So are LCD TVs actually any good?

[Marcos]

I dont really like CRTs for PC use, but as far as television goes, its stll my first choice. But how are LCDs for TV use? As well as console gaming?

[Stoo]

I've not actually seen one worth bothering with yet due to the difference between PAL resolution and the native resolution of the LCD panel, that should start to change once HDTV ready sets start to arrive though

[[GSV]Trig]

The ones I've seen look naff, u get Digital signal and Digital display and u can see the pixelation and crap, they need to get ATi to do AA chips in them so u cant see the jaggies lol...

[Marcos]

So the scaling is the problem? As i thought

I've been considering getting a Dell 2001FP for Uni, as an all-in-one display that i can use with the PC and PS2. The few bits of feedback i have heard have mentioned that it does a good job.

[Dorza]

Well the pixelation is only really a problem where there are firery or snowy scenes or if the picture goes from colour to a flash of white quickly. Overall quality close up is not good ill agree, but from a sensible distance the picture is as good if not better than the CRTs in my home, which by the way are sony, so their not crappy TVs. The TFT im talking about however is only 17"W (HDTV ready) so in the larger models with the same resolution the picture will probably be pixelated quite alot. Having said that, the larger models in the make i own have pixelplus which i guess is supposed to compensate for this. Personally id buy a good quality 17"W TFT over any 17" CRT these days. Even if they are quite a bit more expensive.

[Paul Adams]

My Philips 32PF9986 turned up yesterday and I was blown away by the quality of the picture, the colour just needed toning down a touch but it looks amazing.

Fleshtones are so much better than my CRT (Panasonic 28" widescreen jobby), blacks are very black, crisp edges where there is a high contrast.

Currently using SCART for the digital STB and HDMI/DVI from my Samsung HD945 - one of the menu options is to toggle the picture enhancing logic between 2 or 3 modes, with a split-screen realtime preview of the image difference, and it is a HUGE difference with PixelPlus II.

So far only watched a bit of TV (to channel hop and get the right balance for colours from different sources) and 1 (very bad) movie - "15 Minutes" with Robert De Niro - but I am very pleased with it indeed so far.

Next stop is a Marantz SR8500 amp (2x digital in, 1x digital out so I can hook up one of my PCs to it too) and a set of Genie speakers to complete the setup

[Dorza]

^ indeed, mines a philips aswell (17PF9946), They have some winners out at the moment philips do. I was able to get mine for £420 (normally 5-600) quid and for that price its a bargin if you consider the competition and the features it has.

[utdmleach]

They suck, a relative got an LG (was there when he bought it) and looked the best out of all the rest. Compared to good old cathode ray TV's I found the colour lacking in depth and richness, also the LCD TV is backlit, so theres an annoying glow from behind the image.

[jonaslasky]

Marcos wrote:

I dont really like CRTs for PC use, but as far as television goes, its stll my first choice. But how are LCDs for TV use? As well as console gaming?


Forget LCD's there are other MUCH BETTER technologies coming out very soon. No serious videophile buys those LCD TVs, or plasma for that matter. In fact a lot of manufacturers are jumoing out of that stopgap technology known as plasma. I feel sorry for the guys who plunked down their hard earned money to buy that crap.

Jonas

[utdmleach]

Can't wait for HDTV with resolutions in the 000's, not the crappy american ones that r out now.

[Marcos]

Ok ok, keeping in mind that im a student and also the fact that any new technology coming to replace LCD and plasma will be even more expensive (somehow ). So lets keep it realistic

[Paul Adams]

Ok ok, keeping in mind that im a student and also the fact that any new technology coming to replace LCD and plasma will be even more expensive (somehow ). So lets keep it realistic

And damn was I gutted to discover I'm not a "serious videophile" and my 32" LCD TV is mere crap

Although he didn't expand on it, I assume jonaslasky was referring to LCoS and DLP?
Not sure I've ever gone for the bleeding edge technology for reasons of cost and first generations usually being superceded quickly - the possible exception being the A/V amp with digital in/outs of which there are about 3 to choose right now.

I would recommend taking a couple of your own DVDs to a small TV store with different LCD TVs in stock and judging for yourself in all honesty - that's what I did, backed up with magazine reviews for the best quality / bang-for-buck factor (then ordered off the Internet and saved a few hundred quid).

Different people have different opinions and standards, based on experience expectation and usage - you have to make your own decision in the end.

[Marcos]

I thought there may be even just 1 recommended model in the 17"-20" range. Im not spending over £400, and im only considering it if there is in fact any good ones there that are worth it.

Seems like the time is not yet right since no one can actually recommend any of them

[Butuz]

Ive never seen an LCD that impressed me image quality wise. Flat screen wise, and thin and sexy looking wise, very impressive, but not good picture.

Good for the kitchen but not the living room IMHO.

Butuz

[CommanderSpike]

Wait until HD takes hold...however could be a few years yet

LCD TVs are well overprice IMO...they are just low spec TFT monitors with a £10 TV tuner attached! So why the high prices? Because they can...

Damn the technophobe middle classes!

[Marcos]

Why would Hi-Def help me playing on my PS2?