RPTV Question (dons Asbestos underwear...)

hatchm
hatchm Posts: 28
edited February 2005 in Electronics
I know this is one with a lot of personal input but I'm getting the green light from my better half to start doing the research on +/- $2500 rear projection tvs and was wondering what people's thoughts are between LCD, DLP and LCOS for strengths and weaknesses (real vs. imagined). I've been looking at the two Sony LCD WEGAS (42" and 50" w/ tuner built in), the Samsung 4663W and 5063W (no tuner), the LG and the JVC D-ILA (no tuner and not many inputs but supposedly pretty good picture).

I would like to have a tuner as I'm about 20-30 miles from Seattle and wouldn't mind hanging an antenna. If I picked one without it, I was looking at the Samsung 451 at about $200.

I'd appreciate any input you guys have!

Thanks,
Hatch
Post edited by hatchm on
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Comments

  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 51,690
    edited February 2005
    No opinion on your choices, but I like your attitude, "(dons Asbestos underwear...)" :D
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • hatchm
    hatchm Posts: 28
    edited February 2005
    It's like fishing with dynamite, not sexy but it's fun (and makes a lot of noise).

    But seriously, there are just a ton of good choices out there and I'm just trying to get some ideas since most of the magazines "buying guides" (or the mags themselves) are the same as most of my hard hitting, fact based, "opinions" (about $.02 on a good day).

    Hatch
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited February 2005
    Another reason to dislike HT. It is now impossible to just buy a freakin' television.

    Screw HT, 2 ch all the way.

    George Grand (of the Jersey Grands)
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  • fireshoes
    fireshoes Posts: 3,167
    edited February 2005
    The new Sony GW's are pretty nice looking. The Samsung's and LG you listed use older technology so I would probably nix them. The JVC has a bright image but the detail is a little soft for my taste.

    For others, consider Mitsubishi (if you have an Ultimate Electronics nearby they have a crapload of open box models because Mits did a recall to fix a loud fan problem), Toshiba (good HD picture, not so good analog), and Hitach's 810 series. The Mits and Hitachi will have HD tuners built in but start at 52" and 50" respectively so could overshoot your budget potentially. The Tosh may or may not have the tuner, depending on the model. They have a 44" at $2499 msrp (44NHM84), but it can be very hard to find. It doesn't have speakers on the sides, so it is extremely slim. Kind of like the 46" Samsung you mentioned but thinner and the picture spanks the Sammy.
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  • Shizelbs
    Shizelbs Posts: 7,433
    edited February 2005
    I liked the Mits' at the Good Guys in Bellevue. The Mits DLP looked clearly better than the Samsung DLPs. Good Guys has a good price match guarentee (60 days) and free/$50 shipping/set-up/haul away. I would check them out.
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  • hatchm
    hatchm Posts: 28
    edited February 2005
    Thanks for the great inputs guys, I'll have to check out the Mitsubishi's and the Toshiba. I've heard good things about the JVC but I think that the lack of inputs would kill me (I bought my Denon the year before they came out with component switching at the 28xx level) since it only has HDMI and two component and I'd like to hook up the tuner, DVD player, Xbox and possibly a PVR or HT PC.

    I'm really tempted by the Sonys but I think that the speakers on the sides (admittedly better sound sep.) may kill it with my wife (or at least move me from the 50" to the 42"). I don't know about the Sammy's using older technology, the 5063w uses the 3rd gen DLP and has the 7-seg/10.8k RPM wheel. From what I understand, putting non-shielded (Mon 5jrs) speakers next to the base shouldn't be a problem, is that true?

    Current config (Denon 2801, Sony DVD, Mon 5jrs, CS245i, PSW202 and R10s surround) on an old Mitsu 48" CRT which was free from my neighbor, has an intermittent issue with the blue gun and the wife doesn't like the depth of it. If the Monitor 5's are going to be a problem, I do have the bucking magnets from Polk or a set of R15s I could swap in.

    Thanks,
    Hatch
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  • Ron-P
    Ron-P Posts: 8,520
    edited February 2005
    Let me fix that for ya George...
    Screw 2 ch, HT all the way.
    There, that's better.


    Hatch, you consider going FP. You can get a nice HDFP and a screen for less.

    I did have a Mits 46" RPTV for a few years and it ran perfectly. Great RPTV.
    If...
    Ron dislikes a film = go out and buy it.
    Ron loves a film = don't even rent.
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  • hatchm
    hatchm Posts: 28
    edited February 2005
    I don't think the FP is going to fly, I need to make it easy enough for the wife and kids so I think the RPTV is the way to go for us. Adding to that is that the mrs. likes to re-arrange the room from time to time (usually 90 deg or more from it's current setup).

    The only problem with going from CRT to LCD/DLP is going to be that I need to buy/build a new cabinet to put under it but I will hopefully have room for DVD, XBox, VCR, receiver and (maybe) ATSC tuner. That's assuming I can put the CS245 on top or on some kind of a bridge between bookshelves.

    Hatch

    p.s. I'm hoping to swing by Best Buy soon to see the Mitsu in person, most of the others I've seen at CC which is on the way home from work.
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