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MasterCylinder
01-09-2006, 11:05 AM
Any person here with recommendations before I venture out in to this brave new world ?

FYI..........my unique space limitations being what they are, I will be looking for something no larger than a 42-inch total width, which eliminates almost anything more than a 37" screen. Also, I already have digital cable that can be quickly upgraded to HD.

What are the up and downsides of HDTV-CRT, LCD & plasma ?

newtrix1
01-09-2006, 11:24 AM
Any person here with recommendations before I venture out in to this brave new world ?

FYI..........my unique space limitations being what they are, I will be looking for something no larger than a 42-inch total width, which eliminates almost anything more than a 37" screen. Also, I already have digital cable that can be quickly upgraded to HD.

What are the up and downsides of HDTV-CRT, LCD & plasma ?

Congrats, you're heading in the right direction, HDTV is great! Do some online research, there's tons of info out there. Wade thru the BS and find the good reference sources which are easy to spot.

my personal opinions are as follows:

Go for LCD (if you can afford it) the Sharp Aquos 37" got good reviews and has come down in price lately.

DLP is my 2nd rec. lower priced than LCD, but some minor viewing angle issues (stand above or below the set and the picture fades). There's a Sony Grand Wega model out there around $1800.

I own a 32 inch Toshiba CRT, but now I wish I'd held out for DLP. The screen is not big enough for the distance my couch is, plus it weighs a freekin' TON!!!!! It's difficult for even 2 adults to lift.

Stay away from Plasma, highest priced and lowest longevity.


Good luck

MasterCylinder
01-09-2006, 11:35 AM
Yes -- the Sharp AQUOS 37" LCD is the set I want. However, the total width of that screen is 48"+ because of the non-detachable speakers -- so no go !

Troy
01-09-2006, 11:59 AM
This is hugely important: HDTV looks better, the bigger your TV is.

I have a 51" Sony HD projection. It's hard to believe it's 4 years old now. A good friend just bought a 60" Mitsubishi DLP and another, a Pioneer 42" Plasma.

I love my TV. It's the best compromise of picture and price. The thing is bulky and it doesn't have the HD tuner built in so I gott have a cable box. No PIP either.

I find the plasma to have the strongest contrast and the best clarity. However, it's knida dark without a lot of shadow detail and if you get close you can see the pixels. I hate that. Expensive too. Almost triple what my TV cost. This set's strength is that you can view it from any angle. The projection sets, you have to be in the sweet spot.

The DLP cost was almost as high, but the picture is the best of the 3. Smooth, no pixels, amazing color.

If you need a small TV, go with LCD.

Important: When shopping for HDTVs, make sure you see what non-HD signal looks like on that model. Most of TV is still not in HD.

Important: See what your cable provider will suply you with. Talk to neighbors with HD and find out how reliable the local system is. HD is still very much experiencing teething pains. I actually have one year worth of free HD from my cable company because of it's unreliability. I complained so much they agreed to stop charging me for it. It HAS improved over the last few months. When it works, wow, it's awesome.

ForeverAutumn
01-09-2006, 12:36 PM
I don't know much about this stuff, but my husband works in the electronics industry so that makes me an expert-by-proxy. ;)

His office has a showroom of TVs of all types, shapes and sizes, so he gets to view them all. He has sworn to me that our next TV will be HD-ILA. According to him, if you can afford it, there is no other way to go for picture quality and clarity. I think that they only come in Huge, Huger and Hugest, so I'm not sure if they'll fit your space. But worth looking into for the latest and greatest technology.

Regarding Plasmas. Stay far, far away. They have a life span of about only 8 years (short life for the high cost). Colours are bright...look around the electronics store and you'll see that all of the plasmas are showing cartoons. There's a reason for that. Ask to watch regular TV or a DVD with real people and lots of dark shady scenes before spending your money here or you may be very disappointed with your TV once you get it home.

Good luck!

newtrix1
01-09-2006, 01:00 PM
I've noticed with a fair amount of consistency that NFL HD broadcasts flicker. Most people that see it ask "what's wrong with your TV?". I'm 90% sure it's the broadcast & not my set.
Do you notice this problem Troy? It's almost always the same camera too, the shot from up above the sidelines, the one that they use most often. Why haven't the networks/ broadcasting techs been able to diagnose & fix this problem by now? Weird.

Dusty Chalk
01-09-2006, 01:03 PM
Whatever you get, make sure you go see it first. I was really excited about the dropping costs of LCD screens...until I saw one. Blegh -- not for me! I've heard that what I was probably seeing was the slow response time in the early generation of them.

