the LG monitor.

#3 - That's one user's comment about a completely unrelated product. Again, no pattern here.

[WooBah]

I saw the Vizio HD (e) version today at My Costco store. Above it was a Panasonic EDTV, not sure what model number. Folks, the Panasonic EDTV had a much clearer picture. Now, I do not know what the settings were on either TV, but the Panasonic had a much better picture. Just my experience for what it is worth.

[will792]

Originally posted by RightHere
Will - I'm not saying that there aren't issues with LG screens. I don't know if there are or not. But I haven't been able to find any patterns stating that is the case. From the links you provided:

#1 - A report from one person that they had a power supply problem. NO responses (and on a forum this active, it leads me to believe it's not a common issue).

#2 - Problem was with the DVD player, not the LG monitor.

#3 - That's one user's comment about a completely unrelated product. Again, no pattern here.

I agree that provided links are not sufficient to draw any conclusions. My perception of LG products quality is based on reading of many postings and reviews. I was trying to google and search in AVS to find this information but it is not that easy at it sounds. (Still waiting for Google Desktop to support Firefox.)

It is somewhat odd that there aren't many postings from owners of LG TVs in this forum.

Will

[jason_j_a]

Originally posted by foghorn2

...
As for the difference in an ED over HD, this is analogous to VGA and SVGA.
It all depends on the source and the set resolution, screen size and viewing distance. Id rather have my 17" lcd computer monitor a SVGA than VGA and day. And I'd rather have an 42" plasma with a 720 than 480 lines of resolution any day, for my PC, my DVD player, my Dtivo, and my future HD box for cheaper price any day given the picture is the same or better.
Knowing this set is basically a LG helps also.



Please don't make this comparison. VGA has 256 colors, SVGA has 16,000,000+ colors. The difference in ED and HDTV is only a resolution difference, not a color pallette difference as your analogy suggests. A better suggestion would be to play a fullscreen 3D game at 800x600 and 1024x768 and stand 6 feet away and see if you can see the difference.

[afiggatt]

Originally posted by will792
It is somewhat odd that there aren't many postings from owners of LG TVs in this forum.

If by LG TVs, you mean LG plasmas, until a few months ago LG plasma TVs were not widely available here in the USA as far as I know. When I started my plasma research back at the early part of 2004, I never saw an LG plasma at BB, CC, or any other B&M chain or store. There were several Zeniths, including one incredibly discounted 60" floor model, but that was it. The first LG plasma I saw was at a BB back in either late summer or early fall 2004. So LG plasmas have not been a major player long enough for many owners to post here.

[foghorn2]

Originally posted by jason_j_a
Please don't make this comparison. VGA has 256 colors, SVGA has 16,000,000+ colors. The difference in ED and HDTV is only a resolution difference, not a color pallette difference as your analogy suggests. A better suggestion would be to play a fullscreen 3D game at 800x600 and 1024x768 and stand 6 feet away and see if you can see the difference.


I had a VGA monitor and it could display 16 million colours. It's a resolution, not a colour scheme.

On a bigger screen, I would want to play the game and be able to see more of the scene, so I would go for the 1024x768.

[teutonictrio]

What is the difference then between XGA and VGA?