What is the deal with the new tv's?

[RCAkid]

I have been noticing more and more that the pictures on the new tv's, especially the ones larger than 42 inches just have an "unreal" look. As if it was too realistic...if you get my meaning.

My Samsung DLP, 720p native, 1080i, set, nor my Sharp Aquos at my office have this quality in their pictures. It is almost like the odd look of a viewmaster shot.

Anyone else seeing this or is it just me?

[compu_85]

I've noticed it too. It's like they over sharpen the display when there is a lot of movement.

-J

[jr_tech]

I think that "depth of focus" could be an issue here, so much of the information on the screen is usually presented in perfect focus, and rendered in great detail so the result is a very "flat" looking picture. I find it more bothersome if I sit close or view on a very large display.
jr

[ChrisW6ATV]

Part of it is the jump in resolution to 1080P on most larger flat-panel sets now, and some of it is adding sharpness.

What I really suspect, though, when you say it is "unreal" and "odd" in particular, is that the display models are sets with 120 Hz refresh rate, and the store has turned on a feature called "frame interpolation". 120 Hz refresh can be a good thing for movies when used in the "5:5 pulldown" mode, but instead they add this interpolation that can give everything the "soap opera look".

[DaveWM]

I call it "artifical" look, I too find it bothersome to watch. next we will start talking like audiophools, my RCA has excellent presents, very visual, wonderful staging. I plan on using some PIO caps in the CRT coupling and some bugleboy tube in the IF.....

[andy]

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[RCAkid]

Ahh, I see. Well that makes sense. I was thinking about getting a 55" Samsung before things start getting ridiculously expensive, but was getting turned off by the funky picture aspect.

I absolutely hate that soap opera look. I guess there is a reason that it is in there but I sure don't care for it.

My DLP Samsung is still going strong, over 5k hours on the bulb....knock on wood. But just would like a larger screen. Silly I guess...but still a gadget geek.

When looking at the pictures on the various sets, standard lcd, led/lcd and plasma, I was still amazed at the muddy look of the plasma sets still.

One neat thing about the plasma sets was the nice, warm feel I got from it while standing in front of it. Reminded me of a 25 tube set by the amount of heat radiating from it.

I would assume that the LED backlit LCD sets may have fewer power supply issues since power requirements seem not to be as high.

One thing I have noticed though is that LCD's tend to make my eyes tired....kinda like ear fatigue. My DLP or CRT sets don't seem to do that to me like LCD and Plasma sets do. My eyes almost hurt when looking at a set with the frame interpolation on.

[andy]

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[mwplefty]

First of all, it's hard to believe that plasmas are already going "out of style" after only being on the market for less than 14 years. Supposedly the LCD TV's have a better picture, but I can't really tell the difference too well. Now I was watching the Superbowl on my friend's 3D TV and throughout the first part of the half-time show, the picture kept freezing and the sound kept muting. As the TV was crapping out I kept saying to myself, "it's the digital cable." It wouldn't surprise me though. When I hooked up the DTV converter box to my grandmother's 1979 RCA XL-100, the picture (which was already pretty poor to begin with) kept freezing like this brand new 3D TV did. It seems like the plasmas don't freeze as much and neither do the 5-year-old LCD TV's. It seems to be either the brand new fancy set or an old analog set connected to a digital converter box that freeze.

[rcaman]

i just started watching my vintage rca plasma 42" tv. i will have to say for an older plasma the colors and black level are fantastick. it does not have a hdmi input just componet inputs. but my 64" rear projection pioneer hdtv will give a better picture. never seen a better picture on a rear crt projection set than the pioneer. steve

[rca2000]

Originally Posted by mwplefty

First of all, it's hard to believe that plasmas are already going "out of style" after only being on the market for less than 14 years. Supposedly the LCD TV's have a better picture, but I can't really tell the difference too well. Now I was watching the Superbowl on my friend's 3D TV and throughout the first part of the half-time show, the picture kept freezing and the sound kept muting. As the TV was crapping out I kept saying to myself, "it's the digital cable." It wouldn't surprise me though. When I hooked up the DTV converter box to my grandmother's 1979 RCA XL-100, the picture (which was already pretty poor to begin with) kept freezing like this brand new 3D TV did. It seems like the plasmas don't freeze as much and neither do the 5-year-old LCD TV's. It seems to be either the brand new fancy set or an old analog set connected to a digital converter box that freeze.

Plasmas are"going out of style", mainly because they use WAY too much power (though some of the newest ones are a lot better in that regard), and they break too much--and it is almost ALWAYS a "big deal" when they do.

I DO know "from where I speak". I work on flat--panel sets for a living.

Nearly EVERY plasma we get that actually has a problem or is not physically broken have a bad y--sustain board and often bad y-buffers too. The guy who brings this place food, the "lunch wagon" has a 3 or so YO plasma, and from his description of the problem it has a bad y-s and buffers too---(he let it "goo too long" after I told him NOT to use it when it was loosing the top of the pix,) and OUR cost for parts ALONE is over $350!! NO ONE here would buy a plasma and that goes for almost everyone I talk to anymore--the "word has gotten around".