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Home audio & video: Poll: If you had one choice, what would you pick for an HDTV?
- 9/26/07 3:56 PM
Poll: If you had one choice, what would you pick for an HDTV?
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 9/26/07 3:56 PM
If you had one choice, what would you pick for an HDTV?
- Direct-view/tube (Any specific one?)
- Flat-panel (Plasma or LCD, and why?)
- Front-projection (DLP, LCD, or LCoS, and why?)
- Rear-projection (DLP, LCD, or LCoS, and why?)
- I don't need a stinkin' TV
I just wanted to be first to reply
by Dan Filice - 9/26/07 4:26 PM In reply to: Poll: If you had one choice, what would you pick for an HDTV? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I already have two HDTV: 1 LCD and one old-school CRT RPTV. If I had to replace my old RPTV today, I'd by the Sony rear projection SXRD. I personally think the LCD images are too harsh. But that's my own preference. I could be wrong. I mostly am...just ask my wife 
HDTV
by Patricia Milby - 9/27/07 4:52 AM In reply to: I just wanted to be first to reply by Dan FiliceI have a HDTV and love it. It performs excellantly and I have found out it is not the television but the programing that is lacking. There are not enough good programs to watch. The film makers should be ashame of what they are pushing down people throats. They are stupid. Not everybody is buying it. By the way, mine is an RCA television.
I don't need no stinkin' TV
by glenfotre - 9/26/07 5:12 PM In reply to: Poll: If you had one choice, what would you pick for an HDTV? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Now my wife is a different story - I know, when I question her judgement, look at who she married! But, until the programing that is available (we have DirecTV) improves dramatically, our 32" Sony WEGA works just fine. Sure the Phoenix Suns would look better in HDTV and then we could better judge the crappy calls that come from the refs who bet on the games, and I'm sure that one day, she will say "Guess what I bought today?" And we will have a flat screen, probably LCD about 40".
When she does bring that 40" LCD home?????
by glenfotre - 9/26/07 5:45 PM In reply to: I don't need no stinkin' TV by glenfotreOK, I said in my previous post that I don't need no stinkin' HDTV, but my wife will bring one home. She thinks that it should be mounted over the gas fireplace with the bottom at a mimimum of 52" from the floor. I say that is too high for viewing from a normal chair and I'm also concerned about the heat from the fireplace. What is the concensus of opinions on those two issues?
Flat panel above a fireplace
by Dan Filice - 9/26/07 6:21 PM In reply to: When she does bring that 40" LCD home????? by glenfotreglenfotre,
You're quote: <OK, I said in my previous post that I don't need no stinkin' HDTV, but my wife will bring one home. She thinks that it should be mounted over the gas fireplace with the bottom at a mimimum of 52" from the floor. I say that is too high for viewing from a normal chair and I'm also concerned about the heat from the fireplace. What is the concensus of opinions on those two issues?>
My feeling, a TV should be placed at eye level when you watch TV. Sit where you will watch TV, and place it eye level. If eye level is 52", then that should be fine. Personally, I think placing TVs above a fireplace is a fad. It's a fad started by designers as it's something to put in that blank space. I worry about any heat and smoke affecting the TV.
tv over fireplace
by tsand72 - 9/28/07 12:44 PM In reply to: Flat panel above a fireplace by Dan FiliceWe just mounted out 42" plasma over the fireplace because of design reasons (its the true center of an odd shaped room). We didn't want to do it... preferring art there... but it was a great move. It is very comfortable looking at the tv (which is on a 15 deg. angle).
We had it professional installed by an electrician in order to hide the wires... it looks great.
I hardly think this is a fad... it is simply never took place to any great extent because tvs were so large and un-hangable (there's a word for ya!).
Go for it.
TV Over the Fireplace
by kyrhett - 10/4/07 10:15 AM In reply to: Flat panel above a fireplace by Dan FiliceMounted our 50" HDTV over fireplace and viewing is great although it takes a little time to adjust to view "up". Just like in the movie theater. Also adds more heating to the room (500W device) That's good in the winter time - no need for fireplace heat.
it can be done...
by Tlil - 9/26/07 7:39 PM In reply to: When she does bring that 40" LCD home????? by glenfotreI went to school with a girl that was extreemly rich... she had 4 flatpanels on all sides of a fire place in the middle of a room... the ldc tv's were tilted on a slight angle so everyone could see... it looked pritty stunning... im guessing this isnt quite what your looking for but i think it depends on how the fireplace is built (venting and sutch)...
