What TV to buy

[dsullo]

With all the changes that have occured over the past few months in the television market, I am so hesitant on making a purchase. I want a TV to take advantage of the HDTV technology offered by my cable company, I want to play my XBOX in the highest resolution available and I want my DVD's to look as good as possible as well.

I was always leaning away from Rear Projection TVs and I have been waiting on the LCD TV's to become available in larger sizes and the price needs to come down. Now that the Rear Projection TVs have DLP technology maybe I should lean back towards them to get the larger size like a 50 inch TV. There are so many options and other technical jargin in the specs. I am confused. I just need a list of what the TV should have and what I should avoid. If anyone is an expert on the subject , please reply
thanks
Dustin

[digitalpress]

I'm with you on this, Dustin. It's about time for a new TV here as well. FWIW, I've had a 50" rear-projection TV for seven years, it has performed admirably, but has some issues of late. It's been repaired twice already and I think it's time to retire it.

So what about it, AV people?

[goats]

how about a price range?

[dsullo]

price range for me is about $2000-2500

[Cantaloup]

This is a tough one, as just about every type of TV technology seems to have some drawbacks. So it comes down to what kinds of issues you're willing to live with.

For video games, I think you pretty much want to discount any CRT-based projection systems right off, due to the fact that they are very susceptible to burn-in. Plasmas can also have burn-in issues, but there seems to be some debate as to how likely this is. Some people say newer plasmas are much better, and as long as you take certain precautions (like turning the contrast down and not taxing the set for the first 100 hours or so) burn in doesn't occur. However, HDTV plasmas are still quite pricey; the ones you see for $2k-$3k are "EDTV". They can accept an HDTV signal, but their resolution is only slightly better than a standard definition TV. I don't know if I'd want to even risk burn-in on an expensive HDTV plasma.

So basically that leaves direct view (CRT), LCD, RPTV (LCD and DLP), and front-projection systems. Direct view is still considered to give excellent picture quality. However, the screen size is rather limited (usually you won't find them larger than 36") and they get big and heavy at those sizes. LCDs appear to be rapidly dropping in price recently (I've seen good 32" TVs for as low as $1300). The main complaints with LCD is poor black levels and blurring on fast motion; the latter can be alleviated/eliminated on screens with fast response times. Some companies are now claiming 8ms response times and it seems like this is no longer an issue on the newer sets. Projection systems have a bulb that needs to be replaced (on the systems I've looked at, they usually give an average bulb life of 8000 hours or so). The bulb is usually user-replaceable, but can be expensive ($200-300) so you may want to factor that cost in. Rear-projection systems have gotten really thin and light recently, almost as much as the flat panel TVs. However, I've heard complaints of blurring and motion lag on video games on some RPTVs. Also, DLP TVs can have what's called a "rainbow effect", where you see rainbows in the picture when you move your head. Personally I haven't seen it in the sets I've looked at, but it bothers some people. I don't really know much about front projection systems, but if you want a huge screen, that is the way to go.

Here are some places to get more information. The AVS Forum has lots of great information, and has a forum specifically for video gaming:

http://www.avsforum.com/

Here is a site about gaming in high-def:

http://www.hdtvarcade.com/

There is also some new technology on the horizon, including OLED and LCoS. But for right now I think I'm personally leaning toward a 32" LCD panel. I will probably wait until the newer models come out later in the year; I'm trying to wait until 1920x1080 resolution is available.

[SkiDragon]

I say get a good standard picture tube, and keep it until HDTV becomes more standardized and less expensive.

[yuppicide]

I worked for Circuit City and I sold televisions at one point.

If you're looking for thin but expensive, you'll go Plasma. You can see them at all angles, unlike a projection TV. Plasma's are very fragile, you can't even lay them down flat or you could break them. When transporting them you don't want to even tilt them and if you do when you get them home you should wait before you turn them on for the first time. Don't be fooled by the cheaper plasma's. They're most likely EDTV (Enhanced Definition). EDTV looks better than a standard TV, but is not HDTV and will not display an HD signal. Plasma are also very expensive to "recharge" the gasses inside, if it's possible at all. I have solid facts about this just what I hear from other associates and customers. After awhile the gasses slowly fade away losing brightness and color. Leaving one image on the screen can burn it in (ie: don't leave your video game sitting on a menu screen and then go out for the day).

