What and £529 is no good? That covers every requirement of yours.

The one I linked to covers every requirement for cheaper though - put it this way, I'm not too happy about having to shell out for a TV in the first place

Yeah. But it's not a Samsung series 5

Up to you though.....

I did read that due to having better blacks and motion on a plasma some choose 720p plasma over 1080p LCD. I've never had a plasma so its not my opinion. I'm pretty sure What HiFi have rated some HD Ready plasmas with comments like 'forget the fact it isnt 1080p, it makes no difference' etc etc. Added to the fact you need to be sitting further away for 1080p to make any difference would a plasma not be an option?

e.g.

http://www.richersounds.com/product/pla ... a-txp37x10

I'm going to stab a guess that the "no difference" comment is in reference to the fact that "HD" TV only broadcasts at 720p. It would certainly make a difference if you're playing a Blu-ray disc through the PS3.

Does it? The BBC explicitly states they broadcast in 1080. Our FreeSat HD recorder reports 1080i on all received HD broadcasts.


Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbchd/faqs.shtml#broadcast

Yep. 1080i isn't the same picture at all. It's more akin to 720p in terms of absolute quality. Depends if you're looking to watch blu-ray. I defy anybody to watch Dark Knight in full 1080p (especially the IMAX sequences) and then say 720p "will do".

If games and DVDs are primary, then 720p is fine. If blu-ray is on the agenda at any point, 1080p is worthwhile. The downside to 1080p TVs is they look even worse than HD ready ones with standard def material. The extra pixels just make for more interpolation and digital jiggery-pokery.

Nice, but I eventually will be sitting further away from it, and maybe even playing some of those BR discs eventually

Can anybody confirm that plasmas give off a lot more heat in comparison to LCDs? I've known a few people to say that... It would definitely be a problem in this broom cupboard

I know they generally draw more power, so...

OK, non-BBC content such as Sky HD broadcasts at 720p. Also, 1080i sucks, progressive scan is the way forward.

Nope it included Blu-Ray too. I'll dig out the review. Its all to do with the better handling of motion, deep blacks, size of screen, distance from set, etc etc. Not simply the biggest resolution.

"Whether you're dealing with 1080p/24 or standard 1080p/60, doesn't alter our overall views about 1080p TVs. We still believe that when you're dealing with TVs 50 inches and smaller, the added resolution has only a very minor impact on picture quality. In our tests, we put 720p (or 768p) sets next to 1080p sets, then feed them both the same source material, whether it's 1080i or 1080p, from the highest-quality Blu-ray player. We typically watch both sets for a while, with eyes darting back and forth between the two, looking for differences in the most-detailed sections, such as hair, textures of fabric, and grassy plains. Bottom line: It's almost always very difficult to see any difference--especially from farther than 8 feet away on a 50-inch TV. "

(I know you're quoting a quote, but bear with me...)

I may be an HD n00b, and not very technical about it, but I am well impressed with what I've seen.

We have a Toshiba 32in HD-ready, and it handles the 1080i BBC broadcast from the HD box flawlessly. We watched an episode of Coast the other night, and you could see fine telephone wires in the distance against a bright sky. Counting ripples on the sea from the helicopter shots will become a pastime of mine. It was literally like looking through an open window.

It was absolutely stunning. I am a total HD convert, and our next major purchase may well be a Blu-ray player.

Finally, if Sky can only manage to send 720, then why are people still paying for it? Talk about money for old rope.

On an HD Ready TV (normally 1366x768) 1080i is scaled down. The European Broadcasting peeps have recommended 720p 50hz.

1080i is only any good for virtually still images. For sport, 720p is better because of the reduced tearing and smoother action of the higher full-frame rates. What full-frame rate is the 1080i on the BBC?

Most people who pay for Sky like to watch sport.

I'm not a sports fan, but I still hate interlaced video. Weaving creates that hideous comb effect, and if you're going to bob then it's no different from 720p anyway! Luckily for me, I don't have any HD sources except for stuff I've downloaded, which is invariably progressive

I should say our Tosh is actually a full 1080i beast.

Yes, there is some tearing on fast movement, but that's the same on SD as far as I can tell.

Currently, the Beeb is concentrating on the up-market nature and travel progs, with Flog-it and a couple of other shows thrown in to keep the plebs happy. Coast is absolutely stunning: having just watched the final episode, the only hiccups were early on where vehicles were driven past the static camera at some speed.

I'm really looking forward to the new Stephen Fry show "Last Chance to See" next week.