The great flatscreen rip-off

[alsoknownas]

Is this the first time we've moved en mass from a superior technology (cathode ray tube) to an (in some ways) inferior one (LCD/Plasma). It seems that most people are choosing their new telly based on what it looks like when it's off rather than when it's switched on!
Yes, I know that with a high definition feed the massive LCD's look fantastic in the shops, but most people are surely going to buy them, take them home, and plug a standard definition feed into them (like a freeview box or whatever).
Isn't there a bit of the old Emperors New Clothes about all this - look at my brand new two grand flat screen telly - but nobody seems to have noticed that the picture quality is all crap.

 

[fen_boy]

If I came round and smashed your CRT TV up with a hammer - after you'd smacked me in the mouth - when you went out to buy a new TV would you buy LCD/Plasma or CRT?

 

[jæd]

rant

Translation: I'm too cheap to buy a new tv, yet feel jealous of those that have...

Dunno anyone who buys a tv just for the look when its off... (Apart from my parents and they still insist in a wooden cladding to it)... I just bought an LCD tv and it was a function of the external design vs cost vs specification...

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I got my 40'' for free about three years ago, yippee.

 

[Kanda]

look at my brand new two grand flat screen telly

You can get them for a quarter of that price though....

 

[Juice Terry]

Got a point though, the picture quality of LCD is atrocious. I was just watching a supposed HD DVD of Dead Mans Chest in John Lewis on the latest Sony Bravia and it was shit.

Plasma is way better to my eyes.

 

[Yetman]

I got my 40'' for free about three years ago, yippee.

I got my 12" for free 26 years ago...........they pulled me out by it

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I got my 12" for free 26 years ago...........they pulled me out by it

Cock first. Wow.

 

[RaverDrew]

I wish there were more HD CRT's on the british market, there were loads when I last went to USA.

My friend bought the Samsung WS32Z419 and although it has a great picture, it doesn't have much else in the way of features, and has already developed minor faults twice.

 

[alsoknownas]

Translation: I'm too cheap to buy a new tv, yet feel jealous of those that have...

Not a bit of it. And by the way, this not an attack on people who make the considered choice to buy an LCD/Plasma. If you have Sky HD (by my reckoning around 53 pounds per month to make it worthwile having), and say, an Xbox 360, and you don't mind that half your programme watching (standard def) is going to be poor quality, then fine.

What I do think is wrong is that the retailers are filling their stores with flatscreen (CRT's are now ceasing production, I'm told), and pushing customers towards slick-looking, relatively expensive (when did it become common-place to spend upwards of a grand on a telly?) to very ill-informed punters.

 

[alsoknownas]

If I came round and smashed your CRT TV up with a hammer - after you'd smacked me in the mouth - when you went out to buy a new TV would you buy LCD/Plasma or CRT?

<macho mode>I'd like to see you try... blah, blah, blah </fake macho mode>

Actually, I'm in the market for a HD CRT (available in the US and other markets, strangely scarce in the UK).

 

[Kanda]

I'm in the market for a flatscreen, so I can reclaim a huge fucking space in my lounge

 

[alsoknownas]

My friend bought the Samsung WS32Z419 and although it has a great picture, it doesn't have much else in the way of features, and has already developed minor faults twice.

I keep hearing horror stories about the reliability of that particular set. Any idea what the standard def picture quality is like?

 

[alsoknownas]

You can get them for a quarter of that price though....

Yes, very true. I was making a point about how some people are spending an awful lot of money on a flatscreen TV without making an informed decision.

 

[RaverDrew]

I keep hearing horror stories about the reliability of that particular set. Any idea what the standard def picture quality is like?

Very very good imo. Way better than any lcd/plasma I've seen, but not quite as good as top of the range SD CRT's.

 

[alsoknownas]

Thanks RaverDrew.

It seems to me that this technology is being thrust at us, rather than led by our needs. When we switched from VHS to DVD the benefits were obvious (I hate VHS ). Similarly, the switch from vinyl to CD made sense (unless you were a scratch DJ, or yearned for a 'rich, organic sound', or whatever).

But it seems that this is being led by the manufacturers desire to create a new market. looking for a new TV recently, I was astounded to find that many (if not most) high street stores had NO CRT TELLYS AT ALL!
That can't be right?

 

[Tank Girl]

If I came round and smashed your CRT TV up with a hammer - after you'd smacked me in the mouth - when you went out to buy a new TV would you buy LCD/Plasma or CRT?

we recently had to buy a new tv, and we went for CRT. partly due to price and partly because I'd heard/read that lcd/plasma weren't so good.

it's a fucking telly, why would I want to pay a stupid price to watch crap?

 

[jæd]

Thanks RaverDrew.
It seems to me that this technology is being thrust at us, rather than led by our needs. When we switched from VHS to DVD the benefits were obvious (I hate VHS ). Similarly, the switch from vinyl to CD made sense (unless you were a scratch DJ, or yearned for a 'rich, organic sound', or whatever).

