JefFZ6
05-02-07, 03:20 PM
I've been using Windows Media Center Edition on a dedicated PC with my SD tube TV for a couple of years now mainly for it's PVR/DVR capabilities and playback of DivX video files.
I'd like to go to a 40+" panel monitor and am having trouble deciding between LCD and Plasma. I have a good understanding of all of the performance trade offs there are between LCD and Plasma as it pertains to HDTV broadcasts but am wondering how it plays out when the panel is essentially being used as a computer monitor (Only for entertainment though, not "desktop computing").
I plan to add an HD tuner card to my system which already has dual SD tuners in it so most of my HD programming will be fed to the TV through the PC and I dont want to loose quality due to unnecessary scaling.
I like the "look" of the glossy, glass plasma displays with their vivid colors and awesome contrast ratios but, short of going to a 50", they're all 1024x768 with rectangular pixels. I'm aware of the ability to use software to scale the output of some video playing applications to 1024x768 widescreen but what will happen to my Windows MCE guide, menus and what not? Will windows media center be capable of outputting all of that in 1024x768 widescreen without having to scale something like 1280x720 at the TV?
As for LCDs I like the non-glare effect but in my low budget price range (<$1,000) most of the LCDs seem to have more muted color and handle large, fast motion (i.e. panning landscapes) worse than the plasmas. However, if LCD is the way to go for an HTPC monitor then that's what I'll go with.
Also, since I'll be tuning all of my SD programming with the Windows MCE computer can you use FFDShow to "upscale" SD cable programming just like you can with DVD playing apps, improving the appearance of SD TV?
I'd like to go to a 40+" panel monitor and am having trouble deciding between LCD and Plasma. I have a good understanding of all of the performance trade offs there are between LCD and Plasma as it pertains to HDTV broadcasts but am wondering how it plays out when the panel is essentially being used as a computer monitor (Only for entertainment though, not "desktop computing").
I plan to add an HD tuner card to my system which already has dual SD tuners in it so most of my HD programming will be fed to the TV through the PC and I dont want to loose quality due to unnecessary scaling.
I like the "look" of the glossy, glass plasma displays with their vivid colors and awesome contrast ratios but, short of going to a 50", they're all 1024x768 with rectangular pixels. I'm aware of the ability to use software to scale the output of some video playing applications to 1024x768 widescreen but what will happen to my Windows MCE guide, menus and what not? Will windows media center be capable of outputting all of that in 1024x768 widescreen without having to scale something like 1280x720 at the TV?
As for LCDs I like the non-glare effect but in my low budget price range (<$1,000) most of the LCDs seem to have more muted color and handle large, fast motion (i.e. panning landscapes) worse than the plasmas. However, if LCD is the way to go for an HTPC monitor then that's what I'll go with.
Also, since I'll be tuning all of my SD programming with the Windows MCE computer can you use FFDShow to "upscale" SD cable programming just like you can with DVD playing apps, improving the appearance of SD TV?