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New York, 8:56 AM
Sat Nov 28
21 posts in the last 24 hours

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    Image of fuchikoma fuchikoma
    11/25/09

    In reply to Pixel Qi Dual-Mode LCD Ships Next Month; $100, 10-Watt HDTV Up Next
    I have an OLPC XO-1 and while the viewing angle is poor just due to the way the back of the screen reflects light at too perfect an angle instead of diffusing it, in ambient light it's great, and I'm sure they've improved a lot since the model I have.

    The method for generating color images with a diffraction grating and backlight is also brilliant, and while it makes the image look a bit fuzzy, it's not bad at all, especially for a low cost device. Mary-Lou Jepsen is pretty brilliant and hard working from what I've seen in interviews, and I'm sure their product will do what they say.

    That said, I'm loving the Sony PRS-505 reader I just got because I was tired of waiting for Pixel Qi to release something, but these screens can surely shake up the fledgling e-paper market.
     Reply
    fuchikoma was starred fuchikoma was unstarred
    Image of Poop Cooper Poop Cooper
    11/19/09

    In reply to The Epic HDTV Buyer's Guide Flowchart
    This essentially chronicles the 3 weeks leading up to my own HDTV purchase minus crying in the fetal position during my shower (also known as "my thinking spot.")
     Reply
    Poop Cooper was starred Poop Cooper was unstarred
    Image of Marcelo Marcelo
    11/19/09

    In reply to The Epic HDTV Buyer's Guide Flowchart
    tl;dr
     Reply
    Nathan Obbards promoted this comment Marcelo was starred Marcelo was unstarred
    Image of valkilmerisawful valkilmerisawful
    11/19/09

    In reply to The Epic HDTV Buyer's Guide Flowchart
    Aw no credit to your boy @xzackly001: for posting in the other article?

    [gizmodo.com]
     Reply
    Edited by valkilmerisawful at 11/19/09 7:33 PM valkilmerisawful was starred valkilmerisawful was unstarred
    Image of RT100 RT100
    11/19/09

    @valkilmerisawful: really! Come on giz, I saw it in his comment first...give credit where it's due
     Reply
    valkilmerisawful promoted this comment RT100 was starred RT100 was unstarred
    Image of Nathan Obbards Nathan Obbards
    11/19/09

    In reply to The Epic HDTV Buyer's Guide Flowchart

    I feel like I just watched Labyrinth again, only more confusing and with less acid.
     Reply
    Nathan Obbards was starred Nathan Obbards was unstarred
    Image of MarcusMaximus MarcusMaximus
    11/19/09

    @Nathan Obbards: The labyrinth isn't that confusing... except the part where she gets put in a bubble and shows up at a costume party for no apparent reason. What the hell was going on there?
     Reply
    Nathan Obbards promoted this comment MarcusMaximus was starred MarcusMaximus was unstarred
    Image of Nathan Obbards Nathan Obbards
    11/19/09

    @MarcusMaximus: Well, it's confusing in a different way, like is David Bowie a man or a woman? Is he a pedophile? What is up with those guys pulling body parts off and flying heads? Did I take shrooms or drop acid and didn't know it? Was that beer really that strong? I'm oddly aroused, why? Is that a cucumber in his pants? Does he have nipple antennae to communicate out in space?

    While the story is fairly straight forward, it is very confusing.
     Reply
    Nathan Obbards was starred Nathan Obbards was unstarred
    Image of MarcusMaximus MarcusMaximus
    11/19/09

    @Nathan Obbards: Granted. But my question still stands, what the hell was going on in that scene? And why did she wake up in a landfill?
     Reply
    MarcusMaximus was starred MarcusMaximus was unstarred
    Image of valkilmerisawful valkilmerisawful
    11/19/09

    @MarcusMaximus: Nobody really knows... except Jim Henson. Nevermind the url title; I'm not sending you out to some freaky garbage... if you visit and search [www.sweatpantserection.com], you will find an over-the-top third-party review and commentary from a hilarious girl that had my rollin'. I wanted to post the link directly, but it's fair to say that the url (title) is NSFW and I don't feel like having to explain to the IT department why the "sweatpantserection" website is not what it sounds like. I suggest you all do the same.
     Reply
    valkilmerisawful was starred valkilmerisawful was unstarred
    Image of AmishJohn AmishJohn
    11/19/09

