HDTVs

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Syenye
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HDTVs

Post by Syenye »

My rear projection Sony is dying. I bought it ~5 years ago, and I haven't really looked at TVs since. It's doubtful that I'll ever use 3D, but it looks like it's getting harder to find 2D only TVs. I'm mostly interested in picture quality. Do you guys have any recommendations?
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Boogahz »

Read a few articles that mentioned some pretty good price drops before the end of the year. I can't really comment on the different types that are available, but I might be in the market for a new one in December.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Funkmasterr »

I did pretty extensive research on LCD's before I bought mine last winter, and I decided on Panasonic. They were pretty consistently ranked the highest in user reviews. I have no complaints about mine (42" LCD), I like the controller, the picture is great and I've had absolutely zero issues with it. The sound is actually pretty damn good for a LCD, too.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Canelek »

Hard to find 2D TVs? News to me. The only cool thing about the recent 3D fad is that it is driving the 2D LED TVs down in price. I am waiting for the 55" Samsung LEDs to drop down to a reasonable price (~1200). May be a while yet. Keep in mind that if you decide on the 3D thing, you also will need to buy a 3D Blu Ray player (unless you have PS3) as well as new home theater receiver and HDMI cables, since the HDMI standard has changed (HDMI 1.2).

Also, plasma prices are totally low now. You can pick up a good 1080P Plasma for less than 1K!
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Kluden »

avsforum.com is your goto for this. They will help you decide the type of TV and size of tv for the room you want to use it in.

I'm shopping as well, but its hard to get rid of my DLP since it still works, and I don't have a secondary location to move it to. The consensus is pretty strong though, to not buy until closer to black friday, or just wait for black friday. There is an overproduction of LCD screens currently, so most are expecting great deals to lower stock, and stabalize prices thru the new year. So I'm waiting another month myself. Also, as always, i suggest buying anything major like this on whatever credit card gives you a free warranty increase (amex, visa signature, etc), unless you want the free financing from a best buy or other store.

You can see the fall pricing decrease in the plasma's Cane is talking about. 50" 1080p plasmas from Panasonic and Samsung are $900 right now (best buy and HH Gregg each have one at $899...although both are panasonics I think). That's a crazy good price for a screen that big at 1080p, in my opinion.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Syenye »

I've been looking at avsforum, but it's hard to wade through the massive amounts of info. I saw the bit about prices falling, but I have recurring nightmares about Black Friday. I'd rather pay extra and not have to wade through the crowds.

Have those of you with plasmas have any burn in problems? I tend to wander off and leave my TV paused for hours.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Winnow »

No one's actually recommended what kind of LCD to purchase.

Don't have time for proper post but:

Get one with LED back lighting (as opposed to older ccfl), preferably with local dimming (helps with blacks/contrast), also edge-lit LCDs.

The local dimming sets can be pretty expensive so, while those are better sets, prepare to shell out extra $$ for them.

LED back lighting and edge-lit LCDs should be something to look for though.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Kluden »

I don't think you will burn in your plasma if you do a break in cycle like they discuss on avsforum. Manufacturers say its not necessary to break in a plasma, but it won't hurt!

As far as LCD goes, LED is surely the way to go, but it all depends on your price range. Vizio has great priced TV's, especially since their latest and greatest high end (XVT 553 series) lacks 3D support. the new 3 series is 100% LED backlit with local dimming, and the 55" model can be had around $1600. Its top of the line, so you get wifi apps, 240hz refresh, led, local dimming, the works...just not 3D. Dell, Amazon, and Costco are your gotos for that model.

The 47" version actually has more dimming zones than the 55", and it costs less...you can probably get that for around $1200...again...dell, amazon, costco. these are still really new, so I doubt you will see many at your local costco just yet.

That's the biggest problem with the high end vizios...hard to find. But the latest ones (the 3 series) are at least all black, and don't have that stupid ass silver speaker bar on them...plus they are much thinner than their old models. Not as thin as Samsung...but they are half as expensive.

XVT553SV is the 55", and XVT473SV is the 47". Lots of stores have them online...and walmart lists them as available in stores...just not the ones by me!

