[mythtv-users] TV choices - was: Could we install/runMythtvwithoutX-windows

[PAUL WILLIAMSON]

>>> mtdean at thirdcontact.com 09/11/05 3:28 PM >>>

<lots of snippage>

> Right, but distance has an impact on perceived size.  Therefore, 
> if you view an HDTV (i.e. 1080p at 1920x1080 or 720p at 
> 1280x720) show on a 61"  TV from 60", you're close enough to 
> see individual pixels.  If you view the same show from 120", 
> you're far enough from the screen that you won't notice the 
> individual pixels, so it will be a much better picture.

Ok, fair enough.  I can see that logically...

> However, since SDTV (NTSC, which is typically considered 
> about equal to 640x480) has exactly 1/3 the pixels of 720p 
> and almost 1/7 the pixels of 1080p, watching an SDTV show 
> on a 61" TV from 120", you'll be able to see individual pixels.  
> When you combine that with the visual artifacts that result 
> from losses in the analog signal, the show picture quality 
> will seem far worse than watching that same show on a much 
> smaller TV or from much farther away.

Ok.  I understand it now.  Now I just to convince my wife 
to let me drop the cash for the projector or a much 
larger LCD or some kind of slim TV...

> It's about like taking a picture with a 640x480 camera 
> and trying to print it at 8 1/2" x 11".  If you look at it while 
> holding it in your hand, it doesn't look very good at all.  If 
> you hang it on the wall and view it from a much larger 
> distance, it doesn't look bad.  And, a 3.2MP or 4.0MP 
> image printed at 8 1/2" x 11", will look good even upon 
> close inspection.

I agree up until the 3.2 - 4mp camera.  I have a pretty good
5mp camera, and my regular 35 mm Nikon still blows it 
away.  I think a 10 - 12mp camera would give about 
the results of a decent 35mm film camera.

> Note that with EDTV/DVD (480p at 640x480 or 704x480), 
> you'll still have the problem of low resolution, but since they 
> are digital formats, the image should be clean (until the point 
> where signal quality drops too much and you have too many 
> errors to get any picture at all).  Therefore, EDTV/DVD 
> requires a smaller TV or a larger viewing distance than HDTV, 
> but can generally be considered somewhere between HDTV 
> and SDTV for recommended screen size/viewing distance 
> combinations.

Totally agree.  EDTV (to me) seems like an almost total waste 
of money.  I tried one out, and was not impressed.  Returned 
the TV the next day.

<snip>

> Here are a couple of buying guides that take the source of 
> the material into account when determining TV sizes:
>
> http://money.howstuffworks.com/tv-buying-guide1.htm 
> http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html

> (you need to read the section "Interpreting the Results" on this page
to 
> understand the data)
> http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-7608_7-1016109-2.html 
> (they use "Wide-screen" to represent DVD/HDTV 
> source--read the descriptions)

These are pretty good links...I'll have to bookmark them!

Paul