New Big screen TV - help

hoosier21 · April 2003

We have a contract on our current home, and are looking to move into the new (to us anyway) house. My wife said to reward myself with a new big screen TV, if you only knew how hard that was for her to say.

Anyway I am not up on all the dos and don'ts give me some ideas, on what to look for. Links to articles will do also.

The monkey wrench in this will be brand name, I know Mits. and Toshiba have good TVs , but my dad retired from Sony and he can get stuff at a good discount, this is cool but it really just levels the playing field as Sony's are usually higher in price to begin with.

So what am I looking for?

Budget = 3,000.00 max. this is a real stretch, 2-2500.00 is more the target.

The room is large and open to the dining area, three sets of sliding glass doors, so there will be lots of light, and this will be an everyday TV, not just a dedicated Home Theater display.

One more question, extended warranty, yea or nay? this is a big ticket item, is it worth it for the protection?

Thanks guys.

Shizelbs · April 2003

I personally think Sony's 51" rear projection that is out right now is incredible. It goes for $2000. I almost bought one at CC for $1400 (floor model) except then I would have been broke. Anyways, I was very, very impressed by it. I was watching Ice Age on it. It was great. It was somehow better than the Sony 56" right next to it.

jmasterj · April 2003

Getting the best value for the dollar is my goal. I set a price range, choose the features I can't live without, then start searching for the best set I can get for what I want to spend. I think if you're going 36" or smaller SONY, 42" on up Mits.

jmasterj · April 2003

Oh Yea, I think the extended warranty is a big yea. Even though I didn't get one for my Mits. It's like insurance, you hope you never have to use it but you're glad you have it when you do.

ChrisDurano · April 2003

I'd go w/ a Mitsubishi 55" platinum w/ integrated receiver. You should be able to find that for under 3k. Costco has a 50" LCOS tv for $3500. Pretty sweet too.

ken brydson · April 2003

I love my 36" Sony XBR. The 40" is awesome but it was out of my price range (but it falls in the upper end of yours)If you have a lot of windows I wouldn't do projection but that's just my opinion. I bought a 47" WS Panny but returned it for the XBR for that reason. Only downside to a big tube is the weight. Mine weighs like 250#.

danger boy · April 2003

you still can't beat the beautiful pictures that a tube TV can put out. I know the rear screen projector ones have improved a lot in recent years. but unless you want a huge effin box in your living room the size of a small car. i'd go with a tube.

Some people think bigger in better here. While a nice big screen does impress your friends. does it really look as good as a tube TV? I don't think they do. Tubes offer better brightness, hues, chroma, contrast. and look good from all angles. not just the sweet center spot.

Get a nice flatscreen Toshiba or Sony. 32" or 36" should be in your price range. Get one with any many inputs as you can find.. Certainly S-VHS at a minimum. Component video is a must in that price range.

good luck and have fun shopping around

hoosier21 · April 2003

I can't even decide if I want a direct view (quality) or RPTV (quanity).

I am worried about the sunlight with a RPTV, but how can I spend 2K and not get a 55 incher??

This will be fun.

Frank Z · April 2003

Sounds like the area is going to get a lot of light through those glass doors. Another vote for a tube TV.

ChrisDurano · April 2003

Don't worry bout windows and picture brightness. It won't be an issue as long as you get some good window treatments. Home Depot or Lowe's has got tons of options (ie. rollershades). The only worry w/ windows will be sound quality. Go big, you won't regret it. If you stick w/ a tube or CRT....you'll always be wondering..."what if?"

Ron-P · April 2003

I am worried about the sunlight with a RPTV, but how can I spend 2K and not get a 55 incher??

Go RPTV and remove the glare screen. You'll have no glare.

When I had my Mits in the bedroom theater, the TV's screen faced a 3'x8' window. Once I had her ISF'd, part of that is the removal of the somewhat purple tinted glare screen. I was able to watch TV with the window wide open and no glare.

Don't go Direct view. An ISF'd RPTV can and will look better. I'll never buy a direct view TV again.

Peace Out~:D

Ron-P · April 2003

Go big, you won't regret it. If you stick w/ a tube or CRT....you'll always be wondering..."what if?"

Exactly! I should've went bigger than my current 46"er. At the time, 46" seemed huge, now, it seems small and I want bigger. Go as big as you can, it will get smaller over time:)

Peace Out~:D

fireshoes · April 2003

I would never go with a tube again either. My 51" seemed huge when I got it, but I'm thinking a 65 would have been fine. With that said, I still love my 51" and can't imagine not having side-by-side picture-in-picture. It's so great for sports! Or if I want to play a game and my roommate wants to watch tv. Also when you calibrate your tv, you could have one setting with lights up and one with lights down, so you'll have a great picture either way.

goingganzo · April 2003

i seccont the mits you canget a 65 incher for about 2500 bare bones and for about 3 with some of the upgrades. i would just wait on the high deff tinner till you get hidef or it comes down in price. you can try plasma a edtv is about 3k and highdeff is about 6.

