When will a 60"+ true 1080P plasma be available?

Jlind325is -

Your recommendation is like someone asking about a sedan and you recommending a hummer.

How do you know there's room in my driveway?

There isn't, btw.

UncleJeff - I'm a little confused about your post.

Does the NEC 61xr4 have a true 1080P input, and can it display true 1080P output?

thanks

Cics - Why spend $2Gs on an external processor, when 1080P displays will be coming out in a couple of months, eliminating the need for scaling (assuming 1080P inputs of course)?

My cable box is 1080i, so the only thing a true 1080P dispaly would need to do is the de-interlacing, which I would hope you don't need a $2k processor to do competantly.

Unclejeff - Thanks for the helpful response!

Yes, I did check out avsforum, but I find it very scary over there. The threads are enourmous, the color scheme is not what I would call inviting, and the page layout is not what I would call simple... but regardless...

Does the NEC 61XR4 accept a 1080P signal via DVI? What about the 61XM4? I'm having trouble finding this out, and also having trouble finding out what the difference between these 2 models is.

Jlind325is - No worries. Certainly there are tradeoffs between the plasmas and projects, and I can certainly see a projector based system as being applicable at some point. But to do a projection system well, you need a room with very controlled lighting, which I don't have. The other thing is that the use of this potential plasma is just as much for casual TV watching and playing video games as it is for movies. Given the necessary periodic bulb replacement for the projectors, it doesn't make sense to leave it on all day to watch the price is right and maury, when really their intended use is for movies.

So while I will agree with you that plasmas can't touch a high quality projection system in terms of absolute picture quality, the logistical situation that I am dealing with mandates a smaller, simpler solution.

Rysa - Great news! Thanks.

Talk2Me

I will talk to you.

This is a very important concept, and it is hard to find clear facts anywhere without being clouded by peoples' opinions.

First off is the number. 1080 vs 720. 1080 refers to a resolution of 1920 x 1080. That is 1920 pixels horizontally, and 1080 pixels vertically. 720 is 1280 x 720. If you are familliar with computer monitor resolutions then you will understand how HUGE a difference in resolution this is. There are people who will say "...but this doesn't matter because you don't sit as close to your TV..." But think about this and make a personal decision about it.

Now as for the letter, p vs i. p = progressive, i = interlaced.

Progressive = Every single refresh of your TV's image, you get the full, complete image without anything strange going on.

Interlaced = At any given 16-millisecond period of time, you will only be seeing half of the given frame. You will only be seeing the even lines, or the odd lines of the image. 60 times per second, the even and the odd swap, creating the illusion that the full image is there the whole time.

So - what do you think? Do you think your eye and brain can tell that you are watching an interlaced picture?

Cics - Yes, this is interesting input. So if I am to understand you correctly, you are saying that the processsor does much more than just converts the resolution?

As of right now, the 3 brands of plasma that interest me are the Pioneer, NEC, and Panasonic. I like the color reproduction better on the Pios and the NECS then the panasonics.

Have you tested this processor either a near-current or current model Pioneer or NEC?

I would love to test it on a plasma, however that requires somehow obtaining one. Would any b&m vendors in the boston area have one for me to try? Or is the only way to test it to buy it, and then try and deal with the return policy if its improvements are marginal or null?

thasnk