what TV will work best in a large room with a lot of light

[gcappo1]

I'm just starting to build my first home theater. I am a novice.

The room is 16 feet wide x 25 feet deep. There are two large picture windows. The windows have blinds in them but they do not darken the room completely. The room gets some light from two adjacent rooms as well.

I'm concerned about:
- correct screen size
- proper brightness for the room size
- viewing angle for individuals that are sitting along the sides of the room.

I have four family members that will use it extensively. Keeping them happy is more important than the cost. I would appreciate any recommendations.

[edtyct]

Since you'll probably be sitting further back than 10 ft. in this fairly large bright room, you can get a big display (over 55" if you want). Under other circumstances, a front projector might work, but in your environment, which is bright and family-oriented, front projection would be too labor-intensive and fussy.

Where exactly the windows are in relation to the screen matters. If they're facing the screen, glare can be a bigger problem than if they're behind it. Assuming brightness to be a fairly constant feature of the room and viewing habits, the obvious choice would be an LCD or LCos set, which are inherently bright enough to stand up to a lot of light. Both LCD and LCoS are expensive propositions. You can hang LCD on the wall, but it doesn't get a big as rear projection sets like LCos or DLP. Plasma is certainly another expensive, and large, option that will go on the wall and generate enough light on its own to handle a certain amount of room light. Plasmas also tend to have better viewing angles than the other fixed-pixel displays that I mentioned. Makers of LCD and DLP sets like to tout wide viewing angles, and, in a sense, they're right. After all, kids and adults who don't care all that much can still make out a picture when they aren't seated within the sweet spot, but most of the enthusiasts at sites like this one wouldn't be happy with what they saw outside a viewing angle of 100 degrees or so. Plasma is better when it comes to vertical viewing allowance as well, but eye level pays dividends with every one of these sets.

That's a basic primer in what's available and seems to make sense for you. There's much more to say about the various advantages and disadvantages that all of these displays offer. But you would seem to require big and bright, first and foremost. If you want to fill out the profile a little more, I'm sure that we can accommodate you. One more thing: CRT purists abound in these final days of this tried and true technology, which has strengths that fixed-pixels can't always match. The prices for rear projection CRTs is low at this point, but I'm not sure that CRT would be right for you, since it loses its edge in the very conditions that you present.

Ed

[gcappo1]

Hi Ed,

I filled out the rest of the profile. Please let me know if you need anything else.
Thanks
Greg

[edtyct]

Greg,

If you have any questions about particular types of TV, or general questions about how to proceed, I'd be happy to make suggestions. Since money doesn't seem to be a huge constraint for you, and your home theater space is big and open, you're in a great buying position. All of the technologies that I mentioned have their strengths and weaknesses--to some extent based on the kinds of material that your family will be watching. If informal TV watching is the main goal--sports, network, the occasional film, HD material, etc.--often by the light of day or by lamplight, then the bright fixed-pixel displays would be appropriate for you. A predominantly dark theater intended for DVDs or other film sources might incline toward strategies that feel a little remote and obtrusive to a family that basically wants to plug and play. A display that has to compete with a lot of other activities in the same room isn't always conducive to the kind of HT that film enthusiasts often prefer. But a TV that can deliver a sharp HD picture from Discovery, ESPN, PBS, HBO, etc. is generally welcome at anyone's house.

Another question is how state of the art you want to be. Are you interested in the cool factor of a TV that hangs on the wall? If so, you might have to rethink your speaker configuration, unless you can put your center channel underneath the screen. If your TV is to sit on a table, or fit in a cabinet, it can still keep a relatively low profile these days. Do you want bragging rights for native resolution or the latest technology at any cost? Do you want to connect a computer to your TV and browse the web etc.?

What vaguely or specifically do you envision for the hardware and viewing conditions of your HT? You'll probably accumulate lots of opinions if you give us a few leads. This is the fun part.

