edge lit vs. full array

Judge for yourself - because it seems that anything I say here on might be disregarded

Black levels... you watch movies or game in a dim light? A Full Array gives you insane black levels if implemented correctly.

An Edge lit LCD sometimes is worse than CCFL backlit displays from 3 years ago.

If you want a bitchin' hometheater display... make sure you have the best contrast... static and 'dynamic' you can.

Edit: Thought you meant local dimming full array...

Why is there more light to start with? The Sharp 70" line is all full array. All meet the >new< Energy Star guidelines of 108 watts maximum use. They are not using especially efficient LEDs vs. other manufacturers. If anything, they probably are using less total light, since they don't have to use incredibly inefficient light guides across giant pieces of glass to illuminate them.

There are a number of factors that contribute to an awesome picture quality; one being of contrast ratio. The ability for one display to display dark blacks contribute to more pronounced colors... thats why we measure contrast on a ratio on bright and dark.

The one with edge-lit would display blacks that appear grey because they are unable to fully dim the LED to a down 0 - they are always on never off because the dimming zone is extremely big. If they do turn off completely, you would see a huge black block on the screen - and video sources usually never have just "one" face on screen. It also contributes to HALO which is light surrounding the picture object. It becomes very apparent as one section on the screen may appear much brighter than on another section.

Whereas a backlit local dimming set can actually shut off and dim individual zones since these 'zones' are much much smaller.

SEE I drew this just for you!
Yellow is the light source active.

To really appreciate it you need to be in a relaxed environment with some good source material. It is also important to have the set somewhat calibrated.

Nobody can convince you of something you do not want to believe, the difference is huge and worth every dollar.
The chain stores put material on that is difficult to appreciate a good set from a bad one.

If you do not want to spend the cash I suggest a Plasma, great blacks and lower prices.

The best full-array sets today are matching the Pioneer Elite of 3 years ago.

Watch golf or baseball on a Samsung D8000 with the settings on movie and you will see the grass in the edges of the screen washed out or brighter than the center.

I'm going to refrain from being mean here, so I'll simply say there is no basis whatsoever for that assumption.


First of all, no. Second of all, no. Third of all, locally dimmed sets are inherently better at avoiding bleed through (like the HX929). Fourth of all, edge-lit sets are notoriously bad at bleed through.

We basically disagree on every point you just made.

First of all, they are not getting rid of "traditional" lightbulbs. They are getting rid of 100w incandescents. There will actually be 100w incadnescent equivalents using halogen very soon. Second of all, the amount of money people will save from using CFs and LEDs is ridiculously high while I'm not happy it takes "nanny state" approaches to achieve this, I am happy that it actually amounts to a "middle class and poor tax cut". The payback on CFs in particular is <1 year in most parts of the country in high-use areas. (The bulbs are $1 each at my drug store right now.)

Third of all, the color rendition index of good LED bulbs and the color temp can easily match incandescents, which actually put out a very weird color temp -- that I admit we are all used to, but it's weird. LED bulbs are too expensive, but that's about to start changing. As will light output. Look, in particular, for Switch Lighting stuff late this year. And Philips makes some nice stuff.

You can't have true local dimming with edge lighting. You can have "zone dimming" that is very crude. It doesn't impress me or most people.

To be honest, I wouldn't spend one thin dime based on what a bunch of internet knuckleheads wrote in pixels. Use your eyes and decide for yourself. Ignore us and don't "waste" any money if you don't like what you see.

You have all these biases about full array. It's so unbelievably superior for enjoying high-contrast material that for videophiles, it's ridiculous to not consider it. But you've already decided you need to have a pole in your rectum to even care. So why are you considering it at all? It doesn't really make sense to me.

Reason why there's even edge lit is because 1) legal 2) TV quality LEDs 3 years ago were very expensive.

Otherwise all LED backlit would have been full array today. And I expect that to happen next 3 years.

