want to buy a new tv

[alomar721]

i was wondering if anybody out there knows of a web site that shows the differences in TVs or there own ideas. my wife and i want to buy a new big screen TV or just a bigger TV than 27". i have no idea the difference in them.  i don't want to spend 3000 on a TV, limited budget but would like something nice. Any help form you guys would be great. thanks to all those in advance for your help.
Scott

[TOK]

www.avsforum.com

I have a 65" Toshiba that's been great, but even though it's not even 4 years old, it's looking pretty old school because its a CRT set with a huge cabinet. Think I'd go DLP if I was buying a set now.

[shmokes]

Personally I think the best value on the market today are DLP rear-projection screens.  They aren't nearly as big as the old-shool rear-projection TV's, and they don't cost nearly as much as a similarly sized flat-panel TV.  They also have a phenomenally good picture. 

Look for something with an HDMI input, as that's the way everything is going (PS3 has an HDMI output, for example) and you don't want to be stuck wanting a new TV five years down the road because your otherwise perfectly good, high definition TV, won't play HD DVD or BluRay high definition titles because your TV is not HDCP compatible.  Some DVI inputs will also do HDCP, but the component industry looks like it's going to support HDMI over DVI so between the two you should definitely go HDMI if possible.  HDCP is a copy protection scheme that can protect digital content by sending an Image Constraint Token to the TV and if the TV doesn't say, "Oh, an ICT, I'm HDCP compliant so go ahead with the HD content," your player will down-rez the video to plain-old DVD quality.  So your high def BluRay disc in your high def BluRay player on your high def big screen TV won't look any better than a regular old DVD.  It's a few years out, but it is coming.

If you're going flat panel I'd say go with whatever gets good reviews on picture quality and fits in your budget.  It used to be that LCDs had kind of a crappy viewing angle and Plasmas stunk (seriously, they smelled like burning plastic) and the picture could burn in.  This has all been ironed out on both fronts and you'll be happy with either technology.

FWIW Sharp Aquos screens get very high ratings, but I don't know how much they cost.  Phillips also has this thing called Ambilight (I think) that looks really cool.

Good luck, and check out www.onecall.com.  They usually have really good prices.

[Nannuu]

www.avsforum.com

I have a 65" Toshiba that's been great, but even though it's not even 4 years old, it's looking pretty old school because its a CRT set with a huge cabinet. Think I'd go DLP if I was buying a set now.

There's nothing wrong with the good old proven CRTs!  No dead pixels, no bulb repacement, all good stuff.  I have the 65" Mitsubishi and won't be getting rid of it anytime soon.  But I'm not worried about HDMI yet as it isn't being used.  I could get the HD-DVD player that uses component cables.  My hope is that they never implement the copy protection since so many people don't have HDMI ports.  So uh, don't get a TV with HDMI, fight the man!

[USSEnterprise]

I've never heard of a CRT TV over 36", unless you are refering to CRT projection.

[ChadTower]

I've never heard of a CRT TV over 36", unless you are refering to CRT projection.

I was just thinking the same thing.  I have never seen anything even close to a 65" CRT.  That thing wouldn't even run on 120v.

[boykster]

and the sucker would weigh a ton, literally.

I have a Sony 36 XBR400 HD CRT set (about 6 years old) that weighs 300lbs! 

[ChadTower]

300lb of extremely front weighted glass.  That must be a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch to move.

[MustardTent]

Well, can't find a link, but I remember my college (Purdue in Indiana) had a large CRT TV with a placard that claimed it was the biggest CRT at the time.

This was about 5 years ago and I think the TV was over 50".

By the way, I have a 30" Sony XBR HDTV which is a CRT, and I couldn't be happier with it.  It is large and heavy, though.

[J_K_M_A_N]

I have a Panasonic 50" LCD Projection screen and I love it. It only weighs about 70 lbs. I can move it myself. I have taken it to a lock in for my son and I brought it in to the house by myself. Not bad at all. And the picture is fantastic. I personally wouldn't get a CRT projection TV because of the viewing angle and the bulkiness of it. Also, if a gun gets out of alignment you will have a pretty bad picture. IMHO.

J_K_M_A_N

[boykster]

300lb of extremely front weighted glass.  That must be a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch to move.

biiiiiiiitch is an understatement.  Extremely front heavy, yes.  I had it delivered to the basement -> but then moved it upstairs to the 2nd floor a few months later (got a plasma to replace it).  It took 1 other guy and I about an hour to muscle it up the 2 floors, resting at each landing.  Big, heavy, bulky, and very tippy.

