Which TV to buy for XBMC/Xbox?

LRa · 2006-11-17, 10:08

Hi,
I'm interested in buying a new tv solely for watching movies.
What should I look for to get the best quality from xbmc - Lcd, plasma, projector or something else?

Thanks

nnunodark · 2006-11-17, 10:45

i like to think that the best TVs are the plasma TVs. but maybe someone has a different idea.The probem is that they are very expensive.

snappz · 2006-11-17, 11:05

Pretty much as long as it is wide screen, accepts 720p and 1080i inputs via component, and you like the picture.
TVs are very subjective, and if you the owner/viewer are happy with the picture quality that should be enough.
I have a HD Sony CRT tv that gives awesome pictures but is only 86cm. My mate has a 720p Plasma that is 106cm. Not quite as good a picture but heaps bigger.
A 1080p LCD about 150cm would be my 'ideal' tv.

nnunodark · 2006-11-17, 11:13

thats true. you shhoud get a tv that you like. much people ike having a big tv but am more of a fan of a great image quality.(mine is a HD LG)

nnunodark · 2006-11-17, 11:14

sorry im not a my computer and the "L" key is screwed up.

LRa · 2006-11-17, 11:22

Well, currently I have a crt. I do want to get a bigger set, but not at the price of picture quality, and from what I see in friends' houses, lcds and plasmas picture isn't that great(although it's cables and not a high quality source).

Aren't plasmas cheaper than lcds?

nnunodark · 2006-11-17, 11:32

depends of the plasma and the lcd

SleepyP · 2006-11-17, 18:57

What Snappz said is dead-on. By "wide screen" he means the form factor is 16:9. People sometimes forget that ALL HD CONTENT is 16:9. Your best bet is to go to one or more brick-and-mortar stores which sell a lot of different HD TVs so you can physically see what each display looks like in action. Your eye's preferences will differ from other people, and since its your TV you should get what looks best to you.

If you can find a set that does 1080p then you're pretty much all set for the next 5 years at least. They're not very common yet, but in the next 3 to 6 months you can expect a lot more to have this feature. The new HD media on BluRay and HD-DVD is currently 1080i but will be going to 1080p with probably the second generation of hardware. 1080p will pretty much become the new standard "full definition" picture format for a while, until it gets replaced by something better.

Generally plasma is more expensive than LCD. TFT LCDs are

One thing not discussed here is a given TV's image processing stuff. What I mean by this is how well the TV can cope with signals which are not in its native resolution, like 4:3 form factor stuff, 480, 720, etc.

Another thing to consider is "how big is too big". I have a 45" projection TV I got recently for free, and it's seriously a little too big for the room I have it in. Consider the space, as the TV is a big investment...

LRa · 2006-11-18, 07:42

I think I'm gonna go with a 720p tv.
I did see that most plasmas are not at that resolution. Also the lcd resolution I saw is 768 and not 720, is that normal?

**SandmanCL** · 2007-02-19, 00:18

720p is not a standard computer resolution, while "768p" is. A very typical computer resolution is 1024x768. I forget what the exact widescreen equivalent to this is but it's something like 1366 x 768.

This link from wikipedia is an excellent reference for resolutions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Video_Standards.png

Keep in mind that the best resolution the xbox supports is 720p. My TV only supports 480p and 1080i, and for xbmc I prefer 480p over 1080i.

I've been looking for the perfect tv for a while now, and for a few months my requirements seem to increase in pace with technology

However, lately I've reached the conclusion that I do *not* want to get a 1080p set yet.

Reasoning: If I get a 1080p ready television, I'd be inclined to get a PS3 or a hd-dvd/blue-ray player for true 1080p movies. I am afraid that getting used to watching movies in this format would mean that it would be a let-down to watch content through xbmc. And the bottom line is that I *love* xbmc and would like to continue loving it for a whle longer

While shopping around I've found that my personal favorites are the Samsung rear-project DLP televisions. These sets have become quite popular in the U.S. (much more so than in Europe) and in my opinion it gives you the most bang for the buck. Right now I can get a 50" 720p Samsung set for ~ $1000 from a reputable on-line retailer. So the set I'm considering now is the HL-S 5086W

Samsung spec:
http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/D...S5086WXXAA.asp

2006-11-17, 10:08	#1
LRa Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 214	Which TV to buy for XBMC/Xbox? Hi, I'm interested in buying a new tv solely for watching movies. What should I look for to get the best quality from xbmc - Lcd, plasma, projector or something else? Thanks