How can you trust what the eyes of others see?

http://www.reallywarped.com/CoolArt.htm

If you are lucky enough to get an edge lit display...820, without the uniformity issues associated with edge lit displays (I hear there are few out there) you will probably be very happy, it just depends on how discerning you are. If the issues were minor I could be content/happy with an edge lit display. But to continue the debate of edge lit vs LD?...one technology is better than the other, it's really just that simple.

I don't know why you just don't purchase a plasma. The truth is full-array local dimming sets are trying to equal a Plasma in performance for a lot more money.
If I did not get the deal from HSN I did I would get an LG LHX or a plasma. Why purchase something you know is not as good for the same money?

If your a Sony Fanboy get a 909 or 929 or spend the next several years wishing you did. A place by me has a 52" 909 for $1,600, the 909 is a great TV.

G

Is this dude serious? All I have ever owned are XBR series Sony. My XBR6 started showing a purple pixel line. I did what you're supposed to do. Go view the 820 and 929 side by side at a store. I saw very subtle differences between the 2. I was a little uneasy not buying an XBR, but I knew if I didnt like it I could return it. Also with the fact that Sony wouldn't give me a the 929 for exchange I asked if they would do the 820. At first they said no, then I called back, it was no big deal. I paid $1600 from Sony for the 55HX820 build date April 2011. I have zero clouding, no flashlights, and no creases. Blacks are perfect, don't exhibit any bleeding. And I do know what to look for as my friends 929 exhibits all. I am very picky OCD and very detail oriented, but I wouldn't be like this Midnight guy when buying a TV. He seems like the guy that if the stand makes the tv sit .0025 degrees off he would return it.

HX 929 sucks less than ANY edge lit junk out there.

You have a lot of opinions that objective analysis doesn't bear out. Given that, I again ask why you are even bothering asking us for advice.

For example, your opinions about glare are nonsense.

So you want to buy a 55" LCD but you can't afford it, but a 50" plasma or a 55" plasma is out of the question then? Like for example a Panasonic GT series (50 or 55"), which is a really good plasma, or the admitted pricier 55" VT30. Or a Samsung 51" D7000 or D8000. There are serious bargain on that list.

You're a Sony fanboy? Then start drinking their Kool-Aid on local dimming! Local dimming is good.

@midnight... you are all over the map and your reasons for one or other continue to contradict each other. Instead of soliciting technical advice on LD vs edge-lit vs plasma vs 46" vs 55" why not just ask yourself, "what can I buy that will give me the least amount of buyers remorse". AVS can't do that for you.

OP has over 440 posts and started a almost dozen new threads in less than a month. Draw your conclusions.

He, he...Waldorf, you nailed the troll to the wall!!!

Hey Rogo,

Sorry to hijack this thread, but in your opinion, what's the best value full array LED 46" TV out there right now? I don't need the bells and whistles like Skype or web browser, when I'm going to attach a HTPC to it.

Thanks!

I can across a worse case scene that would challenge even the best local-dimming full-array LED TVs.

Midway through the Gettysburg movie is a 5 minute scene where a number of Confederate commanders are talking around a camp fire; there are also a number of other camp fires in the background. The scene is very dark and the solders, trees, tents, and horses are barely visible in the night as the only source of light are the fires. As the camera zooms in and out, and pans side to side, to maintain focus on the commander's conversation, the size and intensity of the camp fires in the background change.

My edge-lit TV really struggles displaying the fires throughout the five minute scene. I would be curious how a full-array local-dimming TV would handle the scene. Given the contrast delta between the fires and the pitch-black surrounding areas and the constantly changing size of the fires, I would think that unless the LEDs are-one-for-one for each LCD there would be some type of distortion.

Most of these might just be buyer remorse for spending so much for a TV. It's pretty common if you are to believe some friends I have working at best buy.

it's pretty common for a guy to buy a tv and get your spoose to talk you out of it and return it for a cheaper model.

I wouldn't believe much of anything someone working at Best Buy says. When I worked at Ultimate Electronics (R.I.P.) one of the biggest reasons for TV returns was either (a) too big or (b) too small. Maybe the buyer's spoose (spouse) was behind but real guys don't eat quiche or admit to being whipped!