2. home-theater
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which technology really has the best picture

I've read about all of the technologies, and I've gone to look at them at Tweeter and Circuit City. However, mostly they don't have the DLPs and rear-projection LCDs next to the plasmas and flat panel LCDs, and the lighting in the stores is terrible. I feel like the plasma picture is a little bit better than the rear projections, but I wonder if the stores use picture settings to make it look that way because the flat panels are more expensive. Consumer Reports just rated a Toshiba DLP as having really excellent picture compared to flat panel (both plasma and LCD).

If the plasma picture really is better, I'll probably wait the year until 1080p is affordable. If not, time to buy a DLP or LCD rear projection. Is there any real agreement on this? I welcome any thoughts. Thanks. -Dave
dbw1
duane
189 posts
 
Hello,

The best is still the tube TV but after that it has to do with the environment you are putting the TV in, how good the scalar and optics are, how it is calibrated, and if the technology you choose is designed to be price sensitive or built for performance.

Let me know if you are still looking at this thread and I can go into detail of the pros and cons and why along with who makes the best in each technology.

Thanks,
Duane
merganser
216 posts
 
For shear picture quality, the CRT is still the best.
dbw1 OP
173 posts
 
This has been helpful so far. More specifics: I can't fully control the lighting in there, as there are four windows and two big openings that lead to other rooms with windows. There is daylight in the room, which is why I haven't looked at a front projector.

I do know that CRT conventional tube tv is still best, but i'm looking for at least a 50 inch screen. The room is 12 feet wide, 21 feet long, and the couch will be 12 to 14 feet from the screen. Every once in a while I have 20 or so people watching, but mostly it's just 2 to 4.

So, if plasma is really better, there are some great deals on the Panasonic TH-50PX60u now, but it doesn't do 1080p. Thoughts? Thanks. -Dave
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
>> No rear projection TV can compete against a direct view TV. <<

Say what? RPTVs and CRTs have, without a doubt, the truest blacks. And their color rendition, brightness, and contrast are at least as good.

Take a $2,000 RPTV, get it ISF calibrated (for $300-500) and it will smoke a $4,000 plasma. It will also outlast the plasma by 7-10 years.

Plasma is over-priced marketing hype targeted at yuppies with more money than brains. Spend some serious time at AvsForum.com and you'll see the light...

-RW-
avguygeorge
2,300 posts
 
I have 2 tv's in the same room. One is the 9"crt,65" Mits. My most recent purchase being the Sony Ruby,a front projetor. This was my 4th projector and it is the equal of the Mits.--and 92" is bigger!! This is their XRCD technology and while it ain't a Qualia;it is stunning. The picture washes out more so than the RPTV so naturally it looks better at night.
I have preorderd the Tosh.A2 and it might arrive this week or next week.
For some reason sd dvds look so much better on the Ruby so I can only imagine what HD-DVD will look like. So which is the better of the new technologies?? Sony SXRD would be my guess.---Of course I don't go to the stores all that much; or make that as much as many.
I finally had a point of curiosity cleared up. I was watching Sam Runco on a cedia type show. His comments were about how the stores have a higher bit rate feed so you get home and hook your set to a lower bit rate source and your tv won't look quite as clean.
The coming of HD_DVD and Blue Ray changes that. Now you will see the same PQ at home.
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