jrausch · April 2003

Put the big screen against the widow and block the dam sunlight out! The Sony XBR RPTV was my fav pic when I went shopping a year ago for mine. IMHO the Sony smoked the Mit in overall picture quality. I think the Sony was going for $6000 at the time even with a discount that one still hurts. The XBR tubes are nice, nice and heavy and consume 3 times the power as a RPTV. Throw us your honest budget so we can narrow it down a bit more.

shepx2 · April 2003

Just an FYI, this years Sony models absolutely MUST be calibrated. Their alignment has been WAY off on all except 2 or 3 that I have seen. And, as usual, their color pushes towards red.
My only recommendation would be to try and get one with a DVI input. This, fall, you will start seeing a lot more HD recievers with it, and NO component jacks.
Unfortunately, it looks like Hollywood is going to get their wish, cuz most of the companies are going this route. ( As of right now, this could still change. )

Shep

dorokusai · April 2003

I like Sony and Mitsubishi, either TV is a nice choice, just buy what looks best to you. Our individual comments on brands are simply single comments out of thousands of happy customers. I wish I never bought my RCA big screen, not happy with it in the long run, but hell, I will watch this thing until it explodes. I would crossreference your model picks with some review sources, just for a wider scale opinion.

www.consumerreports.com

www.audioreview.com

www.audioweb.com

There are more, those are the only ones I know of. Someone will drop some more links for you I am sure.

hoosier21 · April 2003

Here is the model I am looking at now.
Sony KF50XBR800
http://www.onecall.com/PID_17563.htm

With the Sony discount this is in my budget, ok ok I stretched it to make this TV fit.

This LCD display is awsome, I have yet to find the drawback or a reason to not like it, anything I should know?

Thanks for the replies.

ChrisDurano · April 2003

I love the "stretch" budget.;) I like LCD and LCOS. Very hard to see the lines. You'll be happy.

Shizelbs · April 2003

NOOOOOOO, not LCD. I don't understand how anyone can like them for their high price. I just don't get it. I am using a nice big 19" CRT for my computer, and I have no problems with it having a huge footprint. Boo LCD.

Shizelbs · April 2003

Scratch that, I was referring to the littlest LCD screens. Not the one to which the link leads.

polkatese · April 2003

hoosier21,
why not go DLP? so you don't have to worry about burn-in problem..

hoosier21 · April 2003

DLP? I have light issues, like too much of it.

Went shopping last night, man is there a lot to choose from, and to make it worse, there seems to be a lot of models changing over so there is a lot of deals on the display models.

There is a lot of shopping ahead.

Ron-P · April 2003

I myself will be back on the TV market after summer. I'm currently looking at the Mits 65". Most likely this will be the one. By end of summer or late fall, the prices should drop closer to 2,200 or so, add a 1 year no, no, no deal and I'm sold.

I'll need to sell my ISF'd 46" for help though.

Peace Out~:D

scottvamp · April 2003

Ron I thought you were going FP next. Are you chickening out man?????

Ron-P · April 2003

The way my room is designed, with a lower ceiling in the front half of the room, I have no place to mount a FP. Plus, 65" is a large as I can go, FP or RP. Also, I have yet to see a FP with excellent black levels, RP's kick **** in this department. Someday, maybe, but I need a bigger room. I'm willing to bet I could not get a 2k+ 65" FP and have it look near as good as I can with an RP that is ISF'd. $2,500 is my cap and I'm hoping I can include a warrenty in that.

FP or RP, it's still projection.

Peace Out~:D

BeginnersLuck · April 2003

Samsung and Panasonic have some pretty awesome DLP's in your price range. You might want to check them out...Samsung's 2nd gen DLP line has made vast improvements....

-BL

madmax · April 2003

I like the 16:9 ratio. I like the HDTV Sony tube flatscreen models. Bigger is better in general. No real help here other than taking your time while auditioning...
madmax

jdavy · April 2003

Hooser21,

I understand that Sony will be coming out with new LCD tvs this fall and the price is going to drop about 1K on the 50 grand wega. If you can hold out, do it.

brettw22 · April 2003

Originally posted by BeginnersLuck
Samsung and Panasonic have some pretty awesome DLP's in your price range. You might want to check them out...Samsung's 2nd gen DLP line has made vast improvements....

I agree about the Samsung. I saw one the other day and really liked the look, and compared to the other RP's that were in the room, the picture was much more crisp and defined. Who else besides Samsung is making a DLP RPTV?

hoosier21 · June 2003

Well I got a Mits 55411, 55" RPTV. Pretty good deal (2124.99 delivered) as it is being replaced in a month or so, and the 0% finacing is not bad. I also bought the extended 5 year warranty (315.00)

Went ahead and ordered Direct TV with a HD receiver.

By Wednesday we should have something to watch other than the 2 channels we can get with the rabbit ears on our 19" TV.

New Big screen TV - help

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