The Battle over Big TVs Shifts to Quality

Tue Jan 9, 2007 6:13PM EST

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I previously predicted the biggest TV at CES would hit 120 inches...and what we got was a measly 108 inches, all of 5 inches bigger than the biggest screen last year. What's going on? Well, if you ask me, the battle for "biggest" is on the wane. Now, vendors are shifting focus toward who's the best.

It's hard to tell from the photos, but indulge me for a moment. Here's the 108-inch LCD from Sharp (and any flaws the screen had yesterday really seem to have been fixed today). It looks great. But there was a tiny, unlabeled room behind this giant screen. I took a peek. Inside I found a 64-inch LCD from Sharp...operating at 4,000 x 2,000 pixels of resolution.

Whoa. The difference almost knocked me down. Even though the 108-inch screen was running at full HD resolution, jumping up to this monstrous 8.84-megapixel resolution LCD made a far bigger impact on me than the sheer size of the big display. Sure, Sharp was playing some tricks on us by putting the 64-incher in a darkened room away from the crowd, but still, I was amazingly impressed.

Everywhere you look on the show floor, vendors are downplaying size and upselling quality. You'd be hard-pressed to find a TV that didn't support 1080p. And vendors like Philips are touting technologies that make TVs look even better: Ambilight looks nice, but when the TV is floating, suspended in glass, with LED backlighting...well, it's a whole new ball game.

So what's more important to you? Big dimensions or big resolution?

Comments on The Battle over Big TVs Shifts to Quality

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  • 1 Posted by taficke on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    So is what you mean by this is that they have a 64" tv on display in place of a 108"? Also does that mean the 108: will be 4,00 x 2,00 pixels of resolution or will it have more?

  • 4 Posted by cermin100 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    Are they really going to mass produce TVs for sale at 8 megapixel resolutions? Then I have better postpone decision to buy 1080p and settle for 8 mega for an upgrade. A few months more waiting is worth it.

  • 5 Posted by seamusfurr on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    There's rarely any point in waiting. Something better and cheaper is *always* coming out tomorrow.

  • 6 Posted by mdomingo11 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:14PM EDT Report Abuse

    resolution is the most important with me.naturally it must be at least 50 inch. screen.

  • 7 Posted by daaavid777 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:33PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have a Samsung 40" LCD with a mere 1080i resolution and it looks awesome in HD. The only way I want bigger is if the picture can equal or match what I have now. With a 40" screen 1080p would only be a slight improvement. There is a noticable drop in clarity between the 50" and 60" Sony SXRD screens when they are running at 1080p. The 70" is even more pixelated. For most viewers clarity depends on how far from the screen you are. I am at 10 feet with my 40" and I feel like I can reach out and touch some of the 1080i images on this screen. If I had a room where I would be 15 or more feet away a 50-70" screen would really be needed and the extra pixelation wouldn't be so noticable. Inanswer to the question: Give me clarity and quality over size any day.

  • 9 Posted by lstrumpf60 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:58PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have been waiting for a 1080P LCD TV at 37 or 32 inches. I also want to spend about $1000 on it. I can't see buying a TV that can't display full resolution that is being broadcast. The bigest TV that would fit in my home entertainment center is a 37" with the speakers below the screen. Also I am in no rush, so I can wait for the price to drop to $1000.

  • 10 Posted by lukeshelton18 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    In the realm of modern television, size is clearly not everything. Big screen tv's have been around since the 90's, but with the introduction of High Definition, the technological focus has shifted from stretching the screen to improving upon what is already there.

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