There you go, some suggestions to chew up. Waiting doesn't hurt...you can always buy the week before black friday! haha

edit: one other suggestion is to NOT buy an LG. They have had, and continue to have, video to audio synch issues thru HDMI inputs. Its stupid, and they don't acknowledge it...hence you will find their LCD tv's slightly cheaper than the other name brands. You *must* run your HDMI sources thru an A/V reciever to get the audio/video synched properly. To me, that's unacceptable. If you always use an AV receiver anyways...guess it doesn't matter.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Syenye »

We had settled on the Sony HX909 LED-LCD, but the Panasonic VT25 plasma looks really good and is considerably cheaper. Our local Walmart doesn't sell the high end Vizio, and no Costco around here.

I was surprised at how much I liked the Panasonic plasma... is there a reason to go with LCD over plasma?
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Winnow »

Syenye wrote:We had settled on the Sony HX909 LED-LCD, but the Panasonic VT25 plasma looks really good and is considerably cheaper. Our local Walmart doesn't sell the high end Vizio, and no Costco around here.

I was surprised at how much I liked the Panasonic plasma... is there a reason to go with LCD over plasma?

If you plan on using it as a PC or gaming monitor, LCD. If it's purely for video then Plasma is fine. I prefer the longevity and more friendly (less burn-in worries and better PC/Gaming) on the LCD. Plasmas also dim over time.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Kluden »

I had a long reply typed out, then my PC crashed.

Summation: no real reason to get one over the other, all just subjective opinions and preferences.

LCD/LED is a brighter, more vibrant picture...so better for well it rooms. Plasma works best in darker rooms. Replacing a rear projection, your room was probably dark...plasma would work well there.

Plasma has less input lag, so I'm not sure what winnow is talking about with gaming being better. I think gaming on plasma is fantastic. Its also awesome on LCD :)

I don't like the 240hz refresh rate. Life does not look like a mexican soap opera. Each to his own, that's purely a personal preference.

You listed the two top models of each type of panel display. Either is going to work great for every purpose you have for it. Once you get to those top tier models, the picture quality and options are so great that the complaints of the different types of panel are forgotten, because at that price level, the performance of both is exceptional.

edit: to view those two models, I assume you have a high end audio/video store? or does best buy magnolia have those?
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Canelek »

LED>PLASMA>LCD

LED (rear-lit) is going to have better blacks.

Longevity will not be an issue for plasma, unless it is just a crappy TV. 60,000 hours is quite a lot!
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Kluden »

Don't talk crazy, plasma is black, LED LCD is still blocked light, so its not black. dimmed or not. Its not black. LED does produce a brighter white though, hence the contrast numbers. contrast measures black to white. not how bright, etc etc, but a good brightness helps a contrast number (and not those fake marketing ones).

So while there are some, very few that is, led lcd tv's that can achieve the contrast numbers a plasma can, they do not produce the same black level....yet.

That sony you listed, of course, would be one of those LED TV's that does such a damn good job it is the same contrast as a plasma.

I'm posting this for the other folks shopping that aren't in that upper price range. a sub $2k LED/LCD will not perform the same as a plasma in the contrast department.

Great point on longevity.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Canelek »

I was told the blacks are better than LED. Sorry if I posted bad infos!
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Winnow »

Lets not also overhype contrast. These days, even a 1,500 LCD set is going to have excellent contrast. At some point, it's the same as comparing 10000000 MTBF hours to Eleventybillion MTBF hours. The average viewer isn't going to notice unless in perfect studio settings.

That wasn't the case a few years ago but even my $1,600 46" Samsung from two years ago has blacks/contrast I have zero complaints about and that's not edge lit, LED backlighting, and nowhere near the local dimming contrast levels of today's sets.

I've been a big fan of LEDs in general since the mid 90's. I invested in a couple companies back then they were developing white LEDS with the focus of replacing standard house and street lights with LED solutions. It's taken longer than anticipated but LED is finally nearing affordability. I mention this because it does make me biased toward LED.

I love my 27" LED backlit iMac display. Part of that is the high pixel density of fitting 2560 x 1440 pixels in a 27" display. It looks awesome the same way the iPhone Retina diplays look awesome for their high pixel density. I can run full 1920x1200 Windows 7 VM's in windowed mode that don't take over my whole screen. When I play Avatar on my iMac in 1920x1080p at 17082 Kbps, I go into holy fucking shit mode. Some people think 720p looks fine, Some people even think DVD quality looks fine (or a fucking Wii res). Take a look at a high bit rate 1920x1080p on a quality display and even tech morons should be able to tell the difference. There's always room for improvement. 1920x1080p native res looks small when displayed on my 2560x1440 monitor. I can only imagine what a native 2560x1440 high bit rate movie would look like that I wouldn't have to blow up on my screen.

