Posted on 10/09/2007 11:39:13 AM PDT by freekitty
My 6 year old Sony just died. I am looking for a tv that does not have a picture tube.
Does anyone recommend one? Does anyone know about LCD or Plasma?
Need some help.
Thanks.
That's probably because they're showing a Standard Definition signal and "stretching" it wider to fill the screen. The other alternative is to show SD signals in their native format, which will have black bars on each side; but at least it will display in the correct aspect ratio.
I lurked here www.avsforum.com for about a year, reading and learning. I just ordered a Pioneer Elite PRO-150FD (that translates to 60” plasma). It’s expensive, but the reviews are very good and I doubt there’ll be another quantum leap in picture quality (viewable to the human eye) in the next couple of years.
Don’t tell me that. LOL
Maybe as high as $1,500
yes
direct tv, may change
Right in Houston
Thanks
You silly.
Freekitty, there are a couple of questions that need answering before really evaluating what fits your needs. First, how far away from the screen do you normally sit? Do you have any restrictions on placement, i.e., must it fit within certain size constraints? These questions help determine the correct screen size for you. Will it be placed where children’s sticky fingerprints, etc., might be a concern? Will the screen be hit with direct sunlight or other bright lights in the room, or can you moderate the room brightness? Do you prefer wall mounting, or do you mind that it takes up floor space? Will it be used for other purposes, for example, gaming, viewing family photographs, etc? Will most viewing be done straight on, or will you want to see it from appreciable side angles?
These are just some of the questions that can help narrow down the selection. I hate to say this, but this thread has drawn so many comments that are simply incorrect that I feel sorry for you being deluged with information without being able to know what’s true and what’s false. I would heartily second the posters who recommended that you check out the AVS forum (you can find it by a quick Google search) - BUT that site is so full of information that it would be very easy to get lost unless you have narrowed down some of the parameters. Just a couple of corrections to some of the incorrect info posted - both plasmas and LCDs have very long useful lives, averaging 40,000 to 60,000 to half brightness; that’s years and years of 24 hour a day viewing, or decades of normal viewing. Plasmas and LCDs also use appreciably the same amount of power in normal viewing; the wattage ratings provided are at maximum output, which is not usually encountered in normal viewing. Finally, DLPs haved a downside salesmen never tell customers (but you can find much info on it on the web from unhappy customers) - DLP bulbs are very short-lived compared to the life of plasmas and LCDs, and replacements are VERY expensive to purchase...to the tune of +/- $500, not including installation if you can’t install it yourself. Hope this helps.
Plasma’s are power hogs. I did some quick calcs and figure it would cost about $70 / year to power a big plasma on PG&E’s power running about 5 hours/day. And most of that power goes into heat, which is fine in the winter, but maybe not so nice in the summer.
Thank you for your help. I do not have a large den; and I am afraid if I wall mount it; when dogs are out of crates pounding on door they will knock it right off the wall or hubby will. That’s 225 lbs of hubby and about 300 lbs of dogs. LOL No kids; so no worry there. There is some morning and afternoon light; but most of the light comes from lamps which can be bright; but they can turned off. I don’t like really dark; but hubby does and he watches it a lot; however buying a sectional so everyone can lay on it at same time. Might be viewing at angles if on sectional; however room is not a really large den; and it’s usually straight on right now. I would say about 6 to 8 feet from where we sit. Could be very wrong there. My electric bill is already outrageous and don’t wish to put more on it. Really want something that will upgrade to HDTV and have really good picture without paying a premium price which I did for my last tv and you can see what happened there. TV will sit on long chest which used to be a buffet. Bottom half. Anything out there with good warranty or they mostly the same.
Don't misunderstand - you'll be able to find a 1080p LCD for around $1,500, but probably not a top quality known brand. (Now watch somebody post a link to one, and prove me wrong. LOL.)
The reason I recommend a 1080p model is because a significant amount of programming is in 1080p, and if you but a 720p display, the 1080p programming will be scaled to fit, and scaling can cause visual problems.
Also, standard definition material generally doesn't look as good on an HD display as it does on an SD display. So be it.
A final note: You should get a good roof antenna also. You will be absolutely blown away by an OTA (over the air) pic on a high grade 1080p display, like the Panasonic above. Absolutely blown away.
Great information; you should be able to find something you’ll love well within your budget. You could get by with a 42” but as you can get a 50” Panasonic for under $1500 (if you click on the link from savedbygrace in post #133, you’ll find one of the highly respected internet dealers; the set on that particular web page, though, is above your budget, but if you click on the Panasonic brand link in the upper left corner of the page, it’ll take you to a page with other Pannys that are within your range). There’s a lot of debate as to whether Panasonic or Pioneer make the best affordable sets; I went back and forth before getting my Pioneer (which was the right size at the right price for me), but if I’d found a Panasonic dealer at the right size and price I would have been equally happy with that brand. Partisanship aside, they’re both terrific.
At your viewing distance, a 50” 720p set will look great, and the price premium over a 42” is pretty minimal. The good 1080p sets in the 42” to 50” range are too expensive right now (and the ones you can get under $1600 are not worth it); moreover, 720p is a high definition resolution under ATSC, so if you get HD programming with your satellite package you’ll be very pleased. Visual Apex also sells LCDs, as you’ll see on their site; unfortunately, though, even with the VA discounted prices, which are typically amongst the lowest in the business for authorised dealers, the good LCDs in the 42-50” sizes run over budget.
I understand your concern about wall mounting; however, if you look at the wall mounts next time you’re out shopping, I think you’d be surprised at how amazingly sturdy they are (as they should be - the good ones made by Peerless and Sanus run more than $100!). You’d actually have to knock down the wall to dislodge a properly mounted one - and if you or your husband know how to find wall studs and can handle simple tools, mounting is a 15 minute project. The TV is held by hefty bolts, and I’ve so far never heard of one that was correctly mounted falling off a wall. I’m only mentioning that because your enthusiastic pooches :-) might be more likely to tip over a TV that sits on a TV stand or table.
One other thing to mention, as your satellite box probably has an HDMI output, is that you would need to buy an HDMI cable to run from the sat box to the set. These are VERY expensive at places like Best Buy (they will charge you $100 without batting an eye!) - BUT you can get better cables for far less at pro sites like Monoprice, where professional broadcast standard (i.e., very high quality) HDMI cables will cost between $10 and $20, depending on the length you need. Much higher quality than Monster Cable, at 10% of the price, is a very good deal.
I wonder if Rush has bought that one yet?
Fess up. Do you actually own one of those $6,000 sets? Pioneer Elite Series TVs are just that, the elite of the flat panel TV realm. I can honestly say I don’t know a soul who owns one.
I have always liked Panasonic. Had them for years. Thanks for all your help. I think I am more prepared to go look now.
Thanks everyone for all your wonderful help. Now I can go look and see what I want. I can’t wait to see what I end up with and will let you know. LOL
There are no better people than Freepers and you can count on that.
Yes.
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