On a little cheaper price you can get an LCD which is also very thin. They are more durable than Plasma. The downside to LCD is pixels can burn out. Although pixels are very small, they're sometimes noticible, especially if you have a few burnt out. LCD's can be seen most any angle as with a plasma.

Projection TV's.. there's three catagories:

LCD Projection - Hybrid of LCD technology with Projection technology. Uses a bulb inside the television that costs about $250-$300 to replace, so getting an extended warranty is a sound investment.. atleast at Circuit City. Circuit City covers the bulb, Best Buy does not. So, if your TV is not looking like it did when the day you bought it, they'll come out and replace the bulb for you. They are thinner than normal Projection TV's and lighter. They also have a better picture than normal Projection TV's and the viewing angle is better.

DLP - Digital Light Projection. This technology was invented by Texas Instruments and used in movie theaters. It uses a color wheel and one bulb inside (again costs about $300). The color wheel has the primary colors on it and spins at a high speed. DLP and LCD Projection are very similar. If you view the same source on both TV's you may notice one doesn't produce black's as well as the other, one might not produce colors as well as the other, but they are very similar. They're also thinner and lighter than normal Projection. On older DLP's if you move your head really fast from side to side you might see a "rainbow effect" on the screen. This is because of the color wheels. I only noticed this two or three times, and it was only after a customer told me about it. I wasn't able to duplicate the effect everytime, so I don't see it as an issue. Newer projections I didn't see this happening.

Projection TV - Heavier than it's two counterparts I've listed above. Viewing angle is not as good. Projection TV's have three bulbs, unlike the others above that only have one bulb. I am pretty sure the bulbs cost about the same too, so it's good to have that warranty plan. If you find one that has a manual convergence in it they are nice. You can go in with the remote (or sometimes on front of the TV) and manually adjust the colors of the three bulbs (red, green, blue). It's really easy to do. Some televisions have auto convergence, but I still go with the manual myself.

So, in short.. if not looking to break the bank and get a great looking TV, go for DLP or LCD Projection. You can get a pretty large size under $3000. Keep an eye out.. sales happen every week. One week there could be a good rebate or freebie and the next week not. Most stores price match up to 30 days, so keep an eye on your television for 30 days after you buy it. You could get it even cheaper.

[slip81]

You could always go the projection route. Good preforming ones can usually be found for about $1500, and you can get a nice big motorized screen for about $500-700.

[Kid Ice]

You could always go the projection route. Good preforming ones can usually be found for about $1500, and you can get a nice big motorized screen for about $500-700.

I don't know if I'd recommend a projector for everyday TV use. The bulbs have a limited life, and I don't want to look at something that BIG all the time. Also, there's some warm up and wind down time involved...not too cool if you just want to watch the news for 10 minutes before work. I have a projection system for gaming, movies, and parties, and a regular 27" for TV. If you have a good amount of space to work with, that's the way to go.

[Cantaloup]

Plasma are also very expensive to "recharge" the gasses inside, if it's possible at all. I have solid facts about this just what I hear from other associates and customers. After awhile the gasses slowly fade away losing brightness and color.

This is a common myth that is perpetuated about plasma. The gas doesn't wear out, nor can you "recharge" it. See here for more information:

http://www.avsforumfaq.com/~plasma/#refill


The downside to LCD is pixels can burn out.

LCDs can have "dead" or "stuck" pixels. However, I believe it is the case that the set will come with the pixels in that condition already and will not develop new bad pixels over time.

[Jasoco]

My store (Kmart) sells a Sylvania 42" Plasma TV (http://www.sylvaniaconsumerelectronics.com/products/pdp/pdp.html) for $2000. Customers come in all the time and ask why it's so much cheaper than other stores and brands. I never know what to say.

Funny thing is the week it came in, they accidentally had it on sale for $950 instead of $1950. Funny no one took advantage of that offer, and had I known it was actually a mistake, I would have jumped on it.

Is there anything wrong with Sylvania? I'll admit I haven't really done much (None at all) shopping around for other Plasma's.

