Researching a new TV purchase

[BoomerD]

Bah...my wife's gonna drive me fucking nuts over this "new tv" thing.

NOW she sez, "I don't want to get rid of my entertainment center. We'll just get a tv that fits inside of it."

That means, at the LARGEST, a 32" screen...:roll:

So...being the diplomat that I am...I suggested saying fuck it...instead of buying a new tv, let's find some used POS on Craigslist that fits the entertaianment center...and buy that.
Gawd I hate sleeping on the couch!!

 

[kalrith]

That's a bum deal. Is there any hope in talking reason with her? I'd just say screw it and let her keep watching the 17" monitor until she comes to her senses.

Edit: If she really likes your current entertainment center, focus on finding one that she likes even more. Try not to say anything about the new TV, just about the entertainment center. Hopefully she'll get caught up in furniture shopping, you can get something that fits a larger TV, and then just go out and order the new TV. If she's like my wife, then she won't like the idea of spending the money and will be worried about the aesthetics of a large TV, but she'll thoroughly enjoy it once you have the TV. My wife loves our 50" TV.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: kalrith
That's a bum deal. Is there any hope in talking reason with her? I'd just say screw it and let her keep watching the 17" monitor until she comes to her senses.

Edit: If she really likes your current entertainment center, focus on finding one that she likes even more. Try not to say anything about the new TV, just about the entertainment center. Hopefully she'll get caught up in furniture shopping, you can get something that fits a larger TV, and then just go out and order the new TV. If she's like my wife, then she won't like the idea of spending the money and will be worried about the aesthetics of a large TV, but she'll thoroughly enjoy it once you have the TV. My wife loves our 50" TV.

<sigh> if it was only that easy...

We've had this entertainment center for years and years. It's big, bulky oak, and HEAVY as a mofo...she loves it.

Unfortunately, our finances won't allow buying a new tv, a new entertainment center, (with her taste preferences...it'd be a couple grand minimum) and a new stereo for the audio portion. (hopefully, IF we do this, I can hook my ancient stereo to the Dish receiver for audio)

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: kalrith
That's a bum deal. Is there any hope in talking reason with her? I'd just say screw it and let her keep watching the 17" monitor until she comes to her senses.

Edit: If she really likes your current entertainment center, focus on finding one that she likes even more. Try not to say anything about the new TV, just about the entertainment center. Hopefully she'll get caught up in furniture shopping, you can get something that fits a larger TV, and then just go out and order the new TV. If she's like my wife, then she won't like the idea of spending the money and will be worried about the aesthetics of a large TV, but she'll thoroughly enjoy it once you have the TV. My wife loves our 50" TV.

<sigh> if it was only that easy...

We've had this entertainment center for years and years. It's big, bulky oak, and HEAVY as a mofo...she loves it.

Unfortunately, our finances won't allow buying a new tv, a new entertainment center, (with her taste preferences...it'd be a couple grand minimum) and a new stereo for the audio portion. (hopefully, IF we do this, I can hook my ancient stereo to the Dish receiver for audio)

Well then, I guess my next recommendation of "modifying" the current entertainment center to fit a larger TV is totally out of the question. Have you measured the space for the TV? If you find a TV with a really small bezel, then you might be able to fit more than you think. Or better yet, you could have a projector screen drop down from the ceiling in front of the entertainment center .

I have a friend with a 32" TV and a 10-foot viewing distance. It's almost not worth it to get an HDTV in that case. You might be better off trying to find a decent CRT off of Craigslist.

 

[s44]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
So...being the diplomat that I am...I suggested saying fuck it...instead of buying a new tv, let's find some used POS on Craigslist that fits the entertaianment center...and buy that.

Actually, you're exactly right.

The worst/funniest part is, once she actually experiences a 50"+ TV, she'll be the first one to announce that she can't ever watch on a crappy little screen again.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/ele/1209938319.html

If it will fit - go with a model HS420 Sony Wega flatscreen HDTV.

HDMI input, awesome picture, 200lbs of pure beast.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/ele/1209938319.html

If it will fit - go with a model HS420 Sony Wega flatscreen HDTV.

HDMI input, awesome picture, 200lbs of pure beast.

You're right. VERY nice television. I've been surfing Sacto Craigslist since it's reasonably close. Unfortunately, the 32" WEGA's are just ---> <---- that much too big to fit.(I have just under 35" of width to work with...they're 35 3/8...:roll:

I've swapped emails with a couple of people in Sac...who have them...can't make them fit.

 

[sdifox]

How is the lighting condition and viewing habit?

PS That 27" Sony was probably the pinnacle of Sony quality.

 

[BoomerD]

Room's not too bad for lighting. No windows that shine directly on the area where the TV sits. She watches mostly HGTV and similar crap...I mean fine programming...:roll: but I enjoy an occasional movie on the telly...since the Sony crapped out, we've stopped renting movies.