Getting back to the topic. It matters what you're throwing up on your new HDTV screen. Flip between FOX and CBS sporting events. Lame ass FOX uses 720P which is so inferior to CBS's 1080 solution. If you have a quality set, it does make a difference...hell even with a cheap HD set. Be wary of compression. DirecTV has always been known for half-assing their HD and compressing channels. When it comes to cable as well, the OTA (over the air) HD signal for a local channel (ABS/NBC/CBS/FOX/PBS) always looks better than the version given you via the cable and definitely better then DTV's offering.

Last point. Build quality matters! While I love my Samsung, all you need to do is look a few posts down on this thread to see that I've I've had to replace capacitors multiple times on my TV. Beyond the hardware, the firmware matters more on today's TVs as well. I've replaces the firmware on my Samsung a few times. It originally would make loud shreeking noises if I left the TV's speakers on and switched to component or HDMI inputs, using alternate audio. Updating the firmware solved this but it wasn't something your average owner would do...had to download zip file, please on USB thumb, go through some reboots on the TV etc. If you're not up for doing shit like that, then getting a TV that had good reports on AV Forums...and taking a LONG time to read up on your targeted HDTV on that forum would be beneficial to you in the long run.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Kluden »

So, its Sunday morning, I'm assuming you and your man went and bought up a TV before the games...which did you buy, Syenye? Pics of the install will help this out.

There's a lot of good information in this thread, and LED is clearly the way of the future with TV's. Now, if we could all just find some money for a new tv as well...
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Syenye »

We haven't bought anything! I'm definitely leaning towards the Panasonic, because for the price, it's a much better TV in my opinion.

The problem with our old rear projection is that the HDMI inputs have gotten finicky, so it will work with the 360 and only sometimes. It no longer works with the TiVo. The workaround is to either change inputs, which can require the pushing of up to three buttons, or to buy a component cable for the 360 ($5). My solution was to buy a new TV where all of the HDMI inputs work, and I am now feeling some sort of pre-buyer's remorse.

The 3D on the Panasonic was quite impressive though. I didn't think I'd like it, but I did, but Canelek pointed out that I'd need a new receiver. So maybe I could just buy an upconverting receiver, and I'd be back to only pushing one button to change inputs.

So, in summary, I can spend ~$2400 on a new TV, ~$500 on a new receiver (I haven't really looked at prices/models), ~$5 on a new cable, or continue to push multiple buttons. I kind of fell in love with the Panasonic and the idea of getting something shiny and new before I really thought this through. What's on the horizon for TV technology? My husband wants to wait for an OLED, but then it will be years before we get anything new. Is there a reason to wait, other than falling prices?
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Boogahz »

Wouldn't you also need to buy $70 - $100 glasses for the 3D?
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Syenye »

The Panasonic plasma comes with 2-3 pairs of glasses and a 3D Bluray player. I'm pretty much losing money if I don't buy it!
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Kluden »

I'm pretty much losing money if I don't buy it!
That's exactly why I'm looking for a new TV! There's relatively nothing wrong with my DLP, but...but...free stuff, its like losing money not buying it! hahaha

OLED is still forever away. Sony seems to be the only electronics company to care about it, ie. doing any R&D on it, publicly. They showed a 3D OLED tv this year. Sony 3d OLED While its available and used in short term type electronics (pda's, phones, etc), OLED in TV for mass market I would guess is still 5 years out. And that's solely based on Sony being the only public one doing anything about it. Plus, you got to figure, with TV technology, these companies love to bleed out improvements, rather than giving the public everything at once...they have to continue the milk money out of us process that serves them so well. So, once full LED backlit TV's with local dimming are the norm, you will see OLED on the market for the high end.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Syenye »

Update: We got the Panasonic VT25. Our set up is nothing special, and we haven't even tried the 3D yet, but the picture is a huge improvement over our old rear projection. I'm quite happy with it.