Ed

[gcappo1]

Hi Ed,

Here's some additional information.
Home Theater Room
- The TV will be on the south wall (no wall space limitations)
- The two picture windows are on the east wall (one at the southeast end and one at the northeast end)
- There is an open doorway (no door) to the hall on the west wall (at the south west end)
- There is an open doorway (no door) to the kitchen on the north wall (at the northeast end)
- There are 3 Sonance symphony 623T (rectangular) speakers in the south wall where the TV will go (left, center and right) + a connection for a sub-woofer
- There are 4 Sonance symphony 623T(??) (round) speakers in the ceiling at the mid to north end of the room
- That's it for equpment. Nothing is connected (The A/V store that installed the components went out of business)
- The family will watch cable or Satellite + DVDs + Music Videos
- The cool factor is not important
- I don't have plans use a PC on it. There are PC connections throughout the house in other room.

Here's a diagram of the room:
S = speaker - - W = window - - D = open doorway - - TV = Television Screen

South Wall

|------ S ------ S ------ S ------|
|...............TV................. D
|.....................................D
W..................................D
|.....................................|
|........S............... S........|
|.....................................|
|.....................................|
W..................................|
|........S............... S........|
|.....................................|
| DDD ----------------------------|

North Wall

Does it matter whether I go with Cable or Satellite? The viewers are my wife, her mother and two teenagers (one boy and one girl)

[edtyct]

Greg,

How many feet into the room will the serious-viewing area be? Will a couch fall between the two pairs of ceiling surrounds, or in the center of the southernmost pair (which would seem to be optimal for a seven-channel configuration)? I would recommend that it not be against the north wall, for audio and video reasons. Do you plan to have the electronics (amplifier/receivers/DVD player, etc.) on the same wall as the TV--center, right, or left? Do you have room under the three front speakers for a wall-mounted display roughly at eye level?

Cable or satellite is your call--from my standpoint, anyway--based on price, features (like Tivo or DVR capability), and programming. Many people follow HD programming; whichever has the most gets their vote. Once you've seen HD, it's hard to watch anything else for a while. With a dish, you need a clear path to the satellite in the sky, as well as the will and freedom to install it on your roof, on the house, or in your yard. Some people do it themselves; I recommend an installer if you go that route. Once upon a time, the satellite companies could portray themselves as the counterculture in a cable-monopolized world. I have a hard time seeing it that way any more, given the ownership that both have these days. If you choose cable, threatening a switch to satellite will often get you a better deal (personal experience).

Depending on your answers to the questions in the first paragraph, I'm leaning toward a wall-mounted, large LCD or plasma. If you'd prefer an RPTV that sits on the floor, table, or equipment rack, the possibilities are greater, but I'd be happy to explore them in more detail if you'd like. I'm sure that other people will have good ideas for you as well.

Ed

[topspeed]

First off, listen to Ed. The man knows his stuff.

As for your question, I was faced with much the same problem as the entire side wall and back wall of my LR is pretty much all glass. Bright is an understatement. Because of this, CRT rptv's and projectors were ruled out. Therefore, we are forced to dive into the alphabet soup world of LCD, DLP, DLP2+, LCoS, DILA, etc. Along with plasma, all of these technologies have their own set of pros and cons. Here are some of the more notable:

Plasma
Pro: Great viewing angles, bright, great contrast, good blacks, hang on the wall, cool factor
Con: Possible burn-in issues, life expectancy, run hot, big ones are expensive, if a few pixels go bye-bye, too bad so sad; you're screwed.

LCD
Pro: Good whites, decent contrast, hang on the wall, relatively inexpensive, lots of choices
Con: Screen door effect (especially on images with lots of action like, say...a football game), not the best blacks, lesser models prone to artifacts

DLP
Pro: Blacks to rival plasma, good contrast, relatively inexpensive, lots of choices, good brightness (except Mits because of their wierd anti-glare screens)
Con: Rainbow effect (which you may or may not be immune to), lesser models prone to artifacts

LCoS/DILA
Pro: Bright enough to give the viewer a tan, smooth & punchy image, good contrast
Cons: Blacks not as good as DLP

That's the Reader's Digest version of the new technologies. Before I bought mine, I watched the Rose Bowl on my buddies Sony LCD and the dreaded SDE just ruined it. I couldn't see the rainbows on either the Mits or LG DLP sets (stay away from Samsung) I auditioned, so that wasn't a factor. As with audio, it just came down to which one I thought looked best.