2006-11-17, 10:45	#2
nnunodark Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: PORTUGAL Posts: 98	i like to think that the best TVs are the plasma TVs. but maybe someone has a different idea.The probem is that they are very expensive. __________________ XBMC 4ever

2006-11-17, 11:13	#4
nnunodark Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: PORTUGAL Posts: 98	thats true. you shhoud get a tv that you like. much people ike having a big tv but am more of a fan of a great image quality.(mine is a HD LG) __________________ XBMC 4ever

2006-11-17, 11:14	#5
nnunodark Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: PORTUGAL Posts: 98	sorry im not a my computer and the "L" key is screwed up. __________________ XBMC 4ever

2006-11-17, 11:32	#7
nnunodark Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: PORTUGAL Posts: 98	depends of the plasma and the lcd __________________ XBMC 4ever

2006-11-17, 11:05	#3
snappz Happy User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 283	Pretty much as long as it is wide screen, accepts 720p and 1080i inputs via component, and you like the picture. TVs are very subjective, and if you the owner/viewer are happy with the picture quality that should be enough. I have a HD Sony CRT tv that gives awesome pictures but is only 86cm. My mate has a 720p Plasma that is 106cm. Not quite as good a picture but heaps bigger. A 1080p LCD about 150cm would be my 'ideal' tv.

2006-11-17, 11:22	#6
LRa Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 214	Well, currently I have a crt. I do want to get a bigger set, but not at the price of picture quality, and from what I see in friends' houses, lcds and plasmas picture isn't that great(although it's cables and not a high quality source). Aren't plasmas cheaper than lcds?

2006-11-17, 18:57	#8
SleepyP Fan Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 2,071	What Snappz said is dead-on. By "wide screen" he means the form factor is 16:9. People sometimes forget that ALL HD CONTENT is 16:9. Your best bet is to go to one or more brick-and-mortar stores which sell a lot of different HD TVs so you can physically see what each display looks like in action. Your eye's preferences will differ from other people, and since its your TV you should get what looks best to you. If you can find a set that does 1080p then you're pretty much all set for the next 5 years at least. They're not very common yet, but in the next 3 to 6 months you can expect a lot more to have this feature. The new HD media on BluRay and HD-DVD is currently 1080i but will be going to 1080p with probably the second generation of hardware. 1080p will pretty much become the new standard "full definition" picture format for a while, until it gets replaced by something better. Generally plasma is more expensive than LCD. TFT LCDs are One thing not discussed here is a given TV's image processing stuff. What I mean by this is how well the TV can cope with signals which are not in its native resolution, like 4:3 form factor stuff, 480, 720, etc. Another thing to consider is "how big is too big". I have a 45" projection TV I got recently for free, and it's seriously a little too big for the room I have it in. Consider the space, as the TV is a big investment...

2006-11-18, 07:42	#9
LRa Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 214	I think I'm gonna go with a 720p tv. I did see that most plasmas are not at that resolution. Also the lcd resolution I saw is 768 and not 720, is that normal?

2007-02-19, 00:18	#10
SandmanCL Team-XBMC QA Specialist Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Mountain View, CA Posts: 419	720p is not a standard computer resolution, while "768p" is. A very typical computer resolution is 1024x768. I forget what the exact widescreen equivalent to this is but it's something like 1366 x 768. This link from wikipedia is an excellent reference for resolutions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Video_Standards.png Keep in mind that the best resolution the xbox supports is 720p. My TV only supports 480p and 1080i, and for xbmc I prefer 480p over 1080i. I've been looking for the perfect tv for a while now, and for a few months my requirements seem to increase in pace with technology However, lately I've reached the conclusion that I do not want to get a 1080p set yet. Reasoning: If I get a 1080p ready television, I'd be inclined to get a PS3 or a hd-dvd/blue-ray player for true 1080p movies. I am afraid that getting used to watching movies in this format would mean that it would be a let-down to watch content through xbmc. And the bottom line is that I love xbmc and would like to continue loving it for a whle longer While shopping around I've found that my personal favorites are the Samsung rear-project DLP televisions. These sets have become quite popular in the U.S. (much more so than in Europe) and in my opinion it gives you the most bang for the buck. Right now I can get a 50" 720p Samsung set for ~ $1000 from a reputable on-line retailer. So the set I'm considering now is the HL-S 5086W Samsung spec: http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/D...S5086WXXAA.asp

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