The Trinitron WAS a decent set. Still an "entry-level" sort of model, but it worked well.

I wouldn't mind getting one of the WEGA models such as Fmr12b linked to...but the 32" just won't fit the space...and I haven't seen any of the smaller ones.

I COULD fit one of the 32" "normal" Trinitron models in there...but finding a decent one's been difficult. I saw one on Sacramento Craigslist yesterday, but the reply to the ad came with a .ru email address. Nothing...sketchy about that...:roll:

 

[sdifox]

For the wife's crappy programming? Just get a Vizio. Tell her she can have the TV on the wall and she'll throw that oak dohickey faster than you can say "oh snap!" :laugh:

see if you can find this

Vizio VF551XVT

55" and MSRP 2k, expected street 1800. Originally supposed to come out in Jan, but seems to have been pushed to July.


http://gizmodo.com/5125535/viz...cd-with-240hz-for-2000

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/ele/1209938319.html

If it will fit - go with a model HS420 Sony Wega flatscreen HDTV.

HDMI input, awesome picture, 200lbs of pure beast.

You're right. VERY nice television. I've been surfing Sacto Craigslist since it's reasonably close. Unfortunately, the 32" WEGA's are just ---> <---- that much too big to fit.(I have just under 35" of width to work with...they're 35 3/8...:roll:

I've swapped emails with a couple of people in Sac...who have them...can't make them fit.

We had the 36" version of the HS420 and it was a stellar set with amazing picture quality - too bad it does not fit.

I would broaden your search to include Toshiba nad JVC tube flat-screen TV's. Be careful with the lower level Sony Trinitorns as the amount of inputs you have vary greatly.

We have a tube non-HD 32" flat-screen Toshiba in our bedroom and we like it a lot. Picked it up on CL for $100 last year and it has been stellar. We also hada size issue with our Armoire and found a Toshiba with the speakers below the set and not on the sides.


http://sacramento.craigslist.org/ele/1212993245.html

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/ele/1208737485.html

JVC i-Art 32" reviews

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/ele/1209938319.html

If it will fit - go with a model HS420 Sony Wega flatscreen HDTV.

HDMI input, awesome picture, 200lbs of pure beast.

You're right. VERY nice television. I've been surfing Sacto Craigslist since it's reasonably close. Unfortunately, the 32" WEGA's are just ---> <---- that much too big to fit.(I have just under 35" of width to work with...they're 35 3/8...:roll:

I've swapped emails with a couple of people in Sac...who have them...can't make them fit.

We had the 36" version of the HS420 and it was a stellar set with amazing picture quality - too bad it does not fit.

I would broaden your search to include Toshiba nad JVC tube flat-screen TV's. Be careful with the lower level Sony Trinitorns as the amount of inputs you have vary greatly.

We have a tube non-HD 32" flat-screen Toshiba in our bedroom and we like it a lot. Picked it up on CL for $100 last year and it has been stellar. We also hada size issue with our Armoire and found a Toshiba with the speakers below the set and not on the sides.


http://sacramento.craigslist.org/ele/1212993245.html

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/ele/1208737485.html

JVC i-Art 32" reviews

Thanks for the links.

 

[saltyvinegar]

Plasma degrades over time and consumes massive electricity. Projection requires buying expensive bulbs over time and isn't much good in day light. LCD with a high viewing angle of 178 degrees makes more difference than contrast or brightness. The difference between 720p and 1080p is enough to notice esp. on a big screen. Buy LCD or LED because it's futureproof, if you want another 10 year experience anyway.

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: saltyvinegar
Plasma degrades over time and consumes massive electricity. Projection requires buying expensive bulbs over time and isn't much good in day light. LCD with a high viewing angle of 178 degrees makes more difference than contrast or brightness. The difference between 720p and 1080p is enough to notice esp. on a big screen. Buy LCD or LED because it's futureproof, if you want another 10 year experience anyway.

So much fail, it's not even worth a rebuttal.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: saltyvinegar
Plasma degrades over time and consumes massive electricity. Projection requires buying expensive bulbs over time and isn't much good in day light. LCD with a high viewing angle of 178 degrees makes more difference than contrast or brightness. The difference between 720p and 1080p is enough to notice esp. on a big screen. Buy LCD or LED because it's futureproof, if you want another 10 year experience anyway.

So much fail, it's not even worth a rebuttal.

In spite of his attempt to offer some "useful information"...

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Bah...my wife's gonna drive me fucking nuts over this "new tv" thing.

NOW she sez, "I don't want to get rid of my entertainment center. We'll just get a tv that fits inside of it."

That means, at the LARGEST, a 32" screen...:roll:

So...being the diplomat that I am...I suggested saying fuck it...instead of buying a new tv, let's find some used POS on Craigslist that fits the entertaianment center...and buy that.
Gawd I hate sleeping on the couch!!

