Master Index of Archived Threads


Electronics thread: big screen TVs

Vic Sage Apr 17 2007 12:23 PM

Help! I'm looking to spend enough to get a good flat panel HDTV, in the 46"-52" range. from the research i've been doing, it looks like i'm going to need to spend in the $2400-$3400 range. Obviously, i'd like to be on the lower end of that scale. Question: Should i get a 46" LCD or a 50" plasma? I know LCDs are not supposed to be as good with faster action (sports, etc), but they're getting better (so they say), and they last longer, have greater brightness, run cooler (more efficient), without the problems of "burn in" or limited life of plasmas. I can get either the Pioneer 50" plasma (pdp-5070hd) or the Sony 46" LCD (kdl-46xbr2), both of which are among the highest rated tvs in that size and price range (around $2800) Are there other brands/models of similar quality to consider? And how much does that extra 4" matter in a smallish room? Also, do i splurge for the high-end cables? Any other accessories to consider? What about home theater sound systems? Are Bose worth all that money? Any other thoughts?

Johnny Dickshot Apr 17 2007 12:34 PM

I bought a smaller (27") LCD flatscreen from Olevia on the basis of a good "value" writeup in Wired mag. You prolly should price Olevia TV's in your size range at least; we've had zero issues with ours and it looks/works pretty good. [url]http://www.olevia.com/jsp/home.jsp[/url] Don't forget the wall hanging accessories, which can run ~$40ish. I'd also like to hear opinions of sound systems for the TV. I am hestitant to get "home theater" equipment because I have zero interest (and no room) for a monstrous subwoofer on the floor. I just want quality loudspeakers that are smaller than the current bookshelf boxes I have attached to my stereo reciever now.

Methead Apr 17 2007 01:11 PM

That Sony 46" LCD is an amazing TV. It was my favorite TV out of all the ones I looked at, and I don't think you'd find anything to be disappointed about. I would have bought it, but it seems like you pay extra for the Sony name... I don't know. Beautiful set though. When it came time to plunk down my money, I went with the Sharp Aquos 52" (LC-52D92U). I haven't noticed any problems with fast action such as sports... and it generates ultra-black blacks. According to a lot of reviews, it gets the closest performance to a plasma without actually being a plasma TV. There is some color banding (a couple vertical areas that are very slightly darker) but I didn't notice 'em until I started looking for 'em, and honestly the only time I see them at all is when the picture is a solid bright color. Not a big deal to me, but I've read other people's reviews in which they claim it's unwatchable. Whatever... it's fine. But if you're a picky man, I'd go w/ the Sony. I was worried the 52" TV would be too big for the room, but it isn't. I'd be disappointed if I'd gone with the 46". The rule of thumb is, take the screen size and triple it, and that's how far away you should be sitting. By the way, DO NOT drop a ton of money on cables. Everything I've read (including the highly regarded avsforum.com) says there's very little difference in quality between $100 Monster Cable and a $20 cable you order online. If you want to meet someplace in the middle, I found an 8-foot HDMI cable at Home Depot for $50 which is a bit more reasonable. Again, your mileage may vary. BTW, if you're hooking up through a cable box and you want an HD signal, you gotta use component video cables or HDMI cables... as I understand it, anyway. As for home theater, I went with the Yamaha YSP-1100 which is one of those "simulated" surround systems... I just didn't feel like snaking cable though all of my walls. I haven't hooked it up yet but a lot of people are pretty impressed by it. I've always felt Bose was overpriced, but hey, they do sound good. I'm no audiophile by any stretch. My hearing blows. I obsessed over all this research for a month, but in the end, this TV is so much better than what I had, and it's not like I'm comparing 15 flat panels side by side in my living room... so I'm happy. More thoughts as I think of 'em, probably.

Methead Apr 17 2007 01:15 PM

Ah... as for the subwoofer, you can always hide it behind the couch or something. It doesn't necessarily need to be right next to all the other speakers.

Centerfield Apr 17 2007 01:15 PM

As far as plasma versus LCD, I found this to be helpful: http://www.cnet.com.au/tvs/0,239035250,240036500,00.htm For me, I find plasmas are better than LCD's to watch movies and sports (particularly basketball). Animation, however, seems to just jump off the screen on LCD's. For the sizes I was looking at (42" and above) the price difference made it a no-brainer. LCD's were more expensive, and had a poorer picture for the programming I normally watch. People who like LCD's bring up the life of plasmas vs. LCD's. LCD's last longer (around 60,000 hours) where some plasmas start to fade after 30,000. But when I considered how long it would take me to watch 30,000 hours of TV (If you watch 10 hours a day, it would take you nearly 10 years) I realized I would probably buy another TV long before a plasma died. So for me, it was an easy choice. Plasma. As far as home theater, the advice I would give is to ignore what people tell you are "good" systems and decide for yourself. Only you can tell what sounds good to you. Only you can tell how much you value sound quality, power, aesthetics, convenience, etc. Don't ever buy a Bose system because people tell you it's great. A good way to start is if you have a component stereo system on which you play music, hook it up to your TV to see if it makes a difference to you. See if the sound quality makes a difference, or if you find it is just easier to turn on the TV sound (nothing is worse than buying a home theater system and never using it). My first "home theater" was when I hooked up my stereo from college to my TV and was impressed by the difference it made. I then started upgrading my pieces. I bought new speakers (including a center channel) and moved my old speakers to the back to act as rear speakers. Later on, I upgraded my surround sound receiver. Right now, I have an NAD surround sound receiver and Monitor Audio main/center speakers. My old Polks from college act as my rears. I made these choices because music is more important to me than home theater and the Monitors are so clear, it makes it seem like the artist came into my living room, sat on a barstool and started singing. Unlike most systems, I have no subwoofer. I find the speakers I have provide enough bass, and plus I am usually watching movies with at 20 month-old trying to sleep in the next room. Of course, my system is ugly...the NAD is plain looking, the wires are clumsily nailed along the wall, and none of the parts match any of the others. But for me, I love my sound quality, so I live with the ugly. My brother-in-law, on the other hand, bought a pre-packaged wireless Sony system with sleek looking thin speakers and a space-age looking unit. I hear his system and think it sounds like a transistor from the 70's. He looks at mine and wonders why I spent so much money on big bulky pieces. He can't hear the difference between his sound and mine, so for him, the Sony was perfect. And there are, of course, many systems that provide a middle-ground between his and mine. I'll stop now. I think I've gone on for too long already.

Rockin' Doc Apr 17 2007 09:49 PM

When we built our current home 10 years ago, we had most of the house wired for sound before the sheetrock went up. We had Klipsch speakers flush mounted in the walls and/or ceilings of the living room, dining room, family room, kitchen, the kid's play room and the back deck. I can play the stereo system throughout the house which is great for parties and entertaining. The family room has 5 speakers and a subwoofer set up for a theatre surround system. We generally only use the surround system for movies and music programs. Our TV is a 32" JVC flat screen television. Not exactly state of the art, but the picture is sharp. I would love to get a nice LCD or plasma screen, but the wife just isn't signing on to that plan. Oh well, maybe someday.

Methead Apr 18 2007 09:32 AM

Good luck with that one, Doc. I was shocked and awed when my wife actually suggested the bigger TV. Didn't take me long to agree to that and move on to the next decision! As for music throughout the house, I'm thinking about the Sonos system... I'm hoping the price comes down as time goes by.