I have read similar threads in this forum but need to get a little more specific.
I'm planning a 60" DLP purchase. The future proofing concept of 1080p makes sense to me as I plan to get a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player when they become affordable. I also plan to get a DircTV HD tuner when those become affordable. Gaming is not part of the equation.
For the near future, I will be watching regular DVD (720p?) and standard DirecTV digital broadcasts.
The question that I have concerns something that I read in a magazine......namely,
"HDTV resolution is fixed. Therefore, if I am watching lower resolution content it must be scaled up and that the image may suffer."

Thoughts and comments?

Thank you.

As of now, I would def go with a 1080P TV over a 720P TV, you are basically getting the latest res if you get a 1080P. Better image, sharper, it's completely worth it. I'd only get a 1080P TV if the TV you are buying is going to be 50"+

As of now, I would def go with a 1080P TV over a 720P TV, you are basically getting the latest res if you get a 1080P. Better image, sharper, it's completely worth it. I'd only get a 1080P TV if the TV you are buying is going to be 50"+


Thank you for the reply.
But, you didn't address my question....

>>For the near future, I will be watching regular DVD (720p?) and standard DirecTV digital broadcasts.
The question that I have concerns something that I read in a magazine......namely,
"HDTV resolution is fixed. Therefore, if I am watching lower resolution content it must be scaled up and that the image may suffer."<<

That's my question.
Thank ye

yes, converting the image can degrade it, but that is not for sure, it matters on the internal scaler of the tv. you commented on regular dvd and then put (720p?). regular DVD is only 480p but the dvd player can upscale which is essentially the same thing you are talking about with the TV. As the last poster said, just get the 1080p tv. I think even if lower rez content is even a little bit less quality because of scaling, I doubt you would notice it, and the 1080p compatibility would be better in the long run. Plus I don't think I have heard anyone complain that their 1080p has worse looking low rez source than a 720p. Keep in mind that TV broadcast is usually 1080i anyway, so if you have a 720p tv, the tv will still have to scale. I don't think it is a big enough deal to worry about. Low res sources will phase out anyway, wouldn't you rather have a tV that excells with the new formats rather than dealing with the old ones?

wharfrat,

"HDTV resolution is fixed. Therefore, if I am watching lower resolution content it must be scaled up and that the image may suffer."That statement is another way of saying:Low resolution sources are not really intended for large screens. Lower resolution content has picture defects that become readily apparent when "scaled" or "zoomed" to fill a large screen.Take a 320x240 image and "scale" or "zoom" it to fill your entire computer screen. How does it look? Answer -- it doesn't look that great. The NTSC standard implemented in 1954 was never intended for 60" screen sizes. That's the reason we have high-definition content -- not simply to make the picture better, but because it was necessary to achieve good quality with larger display sizes.

Once you move to a larger TV, the quality of the source is everything. Picture defects that are not obvious with SD content on a 32" screen become very apparent when zoomed to fill much larger screens. Some displays do a better job than others of "zooming" low-resolution content to fill larger screens, but no 60" display is going to make DirecTV's SD look as good as it does on a smaller screen.

Quite simply, DirecTV's SD is not meant to be viewed on larger displays. DVD -- which is 480p, not 720p-- will look good, but DirecTV's highly compressed SD will look mediocre to bad, depending on the channel, particularly if you are accustomed to viewing on a 35" or smaller TV.

You should hold off on the purchase until you can get the DirecTV HR20 HDTV DVR. If you've been a long-time DirecTV subscriber, chances are they will cut you a deal, particularly if you tell them you are considering a switch. Alternatively, you could switch to Dish Network, which is offering a HDTV DVR for free. Note neither DirecTV or Dish Network can match the high-definition picture quality of Comcast or FiOS, if those are available in your area.

Assuming you have 20/20 vision, 10 feet (60 inches x 2) is ABOUT the breaking point where 1080p become noticeable. In another words, if you sit 5 feet from the TV, 1080p is definitely worth it. If you sit 15 feet from the TV, save yourself some money and get a 720p set.

wharfrat,

That statement is another way of saying:Take a 320x240 image and "scale" or "zoom" it to fill your entire computer screen. How does it look? Answer -- it doesn't look that great. The NTSC standard implemented in 1954 was never intended for 60" screen sizes. That's the reason we have high-definition content -- not simply to make the picture better, but because it was necessary to achieve good quality with larger display sizes.

Once you move to a larger TV, the quality of the source is everything. Picture defects that are not obvious with SD content on a 32" screen become very apparent when zoomed to fill much larger screens. Some displays do a better job than others of "zooming" low-resolution content to fill larger screens, but no 60" display is going to make DirecTV's SD look as good as it does on a smaller screen.

Quite simply, DirecTV's SD is not meant to be viewed on larger displays. DVD -- which is 480p, not 720p-- will look good, but DirecTV's highly compressed SD will look mediocre to bad, depending on the channel, particularly if you are accustomed to viewing on a 35" or smaller TV.

You should hold off on the purchase until you can get the DirecTV HR20 HDTV DVR. If you've been a long-time DirecTV subscriber, chances are they will cut you a deal, particularly if you tell them you are considering a switch. Alternatively, you could switch to Dish Network, which is offering a HDTV DVR for free. Note neither DirecTV or Dish Network can match the high-definition picture quality of Comcast or FiOS, if those are available in your area.

Thank you all for so much great info....
I checked with DirecTV.......wow...since the last time that I checked, everything has come down into my price range. The HR20 recorder is 99.00 and that's without asking DirecTV to compete with cable or FIOS. Now, the question is....since I will be viewing a decent amount of content in DirecTV standard def because it is only broadcast in SD....do HDTV displays generally allow me to reduce the image size on the screen so as to make the image deficiences harder to see?

Thank you all for so much great info....
I checked with DirecTV.......wow...since the last time that I checked, everything has come down into my price range. The HR20 recorder is 99.00 and that's without asking DirecTV to compete with cable or FIOS. Now, the question is....since I will be viewing a decent amount of content in DirecTV standard def because it is only broadcast in SD....do HDTV displays generally allow me to reduce the image size on the screen so as to make the image deficiences harder to see?No, they do not. If the majority of your viewing is on the local networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC) or cable channels like ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and HBO (and History, SciFi later this year), then most of your viewing will be in high-def. Even new channels are slowly making the change to high-def -- NBC News launches in HDTV next month.

If FiOS is available in your area, their SD picture quality is superior to that on DirecTV. You could see how DirecTV SD looks on your TV, and if you aren't satisfied, you could make the switch.