I agree that DLP rear projection sets are probably the sweet spot in the size / $ game.  I am partial to plasma and lcd sets as I hang em on the wall and run all the cabling to a remote wiring closet, but you'll pay more for it.

The avsforum is a GREAT place to check, there are numerous threads in each of the display technology forums that will get you started.

[ChadTower]

avsforum is awesome.  They always know the sweet deals on the best hardware.  They helped me recently choose my new AV receiver and told me where to get it for about 30% of retail.

[TOK]

They are CRT projection TV's. Plastic screen with red, green and blue CRT's making the image.
The Toshiba still creates a more movie like image than any DLP, LCD or Plasma I've seen, since it does truly black blacks. The downsides to CRT's are the cabinet size and the chance of burn in (less than plasma, but it's still a concern).

[boykster]

The downsides to CRT's are the cabinet size and the chance of burn in (less than plasma, but it's still a concern).

Too bad that the LCD manufacturers have kept this myth alive.  Burn in on a CRT is and always has been a bigger issue than on plasma.  I have a fairly early plasma (from 2000) and with just regular usage burn in is a non-issue.  WE have a plasma display at work that for 80 hours a week for the past 3 years has had a relatively static image (50%+ of the screen non-changing) and there is no burn-in

 

Just make sure you get your plasma gas refilled every year or so 

[alomar721]

thanks for all the great replays so far it is helping.
scott

[bleemus]

I have a 50" Samsung DLP.  I love it, although I had to get most of it replaced.

First, I noticed that the convergence/pincushion was bowed out quite a bit.  All of the nonCRT rear projections can have this issue, but since there is no convergence control on DLP TVs, nothing I could do about it other than get the screen replaced.  I finally got them to replace the screen because there were drip marks where it was treated with some type of liquid.  Then the engine went out, and they had to replace that as well.

Really, the only thing that is still on the TV as I bought it is the chassis and the AV inputs.  Good thing is, was all free to me, 1 year warranty covered all of it.  I didn't get the extended warranty when I bought it, but I would suggest it for most TVs.

Good things about DLP, no burn-in, all you have to do to make it just as vibrant as it was, replace the bulb!  Very light and "compact".

Good things about CRT, convergence control, no bulb.  Cheap.

Bad things about DLP, gotta replace the bulb, no convergence control.

Bad things about CRT, heavy, big.  The phosphurs on the screen will age over time and everything will color shift to the red.  You can use the color controls for awhile to counteract this.  Worst thing is, if you use letterboxed 4:3 mode for standard def TV (I do, can't stand stretched images) the screen will age unevenly, leading to lines on the picture where the black parts and image in 4:3 mode would be.

Anyways, I can't say anything much about LCD or plasma TVs, never owned one.  Hope this helps.

[boykster]

I just bought a 42" HD Panasonic plasma to replace a 4 year old ED panasonic plasma that failed last week.  The broken plasma has a "flaky" signal processing board or power supply (not sure yet) but the panel itself (the really expensive part) didn't fail.  Still, at probably $600 to get it fixed, I chose to replace it with newer technology with a warranty.

Frys.com (outpost) has a GREAT deal on their 42" panasonic HD plasma...$1599 with free shipping (+tax if applicable).  They had it for $1799 in store but I got them to match their web price.  It ended up being cheaper than the ED version of the panel, and as well as having a higher resolution it has an ATSC tuner, SD card reader, more inputs etc.  I also have "last years" ED version of this plasma, and it also is an excellent choice.

[pointdablame]

I just bought a 42" HD Panasonic plasma to replace a 4 year old ED panasonic plasma that failed last week. 

Boy are you gonna be in trouble....  I hope you found time to wax the car too before you get smacked.

 

[boykster]

 

[ChadTower]

Funny, before all these fancy LCD/Plasma/Hemoglobin TVs, a person would buy a TV every ten years if that.  No one in their right mind ever bought a warranty... why would they, it's a TV!  They last forever.

Now, every person I talk to about their superdupermegaultrafancy 55" triangulated wireless midget driven television has had warranty service on it multiple times.

[shardian]

Funny, before all these fancy LCD/Plasma/Hemoglobin TVs, a person would buy a TV every ten years if that.  No one in their right mind ever bought a warranty... why would they, it's a TV!  They last forever.

Now, every person I talk to about their superdupermegaultrafancy 55" triangulated wireless midget driven television has had warranty service on it multiple times.

Its a conspiracy, I tell ya! A Gosh Darn conspiracy!!...hey, are those black helicopters up ahead?

[ChadTower]

It's more like people dropping dumbass amounts of money on crappy products.  Lining up around the block at midnight to do it.  And laughing while the rapist undoes his belt.

