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Well ATV is forcing me to upgrade my display, what are you running and why?

rotarypower101

rotarypower101

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 28, 2007
264
3
Portland Oregon
Well ATV is forcing me to upgrade my display, what are you running and why does it work best for you?

Not that I am kicking and screaming, but the 4:3 displays we are using are not to shabby and they have component IN but can not run the ATV on a native 4:3 resolution?? (not arguing the point just don’t understand the theory)
I have enabled the .kext hack, see below for issues.

So I need to find a good display to hook the ol’ apple tv up to. Anybody have opinions as to what is a good choice for a display knowing that the ATV will be a big part of the equation?

Looking in the 42” + range

Just as a question what is the smallest TV display that will output native 1080P? I was told a 24” can do it for a monitor, but I am making the assumption a tv is different?

I remember reading complaints of compatibility problems with certain brands, and 1080P not working on the ATV for some reason?

Any comments from those that have dealt with issues?


Are there any issues with multiple sources, I have read that the apple TV did not like to be on a hdmi switch, any truth to this?

Any other glaring issues I should consider thinking of a display with ATV centric planning?

The sources will be a connection for Comcast cable box, need BRD connections for future if we decide to go this direction (but quite frankly I never liked the whole hard media theory, I much prefer ease of accessibility that streaming provides) DVD VCR combo player, and a game system or two.


I have the 4:3 .kext running but it just isn’t good enough there is a line and a half of resolution (yes a half??)that the hack takes from the bottom of the screen, and displays it on the top as well as not even having a very clear legible resolution for the menu text.
 
I have a year old 26" Samsung (LNT2642H) and I am pretty sure it can only do 720p. This model is perfect for my tiny apartment in the city. Another reason I chose this size was because I can still watch standard feeds at decent quality and it works perfectly with my ATV and I do my DVD > ATV versions at a much lower size since I don't plan on getting a bigger TV anytime soon.

Maybe there are some 24" monitors that can do it but you have to go to at least a 32" tv to get it. Im sure there are smaller ones that will do 1080p but I doubt its standard.
 
I found a "returned/open box" Samsung DLP 57" 1080p set that was too cheap to pass up.

I haven't regretted the purchase for a minute.

When the wife and I were shopping, we were thinking LCD or Plasma. The key question the salesperson asked was, "Do you need to hang it on the wall?" When we said "no," he started to show us the benefits from the DLP sets. We were knocked out.
 
rotarypower101 said:
Well ATV is forcing me to upgrade my display, what are you running and why does it work best for you?

Not that I am kicking and screaming, but the 4:3 displays we are using are not to shabby and they have component IN but can not run the ATV on a native 4:3 resolution?? (not arguing the point just don’t understand the theory)
I have enabled the .kext hack, see below for issues.

So I need to find a good display to hook the ol’ apple tv up to. Anybody have opinions as to what is a good choice for a display knowing that the ATV will be a big part of the equation?

Looking in the 42” + range

Just as a question what is the smallest TV display that will output native 1080P? I was told a 24” can do it for a monitor, but I am making the assumption a tv is different?

I remember reading complaints of compatibility problems with certain brands, and 1080P not working on the ATV for some reason?

Any comments from those that have dealt with issues?


Are there any issues with multiple sources, I have read that the apple TV did not like to be on a hdmi switch, any truth to this?

Any other glaring issues I should consider thinking of a display with ATV centric planning?

The sources will be a connection for Comcast cable box, need BRD connections for future if we decide to go this direction (but quite frankly I never liked the whole hard media theory, I much prefer ease of accessibility that streaming provides) DVD VCR combo player, and a game system or two.


I have the 4:3 .kext running but it just isn’t good enough there is a line and a half of resolution (yes a half??)that the hack takes from the bottom of the screen, and displays it on the top as well as not even having a very clear legible resolution for the menu text.
Click to expand...


I'm on a Sony Bravia 46W3000 46" 1080p LCD and ATV works Fantastic, displays at 1080p res and Properly encoded DVD's with Handbrake look like their Original Disks.
 