My two primary concerns were glare and the soap opera effect, but neither of those things has really been a problem thus far. I do get a little bit of buzzing, but only if I turn to the side and there is no sound or it's very quiet. My husband can't hear it, so it could be all in my head.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Marbus »

I upgraded from a 37" LCD to a 42" LG Plasma and love it! The refresh is much faster than even the fastest LCDs and they are actually cheaper. Yea over time they tend to fade but based upon our watch patterns that will be 7 years at least... I'm sure I'll want a new TV by then :)

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Re: HDTVs

Post by Dregor Thule »

Am looking into picking up a TV myself. I don't want to have to order it online, so been checking out the local stores websites (Bestbuy, Future Shop, Tigerdirect). Price range is probably up to 800$ or so with tax. I was looking at the Vizio M420NV (http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/ ... CatId=5989). I don't need a huge TV, it'll be a bedroom set, used for gaming and dvd/bluray. The price on this one seems really good for the size and the generally positive ratings it gets, but I'm no expert on TVs so thought I'd toss it out to you guys.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Kluden »

I was coming here to search this thread out, because my DLP is starting to die it would appear.

I'm going to be shopping for a plasma it would appear due to cost to value ratio. The VT25 or G25 are being discounted to very nice price levels thanks to the incoming .30 lineup. So I'll probably just do that.

As for your bedroom/smaller TV, I would go with whatever 40" 1080p 120hz LED you can get cheapest :) When I'm at the stores, the pictures on the samsungs and sony's always look the best to me on the 40" TV's. Then again, that could totally be the store's fault for not hooking up certain brands and setting up the TV properly...
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Dregor Thule »

Yeah, I ended up getting a 40" Sony Bravia EX500 for a steal from the Source. Avsforum had it listed as one of the best for that price range in terms of gaming, and at ~$560 before tax/extended warranty it was a bit of a no brainer. Love it so far, picture looks great, and 40" is plenty big enough for a bedroom.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Fairweather Pure »

I'm fucking dieing here. I've had a Sharp-Aquos 70" LED LCD 120hz in my basket for the past 4 hours and just cannot decide if I should pull the trigger or not. It has great reviews, and the sale price is amazing, but I'm completely unsure if the set would simply be too big. I've checked seating distance and viewing angles and it all looks great on paper, but dealing with a possible return with an online retailer makes me nervous as he'll if it turns out to be way too fucking big.

Gah! I keep going back and forth... Gaming would be great. HD content would be great. SD content would look pretty poor though. It would also take up more space in front of my wall of windows (facing woods, I'm not white trash!), but I am still worried about the aesthetics of a TV that big in my living room.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Canelek »

70" would require a pretty big fucking room! What is the price on it?

I am going to buy a 55" LED for my basement when it is remodeled. Pretty kickass room with custom bar, and 55" will be the right size!
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Fairweather Pure »

1,899$

It's a good deal!

Edit: My budget is 3k max, but would rather not spend that much. I don't need a stand or cables, everything is good to go.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Canelek »

Wow, that is a killer deal. how big is the room though? I figure you'd need to be about 20' away to make the screen size comfortable on the eyes!
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Fairweather Pure »

I would be sitting 18' away. Like I said, on paper it all works out. Reality might be a bit of a shock (but could also be shocking in a great way!).
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Canelek »

You should be ok. I bounced the question off of a coworker and got back 20' for THX standard, give or take.

It will be tight, but I doubt you will regret buying a sub-2K BIGASS TV! Aquos has pretty good rep, IIRC. If it has all the Netflix, etc shit that is a pretty swingin' deal.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Fairweather Pure »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTgu9i7b ... ata_player

YouTube review. AVS has nothing but good to say about it too, which really makes me feel better. I think I'll measure the area again, perhaps cut out a 70" piece of cardboard as a test. I don't want my wife to flip out when she sees it, lol.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Kluden »

my way of thinking has always been, buy the biggest TV your budget allows, with the quality your require. I know sharp has been clawing their way back into the hearts of HD enthusiasts, but I don't own one so couldn't tell you worth of the set, regardless of price, because I don't know the quality first hand.

edit: that cardboard idea is great!
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Canelek »

Indeed. Good call on the cardboard!

The size-perception seems much, much bigger side by side with a 60". This year's 70" market explosion has reached the retailers like Costco, Best Buy, etc...the damn things stick out!
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Xouqoa »

Fairweather Pure wrote:I'm fucking dieing here. I've had a Sharp-Aquos 70" LED LCD 120hz in my basket for the past 4 hours and just cannot decide if I should pull the trigger or not. It has great reviews, and the sale price is amazing, but I'm completely unsure if the set would simply be too big. I've checked seating distance and viewing angles and it all looks great on paper, but dealing with a possible return with an online retailer makes me nervous as he'll if it turns out to be way too fucking big.

