when someone complains about the lack of HD content. I always tell them to look at the top 30 shows on the Nielsen Ratings and check which shows are in HD. It normally turns out that about 20-25 of the top 30 shows are in HD. Hey, its their loss, I've owned an HDTV for the last 5 years.
Great article, and Engadget is dead on about not waiting, and if so, waiting until the summer when retailers slash prices to make way for newer models. The problem ultimately lies with that fact that each model year looks significantly better than the previous year.
They got it right. This TV blows the doors off any LCD made today. There are a few new Pioneers that I haven't seen yet, but until then, This Panny reigns supreme.
This is the one time I actually agree with the writer. As an ISF calibrator, I constantly see standard definition DVD players connected to HDTVs via HDMI. Most upconverting DVD players have poor scalers and the user will get a better picture, running component video to than HDMI, allowing the HDTV use its internal scaler.
Its similar with audio, most CD players have better D/A converters than Surround receivers. So one will get better quality running analog cables than digital cable. The transmission of the signal is almost never the limiting factor for picture quality or audio quality.
Am I the only one who believes most of those woofers will just cancel the others out. Unless included is some wicked electronic crossover, most of the woofers will play out of phase with other woofers, giving you less output than a Sub with only 2 drivers.
How stupid a product and even more stupid of a consumer to purchase this garbage. $7000 and you get a cheap IC chip amplifier? Consumers should always remember to buy QUALITY, not TECHNOLOGY. Boasting HDMI 1.3, THX Loudness Plus, Auto Calibration, and 1080p scaling is on par with an automotive company advertising the an auto parking system, 4 zone climate control, and Bose sound system, for a sports car. All sizzle, no steak.
B&W has been offering sub $400 pairs of speakers for almost 10 years now. The catch is that they aren't sold in mass-market, Big Box, chain stores. You must purchase them through a smaller dealer. You can buy almost any product online except B&W speakers.
LCDs have less glare but the blacks suffer. Instead of the light being reflected back as in plasmas, the light is spread throughout the screen hiding shadow detail. Its a pick your poison situation. Plasmas are really only problematic when the light source is directly behind the viewer. The new LCDs with enhanced blacks, now use shiny Plasma-esque screens.
Its good that Engadget HD is saying what everyone in the industry has known for years. Plasma still is the top display technology for consumers. Every study or experiment has proven that people find plasmas to look better than LCDs. LCD sales are higher primarily due to misinformation and advertising. Unfortunately, consumers buy based on what they hear and read, not what they see on a showroom floor. An article in a magazine or on a website will influence a sale far greater then any demonstration on a showroom floor.
"I have a MacBook Pro and an Xbox 360 and I would like to get a 20- to 24-inch display that will support both devices. The speakers should be inbuilt, or there should be an aux out on the display to hook up external speakers. Help! Please!"
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