FWIW, my room is similar to yours except the back wall is all glass. For me and more importantly, for my wife, we both thought the DILA set offered the best picture. I suffers from neither SDE or rainbows, it doesn't double as a space heater, it's (relatively) inexpensive, and it's brightness handles the high ambient light like Matt Leinart handles man coverage.

Be aware, there are a slew of 1080p sets hitting the market as we speak. Samsung (DLP), JVC (DILA/LCoS), Mits (DLP), and Sony (SXRD/LCoS) are already on the market with Hitachi (LCoS) coming any day now. Now, considering the dearth of sources at 1080p, I don't know how important this is to you. However, there's certainly nothing wrong with future proofing.

Grab some reference DVD's, see which one looks best to you, and be comfortable with your decision. If you want more information, avsforums.com is populated buy a ton of industry people as well as HT fanatics. I'd also suggest you consider tvauthority.com when you buy. Great prices, excellent service (they deliver into your home, not the curb), and they carry most major brands. No, I don't receive a bonus for referring them to you. I just liked the service I received.

Hope this helps.

[AVMASTER]

under the parameters given, minus pricing factor, the best choice is:
JVC hd61Z886
extremely bright
wider viewing angle than other microdisplays
relatively inexpensive compared to large LCD or plasma
HDMI, cablecard, ATSC tuner, PIP, etc.....
a quick, simple set-up with well laid out remote control ( and a cool blue back light)
KIS

[gcappo1]

Ed,

I appreciate all of the information. It is very helpful.

You are correct. The serious viewing area is under the southermost set of speakers. The room is 25 feet deep in total. So, the sofa will be about 21-22 feet away from the TV.

I was hoping to keep all of the unnecessary electronics in a separate room in the basement. It is a finished room and is relatively dust free and has plenty of air circulation. The equipment room is directly under the Home Theater room. It is right under the south wall where the TV will go. Is this a good idea?

The 3 front speakers have not been installed yet. The wires are in the wall but the holes are not cut yet. The ceiling speakers are in. I wanted to get the TV then cut the holes for the speakers. Should all 3 of the south wall speakers be placed higher than the top of the TV screen?
Thanks
Greg

[edtyct]

Greg,

I presume that what you mean by unnecessary electronics is everything that you don't need to see and/or access by remote control, but that might not amount to anything if you plan to use an audio receiver, a video receiver or STB, and a DVD player. You certainly won't want to go into the basement to turn everything on/off, switch sources, change volume, insert a DVD, etc. Either you or I will have to rethink that strategy.

If you go with a wall-mounted display, you might consider letting your left and right front speakers flank it, with enough of a gap to provide good stereo separation (but not so much that you lose coherence). The center channel speaker could be dead center above or below the display. Ideally, you'd want to locate each speaker on the same plane at ear level, an equal distance from the center seating position. You can't pull that off in your situation, but in truth, few people who aren't starting HT from scratch can. Thankfully, your electronics will be able to adjust sonic parameters to match your geography. I suppose that you could locate all three front speakers on the wall on a line above the display, but that would look weird, as well as ensure that none of your speakers were near ear level. You might as well allow the main ones to be there. If you keep the display at a good eye level, your speakers will be in reasonable position. Topspeed has already shown up on this thread. Maybe he or one of the other audio mavens like Woochifer and Kexodusc will help you fine-tune the audio. Room acoustics can wreak havoc on sound, no matter how good the equipment is, especially if a subwoofer is involved. These guys are all over that problem.

The viewing distance of 21 to 22 feet puts you in a very special bracket. Again, abstract spacial considerations would warrant a front-projection system in that space (a dedicated fixed or retractable screen with a ceiling-mounted or table-mounted projector above or behind the seating area). But, as I said before, other aspects of the environment appear to rule it out.

