Can anyone tell me how the picture appears in standard definition on a plasma television? I currently have Dish (no HD yet) and plan to buy a new television. I was specifically looking at a Panasonic 42" Plasma but I am worried that the SD viewing will be worse than my old CRT. A second question would be, do you have any suggestions for other TV's that would have the best SD viewing? Thanks in advance for any help.
SD viewing on a Plasma TV
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Viewing sd on ANY HDTV will not look good. They are built to watch hd. If you do plan on watching alot of sd, I suggest buying a small panel. 42 inch seems to be just right watching sd from 6 ft. away.
SD on my 50 inch is okay, especially in mpeg4, but nothing to write home about. Some SD channels are way better than others in terms of PQ. I would choose plasma for SD over any LCD on the market, IMHO.
When forced to watch something not on an HD channel, I just fire up to old 36" Sony WEGA. Beats the hell out of my Vizio 47".
I have a Samsung 50 inch Plasma and most SD looks pretty good on it. As Dahenny pointed out some SD channels are better than others. I find the local SD channels are particularly bad. Most of the mainstream cable type channels like Discovery are much better. Nothing beats HD though and I would suggest an upgrade to HD as soon as you get the set. There is no good reason to wait that I can think of. VIP722 is amazing.
SD on a modern HDTV (ten years ago the scalers were not as good as they are now) is a case of GIGO. If the source is crap (Speed SD for example), the result is crap. If the source is high quality, the result are pretty good. It's clearly not HD, but there is such a thing as good SD.
HD on SDTV
What everyone said....and
when I researched HDTV's this past year, there are indications that some SD programs look better on some tv's...such as the Panasonics...specifically 40's and 50's. (I have a 50). I like them and think the tv does a great job. Obviously not as good as HD, and it depends on the broadcaster and exact program too.
What everyone said....and
when I researched HDTV's this past year, there are indications that some SD programs look better on some tv's...such as the Panasonics...specifically 40's and 50's. (I have a 50). I like them and think the tv does a great job. Obviously not as good as HD, and it depends on the broadcaster and exact program too.
Panasonic always has seemed to do an excellent job with SD. All the way from my old 53" RPTV to a new 50" plasma, they have excellent SD scalers and really look phenomenal for SD.
Most cheaper TV's (Vizio, etc) will do a subpar job at displaying SD.
And some of Dish's SD channels are so overcompressed that no TV will make them look good, no matter what kind or how small.
Most cheaper TV's (Vizio, etc) will do a subpar job at displaying SD.
And some of Dish's SD channels are so overcompressed that no TV will make them look good, no matter what kind or how small.
I have a 42-inch Panny Plasma (the 42PZ80U) and Dish SD looks pretty good - way better than my old analog cable did. If you are not afraid of image retention and keep it in 4x3 it will look even better since it will not be stretched to hell. I notice the colors on HD channels are brighter but SD is very watchable.
All SD is not the same. Some SD programs will have greater resolution, less compression. Digital SD might be made to higher standards than analog SD. That being said, SD does not contain enough information to fill an HD display. So the next most important thing is the electronics in the HDTV set. Some will be better than others at "filling in" and "smoothing" transitions in the displayed picture. Some sets simply produce less mottling and pixelation in the displayed images. As a general rule, better brand names, and newer models, will do a better job. This, IMHO, is more important than the inherent display technology (LCD, plasma, etc).
As more programming is made with digital in mind, and more with even HD in mind, and algorithms improve, we may see improvements in SD on HDTVs. But HD will always be better.
As more programming is made with digital in mind, and more with even HD in mind, and algorithms improve, we may see improvements in SD on HDTVs. But HD will always be better.
It depends on the receiver. I have a 625 SD DVR hooked up to my 37" HDTV and the picture looks like crap. The HDTV receivers up-convert SD so as long as you get one it should be fine.