    @MarcusMaximus: That was everybody's favourire lost things. The next range over was The Mountain of Lost Socks.
     Reply
    AmishJohn was starred AmishJohn was unstarred
    Image of AmishJohn AmishJohn
    11/19/09

    @valkilmerisawful: I'm tossing that DVD in when I get home tomorrow.
     Reply
    AmishJohn was starred AmishJohn was unstarred
    Image of nogudio nogudio
    11/19/09

    @Nathan Obbards: Do you smoke grass up in space, Bowie? Or do you smoke Astro-Turf?!
     Reply
    Nathan Obbards promoted this comment nogudio was starred nogudio was unstarred
    Image of Gundem Gundem
    11/19/09

    In reply to Giz Explains: The Difference Between a $600 TV and a $6000 TV
    One of the better informative (read:non-news) entries on Giz.

    Good job Matt.
     Reply
    Gundem was starred Gundem was unstarred
    Image of dragon:ONE dragon:ONE
    11/19/09

    In reply to Giz Explains: The Difference Between a $600 TV and a $6000 TV
    And now, stupid question: How reliable and decent is a Vizio TV? Every time I hear Vizio, thoughts of Walmart and poor quality pop into my head.
     Reply
    dragon:ONE was starred dragon:ONE was unstarred
    Image of chauncy that billups chauncy that billups
    11/19/09

    @dragon:ONE: I've had one for about 4 years. I've since upgraded, but it's been great. the XVT series is probably pretty good.
     Reply
    chauncy that billups was starred chauncy that billups was unstarred
    Image of Lite: hates Illinois Nazis Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
    11/19/09

    @dragon:ONE: I think Vizio is a bit like sharp. They give you a lot for the money, but that lot does not include reliability or affordable repairs.

    If you want a throw-away tv. It's fine. I used to say the same thing about Samsung years ago, and Samsung has hugely improved upon their quality levels over the years.

    At least Vizio is an actual brand, instead of some cheap manufacturer making tvs under a licensed name like Westinghouse or RCA.
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was starred Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was unstarred
    Image of dragon:ONE dragon:ONE
    11/19/09

    @Lite: hates Illinois Nazis: I'd rely on Samsung, actually, for a TV. I've seen their products and they seem to be reliable and live up to the tasks.

    And I'd personally go for a Sammy over one a Viz any day.
     Reply
    dragon:ONE was starred dragon:ONE was unstarred
    Image of Lite: hates Illinois Nazis Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
    11/19/09

    @dragon:ONE: Right. Notice I said years ago. Back in the mid 90's they were shit for reliability. Great picture, but the damn things broke easily.
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was starred Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was unstarred
    Image of Lite: hates Illinois Nazis Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
    11/19/09

    In reply to Giz Explains: The Difference Between a $600 TV and a $6000 TV
    The other thing not mentioned here. Most LCD sets cannot refresh 1080 lines per frame in 120 and 240 hz modes. It tends to be around 900 lines instead.
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was starred Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was unstarred
    Image of nutbastard nutbastard
    11/19/09

    In reply to Giz Explains: The Difference Between a $600 TV and a $6000 TV
    i bought a cheap vizio 32" 1080p earlier this year for ~$430. at the time, all i wanted was an HD flat panel tv - any one will do.

    i hunted around and compared specs and whatnot, and settled on the vizio. months later, i'm beginning to have a bit of remorse regarding not going with a higher end TV.

    don't get me wrong - it functions as it should, and works fine for what i use it for, mainly gaming. but the color is shitty, something someone who is halfway colorblind like myself shouldn't ever be able to notice.

    contrast ratio sucks too. to get true black, i have to make every game look like it's taking place at night, which means... there's a lot of shit that you can't see. turn up the brightness and 'black' is more like 'blackish grey'.

    there's also uneven side back lighting on one side. it's not noticeable when the scene is a bright one, but forget about playing splinter cell and really enjoying it.

    on top of all that, the adjustments one can make to the picture are wonky, and for some reason the backlight is adjustable in every other preset except for CUSTOM.

    its that kind of asshattery that just makes you stare at your tv in disbelief, doubly so because vizio IS AN AMERICAN COMPANY.

    i'll forgive a little engrish or screwy translation when i buy something made in the land of the rising sun, but seriously, vizio. look up what the word 'custom' means.

    so as a result, ill be selling it off fairly soon for around $350, and i'll shoot for a 42" with a respectable japanese moniker and a contrast ratio that has a comma in it.
     Reply
    nutbastard was starred nutbastard was unstarred
    Image of Nutchromeo Nutchromeo
    11/19/09

    @nutbastard: Ahh yes...the woes of the first HD set purchased for gaming...I've been there.

