HD solutions and nonsense

/. has had quite a number of articles on HDTV's.

Most recently, it discussed a DIY projector, not to be confused with previous discussions on DIY LCD projectors. Some (most?) of these DIY sites require a small donation to register, which these guys claim is worth it.

Some include useful things like making sure to get something with modern HDTV inputs (HDMI) and reminding people to include the possibility of a CRT HDTV, although size and weight start becoming problems for a decent sized screen.

Other hints for a good video system are here.

AACS appears to be cracked REAL good:



On another front, Samsung appears to have outstanding LCD panels right now. Sharp (Aquos) also has some good response times. Sony is known to buy at least some of their panels from others, including Samsung, but is still known for good sets (Sony Bravia). Some guidelines to investigate:

• Look at 120 Hz. 120 is divisible by 24 fps and 30 fps. Google "3:2 pulldown" for more info.
• The quality of the scaler is important for non-HD broadcasts. Ask the rep to switch to a non-HD channel.
• Google Faroudja DCDi.
• Skin-tone really matters, avoid evaluating sets when animated films are playing. Take a DVD or two.
  
• You'll always need more HDMI ports than you think, shoot for at least 3.
• Pay close attention to viewing distance and recommended set size, as in most cases you'll need a bigger set than you think (unless room aesthetics are an issue).
• Beyond my pay grade, but at least at one point NuVision appears to have had outstanding stuff.
  

Other comparisons at Cnet (1, 2),

Update: Samsung LN46A650 and the A750 appear to be top-of-the-line models for reasonable prices. Maybe they don't even need to be calibrated. Might be able to calibrate some sets myself (using controlcal, an eyeone, and a null modem cable).