Hey Thanks for the info guys!

I have been looking around and found CNET has a pretty good review selection, any other good places to go to find to the point information?

I have not kept up on the display wars very closely, so I have no idea which type of screen would fit our needs best between LCD Plasma or DLP.

My initial thought was LCD simply for space savings and presumably dependability? (though I don’t know if this holds true in the current TV market)

Looking for info now, so thank you for bringing up that topic.

Any opinions on which technology is best for dependability, and least amount of user hassles over the greatest amount of time statistically speaking, for both brand and technology?

The room the display will be in is very well lit with natural sunlight, so I need something that wont wash out from indirect/direct sunlight,.
If someone can make a recommendation based on this factor.
 
Scarpad said:
I'm on a Sony Bravia 46W3000 46" 1080p LCD and ATV works Fantastic, displays at 1080p res and Properly encoded DVD's with Handbrake look like their Original Disks.
Click to expand...

I have read statements that say sony has the best LCD technology, but I find that there resolutions are lower for the units I have seen on CNET, but they have the 120Hz refreshing on some units so that helps them out for the jerkiness that is inherent in LCDs.

I have been told by many that the brand sony as a whole has been going down hill as of late, does this apply to their displays IYO?

why did you choose the sony over others, i am very partial to the brand sony, and i am definitely keeping them on the list, wondering what your experiance has been thus far?
 
LCD advice

18 months ago, I bought a westinghouse 42" 1080p LCD and I love it.

I run ATV into it through the component and I can not tell the difference between a DVD and the same DVD handbraked.

http://www.westinghousedigital.com/details.aspx?itemnum=233

It has a matte finish, so you won't have much trouble with the glare and you can find it online for about $1000.

If something happened to mine, I would get the same one.

It also makes my blu ray DVD player sing!!!
 
Best Buy has a lot on display, and nothing beats eyes-on testing.

DLP pictures (Samsung, esp.) win an easy eyeball-to-eyeball comparison for me. YMMV.

I love the bluish whites.
 
If you don't need to hang it on a wall, DLP kills all. If you do, it really depends on how the room is light and some other factors. Do a search on LCD vs. Plamsa and you should find out.
 
I would add something to the comments about "if you don't need to hang it on the wall..." That might not be the only reason to go with a flat panel TV. There's also weight. If you want a set that you might be able to move by yourself, flat panels (particularly LCD) look pretty attractive.

Sounds like you should head over to AVS forums.
Click to expand...
This is excellent advice. I'm planning on getting a flat panel TV later this year. I started doing the research a month or so ago and the AVS forums provide the best info I've found. It is overwhelming, though, just how many choices there are and how many things you have to take into consideration. Here are some of the things I've picked up in my research:

Your first choice in flat panels is between plasma and LCD. Plasma has many advantages. It is a much more mature technology. It also, apparently, has better (more accurate) color. Burn-in is much less of an issue than it used to be, though apparently it is still of some concern (it was hard to get a definitive answer on this; some people claimed it wasn't an issue anymore, but it's still a very big topic on the plasma forums). Plasma is less expensive for the same size set.

LCD apparently weighs a bit less than plasma and uses less power. It is brighter than plasma. It has no burn-in concerns. It is more expensive and much less mature. You would not believe how any issues they have with LCD sets: blur, motion artifacts, triple ball effect, juddering, dead pixels, clouding, banding.

I have decided, after much back and forth, that I still want to go with LCD. Plasma, with all of its advantages, still has some disadvantages that I'm not willing to put up with. In particular, I'm concerned about burn-in (my 6-year old RPTV has burn-in from 4:3 material and I don't want to have to worry about that again). I'm still researching which TV to buy.

One of the problems you will run into is that people are so hung up on their brand: Sony people tend to love Sony, hate Samsung, for instance. It can be difficult to figure out which is really the best set to get in your price range. And even the most expensive sets still have issues. I have come to the conclusion that Sony sets may or may not be better than anyone else's, but they're too expensive for what you get. If I had to choose between Samsung and Sony, I would go with Samsung. I'm taking a good, hard look at a new 120 Hz Toshiba model; much less expensive than Samsung or Sony and good bang for the buck.

