[Macworld]

Post your comments for Fact or fiction? 8 HDTV claims demystified here

[bjojade]

#6 is incorrect. It is quite possible for an LCD TV to suffer from burn in. I have one that it happened to. An AppleTV was connected to it for approximately 9 months. It now has a permanent AppleTV menu on the screen that won't go away.

[BoxOfSnoo]

I'd say #2 is way too generous. I'd say 42" is the useful lower limit for 1080p, at typical viewing distances.

Compare here: http://s3.carltonbal...tion_chart.html

...unless your typical viewing distance is 4' away, of course.

[BrianM]

bjojade, on 09 March 2010 - 12:49 PM, said:

#6 is incorrect. It is quite possible for an LCD TV to suffer from burn in. I have one that it happened to. An AppleTV was connected to it for approximately 9 months. It now has a permanent AppleTV menu on the screen that won't go away.

In most cases the "ghost" image on an LCD display after something has been left unchanged (like a main menu) will go away with time. Running something that changes the colours rapidly can help this process.
(In all cases I've seen, the ghost image goes away, but I suppose there may be some case I'm not familiar with that might cause it to remain... the cases I've dealt with have been frozen computers that were left along for a day or two at most)

[BrianM]

BoxOfSnoo, on 09 March 2010 - 01:21 PM, said:

I'd say #2 is way too generous. I'd say 42" is the useful lower limit for 1080p, at typical viewing distances.

Compare here: http://s3.carltonbal...tion_chart.html

...unless your typical viewing distance is 4' away, of course.

it depends on the content as well... text is where I notice the biggest difference between 720p and 1080i or p, even on a 32-37" TV. But then again, jagged text always bugs me.

[davekriss93]

FYI, a good HDTV resource: http://hdguru.com/

[DanielDecker]

Also wrong, #5. It's not enough just to use a DVI cable to insure transmission of DRM'd programming(if your HDTV supports that interface). You have to be sure to use a DVI-D cable. DVI-D has the extra pins necessary to carry the HDCP signaling. Otherwise a standard variety DVI cable will default to 1080i/720p. Did anyone bother to check the author's creds or research? It is riddled with inaccuracies.

[RhymingDesigner]

In a freak occurrence, my LCD display was left on for a few days while I was on vacation. When I returned, the Apple sign-on screen was burned in and I freaked out. A little research calmed me down and sure enough, the image disappeared. Yeah, it took a couple of weeks but now there's no trace.

[DanielDecker]

I just noticed - also wrong in point #5 - Component cables top out at 1080i. 1080p is only possible on digital connections like HDMI/DVI-D.

And since I called the author's creds into question, I'll give you mine - I work for a statewide public television broadcast network.

Really, with all this bad information, you have only served to further the confusion. This article needs to be pulled, edited, and fact checked. Ironic considering its aim was to be a "fact check" article...

[themelz]

What about bitrate? Anyone who has ever encoded video knows how crucial that is for quality. HDTV supposedly requires a minimum of 19.25Mbps for transmission. I read that bluray has a maximum of 40MBps. Anyone know the max for transmission by satellite, cable, or fiber optic (e.g AT&T's U-verse)? Is there a standard that everyone follows? Or do bitrates vary from network to network, show to show, bluray disc to bluray disc, etc. Do any go under 19.25Mbps? Do any go over for even higher quality?

[ncj37]

Overall, a fairly good article and a lot better information than you'll get at the typical retail stores. As for the "fact check," yes a few minor points could be disputed. It's true that the vast majority of devices limit component video to 1080i, but I don't think that is the case for ALL devices. As for DVI-D, well that's kind of a given since DVI-D is the pure digital version of DVI, while DVI-A or DVI-I allow for analog signals (thus when connecting to a HDTV you'd have no need for a DVI-A or DVI-I cable). In any case, when connecting over DVI the more important issue is whether your source/display devices support HDCP (some older computers and computer displays do not).

Lastly, that 32" minimum for 1080p displays may be a little low. If you're viewing from "normal" seating distance your TV should probably be larger than 32" if you want to take advantage of its 1080p resolution.

[GiantSalamader]

A factor that should also be added is that some cable systems (like the one I use) down-convert certain 1080i HD channels to 720i to reduce the digital bandwidth on their system (according to a master control operator) and they add more MPEG compression all around. The MPEG compression is very noticeable on 52" LCDs. Even on smaller 26" LCDs if you compare the broadcast signal of a station in HD to the same cable signal you'll see a marked difference. So unless you have a BluRay player or something else that's really putting out 1080p, buying a 1080p sets may be a waste of money at the moment.

[mschmitt]

Claim #8: Be careful, not all 240Hz LCDs are equal.
Some sets have true 240Hz, where they create extra (interpolated) frames.

Other sets fake it to create a simulated "240Hz effect", by flashing the backlight on and off.

[brobdingnagian]

6. is wrong. I used a Sharp Aquos LCD TV for a couple of years as a Mac monitor and it sustained severe burn-in.