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720p, not 1080p

BIG OOPS!

$699 at Costco, plus they extend the warranty to two years. Picked it up last week. Awesome picture. Sorry, nobody can tell the difference between 720p and 1080p on a 42" set when you are sitting 8 ft or more away.

So when is 1080p worth it?

#4 when you have a 1080p source such as the ps3. You can definitely tell the difference between 720p and 1080p when its connected to a 1080p device.

For general TV, 1080p is worth it when you get past the 30-36" range. Anything smaller than that you'd need to be using it as a computer monitor for the difference to be really obvious, I think.

#4 - More pixels.

720p = 1280x720 resolution.
1080p = 1920x1080 resolution.
Standard television is 640x480 (480i)

unless you have perfect vision, 1080p at 37" or below is not noticable at normal viewing distances. Most people will not notice at this screen size, especially if you have corrective vision. The human eye cannot detect the small differences, its not pixels, its science. More people will listen to marketing departments/Joe next door than what their own eyes tell them though. I guess to each his own....

BTW I have last years version of this set and sit about 10' away. It looks amazing for high def video/gaming (360).

Hopefully this won't kill the site, but here is a well-done chart describing what people are talking about with viewing distances and HDTV resolutions:

http://s3.carltonbale.com/resolution_chart.html

Thanks for the replies. I'm looking to get a large set (over 40") so I guess 1080p is what I want.

Pretty much, #10. Just keep in mind that if you do get a 42-50" 1080p HDTV, you'll have to sit anywhere from 6 to 7.5 ft away to get full benefit, although you'd notice the difference from 720p at around 7.5 to 9 ft away.

I have a 50 inch Panasonic Viera and love it. The plasma display is super bright and works great in all light conditions. Solid TV.

will these LCD prices drop again in 2-3 weeks?

What a joke with these manufacturers now quoting subfield refresh.....come on....480Hz doesn't mean sh:t.

Thanks #9. Good chart.

That is a deal at Costco. It is a very good screen and there is nothing on HD Sat or HD Cable that is in 1080p so 720p is perfect for now.

The difference between 480i and 720p is HUGE but the difference between 720p and 1080p is not much.

When you look at 720p next to 1080p it is not going to "Wow" you.

Deathstalker
Owner: 50" 720p Pioneer Plasma and loving it.

Maybe it's just me but I've compared 1080p and 720p side by side and I can tell a difference from a decent distance (~10 ft.) I understand all the talk about "normal viewing distance", but if their really isn't a huge price difference wouldn't it be smarter to go with 1080p as that is the new standard?? I also think, and this may be blowing smoke, but I think standard def looks better on a 1080p set with all other variables being equal.

Panasonic makes the best HDTVs. Don't go for the cheap stuff.

Panasonic plasmas have a great picture and one of the lowest percentages of units needing repair. They're always a good buy no matter how many progressive scan lines of resolution they have.

I have this set and am very pleased with it. I'd say you don't really need 1080p if you are simply going to use it for TV. Go 1080p if you want to use it as a computer monitor/HTPC, or if you're into blu-ray movies.