Gah! I keep going back and forth... Gaming would be great. HD content would be great. SD content would look pretty poor though. It would also take up more space in front of my wall of windows (facing woods, I'm not white trash!), but I am still worried about the aesthetics of a TV that big in my living room.
I just picked up a Sharp Aquos 60" edge lit LED (240) from Costco for $1349 ... gets here Saturday. Upgrading from a rear projection, so it should be pretty nice.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Fairweather Pure »

Xouqoa wrote:
Fairweather Pure wrote:I'm fucking dieing here. I've had a Sharp-Aquos 70" LED LCD 120hz in my basket for the past 4 hours and just cannot decide if I should pull the trigger or not. It has great reviews, and the sale price is amazing, but I'm completely unsure if the set would simply be too big. I've checked seating distance and viewing angles and it all looks great on paper, but dealing with a possible return with an online retailer makes me nervous as he'll if it turns out to be way too fucking big.

Gah! I keep going back and forth... Gaming would be great. HD content would be great. SD content would look pretty poor though. It would also take up more space in front of my wall of windows (facing woods, I'm not white trash!), but I am still worried about the aesthetics of a TV that big in my living room.
I just picked up a Sharp Aquos 60" edge lit LED (240) from Costco for $1349 ... gets here Saturday. Upgrading from a rear projection, so it should be pretty nice.
Lol, I've been tracking that sale all day. That is a pretty sweet deal. I'll also be upgrading from a 56" HDLP that had it's lamp burn out after 4 years. I have a replacement otw that should be here before the weekend. We would have todo some TV shuffling, but it would all work out in the end. Or... I may skip it altogether and ride my set fir another 3-4 years. I do like my DLP, but tech has come a very long way in 4 years time.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Xouqoa »

Fairweather Pure wrote:Lol, I've been tracking that sale all day. That is a pretty sweet deal. I'll also be upgrading from a 56" HDLP that had it's lamp burn out after 4 years. I have a replacement otw that should be here before the weekend. We would have todo some TV shuffling, but it would all work out in the end. Or... I may skip it altogether and ride my set fir another 3-4 years. I do like my DLP, but tech has come a very long way in 4 years time.
I just got it, and it is awesome. My only complaint is that it makes movies look as if you are sitting right behind the camera. Before there was always a certain crispness which was lacking, and made it LOOK like a movie. Now, sometimes it looks like I am watching a home video with some special effects. It really alters the picture, but it is soooooooooooooo clear and "Sharp" (har har) I love it. The brightness is much better than on my rear projection, too. I can watch stuff with the sun up (skylights) and actually see it.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Fairweather Pure »

Pulled the trigger on a Sharp-Aquos 70" LED LCD 240hz 3D set today. It was totally an impulse buy. It will be delivered next Friday. Reviews to follow. (I fucking knew I posted about this previously somewhere!)
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Fairweather Pure »

Trying to find glasses for a 3D TV is a fucking nightmare. I had no idea there was no standard and most glasses only work with particular manufacturers, model numbers, or model years. What a mess.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Kluden »

Actually, all the new TV's from the big names are utilizing the non powered 3D glasses, ie what you get at the theatre. My 3D set has the powered glasses, it is a pain and a worry that they will break at over 100 a piece.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Fairweather Pure »

Kluden wrote:Actually, all the new TV's from the big names are utilizing the non powered 3D glasses, ie what you get at the theatre. My 3D set has the powered glasses, it is a pain and a worry that they will break at over 100 a piece.
The benefits of passive over active are that the glasses are cheaper and somewhat lighter but at the cost of inferior 3D (loss of detail, specifically). Like I said though, 3D was not even on the radar when I chose this TV. It's a gimmick and I will treat it as such now that I have it. Until 3D doesn't require glasses at all, it will remain rather unimportant to me in the grand scheme of things. However, I remain pretty excited about the gaming aspect of it. Apparently I already own 20 3D games! WHo would've known? Not me apparently! Lots of things I never would have even given a second thought to having 3D has it included. Games like Ico/Shadow of the Colossus HD, the God of War PSP HD collection, and things like that. It also seems as though my gaming backlog may actually have worked to my benefit because Uncharted 3, Arkham City, Resistance 3, Killzone 3, Modern Warfare 3, and a host of other newer games have 3D as well. I understand that some implement the 3D better than others, but I look forward to checking them all out for myself. Next generation of consoles should utilize the tech significantly better.

