Which bigscreen?

[gOOters]

Anyone with experience here?

 

Requirements:

 

< $2000 (limits us to CRT-RP which is fine with me)

50-60" (preferably the big side)

HD ready

Good viewing angle

Hopefully a good pic!

 

 

We will mostly be watching SD and DVDs, but will ugrade to HD when it comes down in price.

 

Any advice?? Please only post if you know your stuff!

[bullet-401]

Gunman should know quite a bit about this. (He works at Ciruit city)

[Gunman]

Well - what I know is that DLP is probably the best way to go all around - viewing angle, picture quality etc etc.

 

Now - you probably wont find anything below $2000 when you go with DLP. But what you have to figure is that if you get an RP you have to replace the bulb. Ugh...so depending on where you buy your TV make SURE you can get a warranty that covers the bulb.

 

CRT - /shudder....you could get a 60 incher for $2000 easily. BUT do not do that. You will be losing a lot of features, picture quality, and viewing angle.

 

DLP is the way to be - RP if you cannot.

 

I will post up more exact suggestions for each - but only gonna get you prices from Circuit City - because that is where you should buy

 

Gunny

[gOOters]

Thanks Gunny, definately going to go with CRT-RP. It will be rear projection, but the old technology. Ive heard that the pic quality is just as good (with a good tning), and I dont need the extra space that a microchip RP provides in the living room.

[appalachian_fox]

Wife and I bought an RP from Best Buy a while back because we got something sick like two years interest free financing on store credit, so we're making small monthly payments and we put the wedding money set aside for the TV in savings.

 

We own a Mistubishi, I don't know model, but it was an old model when we bought it (I think it was on clearance as "last year's model") but it is still a champ. 55", great viewing angle, and Mitsubishi has a built-in screen protector. That way, if anything happens (the other day wife was playing with the cat and it jumped into the TV) it's less likely to scratch, and if it does, you can replace the protector. If the screen itself rips, you're in trouble. Also, the Mitsubishi protector has something iirc called a DiamondView filter...It filters out all but the primary colors, reducing glare tremendously. The only thing I noticed is that sunlight (being full spectrum) gets through the filter and can put some glare on the screen, but nothing curtains won't fix. Blinds, however, will show up a little.

 

But viewing angle is great, contrast is terrific, movies look awesome, and it is HD ready. Remember, you don't need HD built-in, because if you have cable/satellite you need an HD box from your provider anyway. I'd also recommend making sure you have a lot of inputs, especially if you have a composite up front and two component in the back. That way, you can hook up any toys you have easily (video game systems, camcorders, etc.) up front and you have room on the back to hook up both DVD and HD receiver through component video.

 

All said, for less than $2000 we got the 55" TV and a Performance Service Plan because at the time they were offering bulbs and free screen alignments with the plan. Make sure you check that, though, because I've shopped for RP TVs three times over the past few years (twice for others) and every time the PSP said something different. This isn't necessarily a plug for Best Buy, because the salespeople aren't often that helpful in the TV section and some I suspect willfully misrepresent the PSP, if you do go BB read it first, but I like the store.

 

I heart my TV. It's good enough for me and cheap, which was the big thing. Hope this helps. That's my $.02 (maybe closer to $.20)

[[Mmmm]Ghost]

Projector all the way, for the same money, you can get a projector with higher resoulution than the TV's your looking at, and over twice the size. I have been researching them for over a year now, and a good quality DLP projector and a nice screen kills anything else out there in crispness, resoultion and size. Check out the BenQ PB6100 you can get it, a screen, and moutnign hardware for less than 2000, and the picture is amazing.

[gOOters]

thx Fox, thats pretty much my plan...although I am toying with the idea of getting one with HD tuner built in as I have about 8 HD channels already. And GOOD advice with the plan, I do want one because tuning and alignment is crucial for a RP-CRT.

 

Ghost, I have toyed with the idea, but is installation difficult? Will I need to mount on my celing?? I am thinking that will be more time than I can afford right now

[gOOters]

I still wanna know what kind of picture I will be getting if I watch SD on my HDTV ready set, or a set with a HDTV tuner built in.

[[Mmmm]Ghost]

thx Fox, thats pretty much my plan...although I am toying with the idea of getting one with HD tuner built in as I have about 8 HD channels already.  And GOOD advice with the plan, I do want one because tuning and alignment is crucial for a RP-CRT.

