Video Asylum

Posted by xenon101 (A) on September 26, 2002 at 11:40:59

In Reply to: Plasma vs Tube vs Rear projection posted by uzun on September 24, 2002 at 17:17:22:

Tubes are the brightest. A really good plasma display ($10-15K range) is as sharp and rivals tubes in brightness. Front projection systems are fine IF you have the budget for a really good one AND a room in which it can be used (I don't have a room in which one could be used easily as the video area has a 13-foot high vaulted ceiling, and I have no easy way to get power / signals to the projector).

So - I chose an RPTV because I could get the screen size needed. I looked at, compared, and did some testing with: Hitachi, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Sony, and Pioneer Elite. You will find that RPTVs are not created equal even among different models of a single manufacturer.

You will also find that most RPTV's setup in a showroom are NOT setup very well. Make sure the controls (color temperature, brightness, contrast, sharpness, color controls, etc.) are set at a "neutral" position and have the color temperature set at 6500K if possible.

Most of the RPTVs will be set with the color temperature in the "high" range (about 9000K), because they look brighter and "snappier." Most will probably have the contrast and sharpness cranked up as well so they're real "eye grabbers" from across the showroom floor. But, this won't be the way you will probably want it setup, do don't demo the equipment until it is setup the way you will be using it.

Many sets do not have a setting specified as 6500K, but often call it something else like "low," or whatever, probably the sales person won't know either - but, so many TV's so little time to become compentent at what you're doing...

Once you have them almost setup equally, then you can begin to compare them. Do a "walk around" of each RPTV to see the visual off-axis illumination fall off. From about 10-feet away from the screen, and at about a 60 degree off-axis angle, walk parallel to the screen and note the entire viewing field where the picture looks, to your eyes, bright enough to be viewable.

Look at the "grain" of the screen up close and then from viewing distance - especially in white areas. You will find marked differences in screens in both off-axis illumination and grain. Then look at color reproduction especially in whites, and gray areas. Most RPTVs will not be neutral but will have a "push" towards a color. For, example, the high end Mitsubishis I looked at (in fact all three that I looked at) had a slight magenta tint (minus green or plus red and blue, however you want to look at it), making greys slightly pink, and greens slightly grey.

This could not be tuned out by increasing the green as then you get color crossover where shadows have one tint, mid tone areas are neutral, and highlights have a different tint. This can only be addressed by a system calibration.

After 4 weeks of carefully looking at and comparing the manufacturers listed, I ended up with a Pioneer Elite RPTV because out of the box it had the most neutral color, had the best color reproduction, and while not the absolute brightest, it had the finest grain screen with the widest angle of view. It is possible to sit 20-25 degrees off-axis with it and not notice a great reduction in illumination. It is acceptibly sharp (looks great with HDTV signals or DVDs), and has a built-in line doubler so you never see raster lines with a standard NTSC feed. Works for me...