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Help buying a television

My girlfriend and I will be moving to a new house, and the room for the TV is much larger than in our current setup. She loves football (yes, some guys do get lucky), so the NFL via DirecTV will be the primary focus. We'll be about 12 feet from the screen. From what I've been reading a 50- or 55-inch screen would be about right for that distance. Also, I've read that plasma is still thought of as best for sports.
Do these bits of information seem correct? Anything else we should consider? Recommendations -- including brands -- would be greatly appreciated.
FYI: I posted this under "Home Theater" because that made the most sense. That said, this will be a set on the wall, not a real home theater.
Thanks so much for your help.

-- Howard
hodu
afranta
180 posts
 
I ran across a contrarian view when I was TV shopping a couple of years ago: the CAO (Canadian Association of Optometrists) recommends a viewing distance of 5 times the width of the picture -- which means something like a 32 or 37 inch screen for a 12 foot viewing distance!
oshag
11 posts
 
Plasma is Still King. Good luck trying to find a Pioneer Elite Kuro. There are good alternatives though. The latest LCDs such as the Samsung 8500 have very good PQ. Personally though I still much prefer a plasma picture.
upgrade1394
1 posts
 
Two suggestions: Go atleast 58" or better yet 65". The Panasonic Viera is a great set- I would take plasma over LCD (block smearing and unnatural flesh tones).
Kuro is a desirable model, but the current Panasonics are very very good (go for middle tier version- I think it goes like G, S and V?)
loomisjohnson
1,944 posts
 
i fully concur with the go-for-plasma rec--it's still the superior technolgy, esp. for sports viewing. panasonics have excellent pictures, but i (and some of my cronies) have had problems with their reliability, so i've been touting samsung. these black friday-type sites like dealnews and brad's deals scan the internet on a constant basis for deals--you'll see some really great (albeit short-lived) prices on big plasmas from reputable retailers like dell, sears, etc.
unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
Yes, I have plasma (50" NEC) in the living room...and projection in my 25' addition up stairs.

My wife and I do cuddle downstairs...when I am not upstairs with my projector.

Healthy(?)...don't ask.
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