As always, YMMV.

As far as screens go in general, I've liked the Sony Wega series of TVs.

Slosh
01-09-2006, 02:00 PM
I've noticed with a fair amount of consistency that NFL HD broadcasts flicker. Most people that see it ask "what's wrong with your TV?". I'm 90% sure it's the broadcast & not my set.
Do you notice this problem Troy? It's almost always the same camera too, the shot from up above the sidelines, the one that they use most often. Why haven't the networks/ broadcasting techs been able to diagnose & fix this problem by now? Weird.I get that on CBS, NBC, and PBS which broadcast HD at 1920 x 1080i. That resolution is amazingly sharp and detailed but doesn't handle fast motion nearly as well as 1280 x 720p which FOX and ABC use.

Right now Sears is selling the 34" Sony SX355 direct view CRT for $1,500 which is what I would get (if I didn't already have an HDTV) over any 37" flat panel, at any price. This is basically the same as their TOTL XBR model less the firewire connections (big deal). If 34" is big enough for your viewing distance (8' or less) you will not find a better picture, period.

MasterCylinder
01-09-2006, 02:38 PM
I've got other friends that swear by the WEGA.....so it is still an option.

And they like the conventional CRT better than all the newfangled shyte.

Can any of you guys tell me more about the DLPs ?

Jim Clark
01-09-2006, 02:40 PM
The basic deal is that there's something wrong with virtually every HDTV available. Given the cost it's a bit disheartening. Wade through the models and find the one that makes compromises that you're best able to deal with. I'm not fluent on specific models in that size, sorry about that. On the HT forum there's a very knowledgable guy, Edtyct. If he responds to your post it's more than likely going to be excellent advice.

I went with LCD rear projection which at the time offered excellent bang for the buck. The compromise is that it can't do true black. Shadow detail is lost in very dark scenes. Better made models offer some tricks to help deal with this such as Sony's iris systems available in current production models.

LCD models don't do it for me, especially when watching images in constant motion. DLP gave me a headache along with the occasional rainbow although the tech has improved and the rainbow seeing crowd is in the minority. Didn't want to risk friends watching the game with me to react negatively either.

JVC's HD ILA is impressive and would probably be my first choice, after a Sony Qualia right now. At the time however, some JVC's had a tendency to catch fire which of course would be the ultimate bummer. Never looked into plasma due to the price and potential of burn in especially since most programming is still 4:3. Also don't know how my experiences will relate to your viewing and the size of TV you're looking at. It can be draining but when you find the one for you it's an awesome experience.

Regards,
jc

ForeverAutumn
01-09-2006, 03:01 PM
JVC's HD ILA is impressive and would probably be my first choice, after a Sony Qualia right now. At the time however, some JVC's had a tendency to catch fire which of course would be the ultimate bummer.

This is pretty scary so I just asked my Hubby about it. He said that there was an incident in the US where someone claimed that a JVC TV started a fire. There is no proof that the TV actually had anything to do with the fire. However, as a precaution, JVC recalled some of the early HD ILAs and changed the power cords. This was the only reported incident (unsubstantiated) and there have been no further claims of fire.

Troy
01-09-2006, 05:21 PM
Do you notice this problem Troy? It's almost always the same camera too, the shot from up above the sidelines, the one that they use most often. Why haven't the networks/ broadcasting techs been able to diagnose & fix this problem by now? Weird.

Flicker? Do you mean pixelation? That comes and goes. Sometimes it can be attributed to the weather. It's a fairly common problem with every HD owner I know.

It seems to almost always a head end problem, they are not rcvng the feed properly from the network. RCN explained that it is "hiccups in the feed from Fox" for whatever reason. Likely it is from bad connections actually at the game.

I find that Fox's HD is not as clear as most of the others. Discovery, PBS and HDNET have the best picture. NBC is the best picture of the big 3.

MC, talk to your neighbors with HD and find out the quality of cable in your neighborhood.

newtrix1
01-09-2006, 06:22 PM
Flicker? Do you mean pixelation? That comes and goes.
No, I've had pixelation too, but it's infrequent and random. The flicker appears almost all the time they broadcast from a specific camera angle (the one from the sidelines that looks like your viewing the game from the first row of the 200 level). I think you'd know it if you've seen it.
It's more of an annoying flicker where the screen splits horizontally, the picture scrambles for a split second, then goes back to normal. This flicker repeats itself every 5 seconds or so. What's odd is that you'd think it was a bad camera or device that sends the signal from the camera, but this problem shows up on my TV week after week. Different games, different networks (I think), but always the same camera angle. Sometimes that skycam thingie that they hang from right above the field is affected as well.

