HD TVs in the next year at DVinfo.net

Greg Harris · October 21st, 2004, 12:52 PM

The average price for a 42" Plasma these days seems to be around $5,000.00. What do you guys think the price will be for them in a about a year. If they want EVERYONE to switch to HD shouldn't the prices come down. Also, how are you guys this rich to buy them?

John C. Chu · October 23rd, 2004, 08:05 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Greg Harris : The average price for a 42" Plasma these days seems to be around $5,000.00. What do you guys think the price will be for them in a about a year. If they want EVERYONE to switch to HD shouldn't the prices come down. Also, how are you guys this rich to buy them? -->>>

Not all HDTV's are Plasma screens and not all Plasma flatscreens are HDTV's.

You can get a direct view widescreen 16:9 30" HDTV Tube set for as little as $799(but you still need a HDTV tuner source--from cable, over the air).
Granted--you can't hang a 125 pound monster--but you aren't spending that much either.

And it is true HD.

It depends on what you want and what you want to spend for best bang for the buck..

A good place for HDTV equipment info is here:

www.avsforum.com

Chris Hurd · October 23rd, 2004, 08:46 AM

Our sponsor EVS has a high-end 42" Panasonic plasma for $3,875 and a few other 42" plasmas that are lower than that. Still out of my price range, though... I'm in the market myself, may have to settle for a Direct View but first I'll have to measure the built-in in my living room, and probably beef it up a bit too.

Bob Zimmerman · November 2nd, 2004, 03:29 AM

If you have a HD tv and you play some video from a miniDV camera how does it look?

Boyd Ostroff · November 2nd, 2004, 08:41 AM

I'm starting to see LCD screens in the 26" to 32" size with costs around the $2,000 mark (Sharp, Viewsonic). They are typically 1280x768 resolution and capable of show 720p HDTV. Based on articles I've read in business journals during the past year, we should continue to see price drops on LCD's such that within the next year or so they displace plasma for low cost widescreen TV's.

John is right, most of the cheap plasma screens are EDTV (Enhanced Definition) and not HDTV. They have resolutions ~854x480. Now these would probably be fine for working with an XL-2, PDX-10 or any other camera that shoots real anamorphic 16:9. In fact it might be interesting to compare... I wonder if the image would be cleaner than a 1280x768 screen that has to scale the 720x480 anamorphic DV? Of course these screens won't be able to display HDTV at its full resolution though.

Regarding Bob's question, I have a small Sony 17" widescreen LCD monitor (1280x768) and it looks very good with video from my PDX-10 (which is "real" 16:9). If I look at 16:9 video from my VX-2000 it doesn't look as nice, which is to be expected since that camera merely crops and stretches to acheive widescreen.

Bob Zimmerman · November 2nd, 2004, 09:31 AM

Boyd what happens to a video taken with a Hi def camera then played on a normal TV? That might be a dumb question but I just had to ask!!

Mike Gannon · November 2nd, 2004, 11:00 AM

Toshiba will be introducing a new technology developed with Canon called SED sometime next year. The SED TV is claimed to offer the dimensions of Plasma, the picture quality of CRT, and a price comparable to high-end DLPs of the same size.

If this is all it's cracked up to be, especially at that price point, it is definitely worth waiting for.

Wayne Orr · November 2nd, 2004, 01:51 PM

I am not yet seriously looking to buy, but I have spoken to a couple people whose opinion I value, and they feel the best pictures are on LCD screens. Of course they have not seen the SED screen that Mike mentions.

Then there is the matter of what to watch on a Hi Def set. Next season, Fox will offer American Idol in Hi Def. Should be worth taking a look at, in 720P, of course.

Wayne Orr, SOC

Boyd Ostroff · November 2nd, 2004, 04:23 PM

Bob: in order to watch HD footage on a conventional 4:3 TV you would need to do some type of format conversion, including letterboxing. I believe cameras like the JVC and Sony HDV can provide this in playback mode, but I haven't actually used either of them so I'm not sure. Another approach might be to downconvert and export the HD program to a SD DVD, then you could view on a 4:3 set with the DVD player providing the letterbox.

But regular 4:3 SD TV sets wouldn't have any way to process an HD signal without some sort of external conversion.

Steve Crisdale · November 3rd, 2004, 01:54 AM

If the current market trend here in Australia is anything to go by, the prices on WS display devices will continue to decrease because market demand is going up, UP, UP.

The three big things I've noticed are, friends and acquaintances of WS HDTV owners purchasing after seeing the benefit, more and more HD content going to air on the HD FTA networks and the prices on HDTV gear going down.

The current model of the Panasonic 76cm HDTV I got over a year ago for approx $4000 Aus is now half that price.

Expect the trend to actually accelerate as more and more HD programming gets put to air, and the quality & size of display devices goes up while prices tumble.....

The latest figures here in Oz show a very rapid increase over the last couple of months in HD (WS) TV purchases, and the trend isn't likely to slow until saturation is reached.....

