1080P LCD tv and PS3 questions......help!

[BigMoney8481]

[quote=Toxis]
QUOTE]

thats funny because thats exactly what I posted.

[asdf0123]

Originally Posted by Toxis

Ok coming from someone who actually understands technology today and works in the industry more as a consultant than a clerk, allow me to shed some light here where others have clearly missed.

You want 1080p? Ok, get it but honestly you will only see a difference between 1080p and any other resolution if you sit reaaaaally close to the TV. The higher resolution doesn't necessarily mean better PQ, it means the pixels are close enough that you can sit closer and not see each pixel therefore giving you a bad picture. Here's a very helpful graph to give you an idea of what you need.



So judge what size you want and how far back your eyes are to the center of the screen. This will tell you what you need. Now as for the "Get 1080p so you're up to date" comments, BS! If you look at it, how many 32's come in 1080p? There's no point in it! You'd have to sit about 5ft or less back to need 1080p over 720p. With that said, if you want Blu-Ray capabilities, DO IT! It looks amazing but don't sweat what resolution the TV is at, make sure the TV inputs are capable of inputting 1080p via HDMI and not 1080i/720p.

If you're getting a PS3 for BD purposes, don't do it! Get a Sony 300 BD player and get better picture, WAY better sound (if you have a home theater worth while at least) and 100 times better control. I hate using the PS3 as a BD player as you have to get a bluetooth controller and cannot get it to program into any sort of universal but that's another topic.

Now realize that all of this is worthless unless you get an HDMI cable capable of passing the bandwidth needed for your player to get whatever resolution/frame rate signal you're trying to achieve.

This is the problem with the internet and forums! There's 1000 "experts" to every one person who really understands technology. Email me if you have any other questions.

I agree with you for the most part.. the ps3 remote idea is a pain..and even if you do decide to go with a 720p you can still scale down the bd player..

[Toxis]

Originally Posted by e60.deluxe

you can pick up 3rd party BD remotes for like $10, toss them in the trash but keep their USB > IR converter and use it with your Harmony or URC (which is what most HT gurus have). true dont buy a PS3 to use as a BD player, but the PS3 does a shitload of good stuff without even coming to games yet.

that being said i would go with 1080P simply for the reason that because of the "resolution hype" a handful of games arent being made to be 720P capable, only 1080p/i so your stuck with interlacing if you dont have a 1080P TV. Also if 1080P/1080i/720P is offered the PS3 will always choose 1080i over 720P with no control.

the thing is that games arent processed the same way as film. you need higher resolution to reduce jaggie edges from the rendering. have you ever noticed if your walking up to a staircase or fence in a game you get "rolling jaggies"?

that will reduce with 1080. some games go through AA processing but sometimes its not enough and 1080P DOES HELP for games.

I have yet to see a USB > IR that has the codes to work for PS3. If there is one, let me know as that would help in a lot of instances.

As for the Resolution Hype, that's a great way to put it. The problem is, too many people worry about the resolution of the TV and not what inputs the TV has. You realize that even most 2nd gen 1080p TVs don't even accept 1080p through HDMI? Then what 1080p are you talking about? 24, 60 or 120htz? Gotta make sure your TV can input what you're player is outputting and your cable can pass the bandwidth.

URC remotes are the sh*t! I love my 850's and my 950. I wouldn't take a Harmony if you gave it to me unless I could throw it out the window at 120mph into a brick wall. Worst remotes ever.

[Janizary]

Hey, now, Toxis. My 880 does trooper duty in the living room.

However, in the HT it would be a mega headache.

[Toxis]

any remote with a Help button just proves it can't be programmed right. REAL remotes don't need help, they just work.

[dcloud]

Originally Posted by Anubis

Okay I understand the differences bewteen the HDTV options 720p vs 1080i vs 1080p. My problem is I am getting a PS3, and i need to upgrade my current TV in my game room to get the total experience from the ps3.

I wanted to get a 32-40in 1080p LCD, but recently found an amazing deal on a 32in 720p LCD tv. Now to my questions, I have been told that with a screen this size you can't really tell a difference between 1080p and 720p is this true? Second, I will be using the blu-ray often, but was told that if a tv can't do 1080p that the ps3 will downsize to 480p subsequently skipping 720p is this true? Is it worth it in your mind to pay hundreds more for a 1080p tv over a 720p in the screen sizes I am looking at?


Sorry for the noob questions, but i understand tv's well but not sure what will fit best with my ps3. I am looking for anyone's opinion on this.

Thanks! (Also I searched so if this has been covered point me in the right direction )

I am pretty much in the same boat as you! I picked up a PS3 just last weekend. I have been looking into LCDs for many months now and I'm anxious to see what everybody has to say.

[074doorSI]

Originally Posted by Toxis

any remote with a Help button just proves it can't be programmed right. REAL remotes don't need help, they just work.

That may be the dumbest comment ever.

I own a home theater installation company. I program lots of Harmony remotes for my customers. I own one myself. I gave one to my Dad.

Sometimes when I hit the button to watch TV, my dog gets in between the remote and the TV and something doesn't get set up right. That's where the help button comes in handy. It's easier than going into the devices and selecting the component that didn't get set up right and then fixing it.