I was happy to learn that Comcast has a 3D channel, ESPN 3D, and a host of movies in full 3D all included in my regular price!

My glasses, some movies, and a few new games arrive in the mail today and the TV gets here tomorrow. I'm pretty giddy! I've already moved and prepped my electronics in anticipation of the set. I've even consolidated my games into one spot from several locations in the house. I'm trying to figure out a better storage solution, but for now they will sit on my kid's table that I am refurbishing for a Lego specific play area. (it's not done yet!) I took pics so I could count my games while at work and look around online for something tasteful to put them in.

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Re: HDTVs

Post by Kluden »

3D gaming gets the most use from my tv. Its great!
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Fairweather Pure »

It has arrived. It is huge. It is awesome. I am at work :(
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Fairweather Pure »

3D gaming is indeed fun. It really can add a great deal to the game if done properly. Wipeout is goddamn amazing. Motorstorm is also extremely well done.

On the movie side, my kids could give a shit less about 3D. It's a good thing I held off on getting some 3D movies for them. What is available through Comcast is more than enough. I will purchase my future Blu Rays in 3D when I can. Television looks great too. This was a fantastic purchase. Next up is a new reciever and 7.2 surround. I'll likely wait a couple of months on that though. We have some vacations coming up that will likely rape our "fun money" account.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Leonaerd »

3D
new receiver
7.2 surround
vacations
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Fairweather Pure »

A thing occurred to me last night as the wife and I were getting ready to play House of the Dead: Overkill Extended Cut on the PS3. It took an abnormal amount of time just to set up and get playing. It also took an abnormal amount of gadgets and technology to get the full experience out of the game.

Pic of my kids and the gear(No, they don't play this game. But they do play The Shoot, terribly)
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However, once it was set up House of the Dead was an absolute joy to play with the guns, glasses, and 3D. I felt like a child again. Literally, I felt like I was 10yrs old. It was better than anything I have ever seen or played in an arcade, and it was right there in my living room. I'm having a party at my place in 2 weeks and this thing is going to drop jaws it is so much fun. All of the tech working together makes the game so much better IMO. Once everything is set up and in place, the technology is absolutely inspiring, turning House of the Dead from a mere game into an experience.

All in all, I am not a huge fan of 3D in movies but with video games it takes things to a whole other level! I want to play everything in 3D!
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Canelek »

Are the 3D TVs in the standard HDMI format? If so, that would suck pretty hard to have to replace home theater gear! I find it baffling how much TV manufacturers spend on improving their onboard audio, while I figure that most folks that will dish out the cash for a bigass TV likely would be using superior audio from even a low-end receiver.

Nice looking screen, Fair. At that size, you should be able to take advantage of 3D far better than at screens in the 42-55in range.

Vacations won for me this year--maybe next year I'll replace the 42" Plasma....
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Zaelath »

Canelek wrote:Are the 3D TVs in the standard HDMI format? If so, that would suck pretty hard to have to replace home theater gear! I find it baffling how much TV manufacturers spend on improving their onboard audio, while I figure that most folks that will dish out the cash for a bigass TV likely would be using superior audio from even a low-end receiver.
My Samsung LED TV is capable of doing the news through it's own speakers, but anything that has the slightest amount of bass in the signal is a horror show of rattling that I would expect is completely unavoidable in a TV that's all of an inch thick.

Was enough to encourage me to get a cheap Yamaha amp that also handles all the HDMI shenanigans for me w/ the PS3 etc as well, so win/win.

That said, I'm glad the TV has decent speakers for the morning news over coffee time. :)

BTW, Fair's kids are super cute, I think he should get some DNA testing done.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Stonie »

http://www.pcworld.com/article/257838/s ... n_buy.html
Sharp's New 90-Inch Set Is the Biggest LED HDTV You Can Buy

Sharp has the HDTV market cornered in terms of absolutely huge sets, with its latest entry being the 90-inch, LED-backlit, Wi-Fi-enabled LC-90LE745U.

By Tim Moynihan Jun 18, 2012 3:49 PM


At this year's CES, Sharp emphasized sheer size with its 2012 HDTV lineup. Now it has an even bigger addition to go along with the 60-inch, 70-inch, and 80-inch sets announced earlier in the year, as the company unveiled its new 90-inch Aquos LC-90LE745U model at an event in New York City today.
The new 90-incher is a 1080p LED-backlit set (without local dimming, although demo videos at the event showed impressive black levels) with active-shutter 3D playback, a 120Hz refresh rate, and Sharp's "Aquos Motion 240" motion-enhancement technology for fast-moving images. The Wi-Fi-enabled set also has the usual range of connected features (Netflix, Vudu, Hulu Plus, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook).

