More HDTV Advice

[TheCalvinator24]

Any opinions on this deal?

http://circuitcity.shoplocal.com/circui ... 5&offerid=

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

I saw this advice on a movie site.

Biggest factor: 2:1 viewing distance. You should be at least twice as far away as the size of the TV. So if you watch TV at least 80 inches away (6 feet 8 inches), you should buy a TV no larger than 40 inches. Otherwise, your eyes can’t see the whole screen, and they’ll continually dart side to side to catch everything, or you’ll miss everything and be disappointed.

If you can buy only one TV:

1. Go for 1080p (to take full advantage of Blu-ray). 1080p now extends down to 37″ TVs, and I think has penetrated 32″. I’ll bet by this time next year all sizes will offer 1080p.

2. Stretch your budget for 120Hz response time (to eliminate or minimize ghost-action [or pixelation] on fast motion, like in live sports).

If you have more money:

3. Go for 24p for movie-like image.

Nice-to-have-but-not-necessary features:

4. Connect to the Internet, so you can surf in the living room, and see better (if you have poor eyesight).

5. USB connection. I think the latest Samsung will play a slideshow of whatever’s on the USB (like photos from your digital camera; no more fumbling for the fire-wire cable).

Best TVs for the money are the three S’s:
Sony, Sharp, Samsung.

I bought a 37″ 1080i Vizio at Costco last Feb. Now it’s $180 less, and for the same price as last year, I can get a 1080p. If my wife would let me put a TV in the big reading room (where any other family would watch TV), I would buy the latest Sony XBR with 1080p, 120Hz response rate, and 24p. Size? I don’t care, I just want those features. And Best Buy will give $100 off on a Blue-Ray player to boot.

[Bob Juch]

Any opinions on this deal?

http://circuitcity.shoplocal.com/circui ... 5&offerid=

See my previous post about never buying a Sony V or W model.

I just bought a Sony Bravia XBR KDL-52XBR6 for $2,369.99 and a Sony Bravia Theater System (DAVHDX576WF) for $369.95 from Amazon.com.

I'm very happy with them both and would not recommended anything less.

[Ritterskoop]

We have been very happy with our 32" Sony Bravia. Maybe it's 34". Whatever.

[peacock2121]

We are going out today to look at (and probably buy) a Samsung 52 inch 1080 120 Hz LCD somethin' somethin'.

I think all I have to do is say yes and it is ours.

[dimmzy]

I just got a Toshiba 40" with 1080 resolution for $749 as a Christmas/birthday present. It's great. The delivery guys from Best Buy recommended getting an HDMI cable for connection to the cable box -- said that the cable will absolutely impact the quality of the image. I set it up in my living room and can still see out the front window!

I like Sony in general, but I've always considered my Sony products to be stallions: impressive quality, but tempermental.

[TheCalvinator24]

Any opinions on this deal?

http://circuitcity.shoplocal.com/circui ... 5&offerid=

See my previous post about never buying a Sony V or W model.

I just bought a Sony Bravia XBR KDL-52XBR6 for $2,369.99 and a Sony Bravia Theater System (DAVHDX576WF) for $369.95 from Amazon.com.

I'm very happy with them both and would not recommended anything less.

What's the problem with the V & W series Sonys?

[Bob Juch]

Any opinions on this deal?

http://circuitcity.shoplocal.com/circui ... 5&offerid=

See my previous post about never buying a Sony V or W model.

I just bought a Sony Bravia XBR KDL-52XBR6 for $2,369.99 and a Sony Bravia Theater System (DAVHDX576WF) for $369.95 from Amazon.com.

I'm very happy with them both and would not recommended anything less.

What's the problem with the V & W series Sonys?

V is for Value. W is double-Value. The problem with them is they use cheap materials and cut out things that make the picture look much better. IMNSHO, the difference in price is not nearly worth it, even if you're a nonagenarian with failing eyesight.

[TheCalvinator24]

I stopped by Best Buy and Circuit City on the way home.

The V series is only 60Hz refresh rate.

The W Series looks okay to me, but I'm leaning toward Samsung.

[Bob Juch]

I stopped by Best Buy and Circuit City on the way home.

The V series is only 60Hz refresh rate.

The W Series looks okay to me, but I'm leaning toward Samsung.

You might also consider Sharp. I don't like their over-saturated colors though.

[TheCalvinator24]

I stopped by Best Buy and Circuit City on the way home.

