[Paul_Murphy_UK]

Okay so i've been doing my research, still looking at which television to buy.

So now my main decision is wether to get one in the next month or two with a 720p/1080i resolution, or wait say maybe a year for a 1080p set.

I tend to switch sets around every 5 years, and am not looking at anything greater than about 36".

So i'm looking for it to 'be good' till about 2010, and i'm wondering what we'll be able to watch in 1080p resolution.

I'll be definately hooking up an x box 360 which will be 720p, a revolution which wont be HD enabled so that doesn't matter and sky HD which will be 720p/1080i.

I'm undecided on the playstation 3 at the minute and as for the next generation DVD's i'm not overly convinced that they'll take off.

So maybe i'm answering my own question here, but for the sake of a PS3 and some HD DVD's, is it really worth waiting for 1080p to become available/affordable in the UK. Also i'd appreciate any feedback from people who've compared 720p and 1080p, do u really see that much difference?

[technologist]

1080P is unlikely to be here too soon -
a) no one makes a Vision mixer for it!! ( 3 Gbit/sec)
b) it takes significantlyy more emmission bit rate like almost twice that of 720p - 1080i takes more ( may be 1.5 times) than 720p

[russellelly]

What size of TV you're looking at will help determine how appreciable the 1080p Vs 720p difference will be.

Try and see 720p is action on the size you are looking at (ideally the actual TV you're looking at), it's your house it's going in in the end of the day

[sanderton]

1080p looks great, but there will be no broadcasts in it in the projected lifetime of your TV.

[timmillwood]

unless you have £4000 to spend on the Sharp 45" TV, then go for 720p

[Paul_Murphy_UK]

I thought that might be the result, ok so i'm looking at at a 720p/1080i and probably LCD for the size i'm looking at. Is there a limit to the amount of HDMI, DVI and component connections a set can have, is it usually one each, or is it simillar to scart in that your could have 2 or 3, because i'm trying to guage what my set up will be like.

At the minute i've got -

Sky+ - Scart
XBox - Scart
PS2 - Scart
Gamecube - Scart
DVD - Scart
Video - Scart

But in the future i think it would be -

Sky HD - HDMI/DVI (should i have preference one over the other?)
XBox360 - VGA or Component
PS3 - HDMI/DVI
Revolution - Component
DVD Recorder - ??Component??

I think they're the optimum connections for each type of device going on current data but if anyone could clarify that would be great.

[Jarrak]

As far as I know a display can have as many inputs and of any type as the system is designed to accept starting from the actual hardware required to the software to drive them.

Right now most HD panels come with a single digital input, a few are appearing with two (HDMI and DVI with HDCP) and as time goes on expect to see two or more HDMI sockets on a TV with analogue inputs and even a DVI or VGA for PC use.
Just like Scart it takes time for manufacturers to fit more than one, even now you may have two or more scarts but they may not all be RGB capable!

Sky HD - HDMI (1.1 spec) carries audio while DVI doesn't. Apart from that there is no real difference between the two, a HDMI to DVI cable isn't expenisve either.

XBox360 - VGA or Component (no need for HDCP) since no HD movies.
PS3 - HDMI/DVI (with HDCP)
Revolution - Component (Should be fine as would RGB scart since again no HD)
DVD Recorder - RGB scart will be just fine.

[Dan27]

The only reason to get 1080p sets is if you want to play the new DVD generation of media (HD-DVD or BluRay) and the Playstation 3 at their highest quality. All three of those output in 1080p. Very little else will output in 1080p.

You most certainly dont need 1080p if you want a screen less than 40 inches in size imo.

[camaj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanVitale

You most certainly dont need 1080p if you want a screen less than 40 inches in size imo.