This is when you go buy what you want and start moving stuff around. It's what I did and when I was all done with wall mount, holes in the wall to run wires hidden etc. I got "WOW that looks so much better than the old thing that was there!"

 

[BoomerD]

Nah...I don't really watch enough TV to justify the fight...

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: saltyvinegar
Plasma degrades over time and consumes massive electricity. Projection requires buying expensive bulbs over time and isn't much good in day light. LCD with a high viewing angle of 178 degrees makes more difference than contrast or brightness. The difference between 720p and 1080p is enough to notice esp. on a big screen. Buy LCD or LED because it's futureproof, if you want another 10 year experience anyway.

It's a good idea to know what you're talking about before posting and offering recommendations to others. Just a friendly FYI.

 

[OutHouse]

my wife says I can get one for fathers day, so looking on costco.com i found this set. what do you guys think?

http://www.costco.com/Browse/P...ang=en-US&Sp=C&topnav=

Panasonic 50' plasma

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: saltyvinegar
Plasma degrades over time and consumes massive electricity. Projection requires buying expensive bulbs over time and isn't much good in day light. LCD with a high viewing angle of 178 degrees makes more difference than contrast or brightness. The difference between 720p and 1080p is enough to notice esp. on a big screen. Buy LCD or LED because it's futureproof, if you want another 10 year experience anyway.

So much fail, it's not even worth a rebuttal.

didnt that used to be true? I live in Denver so i have "heard" that the high altitude does have a impact on plasmas. but that was years ago.

 

[OutHouse]

what about this sharp 46" aquos for 1200 bucks at costco?

http://www.costco.com/Browse/P...ang=en-US&Sp=C&topnav=

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: Citrix
my wife says I can get one for fathers day, so looking on costco.com i found this set. what do you guys think?

http://www.costco.com/Browse/P...ang=en-US&Sp=C&topnav=

Panasonic 50' plasma

The G10 is the superior model and can be had for $1364.79 after cash back at Butterfly Photo. It's probably the best 50" TV currently at that price.

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: saltyvinegar
Plasma degrades over time and consumes massive electricity. Projection requires buying expensive bulbs over time and isn't much good in day light. LCD with a high viewing angle of 178 degrees makes more difference than contrast or brightness. The difference between 720p and 1080p is enough to notice esp. on a big screen. Buy LCD or LED because it's futureproof, if you want another 10 year experience anyway.

So much fail, it's not even worth a rebuttal.

didnt that used to be true? I live in Denver so i have "heard" that the high altitude does have a impact on plasmas. but that was years ago.

Some of it used to be true, but that was 10-15 years ago. Some of it has never been true. All TVs degrade over time, but it generally would take 25+ years at 6 hours on per day to reach the half-life (when it's brightness is half of when it was new) of any TV purchased within the last few years. Most current plasmas are competitive in power consumption with other models. LCDs have a WORSE viewing angle than plasma, not better. The difference between 720p and 1080p depends on the viewing distance relative to the size of the TV. i.e. if you sit 3 feet from a 37" TV, you'll notice more of a difference than sitting 10 feet from a 50" TV; it's not just the size of the screen that matters. Whether you buy an LCD, LED, projection, or plasma TV, they all have the same chances of operating well in 10 years; i.e. LCD and LED are no more futureproof than anything else (buying a quality TV compared to a budget TV will make a much bigger difference in the life of your TV than the technology therein). I will say that if you're going to keep the TV for a long time that projection bulbs could get expensive over time, so you might want to stay away from projection TVs that require bulb replacements.

Edit: The statement, "LCD with a high viewing angle of 178 degrees makes more difference than contrast or brightness," is probably the biggest fail of all. According to ISF, there's NOTHING more important to picture quality than the contrast ratio.

 

[OutHouse]

ok good info guys

explain to me what the 120hz and 24hz mean along with the Dynamic Contrast. I see sets with 10000:1, to 50000:1.

 

[kalrith]

The advantage of 120Hz is that it can display 24fps sources (Blu-Ray) without any pull-down (because 120 is perfectly divisible by 24). 60Hz TVs have to use 3:2 pull-down for that. Unfortunately a lot of 120Hz TVs are coupled with motion interpolation that makes the picture appear "smoother" (i.e. unrealistic, and it introduces artifacts). There's nothing wrong with 120Hz TVs, but I wouldn't pay extra for one, and I wouldn't use the motion interpolation. Just be sure to get a set that handles 24fps well.

I'm pretty sure that dynamic contrast means that a set has local dimming. This means that if you have a space scene with a lot of black, the TV can turn off the backlighting to certain sections of the screen, thus making it perfectly black. When these first came out, there were problems with them turning off the backlighting when they shouldn't have (using the space-scene example, areas would appear black that should've had some stars in them), but these issues could very well have been resolved since then.