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Jan 10, 2007 4:12 pm

I have been saving my pennies for the past couple months and have started to look around for TV's. Anyone have any opinion on the various versions out there? Initially I was leaning towards LCD screens, but a couple buddies who have DLP sets swear by them.

I have been checking out the new Sony Bravia's and have my eye on this 36" flat screen LCD. Any thoughts?

Jan 10, 2007 4:37 pm

I have a 50" Samsung DLP and (about) 32" Sony LCD. I like DLP for the larger screen, and LCD for the smaller. I guess, I think, DLP (for movies) has blacker blacks, sharper resolution (no blur when the camera pans), and so on - more cinema quality. NBA games in HD are pretty nice on the DLP, too.

The smaller LCD seems to be brighter, brighter, brighter. A very nice picture, great HD aka the cable box. It looks more like a computer screen than a movie screen.

I like both, variety is the spice of life. Also have a Visio LCD from Costco, it is plenty good and costs a lot less.

Jan 10, 2007 4:51 pm

I have thoughts on everything... Quantity yes, quality...erm...

Just so happens that client/friends of mine invented Plasma color screens. (just name dropping here) but Larry Weber himself says it depends on how far away from the set you sit, in the US that generally winds up being 10 feet. "If you're 10 feet away, the smallest thing you can see is about a milimeter, about a 25th of an inch. Not very much. If you have a High Definition signaland it's got 1,920 by 1.080 pixels, (and) if I put that 10 feet away and I don't make those pixels at least 1 milimeter, I'm going to be wasting those pixels.

If you take 1,920 by 1,080 (pixels) and use 1 mm as your pixel, your display needs to be at least 80 inches in diagonal."!

In my office I have the projector set-up (it's a four year old Dell 3200MP projector) that I project against the white wall (I have a screen but the wall is bigger) the picture is 9 feet diagonal. (Warning: From what I'm told... Porn will just make you feel inadequite for the rest of your days. Even if you convince yourself that people on the internet have very small hands!)

The picture CAN BE spectacular. I won't say it has that hyper- Koda Chrome through the looking glass look that some of the flat screen set do, but then, that could be because I'm working off 4yo tech and I don't have it hooked to HD and I don't use the greatest connectors etc etc etc... Still, there are none of the issues like, viewing angel or nearness to the screen. If I throw up a dvd, I can get right up on the screen and see the makeup clear as day, it's really that good.

I always vowed that my next home set was going to be projection, with a screen that rolls out of the box mounted to the ceiling, and when I'm done watching, it goes away completely.

Here's a link to Dell's TOTL http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/pro j_5100mp?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd  I'm not pushing it, I put it there for your convenience, three grand seems a tad high.

Downside is that it needs to be dark in the room that you're viewing in. Not wants, needs. So I guess it depends on what your purpose for the TV is, family room, or media room (this having been said, the rear projection TV I bought years ago is in a room with room darkening shades pulled all of the time.)

Mr. A 

Jan 10, 2007 7:41 pm

Thanks for the help. Basically I am looking for a TV for my room, with a viewwing distnace of about 8-10 feet. Something that I can watch DVD's on and my UCONN Huskies in basketball. Part of me wants to go Big Dog style and get the 40" plus, but its not practical for what I want right now.

I know that its recommended that you personally check out the picture of the TV, but does anyone favor particular brands? I have been looking at Sharp Aquos and Sony Bravia's so far. Would I be paying up solely for the Sony brand when it comes to TV's

Jan 11, 2007 1:09 am

FYI. A buddy just told me about this website- http://dealnews.com/categories/Electronics/Televisions/159.h tml

This site searches various websites looking for the best deals out there. I looked around and found some great deals on LCD's. The moderators will probably kill this link but oh well.....

I may be lounging on my couch come Sunday watching the Chargers take down the Pats on a new 37" flatscreen baby...

Jan 11, 2007 1:21 am

Wow those are low low prices!

