Is contrast ratio super important?

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FMX

Gawd
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Dec 31, 2006
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Well right now I have this TV:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8249781&st=Samsung+32"&type=product&id=1169512289094

It's a 32" Samsung LCD. 720p. 7000:1 Contrast ratio...

I got it for $699 and I can still take it back.

I was considering this TV:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889234025 (though I would be sketchy about buying it because it says you cannot return it after you open it.

The Westinghouse 37" 1080p 1000:1 contrast ratio.

Which would be better for me? Right now what I do mostly is play my 360 and watch regular TV on it. It looks pretty good hooked up to the computer, but I dont use it much.

So which would be better? The Samsung has better specs minus the contrast ratio.

So, please help with suggestions or answers.

Thanks.
 
i would defiantly go for the westinghouse.

samsungs 7000:1 contrast ratio is nice, but the westinghouse is larger and is 1080p, and imo those outweigh samsungs contrast ratio.
 
Right now the price diff of $200 is not worth it, would anyone agree? The Westinghouse was at $799 but now its at $899
 
Considering your Xbox games are in 720P and you just watch regular TV, their will be no difference if you have 1080p or not. Keep the samsung, the 7000:1 contrast ratio will make both regular and xbox games look alot better.
 
I mean we plan on getting HD satellite TV but even then its in 720p
 
First, advertised contrast ratio means nothing. There is no industry standard and each company uses in-house measure that cannot be used for comparison purposes. There are two types of contrast ratios: pure and dynamic. The dynamic contrast ratio is a marketing tool and should never be trusted.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrast_ratio

The most important HDTV features are listed below:
1) Source (most important)
2) Contrast Ratio
3) Color saturation
4) Color accuracy
5) Resolution (less important)

For HDTV use, the resolution importance is generally overestimated (albeit it is another story for PC use).
Two factors determine the resolution need: seating distance and TV size.
For example, the optimal distance for 50" 1080p and 720p are 6.5' and 10' respectively.
In other words, 1080p has no added value over 720p if you seat at 10' (or more) from a 50' TV.
I refer you to the following chart:
http://www.engadgethd.com/2006/12/09/1080p-charted-viewing-distance-to-screen-size/

1080p vs 720p
Look at the first post:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=768167

Conclusion: TRUST ONLY YOUR EYES and do not pay much attention to the advertised specifications.
 
Or try to find a magazine or website that has done apples to apples contrast ratio comparisons of the models in question.
 
High quality tv reviewers are able to test the actual contrast ratio and usually the actual is lower than the listed, although i havent seen one for either those, at least i havent looked.
 
I wouldn't upgrade from a 32" to just 37".

Your new TV probably should be at least 47" and 1080p for you to see a dramatic difference.
 
RadXge said:
Conclusion: TRUST ONLY YOUR EYES and do not pay much attention to the advertised specifications.
Click to expand...
Totally agree.

I think this is the best advise anyone can give when it comes to purchasing displays. In truth, I haven't taken serious considerations of monitor specs beyond a cursory glance in a while. I take a look at resolution and size of course, but little else unless there are unique features such as some recent Gateways sport. Contrast ratio, brightness, color gamut, response time, etc., are meaningless to me in light of the fact (no pun) that manufacturers tend to exaggerate. Overall appearance and image quality is so subjective anyway.
 
FMX said:
I mean we plan on getting HD satellite TV but even then its only in 720p
Click to expand...

That is not exactly correct. Dish Network and Direct TV are both capable of 1080i output.
The networks on the other hand vary in how they format their HD signal. Currently ABC, FOX, and ESPN all use 720p whereas NBC, CBS, CW, HBO and most of the other premium movie channels all use 1080i.
My advice to you is go with 1080p, as big of one as you can afford. Then in the future if you decide to get a HD DVD player you will be able to enjoy movies in full 1080p HD rather than having them scaled down to fit on a 720p set.
 
Contrast ratio isn't important by itself, but since it's related to black levels, it is. It only really measures the ratio of blackest black to whitest white, and since white on an LCD will always be bright enough, black level is the most important spec. Two displays could both have 1000:1 contrast ratios but different black and white levels.
 
Stick with the samsung, Contrast makes a big difference in how darker movies look.
 
Contrast ratio is overblown. They artificially inflate the specs by raising the brightness level to insane levels that you will never use, while black levels remain the same. Black level is more important than the advertised contrast ratio.
 
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