Upgraditis: Sub or LCD which one first

[ht_addict]

If you had to choose between a Paradigm Servo-15 and a 37-42" LCD which one would you get first? The upgrade bug has hit and I've goto decided between replacing my 47" RPTV with a LCD or keeping the Servo-15. Can't get both at the same time though it would be nice.

 

[j_garcia]

With your RP ISF'ed, I'd say sub....(because I hate CRT RPTVs) but if I am reading that correctly, you already have one servo 15? If you do already have one, then I'd definitley go with a new display. I've seen one RP that was ISF'ed and it looked really good. In reality, you may not be 100% happy with an LCD for normal TV viewing because often the flaws of a general broadcast signal are even more evident. With progressive scan DVD and HD programming, LCD looks great.

 

[Pyrrho]

Definitely the subwoofer, for two reasons. First, you are talking about going with a smaller screen than what you already have. Unless you bought something too big for your viewing distance already, you are almost sure to think the new TV you are considering is too small and end up regretting getting it. Second, although they keep coming out with better and less expensive subwoofers, the change in TVs is faster, and a delay on that is more likely to yield a bigger, better, and less expensive TV than a delay in buying a subwoofer is likely to yield a better one at the same price.

I am, however, unfamiliar with the particular subwoofer in question, and am only recommending buying a subwoofer now rather than the TV. I would probably go with SVS, but that is another matter.

 

[Sheep]

Sub!

KEEP THAT SUBWOOFER!

Its a GEM. Look at how well it did in these tests.

http://www.avtalk.co.uk/forum/index.php?t=msg&th=13367&start=0&rid=0&SQ=0

Keep it.

SheepStar

 

[ZoFo]

CRT is still the best display

I don't think you will be happy going to a smaller display, and a LCD at that. The black levels & contrast on A CRT RPTV will be MUCH better than any digital display; it will give a much more ACCURATE picture when properly calibrated and it also has the ability to show different res. like 480i/p, 720p and 1080i in their NATIVE format without having to upconvert / downconvert the signal.

I went shopping for a HDTV last year and price was not a consideration, I found that the Digital Sets were not quite there yet, very nice and some definate advantages but they simply are not as an accurate of a display as a CRT and have inheriant problems such as "rainbows" "tracers" and other artifacts. LCD is not a good display if you watch a lot of sports. I ended up getting a Sony CRT RPTV and had it calibrated by a very anal ISF Tech who spent 6 hours calibrating it and also did some tweaks like remove the protective plexiglass screen cover and lined the inside of the TV with a black light-asorbing material. The display is the best I or any of my friends have ever seen and most of them have digital sets.

There are many advantages to a digital set such as size and the ability to view from all angles, but having a better & more acurate picture than an "old-fashioned" CRT RPTV is not one of them. CRT RPTV's can be picked up for cheap now and an ISF Cert will set you back around $500. I will be buying a new set for my bedroom in the next couple of weeks and I will get a digital set, but not because I want a better picture!

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

Subwoofer. a smaller display is never an "upgrade", and 37" is really small with HDTV. (42" = 27" in 4x3 totem-pole position).

 

[Pyrrho]

I don't think you will be happy going to a smaller display, and a LCD at that. The black levels & contrast on A CRT RPTV will be MUCH better than any digital display; it will give a much more ACCURATE picture when properly calibrated and it also has the ability to show different res. like 480i/p, 720p and 1080i in their NATIVE format without having to upconvert / downconvert the signal.

I went shopping for a HDTV last year and price was not a consideration, I found that the Digital Sets were not quite there yet, very nice and some definate advantages but they simply are not as an accurate of a display as a CRT and have inheriant problems such as "rainbows" "tracers" and other artifacts. LCD is not a good display if you watch a lot of sports. I ended up getting a Sony CRT RPTV and had it calibrated by a very anal ISF Tech who spent 6 hours calibrating it and also did some tweaks like remove the protective plexiglass screen cover and lined the inside of the TV with a black light-asorbing material. The display is the best I or any of my friends have ever seen and most of them have digital sets.

There are many advantages to a digital set such as size and the ability to view from all angles, but having a better & more acurate picture than an "old-fashioned" CRT RPTV is not one of them. CRT RPTV's can be picked up for cheap now and an ISF Cert will set you back around $500. I will be buying a new set for my bedroom in the next couple of weeks and I will get a digital set, but not because I want a better picture!

"Rainbows" are a problem with single chip DLPs and have nothing to do with other display types, such as the LCD under consideration here. Also, you are right that the best CRTs are better at black levels than other displays, but they are inferior to the best when it comes to picture geometry, so it really is a matter of what one prefers to have not quite right. From your comment about sports, it would seem that you have been looking at LCD TVs with inferior refresh rates, which can vary considerably from one model to the next. Which brings me to another point: one must always remember one is buying a specific TV, not necessarily the best of its type, so one should be looking at the specifics of the particular TV rather than simply selecting it because of what type it is.

 

[Pyrrho]

Subwoofer. a smaller display is never an "upgrade", and 37" is really small with HDTV. (42" = 27" in 4x3 totem-pole position).

I don't know what you mean by "totem-pole position", but a 27" 4:3 aspect ratio TV has a picture approximately 16.2" tall, which is only slightly taller than a 32" 16:9 TV at approximately 15.69" tall, and shorter than a 34" 16:9 TV at approximately 16.67" tall.

These things can be calculated with the Pythagorean Theorem:

a² + b² = c²

where c is the diagonal of a right triangle, and a and b are the sides that come together at 90 degrees. With a 4:3 set, we have:

(4x)² + (3x)² = c²

where c is the diagonal measurement of the screen. Thus, solving for x will enable one to find the height (3x) and width (4x) of the screen.

For a 16:9 set, we have:

(16x)² + (9x)² = c²

where (again) c is the diagonal measurement of the screen. Thus, solving for x will enable one to find the height (9x) and width (16x) of the screen.

So, if one is used to a 27" 4:3 TV, a 34" 16:9 TV will display 4:3 images larger than what one is used to.