So, now we come down to brass tacks. How much are you prepared to spend on your TV, because you can go REALLY BIG. Consider this: To be able to appreciate the resolution of an HD picture (which you will surely have), you should sit about 3 times the screen height away from the display. To put that into perspective, a 42" diagonal TV, which is probably the average screen size for a livingroom home theater, is about 20" high, meaning that the viewer should be no more than about 5 to 6' away to distinguish high definition from standard defintion. How big diagonally would you think a TV should be when you sit 22' away? That's right, a higher number than I can count. For simplicity's sake, let's say more than 80". Now, you don't have to buy that size for everyone to have a good time. Some people won't care about hi def, others will be happy creeping up closer to the screen on the floor, etc. Regardless, however, you are certainly in medium-sized front-projection territory or giant-sized rear-projection- or plasma-TV territory.

Certain rear projectors over 60" won't break the bank, especially the CRT dinasaurs that are still lingering. The new-fangled fixed-pixel LCD, DLP, and DiLA ones may not be everyone's idea of a bank breaker, but they bring you to a range of $3000 and more. The Sony SXRDs, a variation of LCoS and JVC's DiLA, are exquisite rear projectors that you might want to check out if your pockets are deep and you decide to go that route. The plasmas at that size and larger cost from $6000+ to $14000 or so. On environmental grounds, I think you can rule out the CRTs; the room's too bright. The remaining ones have slim profiles that may allow you to sit them on a stand or a table above your electronics. Some of them have to sit on the ground, which may be less convenient. If money were no object, I'd go with the largest plasma that I could afford, from Panasonic, Pioneer, or Hitachi (though others are certainly viable, too) and hang it on the wall. But you have to figure out a budget, a placement, and a technology. Topspeed's rundown above can help. Then we can proceed.

Ed

[gcappo1]

Hi Ed,

I did some price checking just to get a "ballpark" estimate for the plasma TVs. I looked at the large ones that would be the appropriate size for the room. They were a bit out of my price range. Also, Topspeed raised some vailid concerns regarding the downside of plasmas.

My budget for the TV alone is about $6000-$7000.

Do you think I can get something that will provide a very good viewing experience for all concerned? I don't want to shoot myself in the foot. I don't want to spend that much money and have everyone complain about the quaility.

Thanks
Greg

[edtyct]

Greg,

The operative point for you about plasmas is the expense. No disprespect to Topspeed, but I wouldn't worry unduly about burn-in issues, which are only a concern under special circumstances and are largely, if not totally, avoidable, with proper setup. Life expectancy and pixel damage aren't big problems either. I am aware of certain things that can go afoul with plasmas that I've never seen discussed on boards like this one--and for good reason; they don't happen all that often. The life expectancy, fragility, of a bulb on an LCD or DLP is much more of an ever-present issue, though you can always replace one of those for a few hundred dollars. You can't replace a plasma's pixels, but the likelihood of any of them suddenly failing, especially out of warranty, is small. Plasmas are power hogs, however; shut them off when you aren't using them.

For $6000 to $7000, you can easily ensure that no one will complain about the picture quality--whatever you end up buying. You have a lot of avenues to pursue, and I'm not sure that plasmas are out yet. Brick and mortar stores still charge a heavy premium for them, but deals from reputable stores on the web are possible. If you give me until the end of the day, I can explore plasmas a little further for you. It can be scary to buy sight-unseen on the internet, not to mention trust the store to ship carefully, but it happens everyday. With the protections in place, it can be a thrifty way to obtain a TV less expensively. I'll come up with a few other options for you as well that you might be able to find in electronics stores in your area. You might have to wait until tonight.

Ed

[robert393]

With your nice budget ($6k), and a 22' viewing distance, you may want to seriously consider some window treatments to help control the light and get a projector (high contrast & brighness) with 120" screen!

I love Plasma, but not in a room with 22' viewing distance. You need a a BIG SCREEN to fill the room.

I have 4 full size windows in my HT. Two of them I covered with huge movie posters (professionally mounted). The other two are located directly behind the screen and covered with "blackout" theater drapes, from wall-to-wall. From outside the house, everthing looks normal, but the light is totally controlled inside! Click on the link below if you would like to see pics.

