getting a new family tv...need some help

[icantgetznosleep]

hello everyone. finally replacing my old 27 inch mitsu that has served the family well. i have been contemplating whether to get an lcd or dlp. my price range is about $3500. so far i had my sights on the samsung hl-p5063w, but then i just recently saw the new sony 55wf655 and like the design. my dad saw a panasonic 42 inch plasma hung up on a wall at a friends house and thought that it would be nice. but i told him that 42 inch widescreen is gonna be too small for the living room. the distance from the sofa to the tv will be about 14 feet i think.

i am planning to get atleast 50+ inches and want a tv that is CRISP in picture quality and nice in design. which one of the two (samsung or sony) would you choose or currently own and feel that it is just an awesome tv. other brands and recommendations are gladly welcome. thanks for the help.

my current ht setup: klipsch klf-10 mains, klipsch c-6 center, klipsch ksw-12 sub, generic standing floor speakers for rears (the design for my living room sucks, i can hang up rear speakers on the right side but the left side has no wall it is a walkway), sony 777es receiver, pioneer elite 5 dvd changer, vcr, monster 3600 power center, audio2000 karaoke mixer, pro.2 wireless mic receiver + mics.

[woodman]

Dear Mr. Nosleep:
Let me help you to (very possibly) avoid making a bad decision here about a new TV set. I have more practical hands-on experience with TV sets (more than 50 years) than anyone around here or anywhere else that I'm aware of.

First off - here's the #1 basic fact:
You can have a good or a bad ownership experience with any make or model of set ... but the "odds" are better with some than with others.
Having said that, I urge you to scratch all of those that you mentioned in your post OFF of your list. Especially scratch off any and all plasma displays as well as any and all direct-view CRT sets ... none of which are a good, low risk investment IMO. Now here are the brands to avoid:

RCA
Zenith
Philips
Panasonic
Sony
Samsung
any "never heard of" brand from China such as Orion, etc.

Brands to consider:
Toshiba
Hitachi
Mitsubishi
Sharp
Sanyo

Then there's also the decision as to which type or technology to buy. The biggest "bang-for-the-buck" will be had with some of the new front projectors using DLP or LCD technology from companies like - InFocus, Epson, Sanyo,etc.. If your viewing room can accomodate one, that is. If not, then the next choice (for b-f-t-b) would be a rear projection set (RPTV) using CRTs. These are being gradually phased out by some mfgs. so some really good bargains are to be had. Be aware that such sets that you will find in dealer's showrooms will not be properly setup and therefore will not look as good as as they are capable of. They also will very likely not look as good as the LCD and/or DLP-based sets that sit alongside them. Don't let such disparities mislead you into thinking that the LCD/DLP sets are capable of MUCH better pic quality ... they're not.

Hope this helps you.

[cam]

Dear Mr. Nosleep:
Let me help you to (very possibly) avoid making a bad decision here about a new TV set. I have more practical hands-on experience with TV sets (more than 50 years) than anyone around here or anywhere else that I'm aware of.

First off - here's the #1 basic fact:
You can have a good or a bad ownership experience with any make or model of set ... but the "odds" are better with some than with others.
Having said that, I urge you to scratch all of those that you mentioned in your post OFF of your list. Especially scratch off any and all plasma displays as well as any and all direct-view CRT sets ... none of which are a good, low risk investment IMO. Now here are the brands to avoid:

RCA
Zenith
Philips
Panasonic
Sony
Samsung
any "never heard of" brand from China such as Orion, etc.

Brands to consider:
Toshiba
Hitachi
Mitsubishi
Sharp
Sanyo

Then there's also the decision as to which type or technology to buy. The biggest "bang-for-the-buck" will be had with some of the new front projectors using DLP or LCD technology from companies like - InFocus, Epson, Sanyo,etc.. If your viewing room can accomodate one, that is. If not, then the next choice (for b-f-t-b) would be a rear projection set (RPTV) using CRTs. These are being gradually phased out by some mfgs. so some really good bargains are to be had. Be aware that such sets that you will find in dealer's showrooms will not be properly setup and therefore will not look as good as as they are capable of. They also will very likely not look as good as the LCD and/or DLP-based sets that sit alongside them. Don't let such disparities mislead you into thinking that the LCD/DLP sets are capable of MUCH better pic quality ... they're not.

Hope this helps you.
Hey woodman, I always read your posts and I will be taking your advice on purchasing a CRT RPTV in the new year. My buddy from work just bought a Toshiba 51hx84 and I must say it is absolutely stunning even with regular cable. DVD is awesome and I can just imagine how awesome it will be with a HD signal. My furnace just blew up so I will have to wait a bit but rest assured I will be buying either the 51hx84 or the 57hx84. I just have 2 questions for you if you don't mind answering them for me. These sets only have one HDMI input, will that be a problem in the future. And also these sets have 1080i but no 720p, again, should this be a concern. Thank you for any input.

[woodman]

My furnace just blew up so I will have to wait a bit but rest assured I will be buying either the 51hx84 or the 57hx84. I just have 2 questions for you if you don't mind answering them for me. These sets only have one HDMI input, will that be a problem in the future. And also these sets have 1080i but no 720p, again, should this be a concern. Thank you for any input.

Sorry to hear about your furnace ... unexpected "disasters" like that one sure are a bummer. As to your questions:

1. ... no, only one HDMI input will not be a problem. Even if the need for more than one might arise (definitely not a given), it still won't be a problem since an outboard switcher will magically appear on the market if you want one. However, the actual need for such a thing is something I don't give much credence to in the first place, since the actual difference in pic quality between component-video, HDMI, DVI, FireWire, and RGBHV is extremely minimal and subtle to put it mildly. I don't plan on giving it a second thought myself.

2. The lack of "native" 720p display is likewise ... a definite no problem. The two sets that you say you're considering to buy will handle 720p signals just fine, thank you.

Feel better now?