Greg Harris · November 8th, 2004, 07:25 AM

Quick question, what is the best HD TV? what is the best 42" and 50"??????
thanks

Boyd Ostroff · November 8th, 2004, 09:39 AM

I'm getting ready to shop for a large LCD or plasma screen for work. I can't imagine buying something like this without looking at the actual screens and comparing. In my case, it will be used to view widescreen DV and not HD, so an ED model (852x480) may meet my needs. I plan to burn a DVD with some sample footage and test charts, then head off to a dealer.

The November issue of Home Theatre magazine has a big grid that compares specs on 400 models of plasma and LCD screens. Might be a good starting point in the information gathering process.

Betsy Moore · November 8th, 2004, 01:21 PM

Do you think there will be a 1080p TV for under 20,000 dollars (the current going rate) by the end of next year?

Tony Roulston · November 8th, 2004, 03:25 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Betsy Moore : Do you think there will be a 1080p TV for under 20,000 dollars (the current going rate) by the end of next year? -->>>

Like many on this forum I have been looking for the next display acquisiton. It must have native 1080i, WS HDTV, DVI input, Component etc.

The Sony WEGA CRT 68cm is 1080i ready for $5k aud.

I am thinking of staying with CRT after seeing LCD & plasma next to this unit. They just do not compare.

This CRT in 1080i has mind blowing video.

Regards, Tony

Kevin Shaw · November 9th, 2004, 06:58 AM

I'm surprised there hasn't been more said here about DLP HDTVs. My wife's niece and her husband just bought a Sony DLP for about $2500 and it looks noticeably better than the Panasonic rear-projection HDTV we bought a year ago for $2000. Meanwhile, the price of the rear-projection models continues to drop, with just about every electronics and warehouse store offering something usable for around $1000 or so.

Regarding how people get the money to buy these TVs, a lot of the answer is that they're financing them. I'm impressed to see so many people spending so much just to watch television, but the newer TVs also do a great job of playing DVD movies and that's a big part of the draw. If you figure it costs at least $50 or more to take a family of four to a movie at a theater and you do that a couple of times per month, there's the money needed to pay financing on a big-screen TV and rent the movies to watch at home.

October 21st, 2004, 12:52 PM	#1
Greg Harris Major Player Join Date: May 2004 Location: Fairfax, VA Posts: 356	HD TVs in the next year The average price for a 42" Plasma these days seems to be around $5,000.00. What do you guys think the price will be for them in a about a year. If they want EVERYONE to switch to HD shouldn't the prices come down. Also, how are you guys this rich to buy them?

October 23rd, 2004, 08:05 AM	#2
John C. Chu Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Rego Park , NYC Posts: 665	Re: HD TVs in the next year <<<-- Originally posted by Greg Harris : The average price for a 42" Plasma these days seems to be around $5,000.00. What do you guys think the price will be for them in a about a year. If they want EVERYONE to switch to HD shouldn't the prices come down. Also, how are you guys this rich to buy them? -->>> Not all HDTV's are Plasma screens and not all Plasma flatscreens are HDTV's. You can get a direct view widescreen 16:9 30" HDTV Tube set for as little as $799(but you still need a HDTV tuner source--from cable, over the air). Granted--you can't hang a 125 pound monster--but you aren't spending that much either. And it is true HD. It depends on what you want and what you want to spend for best bang for the buck.. A good place for HDTV equipment info is here: www.avsforum.com

October 23rd, 2004, 08:46 AM	#3
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	Our sponsor EVS has a high-end 42" Panasonic plasma for $3,875 and a few other 42" plasmas that are lower than that. Still out of my price range, though... I'm in the market myself, may have to settle for a Direct View but first I'll have to measure the built-in in my living room, and probably beef it up a bit too. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

November 8th, 2004, 03:25 PM	#14
Tony Roulston Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Canberra, Australia Posts: 30	1080i already here. <<<-- Originally posted by Betsy Moore : Do you think there will be a 1080p TV for under 20,000 dollars (the current going rate) by the end of next year? -->>> Like many on this forum I have been looking for the next display acquisiton. It must have native 1080i, WS HDTV, DVI input, Component etc. The Sony WEGA CRT 68cm is 1080i ready for $5k aud. I am thinking of staying with CRT after seeing LCD & plasma next to this unit. They just do not compare. This CRT in 1080i has mind blowing video. Regards, Tony

November 2nd, 2004, 03:29 AM	#4
Bob Zimmerman Major Player Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Illinois Posts: 888	If you have a HD tv and you play some video from a miniDV camera how does it look?

