TV Purchase 1080p and False Advertising

[Sir Edward V]

http://polaroid.com/global/detail.js...bmLocale=en_US

that, is the TV I just bought with my first two weeks payment at my new job it is nice, I paid $600 for it, $729 after replacement plan and tax. It really has a great picture, it is more than I need. I have two little questions about some odd things I have noticed about it though:

First is that it is advertised as supporting only up to 1080i or 720p, but I set my roommate's XBOX 360 to output 1080p via component cables, and my TV is accepting it and registers that it is recieving 1080p input. I am wondering if my TV is REALLY displaying 1080p, or if it is converting it down to 720p in the background for me. I didn't really notice a difference in quality between the two though...

Also, I was looking through the manual, and it says that the contrast ratio is only 800:1, not 1200:1 like it says on the polaroid webpage as well as in the circuit city store I bought it in and their website as well. Is this false advertising? I would think so... I have no idea which numbers are right, but something is wrong.

I am pretty sure the contrast ratio really makes very little difference... at least that is what I read on some website about a week ago.

I don't really care if it is wrong, I think the TV looks great so I wouldn't return it either way. When I bought it I was questioning if it would be worth spending so much money on a TV, but once I got it home I fell in love with it. Money well spent

[FL Knifemaker]

I just bought a 46" Vizio over the weekend. I got tired of trying to figure out the specs and technical BS. It's rated at 1080i and got good reviews online. After looking at TV's in 4 stores I went with the Vizio because it's picture looked the best to me. We watched the races yesterday on the HD Channels and watched two HD movies. So far, so good. I still have to figure out all the settings for the sound system we bought at the same time

At some point we are going to buy 50" + TV for the living room. Right now, we are doing some renovations there's no rush. In the meantime, I'll try to learn a little more about what we have now and whats available. 15 years of TV technology has past me by

[marcray]

I had to buy a new TV recently... specs had me spinning... it looked great, rated well and the price was affordable. Done.

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by marcray

I had to buy a new TV recently... specs had me spinning... it looked great, rated well and the price was affordable. Done.

That's my feeling. I don't mind spending the money for something nice but hate beeing steered into an expensive purchase by some KID and Best Buy. I'd rather make the decision myself even if it's not the best one. My friends that are really INTO the electronics are also INTO it for WAAAAY too much money They offer lots of suggestions but all seem rediculous to me. Spending 10X more to get .5% better is not my thing.

[Mon Rominee]

personally wouldn't buy a 1080i. I'd rather a 720p. A good 720p will trounce a 1080i imo.

FL, how big is your living room. Nunnamahbidness but 46" is huge...

How much was that Vizio btw? I was looking at a 37" vizio s/b/s with a Sharp Aquos, and tho not as nice, the Vizio was very good indeed.

[Woodchuck]

Originally Posted by marcray

I had to buy a new TV recently... specs had me spinning... it looked great, rated well and the price was affordable. Done.

That's how I felt when I got my 56" Samsung. I looked at the Vizios, and although nice, the picture on the Samsung was nicer for me. I went with the Samsung for downstairs, and an LG for the family room. The LG has a really nice picture.

[peterbright]

I want a 65"

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by Mon Rominee

personally wouldn't buy a 1080i. I'd rather a 720p. A good 720p will trounce a 1080i imo.

FL, how big is your living room. Nunnamahbidness but 46" is huge...

How much was that Vizio btw? I was looking at a 37" vizio s/b/s with a Sharp Aquos, and tho not as nice, the Vizio was very good indeed.

The room we put the 46 Vizio in is just off our kitchen. Everyone that new we were going to put a TV in there suggested something less that a 50" but larger than a 40". What we replaced was a standard 36" TV. Sooooo.........I went with the 46. It seems just right. The main seating sofa's are about 12' away but some seating is a little closer. The big room will easily handle a 50". Honestly, now that we have the 46" in the kitchen room, I could care less about one in the living room The wife and kids will be the ones rallying for that cause

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by peterbright

I want a 65"

You need to see my neigbors front projection system. It's like being in a damn THEEEEEater He has about 20K invested in the damn system

[Mon Rominee]

Thanks for that FL! I was trying to put things in perspective, as my living room is 12' x 12.5', and I was contemplating what would be too small or too big...

I made a dummy fireplace to cover a radiator that was an eyesore, and thought it would be neat to put a flatscreen above that mantle... and when I measured across the width, I got 36"...which puts me squarely in the 37-40" screen size.

I'll have to make some cardboard silouttes and tape them up to see what fits best.

As said, I was looking at Aquos screens, but love the way LG's look for the price, and yeah, the Vizio looks damn good for a "budget" screen and I read raves about them from all but the most "discriminating" reviewer.

Thanks again.
Mon

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by FL Knifemaker

You need to see my neigbors front projection system. It's like being in a damn THEEEEEater He has about 20K invested in the damn system

I've seen some places where people have projected on the whole and they go on about how massive it is - but it always seems to be very poor quality - faint and blurry - I'd far rather watch on my 40" HD TV!

