I need a new TV. Seeking any and all advice

Ogbar · Post by **Ogbar** » July 31, 2005, 10:09 pm

My old Sony tube just died (refuses to fire that ole electron beam at me), so I need a new one. I am thinking, well, not a tube, so I am considering LCDs and Plasmas ... or anything else you may recommend.

Some specs/desires
- My old tube is 25", and is not all that bad a size for the space I have. I am thinking 32" or 37" for this one, max
- 16x9 aspect ratio
- Might as well be HDTV ready.
- PC input is a nice to have, but not a gotta have.

The big thing is I want something that looks crisp for my DvD movies, and something that will last a while, something that won't have it's lifetime significantly shortened by the occassional "left on all night" syndrome (aka, the old falling asleep with the TV on deal). Any advise on technology and companies will be appreciated.

Thanks

Ransure · Post by **Ransure** » August 1, 2005, 12:11 am

Next month Sony is releasing a 32" LCD flat panel for 2k, its full HDTV resolution (1366x768) should have a slew of digital inputs, cable card technology and other fun stuff... Best 32" LCD bang for the buck.

KLVS32A10 is the model #. I have traditionally been a big fan of the Sharp Aquos LCD's, but this Sony is going to be a great deal.

Samsungs new EDTV (480p max res) 42" plasma is also a damn nice TV, its also right around 2k.

Let me know if you need any more info.

noel · Post by **noel** » August 1, 2005, 12:51 am

Is there a budget? Makes a big difference in what I'd recommend.

Thanks and good luck!

Fash · Post by **Fash** » August 1, 2005, 12:53 am

For quality sake, I recommend a HD CRT.... theres no good reason other than the size of the box to go with lcd or plasma... nothing rivals the clarity of a glass tube.

like this: http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSH ... KD34XBR960

Ogbar · Post by **Ogbar** » August 1, 2005, 10:59 am

noel wrote:Is there a budget? Makes a big difference in what I'd recommend.

Thanks and good luck!

Thanks!

I don't really have a hard budget. I'd like to maximize quality, and end up with a decent cost per year, that is, if one unit costs $2000 but would last only 10 years, and another costs $2500 but would last 15 years, I wouldn't be opposed to spending the extra on it because it makes for a sounder investment.

All things being equal, I'd like to spend in the $2000-$2500 range, but wouldn't be opposed to going into the $2500-$3000 range, and would even be willing to go into the $3000-$3500 range if there's a real nice payoff by doing so.

Ransure, thanks for the head's up on the Sony - I will check it out. I've heard from another source that the Samsung plasma is nice, and I noted the quality of the Sharp Aquos LCDs myself, yesterday. The Samsung and Panasonic LCDs also looked pretty nice.

Fash, I agree with you on the quality of the CRT, but I really don't want to buy another heavy beast. I concede it is the most cost effective solution, but I really want to move into a new technology area with this purchase.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » August 1, 2005, 11:36 am

Given the time frame you want it to last, I don't know that you would want to spend the extra cash to get a LCD\Plasma screen (yet). They're very cool, but I don't know that the longevity has increased to the point where it's a decent purchse for the home. Especially if it's going to be on for extended periods of time. When you start losing pixels in 4-5 years you'll be wanting a replacement, when the lower cost CRT would still have another 5-15 years of life.

Ogbar · Post by **Ogbar** » August 1, 2005, 1:01 pm

Aabidano wrote:Given the time frame you want it to last, I don't know that you would want to spend the extra cash to get a LCD\Plasma screen (yet). They're very cool, but I don't know that the longevity has increased to the point where it's a decent purchse for the home. Especially if it's going to be on for extended periods of time. When you start losing pixels in 4-5 years you'll be wanting a replacement, when the lower cost CRT would still have another 5-15 years of life.

I've heard estimates as low as 40K hours to as high as 60k hours for both plasmas and LCDs. Depending on daily usage, you could get into the 10-15 year range. For reference, 8 hours a day for 15 years is about 43800 hours. I would expect to be below that amount of daily usage, as a rule.

I was worried bout pixel errors on LCDs, but one of the salesdweebs (from Circuit City) seemed to indicate this was an acceptable condition for replacement if an extended warrenty was in place. Admittedly, I haven't done the research to confirm or deny this yet, but I was encouraged by this to at least keep looking at them. If I get serious about LCDs, this will obviously be an important consideration.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » August 1, 2005, 1:34 pm

LCDs tend to have very specific dead pixel policies. Make sure any agreement you purchase, specifically states that dead pixels = defective and how many dead pixels = defective.

Ogbar · Post by **Ogbar** » August 15, 2005, 12:13 pm

Ended up going with a Panasonic 26" LCD. With the extended warrenty, it has a fairly liberal dead pixel policy. I gave some serious consideration towards an old school tube, but I ultimately decided that now was not the time for the huge screen purchase, that I could get away with a smaller one that in time could migrate to another room, and that with the smaller size and price this LCD was a risk I could live with. It looks great, and am quite happy with it.

