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Want to help me spend $1300?


D-Rex

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Okay, first let me tell you what I want, I want a new HD TV but the options are a bit overwhelming. I wouldn't be opposed to waiting a few months and adding another $500-1000 if you think within this range ($1800-2300) I could get a much better TV. This seems like a ridiculous amount to spend on a TV but here we go with my preferences:

I would like to have a 42" or greater.

No projectors where you can't see the screen from an angle.

I don't necessarily want it to weigh 100lbs but it doesn't have to be razor thin either.

Is LCD the way to go?

Anything else you need to know to help?

I will go check some other threads similar so I can get up to speed a little faster.

Thanks,

D

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D,
You stated you wanted to be able to see from any angle.
I recommend this: Abount 1,700.00

The Sony KV36HS510 36" HD Upgradeable Trinitron WEGA® TV is one of the clearest picture HDTV's you'll find. This is a great TV for truly experiencing every detail of your favorite movie or digital cable TV show. Loads of extra features are included on this TV.

p1052075reg.jpg

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There are several options, DLP, CRT, plasma and LCD for televisions. I don't have a recommendation for your budget, but rather encourage you to go and view some televisions in-store. Ask the salesman to select a cool picture temperature, or natural. ( most all televisions are set deliberately bright out of the box )

Personally, I have not seen the so-called rainbow effects in DLP units, however new models have faster color wheels, and multiple chips said to reduce this effect. I find LCD televisions while better than past efforts, very slow to respod to rapid movement, producing visible "smearing" of the image.

Again, this is my experience and not gospel, check for yourself, and have family members present as well. ( they may find something distracting rather than you )

CRT is the oldest projection technology, and delivers a bright picture, newer sets have a much wider viewing area than previous, although best viewed on-axis. Cheap to purchase, but is susceptable to burn-in of stationary images, over a long period of time. Capable of very deep blacks.

LCD is a panel that contains many many individual cells. Each represent one pixel each, and LCD televisions can have individual pixels malfunction, causing an "artifact" in the image that does not go away. Many models have a replaceable backlight. Can be wall mounted. ( most )

DLP uses a high brightness bulb, that is expensive to replace when it burns out, however most have an average life of 2000 hours. ( varies by manufactuer and how bright the picture settings are )

Plasma televisions have a very wide viewing angle, can burn in with stationary images and suffer from individual pixel failures, like the LCD. Thin, but relatively heavy, can be wall mounted.

Hope this helps, and if anyone notices any things I missed or have wrong, please correct me.

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Do you already have a programming source for HD content? Satellite or HD cable?

One thing that I have not mentioned is picture quality. Try to view a regular analog signal on the television, some do pretty poorly in this respect, delivering a very nice picture in either 720p or 1080i, decent picture on 480i or 480p ( dvd ), but poor quality with analog cable feed or a highly compressed satellite picture.

Also, does it have the connectors you need, either DVI or HDMI? These are things that you should take into consideration when researching a purchase like this.

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I was thinking alot of what is coming across cable is already HD content, with the mandate coming up next year for all content to be HD.

I don't have any connectors so all of this will be new to me with "hidden" expenses. Anyone who knows where to get some of these components cheaper then point me in that direction!

Thanks,

D

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"I wouldn't be opposed to waiting a few months and adding another $500-1000 if you think within this range ($1800-2300) I could get a much better TV."

Given the rate of improvement and decrease in price of large displays, you will certainly benefit from waiting. If you are in doubt, you cannot help but benefit from economies of scale in HD products as they become the norm.

Not to discourage you from getting a display - but the delay certainly has its benefits. Not only will you get a better display because of the added budget, but you'll get more display for the dollar, too.

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If you haven't yet got to AVS forum site. There is a lot of bias info there but there is also a lot of information that will help you make your decision. Poke around that forum and read some of the threads. It will definitely turn you on to the questions to ask and what to look for.

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The comming change is NOT all HD but rather all DIGITAL! BIG DIFFERENCE!

The switch is analog to digital with HD very slowly comming on board

but probably won't be much of the market for a while. An adaptor box

will make any tv not now "digital" ready able to recieve the new

source. No adaptor box in the world will make a true HD display on a SD

tv.

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Greater than 42" for $1,300 isn't going to happen unless you are willing to settle for a big, heavy, deep CRT-based HD-ready TV.

There's lots of good advice here already. Go to the avsforum.com for more info than you can ever assimilate!

If you are opportunistic and can wait, woot has been closing out InFocus DLP HDTVs. I got a 61" for $2,300 and the 50" went for $2,000. They are less than 7" deep and can be wall-mounted. They will keep dropping in price. InFocus wants to get out of the rear-projection business and focus on front projection. Although the sets are designed by InFocus, they are built and serviced by RCA.

Also, check out your local Sam's Club or Costco.

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what do we look like to you? Your girlfriend?

you need help spending money - ask her!!!

[;)]

Shhhhhhh, she doesn't know I have $1300 yet... I guarantee you she will have a say, I just wanted to see what you guys thought while I still had "the purse strings."

Thanks all, I will go on my quest and see what I can find...

D

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Front projection does not have the viewing angle issues that rear projection systems often encounter.

You can get a larger picture per dollar with front projection.

US$2000 will get a HD front projector that can create a 100"+ screen!!!!

Here is a link you should be familiar with. Lots of good info on all the technolgies available, pros and cons.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/

Hope this helps!

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I take it you are new to HD? If so (really either way) I recommend waiting a few months and saving that extra money. There are a lot of details to be considered rather than just walking in to the store and saying "that one has the best picture I'll take that one." Use the couple of months that you are saving to read all you can and learn the ins and outs of hdtv.

Here are some great resources for you. the website is good, but more so start listening to the podcast, and maybe even send a question in to them to see if they can respond.

Prices of HDTV's are falling. Using the time to save more, learn more, and let prices drop is the smartest way to go.

www.hdbeat.com

http://podcasts.yahoo.com/series?s=5417039b055b2de3a763fc384032caf6

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