Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Habu on April 14, 2004, 07:20:54 PM
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What is the best TV to buy these days? I am going to buy a new one and have fallen behind on the technology.
There are 50 to 60" screens that are quite impressive. I will probably get one in that size range. What brand is the best and what type should I buy plasma LCD or the new digital light technology that uses the rotating mirror?
I want the best picture I can get and a set that will last 10 years at least.
Any opinions?
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Not sure about TV's but my next Home entertainment upgrade may include TIVO (I think thats what its called). Amazing technology. I'd like to hear some comments (other than what I've heard in the past) for any TIVO owners.
Habu, FWIW, I have an old Zenith in my bedroom going on 22 years old, with only 1 tube replaced since it was new.
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I have a 30" Toshiba that is about 6 years old and something just went in it. I was going to get it fixed buy TV's have come a very long way in the past 3 years and now I want a big widescreen one in the bedroom to watch Direct TV on.
Now they have huge screens that don't show lines and can be viewed even from the sides. Big bright displays and amazing clarity.
Imagine Band of Brothers DVD on such a screen with a bowl of popcorn or the latest episode of the Sopranos.
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I'm still waiting on my TV.
It's not an LCD, or Plasma, But it is 60" Widescreen and HDTV ready. I've heard that Plasma TV's require a "recharge" of some sort every couple years, Not sure if it's true though.
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I can see why we spend so much on defense, our technology advances so fast that it is outdated right after we buy it. I bought a 36" JVC a few years ago, it seems like it is 20 years old compared to what is out there. This is a good thread, I don't have a clue about the new televisions.
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Look into DLP technology. Very impressive picture and the sets are amazingly light.
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The DLP's systems from Samsung have problems with the 'rainbow' effect, so they are not a good choice. The effect occurs when light hits the edge of the micromirrors in the chip and defracts.
It is pretty prevalent in the DLP sets I have seen. I am sure it will get worked out though and has promise.
LCD is ok, but color and contrast are normally mutually exclusive and more often then not they are a bit washed out or just flat wring in the color representation.
The high end plasma sets have the best picture of any set, bar none. But expect to pay over $15,000 for them still. They are still not proven for longevity. It is known that each year you can expect some of the pixels to die.
The rear projection sets are pretty good. Much better than they used to be, but the best guns you can find are all 7 inch, which was fine for NTSC/PAL, but the guns are not going to hold up to the HD resolutions for long. They really needed 9 inch.
Back to the old CRT. Longevity, proven technology, inexpensive and pretty nice looking.
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That is a general summation about the technology. Who makes the best set is up for grabs and everyone will have an opinion.
For rear projection, I would lean towards Pioneer Elite.
For CRT, all I have ever owned were Sony XBR2 sets. I would not buy the regular Sony stuff, but I have never had a problem with any XBR2 set.
Consider this as well. If you like DVD, and might be thinking about HD-DVD (which ever format wins), you might want to make sure your set has an HDMI connector on it, as it appears it could be the interface of choice for HD-DVD players (regardless of format).
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if you go "wide screen" ur dvd's look great but everything else is boxed or stretched to fit
if you go regular, your dvd's are letter boxed but everything else looks great
got a sony 32" HD KV32XBR450 about two years ago, wish I'd picked up the 36" but other than that it is great - have gotten used to the letter box when viewing "widescreen" format programming
if you watch much television, tivo is the way to go. threw two 120gig drives in mine and I can record more programming than i'll ever get around to watch :)
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Originally posted by Eagler
if you watch much television, tivo is the way to go. threw two 120gig drives in mine and I can record more programming than i'll ever get around to watch :)
I've been interested in Tivo since it came out, But I really don't watch that much TV, but it also seems, I always miss everything I really wanted too.
Tivo has its own Cable Provider right?
Or do you have to a Cable Provider+Tivo?
How do you upgrade a Tivo? Can you do it yourself?
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tivo has its own channel lineup service you subscribe to. I think the units are down to $150 now but then you pay the subscription service for the channel lineup. I htink that's $200 to $300 for a lifetime sub. the lineup tells tivo what is on what channel. It dials up the service, built in modem, and retrieves this info to keep itself up to date, and it does it very well.
You need both cable and tivo - not sure about sat service
yes, you can upgrade yourself - does void the warranty but many ppl do it - heck its just a computer
look here for advice/tips:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/
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TIVO rules... it has totally changed the way I watch TV.. Had mine since 2000 and I don't rent movies since there is always something on TIVO. It's one of those things you get then ask yourself what the heck was I thinking before? Lifetime subscription for the programing is necessary and costs 200 for lifetime these days. Think its 12 bucks a month for the pay as your go plan. It should be noted that Lifetime means lifetime of the Tivo, not yours... although TIVO often runs upgrade deals where you can transfer to your new box.
Plasma is great for picture but shop carefully.. they tend to burn in very fast and are not know for longevity so buy a long term warranty.
