The general consensus on Syntax Olevia TV's

[Exocer]

Preferably the HVX series in 23", 26" and 27". These three are about the only flat panel HDTV compatible TV's I can afford (for a while). My Tivo box isn't Hi-Def yet, nor is my other video source (Ps2). Should I wait a while until I have devices capable of passing a HighDef signal before getting a new TV? Is it true that some of the newer flat panel TV's look worse than your typical Tube TV with an analog (SDTV) signal?

[bobgpsr]

The LCD response time (if it is greater than 10 ms) and the lower contrast ratio work against LCD's as compared to direct view CRT TVs. Yes SDTV can look worse on a LCD (especially the >= 30" ones). However, IMHO, HDTV over the air with a 26" LCD will look a lot better overall than old SDTV on a 27" direct view CRT. Look for contrast ratio's of 1000:1 or better and response times of 8ms, 9 ms or less. The Sharp's seem to be rated much better than Syntax.
I strongly reccomend a 16:9 aspect ratio in the 26", 30", 34" range as a minimum..

Bob

[Exocer]

Thanks a lot!

Hi-def TV's are not kind to sub-standard signals! I can't stand to watch SD TV anymore! Even on my SD TV monitors! I have been spoiled and forever ruined!

[wbassett]

Exocer wrote:

Preferably the HVX series in 23", 26" and 27". These three are about the only flat panel HDTV compatible TV's I can afford (for a while). My Tivo box isn't Hi-Def yet, nor is my other video source (Ps2). Should I wait a while until I have devices capable of passing a HighDef signal before getting a new TV? Is it true that some of the newer flat panel TV's look worse than your typical Tube TV with an analog (SDTV) signal?

I have the 27" Olevia 720p in our bedroom. I use it for a dual purpose display... for my computer and also as our bedroom TV for watching movies. (Excuse the mess)

I think it is a great display. Both video and computer display are exceptional.

There are better 720p displays out there but not for this price, at least in my opinion. The only negatives I have to say about this display is it doesn't have an HDMI input only DVI. It also has a PC input, component, SVideo, and composite. Overall for these displays the remote and on screen menu is really lacking as far as layout and options but it's live-able.

I had it hooked up to a Samsung upconverting DVD player that had a DVI output and movies looked incredible at 720p. Source material is always the weak link so keep that in mind... garbage in = garbage out. A well mastered SDVD looks fantastic.

As for a computer monitor, I am completely spoiled now and can't stand using a smaller monitor. Even my 21" Sony Trinitron G500 looks small in comparison, and the monitor my wife has is a 17" Nokia and compared to both my work monitor and the Olevia it just looks tiny.

Setting up for a computer was a breeze. A year and a half ago my brother got a great deal at Sam's Club on a Phillips 30" CRT HDTV. It also has a PC input, but I couldn't get the desktop to display right. The task bar was off the screen and you had to scroll to move the whole desktop in order to see all of the screen. With the Olevia I set my video card display to 1366x768 and at first the PC desktop didn't fit the screen and I was thinking 'Oh no, here we go again...' but there is an 'auto' button on the remote. I clicked it and everything snapped right in place.

I have had this set for well over a year now and I use it every day for hours at a time between either PC use or movies, and it hasn't had one problem. No bad pixels, nothing.

I would recommend it to anyone.