advice for new plasma and 1280x1080 question

[scottybris]

Hey Everyone,

I have 2 parts to this question:
1. My dad has been looking for a 50 in plasma and is currently pretty keen on the Fujitsu P50XHA50AS (not 100% on code). Anyone have and experience with this model? How does this stack up for 50in range? He has a good budget. What about a good HD received to match?

2. I have been looking for a plasma myself but only looking for 42in. I saw a Fujitsu (P4244A51AS I think) that was 1280x1080. How does that res work as far as HD/SD goes? I'm sure its some dodgy way of saying an SD is HD but it still looked great viewing HD tv, DVDs and HD DVDs.
I dont really care too much about blueray/HDdvd and a 42 will be as large as I will go so what do you think?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[MAW]

Opinion is divided on this issue, so here's mine, I won't bother with the humble bit.
Fujitsu in general, possibly the best screen on the market today. One reason for this is that you will, or should, get the undivided attention of your dealer, who will, if possible, deliver and set it up initially himself, giving you the best chance of a perfect picture.
P50XHA58 is the one to go for, and the 42 the same if you can, both of these are XGA panels, not 'full HD', which is ex Sony marketing speak to help flog more of their unspeakable LCD panels. The theory says that a 1920/1080 panel must be better due to it being the same res as HD video. The practice falls down in 3 areas:
1. 99% of panels 'overscan, ie enlarge the picture to more than fill the screen, and crop off the edges. Now the res is not the same as the displayed signal any more. It's done to eliminate edge artefacts, twittering lines etc around the edges.
2. Not all HD is 1080 lines, not if you have a HD console anyway. Lots of games are 720 lines. This is a fine HD signal too, the yanks have had it for years.
3. Think about the scenario where your super HD panel is recieving a SD signal, ie 720x576 interlaced. This is approximately 20% of the pixel res of the HD screen, so it has to extrapolate the data to fill the screen. This, take it from me, is extremely nasty without very expensive processing, not included in a £1.5k LCD.
Conclusion being, unless your screen has a 1:1 pixel mode, top processing, and you mostly watch HD, the XGA and W-XGA screens are a good compromise, and fulfil in every way the definition of 'HD ready' drawn up by EICTA, and wear the label with pride.
HD sources, skyHD is the only decent TV source currently, unless your German is good, and the smart money is now on HD DVD, blu ray having recently suffered a setback, and the HD DVD players being top upscaling DVD players too, and all for £200 or so. Add an X-Box or PS3 to taste, and stir.

 

[choddo2006]

And just one thing to add to that;

1280x1080 = 1.3million pixels
SD = 720x576 at best = 414000 pixels

So that res is a LONG way from being SD dressed up as HD

 

[MAW]

I ignored that bit, as he's read the spec wrong. That's the ALIS based glass, it's 1024 x 1024 http://www.fujitsu-general.co.uk/products/homecinema/fujitsu_HCproducts_p42HTA51ES.htm. Not my favourite Fuji, lacks punch in the black areas, but it's a great price.