[Sir Edward V]

The general TV commentary is nice, but would anyone care to give some feedback on what I was originally interested in?:

Originally Posted by Sir Edward V

First is that it is advertised as supporting only up to 1080i or 720p, but I set my roommate's XBOX 360 to output 1080p via component cables, and my TV is accepting it and registers that it is recieving 1080p input. I am wondering if my TV is REALLY displaying 1080p, or if it is converting it down to 720p in the background for me. I didn't really notice a difference in quality between the two though...

Also, I was looking through the manual, and it says that the contrast ratio is only 800:1, not 1200:1 like it says on the polaroid webpage as well as in the circuit city store I bought it in and their website as well. Is this false advertising? I would think so... I have no idea which numbers are right, but something is wrong.

[Mon Rominee]

Sirt Edward, you shouldn't have to look any farther than your owner's manual for that answer.

besides, the link you provided does not point to a specific model, just the corporate main site.

Model # or something might help tremendously.

R

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by Mon Rominee

Thanks for that FL! I was trying to put things in perspective, as my living room is 12' x 12.5', and I was contemplating what would be too small or too big...

I made a dummy fireplace to cover a radiator that was an eyesore, and thought it would be neat to put a flatscreen above that mantle... and when I measured across the width, I got 36"...which puts me squarely in the 37-40" screen size.

I'll have to make some cardboard silouttes and tape them up to see what fits best.

As said, I was looking at Aquos screens, but love the way LG's look for the price, and yeah, the Vizio looks damn good for a "budget" screen and I read raves about them from all but the most "discriminating" reviewer.

Thanks again.
Mon

If you talk with someone in the know you soon find out that there are several companies making many of the brands. Hitachi is the main one. They make many of the popular brands plus their own. One thing I considered was how FLAT the screen looked. During the day, we have light coming in the room from different sources. The Vizio screen is FLAT, BLACK with no shine or reflection. I hate looking at a TV and seeing glare or reflection.

[Sir Edward V]

Originally Posted by Mon Rominee

Sir Edward, you shouldn't have to look any farther than your owner's manual for that answer.

besides, the link you provided does not point to a specific model, just the corporate main site.

Model # or something might help tremendously.

R

hmm the link works for me but the model is 3211-TLXB, polaroid

I looked through the owners manual and it said nothing on the subject that I could see, it is possible that I missed it though.

the owners manual did say it supported up to 1080i, and nothing about 1080p... it also said it was a 800:1 contrast ratio which was contradictary to what all the other info I found said

[Mon Rominee]

http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-t...-32477599.html

Yours is a 720p max resolution that will support up to 1080i as you claimed. The xbox is outputting a true 1080p through HDMI? That is what I would like to know. Coulda sworn xbox maxxed at 1080i for component, and 1080p for vga

[Geoff St. Germaine]

The contrast ratio makes all the difference, taken together with the black level. The problem with the specs is that they can list whatever they want, since the contrast ratio can be different for different setting on the TV. Most of the TVs I've seen measured in Sound & Vision rarely meet their specs anyway.

I'd certainly send an email asking for clarification.

[Sir Edward V]

Originally Posted by Mon Rominee

http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-t...-32477599.html

Yours is a 720p max resolution that will support up to 1080i as you claimed. The xbox is outputting a true 1080p through HDMI? That is what I would like to know. Coulda sworn xbox maxxed at 1080i for component, and 1080p for vga

It is using component, and the XBOX setting is on 1080p and claims it is outputting 1080p, and the TV registers it as taking in 1080p (it has a little input window on the top right corner saying what is being inputted and changes whenever I change something). but I have no idea what it is actually putting out...

Originally Posted by Geoff St. Germaine

The contrast ratio makes all the difference, taken together with the black level. The problem with the specs is that they can list whatever they want, since the contrast ratio can be different for different setting on the TV. Most of the TVs I've seen measured in Sound & Vision rarely meet their specs anyway.

I'd certainly send an email asking for clarification.

according to a website I read last week, whenever there is even a candle's worth of light in a room, a person couldn't tell the difference between 500:1 and 10,000:1 contrast ratios, the site also said that dynamic contrast ratios are worse than static, depending on the input signal. if the signal puts in between 0% and 20% (of something, don't remember what exactly) then a 5000:1 dynamic is about the same as a 1000:1, but if the range is the full 0% to 100% then the 1000:1 is better.

I will look for the site so you guys can see what I am talking about, I'm not explaining it that well.

I agree with what you said other than the contrast ratio making a big difference

[Sir Edward V]

found it: http://www.practical-home-theater-gu...ast-ratio.html

I thought the guy sounded pretty legit... see what you guys think

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by Mon Rominee

http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-t...-32477599.html

Yours is a 720p max resolution that will support up to 1080i as you claimed. The xbox is outputting a true 1080p through HDMI? That is what I would like to know. Coulda sworn xbox maxxed at 1080i for component, and 1080p for vga

Having to buy two $40 HDMI cables sort of SUCKED. Being a dummy, I didn't realize they didn't come in the box I used one for the cable tuner and one for the DVD player. It's a handy, single connection though The xBox looks BRILLIANT on the Vizio but my son needs to get his own big TV

Having looked at the larger TV's.......Honestly, I like the looks of the rear projection DLP systems. I'm not saying I would buy one but they really looked good, as did some of the Plasma screens.