Anybody that makes a comment like that proves they don't know HOW to program a remote right.

[Toxis]

hahahaha This coming from someone who only works on Harmony remotes. The problem with Harmony remotes is that the remote programs itself. You go in and tell it what equipment you have. That is not programming a remote! If you have a remote that works properly and is setup correctly, you don't need a help button because the macros just WORK. Look into picking up Universal Remote and get trained on how real remotes work and see how much control you can really have. From my experience with multiple universal brands, Harmony is not only the least reliable (yes they're built like dog shit) but the worst in terms of control is the least flexible. I recommend the URC line because it's a very sturdy remote (doesn't have the 20% failure rate Harmony does nationwide) and can do anything you want while being pretty damn easy to program. I can program a URC probably faster than you can program a Harmony. If you don't like that option, look into AMX or Philips for the Pronto line, just to name a few. They also are great remotes but dear god are they a PITA to program. Once done, they're awesome but as an installer, it's more time consuming and time = money. I say you need to get trained on programming because you don't have any sort of programming background otherwise you wouldn't carry Harmony.

As for your "my dog walked in front" comment... how big is your dog and how low is your equipment from the floor? I run my URC all IR and it flashes the signal plenty hot that even if a HUMAN walks in front, the code still hits. Plus with delays set into my macros (something you can't do with Harmony unless they changed it here REAL recent), codes don't get missed and scrambled between each other. Your equipment has response times and it varies from piece to piece and room to room! Hell, program a BD player and not give it any delay between the power on button to the play or open/close button. Now let's say you're still worried about it, you can go RF and eliminate ANY margin for error. Sure some new Harmony remotes are coming out with RF capabilities but obviously as a company, they haven't looked at the market to see where problems may lie with RF. Look at Bose! Their remotes are very sketchy on when and whether or not they'll work. The Harmony RF piece has no control or way to tune it to eliminate RF interference which you will get a LOT if you can't tune the RF adapter. With URC's new RF pieces, you have full flexibility and can even get a narrow band piece so even downtown in the worst of RF homes, you'll still have full control. I'd love to see a Harmony try to work IR or RF in an exercise room with a plasma TV. If you don't know what I mean by that, you have more learning to do.

So for you to make a comment like that proves to me that A: you've done nothing more than Harmony remotes and B: wouldn't know what real control was if it fell on your lap. I'm not sure what brands you sell at your company but my guess is Sony or JVC is your receiver brand seeing your knowledge is pretty limited on the industry. I'd be surprised if you carried Onkyo or Denon as a receiver line (let alone separates of any sort)... but then again, I'm sure your experience is limited to what the salesguys at Best Buy tell you to sell. I'm sorry, that was over the line. Your electricians turned installers are very knowledgeable I'm sure. Trunk slammers love "custom" work.

Another guess, you're not CEDIA certified and probably don't even know what CEDIA is... my company is certified and 6 of my 10 installers are level 1 if not level 2 certified.

Oh BTW, I own 3 URC remotes and gave one to my mother and my brother. So THERE! (apparently comments like that hold water... *shrugs* )

[074doorSI]

I have done more than Harmony remote. I have dealt with URC. I like the ease of programming in a harmony and let's face it, people like the help function.

My equipment is low, my receiver is maybe three inches off the floor. It's old and kinda sensative. Even with the remote it came with, you had to make sure you actually point the remote towards the unit. It's better with the Harmony, but on occasion the dog will walk in front at the wrong time and then I'm stuck. The help button makes for an easy fix.

I'll be honest. Most of the people that have been interested in universal remotes aren't exactly electronics experts. Most of them are techo-illiterate. Also, they are concerned with price. I'm sure they would be happier with a $1000 URC, but they are satisfied with a $100 Harmony. I find the less I have to explain how to use the remote, the happier they are with it.

I'm not a big company. It's mainly me, and I hire some installer friends when I need them. I'm not CEDIA certified, but yes, I do know what it means. I haven't seen where I would benefit for it as of yet. Maybe if my business increases.

My main problem is with your comment on Harmony not being "real" remotes. For most people, a Harmony is more than they could ever have hoped for. It simplifies their equipment to where they feel comfortable using it.

And I don't sell anything. I suggest things and will arrange their purchases for them, but I don't sell anything directly. I suggest Denon whenever I think they can afford it. I pretty much stay away from Sony (other than the TV's).

[Toxis]

It's not a real remote in my eyes. It might as well be a $10 Sony remote or a cable box remote. I understand why you like the Help button but if you take a MX-850 or 900 and program it correctly, there's never a need for a help button. That's where understanding of programming and how electronics work and knowing what your customers need and don't need (so you can hide buttons so they don't jack stuff up they don't need to be in) comes into play. It's really no easier to program a Harmony than a URC, you just need more technical knowledge to do so.

[Gaspar_06_Civic_EX]

I have a Harmony remote for 3 years now. I have only good things to sat about it. End of story...

[skiz]

i did not see in any of the other posts, but the ps3 w/ hdmi requires the tv hdmi port to do HDCP. so make sure your tv supports it.

good luck. And i say go for the 1080p.

[Toxis]

^
Read the other posts and every TV is going to support HDCP.