Audio Girl
01-09-2006, 08:04 PM
Any person here with recommendations before I venture out in to this brave new world ?

FYI..........my unique space limitations being what they are, I will be looking for something no larger than a 42-inch total width, which eliminates almost anything more than a 37" screen. Also, I already have digital cable that can be quickly upgraded to HD.

What are the up and downsides of HDTV-CRT, LCD & plasma ?

Hi MC:

Here's what we own:

1) Fujitsu Plasmavision P42HHA30WS (will be using in new home theatre when finished) -- 42" HD commercial Plasma (no speakers, no built-in HD tuner) -- purchased 2 years ago and the picture is still as sharp and clear as it was the day we purchased. We do not have one complaint against this commercial plasma and have been impressed with Fujitsu's responsiveness when we have called regarding technical questions. Oh, well maybe one complaint...it was very expensive. Even if the life of this plasma is only 8 years, I would still feel it was a good investment. I will say that we logged more hours in the past two years on it than most consumers would have for a variety of reasons, and we have not had any change in performance.

2) Panasonic 42" plasma (family room) -- the latest commercial (no speakers, no built-in HD tuner) 8th generation model, $2400, with HDMI -- to be honest, this plasma stinks and we regret ever purchasing it. It's a long story and one that I won't bother you with...To make matters worse, panasonic customer service stinks. Avoid Panasonic commercial monitors...if the unit has a problem, you have to take it to a local service center (there is no in-home service like most consumer models).

3) Philips 32" consumer LCD (master bedroom) -- purchased at CostCo for a steal -- a great value for the money, and can be returned to CostCo if anything goes wrong during the life of the unit. 2 HDMI connections, built-in HD tuner, cable card, slim model, built-in speakers that sound great for a television. We've been impressed with Philips customer support. I'd highly recommend this model. If your cable company supports cable card, you will not need the infamous ugly cable box, only the cable card. Usually is less expensive.

Check out www.avsforum.com. Lots of information but also alot of Panasonic maniacs.

MasterCylinder
01-10-2006, 05:04 AM
Thank you everyone for your input. I still need to do quite a bit of research.

AudioGirl -- I hate to hear your opinion on the Panasonic -- in the context of space only, my best alternative at this point was a 37" Panasonic plasma.

In addition, I Googled your Fujitsu (sorry, that sounds sexual) and WOW -- very nice monitor........of course for $5K+, I guess it should be, huh ?

Audio Girl
01-10-2006, 01:55 PM
Thank you everyone for your input. I still need to do quite a bit of research.

AudioGirl -- I hate to hear your opinion on the Panasonic -- in the context of space only, my best alternative at this point was a 37" Panasonic plasma.

In addition, I Googled your Fujitsu (sorry, that sounds sexual) and WOW -- very nice monitor........of course for $5K+, I guess it should be, huh ?


Here is the 37" version of the 32" LCD that we purchased at CostCo. I don't know whether this one has 2 HDMI inputs like the 32" but I would imagine that it does. The specs are fairly close. Anyway, we've been very pleased...plus you can get a refund from CostCo if the thing ever goes on the lam. I like that kind of protection!

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx
Prodid=11069072&whse=&topnav=&browse=

Yeah, the Fujitsu was pricey but we actually got a great deal on it at the time. When this unit was released 2 years ago, the MSRP was over $6500. Trust me, we didn't pay anywhere near that. Thank goodness the manufacturers are getting more realistic although Fuji is still a monetary hog. But worth it for the primary viewing area of the house, if you've got enough space. And spare cash. Would I pay that for a plasma now? Probably not. But at that time, the high-quality plasmas were more closely priced.

MasterCylinder
01-11-2006, 05:27 AM
Thank you Audio Girl............Philips is usually good stuff. That 37" model is attractive but the total width is 43.6 and thus, will not fit.........frustrating.

I'll check out the 32" model too.

Thanks again.

armandkhambatta
01-19-2006, 12:14 PM
Any person here with recommendations before I venture out in to this brave new world ?

FYI..........my unique space limitations being what they are, I will be looking for something no larger than a 42-inch total width, which eliminates almost anything more than a 37" screen. Also, I already have digital cable that can be quickly upgraded to HD.

What are the up and downsides of HDTV-CRT, LCD & plasma ?
Not that i know much about this, but whatever they say about plasmas, take a look at the NEC hd ready plasma.It's BRILLIANT.