720 progressive is available on the HLP series on the HD3 chip and some sites say 1080p may be out by years end. If I were to buy a tv now (Samsung HLP5063w), is it going to be useless when the 1080p capable tv's come out? I'd hate to spend $3100 on a TV that's gonna be outdated soon. The price on the 1080p's I believe will start in the $4,000 range, but seeing demand/supply ration is favorable, prices will drop.
freddog
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The 1080p xHD3 sets, from Samsung, will run in the $6500 range. The only issue with not being able to display 1080p will be with the up and coming HD DVD players. Over-the-air, cable and satellite are unlikely to adopt 1080p because of the additional bandwidth it requires. If they do, however, the HD2/HD2+/HD3 sets will down convert to 720p, so you're not going to be stuck with a bad picture- just no 1080p. As far as waiting is concerned, it really depends on how much you want to spend and when you want to buy. If you really want to wait for a TV that won't soon become obsolete, you'll have to wait about 5 years for an affordable 3 chip rear-proj DLP set that displays 1080p with a 10,000:1 contrast ratio and is only 6 inches deep. Then, right after you buy that, they'll come out with ultra hi-def TVs (2250x4000p).
Hmmm... Well, the longer you wait, the more you will get, for less money. This is a given. So, I guess it all depends on how long YOU want to wait.
If you're a typical buyer, you've probably been waiting to buy a HDTV since 1998, when the first wave of HDTV's hit the Americas. I'm just guessing because you mentioned 'price', which is the #1 reason all prospective, first-time buyers "wait". Once you've lost your video virginity, and become a HD tramp, price is no object! It's wanderlust after that...
If this is the case, and you've already waited for 6 years, what difference does another 6 months make?
Here's my twist on 1080i vs 1080p: Video geeks will tell you progressive beats interlaced every time. They will tell you, for instance, 720p is better than 1080i. This is BS, as far as I'm concerned.
I've compared 720p to 1080i in real world conditions, watching HDTV, DTV, DVD, 8mm vid, VHS, video games, and so forth. There is no question that progressive gives a more accurate rendition than interlaced, BUT is that what you really want?
What I've noted is there is slight-to-no difference in HDTV quality using 720p vs 1080i, but 720p definitely makes DTV, DVD, and all the rest, look crappier. It makes the imperfections and inadequecies more visible. Does this make sense?
1080i masks some of the inherently bad things in inferior formats, whereas, 720p trumpets then loud and clear. If all you watch is HD, then 1080p is for you, but the rest of the time, expect more pleasing results with 1080i.
In a perfect world, 1080p should look better than 1080i, but it will also magnify the defects...