The V series is only 60Hz refresh rate.

The W Series looks okay to me, but I'm leaning toward Samsung.

You might also consider Sharp. I don't like their over-saturated colors though.

Well, now I'm leaning back to Sony, but the same model you got. It's not quite as low on Amazon any more, but it's in the ballpark.

[peacock2121]

I said yes.

We did not purchase it.

Sting thinks there will be another sale.

We will wait.

[silverscreenselect]

I just got a Toshiba 40" with 1080 resolution for $749 as a Christmas/birthday present. It's great. The delivery guys from Best Buy recommended getting an HDMI cable for connection to the cable box -- said that the cable will absolutely impact the quality of the image. I set it up in my living room and can still see out the front window!

I like Sony in general, but I've always considered my Sony products to be stallions: impressive quality, but tempermental.

I currently own a Mitsubishi; it's an older model (the big boxy kind rather than the skinnier LCD's, plasma or DLP's). I would only buy another Mitsubishi or a Toshiba or Hitachi.

Sony is overpriced for the value you get.

If you have a high def input (satellite, cable, Blu Ray or upconverting DVD), definitely get an HDMI cable. You can get some for under $5 on Amazon which will do just as good a job as the ones costing you $30-60 in the store.

[minimetoo26]

I said yes.

We did not purchase it.

Sting thinks there will be another sale.

We will wait.

Sting is wise. Wait until after the Super Bowl, then pounce.

[peacock2121]

I said yes.

We did not purchase it.

Sting thinks there will be another sale.

We will wait.

Sting is wise. Wait until after the Super Bowl, then pounce.

That is what he said "It's not like we are hosting a Super Bowl Party and we need one now."

Although, I would love to watch the Super Bowl on it.

[minimetoo26]

I said yes.

We did not purchase it.

Sting thinks there will be another sale.

We will wait.

Sting is wise. Wait until after the Super Bowl, then pounce.

That is what he said "It's not like we are hosting a Super Bowl Party and we need one now."

Although, I would love to watch the Super Bowl on it.

Find a neighbor with one. Offer to bring the chips or wings or something cheaper than the TV.

[peacock2121]

Sting is wise. Wait until after the Super Bowl, then pounce.

That is what he said "It's not like we are hosting a Super Bowl Party and we need one now."

Although, I would love to watch the Super Bowl on it.

Find a neighbor with one. Offer to bring the chips or wings or something cheaper than the TV.

I will tweak that advice and actually find someone I want to spend time with who has such a TV. There is no neighbor that fits those two categories.

[ghostjmf]

BobJuch says:

You might also consider Sharp. I don't like their over-saturated colors though.

Well, at least we agree that Sharp's much-vaunted (by Sharp) colors are strictly from hunger. (Note all non-Yiddish speakers; that is not a compliment to Sharp. I never knew where the phrase came from, though; whether disparagement of Hungary, or a comment on starving people.)

Putting all the recommended cabling (which you have to order extra; I'd buy cables on Amazon, that's about it) with a Sharp will get less-saturated colors. So will having your color-adjustment on the set done by an artist. Both of these things need to be done. And I still don't like the colors on my sister-the-artist's Sharp set. I guess she thought that being an artist, she could fine-tune the shades, but there's just so much fine-tuning they will take. The saturation has a definite veer toward "saturated pastel", a la Disney cartoons.

So: Who makes the HDTV, LCD, not plasma, 'cause who can afford plasma, that looks the closest to Trinitron picture quality? And if Trinitron (no longer under patent by Sony) is my color standard, why would I want an LCD TV anyway? Other than the thin-ness, which I agree is an advantage, & the large-screen, which I don't need, & the high-definition, which I don't need if I stick to a small screen?

[TheCalvinator24]

So: Who makes the HDTV, LCD, not plasma, 'cause who can afford plasma,

Plasma is cheaper than LCD.

DLP is even less.

[ghostjmf]

TheCalvinator24 says:

Plasma is cheaper than LCD.

That would be a turnaround! How times change. Especially since they're making so many more LCD TVs. You would think that alone would keep the LCDs cheaper. But originally they were cheaper than plasma because either the materials were cheaper, or the standards were lower, or both.

DLP is even less.

I don't even know ('til I look it up) what DLP is.

[ghostjmf]

OK, DLP is the term for the chip in the overhead projectors for television. I'd still tend to call them "overhead projection TVs". My sister looked into that. If you don't have a dedicated "TV watching room" you will keep dark, its not such a great idea after all. Also, you get the same problem you get in real theaters when people position themselves between the projector & the screen (giant sihouette of said person on screen).

