Is this HD?
 

David Wright wrote:
Your 26" Philips television (720p) certainly is High Definition
according to the ATSC HD definition.


I assume as the one I am looking at is 1366x768, it will scale up 1280x720
HD pictures to fit, or I can opt for black bars top/bottom if I don't want
the picture distorted? Is that what TV's with native resolutions that don't
match the HD spec exactly do?

Cheers,
D.

1366x768 is a common resolution for LCD and 50" and up plasmas. It is
HD. All HD TVs will scale the input signal - 480i SD (analog or digital
source), 720p, 1080i to the resolution of the display screen. The scaler
is part of what you are paying for when you buy an HD TV or monitor.
Some HD TVs have a 1:1 pixel mapping mode for PC input via a VGA or DVI
port bypassing the scaler for those who want that feature.

At under 50", the benefits of a true 1920x1080 resolution display for
anyone sitting at a typical TV viewing distance of 8 feet or more is
very limited. The human eye simply does not have the angular resolution
to see much of a difference. At a 26" 16:9 screen size, you could get a
ED (854x480) display and not see a difference more than 6 feet away.

Keep in mind that a 26" 16:9 widescreen is less than 13" high. The
screen height is close to the same as a 21" 4:3 set. For 16:9 TVs,
screen height is 0.49 * the diagonal; for 4:3 sets, it is 0.6 * the
diagonal. Hence to maintain the same screen height of a 4:3 TV, you
should buy a widescreen TV with at least 1.2 * the diagonal of the 4:3
set you are replacing. So a replacement for a old 27" 4:3 CRT TV should
be at least a 32" widescreen.

Alan F

Is this HD?
 

David Wright wrote:

Your 26" Philips television (720p) certainly is High Definition
according to the ATSC HD definition.


I assume as the one I am looking at is 1366x768, it will scale up 1280x720
HD pictures to fit, or I can opt for black bars top/bottom if I don't want
the picture distorted? Is that what TV's with native resolutions that don't
match the HD spec exactly do?

Cheers,
D.

1366x768 is a common resolution for LCD and 50" and up plasmas. It is
HD. All HD TVs will scale the input signal - 480i SD (analog or digital
source), 720p, 1080i to the resolution of the display screen. The scaler
is part of what you are paying for when you buy an HD TV or monitor.
Some HD TVs have a 1:1 pixel mapping mode for PC input via a VGA or DVI
port bypassing the scaler for those who want that feature.

At under 50", the benefits of a true 1920x1080 resolution display for
anyone sitting at a typical TV viewing distance of 8 feet or more is
very limited. The human eye simply does not have the angular resolution
to see much of a difference. At a 26" 16:9 screen size, you could get a
ED (854x480) display and not see a difference more than 6 feet away.

Keep in mind that a 26" 16:9 widescreen is less than 13" high. The
screen height is close to the same as a 21" 4:3 set. For 16:9 TVs,
screen height is 0.49 * the diagonal; for 4:3 sets, it is 0.6 * the
diagonal. Hence to maintain the same screen height of a 4:3 TV, you
should buy a widescreen TV with at least 1.2 * the diagonal of the 4:3
set you are replacing. So a replacement for a old 27" 4:3 CRT TV should
be at least a 32" widescreen.

Alan F

Is this HD?
 

Keep in mind that a 26" 16:9 widescreen is less than 13" high. The screen
height is close to the same as a 21" 4:3 set. For 16:9 TVs, screen height
is 0.49 * the diagonal; for 4:3 sets, it is 0.6 * the diagonal. Hence to
maintain the same screen height of a 4:3 TV, you should buy a widescreen
TV with at least 1.2 * the diagonal of the 4:3 set you are replacing. So a
replacement for a old 27" 4:3 CRT TV should be at least a 32" widescreen.


Thank you for that. I have a widescreen 28" CRT - how will a 26" LCD measure
up in comparison?

I assumed it was like when I replaced my 17" CRT PC monitor (viewing area
14.5") with a 17" TFT (17" viewing area) - I gained something substantial
even though the figures suggest I didn't. Will a 26" LCD TV measure up
roughly the same as a 28" CRT?

D.

Is this HD?
 

It's overpriced. the response time blows.

8ms - is that bad? It's about the same as my PC TFT, which seems quick
enough when I'm watching DVD's.

For under $250 US get a CRT that blows it away.

I want to plug the PC into it and use it as a PC as well as a TV, for a bit
of armchair internet surfing - surely no CRT can cope with the definition
required in looking at text, so I assume LCD is the only way to go?

D.

Is this HD?
 

David Wright wrote:
After looking at many HDTV's, I decided to get the Philips 26" you
mentioned.
I'm very happy with it....it does everything I want. It fits perfectly
in our
den/computer room. I got my TV at Wal-Mart. Their price is $824 (USD)


Thanks for that - I'm in the UK, hence probably why the price is a bit
higher - but it looks like it does all I want, especially 2x HDMI ports and
integrated digital receiver. I will be getting it from Costco.

D.