Hope this helps.......
Robert

[topspeed]

Good googly moogly, your viewing distance is far! From a soundfield standpoint, you'd be better positioned with the seating area under the middle surrounds, IIRC. Nevertheless, at your current position, you need a big freakin' screen. Robert's advice is probably the best; treat the windows and get a projector. If you can't do that, LG makes a 80" plasma, Mits has a 80" DLP (I think) and there are rumors that Hitachi's new 1080p LCoS will be 80". Unfortunately, both Sony's and JVC's LCoS offerings top out at 70", which is huge but will seem small from your distance.

Good luck in your search.

[robert393]

Unfortunately, both Sony's and JVC's LCoS offerings top out at 70", which is huge but will seem small from your distance.

You better believe anything less than 110" will seam tiny from that viewing distance. IMO I would go with 120"-130" screen. Don't get me wrong, 22' viewing distance is AWESOME, you just have to have a big screen!~ Most people would love to be in that situation!
Robert

[N. Abstentia]

You better believe anything less than 110" will seam tiny from that viewing distance. IMO I would go with 120"-130" screen. Don't get me wrong, 22' viewing distance is AWESOME, you just have to have a big screen!~ Most people would love to be in that situation!
Robert

So, where is this car audio shop you keep hyping about?

[robert393]

So, where is this car audio shop you keep hyping about?
SHHHHHhhhhhhh........
Nobody's talking to you.
Robert

[edtyct]

Gee, Gregg,

Everyone's coming down on the side of a front projection system for you. As I said, some aspects of your environment veritably scream for one. But some don't. Front projection is fussy: it requires careful choice of screen--by size, by gain, and by type--and of projector--by type and by placement; the room brightness and what you'd have to do to make it viewer-friendly all of the time; the fact that the room seems to be family-oriented--that is, plug and play at any time of day--rather than enthusiast-oriented, requiring control of viewing conditions. My idea was that maybe you could forgo a little size for the convenience of casual viewing; people could just sit where they liked. You might even be able to bring a rear projection set out into the room a little rather than hanging a flat panel or screen on the wall. But this is your call. The other thing that you could do is to drop us all like hot potatoes and talk to a competent retailer in your area so that you and he (or she) can get a close analysis of your situation. With what we've given you so far, you would have some groundwork on which to build.

Ed

[AVMASTER]

[QUOTE=edtyct]Gee, Gregg,

Everyone's coming down on the side of a front projection system for you. As I said, some aspects of your environment veritably scream for one. But some don't. Front projection is fussy: it requires careful choice of screen--by size, by gain, and by type--and of projector--by type and by placement; the room brightness and what you'd have to do to make it viewer-friendly all of the time; the fact that the room seems to be family-oriented--that is, plug and play at any time of day--rather than enthusiast-oriented, requiring control of viewing conditions.
Good call Ed, alot of the new projectors these days are alot easier to setup than the big CRT projectors but it still requires careful planning and some honest work to set it up properly. This guy just needs a quick, simple solution and the JVC HDILA ( 61" or 70") is ideally suited for this particular case.
By the way ED, are you advocating on-line buying over B&M???????

[GMichael]

The Sanyo Z4 can be had for around $2200. You'd have plenty left over for lighting issues. Try this link. Click on the "Projection Calculator" and it will help you with set-up options.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Sanyo-PLV-Z4.htm

[edtyct]

AV,

It's a harsh world, and I've felt the sting of the internet in the high end A/V world. My feeling is that anyone in dire need of information, a sympathetic ear, and a piece of equipment would be well-advised to visit the best establishment on the ground that he can afford. I've always thought that Tweeter and its satellites offered solid mid-fi to hi-fi equipment and service. I have a soft spot for the true high end emporium, but I realize that it's not for the faint of heart or the casual listener/viewer. Those with challenged bank accounts who know exactly what they want can often satisfy their needs on the web. It would be unfair to state categorically that no one has a right to shop via the internet. In this brave new world, brick and mortar stores will have to find ways to make shopping attractive to those who are sitting on the fence about where to go, or they will perish. However, under no conditions should someone exploit the time and energy of a salesperson in a small, customer-oriented shop to do research and then buy the equipment online. To me, that's as close to theft as you can get without having to face a jail sentence. I have no problem with people going to BB or CC to see what's out there or even talking to one of the staff there for pointers (good luck) without ultimately buying from them. Most people will. But the high end stores and dedicated A/V stores thrive on their expertise and their attention to the customer. Creating a relationship with one can pay dividends in knowledge and camaraderie, as well as price breaks. Believe me, if you find a true enthusiasts' B&M store, you won't want to take any other route to your favorite equipment (though that won't guarantee that they stay in business).

