16 replies to this topic

[Alex]

I've been looking to buy a >55" (plasma/lcd) for a while but everytime I read reviews, I get very disheartened - (after Pioneer's plasma demise) looks like no manufacturer is interested in making quality displays.

Seems to me the only bright light is coming from supposed Apple's foray into TVs. I know it'll carry the Apple tax but at least from Apple's history, quality will be among its highest priorities as their final products are always better than the components' manufacturers are able to do themselves.

Worth waiting for?

[jliang70]

Alex, on 05 April 2012 - 06:39 AM, said:

I've been looking to buy a >55" (plasma/lcd) for a while but everytime I read reviews, I get very disheartened - (after Pioneer's plasma demise) looks like no manufacturer is interested in making quality displays.

Seems to me the only bright light is coming from supposed Apple's foray into TVs. I know it'll carry the Apple tax but at least from Apple's history, quality will be among its highest priorities as their final products are always better than the components' manufacturers are able to do themselves.

Worth waiting for?

Does Apple has any experience in making a TV panel ?  I don't think so and their panels are likely to be coming from one of the chinese factories.  If their mac pc is anything to go by like charging a $700 pc with apple badge for $1400 I would say you do a lot better in buying a Panasonic or Samsung panel and put that extra apple tax money towards a video processor like Lumagen

[pgdownload]

AppleTV will be about the interface first and foremost. Then presumably connectivity to all things Apple. No doubt it will look sleek but IMO its doubtful they'll be loading up making the viewing experience any better than is currently on offer. Its also likely that whatever "AppleTV" is, we'll have a pretty cut down version in Australia for the time being.

That said, I'm don't understand how today's panels could be though of as poor quality. In the space of a decade the affordable home viewing experience has  improved immensely.

Regards

Peter Gillespie

[Alex]

> Does Apple has any experience in making a TV panel
They don't have to - anymore than they have to manufacture displays for their iPad3. Yet, iPad3's display has the highest resolution.

> I'm don't understand how today's panels could be though of as poor quality. In the space of a decade the affordable home viewing experience has improved immensely.
One just has to read reviews - as far as I can tell, there's no display on the market that doesn't have something wrong with it. Whether its fan noise, colourful blots, motion artifacts, power supplies, peeling film, etc. You could argue that this comes with the territory of being "affordable", ok, I agree, but as a customer I am not willing to shell out $2K on something that I know is faulty from factory. However, if I am wrong, please do point to one, and I'll buy it. Please!

Apple's GUI, I don't give a toss about (hopefully, it won't cripple basic functionality), but their insistance on overall high quality is what I am prepared to pay for.

Edited by Alex, 05 April 2012 - 10:19 AM.

[pgdownload]

Alex, on 05 April 2012 - 10:16 AM, said:

Yet, iPad3's display has the highest resolution.

Sort of a bit of a pointless resolution though. Higher than 1080p and on a 10" screen? Unfortunately, like cameras, apparently the more megapixels the 'better'.

Quote

I am not willing to shell out $2K on something that I know is faulty from factory

Its not a fault though, its expectation. People seem increasingly unwilling to accept even the most minor defects in products these days - and no I don't think that's because of consumer empowerment. It seems no matter how good something gets there's always going to be that last 1% that makes a unit 'not worth buying'. Ten years ago most of us were sitting around 4:3 SD 24" TVs watching various shows through static and ghosting. These days its 60" panels in crystal clear HD. Yet a few reports of slightly elevated greens or the like (by a review industry that pretty much relies on minor defects to produce paragraphs of 'insight').

All I'm suggesting is that you're probably going to be "very disheartened" a lot if you set the bar at 100%. $1500 will buy you an amazing TV. Plenty of places that will provide the chance to quickly swap a unit over if you find it has something unacceptable about it (most of the issues people report only affect a small percent of the total stock anyway).

Regards

Peter Gillespie

Edited by pgdownload, 05 April 2012 - 11:31 AM.

[Autocrat]

Presumably it'll follow the standard Apple business model: force you to get your content from itunes, won't work with Australian networks and be obsolete in 6 months.

Pass.

[jliang70]

Alex, on 05 April 2012 - 10:16 AM, said:

> Does Apple has any experience in making a TV panel They don't have to - anymore than they have to manufacture displays for their iPad3. Yet, iPad3's display has the highest resolution. > I'm don't understand how today's panels could be though of as poor quality. In the space of a decade the affordable home viewing experience has improved immensely. One just has to read reviews - as far as I can tell, there's no display on the market that doesn't have something wrong with it. Whether its fan noise, colourful blots, motion artifacts, power supplies, peeling film, etc. You could argue that this comes with the territory of being "affordable", ok, I agree, but as a customer I am not willing to shell out $2K on something that I know is faulty from factory. However, if I am wrong, please do point to one, and I'll buy it. Please! Apple's GUI, I don't give a toss about (hopefully, it won't cripple basic functionality), but their insistance on overall high quality is what I am prepared to pay for.

And how confident are you that Apple without any history in making a HD panel can somehow come up with that fautless HD TV panel ?  And base on people's problems their Ipod, Iphone and Ipad 1/2 I doubt any TV that apple come up with will have less problem than those from Samsung, Panasonic, Sony, LG or any other HD TV manufacturers.  Chance is quite high that Apple will just let those company make a panel for them and then badge it as an Apple TV.  If their insistance on overall high quality is a trade mark I am surprised to hear why there is so many complaints on their product that fail badly.

[Quark]

Autocrat, on 05 April 2012 - 11:09 AM, said:

Presumably it'll follow the standard Apple business model: force you to get your content from itunes, won't work with Australian networks and be obsolete in 6 months.