There's also an "Aquos Advantage Live" feature that's found in other connected Sharp sets in 2012, and it sounds a bit like a remote PC-support tool. It allows a staff of technicians to troubleshoot your set remotely over a Web connection, access settings, and adjust them accordingly.


Sharp's 90-inch set (left), next to a 55-inch model.

Weighing 141 pounds, the 90-inch set is about 5 inches deep and has a 1-inch-thick aluminum bezel. Despite its size and its 500-LED backlighting array, Sharp is touting the set as very energy-efficient, claiming that it will add only $28 to your energy bill over the course of a year.
With a screen size that's about three times larger than a 55-inch set, the LC-90LE745U absolutely dwarfed the fairly large HDTVs that were set up next to it at the event. I watched the TV from a couch about 7 feet away, and I wasn't able to see the lines of resolution. From that distance, watching movies on the TV felt a lot like sitting in the tenth row of a movie theater; it's more immersive than your normal TV-viewing experience, but the picture also looks brighter and sharper than your average cinema screen.


The 90-inch Sharp HDTV looks brighter and sharper than your average movie screen.

Sharp is billing the LC-90LE745U as the "world's largest LED set"--and the price of admission is also huge. The HDTV will cost you a staggering $10,999, and it is shipping immediately. If you have that kind of cash and living-room space, you can pick one up soon at Magnolia Audio Video, HHGregg, or P.C.

Whew, $11k.
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Re: HDTVs

Post by Winnow »

I wanted to replace my 24" monitor and decided to just go ahead and buy another 46" LED TV. I researched and settled on buying a Samsung despite my previous capacitor issues with my Samsung TV.


After viewing a fuckload of TVs in person, I was close to buying one of the es7500 or es8000 models that run $1800-2200 for a 46 inch model because the bezel is so thin, making the tv look so cool. I did some more research and finally decided to just get an ES6500 46" Samsung which almost has as thin a bezel. This model shares the edge lit LED back lighting and great picture of the more expensive models but lack fancy remote, motion controls and webcam (shit I don't care about).

The TV is super thin and has an awesome picture but you need to do some serious tweaking to get the picture to look good. Out of box, it's a mess. On the AVS Forums, I found someone who took the time to calibrate it and used their settings. After the adjustments, it looks awesome.

I found the TV on sale for 1,099 at Best Buy which, for it's class, is a great deal if your main interest is picture quality. I told the sales dude I'd take one and he went to check inventory and said he had an open box that was just returned. I'm not one to buy open box electronics (like never) but he offered 200.00 off the price. I checked over the TV and asked why it was returned and he said the guy wasn't happy with the black levels (guessing the guy had no clue about calibration as it has great blacks). I wanted to make sure there was no clouding issues or flashlighting. For 899 I got an great deal on the TV.

Some points:

Edge lit LED TV has very little heat generation and super low power requirements.

Color is amazing after calibration. Also, 1080P Watchmen looked awesome after calibration...before calibration the sharpness was way too high with noise in the picture.

Built in wireless is nice but also not a big deal for me since my PC is connected to the TV.

It's 3D but I don't care. It came with two pair of active 3D glasses. I tried it out. It's OK but no way I'll use it more than on the rare occasion. It's also a SMART TV...don't care. Some cool apps, but overall it's a waste and unused since my PC is connected to the TV.

I ended up adding the new TV as a third monitor powered by my new GTX670 video card so I have the 24" 1920x1200 and two 46" 1920x1080 monitors with my 27" iMac off to the side. I'm thinking having three of these TVs with their thin bezels as a PC setup would be pretty nice. I'd be tempted to pick up two more if I could get them for 899 again.

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The best HD source I've seen so far comes from a Samsung app, "Viki TV" which streams Korean TV shows and movies with english (and other languages) subs. With proper calibration, most of the noise filters, etc are all turned off with just some low level motion control.

If I ever want to see a 120" picture I can just turn on my HD projector. I'm ready for football season!

Biggest tip for new TV owners is to take the time to calibrate your TV. Most TVs look like shit (compared to their potential) out of the box.
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