Youre right to call me on what I said to Gregg. On further thought, I'd much rather that he deal with someone in his area. But if he wanted something that I, or anyone else, suggested on a forum like this one (obviously at his own risk; I would hope that he'd do some ethical research on his own to back up the recommendations), I'd have no problem with him buying it online. Now see what you did. I'm starting to feel guilty. Gregg, get in the car and go to a real shop.

Ed

[AVMASTER]

ED,
you're quite the diplomat, thank you for your support

[edtyct]

Gregg, check that. Go to AVmaster's shop. Meet you there.

Ed

[robert393]

AV,
However, under no conditions should someone exploit the time and energy of a salesperson in a small, customer-oriented shop to do research and then buy the equipment online. To me, that's as close to theft as you can get without having to face a jail sentence...... Gregg, get in the car and go to a real shop.
Ed
Wow! As the owner of a B&M store I applaude your view Ed! I will share that sentiment with my managers!
Robert

[N. Abstentia]

Wow! As the owner of a B&M store I applaude your view Ed! I will share that sentiment with my managers!
Robert

What kind of B&M store do you own?

Bread & Mustard? You own a sandwich shop?

Balls & Mustache? An 'alternative' male store?

Bullets & Mullets? A redneck fantasy store?

[gcappo1]

Ed,

How do I find the AV Master's shop?

Thanks
Greg

[edtyct]

Unless AVMASTER tells us, we'll just have to hop in the car and drive aimlessly. What A/V specialists are in your area? The solution to your "problem" will not be hard to find. Holding to your budget of $6 to 7,000 should easily get you what you need. A good shop won't try to ram something down your throat that you can't use. You are already armed with information about your options vis a vis your proclivities and circumstances. If you need a sounding board for anything that someone else may recommend, don't hesitate to post in this thread. We're likely to be the only ones not motivated in the least by how much you'll be paying.

Ed

[gcappo1]

Ed,
I live just a little north of Chicago. The large electronics stores are ABT Electronics and Applicances, Tweeter, Best Buy, Grant Appliances and Circuit City.

ABT has a spearate installation team. They will install and service items not purchased at their store.

There are a few small shops in the area. I actually started this quest with one of them. Unfortunately, they went out of business early in the project. The work was partially complete and there was no hope of getting any of my money back.

I would appreciate any thoughts you have on the stores listed above.

Thanks again
Greg

[edtyct]

Greg,

I'd stay away from Best Buy and Circuit City, so far as advice and installation goes--not that those stores don't have nice, and sometimes even informed, people working at them. But going by the percentages, dedicated A/V stores are likely to be more knowledgeable and resourceful. However, I wouldn't hesitate to buy from BB or CC if I knew exactly what I wanted and what to do with it.

ABT I know mostly form their web profile, which is among the most respected. They are also pleasant and helpful on the phone. I've had various degrees of relationship with Tweeter over the years. In the Northeast, where I live and the company originated, Tweeter is known as a class act with mid-fi equipment, often venturing into the high end. Its sales staff is well trained, informative, above board, and motivated (on commission). It's also a good gig for enthusiastic and competent electronics installers and technicians, despite the company's recent financial problems. If you use them for research, the protocol would be to buy from them, too. I'm fairly certain that they would have a big rear-projection or flat-panel display that would satisfy you. If you decide on front projection instead, with a larger screen (retractable or otherwise) to suit your room and seating arrangement, they can handle that as well. You don't have to break the bank with front projection, but you can. You'll have to weigh the cost of intrinsic (type, resolution, mount, etc.) and extrinsic (room treatments, ease of use, etc.) variables. A little face time with someone who knows the ins and outs will cut down on the anxiety and give you confidence on how you ultimately decide to spend your money. (By the way, Tweeter has a policy of not being undersold by BB or CC.)