[boykster]

Its all relative to me, the cost that is.  I like flat panel displays over less expensive tube tv's for several reasons-> they're much smaller, lighter, and can be put in places that traditional displays can't. I don't use any of my displays entirely for "just watching tv" but rather they also are the video display for my whole house music system, show slideshows of digital pictures, can be used as PC terminals etc.

But to each their own...to me the space saved and the flexibility of digital displays in every room is worth the extra cost, but for others    Its up to you.

[severdhed]

when i decided to go for a big tv, i went with a dlp projector.  it mounts on the ceiling, and can give you a picture up to 20feet diagonallly. They give you a great picture for the price.  the big downside is that you have to have a very dark room.  works great or finished basement.  for space reasons, i have it setup now with a 65" diagonal image (widescreen) or 71" in 4:3.  picture is great, i run my dish network box, upconverting DVD player, gamecube, ps2, xbox and 360 to it.

mine is an infocus x1, you can get them for about $700 now.  there is no dvi or hdmi ports, only component and lower. but there are alot of other projectors out there too.  it isnt an option for some people, but it worked out great for me

[Dustin Mustangs]

A word of warning, DO NOT buy an infocus front projection TV.  I did almost a year ago (Screenplay 5000) and it has literally been a nightmare ever since.  I could go on and on, but I will just leave it at a warning instead of clogging up this thread with all the dirty details.  In fact, lets just say avoid Infocus in general.  I'm sure there are some satisfied customers out there (like severdhed), but lets just say it's not a bet worth taking considering there are other, comparable, options for every product they offer. 

With that said, front projection TV's are by far the best bang for the buck given you have the right room for it (ie. big and good control over ambient light).

[ChadTower]

I haven't seen a front projection television in years.  I didn't know they even still made them.

[boykster]

New digital front projectors are very popular.  Even "big box" stores like Best Buy and Circuit City are not only increasing their inventory and selection of digital (DLP or LCD) projectors, but they are starting dedicate display areas to show them off better than they currently do (they don't).

Fry's electronics in the seattle area has a dedicated theater room that they regularly have several projectors setup in for demo purposes.  Higher end AV stores have been selling front projectors for years, but with the quality going way up and the prices coming down -> you can get a 720p native DLP projector now for about $1000 <- they are really hitting the mainstream.

http://www.projectorcentral.com

[ChadTower]

Front projectors. 

Not front projection televisions.  They are a different beast.  They went away long ago.

A projector is not a television until it is part of a larger, often enclosed unit with a tuner and other features that the standard LCD wall mount projectors do not have.

[boykster]

Well, Dustin was referring to a projector, not a front projection television

the Screenplay 5000

[ChadTower]

A word of warning, DO NOT buy an infocus front projection TV.   

With that said, front projection TV's are by far the best bang for the buck given you have the right room for it (ie. big and good control over ambient light).

Just going by what he actually said.  I didn't look up the model # on something he was telling us to avoid.

[shardian]

A word of warning, DO NOT buy an infocus front projection TV.  I did almost a year ago (Screenplay 5000) and it has literally been a nightmare ever since.  I could go on and on, but I will just leave it at a warning instead of clogging up this thread with all the dirty details.  In fact, lets just say avoid Infocus in general.  I'm sure there are some satisfied customers out there (like severdhed), but lets just say it's not a bet worth taking considering there are other, comparable, options for every product they offer. 

With that said, front projection TV's are by far the best bang for the buck given you have the right room for it (ie. big and good control over ambient light).

Actually, please go into details about your problem. If you are going to slander a product, at least give some details. Personally, I have heard nothing but good things about the infocus 4805. It is cheap and very reliable.
I am guessing you just ran it too much and burnt out the bulb. For those of you who don't know, a front projector uses a precision high output bulb and some sophisticated optics to project the image onto a wall or screen. The bulb is rated to last 2000 hours, but this is effected by use and abuse. If you don't let it cool down, turn it off and on too quickly or frequently, or don't keep the air filter clean, the bulb life can be cut down quite a bit.
These projectors are not meant to be a sole source of TV usage. I use one for movies and movies alone. At a rate of one 2 hour movie a day, the bulb would last for about 3 years...but if you watch a movie every day, then you really need a life.

[ChadTower]

I've read in quite a few places that a "used with care" Infocus bulb actually lasts closer to 3500 hours before any real dimming sets in.  Don't know firsthand.

[boykster]

I too have heard mostly good things about Infocus and their projectors....

 

[alomar721]

you guys have given me alot to read about. thankls for the advice so far it gives time to make up my mind. 

scott

[Dustin Mustangs]

Sorry to leave this thread hanging, I kinda forgot I posted here.

