Recent Comments:
T-Mobile USA down all over the place? (update: yes) {Engadget Mobile}
Nov 3rd 2009 7:41PM Down in Milwaukee, WI -- data and voice down for mobile, @home service is working.
Ask Engadget HD: Best home theater setup for gaming? {Engadget HD}
Oct 8th 2009 1:29PM If you only have 1k - 2k to spend on a TV that will be used for gaming, a 50" Panasonic Plasma is the way to go. (I don't want to hear from any anti-plasma people I own 2 LCDs as well) As for the rest a good mid level receiver from Onkyo, Pioneer, Yamaha whatever your preference. Speakers are really key, the speakers shouldn't be something you'll want to upgrade any time in the near future. But you can still find good value and bang for the buck. I went with the PSB Image line for 5 speakers and an SVS subwoofer (by far my best investment).
Here is my system breakdown and it rocks pretty damn good. Some components are a couple years old now.
TV: 50" Panasonic Viera 1080P Plasma - TH-50PZ85U ($2k when I purchased, better ones $1500 now)
Receiver: Onkyo TX-SR705 ($575)
Speakers: PSB Image T-55 towers, C-60 center, B-25 bookshelf pair ($1400)
Subwoofer: SVS PC12-NSD ($600)
Engadget HD giveaway: win a 5x1 HDMI switch and Copperhead HDMI cables! {Engadget HD}
Apr 10th 2009 10:24AM Gimme! Gimme!
Engadget HD CES schwag giveaway: Blu-ray discs and more {Engadget HD}
Jan 26th 2009 9:12AM Need more BDs :)
Ask Engadget HD: Does Blu-ray show enough love to 720p HDTV owners? {Engadget HD}
Feb 27th 2008 2:28PM On my old Hitaci 1080i set and my new Panasonic 1080p Plasma both showed significant improvement watching HD DVD and Blu-ray discs over upconverted DVDs.
"is it really necesary to have a 1080p display? I mean, everytime I go to Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. They have this amazing blu-ray movies on that looks like the actors are alive almost to get out of the screen. But a friend of mine bought a new 50" Samsung screen with a blu-ray but it does not look any better than my up-convert dvd player!"
That being said, do some research. Check out reviews on CNET, HomeTheatreMag, AVS Forum and others, you will also find articles where most reviewers agree that if the TV is smaller than 50" you will probably not notice the difference between 720p and 1080p, below 60" the difference in 1080i and 1080p content is hard to make out. Also calibration can help a lot, my new Panny looks better than show room after calibration.
Perhaps most importantly, resolution (ie 1080p) is not the most important spec on a TV. It is usually rated #4. That is why TVs of the same tech and resolution can look so different.
1. Contrast Ratio
2. Color Accuracy
3. Color Saturation
4. Resolution
Ask Engadget HD: Which provider has the best quality HD? {Engadget HD}
Feb 21st 2008 1:13PM Time Warner here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is terrible too. I switched to DirecTV. I'm happy with it so far.
Poll: So, what are you HD DVD early adopters going to do? {Engadget HD}
Feb 17th 2008 11:20AM I've known this day was coming for some time. I bought in when the HD DVD addon for the 360 came out. Then bought an A2 when they were $99 at Walmart.
I won't be selling off any of my equipment or titles, but I'll will be getting the Panasonic DMP-BD50 when it comes out. Hopefully next month.
The PS3 doesn't do it for me because it can't decode or output in bitstream the HD Audio formats (the Panasonic can) and because I killed 3 PS2 machines by playing DVDs, the fourth one lasted forever after I stopped that. Not saying that would happen again, but I don't trust my track record there.
Ask Engadget HD: Is it finally safe to buy a Blu-ray player? {Engadget HD}
Feb 13th 2008 12:49PM If you are not a home theatre enthusiust or don't have / will have a newer receiver that can handle Dolby True HD or DTS-MA HD then go with the PS3. There is no reason hardware wise that it won't be upgradable to Profile 2.0. But is does not have the hardware to decode or output these audio formats.
If you are or have any of the above. The Panasonic DMP-BD30 has Profile 1.1 and is able to output Dolby True HD and DTS-MA HD in bitsteam to your receiver. (I have it and tested it) This is a good choice if you don't need or want an ethernet port for downloadable updates and web enabled content.
None of the current standalone players are upgradable to Profile 2.0 through a firmware update alone. And I can't imagine a CE offering to upgrade the hardware of a product it already released.
The Panasonic DMP-BD50 (profile 2.0) is supposed to be available this spring before most the other CEs even have their Profile 1.1 players available. Price unknow at this moment. That would be an excellent option if you can wait. (I'm sure I'll be getting one shortly after it comes out)
Win a Philips 42PFL5603D 42-inch 1080p HDTV! {Engadget HD}
Feb 5th 2008 5:49PM I need a new HDTV!
Win an LCD HDTV, Xbox 360, and plenty of Old Spice {Engadget HD}
Feb 4th 2008 9:40AM Pick me! I need a new bedroom tv for my xbox! :-)
