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An audiophile who know NOTHING about TV

Well, I've been thinking of buying a new TV and holy crap, is this one confusing subject! First, what technology should I get: Plasma, DLP, LCD, etc. 16:9, 1080. I don't know what any of this stuff means. The funny thing is that i'm scanning consumer reports and others like it to see what is the "best" LOL. I don't think I found my SME 30 or Aesthetix IO there! I would be aghast at anyone who told me they were buying a high end piece of audio equipment like that, but here I was doing the same thing. Looking to see which had the best specs. I stopped by a best buy today and actually found someone who seemed to know what he was talking about. He asked the right questions (from what I read): What do you watch, how far do you sit, etc. I answered his questions. Not interested in surround sound at all. Mostly watch broadcast TV and lots of sports (I use dish network as my source), sit about 10 feet from the screen (need to measure, i'm just guessing), watch an occasional DVD.

So, we're moving along and he seemd to be steering me towards DLP (Samsung) but there was a Pioneer Plasma that looked great. Then he mentions that "regular" TV broadcasts look terrible!!?? You won't be able to use the whole screen? What the hell, I can't have that. Isn't most TV non High-Def? Why would you buy Plasma/DLP if this is the case? I know we are headed to high-def, but unless i'm missing something I would think I should wait before I buy. I guess I can go RP CRT but isn't that "old" technology? That's funny, coming from a guy who listens to records and has an all tube-based system LOL.

I just want the best picture and biggest picture that makes sense in my room.

Oh, the room has a lot of natural light during the day, but most watching is done at night.
cte500
reubent
7,005 posts
 
I was in a similar position a while back and after studying all of the options, I chose a 42" Panasonic EDTV plasma.

Interestingly, there is an ongoing debate on AVSforum concerning the EDTV (enhanced definition) Plasma TV vs. HDTV (hi-def) Plasma. Many folks have come to the conclusion that the advantage of the HDTVs higher resolution disappeared once you had a viewing distance of more than 8 feet.

In my smallish audio/video/office/workout cave, I had a preferred furniture arrangement that only allowed 8 ft viewing distance (max) and that's with the plasma hanging on the wall. For me, getting the extra 18-22" distance was the most compelling reason for the plasma panel. Additionally, the Pannys have an SD tuner, HDTV tuner, QAM tuner (digital cable) and cablecard tuner built into the set. I also like the fact that it will work in a wide range of ambient lighting conditions, unlike some of the other choice. Add in the coolness factor and the fact that I got it for $2400 and I'm a happy camper.

There is the SD picture quality issue. I have Time Warner Cable with an HD digital cable box. The HD broadcast look spectacular and fill the 16X9 screen. The SD program material is good, but not as good as a great CRT TV. I generally watch the SD programming in a strecthed mode to fill the screen. It was a bit odd at first, but I got used to it in a couple of days.

BTW, I saved about $1800-2000 by buying the EDTV version vs. the HDTV version. I'm perfectly happy with the TV and I will likely move it into a bedroom or office once a high quality HDTV 42" plasma reaches my pricepoint.

Enjoy,

TIC
(Tom In Cincinnati)
danlib1
819 posts
 
I would keep the following in mind:

1. Over the next 2 years, DirecTV will rollout another 120 or more channels of Hi-Def.

2. Newest generation plasmas- especially the Panasonics- have VERY good black levels, incredible color and brightness, and a projected lifespan of 15 years or so with daily usage up to about 8 hours.

3. Standard definition broadcasts are a problem with ANY HD set, because of scaling/line doubling issues. The Panasonic EDTV Plasma, to my eyes, does the very best job with Standard def signals of any digital set out there. It also does a great job with HDTV as long as you dont sit close enough to notice the pixel size (for a 42" panel, about 8 feet or more away is ideal).

4. As Slappy said,make the salesman work. Tell him that you want to see not just a HDTV feed on the set you're considering, but a standard feed as well. Play with the screen-filling setting available with the set to see if you could stand watching 4:3 programming in "Stretchovision" on a 16:9 display. All these sets- and the HDTV receivers- handle that task a little differently...they don't all yeild an equally good result.

5. Do not listen to the Plasma urban legends- short life, major burn-in issues, lose plasma "gas", yata yata yata. Latest generation Plasma panels are extremely reliable and by all indication will yield long lives.

Have fun shopping!
gary17
18 posts
 
I never really cared about tv but my rear projection was destroyed during recent home remodel. I ended up with a dlp front projector after much research. See projectorcentral.com for much infomation about different technologies, screen sizes, aspect ratios, hdtv, including strengths & weeknesses. This site is informative for more than just front projectors. Projectors are getting very reasonbly priced. I never thouht picture quality would ever be a big concern for me but having a large image in HDTV quality has made a huge difference in my enjoyment of TV and home movies. Totally unexpected and totally pleased.
warrenh's avatar
warrenh
2,299 posts
 
I can certainly relate. Decided on a Samsung DLP. After all my research, I believe the wow factor related to cost is the best. Just remember that the cost of your DLP or plasma etc. is, probably, less than half the total cost of your home theatre system, especially if you're not (like in my case) going to hook it up to your main audio rig. Here's a few extras to consider: stand, cables, DVD player of the caliber to go with your new set, extended warrantee, amp, speakers, power conditioner/surge protector, calibration, cables, and whatever else I forgot. You getting a little sick? I'm glad I purchased the Sammy. Having it calibrated this weekend, in fact. HD is unreal with a good DVD not far behind. Between the 'goners, the asylum and avsforum, I was able to get there. peace and good luck, warren
sammie
220 posts
 
If you have the room and don't mind a bulky set, the cheapest route to go is tubes. Tube TV's still have a better picture than anything else out there. Take a look at Loewe or Sony WEGA. I like the Sony top of the line 34" HDTV Wega, which by the way was the favorite tube TV reviewed by consumer reports some time ago. Again the drawback is size -- the Sony is 200lbs.
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