Pass.

I can only agree with the above.  Plus add the rest of the usual Apple modus operandi: charge a premium in Australia but offer less, plus compress the cr@p out of the content so it's an abomination.

Can't wait for the Apple fanbois to flock to it.

[Alex]

pgdownload, on 05 April 2012 - 11:05 AM, said:

Sort of a bit of a pointless resolution though. Higher than 1080p and on a 10" screen? Unfortunately, like cameras, apparently the more megapixels the 'better'.

Off-topic.. Actually, iPad3 is 266dpi, lowest-quality paper print is 300dpi. So, it's not on-par to paper yet, although, admittedly anti-aliasing using sub-pixel does alleviate it somewhat. 266dpi is bare minimum for Apple's intended new market for iPads - replacement of carriculum books; and, 266dpi is barely enough for me, but (luckily) I do have good vision.

Quote

most of the issues people report only affect a small percent of the total stock anyway

I think only a minority of people actually care.

Edited by Alex, 05 April 2012 - 01:02 PM.

[:)]

there'll always be apple fanboys and apple haters. what new, but putting that aside just talking about the tech worth waiting ? what else is worth waiting for OLED ? the second coming ? thing wiht this or anything else can always be waiting for the next latest and greatest. no matter what you buy be always something better around the corner.

at some stage have to bite the bullet...

in the case of this, to pass judgement youd have to see what actually eventuates otherwise just talking on a basis of hearsay and opinion.

as to apple displays they have been the best on laptops and note books for years in my experience. the new ipad display is pretty damn good too. does that mean a good tv display ? who knows....

[Alex]

:), on 05 April 2012 - 01:11 PM, said:

as to apple displays they have been the best on laptops and note books for years in my experience. the new ipad display is pretty damn good too. does that mean a good tv display ? who knows....

At work I use Dell U2711 (2560x1440), my colleague next to me uses Apple 27" iMac. Both use the same Samsung panel. The iMac has a reflective screen that the colleague is forced to adjust brightness for in order to mitigate reflection.
Would I trade-in my Dell for iMac's, heck no! However, can I fault iMac's workmanship and attention to details? Absolutely not and that's what Apple delivers most of the time.

Now, if (and a big if) the same would apply to Apple's TV, then I'll pay and I suspect most contrbutors on this forum will too. 'Cause, there's nothing better than getting expected performance, and nothing worse than getting a nasty surprise after the big box arrives, unpacked, plugged-in and then ... WTF!?!  Also, if there's something wrong, you don't have to jump through hoops to get it sorted.

Edited by Alex, 05 April 2012 - 04:43 PM.

[Owen]

I have a Dell U2711, its uses an IPS panel like almost all high end LCD monitors and is likely the same panel used in the 27" Apple monitor. LG/Philips hold the patent for IPS technology so its not made by Samsung.
Apple dont make anything as far as i know, they just put other manufacturers parts together in clever and stylish ways with an emphasis on good finish. A have a 1 year old Macbook Pro laptop and while its a very nice product and does what I need, the screen is not as good as my 4 year old Dell laptop. Apple dont offer performance that others cant at lower cost.

If Apple go with LCD for a TV product (almost a given) there is nothing they can do to "fix" the limitations in LCD technology, it will be an ordinary display.

[Alex]

Actually, I don't know what panel's in my U2711 until I open it up. Dell don't disclose their OEM and it makes no difference to my argument. (But I'll sleep better knowing that it's most likely LG and not Samsung.)

Owen, on 05 April 2012 - 10:33 PM, said:

If Apple go with LCD for a TV product (almost a given) there is nothing they can do to "fix" the limitations in LCD technology,

I wrote nothing anything about limitiations of (any) display technology. My issue is with (purchaseable) implementation.

Edited by Alex, 06 April 2012 - 09:26 AM.

[mmu16]

" Now, if (and a big if) the same would apply to Apple's TV, then I'll pay and I suspect most contrbutors on this forum will too. 'Cause, there's nothing better than getting expected performance, and nothing worse than getting a nasty surprise after the big box arrives, unpacked, plugged-in and then ... WTF!?! Also, if there's something wrong, you don't have to jump through hoops to get it sorted."

Yeah, don't worry, if anything does go wrong Apple will tell you that you aren't 'looking at it properly'.....

P.S - your 2k would probably get a 17" Apple TV mind you.....

[jsmith]

Alex, on 05 April 2012 - 06:39 AM, said:

I've been looking to buy a >55" (plasma/lcd) for a while but everytime I read reviews, I get very disheartened - (after Pioneer's plasma demise) looks like no manufacturer is interested in making quality displays.

Seems to me the only bright light is coming from Apple's supposed foray into TVs.

Move into the light my son...

Alex, on 05 April 2012 - 06:39 AM, said:

I know it'll carry the Apple tax but at least from Apple's history, quality will be among its highest priorities as their final products are always better than the components' manufacturers are able to do themselves.

Did you know Samsung actually make the screens for the iPad?

Alex, on 05 April 2012 - 06:39 AM, said:

Worth waiting for?

I don't think any apple product is worth waiting for, but others may disagree and choose to stand outside in George St at 3am waiting for the most expensive LCD ever.

JSmith

[puffyhuff]

I don't really see the point of this thread. You're asking if it'd be worth waiting for an Apple TV but when people tell you no, you get defensive.. A true Apple fanboy lol. It's cool tho. I love Apple too

[superpowerman]

No No No, never and won't think about Apple TV. Like Iphone VS Android, Android always win. So I will wait for Sony Google TV.