    The first time I decided I needed to upgrade to the HD era was actually pretty early...about 5-6 years ago. I found a reasonably priced 36in 720p CRT set made by...ehh...some company beginning with a D...Dyson? Dixie? Dicknible? Well, the name escapes me. Let me just say...that thing was a BEAST. I HATED having to move that thing around...it weighed more than I did at the time (and that was when I was straight out of the Army). Not to mention that the picture was at BEST subpar.

    The next set I decided upon was a 27in Samsung LCD, also 720p. That thing currently sits in my bedroom, and even though it's about 3-4 years old, it STILL has one of the best pictures I've seen to date. Love that set.

    Then, in my horrible, unquenchable thirst for bigger and better HD, I purchased a 46in DLP from Sears. It was made by either Toshiba or Panasonic, can't recall at the moment. Regardless, I figured a 1k 1080i set would be a great investment for my gaming needs. I read somewhere that DLP's had the best features for gaming, so I thought I'd give it a shot...Don't get me wrong, the picture was OK...but only OK, and for $999 I assumed I'd be getting something along the lines of "good".

    Alas, the bulb burned out in that one about 6 months ago. I was left with the decision: Spend $400 on a new bulb for the set, or use that money towards yet ANOTHER new TV.

    As I sit here, in front of my 50in, 1080p Samsung plasma, only one thing REALLY comes to mind...go with Samsung. That company really has not let me down yet.
     Reply
    Nutchromeo was starred Nutchromeo was unstarred
    Image of matt buchanan matt buchanan
    11/20/09

    @nutbastard: Vizio's parent is not an American company.
     Reply
    matt buchanan was starred matt buchanan was unstarred
    Image of ripfire ripfire
    11/19/09

    In reply to Giz Explains: The Difference Between a $600 TV and a $6000 TV
    I think some people are confusing refresh rates with response time.
     Reply
    ripfire was starred ripfire was unstarred
    Image of Wilson Rothman Wilson Rothman
    11/19/09

    @ripfire: Yes, I am pretty sure that an entire industry of TV manufacturers and retailers has confused them.
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman was starred Wilson Rothman was unstarred
    Image of Lite: hates Illinois Nazis Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
    11/19/09

    @Wilson Rothman: Yeah, I ran into that last night. Some guy was staring at a $40 12' HDMI cable so I pointed out monoprice to him. I guess someone at Best Buy tried to tell him that using Monster HDMI cable would make his 120hz look like 240...

    Man was he ever grateful I wandered by. I used to sell TVs at Best Buy once upon a time before they started the huge designer cable purchasing push. It seemed much more honest then.
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was starred Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was unstarred
    Image of DJJS DJJS
    11/19/09

    @Lite: hates Illinois Nazis: The only reason this would make any sense is the Date transferring trough the HDMI cable, Say you buy a Nice Samsung that supports 120hz, and you get a cheap Dynex HDMI cable well the transfer rate on the cable is less then 8gps, Most manufactures recommend getting a cable that supports 120hz and the transfer rate is greater then 10gps So you can actually see the 120hz. But NO buying at 120hz ready monster cable will not make your t.v look like its running at 240hz.. the Data rate is that matters.
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis promoted this comment Edited by DJJS at 11/19/09 8:58 PM DJJS was starred DJJS was unstarred
    Image of Lite: hates Illinois Nazis Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
    11/19/09

    @DJJS: Right, but the 120 or 240hz is done by the TV not the broadcast source. Your argument is invalid.
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was starred Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was unstarred
    Image of DJJS DJJS
    11/20/09

    @Lite: hates Illinois Nazis: You know what your right, Im just saying the source makes a difference as well, i have seen plenty of set up with 120hz t.v's with a component cable set up's and it looks great, but also t.v's with HDMI cables with faster strafer speeds and makes them look even better, it guess the television processor the source and the right cables will bring a better picture when the t.v is rending at 120 or 240hz.
     Reply
    DJJS was starred DJJS was unstarred
    Image of Lite: hates Illinois Nazis Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
    11/20/09

    @DJJS: 1.3a compliant is 1.3a compliant. Regardless of manufacturer.