LCD is improving rapidly and will overtake plasma soon for quality and is much better for long term reliability.
Both Plasma and LCD's will continue to drop in price dramatically over the next few years.
I have a 65" HD as my main TV now and it serves me well. Relatively cheap and the picture is much better than some of the older boxes.
You should decide on what format/size you want then do some serious research on what model you want. It's expensive decision and the differences between models can be huge.
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I agree with Skuzzy. Get a big sony XBR direct view, still the best most proven picture IMO. The biggest size they offer is a 40 inch.
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I have an RCA 65" HDTV Rear Projection and love it. It's hard to beat rear projection in the bang for the buck department. But Rear Projection sets are VERY big and take up a lot of space. You have to have a big room to put it in. Mine takes up a 3'x5'x6' space.
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I have a 55" Mitsubishi rear projection and love it. Basically when I researched my TV I found that Mitsu, Sony & Hitachi are basically the best ones to go with. Stay away from Toshiba and Panasonic in the big screen rear projection models.
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Whatever you do, don't buy the Tau model from Panasonic. My dad got one and while the sound is kick prettythang the picture leaves much (MUCH) to be desired.
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I have a 60" mitsubishi and everyone says that it has a very good picture. It is large tho.. I don't watch many TV shows so The large screen works out well for watching movies.
lazs
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I just realized that come 2009 when the analog TV signals are turned off, I will need to replace my hand-held TV. :(
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Originally posted by Eagler
It dials up the service, built in modem, and retrieves this info to keep itself up to date, and it does it very well.
Does it have to use a phone line, or can it also use an existing internet connection?
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You know anything about projection, Skuzzy? ie, standard projector with a screen?
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Originally posted by SOB
Does it have to use a phone line, or can it also use an existing internet connection?
there was a mod for a NIC card so you can use uigh speed - may be standard now
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Cool! Not that I'll have the $ to buy one anytime soon, but my mobile phone is my home phone, and I don't see that changing in the future.
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I built my own Tivo unit. I rarely watch live TV anymore, last thing I watched live was the last day of the Masters. 30sec and 2 min skip are my favorite buttons.
Using my Tivo I'm currently in the process of making Twilight ZOne DVD's for my wife. She loves the series and I record every episode that airs. Send them up to my other computer, rip the commercials out and burn it to DVD.
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I've also considered a homebuilt. How would you compare yours to an actual TiVO? Is the picture quality just as good?
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Originally posted by SOB
You know anything about projection, Skuzzy? ie, standard projector with a screen?
What do you want to know? Good setups run over $50K.
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My homebuilt is a bit different than a normal Tivo in that it only records when I ask it to. When I hit pause on my remote my Tivo starts recording, when I unpuase it starts playing from that point. I can't tell the difference usually. Ocasionally during a very hi action or fast moving bit I see some pixilation but it's barely noticeable. I think the only reason I notice it is because I know I'm watching recorded TV.
I can run customized searches a it has 5 levels of recording quality. On the highest setting a 30 min program takes about 1.5GB. I use a 250GB disk so I do everything in the highest.
1 thing I don't like is there is no automatic downloading of TV listings. Every 6 days I need to download the listing. I got around that by setting the program to update on startup and then scheduling the computer to reboot every 5 days.
I use the guide plus program which came with my Radeon 9800 AIW. I also use the RF remote that came with it. The guide plus is almost the same as the Tivo box software. The remote can control the computer and Tivo software as well as having many programmable buttons. I also use a wireless keyboard and mouse with it.
You can also check out http://www.snapstream.com they have a PVR software that I looked at and is pretty good. With their's you can even program your Tivo from any computer on the internet, even from your phone.
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Skuzzy
I have about 5k to spend on a tv. What do you think is the best buy for around that price.
I was looking at DLP and LCD (Samsung) as well as Sony LCD yesterday and the pictures were all very sharp although the DLP seemed darker and not as crisp as the LCD.
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Originally posted by Skuzzy
What do you want to know? Good setups run over $50K.
Hehehe, I think that pretty much answers any question I had about it. :)
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Habu,..when looking in a retail store, take control of the set you are looking at and reset the levels to how you like. Remember, you are in a very brightly lit sotre, and your home will probably not be that lightly lit.
Retail stores turn up brighness and mess with the settings so the set will get a lot of attention, especially if they need or want to move it.
Between DLP and LCD, I would go with LCD right now. DLP has potential, but it is suffering some early adoption problems.
What kind of space limitation do you have? I ask, because $5K will buy a pretty nice Pioneer Elite rear projection set, which would probably have a better picture than the LCD one would.
What size are you looking at?
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Originally posted by SOB
Hehehe, I think that pretty much answers any question I had about it. :)
You can get cheaper SOB, but the image quality and brightness are not too good. If you are in a dark room with very little ambient light you can get away with some of the lower end units.
Probably in the neighborhood of $10K or so.
