EDTV or HDTV Satellite or Cable?

[calguy99]

Hi,

I'm looking for a new television. Not sure if I want to jump to a plasma, LED or replace my CRT with another CRT. I've bee looking at a couple of Panasonic plasma TV's on is EDTV and the other is an HDTV model. The HDTV is about $3000 and the EDTV is about $1700. In order to get HD programming I will have to go with either Directv or Dish or Charter Cable. Where I live Santa Barbara/San Luis Obispo market I am unable to receive and over the air HD programming.

If I go with EDTV or HDTV what quality of picture will I get from the non HD programming on Directv. It looks like there are only about 2 dozen HD channels available on Directv.

Also if I choose HD programming on Directv will I have to give up my distant network feeds from New York and Los Angeles? Are you allowed to receive both HD East and HD West feeds from the HD programming?

Thanks

[b_money]

Can't answer your DirecTV programming questions, but thought I'd chime in on the ED vs. HD issue. The Panasonic EDTV you are looking at is probably the TH-42PD50U or its replacement. I bought one for myself as a Christmas present last December. Price was around $1999 less a $200 discount - great deal. Panasonic's 42" HDTV plasma cost around $1K more, and I couldn't really tell the difference in side-by-side tests at the electronics store. Also, have read reports that analog (non-HD) signals look better on the ED systems than comparable HD sets. With all-digital picture like you get from satellite, though, don't know if this will be an issue.

[A J Ricaud]

Hi,

I'm looking for a new television. Not sure if I want to jump to a plasma, LED or replace my CRT with another CRT. I've bee looking at a couple of Panasonic plasma TV's on is EDTV and the other is an HDTV model. The HDTV is about $3000 and the EDTV is about $1700. In order to get HD programming I will have to go with either Directv or Dish or Charter Cable. Where I live Santa Barbara/San Luis Obispo market I am unable to receive and over the air HD programming.

An HDTV is the best bet in the long term--unlikely to be obsolete soon. The least expensive way, if you have the room, is a rear projection, CRT-based TV. Next is a DLP-based unit or perhaps LCD. Plasma, I think, is one of the most expensive technologies, although the prices are coming down.

If I go with EDTV or HDTV what quality of picture will I get from the non HD programming on Directv. It looks like there are only about 2 dozen HD channels available on Directv.

Some HDTVs look fine with SD material. Some posters say theirs is terrible; so, much depends on the exact model you intend to purchase. Tale a look at AVS forums and try searching in these forums for a specfic TV.

Also if I choose HD programming on Directv will I have to give up my distant network feeds from New York and Los Angeles? Are you allowed to receive both HD East and HD West feeds from the HD programming?

Thanks

I believe I have read that you will lose the N.Y. feeds if you are in the West Coast, but am not sure.

[slydog75]

If you have an HDTV with actual HD source material you will definetely see a difference between it and EDTV.. EDTV is the same quality as DVD. It's actually the same resolution as standard tv, but progressive instead of interlaced (480p).

[vertigo235]

Yeah, HDTV should be much better than EDTV. I wouldn't recomend any EDTV, unless you will not be watching any HD content.

[btwyx]

If you have an HDTV with actual HD source material you will definetely see a difference between it and EDTV.. EDTV is the same quality as DVD. It's actually the same resolution as standard tv, but progressive instead of interlaced (480p).FUD.

[slydog75]

Fud?

[btwyx]

Fud?"Fear Uncertainty and Doubt".

[thieany]

You should look at one of the HD capable monitors (not a TV). With no over the air, you need not pay for the TV tuner. Either satellite or cable boxes have the outputs necessary for the monitor.

I have the 37" Westinghouse (1920x1080) you can get for less than $1700. Works well with DirecTv HD. I also use a vcr to tune in SD over the air.

[joetoronto]

You should look at one of the HD capable monitors (not a TV). With no over the air, you need not pay for the TV tuner. Either satellite or cable boxes have the outputs necessary for the monitor.

I have the 37" Westinghouse (1920x1080) you can get for less than $1700. Works well with DirecTv HD. I also use a vcr to tune in SD over the air.

exactly what i was about to say, don't waste your money on a built in tuner that you'll never use.

also, if you plan on using an external source for audio, like a home theatre system, you won't need built in speakers either.

i bought a panasonic TH-50PHD8UK HD display for 1500.00 less than it's brother, the "TV" which came with a built in tuner and speakers that i didn't need at all.

i highly recommend the 42" version (http://www.nextag.com/th42phd8uk/search-html) for under 2,000.00

it's the best plasma on the market, bar none.

[mayall]

I'm looking for a new television. Not sure if I want to jump to a plasma, LED or replace my CRT with another CRT. I've bee looking at a couple of Panasonic plasma TV's on is EDTV and the other is an HDTV model. The HDTV is about $3000 and the EDTV is about $1700.
Here's my setup:

42" ED Panasonic plasma monitor that is about 7 years old. (It was something like $12,000 retail at the time!)
Sources for the 42" are a DirecTV SD Tivo and a DVD player connected via S-video.
50" HD Panasonic monitor that is about 2 years old.
Source for the 50" HD panel are a DirecTV HD Tivo, a Comcast HD PVR, and a DVD player connected via component.

First regarding the type of TV/monitor to get:

True flat panels are the most expensive but are incredibly nice. There is no edge-to-edge distortion and they always seem crisper to me. They are also the least obtrusive in a room.
Although LCDs are getting better, plasmas have always looked better to me. They sparkle compared to the LCDs. I love my Panasonic 50".