In your previous post you said this set is HD Ready and here you say it
has an integrated digital receiver; so my guess is that the integrated
digital receiver is NOT an HD receiver. That means that if you want to
watch an HD channel you will need a set top box.

Is this HD?
 

David Wright wrote:
Keep in mind that a 26" 16:9 widescreen is less than 13" high. The screen
height is close to the same as a 21" 4:3 set. For 16:9 TVs, screen height
is 0.49 * the diagonal; for 4:3 sets, it is 0.6 * the diagonal. Hence to
maintain the same screen height of a 4:3 TV, you should buy a widescreen
TV with at least 1.2 * the diagonal of the 4:3 set you are replacing. So a
replacement for a old 27" 4:3 CRT TV should be at least a 32" widescreen.



Thank you for that. I have a widescreen 28" CRT - how will a 26" LCD measure
up in comparison?

I assumed it was like when I replaced my 17" CRT PC monitor (viewing area
14.5") with a 17" TFT (17" viewing area) - I gained something substantial
even though the figures suggest I didn't. Will a 26" LCD TV measure up
roughly the same as a 28" CRT?

D.

A widescreen 28" CRT? That must be a massive item. Since TVs have
always been measured by their actual display area (with a small margin
of error for CRTs because you can shrink or expand the display area),
this is not the same as computer monitors. At one time, they did use the
actual full dimensions of the CRT tube for the CRT display size
including the black margins around the edges that could not be used.
This won't be the case to any significant extent with the 28" widescreen
CRT if it was sold as a TV (which falls under FCC regulations).

Keep in the mind, that the 26" LCD may be rounded off from the actual
dimensions. It may be 25.7" or 26.2" diagonally and is rounded off to
26". Have to look at the detailed specs to find out. I expect the 26"
LCD will have a smaller true screen size than the 28" widescreen CRT.

If you are planning to use it part time as a desktop PC monitor, you
need to check the specs very carefully to see if the 26" LCD will
provide for PC input. Also at a sitting distance of 18 to 24 inches, the
1366x768 resolution will be limited for PC use. It can work, but TVs and
computer monitors have different needs.

Alan F

Is this HD?
 

Phil Pease wrote:
David Wright wrote:

After looking at many HDTV's, I decided to get the Philips 26" you
mentioned.
I'm very happy with it....it does everything I want. It fits
perfectly in our
den/computer room. I got my TV at Wal-Mart. Their price is $824
(USD)



Thanks for that - I'm in the UK, hence probably why the price is a bit
higher - but it looks like it does all I want, especially 2x HDMI
ports and integrated digital receiver. I will be getting it from Costco.

D.

In your previous post you said this set is HD Ready and here you say it
has an integrated digital receiver; so my guess is that the integrated
digital receiver is NOT an HD receiver. That means that if you want to
watch an HD channel you will need a set top box.


People are receiving HD using DVB-T in London. They have a test going on
there. People report being able to receive this HD broadcast with
Freeview receivers. If true this may be because the receiver or
integrated HDTV was made with HD reception in mind. DVB-T is capable of
receiving HD. It is being used in Australia.

Some DVB-T receivers being sold in the UK are upgradeable OTA. Many can
be upgraded to receive MPEG4 and receive 8K COFDM. How many I don't
know. Maybe most. Check with your vendor or ask on

http://www.idtv.co.uk/
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/f...play.php?f=158

Bob Miller

Is this HD?
 

"Bob Miller" wrote in message
...
People are receiving HD using DVB-T in London. They have a test going on
there.

True

People report being able to receive this HD broadcast with Freeview
receivers.

Not true. They may find the four HD channels appear in the EPG but they will
be unable to watch anything since the hardware inside the receivers is
exclusively designed for SD MPEG2.

If true this may be because the receiver or integrated HDTV was made with
HD reception in mind. DVB-T is capable of receiving HD. It is being used
in Australia.


The tests use MPEG4 AVC, the MPEG2 decoders inside set-top boxes sold in
Europe won't receive it, nor would an Australian HD receiver. Even a French
MPEG4 HD STB won't tune into the UK HD transmissions.

Some DVB-T receivers being sold in the UK are upgradeable OTA.

Yes, but the decoding of the video stream is done with hardware, not
software, therefore cannot be upgraded over the air.

You also obviously can't receive an OTA upgrade which will magically add an
HD output (like component or HDMI). Pretty much all set-top boxes sold in
the UK only have a composite and RGB SD output, no component and no HDMI.
Likewise the TV is unlikely to have been designed to support anything higher
than 576i as far as the internal digital tuner is concerned.

A high-end PC struggles to decode the MPEG4 AVC HD streams live, the basic
silicon inside a digital receiver doesn't stand a chance of being able to do
it with software.

Many can be upgraded to receive MPEG4 and receive 8K COFDM. How many I
don't know. Maybe most. Check with your vendor or ask on


I wouldn't say many. It may be possible to upgrade some with a suitable slot
using something like this; http://www.neotion.com/products/modules.php
however it still won't get around the fundamental issue of the hardware only
being designed to output an SD 576i signal.

http://www.idtv.co.uk/
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/f...play.php?f=158

Bob Miller

Is this HD?
 