Anyways, alot of folks do call projectors front projection tv's.  I guess it's just who you ask.  Look at crutchfield for example ( http://www.crutchfield.com/S-XqCplzjc3jP/cgi-bin/superprodgroup.asp?g=260050&cm_re_o=kwufEzM*l5TnxiiDi*yBBf ).  People just seem to take the word projector the wrong way and think I am going to show them a slide show or a film strip or something, lol.


I will elaborate for you shardian, but fyi slander is technically only slander if what you are claiming is not true.  I am on my 4th sp5000 right now and it still isn't right (however I have never burnt out a bulb, lol).  For one, this thing has some horrible vertical banding (somewhat faint vertical lines in the screen every 50 or so pixels, hard to see on a busy screen, hard not to see if the screen is a solid color like desert or underwater scenes).  Initially they claimed my unit was defective on account of this and attempted to service it twice (at their expense) to no avail.  Now just recently they have changed their story and claim that it is a product of the LCD technology my projector uses and can not be fixed.  Hmm, ok.  I wonder why all LCD projectors don't show these lines if it is a "product of LCD technology"??  My unit also features picture in picture according to their ads for it, the manual, their web site when I bought it, any other site that sells it, ect...   I have gotten this feature to work ONCE.  I have spent, I would estimate, over 10 hours on the phone with them just trying to get just this one feature to work.  Guess what, they serviced it twice more (again at their expense) in an attempt to fix this, again to no avail.  Now, again they change their story and tell me that pip isn't a supported feature of my model.  Hmmm, ok!?!?  So why does it tell you how to turn it on in my sp5000 user manual and why is there an option for it in my TV's menu??  So then I tell them that this just isn't going to work and that I needed to return or exchange this boat anchor (I think that seems more then reasonable at this point and so did my lawyer).  They refused a refund and said they would give me an 'even' exchange for a refurbished sp4805.  Well, thanks but no thanks, a refurbished sp4805 is $300 (~30%) cheaper then my sp5000 according to their own website at the time of the conversation.   Hardly an even exchange.  It turns out that a new sp4805 is the exact same price as my projector, they had some available at the time, and they refused to exchange me one of those.

So long story short, two different problems that they initially agreed were issues that needed to be fixed are now apparently accepted design flaws in their product that they refuse to address and in the end the only thing they offered me was an exchange for inferior projector that was $300 cheaper at the time.  Needless to say, they are just about to get a summons from my district court's small claim division.  I doubt they'll even show...

Sorry, this got a little long!

 

[shardian]

Thanks for the elaboration. I frequent slickdeals.net, and I can't stand when someone jumps into a thread and says "so-and-so product sucks" without giving any reasoning.

Besides, we are in EE. Who gives crap if you post an elaborately long message. You can even go way off topic and it doesn't matter. 

Anyways, I still say infocus makes the best home use projectors for the money you pay. I have a panasonic lcd projector that is good, but I would much rather have an infocus...(can't complain with free though. )

[boykster]

Sounds like one of those crappy situations.  I've heard lots of good things about Infocus, but isolated incidences like yours sure can cast a negative light on a good manufacturer.

I dunno bout the PIP thing, but unfortunately VB (vertical banding) is a problem that plagues most 3-LCD projector manufacturers.  I have a pansonic AE900 lcd projector that has very very very mild VB, but there are reports of pretty bad VB on some panny's as well.  Most LCD manufacturers use Epson lcd panels, and that is generally the source of the VB.  What sux is how Infocus has handled your case.

And IMHO, Optoma makes the "best" home theater projectors.  The H78DC3 and H79 models are absolutely incredible machines.  I would have an H78DC3 in my theater right now if it was more flexible in its placement and throw adjustments....

[Dustin Mustangs]

Yeah, I am sure you can have a bad experience with just about any company given the right (or should I say wrong) circumstances.  The thing that sucks is that it took me FOREVER to talk the wife into a projector and now that I have one she is standing back nodding her head in an "I told you so" type of way.  Like this experience has anything to do with it being a projector, but what does she know lol.

One thing is for sure about Infocus, and if you look around I am not the only one claiming this.  Their technical support is horrible.  The people are very rude and completely unorganized.  The first 15-20 min (literally) of any phone call with them, once you actually get through, is spent waiting for them to figure out who you are.  Very annoying.  Hopefully most Infocus owners will never have to contact them so it shouldn't be a problem, but god help you if you do.  Some people likely don't put a lot of importance in that, but I consider it VERY important.  Kinda like a life boat; hopefully you'll never need it but if you do it damn well better work.