There are also some people who say that the Vizio actually makes a decent set for a really good price. I'm also keeping my eye on a new line of Philips sets.

I have not actually started looking at sets in stores since I'm not ready to buy yet, so I don't have any eye witness reports just yet.

I would suggest this: do not take the advice of someone who says "Sony/Samsung/Toshiba is the best". It is not that simple. LCD TVs are developing fast, but are probably another year or two away from being "mature". I plan to wait probably until late in the year before buying and will spend a lot of time researching in the meantime.
 
I was in the same boat as the original poster and looked around, read consumerreports, etc, etc. I settled on the 42" Panasonic plasma. The picture is incredible. I highly recommend it. Best Buy had a good deal on it plus I got a price match because my employer gets a 10% discount at Circuity city. On top of that, I got 3 years no interest. It was a good buy for me. My :apple:TV is connected via HDMI FWIW. Good luck and enjoy you new purchase when you get it.:D
 
rotarypower101 said:
Hey Thanks for the info guys!

I have been looking around and found CNET has a pretty good review selection, any other good places to go to find to the point information?

I have not kept up on the display wars very closely, so I have no idea which type of screen would fit our needs best between LCD Plasma or DLP.

My initial thought was LCD simply for space savings and presumably dependability? (though I don’t know if this holds true in the current TV market)

Looking for info now, so thank you for bringing up that topic.

Any opinions on which technology is best for dependability, and least amount of user hassles over the greatest amount of time statistically speaking, for both brand and technology?

The room the display will be in is very well lit with natural sunlight, so I need something that wont wash out from indirect/direct sunlight,.
If someone can make a recommendation based on this factor.
Click to expand...


I just got done going through a TON of research, and here is what I found:

A) If you don't need to hang it on a wall or save space, get a DLP rear projection. DLPs offer amazing picture quality, even more amazing cost as compared to others, etc. The only downfall of these are the viewing angle. LCDs and Plasmas can be viewed at much more aggressive angles. Samsung offers the best price/quality combination (hands-down) in this area.

B) If you want to hang it on the wall or are short on space consider LCD and Plasma (obviously)

C) If you want Plasma, only consider Panasonic or possibly Samsung. Pioneers are the best, but cost way to much. The rest of the panels do not have the same quality.

D) If you want an LCD, only consider Samsung and Sony [EDIT: and Sharp]. Samsung gives you the best bang for the buck.

E) The difference between LCD and Plasma can be explained like this... Plasmas have better contrast and "blacker blacks"... they are generally considered to have better PQ (picture quality). LCDs are brighter, which is especially helpful if you are in a very bright room. LCDs suffer from motion blur (which I personally can't stand. Football games and such are almost unwatchable on an average LCD in my opinion.) Plasmas suffer from "burn in", or I should at least say "did" suffer from burn in. This problem has been nearly eliminated with modern plasmas.

F) Absolutely do not consider an LCD if you are looking at sizes larger than 46". The price comparisons aren't even close. Above 46" LCDs get way too expensive.

G) You might not need 1080p. At 10 feet from the screen, with a 50" tv (just as an example) the human eye can not resolve the difference between 720p and 1080p. You would have to move closer than 6' to see the full value of 1080p. Here is a useful graph which explains it better than I can:
resolution_chart.png


H) Consult a higher authority. Go to www.avsforum.com and find the display forum you are interested in. There is a HUGE resource of individuals here with a tremendous amount of knowledge to share. Just remember to do a little 'searching' for your answers first... they don't like re-posted questions. After all of my research, I opted for a Panasonic TH-50PX80u 50" 720p Plasma set. I've had it up and running for about a month now... and absolutely love it. Gorgeous picture, especially with the Apple TV running on it!


Hope this helps!
 
