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Time for a new TV

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sounds Good
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Sounds Good

Senior Audioholic
Jul 17, 2005
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Columbus, Ohio
well its time for a new TV for my HT, i am actually considering a widescreen CRT but i am not sure if they are worth the high price.. any input?

or the other route i was going to go was LCD

but thats just as $$$ kind of...

just wondering what you guys think...


oh and i would say my buget alows for up to 3000 +/-

and i primarly will be using it to view movies and some tv.. maybe more tv once i get digital catv...
 
I think I gave this advice somewhere else, but...

As far as CRT goes, the Samsung TX-R3079WH "slimfit" is extremely nice. It has a shorter picture tube than the normal, so it doesn't take as much space. Also the color reproduction is amazing (something LCD has trouble touching). For a small HDTV solution it is perfect and includes a tuner and HDMI.

If you're looking at BB, try

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...t&productCategoryId=cat15022&id=1099396990967
 
Bang for the buck... in order... in my opinion

1. CRT Rear Projection - Not as bright as the others listed below so it isn't always ideal for off axis viewing or very bright rooms, but the image quality is second to none. Requires you to converge it occassionally, which may take 30 minutes every few months to do. No bulbs!

2. LCD & DLP rear projection - BRIGHT! Looks very good but often shows flaws with regular TV viewing. Optomized for HD and DVD viewing really. These are very slim which is nice, but not always important in a room. They have bulbs that will need to be replaced every 1-4 years depending on usage. These bulbs are USER replacable and run $150 - $500.00 depending on manufacturer.

3. CRT tube type television - limited size, outstanding quality. Very few issues, but 34" or so is pretty much the max size.

4. Plasma - At 42" - 60"+ these provide a bright image in larger displays. They seem to range in price from about $1,600.00 for a entry level 42" Samsung or Panasonic all the way up to $10,000+ for the big guns. A nice 42" HD model with cablecard and speakers can be had for about $1,800 for a 853x480 model (EDTV) or about $2,600 for a 1024x768 model (HDTV) Not a bad price for sure.

5. LCD - Much less variety over 40" and a bit of a premium price tag. Generally a slightly lower quality image than plasma, but very close. They have a great selection under 40" though. In a couple of years, they may well be a better value than plasma, but in my opinion they are still a bit more pricey than they should be and the image isn't quite to the level that it could be at.
 
Panasonic 34" HDTV Monitor (CT-34WX15)

I just got one of these a couple weeks ago for $1,199 at CCity. I couldn't be more pleased with the quality of TV and DVD playback. Yes, it is fairly large and weighs 160 pounds. However, I'm more than pleased with what I got for my money.

I first got a Samsung TX-R3079WH "slimfit", but returned it within 48 hours. The geometry on the set I got was horrible and not correctable...I tried for hours to even out lines...impossible. There are forums that have groups of consumers who have returned this TV and the delivery guys who brought my Panasonic said they were picking up several of the Samsung TX-R3079WH "slimfit"...at the very least, an inconsistent product.
 
Tempest said:
I just got one of these a couple weeks ago for $1,199 at CCity. I couldn't be more pleased with the quality of TV and DVD playback. Yes, it is fairly large and weighs 160 pounds. However, I'm more than pleased with what I got for my money.
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If you are going for a CRT I highly recommend this set. My in-laws have the Panasonic 34" and it has an amazing picture. It probably has one of the best pictures for SD viewing.
 
At least with the current technologies, CRT has the best color reproduction. Plasma is pretty good as well. LCD is getting better, but still doesn't quite measure up to a good 'ol CRT.

As far as size goes, it really depends on how close your seating area is to the screen. If I remember correctly, the recommendations for HDTV are three times the diagonal measure for the best experience.

In other words, a 34" is "best viewed" at around eight feet.
 
soundsfine said:
As far as size goes, it really depends on how close your seating area is to the screen. If I remember correctly, the recommendations for HDTV are three times the diagonal measure for the best experience.

In other words, a 34" is "best viewed" at around eight feet.
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Weird... I've never actually heard this.

The only standards I know of are the SMPTE and THX standards which, for an HD image, recommend from about 1.5x to 2x screen WIDTH. This is far closer than what you are listing, but is the standard used with 720p projectors in the home so that a fully resolved HD image does not reveal individual pixels.

