Not missing out on 1080p

[admin_exported]

Exactly four years ago i had a {I WANT THAT ONE} moment when i
bought a Panasonic Viera 42" Plasma TV.
http://www.avland.co.uk/panasonic/th42pe30/standlrg.jpg . I'd done
absolutely no research what so ever (didn't have t'internet at the
time). It set me back £3,360.

I then start looking into getting a Home Cinema Set Up.

No
sooner had I learnt the difference between a composite connection and
component one, a new model came out which was HD ready.

I have
a Toshiba HD ready LCD in the spare room now, so I hooked up the PS3
via HDMI to see how good High Definition is. I'll admit that text is
razor sharp and clear etc but I just wasn't enjoying my DVD's any more.
Star Wars space scenes made me think I'd developed cateracts or
somthing. There ISN'T suppossed to be any fog in space

. No matter
how I adjust picture settings it all looks grainy and rough. The SD
plasma picture is just smooth as silk, dark blacks, amazing colour, no
rough edges even though not as bright as the LCD.

To think a
Brand new Panasonic FULL HD 42" panel now costs less than half what I
paid for my SD one after just four years makes me wonder if I should
maybe wait another four years to see what the next step up will be.
I
thought I was missing out on 1080p, maybe I am, but I'm so pleased with
it's performance atm that I can't justify buying a new one.
I really thought the HD picture would be better even though the screen was smaller, but it wasn't.

 

[professorhat]

I think probably the Tosh just isn't a very good TV...

 

[nads]

also as it is only HD ready it is not 1080p (Full HD)

 

[Alec]

Sorry to add to it, but its also lcd and not plasma.

i second the professor, im afraid.

 

[Alsone]

I'll give you some good news though.

I can see into the future, well sort of.

3D has been around for some time in development circles and 3D without glasses is being touted as the next big thing. That said, Andrew posted up a review of his experience with one of these tv's this week and it wasn't that good. I had heard very good things of some other prototypes using renticular lenses but there you go. Sounds like some of it could just be hype.

Anyway if you're looking into the future, you'll probably see 3D displays (without goggles) and eventually Super Vision (although at 16 times the resolution of Full HD they can't transmit it yet as takes too much bandwidth).

TBH, I would't worry too much about the future at this moment in time. TV's are like computers, whenever you buy, there's always something better just around the corner.

I think its far more likely you'll see developments in disc technologies over the next couple of years than any huge leaps in tv, but then again I could be wrong. My crystal ball also goes a bit cloudy when I look into space!