    However, most HDMI cables don't even say if they're 1.3a compliant or not. Mostly 1.3a exists to support resolutions higher than 1920 x 1080.

    And yes, the source matters always. What is a strafer speed? Transfer? Transfer speed doesn't matter if the medium you're using doesn't transmit at it.

    I'm just saying that you will likely not notice a difference between a generic and non-generic HDMI cable. While cable choice can help you maximize your experience, they cannot make a TV appear to be something it is not.
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was starred Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was unstarred
    Image of Dr Durdon Dr Durdon
    11/19/09

    In reply to Giz Explains: The Difference Between a $600 TV and a $6000 TV
    I'm always wary of the refresh rates, because one day at Best Buy I was watching a demo on a big, flat panel TV. King Kong was kicking the living shit out of some soon-to-be-dead dinosaurs, and when Mr. Kong would do action moves that normally had a natural motion blur to them that made them look realistic, this TV had such a high refresh rate (I'm assuming it is a refresh rate issue) that his motions looked unnatural and there was zero motion blur. It made the sequence look like a guy in an ape suit filmed on a set.

    How can I avoid this when buying online?
     Reply
    Dr Durdon was starred Dr Durdon was unstarred
    Image of Lite: hates Illinois Nazis Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
    11/19/09

    @Dr Durdon: Go plasma so you don't end up with the High Speed Shutter look of 120 and 240hz refresh rates would be where I'd start.

    Staring at the 58" or whatever Samsung 8500 series LCD at 240hz I couldn't tell if I was watching Monday Night Football in HSS or Transformers 2 until Megan Fox showed up.
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was starred Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was unstarred
    Image of chauncy that billups chauncy that billups
    11/19/09

    @Dr Durdon: Almost every set that is 120hz with this anti-judder, smoothing software has the option to disable it. which I would definitely do, unless it's animation or video games. To me, the anti-judder tech makes the traditional 24p of film look like it was shot on video, which we are used to associating with cheapness.
     Reply
    chauncy that billups was starred chauncy that billups was unstarred
    Image of Dr Durdon Dr Durdon
    11/19/09

    @Lite: hates Illinois Nazis: @dave.vanee: @chauncy that billups:Thanks for the reply guys!
     Reply
    Edited by Dr Durdon at 11/19/09 4:12 PM Dr Durdon was starred Dr Durdon was unstarred
    Image of spannu spannu
    11/19/09

    @Dr Durdon: Every set that advertises a rate higher than 60Hz has to do some signal processing to actually display the extra frames. Next time you go to a store to check out models, turn it off to see how well the panel performs with the raw signal.
     Reply
    spannu was starred spannu was unstarred
    Image of 00000000 00000000
    11/19/09

    @Dr Durdon: You can't. Rule of thumb is to check out the set in person and buy the same model online (if you're buying via internets). Most of the time this effect is caused by special modes enabled on the set the draw/replicate frames to fill the gap between the true frames as a way to counteract the innate issues with LCD refresh rates. HDGuru (as well as Giz IIRC) have at least one article/dicussion on this tech.

    When in store see if you can manually, or with assistance, disable the motion fature (each manufacturer has a different marketing gimmick-name for it) to see if you're satisfied.
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis promoted this comment 00000000 was starred 00000000 was unstarred
    Image of Lite: hates Illinois Nazis Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
    11/19/09

    @00000000: I'd prefer to encourage people to buy in the store. Sure you can buy online and maybe save a little, but frankly you're screwing your local economy and eventually companies like Best Buy will be unable to have Brick & Mortar stores for you to see the TV in...