Which would you rather... Huge crt tv or a slimline LCD...?

 

[mattie]

What I do think is wrong is that the retailers are filling their stores with flatscreen (CRT's are now ceasing production, I'm told), and pushing customers towards slick-looking, relatively expensive (when did it become common-place to spend upwards of a grand on a telly?) to very ill-informed punters.

Bring back rumbalows!

 

[Bob_the_lost]

I've got a widescreen LCD, only 22" but it's got a resoultion somewhere between 1080P and 720P, watching normal movies on it is nice, widescreen is nice for that. Watching the matrix trillogy in 720P is almost as good as sex (it's been a while so i may be overstating the case here).

LCD TVs are for the most part: shite. They are low resolution untill you go to really expensive ones, you need to calibrate them properly (hard to do without a dedicated utility [well worth getting one though]) and they don't really shine untill you do start watching High Def on them.

There's also space, my 22" takes up little more than my 19" LCD did, i couldn't have a CRT where it is, power 65W at maximum load, 2W standby, geek factor and HDCP (a bit of a red herring as i don't have vista, nor do i intend to get it in the near future).

Anyway, who cares? OLEDs PLEDs and the like are going to replace LCD soon enough.

 

[TeeJay]

Is this the first time we've moved en mass from a superior technology (cathode ray tube) to an (in some ways) inferior one (LCD/Plasma).

IIRC digital radio is inferior quality to FM radio - the advantage is that you can fit a lot more channels into the available bandwidth.

(and of course there is the whole windows & DRM malarky)

 

[Kameron]

Which would you rather... Huge crt tv or a slimline LCD...?

Huge CRT any fucking day.

Better colour depth, sharper image, better life time, it depreciates less and you can get a tan by sitting too close and you are worried by how much space it takes up? Pah.

 

[kyser_soze]

Cos 40" CRTs take up about a hecatare of space and can't be wall mounted...

 

[TeeJay]

I've had a really nice 22" Mitsubishi Diamond Plus 230 SB CRT

Max Resolution: 1920 x 1440 / 76 Hz
Max Sync Rate (V x H): 160 Hz x 115 kHz

I am only now being tempted by some of the nicer widescreen TFTs - for a long time I'd have had to spend a fortune to get a similar size and quality, wouldn't have the same flexibility of settings/resolutions and haven't been convinced that a TFT would be that much better - if at all - than what I have got already.

Anyone want to convince me of how much better a TFT would be than this monitor?

 

[jæd]

Huge CRT any fucking day.

Better colour depth, sharper image, better life time, it depreciates less and you can get a tan by sitting too close and you are worried by how much space it takes up? Pah.

Do CRT's have any value to depreciate...?

Dunno about you but in London space is at a premium so any space saved is good...

 

[Radar]

Huge CRT any fucking day.

Better colour depth, sharper image, better life time, it depreciates less and you can get a tan by sitting too close and you are worried by how much space it takes up? Pah.

And in the winter it helps heat the room too.

 

[hiccup]

I just got a 26" Sony Trinitron CRT, complete with stand and 5.1 speakers, for free from Freecycle

 

[Rikbikboo]

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-004-AS

i just got one of these, my older one was a 19 but not widescreen
i also have a 32in LG screen i used but its resolution was only 1360x1066 so crap for my games.

downside is even with my two ultra fast vid cards the monitors just do not have enough dpi to really show details. you always have jagged edges.

my old 19 inch crt monitor made everythign look the nuts detailwise and i really am considering aqquiring another crt just to compare it.

 

[sorearm]

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-004-AS

i just got one of these, my older one was a 19 but not widescreen
i also have a 32in LG screen i used but its resolution was only 1360x1066 so crap for my games.

downside is even with my two ultra fast vid cards the monitors just do not have enough dpi to really show details. you always have jagged edges.

my old 19 inch crt monitor made everythign look the nuts detailwise and i really am considering aqquiring another crt just to compare it.

fuck that really is a sleek monitor

2ms response time? sit the fuck down!

I've got a viewsonic 19inch VX922 2ms response time and is gorgeous

*saves up*

 

[Bob_the_lost]

fuck that really is a sleek monitor

2ms response time? sit the fuck down!

I've got a viewsonic 19inch VX922 2ms response time and is gorgeous

*saves up*

2ms is a joke, the real response rate is closer to 16ms. The way they measure/quote isn't standardised. I've seen the same pannel advertised as an 8ms and a 16ms screen.

I too have one of those screens, and it's fantastic alright. Colour reproduction isn't great, too much blue even with tweaking, the OSD is clunky to switch between inputs, but it's got so many pixels you don't care. If you're going for the 22" market the best is the Acer 2216 for around £265.

Rikii, use more AA.