Which of these TVs will give an overall better viewing experience at just 10-12 feet?

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Overall?

Sanyo DP42740, 42" Plasma, @ 720p, $350

Or

Panasonic TC-L32U22, 32" LCD, @ 1080p, $440


Which trumps which for just general / overall enjoyment of viewing at close ranges, 10" more size + plasma, or sheer resolution of full-HD?


Also, which of these statements is true?

1. You cannot even tell a difference between 720p and 1080p on non-HD channels, or
2. 1080p looks better even on non-HD channels than 720p

Thanks. Not a techie here. We still have just old old tube tvs all over the house, but Santa Claus is busy brainstorming.

 

[elwoodtrix]

I'd go bigger if you can afford it..

my pc monitor is a 32" and I'm 3-4 ft away... lol

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Well, I'm trying to figure out whether to buy 1, 2, or 3 total. I might run with a 50" 1080p plasma, but just get one. Or I might get some combination of a couple small, and one large, if I can afford it, which I can only if I go 720p - I'm trying to figure out how much I lose, if anything, going 720p. What about NetFlix - do they utilize the 1080p resolution or not?

 

[inactive]

I have no real world answer, but I would think the higher resolution would be "better" (on programming that supports it), particularly when crammed into a smaller screen. How many pixels does it end up being per square inch?

 

[bigfug]

Whats your budget? Check slickdeals.net and spoofee.com for some good prices. 32's should run 300-400 for a name brand.

 

[ZombieHunter]

Yes Netflix offers 1080p streaming, to my PS3 and computer they do anyways, the xbox 360 tends to scale it to 720p or a little better, cant handle the sustained decompression I reckon. Sound to me is more important as after you get a decent or better 1080 panel, to an extent they are all the same (with crap built in speakers, yes even the "surround sound" bars on the bottom, they suck!) and made by the same manufacturer in Precision Industry China, Mitsubishi Laser and Top of the line Pioneer Kuro(are no more) are the only exception to this rule, besides that the differences are at this point LED SIDE Lighting or LED Backlighting and OS Menu Layout preference.

Go with a decent sized 1080 panel for your main viewing I:E: Living room, Entertainment area so forth, and 720 for your bedroom.

In my house I have a 37" 720 samsung in the bedroom, and a 65" 1080 Kuro Plasma in the living room, anyone who knows the Kuro and its cost I got it for friends price from a favor call in otherwise I would have NEVER bought it.

Smaller in bedrooms is preferable for me as then I have more mounting options that aren't going to cost an arm and a leg, and I use HTIB system in bedroom with Bose Wireless Headphones so I can watch movies and not wake the wife. Living room is a different animal no explanation to what I have, mixture of Klipsch Speakers and Subs with 7.1 Denon Receiver.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Well, good info, thanks but I still need these two specific questions answered (if they can be answered):

A. Which trumps which for just general / overall enjoyment of viewing at close ranges, 10" more size + plasma, or sheer resolution of full-HD? (i.e. 42" plasma 720, or 32" LCD 1080?)


B. Also, which of these statements is true?

1. You cannot even tell a difference between 720p and 1080p on non-HD channels, or
2. 1080p looks better even on non-HD channels than 720p

 

[Danny Tanner]

Well, good info, thanks but I still need these two specific questions answered (if they can be answered):

A. Which trumps which for just general / overall enjoyment of viewing at close ranges, 10" more size + plasma, or sheer resolution of full-HD? (i.e. 42" plasma 720, or 32" LCD 1080?)


B. Also, which of these statements is true?

1. You cannot even tell a difference between 720p and 1080p on non-HD channels, or
2. 1080p looks better even on non-HD channels than 720p

A. The closer you are in relation to the size of your tv, the less you're able to visually see and appreciate full HD. Use this chart as a starting guide: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000021501

B.

1 & 2: If you're viewing non-hd, I could be wrong but I would bet screen size impacts the viewing quality more than 720 vs 1080 would, since non-hd will still be displayed in 480i/p.

Many local channels (I know this is true in MWC) can be found over-the-air, if you're not a subscriber of cable or satellite, but if you have cable and don't have options for HD, a cable box is only a few bucks extra a month and includes all the basic tier HD channels.

 

[Hobbes]

 

[keeter990]

It depends on your source as far as picture. The only way you will get a true 1080p picture is to have a blu-Ray player with a 1080p capable hdmi cable. No cable or sat service can broadcast 1080p yet. I know alot about home audio and video. If I were picking one I would take the panasonic for sure. If it were a comparable plasma I would take that everytime. However, with that brand I would not take it. Panasonic is one of the top tv makers. Plus the 1080p sets you up for the future when you could add a blu-Ray or when 1080p is available. Also as close as you are sitting if you get a tv too large it will look worse because you will be able to see the pixils more.
Also plasma has a glass screen that reflects alot of light and will block the picture. I dunno if light from windows, etc is a problem for you but if so go with the LCD. The big problem with the LCD tho is that if you watch alot of sports that moves across the screen fast you will see a trail on the fast moving images unless it is a 120hz processer. Which it most likely is not at that size. If you need anymore help or have an questions I'll be glad to help.