The real deal with 1080p vs 720p

Posted by Trisha | Filed under General Life, electronics;

Working at an electronics store that sells TVs, I run in to this problem all the time: folks coming in who have been told by other salespeople that 1080p is the only way to go, and you are a loser if you buy a plasma.

I guess if you’re buying a LCD TV, this isn’t really a dilemma, considering most LCDs above 40″ are all 1080p (unless you buy an offbrand), but if you’re looking at a plasma, 720p TVs are still hot on the market.

Let me say some stuff about plasma:

There is a lot of wrong information out there. REALLY, the only differences now between a Plasma and LCD Tv is:

1. Plasma TVs don’t come in as many sizes at LCDs.

2. Some plasma TVs have screens that reflect a lot of light (however, a lot of LCDs also reflect light now. It just depends on the screen material).

3. Plasmas do still tend to weigh more and use more energy, although most (especially Panasonic) qualify for the Energystar rating.

BUT WAIT! What about Hz and panel life?

Well, most plasma panels operate at 480Hz, which wasn’t made public really until LCD started making a big deal about 120Hz. Also, the half-life of a plasma panel is generally 100,000 hrs, where as LCDs usually range 50,000-60,000 hrs.

P.S. most Plasmas are less expensive than LCDs too…

Alright, with that out of the way, why do you need 1080p?

1. If you have a PS3 or Xbox 360

2. If you subscribe to digital cable that is capable of upconverting to 1080i (maybe).

3. If you want to watch Blu Rays or if you use an upconverting DVD player.

That’s it! Normal TV is broadcast only in 720, a Nintendo Wii only does 480i (with the component cables it will go to “p”), and now Dish brags that their programs are broadcast in 1080i, but if you read further, it is 720p that is upconverted to 1080i signal.

Most folks don’t really need 1080p but don’t know it. Many people are under the impression that if they buy a 1080p TV, all of their programs will display that amazing picture that they see in the stores. I say “Nay!”

Please try to dispel the myths (cough BEST BUY cough), because knowledge is power and a lack of knowledge on your part loses sales. Especially when people find out they bought something that they don’t really need and then return it. Ugh.

With a lot of people itching to spend their tax returns and bypass the digital conversion nightmare, answering these questions before you go shopping saves a lot of time and money (on both the customer and salesperson’s part).

And just to open a quagmire, do you prefer Plasma or LCD? Why?

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Permalink | March 7th, 2009

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5 Responses to “The real deal with 1080p vs 720p”

  1. alan Says:
    March 7th, 2009 at 9:01 pm

    LCDs are cheaper, but you really have to check the black level of them to find a good one. The black level can look fine with a bright or balanced picture, but you have to check with dark movies… does the black look “grey” or can you see a halo of blacklighting? You think you can live with it for the price, but beleive me if you get a bad one you’ll have buyer’s remorse.

  2. Don Haynes Says:
    March 8th, 2009 at 7:58 pm

    Okay, so what about the whole thing with having the plasma refilled every couple of years? It seems to me that if they require that kind of maintenance, cost more, and weigh more, then the whole problem of black levels barely weighs in here. If you are willing to sacrifice that much in order to have your black at its blackest then by all means. Or you could do as Alan says, and just check the black level before you buy it.

  3. Trisha Says:
    March 11th, 2009 at 8:49 am

    Dude! LCDs are NOT cheaper. Not at all. Plasmas are cheaper by around $500 bucks by comparison!!! And dude, you don’t have to have the plasma refilled every couple of years. Plasma TV panels have a half-life of 100,000 hours! They CAN refill the plasma, but the only reason you would do it is if you were a dumb ass who left their plasma laying face-down on the floor for several hours, thereby letting the plasma leak out.

  4. El Pato Says:
    March 13th, 2009 at 6:45 am

    Or you can do what I do, Get a 60′ DLP. Smartest 2000 I spent in years. Granted, the picture in DLP isn’t as good, and the weight is a killer. But damn 60′. Plus it’s significantly cheaper witha smaller model to go with projection.

    Now you COULD argue about having to change the bulb. But with as much as I game, I’ve had it for three years now and STILL haven’t had to do anything. Plus it’s got HDMI inputs.

    Again, the picture is a small step back from LCD, but its worth it for the price!

  5. Trisha Says:
    March 15th, 2009 at 10:04 am

    Erm, that is a good choice for the price. However, the viewing angles are somewhat limited. And the bulbs can be killer to replace, but DLP really is great technology. I read actually that theatres are now turning to DLP for their massive screens. I was kind of sad about the demise of DLP, but for a huge TV they really are a screaming deal and great technology. If you buy a protection agreement of some kind on the DLP, it is less than the cost of the bulb too. ;)

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