So does anyone have an X-box 360 now?

[Spectre2001]

I'm going to get a 42" flatscreen this week. I saw this one on sale at Best Buy:

42" 1080p LCD HDTV with 4 HDMI inputs.

Its a Westinghouse.

Are they a good brand?

Its for $989.

Spec

[measle]

Actually the Westinghouses have been getting really good reviews, at least they were earlier this year.  Best bang for your buck kinda reviews.  I almost got one before I settled on the Sharp.

1080p and HDMI are two things you need to watch for, and this set has them.

[measle]

Looks like SOny's decision to include the Blu Ray player in it's PS3 may have been the correct choice.  Warner Bros. announced they are pulling out of the HD-DVD market....leaving only two major studios left.  The implication for this in the console arena is pretty huge.  If HD-DVD loses out altogether then the X-box 360 is a next gen video system that will be unable to play next-gen movies.  This also makes the PS3 more palatable for those buyers that currently don't have a next gen movie player...as they can buy the PS3 for around the same price as a Blu Ray player and get the whole videogame thing as well.

HD-DVD and Blu Ray have the same caliber picture, where Blu Ray really shines is in storage.  A Blu Ray disc can hold several times the data that an HD-DVD disc can.  Pretty big deal for box sets and games.

[Coffee Joe]

That's funny.  Industry analysts had predicted that it would be Blu-Ray that woudl go the way of the Beta Max.  HD-DVDs are apparently a lot easier and cheaper to manufacture.

Well, at the very least, this means that Star Trek Remastered should plummet in price soon.

[measle]

I think Sony owning a motion picture studio really helped their cause.  HD-DVD is cheaper, but the real savings is with the players...the discs themselves aren't much cheaper than Blu Ray.  SO either there was a bigger mark-up or the prodcution costs weren't as cheap as they thought.

I think you'll see the HD_DVD format plummet rather quickly now.  People aren't going to want to buy these discs and not be able to find a player for them a year or two down the road.

[Spectre2001]

Yup bought it last Wed and they are installing it on Sunday.

Its a Samsung - 40" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV :

Built-In HDTV Tuner: Add HD-capable antenna to receive over-the-air high-definition broadcasts, where available. Optional set-top box required for high-definition cable or satellite programming. 

40" measured diagonally.

1080p display provides the highest quality progressive-scan picture possible from a high-definition source.

16:9 widescreen aspect ratio delivers a cinema-style entertainment experience.

Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (CCFL) displays 12.8 billion colors for vivid picture reproduction; wide color enhancer improves dark hues for more natural colors.

Game mode enhances dark areas, sharpens the picture, speeds up the image processing response and enhances the sound of your games for an improved gaming experience.
 
8 ms response time minimizes the blurring of moving video.
 
High brightness (500 cd/m²) and incredible dynamic contrast (10,000:1) for an arresting viewing experience.
 
Wide 178° horizontal and vertical viewing angles make every seat the best in the house.
 
2 built-in 10W bottom speakers; SRS TruSurround XT delivers virtual 5.1-channel surround sound through 2 speakers.
 
Auto volume leveler prevents volume fluctuations and is ideal for night viewing
Ultraslim (3-2/5" deep), lightweight design is ideal for wall mounting (with optional mounting kit, not included).
 
USB 2.0 port for quick connection of a digital camera or other USB device.
 
PC input lets you connect your computer to experience high-resolution images
3 HDMI inputs provide an uncompressed all-digital audio/video link for the highest-quality connection and they support copy-protected HD broadcast content.
 
Inputs: 3 HDMI, 2 RF, 2 component A/V (rear), 2 composite A/V (1 side, 1 rear), 2 S-video (1 side, 1 rear), 1 PC A/V (rear) and 1 DVI audio (rear).
 
Outputs: 1 optical digital audio, stereo audio and headphone jack.
 
V-Chip parental controls keep children from being exposed to undesirable material.
 
Other convenient features include trilingual (English, Spanish, French) menu options, picture-in-picture, built-in image scaler and variable sleep timer.
 