A good screen will run about $1,500 to $2,000, depending on size.
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Hmmm, InFocus is only 30 miles away from me, maybe I'll just go to their parking lot and whip up a cardboard sign: "Please help a poor college student, need high-end projector and screen to survive"
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Habu,
It depends on what you prefer. I will do my best as to not confuse you. I will assign brands with types. HT is a hobby of mine
CRT- Loewe Aconda (the best picture of ANY tv, no equal), Panasonic (slightly better than Sony in terms of picture quality), Sony (alot of exaggerated "red hues").
Rear-Proj - Pioneer Elite (the best again), Mitsubishi, Pioneer (BB Pioneer). Everything else. Keep in mind that outside of the Pioneer Elite, that steeper the viewing angle, the picture will get blacker. It does happen with the Elite's, just not as quickly as the others.
Plasma - Pioneer Elite (alot of mullah, but a badazz picture), Zenith, LG. DO NOT FALL PRAY To Gateway and Dell. Yes they are affordable but they ARE NOT HDTV's, they are EDTV's.
DLP - Samsung (the best). I would trust no other brand with this technology YET. While a great picture can be had with them, they have their issue right now. A "rainbow" can be seen on some screens, however, Samsung is really up on how to improve this technology, and they will.
What I think you should look at is the Pioneer Elite Rear Proj. You can literally put your weight on the screen and it not will NOT BUDGE. The 50" should be around $4000-$5000. But you will not find a better picture. The Mitsubishi's are a close second, but the build quality belongs to Pioneer Elite.
I have a 27" JVC that is about 5 years old. I bought the Sound&Vision Tune up disc, and the picture is amazing for just a standard, analog TV. I am looking at the Loewe Aconda 30" ($3000) or 38" ($4500. I have yet, to find a more crystal clear picture. The Pioneer Elite Plasmas are a distant 2nd.
I hope this helps you in any way bro.
Karaya
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Nicely put Masher. I concur with that list 99%. The only one I have not found to be particularly true was the Sony CRT.
If you leave the Sony at its default color temperature setting, then it could be true, but once it is set to the right one for the room, I find the color balance, contrast (they have some of the blackest blacks around), and saturation to be very well balanced.
Now, this is the XBR2 sets I am referring to.
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Man, I still just have a '30 Sony Trinitron in the living room, and a old old old 27 inch Zenith in the bedroom. I don't watch much tv anyway.
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Originally posted by Skuzzy
Nicely put Masher. I concur with that list 99%. The only one I have not found to be particularly true was the Sony CRT.
If you leave the Sony at its default color temperature setting, then it could be true, but once it is set to the right one for the room, I find the color balance, contrast (they have some of the blackest blacks around), and saturation to be very well balanced.
Now, this is the XBR2 sets I am referring to.
Home Theater is a hobby of mine at 30 years of age. I have helped buddies out with gear selection, setups, etc. I might even try to get into HT design. I have just found that Wega's have Red hues, I should have distinguished between the two (oversight on my part). I agree with that Skuzzy, and you are most correct. Grand wega's are a waste of buckshee imo.
Habu, sure you can go to Best Buy or Circuit City, but I am afraid that you will be cheating yourself. Those two stores ALWAYS hike up Temp settings, Contrst, Color and tint. In those two stores you WILL NOT get an accurate depiction of what you SHOULD be seeing.
You should grab a few DVD's, head to a local "High End" electronics store and audition. 50 people on this BBS can tell you the same thing or different things, bottom line it is your money. My posts do have opinion in them, but, you are the one looking. You owe it to yourself.
Back to opinions, goto BB and CC and check out their stuff. I'll predict right now at BB and CC you prefer the Pioneer (which is good). Keep in mind of some of the competition it's up against. Then, try and find a shop near you that has Pioneer Elite and Mitsu's. They will be night and day from the "Pioneer".
In terms of black levels, the worst CRT will have a better trnslation of blacks than ANY Plasma, DLP, RPTV. There is also "play" in that area. Deep blacks are almost impossible to get. Even with a $80,000 Runco Front projector with blacked-out windows, etc.
Let me know if this helps you further.
Karaya
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Ahhh,..another HT buff. I figured you were talking about the regular Wega sets Masher.
HT is a big hobby of mine as well. My wife is an interior designer and whenever someone wants a theater room, she calls me in to help out.
So, what do you think about the DVD war over how HD should be done? I think HD-DVD is going to win over Blue. A shame, but the practicality of HD-DVD being backward compatible with regular DVD players seems to make it the one that will win with the DVD production houses. I just wonder if the potential sacrifice in quality will cause it to stall in the market.
I hope HDMI becomes standard as well. Would be nice to have that fat pipe where you can hook your computer to it as well. Bye-bye 1394 and USB for video work.
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I just hope there will be a clear winner...and within a reasonable timeframe so we dont get these long wars that only frustrate buyers.