I love their tag line "How to go broke saving money."! Capital!

Go Pats!

Talk about your diametrically opposed teams!

Mr. A

Jan 11, 2007 1:24 am

I thought I’d alert you to something very important which hasn’t been

brought up.



I came very close to repacking my 50" Samsung DLP and returning it

because when I hooked up my Comcast Digital Cable connection, the picture

was aweful.



Before you bring home the new set, make sure you have pre-installed either

an HD satellite or HD cable box in your home and don’t forget the $100

component cables for both video and audio.



It took over a week to get one installed from Comcast. Now I’m in heaven

watching only HD content and CNBC of course. Good Luck and enjoy.

Jan 11, 2007 1:27 am

Something else I find amusing. I used to have a $3000 armoire to keep my

$500 Mitsubishi TV. Now I have my $3000 widescreen sitting ontop of a

$500 TV stand. Gotta love it.

Jan 11, 2007 5:59 am

[quote=blarmston]

I have been saving my pennies for the past couple months and have started to look around for TV’s. Anyone have any opinion on the various versions out there? Initially I was leaning towards LCD screens, but a couple buddies who have DLP sets swear by them.

I have been checking out the new Sony Bravia's and have my eye on this 36" flat screen LCD. Any thoughts?

[/quote]

Yah.  Buy a good quality CRT TV for a couple few hundred, and save the rest for the condo on the beach....or for the big TV that you buy yourself as a move-in present!  ;-)

Just a little unconventional wisdom from the midwest.....
Jan 11, 2007 3:49 pm

Go for the Sony Bravia LCD xbr3 Flat Screen TV. THis is by far the best on that you can get. I've studied them for over twelve months now. But, if you aren't partial to that, then go for another brand, but always keep a few things in mind.

1. Watch for glaring errors, that just aren't acceptable. These can be numerous, so just make sure you've read the reviews on the product before you buy--the reviews will definitely point out glaring errors/defects/mistakes/areas-for-improvement.

2. Never buy an HDTV unless it is true High Def 1080p signalling. (p.s. watch for 1080p upscalers, which upconvert 1080i signals. They advertise 1080p but aren't for reals.)

3. Contrast ratio. The Sony XBR3 boasts of 7000:1 which is better than any plasma. (3000:1 under normal Standard def circumstances; most plasmas operate at 4000:1; p.s. don't believe reports of some tv's doing 10,000:1, especially if they're plasma or LCD)

4. Make sure you have a plethora of HDMI inputs. The Sony 40XBR3 has 3 (one on the side, two in back)

Nowadays, they have installed better lamps for backlighting, automatic illumination control for bright days, and for when the lights are off, and light absorbing pixels for when the blacks are on (or off, depending on how you look at it). 

Have a good one!

Jan 11, 2007 4:44 pm

NICE! Thanks for the advice all.

Jan 20, 2007 6:26 pm

I bought the Samsung 30"wide HD that is tubed. You can get that TV for about 600 bucks and it is a great compromise. In HD mode you get a great picture and it is a slimfit. I am going to wait a while before getting a larger TV…

Jan 21, 2007 12:23 am

[quote=blarmston]

FYI. A buddy just told me about this website- http://dealnews.com/categories/Electronics/Televisions/159.h tml

This site searches various websites looking for the best deals out there. I looked around and found some great deals on LCD's. The moderators will probably kill this link but oh well.....

I may be lounging on my couch come Sunday watching the Chargers take down the Pats on a new 37" flatscreen baby...

[/quote]

How did that work at for you??

Jan 21, 2007 8:38 am

The Charges are fun to watch, and I do have to support the

local squad, but my loyalty and devotion always lie with the

JETS !!!

Jan 21, 2007 5:18 pm

I don’t know anything about TV’s but I bought as 40" Polaroid LCD HDTV for $1000/reg. 1599 the day after thanksgiving. It is amazing. HD picture is crystal clear and DVD’s are at a whole new level.