Hi all,

I know there are lots of threads re 720p v 1080p on this and other forums. I have read through them all and the results are inconclusive for my situation.

I was wondering if anybody can possibly give me some advice. Here is my scenario and a little bit of history - are you sitting comfortably?

I have been using a 43" Samsung LCD Rear Projection set for about 5 years. It has provided great service but it is now time to retire it to the bedroom!

I sit about 11 feet away from the TV.

85% of my viewing consists of the following :

1. Freeview DVB-T upscaled to 720p (or 1080i) via a BTVision DVR
2. Sky upscaled via a Sky HD box (with the occasional HD programme)

The remainder of my viewing is as follows :

1. Low resolution Divx/Xvid files ouput via an Xbox 1 (running XBMC) via component and upscaled to 720p or 1080i. I have quite a large library of these files and I realise that the low resolution and mpeg artifacts will show up on a big TV - I can live with this for the sake of HDD storage space!

2. Video On Demand via BTVision - mainly SD (upscaled of course) but now with some of the new HD (1080i) thrown in (but not much at nearly £5 a pop!!!)

Just to add some flavour to the mix :

1. I am about to build an HTPC (case arrives today if City Link get their act together) which will output via HDMI. I will be installing an LG blu-ray/HD-DVD drive. This system will eventually replace my Xbox for Divx viewing. Now, I am only installing the LG drive for the sake of futureproofing. I may rent the occasional blu-ray from Blockbuster but will almost certainly NEVER actually buy a blu-ray disk for the simple reason that I very very rarely watch a film more than once. I will also be using this system to watch DVD's upscaled.

Now a bit of history :

I bought a Whafedale 47" full-hd 1080p from Argos for £699. I sent it back after only a week. Artifacting was terrible. Colour gradiations weren't smooth. The picture was generally weak. Now, watching some HD content on it, it did perform reasonably well but the picture seemed too "artificial". However, with SD TV content (upscaled), the artifacting was terrible compared to my old 43" Samsung.
One of the biggest problems with the Wharfdale was it's performance with dark scenes. A tv programme shot outdoors on a bright sunny day looked superb. I happened to come into the lounge one evening when my wife was watching Eastenders with an indoor, gloomy scene. The whole scene looked like it was made out of lego! There was just no shadow detail at all and parts of the picture looked like a dithered 16 colour gif image! That was the moment I decided to send it back.

I have just order another set from Argos (I want to use Argos because they offer the no quibble 30 day money back guarantee).

The set I have ordered (with a 35 day delivery time!!!!!) is the LG 50PG6000, a 50" plasma with a 768 line panel. The set has had some great reviews in terms of PQ. There have been some issue on threads here with IR but I will have to judge that when I get the set. The set is costing me £869 with a 3 year parts & labour & accidental damage warranty. Due to me recently buying a new car and a new motorbike, my wife has set me a maximum budget of £1000 and I ain't arguing with her!!

I guess I was expecting too much of the Whafedale at £699 for 1080p! The LG has had some GREAT reviews.

So here is my worry : I am doing the right thing buying a 720p set or should I be looking at a budget 1080p set?.

My viewing habits won't change significantly for the next few years - I am not suddenely going to go out and buy a huge library of blu-rays. I will continue to watch Sky HD and BT Vision and my low res Divx. The only thing that will change is that I may download some higher res (720p) Divx files. Sometime in the next few years we will be moving house and I plan to have a cinema room with a projector so within 2 years or so, the set will not really be used for movies but just TV viewing!

Oh... and I won't be using it for gaming - I only play games on my PC. There is a slight possibility that we will buy a Wii simply for my wife to play.

So, considering my viewing habits, my distance from the set, the sets size (50") etc... will I notice a difference by going for a "budget" 1080p LCD or should I stick with a 720p plasma that has better processing? Would I notice a difference with upscaled SD sources on a 1080p set as opposed to a 720p? The same question for Sky-HD HD channels (although don't watch an awful lot of HD TV).

My gut feeling is (for my budget) to go with the LG as it has had superb reviews and probably has superior processing onboard. Another part of me is screaming to get a budget 1080p panel simply because it has the greater resolution and sod the fact that it will probably have poor processing capabilities! I must admit, the BTVision menus/epg looked incredibly sharp in 1080i mode on the Wharfedale but I guess that doesn't matter if the actual programme content looks naff!??!?

As I said, I know these debates have raged before and I *have* read all I can find on the subject. Just wondering if anyone can advise me?