What's in the box: 40" 1080p flat-panel LCD HDTV, remote and swivel stand.

Spec

[Abstractharmony]

I have to say, that sounds nice an all but pales into insignificance at John's BEAST of an LCD.

It makes my two 37" look like girly men.

[measle]

Nice set Spec.  That trumps my 37 inch Sharp Aquos.  Do you have the HD Cable or Satellite box so you can take advantage of it?  Also need a Blu Ray player so you can actually take advantage of that 1080P.  HDTV only goes as high as 1080i right now.  DOn't worry about re-buying all those DVDs though.  Blu Ray (or HD-DVD) players will upscale your standard DVDs.  Not quite as good as native 1080p discs, but they look good enough.

So let's here about this cineplex at Stately Moores Manner.

[Scotty]

I got an HDMI cable for my DVR HD and the difference in picture quality is amazing. Now if I could just get the damn thing to record to the HD.......

I love technology when it works.

[John Moores]

So let's here about this cineplex at Stately Moores Manner.

I inherited a huge TV (45" or thereabouts) from my dad. Basically I bought what I thought was a big TV for my place, and no way was Dad, affected with the middle-aged gadgetry obsession (which, terrifying, I'm starting to feel myself getting into) gonna have no whippersnapper have a bigger TV, that's tantamount to ceding his place as head of the family. So he bought the biggest set in the store, and it looks like a goddamt cinema screen. When I inherited the house, the TV was sat there like a big fuck-off behemoth. Lord of the Rings and the like look good on it.

[Abstractharmony]

It's a 60" LCD

[John Moores]

Is it? Oh, maybe I'm not such an old gadget nerd then. That's cool. It's a big fucker, whatever it is. Ironically, I don't care for TV that much.

[measle]

I got an HDMI cable for my DVR HD and the difference in picture quality is amazing. Now if I could just get the damn thing to record to the HD.......

I love technology when it works.

HDMI, makes a huge difference, perhaps even more so with sound.  The cables will start coming down too, since it's become THE standard.


And I guess we're having the Superbowl party at Moores' house this year?   

[John Moores]

Get your asses over and I'll make it happen. .

[John Moores]

From aintitcool:

"Hey folks, Harry here... Depending who you are... you're either jubilant or morose today - because it's pretty much over. Sources inside Toshiba have begun leaking to the press - that Toshiba is no longer going to be manufacturing HD DVD players - and is abandoning the format altogether. Apparently, this decision is going to cost Toshiba hundreds of millions of dollars -

In the last few months, Sony has completely and totally flanked and surrounded HD-DVD. It started with the Warner Brothers move, when Warner's announced their decision to become dedicated to the BLU RAY format beginning this June - the world could feel a seismic shift. Then in a series of announcements from BEST BUY to NETFLIX to the most recent WAL-MART support for Blu Ray and abandonment of the HD DVD format... well, the rush to bury HD DVD has become quite aggressive.

How do I feel about this?

I love both formats - but generally I prefer the HD DVD discs. I have around 300 titles in hi def - a mixture of HD DVD and BLU RAY. I have 4 HD DVD players - and 1 BLU RAY player - and now that it has ended - I hope that the focusing upon BLU RAY means that the format becomes better. That the prices can begin dropping on their players - and their discs. MORE SO - I hope that BLU RAY winning the "war" means that a wider and greater supply of titles begin to be released. In the upcoming months - as the various outlets blow-out their remaining HD DVD titles - there will be added shelf-space for BLU RAY to take up. I'm hoping for many more vintage titles. Just yesterday I was at FRY'S to buy Quint his BLU RAY birthday presents - and I wanted to buy him some older titles - and there wasn't much to choose from.

Now that the Format war is over - there's still another war for the companies to wage... the war to get the populace to abandon standard def DVD and en masse convert to BLU RAY. The only way that'll happen is if Blu Ray lowers their prices significantly on their titles. There's a lot left for SONY to do - but now that they've slain their biggest enemy - all that is left is to win the hearts, minds and dollars of the rest of the consumers to make the big conversion."

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