If you are looking for something cheap, check out Olevia LCDs. I have an 37" and the AppleTV looks great through component at 720p. Picture is good with a great viewing angle. Probably not the best out there, but very good for the low price. I have most of my older comedies and less other visual movies encoded at 640x400 at 1500kps and it is difficult to tell the difference between them and the original DVDs. If you really look, there is some fuzziness and the colors are slightly washed out, but nothing major. Movies encoded with anamorphic at higher bitrates are almost indistinguishable from the DVDs.

Good luck with your purchase.
 
rotarypower101 said:
I have read statements that say sony has the best LCD technology, but I find that there resolutions are lower for the units I have seen on CNET, but they have the 120Hz refreshing on some units so that helps them out for the jerkiness that is inherent in LCDs.

I have been told by many that the brand sony as a whole has been going down hill as of late, does this apply to their displays IYO?

why did you choose the sony over others, i am very partial to the brand sony, and i am definitely keeping them on the list, wondering what your experiance has been thus far?
Click to expand...

Sony has a ton of models, and is refreshing their line once or twice each year. In the 42" range, I would recommend the Sony XBR line. The XBR2 (which is old by now) is what I grabbed, and I haven't regretted it. One of the best LCDs of the time, and a TV I don't see myself replacing anytime soon. :)

The nice thing about the Sony XBR line is that if you tweak with color settings to get accurate color and the like, the XBR line exposes pretty much everything you need to calibrate the display in the menus.
 
I don't want to hijack this thread, but what do you guys think of this model Samsung?

Samsung 50" Series 6 DLP HDTV
Model #: SAM HL50A650
 
downingp said:
I don't want to hijack this thread, but what do you guys think of this model Samsung?

Samsung 50" Series 6 DLP HDTV
Model #: SAM HL50A650
Click to expand...

I dont' normally talk to hijackers, but... Samsung DLPs are excellent machines. They have amazing PQ, and you get a lot of bang for your buck. ;)
 
So, my Sammy DLP 57" HDTV can beat up your Plasma/LCD HDTV.

Nyah Nyah. :p

But seriously, this is what I was saying in a previous post in this thread. For the $, if you don't need to hang it on the wall, nothing is going to beat a DLP. At least to my eyes or my wife's eyes.
 
MikieMikie said:
So, my Sammy DLP 57" HDTV can beat up your Plasma/LCD HDTV.

Nyah Nyah. :p

But seriously, this is what I was saying in a previous post in this thread. For the $, if you don't need to hang it on the wall, nothing is going to beat a DLP. At least to my eyes or my wife's eyes.
Click to expand...

Your fat DLP could never catch my Panny plasma! Too quick, too agile... float like a butterfly, sting like a bee! He'd be looking side to side, but the panny would be out of his "viewing angle", and then BOOM! Busted color wheel... shiiiaaat!

;) Seriously though, If I was making a theatre room and wasn't worried about the TV sticking out like a sore thumb... I would probably get my hands on a Samsung DLP too. No doubt... a very nice set.
 
wow look at all the Samsung DLP love!

I love it! I bought a Samsung 56'' DLP on amazon a year and a half ago, amazing. Best bang for the buck.

critics will say viewing angle isn't as wide on a DLP and they are right, but who is viewing HD content at such steep angles? :confused:

when I stand up (to play wii) you notice the brightness and color shift... but again who is watching TV standing up (Michael Scott? anyone?)

DLP doesn't have the best viewing angle, it takes about 60 seconds to turn on after shutting it off (because of the cooling cycle) and it is moderately thicker than the others.

With that being said, the quality is AMAZING, you can easily get a 56'' DLP for the price of a 42'' plasma/lcd.

-Royboy
 
Just bought myself a Pioneer Kuro 50" TV - would not have got it but found it at cost price - otherwise it was way out of my league - one of the best TVs I have ever seen.

Prior to buying, I did a lot of research. The best LCDs come from Sony (XBR range). The best plasmas are from Pioneer or Panasonic. For the price, Panasonic would be most people's choice...
 
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