If the 722 upconverts SD to an HDTV, it will look like crap. The 722 has a very, very poor upconverter. On the other hand, I have one upconverting DVD player that produces an SD picture almost as good as Blu-Ray. If you feed your TV the SD feed off the 722, your results will vary by TV. My Samsung DLP HDTV has an excellent upconverter built in. My Sony LCD HDTV does not. That said, it is a pain to seperate HD and SD feeds because it requires changing inputs and lip synch so it is easier to live with 722 lousy upconversion.
Do not buy an HDTV for SD viewing.
Do not buy an HDTV for SD viewing.
What's SD? I'm forced to watch Meet the Press & Chris Matthews in SD but that is talking heads. So the PQ isn't a major concern for tht kind of show. Anything else is hard for me to watch. My 42 panny does it as well as can be expected but I try not to watch much of anything in SD.
Just to add more positive reinforcement to the thread, I have a 50" Panasonic plasma and I have no concerns with most SD content. I watch the Daily Show, Ghost Hunters (which I argue should also be on Comedy Central ), and some NASA programming in SD and overall it is acceptable quality. As others have said, not all SD is created equal. DVDs are still standard definition (480P), and I think they still look pretty darn good on a 50" HD display.
The only thing that I find annoying/frustrating to watch in SD is hockey; there is so much motion that the compression artifacts are absolutely glaring on a 50" screen. Outside of fast-motion content like sports, SD should still be very watchable for you on a larger screen.
), and some NASA programming in SD and overall it is acceptable quality. As others have said, not all SD is created equal. DVDs are still standard definition (480P), and I think they still look pretty darn good on a 50" HD display.The only thing that I find annoying/frustrating to watch in SD is hockey; there is so much motion that the compression artifacts are absolutely glaring on a 50" screen. Outside of fast-motion content like sports, SD should still be very watchable for you on a larger screen.
But don't forget that most 480P DVDs are of much higher quality than some of the SD channels that the 722 is trying to upconvert. Especially locals in SD which are so overcompressed they often look like worn out indoor outdoor carpet on the screen. It's really not a fair comparison. The 722 does a good job on most of the reasonably compressed SD channels though. Of course there is nothing like real HD on an HD set.
Watching MPEG2 SD signals from Dish, out of a 625, on a 37" LCD is like watching YouTube with Vaseline smeared on the screen.
You need an HD receiver, at a minimum. With a 722, it'll do a better job of scaling the SD feeds than your TV will do trying to massage something watchable out of an analog 480i signal. Being on Eastern Arc helps a bit, as all broadcasts are MP4 and a little better looking anyway.
Really, there's no sense in buying an HDTV if you can't back it up with an HD programming package from somebody. At least get a receiver with a built-in OTA tuner so that you can watch your locals in high-def or DTV. The SD stuff OTA looks better than Dish's SD stuff.
You need an HD receiver, at a minimum. With a 722, it'll do a better job of scaling the SD feeds than your TV will do trying to massage something watchable out of an analog 480i signal. Being on Eastern Arc helps a bit, as all broadcasts are MP4 and a little better looking anyway.
Really, there's no sense in buying an HDTV if you can't back it up with an HD programming package from somebody. At least get a receiver with a built-in OTA tuner so that you can watch your locals in high-def or DTV. The SD stuff OTA looks better than Dish's SD stuff.
I have two panny plasmas and both D* and E*. I can say that they handle SD content as well as any HD sets I have had (better than most), but of course it is not going to look as good compared to HD on them.
Just part of the upgrade process at this point.
Just part of the upgrade process at this point.
I have a question about your question. If you have the $$$$$'s to invest in a flatscreen, why not upgrade to a Dish HD system. Check with Dish on how you might qualify under Dish 'N It Up. IF you happen to live near a retailer like Best Buy, take some time in their showroom to decide for yourself what Flatscreen looks the better to your standards. Most large retailers will show you: cable, satellite and DVD in SD & HD {BLUE RAY for HD in DVD}. Ask the salesperson to allow you to make picture adjustments on the models that you have narrowed down your choice. With rare exception, showroom tv's are demonstrated in the most vivid mode. This demo works in brightly lit situations that aren't like the average home theatre environment. Take as much time as you can to see what the model that you are about to invest in is capable of. Good Luck!
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