So, for a 34" diagonal, we will call a 30" width, and about a 45 to 60 inch viewing disance... 4 or 5 feet.

Go big! ;)
 
BMXTRIX said:
Weird... I've never actually heard this.

The only standards I know of are the SMPTE and THX standards which, for an HD image, recommend from about 1.5x to 2x screen WIDTH. This is far closer than what you are listing, but is the standard used with 720p projectors in the home so that a fully resolved HD image does not reveal individual pixels.

So, for a 34" diagonal, we will call a 30" width, and about a 45 to 60 inch viewing disance... 4 or 5 feet.

Go big! ;)
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Quick look. This is where I read it:

http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgbtcspd/learningcenter/home/tv_faq.html

Looks like I kind of remembered. It's times three for 4:3, but times 2.5 for 16:9.

This one http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5108580-2.html says 3.8 to 7.6 feet for a 30 inch 16:9.

I agree, unless you have a small room, go big!
 
Distance standards are well and good but really are only practical when you are setting up a dedicated HT room. How many of us go by those standards when purchasing a new set or projector to go into an existing room? Do you really adjust your distance from the screen based on it's size? For me a bigger screen is always better and I suggest you get the largest screen you can accommodate in your room. :D I have yet to come across a screen in a home that is too big or a car that is too fast. :eek:
 
The new Sony A20 55" RPLCD is currently at the top of my list, so I was reading its manual on the Sony site. They recommend a minimum seating distance of 6.8', which happens to coincide with the recommendation of 1.5 times the width.

I think that would be way too close, but friends that have already made the jump to a big screen tell me that you get used to the size no matter what. I think 55" might be right for my seating distance of 11' from the TV, but still wonder if I should just go with the 50".
 
To through another one into the mix, Mitsubishi has come out witha 52" 1080p DLP, MITWD52627,that Ultimate Electronics is saying $3500 on their website for, usually way lower in the store. If you want to save some money look for the old models of their DLP's that are onsale for good prices since they are rolling out 1080p now. I've seen the 52" DLP's for as low as $2200. I have seen the older models and the picture is amazing on them, can't imagine what the new ones could do, hopefully HD will be 1080p capable soon so ppl can start taking advantage of it.
 
DLP thoes are just your standard rear projectors?

my viewing arangment is kind of akward...

the room is 9'9" wide x 28' long and i have a sectional (L shaped couch) thats about 10' - 12' from the TV

so i could easly go BIG 50"+ i would just have to move the couch back alittle...

so whats the cencus on the widescreen CRTs good... no good? think it would be a good choise for my room?

Overview.jpg
 
Sounds Good said:
so whats the cencus on the widescreen CRTs good... no good? think it would be a good choise for my room?
They still have one of the best pictures available. Google a Toshiba 57hx94 and you will see a bunch of B-stock for around $1,500. It's an excellent set if you have room for it.
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Click to expand...
 
my main worry is ill spend 1500 for a 30 some inch screen whe for 500 more i could have alomst 60" i just dont want to be let down... i wish i wasnt so picky... lol

btw that Toshiba 57hx94 is a good looking set..
 
Sounds good - please read my post above about the value and the hits and misses (basic) of different formats.

LCD, DLP, and LCoS rear projection TVs are about 12-18 inches deep (slim) and use small projectors based on the aforementioned technologies. There are dozens of websites that explain what a LCD, DLP, or LCoS projector is and if you are unfamiliar you should read about them.

Bottom line: LCD/DLP/LCoS projectors are the newer technology and use projectors with lamp assemblies inside of them. They look great, but require replacement bulbs every couple of years for about $300.00 (give or take).

CRT is the older, more traditional style, of rear projection and the cabinet they come in is much larger. Typically about 24 inches or so deep and they weigh a LOT. But, they are less expensive for the size compared to LCD/DLP rear projection. They may need to be tweaked a bit, but are a great value for the money, and in that room without a lot of ambient light, it would look great. But, the size of the cabinet may be an issue.

Heck - Get front projection and put up a 80" wide screen for under $2,000.00 :)
 
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