Anyone watch Oz last night in HD?

[cjefferys]

You called it exactly. I have yet to see an LCD that looks pleasing to me. I have been buying plasma for years and it's the best picture hands down. Colors are awesome without being over saturated. Picture is velvet smooth without that LCD "digital" look. Yeah, they are heavy and use more power and generate more heat and you need to be able to keep reflections off the screen, but the picture is well worth it.

I'm sad to see that LCD seems to have won the HDTV wars, I really don't think they were the superior technology, as far as watching films go. My set is a Sony SXRD (LCoS) rear projection HDTV which has an incredibly film-like image. Of course, all RP sets are now gone as they were deemed not as "sexy" as flat panels, even though many of them could deliver just as nice, or better, of an HD picture as a flat panel could (and were available in larger sizes). If I had to get a flat panel now, I would definitely go plasma. I probably should have grabbed a Pioneer Kuro before they stopped making them, they were about the best ones out there.

[MIB41]

I strongly disagree. A properly mastered Blu-ray played on a properly calibrated HDTV should have a very satisfying film-like appearance and shouldn't look harsh and digital. It should replicate the films original theatrical appearance.

But watching a poorly done Blu-ray (i.e. one that has had way too much digital noise reduction preformed on it, wiping away all the natural film grain that should be there, and leaving an artificial, waxy looking mess) on a television not properly calibrated, everything pumped up in the "vivid" setting, etc. especially on many types of LCD screens (which tend to have a more digital look in it's picture)....the movie then might not look as it was intended too.

High definition can provide a fantastic presentation of a film. Whether it succeeds or not depends on the above factors.

That's interesting to know. I have a 1080P LCD HDTV. For the most part the movies I watch look beautiful. Very lush and rich and no digital appearance that is apparent to me. How would I calibrate it for optimal viewing to go with my Sony Blu ray player? I have the Monster HDMI cable attaching the two so I would think my resolution is as good as it can get.

[mego73]

That's interesting to know. I have a 1080P LCD HDTV. For the most part the movies I watch look beautiful. Very lush and rich and no digital appearance that is apparent to me. How would I calibrate it for optimal viewing to go with my Sony Blu ray player? I have the Monster HDMI cable attaching the two so I would think my resolution is as good as it can get.

With all apologies to people that have it calibrated to a certain sets of specs, I calibrate it to how I want it to look because it's got to please me.

I have a couple settings. One is for older movies and TV shows like Star Trek. The color and contrast is kicked up to give it that "Technicolor" look.

For more modern movies, I have a more subdued setting.

As for HDMI cables, when the signal was analog, the thickness of cable mattered because analog had quality loss when transmitted.

When the signal is digital, you are either getting a good digital signal or you are not. It's digital information of 1's and 0's that tells the TV what picture (and sound because HDMI also transmits sound) to construct.

If the picture is constructed successfully, there is no variation in the quality. The only thing to worry about with a digital signal is disruption and breakup.

This is why those monster HDMI cables that cost $70 bucks will not work any better than the under $10 you can get off Ebay (provided the cables are good enough to output the digital signal without disruption or breakup). There are no degrees of success in transition of a digital signal only success or failure (which causes disruption and breakup).

[cjefferys]

Yeah, I do my own calibration as well. I know diehard folks who frequent home theatre forums that spend hundreds of dollars to get it done by a certified calibrator, but I'm too cheap for that, I trust my own eye, for better or for worse. (I do use a Digital Video Essentials disc to help me out too though)

And yes, don't waste money on expensive over priced HDMI cables. I've had Best Buy goons tell me that only their Monster or Rocketfish cables will pass a 1080p signal. Total BS. I buy all my cables from monoprice.com. They are great quality and really inexpensive.