Thanks to all for the inputs.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » August 15, 2005, 1:39 pm

I helped my brother pick out a TV for his new house this weekend and ended up having to buy a 50" plasma due to size constraints and viewing angle issues. I didn't realize that LCDs and DLP rear projectors sucked so bad if you're not dead center in front of them.

The issue with my brother's TV viewing requirements is that he wanted to be able to see the TV from his bar as well as living room which presented some sharp viewing angles.

It seems the LCD TVs haven't caught up to the new panels being used for the dell 24" monitor with much better angles.*

After looking at all the TV's currently available I've concluded that front projectors are still the best image and bang for the buck. spend the extra 10K you would have needed to buy a decent big screen and buy yourself some window blinds if lighting is an issue!

*you should have no issues Oggy if you're viewing head on.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » August 15, 2005, 2:22 pm

didn't realize that LCDs and DLP rear projectors sucked so bad if you're not dead center in front of them.

Yeah, if you're dead in front of them, they are fantastic for the price. However, if you start going into various viewing angles, they start sucking bigtime. I'll probably end up going plasma as well for this exact reason.

Ogbar · Post by **Ogbar** » August 16, 2005, 10:08 am

Actually, I found the smaller ones to be pretty good at decent angles. In fact, I was beginning to wonder if they might be using that same newer lateral activation technology (or whatever it's called) that they have been using on new PC monitors. Or it could simply be that the "looking through a handful of straws" effect is less noticeable as you scale down the size of the screen. /shrug

But as you have indicated, it's a moot point, as at most one or two people will be watching this screen at a time, so it will be quite effective for that.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » August 16, 2005, 2:37 pm

Just saw a sweet projection screen at Best Buy of all places. They just got them in a week ago or so. It's the latest technology, so not only does it look good, it weighs 92lbs and eliminates the darkening as you angle away from the center. It was also unusually bright. I was extremely impressed, and I don't impress easily when it comes to the current TV sets.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp ... 8839101223

Also, the display set I saw was BLACK. I truely hope the silver sets are on thier way out. I can't stand them. Note the above also includes the stand. All in all, I think it's amoung the top in terms of bang for the buck. I hear there is a 60" set of the same make out there. I'll look for that later. I'm also pretty certian you can find a better deal on the same set somewhere online.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » August 18, 2005, 1:21 pm

$2264.00 total for the 61" set is a damn good deal. No stand included, but I would want to choose my own anyway. I'm seriously considering buying it...

http://www.bestpricecameras.com/194104-193606-2.html

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » August 18, 2005, 1:37 pm

would a 1080i picture be better than a 720p picture?

that 61" only goes up to 720p resolution.

Panasonic Plasma prices are dropping pretty precipitously. Circuit city is advertising a 42" plasma HDTV for around $2700 now after some rebates.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » August 18, 2005, 1:53 pm

I personally would stay away from bestpricecameras.com.

http://www.resellerratings.com/seller8754.html

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » August 18, 2005, 2:05 pm

The larger the TV, the more source dependant they will be in terms of picture quality. That goes for any set.

Marbus · Post by **Marbus** » August 18, 2005, 2:16 pm

Ogggie, now that you have a new TV we would love to see you fluffy again

Adex and I are playing now as well.

Marb

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » August 18, 2005, 3:45 pm

Voronwë wrote:would a 1080i picture be better than a 720p picture?

that 61" only goes up to 720p resolution.

Panasonic Plasma prices are dropping pretty precipitously. Circuit city is advertising a 42" plasma HDTV for around $2700 now after some rebates.

720P is fine. your HD hardware will convert 1080i to 720P and vice versa depending on what your TV is capable of. My Projector is 1280X720 (720P) and 1080i sources look fantastic on it.

In the future, 1080P (not 1080i) will be the standard for gaming consoles at least. As discussed on another thread, the Dell 24" LCD and very few others support this format so far.

Take this into account when deciding:

http://alvyray.com/DigitalTV/Naming_Proposal.htm

and this:

1080i vs. 720p

True HDTV programming is typically broadcast in one of two resolutions: 1080i or 720p. Most broadcast and cable networks have opted for the 1080i format, boasting that it provides the highest possible resolution, while ABC, Fox, and ESPN HD went for the smoother pictures of 720p. What's the real difference between the two? While 1080i technically offers the most lines of resolution, it's delivered in the old-style interlaced format, meaning that your TV set draws each frame in two passes: once for the even horizontal lines, and a second time for the odd lines. The 720p (progressive) format has fewer lines of information than 1080i but draws each frame in a single pass, delivering pictures that look slightly smoother than an interlaced image, especially when there's a lot of movement on the screen. Most videophiles agree that 720p is the superior format, despite 1080i's resolution advantage. For average viewers, however, it's hard to tell the difference.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » August 18, 2005, 3:52 pm

cool thanks for that info winnow