[tanstaafl2]

I have one of the grand dames of CRT's, a 40" Mitsubishi that I bought back in about 1995, amongst my current collection of boob tubes, all of which are the good old fashioned tube TVs. Even the last TV I bought was a 36" tube about 4 years ago as I just wasn't ready to join the ground swell for flat screens.

I don't look forward to the day when it finally dies, not the least of which is because it weighs about 300 pounds and is up 1 1/2 flights of tight stairs and a narrow door just barely wide enough to get the TV through.

But when it finally dies I guess I will finally join the flat screen HD digital edge. I still prefer CRT's but I don't think I ever want to haul another one up those stairs! When it is in 16x9 mode it is a little smaller than I like for the room it is in so I guess I will be looking for something in the 50"+ range as a flat screen replacement in order to get a decent picture since it is a fairly large room.

Don't know if Mitsubishi makes a good quality plasma or LCD (or maybe I will try DLP) but if they are close to the quality this old friend has been then I will have to give them a look when that dreaded time finally comes.

[tanstaafl2]

OK, DLP is the term for the chip in the overhead projectors for television. I'd still tend to call them "overhead projection TVs". My sister looked into that. If you don't have a dedicated "TV watching room" you will keep dark, its not such a great idea after all. Also, you get the same problem you get in real theaters when people position themselves between the projector & the screen (giant sihouette of said person on screen).

DLP's (digital light processing) also come as rear projection models. Thinner than a CRT but not as thin as plasma or LCD.


http://dlp.com/hdtv/product_detail.aspx?id=S5612944

[Estonut]

Putting all the recommended cabling (which you have to order extra; I'd buy cables on Amazon, that's about it) with a Sharp will get less-saturated colors

I should know better, but here goes.

ghost, I believe your grudge against Amazon is misplaced. Amazon would never send you a DVD that was not factory-sealed and absolutely brand new. I have a feeling the purchase that knotted your knickers was from a third party, not Amazon. When something is rare or generally unavailable, Amazon sometimes acts as a marketplace for third-party sellers. They make it absolutely clear, however, that you are purchasing from someone else, and not them. They list the prices, conditions and vendors (with customer satisfaction ratings) and let you choose the vendor you want to purchase from. I would guess this scenario, however, represents a tiny fraction (less than 1%) of all of their sales.

Since they don't charge sales tax and most items (that I buy, anyway) qualify for free shipping and handling, you really can't beat them.

[ghostjmf]

The DVD definitely was from a 3rd-party vendor. Selling slightly defective but watchable DVDs, & not advertising them as slightly defective.

Most of my purchases in life are not upwards of hundreds of dollars. So the sales tax is no big deal. Less than UPS or FedEx charges would be, generally. Those DVDs shipped USPS, & there was no other option. Cheap, but not the shipping service I would have chosen.

One of my problems is "having to return". I have, in the past, bought electronics that for whatever reason did not work as advertised. So I returned them. In person. Got my money back, &, usually, a different model. In person.

All day at work I handle, among many other things, returns of devices that sometimes cost upwards of $10,000.00. We use UPS or FedEx. RichU is self-insured, but we make sure the expensive stuff is registered with their insurance office as "on the road" in case of loss or damage. (They got real snooty about it when we started doing this, because its "only" a $250,000.00 scientific instrument, not artwork worth an equal amount.) I know that the return shipping charges for a DVR will not be cheap. Not nearly as cheap as the charges to get it to me, as the company (Amazon in your case) ships in bulk & gets special rates, a little of which saving they may actually pass on to the customer.

Look, everyone in the world does not yet buy from Amazon. There are a lot of big box stores still in business. A few of them, like Best Buy, specialize in electronics. And there are still some smaller-box electronics vendors, though fewer of them than there used to be. I will certainly compare prices, once I decide to buy whatever, & if Amazon is so much less than the local store, with taxes included, would be that I would have return shipping covered if I need to send it back, maybe I'll consider it. I have to tell you, though, another thing I do, among many other things, is collect credit memos for stuff returned at work. Boy, is that way tougher than it needs to be. A lot of companies don't even send these forms out, even though they're only credit memos & not actual checks, until you beg them to.

When its my credit card being reimbursed, & not RichU's expense accounts, I am, would you believe, so much more anxious to get that money back even faster.