November 2nd, 2004, 08:41 AM	#5
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	I'm starting to see LCD screens in the 26" to 32" size with costs around the $2,000 mark (Sharp, Viewsonic). They are typically 1280x768 resolution and capable of show 720p HDTV. Based on articles I've read in business journals during the past year, we should continue to see price drops on LCD's such that within the next year or so they displace plasma for low cost widescreen TV's. John is right, most of the cheap plasma screens are EDTV (Enhanced Definition) and not HDTV. They have resolutions ~854x480. Now these would probably be fine for working with an XL-2, PDX-10 or any other camera that shoots real anamorphic 16:9. In fact it might be interesting to compare... I wonder if the image would be cleaner than a 1280x768 screen that has to scale the 720x480 anamorphic DV? Of course these screens won't be able to display HDTV at its full resolution though. Regarding Bob's question, I have a small Sony 17" widescreen LCD monitor (1280x768) and it looks very good with video from my PDX-10 (which is "real" 16:9). If I look at 16:9 video from my VX-2000 it doesn't look as nice, which is to be expected since that camera merely crops and stretches to acheive widescreen.

November 2nd, 2004, 09:31 AM	#6
Bob Zimmerman Major Player Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Illinois Posts: 888	Boyd what happens to a video taken with a Hi def camera then played on a normal TV? That might be a dumb question but I just had to ask!!

November 2nd, 2004, 11:00 AM	#7
Mike Gannon Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 48	Toshiba will be introducing a new technology developed with Canon called SED sometime next year. The SED TV is claimed to offer the dimensions of Plasma, the picture quality of CRT, and a price comparable to high-end DLPs of the same size. If this is all it's cracked up to be, especially at that price point, it is definitely worth waiting for.

November 2nd, 2004, 01:51 PM	#8
Wayne Orr Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Northridge Ca Posts: 734	I am not yet seriously looking to buy, but I have spoken to a couple people whose opinion I value, and they feel the best pictures are on LCD screens. Of course they have not seen the SED screen that Mike mentions. Then there is the matter of what to watch on a Hi Def set. Next season, Fox will offer American Idol in Hi Def. Should be worth taking a look at, in 720P, of course. Wayne Orr, SOC

November 2nd, 2004, 04:23 PM	#9
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	Bob: in order to watch HD footage on a conventional 4:3 TV you would need to do some type of format conversion, including letterboxing. I believe cameras like the JVC and Sony HDV can provide this in playback mode, but I haven't actually used either of them so I'm not sure. Another approach might be to downconvert and export the HD program to a SD DVD, then you could view on a 4:3 set with the DVD player providing the letterbox. But regular 4:3 SD TV sets wouldn't have any way to process an HD signal without some sort of external conversion.

November 3rd, 2004, 01:54 AM	#10
Steve Crisdale Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Katoomba NSW Australia Posts: 635	If the current market trend here in Australia is anything to go by, the prices on WS display devices will continue to decrease because market demand is going up, UP, UP. The three big things I've noticed are, friends and acquaintances of WS HDTV owners purchasing after seeing the benefit, more and more HD content going to air on the HD FTA networks and the prices on HDTV gear going down. The current model of the Panasonic 76cm HDTV I got over a year ago for approx $4000 Aus is now half that price. Expect the trend to actually accelerate as more and more HD programming gets put to air, and the quality & size of display devices goes up while prices tumble..... The latest figures here in Oz show a very rapid increase over the last couple of months in HD (WS) TV purchases, and the trend isn't likely to slow until saturation is reached.....

November 8th, 2004, 07:25 AM	#11
Greg Harris Major Player Join Date: May 2004 Location: Fairfax, VA Posts: 356	Quick question, what is the best HD TV? what is the best 42" and 50"?????? thanks

November 8th, 2004, 09:39 AM	#12
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	I'm getting ready to shop for a large LCD or plasma screen for work. I can't imagine buying something like this without looking at the actual screens and comparing. In my case, it will be used to view widescreen DV and not HD, so an ED model (852x480) may meet my needs. I plan to burn a DVD with some sample footage and test charts, then head off to a dealer. The November issue of Home Theatre magazine has a big grid that compares specs on 400 models of plasma and LCD screens. Might be a good starting point in the information gathering process.

November 8th, 2004, 01:21 PM	#13
Betsy Moore Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 444	Do you think there will be a 1080p TV for under 20,000 dollars (the current going rate) by the end of next year?

November 9th, 2004, 06:58 AM	#15
Kevin Shaw Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 2,488	I'm surprised there hasn't been more said here about DLP HDTVs. My wife's niece and her husband just bought a Sony DLP for about $2500 and it looks noticeably better than the Panasonic rear-projection HDTV we bought a year ago for $2000. Meanwhile, the price of the rear-projection models continues to drop, with just about every electronics and warehouse store offering something usable for around $1000 or so. Regarding how people get the money to buy these TVs, a lot of the answer is that they're financing them. I'm impressed to see so many people spending so much just to watch television, but the newer TVs also do a great job of playing DVD movies and that's a big part of the draw. If you figure it costs at least $50 or more to take a family of four to a movie at a theater and you do that a couple of times per month, there's the money needed to pay financing on a big-screen TV and rent the movies to watch at home.