off topic -- HDTV........help !

[MasterCylinder]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[Troy]

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.

[Audio Girl]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.