best picture quality hdtv 2012
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Yoda
I've read alot about proper viewing distances for viewing blu ray movies and HDTV. My viewing distance is way outside of the range. I have a 65" RP CRT which is 1080i, and my viewing distance is about 16 feet away. Is buying a blu ray a player a waste of my money or should I invest in a good upconvert dvd player instead.
Answer
Invest in a Blu-ray player as the quality is great. Even on my HDCP 20" 720p monitor the difference between DVD and Blu-ray is huge, you won't notice the bad quality that DVD has until you watch a Blu-ray Disc movie, even the bad discs are good.
The interactivity is also good if you buy a bonus view player as Blu-ray Disc gives PiP, and Hi-def audio, and upscaled DVD isn't anything as good as Blu-ray Discs. Anyway a DVD upscaler can't upscale audio of interactivity.
However do you have a HDMI connection, because over component which is analouge the studios can freely downconvert the signal into DVD quality, due to the Image Constaint Token, or deny to play in the near future (Digital Only Token (DOT)). Some third parties say that they won't use it until 2010 to 2012, but it is not confirmed, and the studios can use it if they wish, anyway since the format war is over, it might be used. Check wheither you have HDMI, as far as I know not many CRT's have HDMI.
16 Feet away is a huge distance but, since you have a large screen it will look a lot better than DVD, but 10 Feet will be ideak for you.
Blu-ray is great, but make sure you have HDMI, as component isn't future proof. Also buy a PS3 as it's cheap and it can do Bonus View and BD LIVE where most players can't, be upgrade only PS3's and PC Drives can be upgraded.
But since you have a HUGE screen Blu-ray will be a good investment, even if you don't have HDMI (as only Warner hasn't really said wheither they will not use it, and 2010-2012 is a long time), and also if you don't have HDMI I don't think upconvert DVD players can upconvert with component, they might be able to with VGA, not sure though.
But....... if you don't won't to spend money on Blu-ray pickup a HD DVD player with HDMI, for a sweet upconverter, and you can take advantage of the clearance of over 300 HD DVD titiles like Harry Potter, Transformers , Poseidon , Shrek, Troy and much more, and build up a massive library in you home. It has to be noted that if you won't buy Blu-ray, HD DVD players are the BEST upconverters, and they are going dead cheap though to the format war, and it is always neglected that HD DVD players can upscale very well, but it will always be second rate compared with Blu-ray, or a native HD source.
In the end it depends with you, but if you are going for Blu-ray buy a PS3 with a HDMI connection, and check wheither you have HDMI, as you won't get upscaled DVD's without it most of the time. Still for the time being Blu-ray can do HD via analouge component up to 1080i (which you have), and VGA can do full HD ( no point for 1080i though).
So have a think about it, in the end it's about your budget, but since you have a large TV Blu-ray should be better than DVD even if it is upscaled, anyway you can't be sure that all DVD upscalers are good, although HD DVD players are good upscalers.
But on an upside Blu-ray has better picture quality, better audio (dependant on players decoders for audio) and more interactivity (dependant on Player Profiles).
Questions about Panasonic GT50 THX Cinema picture mode?
Alex
I purchased a 50" GT50 HDTV a few days ago and I absolutely LOVE it! The picture is amazing. I was playing around with the picture modes though and i noticed one called "THX Cinema". How is this different from the regular "Cinema" mode? When i switch between them all that's obvious is that the picture looks a bit smaller but more complete (like it zooms out a tiny bit). Of course I'm completely ignorant to all this technical stuff so what do I know. Can anyone explain this to me? I the THX mode optimal for movies and such?
Answer
For a given manufacturer’s compliant display, THX [picture] modes are intended to provide a set of simple preset picture settings that conform to THX’s carefully chosen criteria for video image quality. Ideally the preset THX picture settings should provide the most natural or accurate video image quality short of a professional video display “calibration.” In reality, for the more demanding perfectionist it is relatively easy to surpass the image quality performance offered by the preset THX picture modes on the 2012 Panasonic plasma display panels by using the Custom picture mode along with proper display calibration software and hardware.
In addition:
THX picture modes (according to Panasonic GT50 series eHELP, page 25):
‘Precisely reproduces the original quality of the image without any revision.’
‘Recommended for playback of THX disc[s] (disc[s] with “THX” logo.) THX mode is used to mirror the picture settings used by professional filmmakers, faithfully reproducing the image quality of THX Certified movies. (THX Certified movies have the “THX” logo on a disc.)’
RESOURCES
THX
– THX Certified Plasmas, LCD TVs & Projectors
http://www.thx.com/consumer/home-entertainment/video/thx-certified-plasmas-lcd-tvs-projectors/
– What Makes Panasonic’s New GT50 THX Certified Displays So Special
http://www.thx.com/test-bench-blog/what-makes-panasonic%e2%80%99s-new-gt50-thx-certified-displays-so-special/
Panasonic TC-P55GT50 Review, page 2, CNET
http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/panasonic-tc-p55gt50/4505-6482_7-35123235-2.html
HDTV picture settings forum: Panasonic TC-P55GT50 picture settings
http://forums.cnet.com/7723-19410_102-566046/panasonic-tc-p55gt50-picture-settings/
HighDefJunkies Forum
– Official Panasonic GT50 Series Thread
http://www.highdefjunkies.com/plasma-displays/13397-official-panasonic-gt50-series-thread.html?pp=40
– 2012 Panasonic Settings/Issues Thread
http://www.highdefjunkies.com/display-settings-calibrations-reviews/12986-2012-panasonic-settings-issues-thread.html?pp=40
Official Panasonic GT50 Series Discussion Thread - AVS Forum
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1403635/official-panasonic-gt50-series-discussion-thread-no-street-price-talk
Official 2012 Panasonic VT50 Series Discussion Thread
http://www.highdefforum.com/flat-panel-tvs/135826-official-2012-panasonic-vt50-series-discussion-thread.html
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