 

Ghost, I have toyed with the idea, but is installation difficult?  Will I need to mount on my celing?? I am thinking that will be more time than I can afford right now

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

You can mount on the ceiling, which is best, no shadows when you get up for popcorn and beer...i mean soda... Installation really isnt that bad little bit more than a regular TV maybe an extra hour....THe sheer size and picture quality compounded with price is what makes it great. I have a CRT now, and the problem is that the colors can very easily get otu of sync giving you a blurry picture, they can get misaligned even just from delivery :/ once they get misaligned its almost impossible to get them perfect again, so yuo HD channels look like an air antenna at best. Im not saying dont get the rear projection, just make sure you research and know what your getting into.

[nut]

Wife and I bought an RP from Best Buy a while back because we got something sick like two years interest free financing on store credit, so we're making small monthly payments and we put the wedding money set aside for the TV in savings.

 

We own a Mistubishi, I don't know model, but it was an old model when we bought it (I think it was on clearance as "last year's model") but it is still a champ.  55", great viewing angle, and Mitsubishi has a built-in screen protector.  That way, if anything happens (the other day wife was playing with the cat and it jumped into the TV) it's less likely to scratch, and if it does, you can replace the protector.  If the screen itself rips, you're in trouble.  Also, the Mitsubishi protector has something iirc called a DiamondView filter...It filters out all but the primary colors, reducing glare tremendously.  The only thing I noticed is that sunlight (being full spectrum) gets through the filter and can put some glare on the screen, but nothing curtains won't fix.  Blinds, however, will show up a little.

 

But viewing angle is great, contrast is terrific, movies look awesome, and it is HD ready.  Remember, you don't need HD built-in, because if you have cable/satellite you need an HD box from your provider anyway.  I'd also recommend making sure you have a lot of inputs, especially if you have a composite up front and two component in the back.  That way, you can hook up any toys you have easily (video game systems, camcorders, etc.) up front and you have room on the back to hook up both DVD and HD receiver through component video.

 

All said, for less than $2000 we got the 55" TV and a Performance Service Plan because at the time they were offering bulbs and free screen alignments with the plan.  Make sure you check that, though, because I've shopped for RP TVs three times over the past few years (twice for others) and every time the PSP said something different.  This isn't necessarily a plug for Best Buy, because the salespeople aren't often that helpful in the TV section and some I suspect willfully misrepresent the PSP, if you do go BB read it first, but I like the store.

 

I heart my TV.  It's good enough for me and cheap, which was the big thing.  Hope this helps.  That's my $.02 (maybe closer to $.20)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

i would go with that...

 

but i have heard Plasma is the shiz? but i dont think you will find 50-60 for 2000

 

NuT-

[gOOters]

plasma =bad.

[nut]

really?

 

i know its exspencive and u have to replace the plasma and crap

 

 

my next door neighbor got a 57 inch hitachi? i think

 

it rocks watched the ORange bowl on it today

 

NuT-

[gOOters]

yeah, Plasma is not the way to go at all actually. They are super neat though!

 

Ghost, Im looking at front projection options. One problem is that I dont want to drop the cash on a sound system yet though. I guess I could wait a year and do both at the same time though

[[Mmmm]Ghost]

yeah, Plasma is not the way to go at all actually.  They are super neat though!

 

Ghost, Im looking at front projection options.  One problem is that I dont want to drop the cash on a sound system yet though.   I guess I could wait a year and do both at the same time though

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Completely understood, although, if you took the extra money your saving and got a 200 dollar all in one home theater in a box it would kick the poop out of ANY regular television speakers.

[gOOters]

that is true. although with the cost of setup (I'll need alot of long monster type cable and will never be happy with the $200 stereo ) it will likely be about a wash.

 

Thanks for throwing me for a total loop!!!! Also, SD and light control (in the room) are issues I am concerned about with FP.

[appalachian_fox]

I will say that I have a friend with a front projector like Ghost says, it's beautiful, only has one bulb (as I understand) instead of three and can make really really large screens. Definitely worth looking into, at least, I don't know much about them myself. I know you'll need a screen...

 

But anyway, I think the mistubishis have models with the DiamondView screen and HDTV tuners built-in, just remember, the only thing that HDTV tuner tunes in is stuff that comes off of your TV antenna. If you have cable or satellite already, it's a wash.