The screen size shouldn't make a difference but as always bigger is better

You say the only reason to want 1080p is for Blu-ray and PS3 but that's a BIG reason. The only other thing you could use is SKY/Cable and while they won't do 1080p at first there's nothing to stop them in a few years

[GAFFNEY]

1080p TVs will be commonplace in the U.K as early as March 06.
If you are considering a new TV then it makes sense to hold on.
Technology moves so quickly that if you are always waiting for the best, you never get anything.
However waiting for a 1080p TV will set you up for the next 5 years at least.
The majority of people who tell you not to bother with 1080p are those who have blown all there money on 720p, and now regret it (joke)
A new TV is always gonna make a dent in your pocket, and if your a tech head like I know you all are, just hold on a for a few months. Then enjoy years of 1080p heaven.

[late8]

Right so if the tv had these specs : 480i, 480p, 1080i, 720p it will be no good ? i thought 1080p wont be around in 06

[Jarrak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by late8

Right so if the tv had these specs : 480i, 480p, 1080i, 720p it will be no good ? i thought 1080p wont be around in 06

If you want to watch HD either via broadcast sources or pre-recorded then the first step is to get a HD Ready display which specifies a minimum resolution and varied connections.

A number of resolutions are classed as HD and therefore you will see a major benefit when watching HD compared to watching SD on a SD display.

Obviously having the ulitmate display for the current HD standard (1920*1080 via a progressive source) is the way to go however it will take time for those displays to become mainstream and sell in sufficent numbers to cause prices to tumble as the lower res panels (1280*720 & 1366*768) have done this year.
Even then the only 1080p source material will be from games consoles and pre-recorded Blu-ray and HD-DVD media.

It's simply a question of buying now to meet your current needs with a nod towards the future or waiting until the market is mature. If you wait then you'll miss out on all the HD fun but save a bit of cash in the long run.

[Jarrak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GAFFNEY

1080p TVs will be commonplace in the U.K as early as March 06.
If you are considering a new TV then it makes sense to hold on.
Technology moves so quickly that if you are always waiting for the best, you never get anything.
However waiting for a 1080p TV will set you up for the next 5 years at least.

I doubt you'll see the UK market having a significant number of 1080p panels by March 2006, not at a viable mass market price anyway.
Long term as you say a 1920*1080 panel that accepts 1080p is the display to have even though there will be no broadcast sources in that format but within that timescale pre-recorded media should be common with the format war a thing of the past, hopefully

[GAFFNEY]

1080p tvs have been selling in the states for some time now, and as we all know, whats over there is soon over here.
If your a tech head and about to blow 2/3 grand on a TV your not going to want a 720p when 1080p will be everywhere come spring.
Saying that I saw my mates Xbox 360 running at 720p I must say it was very sexy

The first rule of being a tech head is as follows:
If he has 720p I must have 1080p so help me God

Sony can keep their 120 fps TVs! Even I cant wait that long.

Has anyone seen 1080p running yet

[Jarrak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GAFFNEY

1080p tvs have been selling in the states for some time now, and as we all know, whats over there is soon over here.
If your a tech head and about to blow 2/3 grand on a TV your not going to want a 720p when 1080p will be everywhere come spring.

No argument that if you are in the market now then waiting 6-12 months will offer a higher spec display for the same price but the reason there are cheap HD Ready panels is thanks to the multi generation hardware which means models across the whole price range.
The true 1920*1080 panel that accepts 1080p hasn't been around long enough to create a low cost market and thus the manufacturers who actually make these models (only 1 LCD in the UK atm and no Plasma I believe, not sure about DLP) haven't bled the premium market dry yet

I have been surprised how fast the current crop of HD panels (1366*768 and below) have tumbled in price over the last 12 months and I will be delighted if the same happens to the 1920*1080 panels with progressive input but if I was buying now then I probably wouldn't wait and buy the best I could afford or buy cheap with the intention of selling later or moving to the bedroom

[alanwarwic]

Telewest are already transmitting in 1080i .

I also wonder wherther the good old CRT will survive with the marketing of a 36" Widescreen HDTV CRT.