Ed

[AVMASTER]

Ed,

How do I find the AV Master's shop?

Thanks
Greg
Sorry dude, i'm in Washigton DC but check out www.cedia.net under the designer locator;
you'll find custom installers in your area by entering your zip code

[gcappo1]

I went to ABT they recommended the following:

A DLP television:
Samsung HLR7178W
Sony KDS70Q006
Mitsubishi WD73727
Toshiba 72MX195

A Surround Sound Receiver: Denon AVR3806BK

A Sub-Woofer: Snell B300BKBK

I would appreicate any thoughts you have on these components.
Thanks
Greg

[edtyct]

You won't feel deprived with any of those TVs, but my personal favorite, for what it's worth, is the Sony SXRD line; LCoS is where it's at. But isn't that a Canadian Sony model that ABT has suggested? I thought that the US SXRDs were designated as KDSxxXBR. Also, is the Sony in your budget?

I have no comment about the audio, except that people seem to think highly of the Denon receiver. I do have a soft spot for Snell speakers, though I haven't heard the sub. To my mind, ABT is pointing you in the proper direction for video, and probably audio. Don't get too bogged down with our opinions. Stick with the technical explanations that ABT gives you, and then let your gut choose. Your home theater is going to be grand.

Ed

[westcott]

Your room is almost identical to mine in layout.

See if these pictures give you any ideas.

http://community.webshots.com/user/jbwestcott

Light control will be the key issue to success, as pointed out earlier and it can get expensive.

I still use a 27" CRT for SD programming and it works with all the windows open!!!!
You may want to consider using two displays, as well.

Good Luck!

P.S. The new Sony's will only upscale to 1080p but will not accept a 1080p signal!!!!!

[gcappo1]

Ed,

You are right the Sony is out of my price range. They want $10,500 for it.

Do you have a preference for any of the other DLP TVs listed? They are in the $5,000 - $6,000 range.

Are there other DLPs that are 70+ inches that I should consider?

Thanks
Greg

[edtyct]

Greg,

As I said, I don't think that you can go too far wrong relative to other DLPs with the Toshiba and Mitsubishi. Neither of them is in the Sony's LCoS league, but they cost $5000 less. One thing that I like about the Toshiba is that uses full 1080i frames to create 1080p rather than half the original frame (540-lines) to get there--that is, it doesn't bob (see the thread that I intiated about shortchanging HDTV). I'm not sure that Mitsubishi can make the same claim. Toshiba's proprietary video processing isn't always stunning. This set will benefit from a DVD player with its own progressive analog feed (almost every one made) or one with an HDMI or DVI output (slightly less common but hardly rare). But the Toshiba produces a good solid black, and is bright enough to handle a room like yours before the sun goes down. I'm not as familiar with the Mits, so take my second-hand information with a grain of salt. I hear that the color balance is poor, with a fierce red push and inaccurate greens. My inclination would be to go with the Toshiba, with no disrespect intended to those who own and love their Mits.

Samsungs can look awfully good, but they do bob. They also generally have one quirk or another that sets them back, like poor DC restoration, which is a set's ability to hold steady under real-world picture conditions. Quality control with Samsung products still seems to be suspect. Yet the Samsungs are wildly popular TVs, with a lot of different offerings to fit different budgets and tastes. If you like the looks, and the price, you could easily be swayed in their direction.

I won't hedge. I would choose Toshiba, not because it's perfect but because it may stray less from perfect than the others, and in the world of consumer TV, that ain't too bad. But please push the people at ABT hard about the issues that we've raised and look at as many different kinds of material as possible on these sets before you decide. If that seems too daunting, consult the I Ching, or just pick one. Life's too short to wait around. HDTV will look terrific on almost any good set. By the way, someone asked me about the difference between Toshiba's MX (Cinema Series) and MH (TheaterWide) sets. I suspected that it's very little, and it is. The only important difference is that the MX models go to specialty dealers and the MH ones don't. Otherwise only a few minor changes in appearance and an extra input or two distinguish one from the other.

Ed