    Not to mention the drawbacks of buying online such as you can't return the tv anywhere local if you get it home and hate it. Or if it doesn't work when it arrives you have to pay to ship it somewhere to get it fixed and/or replaced.
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was starred Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was unstarred
    Image of 00000000 00000000
    11/19/09

    @Lite: hates Illinois Nazis: Most definitely. Sorry If I came off as encouraging internet sales. I totally wasn't; if you're picking up a TV s'best to do it in person.

    For a bit of insight though; I am an office-working, non-driving, suburban resident. Internet sales on most things are the best option for me. though, when buying a TV (soon) I'm most likely going to have a friend helkp me buy one in person.

    #tips
     Reply
    00000000 was starred 00000000 was unstarred
    Image of Lite: hates Illinois Nazis Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
    11/19/09

    @00000000: Right, but many local stores deliver. I paid $140 to have mine delivered (I live on an island) and the old one hauled off.

    Mostly it just irritates me when people post the upsides of buying off the internet (Price) without mentioning all of the possible drawbacks because there are far too many people who feel entitled to waste a B&M store's time and money asking an employee questions and then they just go shop somewhere online to get the better price.

    B&M stores have inherent higher overhead. But, if you have the capability, you can usually take the item home with you that very day.
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was starred Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was unstarred
    Image of 00000000 00000000
    11/19/09

    @Lite: hates Illinois Nazis: I hear ya and I still agree. though, with smaller items I buy online a ton. Larger expenses are something that I prefer to do in person. Not to mention the instant gratification as well as the piece of mind of knowing that it wasn't manahandled in transit.

    Online purchases have limited options when it comes to backup plans.

    #tips
     Reply
    00000000 was starred 00000000 was unstarred
    Image of DJJS DJJS
    11/19/09

    @Dr Durdon: Don't Buy anything with 120hz or 240hz, this is sometimes called the Soap Opera affect, its good for fast actions scenes but some people don't like the fast refresh rates.
     Reply
    LVP promoted this comment DJJS was starred DJJS was unstarred
    Image of LVP LVP
    11/20/09

    @DJJS: How about video games?
     Reply
    LVP was starred LVP was unstarred
    Image of DJJS DJJS
    11/21/09

    @LVP: Its good for video games but if you want a 000.1-ms respond time u will always want a plasma. No matter how fast the Hz get in a LCD there will always be a delay response time. check this out..

    #tip s[en.wikipedia.org]
     Reply
    Edited by DJJS at 11/21/09 2:16 AM DJJS was starred DJJS was unstarred
    Image of Trey Trey
    11/19/09

    In reply to A Guide To Choosing The HDTV That's Right For You
    For whatever reason, I'm in the market for another TV, and I figured, "why not an HDTV?"
     Reply
    Trey was starred Trey was unstarred
    Image of Identity (Metric) Identity (Metric)
    11/19/09

    In reply to A Guide To Choosing The HDTV That's Right For You
    I've been holding off on getting an HDTV for quite a while. I currently don't have a TV. I watch all of my TV and play all of my games on a 24" 1920 x 1080 monitor. I watch all of my TV online currently.

    I want an HDTV. But I don't want one too big. 40" looks just about right for what I want. I want to be able to watch some movies, TV and play some games. I do want it to be 1080p. Some people say you can't tell the difference, but I honestly can.

    I know that as soon as I get one, though, the price will drop. :(
     Reply
    Identity (Metric) was starred Identity (Metric) was unstarred
    Image of Nitesh Singh Nitesh Singh
    11/18/09

    In reply to A Guide To Choosing The HDTV That's Right For You
    Question, how often would it be reasonable to replace a HDTV? I have a 50 inch Sony KF-50WE620, which I kinda want to replace but it feels wasteful (and wasteful I am not!), so what do you think?
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis promoted this comment Nitesh Singh was starred Nitesh Singh was unstarred
    Image of Lite: hates Illinois Nazis Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
    11/18/09

    @Nitesh Singh: Sell it on Craigslist?
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was starred Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was unstarred
    Image of Lite: hates Illinois Nazis Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
    11/18/09

    In reply to A Guide To Choosing The HDTV That's Right For You
    Oh sure. You release this the week AFTER I buy a TV.

    Of course, I bought a Samsung pn50b650 Plasma for $935... But, seriously, this would have been helpful!
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was starred Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was unstarred
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