Resolution Question

Hi everyone,

I'm guessing this has been asked before, so no flaming.

I'm looking into my first laptop as an HP 15.6 inch somewhere in the higher 6 series.

My last decision to make is about screen resolution.

1366x768 or 1920x1080.

My primary desire for high-end resolution is b/c I plan to watch a lot of blu-rays while traveling.

That said, is the 1080 resolution going to be too much/unnecessary?
I LOVE the difference in picture b/c standard def DVDs and blu-rays on my TV, but don't know if the same difference will be noticeable on a laptop that small.

I am not interested in a 17.3 inch model for portability issues.

Any help you can offer would be great!

 

1366x768 is too low of a resolution for a 15.6" screen.

 

Definitely go with the 1920x1080 display.

The primary reason is because it allows you to fit more onscreen at a time. 15.6" 1366x768 displays hinder productivity and multitasking by making things onscreen very large. 1366x768 is the same resolution as is used in much smaller screens. The screen resolution tends to affect you more overall than most other specs because it affects everything you do.

Not only does the higher resolution let you fit more onscreen at a time, it also has much better image quality. 15.6" 1366x768 displays tend to have very poor contrast and very poor dark-color viewing angles. The reason blu-rays will look better is primarily because of the better contrast and dark-color viewing angles, not necessarily because of the higher pixel count.

 

If you plan to watch a lot of blu rays then a FHD screen is a no brainer.IMO, the choice between 768p & 1080p would finally end up in the content that you wish to throw at your system.If SD & 720p movies,med-high end gaming and minimalistic multi tasking are your thing then a 720p screen showuld suffice.

The viewing angles,the wide gamut,color-contrast ratio are noticebly better on the FHD screen.I am guessing its a matte 1080p display,so outdoor viewing would be possible.Glossy implies little to no chance of outdoor viewing.

Blu ray quality viewing would definitely warrant the FHD screen & there WILL be a noticeable difference.Go for it.

 

I've read some things about text being extremely small in 1080p on a 15.6 inch laptop.

Is this true? My eyesight isn't all that hot.

 

you can always zoom in or increase the dpi.

 

All it says is:15.6" Full HD HP Anti-glare LED (1920 x 1080)

 

It's matte, yes.

 

Do I need to upgrade to a discrete graphics card for watching a lot of HD/Blu-ray video? Or will the integrated Intel 3000 be enough?

What about processors...will an i5 be enough? Or should I purchase an i7 to ensure the machine is still relevant (CPU-wise) in a few years?

 

Not necessarily.the Intel HD will do just finr for viewing HD content on your 1080p screen.3D gaming is a whole different matter.Since you havent mentioned it in your posts,I will asssume you are not that serious of a gamer(not even a casual one).the Intel HD would suffice in your case.

If you want a little more future proofing you can go for the Quad Core i7,the i5 might be handle to handle most,if not, all the tasks which you throw at it,quite admirably.But then,quad cores are kind of the future,you know ?

 

Thanks for the reply....I have one more (I hope) question:

If it might be wise to future proof and go with an i7; would it be just as wise to go with a dedicated video card as well for the same reason?

 

Like I said before,it depends on what you will be using your laptop for.If you plan on doing nothing which involves 3D graphic intensive activity,then I dont see you needing the GPU .

However,if you find yourself wanting to take your laptop on a gaming spin sometime in the future ,the lack of a GPU will definitely be an issue.Barring budget constraints,a GPU might be useful,not in terms of future proofing as such but more in terms of an added feature.