How many years before Plasma becomes super cheap? ;)

[pineapplehead2]

At the moment im liking to stay from these new type of TV because i love retro gaming and on NES Forums this guy was playing NES on i think a wide screen and there was about a 3 secound delay and it made it hard, i dont really want that so im sticking with what i got now

[Jasoco]

At the moment im liking to stay from these new type of TV because i love retro gaming and on NES Forums this guy was playing NES on i think a wide screen and there was about a 3 secound delay and it made it hard, i dont really want that so im sticking with what i got nowI'm sure that's far from true. 3 second delay is totally false. Especially since I've seen these things in action, there is no large delay in AV input.

Actually, I was planning on taking my Nomad to work tomorrow to test it out on the Sylvania just to see what it would look like.

[pineapplehead2]

I could be wrong but it was something to that effect, some thing along thos lines, and lets say in about 20 years, can i still be able to play my NES when TV have transform into new things?

[digitalpress]

I worked for Circuit City and I sold televisions at one point.

Thanks for your insights!

What do you think of the Sony Grand WEGA series? I've heard others talk about theirs here, I've yet to see one in action. I'm spying on this one:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony-50-Grand-WEGA-HDTV-KDF-50WE655-/sem/rpsm/oid/100656/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

[Trebuken]

I've been looking at HDTV's for awhile now and have concluded that the best option for my TV/Gaming needs is a JVC HD-ILA television. Model HD-61Z575. The 52" model is just to small. It has an exceptional picture with no distortion from any angle. No DLP rainbow effects. No pixelation as with LCD's (lcd's are good if viewed from 6'+ away, and for PC Gaming). They don't have the motion blur of the plasmas or the price tag of comparably sized plasmas. They are lighter than a CRT. I have a 36" CRT (JVC I'Art pro) which is awesome, but discontinued, it has the disadvantage of being 160lbs. I also have a 47" Panasonic RP HDTV which is only good for playing current generation systems with HDTV capabilities. Older systems are no-progressive and the picture is terrible. CRT is best for gaming but limited by the picture size....

[lurpak]

my front room, I have a 22" nonwide tv for everyday tv watching and I have a projector for dvd, soccer and occasional gaming.
the setup suits me down to the fround as I think large TVs are obtrusive on living space, however I love watching films with the full cinema experiance.
Projectors are damn cheap now, I tried to sell mine on ebay and failed to meet reserve at £250 ($500) I was selling it to pay for a new one. so it looks like Ill have a bedroom one too.

I cant understand people spending thousands on big/blury LCD. since 90% of stuff we watch realy doesnt need to be supersized, (news, cartoons, soaps)

[Sylentwulf]

This topic ALWAYS comes up like once every other month, and here's the post I ALWAYS make :)

You're spending a lot of money. We know videogames, we DON'T know TV's and audio video equipment. Don't make some rash decision based on what looks good in the store, or what someone on these boards say.

GO HERE - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/

[Bluteg]

Which do you guys think is better the 36" 4:3 Sony w/ 1080i or the 34" Widescreen Sony w/ 1080i. I would like to use this to watch dvds and play current gen stuff and NES. For the rest of the consoles I have a 19" R G B monitor.

[Jasoco]

Which do you guys think is better the 36" 4:3 Sony w/ 1080i or the 34" Widescreen Sony w/ 1080i. I would like to use this to watch dvds and play current gen stuff and NES. For the rest of the consoles I have a 19" R G B monitor.
I don't know why, but I would really want a widescreen TV. But now you got me curious. Is there really a benefit to it? I mean really, most of the time even with WideScreen DVD's and movies, you still get black bars depending on the formatting of the movie. I mean, The Incredibles is 2.38:1 and even on the Sylvania Plasma TV I was talking about, it still had acres of black bars.

I'm wondering if WideScreen isn't just overhyped fluff?

[Ducks]

[PS2Hawk]

I recomend

Toshiba 52 inch DLP projection, with HD2+ chip.
720p is the core resolution.

less that 2000 in USA. I have seen them for 1859 with stand free shippping.

I wish I was in USA, same TV is 3699.99 in bestbuy in canada. I WANT that TV.

Toshiba is really good, I think its their second gen TVs, SAMSUNG has 3rd gen going but they are starting to cut back on qauality.