26"/27" TV recommendations, and dvd players

[uncooked]

go look at the store and play around with them and see what one you like the best, feature and picture quality wise. I always like to pick a name brand and stick with it whenever i can. they just seem to "like" each other better. well they were designed together so they should.

[markw]

Hey Ian,

I'll go along with the Tosh recommendation as well. Good rep for quality and picture. I don't have a Tosh TV (out pf my price range at purchase time) but I've got an ole Tosh DVD/CD changer, for which I paid the princely sum of $100 for two years ago and it does just fine.

As far as the comopnent inputs on the TV, if you fine 'em fine, but I wouldn't lose any sleep if they don't. With thisw size screen S-video is more than adequate. Now, if you were talking about a larger screen or HDTV, well...

As far as cabinetry, be creative. Check out Wal Mart, Target, or any place that sells knock down furniture. I found just about the perfect stand for my 32" TV, HT reciever, DVD changer and VHS @ K-Mart for $44 a few years ago.

enjoy...

[IRG]

Hey Ian,

I'll go along with the Tosh recommendation as well. Good rep for quality and picture. I don't have a Tosh TV (out pf my price range at purchase time) but I've got an ole Tosh DVD/CD changer, for which I paid the princely sum of $100 for two years ago and it does just fine.

As far as the comopnent inputs on the TV, if you fine 'em fine, but I wouldn't lose any sleep if they don't. With thisw size screen S-video is more than adequate. Now, if you were talking about a larger screen or HDTV, well...

As far as cabinetry, be creative. Check out Wal Mart, Target, or any place that sells knock down furniture. I found just about the perfect stand for my 32" TV, HT reciever, DVD changer and VHS @ K-Mart for $44 a few years ago.

enjoy...

Hey Mark,
Good to hear from you. I went looking at the TVs again today. Will probably get the Toshiba, and Sears will beat BB's price, and 0% financing, which never hurts.

Now I need to decide whether to keep my audio side 2 channel, and or go with a few more channels. Room layout is a factor here. It is just a terrible room to lay out anything logically. I looked at Target for stands today, but it seems like everything is geared towards big TVs, so I'm not sure yet what I want. It seems the simpler the design, the more $ they are. Take care.

[markw]

Soundwise, two small speakers sound a heckuva lot better than the ones inside the TV and are fairly simple to place. IMNSHO, you don't need the total HT experience for everything.

As far as inexpensive, yet functional and fairly attractive goes, think knock down stuff like Sauder, Busch (sp?) and O'Sullivan.

[dean_martin]

Now I need to decide whether to keep my audio side 2 channel, and or go with a few more channels. .

I started a home theater w/an integrated amp, dvd player and 2 speakers. I was on my way to a 5.1 system but stopped after I got a subwoofer. Saved myself the expense of a receiver and 3 additional speakers. The subwoofer adds more to movies than I expected. Consider keeping your Roksan gear and going 2.1 especially if space is limited.

[IRG]

I started a home theater w/an integrated amp, dvd player and 2 speakers. I was on my way to a 5.1 system but stopped after I got a subwoofer. Saved myself the expense of a receiver and 3 additional speakers. The subwoofer adds more to movies than I expected. Consider keeping your Roksan gear and going 2.1 especially if space is limited.

..with your thoughts here. This room really doesn't lend itself to mulitple speakers everywhere. I may though, as you suggested, add a sub. That would help with the lowest octaves. And no HT receivers are going to sound as good as what I have now, as I have one already in my other system and can attest to that. Thanks for your comments.

[pwh03]

I;d keep the votes going for all toshiba, reading a post here toshiba got the best budget dvd player. I think its in the news and rumors section, and there tvs seem to be one of the most reliable according to woodman (local tv expert) and consumer report (you can take that for what you like). I think you would be happpy with that. However widescreen would be nice but I don't know much about phillips.

don;t see a big need for HD especially if your going to have a bigger setup somewhere else in the house save your money for that.

Same thing goes for the 5.1 setup 2.1 would be plenty especially if the room is smaller and akward, its not worth the hassle if your going to have a bigger setup down stairs.

Good luck
hope this helps
PH

[IRG]

I;d keep the votes going for all toshiba, reading a post here toshiba got the best budget dvd player. I think its in the news and rumors section, and there tvs seem to be one of the most reliable according to woodman (local tv expert) and consumer report (you can take that for what you like). I think you would be happpy with that. However widescreen would be nice but I don't know much about phillips.

don;t see a big need for HD especially if your going to have a bigger setup somewhere else in the house save your money for that.

Same thing goes for the 5.1 setup 2.1 would be plenty especially if the room is smaller and akward, its not worth the hassle if your going to have a bigger setup down stairs.

Good luck
hope this helps
PH

Well, it wasn't the Toshiba, for 2 reasons. One, Sears didn't have it in stock, and 2 I liked the overall look of the Sony better. Screen wise, both were very good. Hard to reallay tell until you take them home, and set them up. But at the store the Toshiba seemed a little warmer, the Sony a little sharper, but both really good. I liked the actual construction of the Sony better though, and with a kid in the house that likes buttons, the Toshiba was a little bit more exposed to this. I liked the case of the Sony better. It actually looks like a bigger TV. Plus at Sears, since the Sony cost a little more, it qualified for 0% interest with my card, where the Toshiba wouldn't.

I also got the matching Sony dvd player, and so far I am very impressed. The one problem I have, is with my cable box, it isn't working yet. I am going home at lunch to see if they have reset it, as I called their office this morning. So for now, I get nothing as far as channels go.

For a stand, I found a bargain silver unit at Target for $50, but this may be short lived. It is supposed to be for 36" TVs, but my 27" almost fills up the entire top. The Sony is so heavy though, that I can already tell it is starting to sag a little bit. It needs a center support, which it doesn't have. So this may go back to Target, and then I will look at Sears for something more substantial, but more $.

I am glad I didn't go any bigger than 27" in this room, as it is, it is almost too big. A small lcd display would have been cool, but too much $. Seems funny that a TV as big as I got, weighing 100 lbs, with a huge 2" glass flat panel display, case, shipping etc., should cost less (and a lot less) than much smaller flat panel lcd display. I know the technology is different, but materials and shipping should have to account for quite a bit too I would suspect.

For now, I am going to stay with the 2 channel audio, though I may add a sub at some point. Thanks to everyone who wrote.