Regarding ED vs. HD:

Most people find the difference between ED and HD to be subtle. Even side-by-side, you have to be pretty close to be sure you are seeing a difference. But there is a difference.
With great HD source, you can certainly see the difference. Most HD source is not yet great. In particular, DirecTV's HD is obviously compressed and less crisp when I compare it to Comcast. I'd expect viewing an HD-DVD/Bluray source to be obvious when comparing ED to HD.
I'd first pick the size, then get the best you can afford. A 42" ED Panasonic looks really nice but a 50" HD is better. :)


In order to get HD programming I will have to go with either Directv or Dish or Charter Cable. Where I live Santa Barbara/San Luis Obispo market I am unable to receive and over the air HD programming.
Although I've been happy with DirecTV and they still have very good HD programming, I'm quite upset that they are dropping Tivo. I use the Comcast HD PVR only when I have no choice. It's interface is horrible. Comcast is going to support the Tivo Series 3 and I expect to drop DirecTV and switch to Comcast. I never watch any live TV.

If I go with EDTV or HDTV what quality of picture will I get from the non HD programming on Directv. It looks like there are only about 2 dozen HD channels available on Directv.
I think there is plenty of HD programming. I rarely watch SD programs and then it is only because they are not broadcast in HD.

Also if I choose HD programming on Directv will I have to give up my distant network feeds from New York and Los Angeles? Are you allowed to receive both HD East and HD West feeds from the HD programming?
I think you will keep your distant network feeds. You will only get the HD West feeds.

[gquiring]

I went through the EDTV vs HDTV selection about 2 years ago. I selected the EDTV after comparing the Panasonic 42" HD vs ED via side by side comparisons. For me it was simple, my viewing distance is 9 feet. When standing back 9 feet I could barley see the difference watching DiscoveryHD. But watching SD on the HD set was noticably poorer PQ. Considering how many channels are not HD yet I did not want to suffer while watching FX, USA, SCFI and a few others.

[JimSpence]

I thought EDTV's could handle up to 720p resolution?

[mayall]

I thought EDTV's could handle up to 720p resolution?

The vertical resolution of ED is 480p which matches DVDs. HD content is downsampled to 480p on an ED display.

[btwyx]

I thought EDTV's could handle up to 720p resolution?It depends what you mean by "handle".

EDTVs by definition are 480 line displays.

To display anything any Plasma display has to run the signal through a scaler, which scales the input signal to the display resolution. The scaler can handle an arbitrary signal within whatever limits the designer of the scaler designed in.

The display of an EDTV can "handle" 480 lines, the scaler can "handle" whatever its designed to handle. There is no correlation between being an EDTV and the input resolutions it supports. Mine will accept 480i, 575i ("PAL"), 480p, 575p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p, and various "VGA" resolutions upto 1600x1200.

Most EDTVs will quite hapily display an HD signal, whatever the HD signal is.

Just to be pedantic, the resolution of an ED display is not "480p". 480p is an input resolution, the resolution of an EDTV is 480 lines x something (Whatever the design calls for). EDTVs do not "match" 480p resolution, the scaler scales the 480p, it introduces overscan and will typically not use all the 480 lines input.

Also EDTV is not "the same quality as DVD". EDTV has more resolution than a DVD provides, particularly in terms of colour resolution. When displaying HD signals, ED way out performs DVD, which is not surprising as an HD signal has a lot more bandwidth to play with than DVD.

[steuert]

I second the recommendation to check the AVS Forum. They have literally hundreds of posts on this subject.

The consensus there seems to be that an ED set will often look as good as an HD set for HD broadcasts, and usually better for SD broadcasts which will constitute the bulk of programming for many people over the next several years.

I certainly would hesitate to spend almost twice as much for an HD rather than an ED plasma, in the absence of concrete proof that HD sets are greatly superior to ED.

Since you will be using DTV or another set-top box, you can indeed save a few $ with one of the "monitor" sets. One of the most popular is the 42" Panasonic "commercial" ED model which costs around $1500 online. (It also comes sans speakers, but it does have built-in amplifiers which can be hooked up to your existing speakers, or it can use a couple inexpensive bookshelf speakers with satisfactory results.)

[jmrife]

I
Just to be pedantic, the resolution of an ED display is not "480p". 480p is an input resolution, the resolution of an EDTV is 480 lines x something (Whatever the design calls for). EDTVs do not "match" 480p resolution, the scaler scales the 480p, it introduces overscan and will typically not use all the 480 lines input.

Also EDTV is not "the same quality as DVD". EDTV has more resolution than a DVD provides, particularly in terms of colour resolution. When displaying HD signals, ED way out performs DVD, which is not surprising as an HD signal has a lot more bandwidth to play with than DVD.

This is the first time I have seen an explanation of the PQ on my Panasonic 42" EDTV. I know it is better than DVD, almost as good as HD. Now I understand why.

Thank you, sir.

As for the question at hand, I am lucky enought to have both the 42 EDTV and the 50 HD panels, commercial models with no tuner or speakers. Yes, the Panasonic 50 is better for HD material; but at 9-10 feet, the difference is very subtle. And SD material is always -- always -- better on the the ED panel.

Don't listen to anyone who says you "must" get one over the other. They are both excellent units.

You pays yer money and you takes yer choice!