There are many of us in this newsgroup who would like to thank you for
setting Bob straight. For someone from the UK disputing Bob's claims this
post was long overdue and enjoyed by all (except BM). Thanks mattk!

Drewdawg

mattk wrote:
"Bob Miller" wrote in message
...
People are receiving HD using DVB-T in London. They have a test
going on there.

True

People report being able to receive this HD broadcast with Freeview
receivers.

Not true. They may find the four HD channels appear in the EPG but
they will be unable to watch anything since the hardware inside the
receivers is exclusively designed for SD MPEG2.

If true this may be because the receiver or integrated HDTV was made
with HD reception in mind. DVB-T is capable of receiving HD. It is
being used in Australia.


The tests use MPEG4 AVC, the MPEG2 decoders inside set-top boxes sold
in Europe won't receive it, nor would an Australian HD receiver. Even
a French MPEG4 HD STB won't tune into the UK HD transmissions.

Some DVB-T receivers being sold in the UK are upgradeable OTA.

Yes, but the decoding of the video stream is done with hardware, not
software, therefore cannot be upgraded over the air.

You also obviously can't receive an OTA upgrade which will magically
add an HD output (like component or HDMI). Pretty much all set-top
boxes sold in the UK only have a composite and RGB SD output, no
component and no HDMI. Likewise the TV is unlikely to have been
designed to support anything higher than 576i as far as the internal
digital tuner is concerned.

A high-end PC struggles to decode the MPEG4 AVC HD streams live, the
basic silicon inside a digital receiver doesn't stand a chance of
being able to do it with software.

Many can be upgraded to receive MPEG4 and receive 8K COFDM. How many
I don't know. Maybe most. Check with your vendor or ask on


I wouldn't say many. It may be possible to upgrade some with a
suitable slot using something like this;
http://www.neotion.com/products/modules.php however it still won't
get around the fundamental issue of the hardware only being designed
to output an SD 576i signal.

http://www.idtv.co.uk/
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/f...play.php?f=158

Bob Miller

Is this HD?
 

mattk wrote:
"Bob Miller" wrote in message
...

People are receiving HD using DVB-T in London. They have a test going on
there.


True


People report being able to receive this HD broadcast with Freeview
receivers.


Not true. They may find the four HD channels appear in the EPG but they will
be unable to watch anything since the hardware inside the receivers is
exclusively designed for SD MPEG2.

I said people report "being able to receive this HD broadcast with
Freeview receivers". Didn't mean to imply ALL Freeview receivers. USB
Freeview receivers are made that work in other countries. There are now
HDTV sets that work in the UK, the US and other countries.

If true this may be because the receiver or integrated HDTV was made with
HD reception in mind. DVB-T is capable of receiving HD. It is being used
in Australia.



The tests use MPEG4 AVC, the MPEG2 decoders inside set-top boxes sold in
Europe won't receive it, nor would an Australian HD receiver. Even a French
MPEG4 HD STB won't tune into the UK HD transmissions.

PCI cards and USB based receivers can take advantage to the computer
they are attached to for MPEG4.

Some DVB-T receivers being sold in the UK are upgradeable OTA.


Yes, but the decoding of the video stream is done with hardware, not
software, therefore cannot be upgraded over the air.

Again not those attached to computers of any kind.

You also obviously can't receive an OTA upgrade which will magically add an
HD output (like component or HDMI). Pretty much all set-top boxes sold in
the UK only have a composite and RGB SD output, no component and no HDMI.
Likewise the TV is unlikely to have been designed to support anything higher
than 576i as far as the internal digital tuner is concerned.

A high-end PC struggles to decode the MPEG4 AVC HD streams live, the basic
silicon inside a digital receiver doesn't stand a chance of being able to do
it with software.

There are lots of high end PCs that can handle MPEG4.


Many can be upgraded to receive MPEG4 and receive 8K COFDM. How many I
don't know. Maybe most. Check with your vendor or ask on



I wouldn't say many. It may be possible to upgrade some with a suitable slot
using something like this; http://www.neotion.com/products/modules.php
however it still won't get around the fundamental issue of the hardware only
being designed to output an SD 576i signal.

Don't believe all Freeview STBs are limited to SD or 576i. Makes sense
to me that an HDTV that works in the UK with Freeview and works in OZ
with MPEG2 and 8K would also work with MPEG4 and the test in the UK. The
folks designing such a set should be smart enough to future proof it at
least that much.

You may be right but I did hear of some receiving the HD test signals.
Thought nothing of the reception and decode problems. I was amazed that
they were not encrypted but even then someone knows how it is being done
and others can hack it I am sure.

I am sure some are doing it with PCI cards and USB devices and probably
even STBs. Didn't mean to suggest that anyone could or that many were
receiving the HD test with any off the shelf Freeview receiver.

"People report" could be a few hackers.

Bob Miller

http://www.idtv.co.uk/
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/f...play.php?f=158

Bob Miller