 

Plasma's neat, but too expensive still and not reliable enough yet. Dead pixel problems are still too frequent, but getting better. LCD is a better alternative, but more expensive still and not quite as large yet. In another 5-10 years or so there'll be some major changes in the market, but for now wife and I settled on the rear projector. The front one, I've seen one run, it looks real good, you might look into it...But I can't help much.

[gOOters]

In my range I am goinf RPTV-CRT...no doubt. I dont mind the time/effort to tune it well. I dont think I want a front projector as this will be my only TV in the living area. That would be TERRIFIC someday for a theatre room though!!!!

 

I have narrowed it down to a Toshiba or Hitachi.

[gOOters]

Funny, I had decided on probably the Hitachi and went out to CC, BB, and a local HUGE electronics store called Fry's with the wifey. I knew in the back of my head from my research that there was another few brands that people were also recommending (Sony, Mits, Panisonic).

 

Well, we went to CC and I WANTED to like the Hitachi, but we were BOTH totally blown away by the PQ (pic quality) on the Panasinic in there! It was AMAZING.

 

I checked the settings on the sets and they were all at default, but I thought maybe it had a better signal or something.

 

So on to Fry's. Same thing Panny was hands down the brightest and crispest pic.

 

Onto BB, same thing.

 

So...we have decided on the Panny 53X54. Sadly, NOONE has this in stock!? S we will wait a bit. (Im pretty scared pulling the trigger on the purchase also...never bought myself anything this big/nice before). But that is definatlely going to be out set...whether its this month or in a couple more months.

 

BTW, we got VERY good and knowledgable service at CC. Also, all the big boys price match, so we are gonna shop the price. Furthermore...SEARS is a BIG player!? LOL, they carry more TVs and brands than practically anyone else!!

 

I cannot wait to get that big boy set up

 

THX for the help all.

 

BTW, avsforum.com is more knowledge online about AV stuff than a person can even concieve.

[appalachian_fox]

Awesome! Rock on! I heart Fry's, btw.

[shep48]

are ou looking at projection with 3guns or lcd?

[gOOters]

CRT-guns

[shep48]

are ou looking at projection with 3guns or lcd?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

thats what i had I had to replace the convergance board that controls the guns 2 times at $800 a pop first time covered by warranty the 2nd not. and it did again so i threw it out. im looking at hitachi lcd 60'' for about $3000

[gOOters]

you had a Panny CRT?

 

How old? This year's model is apparently alot better than last years. And the tech on RPTVs has been advancing pretty rapidly the last few years.

 

I still could go with the Hitachi if I want (its 51in vs the Panny 53in).

 

Ive heard that Hitachi has better component and build quality. Maybe I should go for the service agreement from wherever?

[shep48]

look for service records or consumer reports for service records or even call the local tv repairman and see what he fixes alot of big screen repair is very expensive

[[Mmmm]Ghost]

thats what i had      I had to replace the convergance board that controls the guns 2 times at $800 a pop first time covered by warranty the 2nd not.  and it did again so i threw it out.  im looking at hitachi lcd 60''  for about $3000

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Yeah this is why I will never buy the CRT system again. Problem is the "technology" changes almost every year ( lenses/ projectors stay the same, but the boards always change ) therefore track records on crt is almost a waste of time. The only 2 ways worth while are DLP or Plasma, since we all know plasma is way over priced, DLP seems to be the best choice. Unfortuantly CRT uses 3 seperate projectors, so convergence is not only difficult to maintain, even when you get it right its not the same from every angle. LCD is like a living membrane that light is shone through. Problem is that light literally breaks it down, so you just waiting for pic quality to diminish.

 

It all breaks down to what you use it for. If your a TV head and are always on it, and constantly using it to just watch TV, and sometimes a football game or what have you, RP is probably the best. If your a movie buff, and pay close attention to crispness, detail and arent constantly shutting it on and off ( I.E. you get prepared to watch the game, a movie, or like Gaming with it ) then a FP is a MUCH better chioce. IF you want the best of both or all worlds, you should seriously look into a DLP big screen, that is if this is an investment and you dont want to worry about maintence or replacement in the next 5 or 6 years,

 

Don't think I'm trying to steer you away from the RP crt, its just I've had a couple and all do the same thing. The screen I have now I can barely stand to watch movies on anymore, and its not worth the money to get the convergence properly fixed. Now I am a huge move buff and crispness and quality is what I want. My parents/grandparents never had a problem with it, they just watch jeopardy, and size is all that matters to their aging eyes.

Edited January 10, 2005 by [Mmmm]Ghost