A little exparament i would probally run for the temperature problem is just turn on the fireplace and put a thermomiter above it where you would mount the tv this should tell you about how hot it will get
Great Idea - get the right unit.
by peter4012 - 9/26/07 8:23 PM In reply to: When she does bring that 40" LCD home????? by glenfotreUnfortunatelly you failed to mention the size of your room, the enclosure on your fire place and the thought on which unit migt end up there.
I had a 25ft long livingroom, 52" was definatelly not too high. Gass fireplace with glass propably won't generate enough heat to be too concerned, but to get around that, get a front projection 'DLP' (the best projection system - if not over all) now there are no components at risk of heat, and you can make the screen disappear - one problem though - hiding the wires to the unit.
Front projector advice - save money, don't use a home theater projector, a presentation projector, using your cable box / satelite box as tuner (which most of us do anyway) and you stereo for sound - cheaper and better.
Also, if you bother getting HDTV, at least get HD programming - I get so tired of all these people spending thousands so they can watch regular programming streched and destorted (shows short fat cheerleaders) on their WIDE screen
Great Idea - but, not for me.
by Tom Pilcher - 9/26/07 8:51 PM In reply to: Great Idea - get the right unit. by peter401252" from the floor seems a bit extreme, to me. I sell these all the time, and I have heard just about every mounting story you can imagine. Some work, but most turn out to be a big pain in the neck.
In your case, I would ask what type of seating you'll be using. If you have recliners, it may not be too bad. If not, you are probably going to end up wishing you would have made another choice for mounting the TV.
I tend to agree with the other reader; eye-level tends to work best with TV AND speakers, should you choose to have a HT system mounted to the wall.
I've had a Sony 53" CRT rear projection TV for nine years now, and it still looks great on my digital Satellite receiver. Like I said, I work somewhere selling TVs, and should this old Sony seed to be replaced, I will replace it with a new style rear projection.
Why?
I get more picture size for the dollar, and in my experience (and with my viewing environment) this makes perfect sense. It has no glare like a plasma, and makes less heat than either a plasma or a LCD television. The 60" SXRD Sony has my attention with it's LCoS technology and sleek cabinet design, but my eye keeps wandering back to the 73" Mitsubishi for just a shade more. The DLP seems to be more forgiving on weaker signals, but the LCoS seems to be a bit brighter, without going to the extra expense of LED projection models.
Time will tell, of course. But, for now, put me down as a rear projection fan.
You make me laugh -- really!
by Cadillac84 - 9/27/07 8:01 AM In reply to: I don't need no stinkin' TV by glenfotreI actually agree with you. I own a 57" DLP that I am nuts about, but if I had been watching a 32" WEGA, I would still be watching the WEGA.
In my case, I was watching a 20" RCA and, while it was in good shape, my eyes just can't deal with the liliputian subtitles that I must have turned on because of my ears that don't seem to be able to extract words from the jumble of sounds in current movies.
What drove me over the top was a movie about the last days of the 3rd Reich which was completely spoken in German so I had to use the subtitled English. Well, I had to stand up and watch the movie right up close to the little 20" TV so I could read the subtitles and . . . .
Well, it just "sucked!" So, I began my quest for a new TV. I finally decided to buy a 1080p DLP.
Like you, I find the broadcast fare abysmal. We mostly watch movies -- including the aforementioned again and this time sitting down.
Reading your answer made me laugh because it was so close to what my answer would have been if my old TV had been just a wee bit better!
Direct View Tube
by jpsimmon - 9/26/07 5:15 PM In reply to: Poll: If you had one choice, what would you pick for an HDTV? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Direct view tubes are in developement to greatly shrink thichness.
dollar for dollar, front projection is the best
by mamacmil - 9/26/07 5:24 PM In reply to: Poll: If you had one choice, what would you pick for an HDTV? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If you have a room that is suitable for it (ambient light control), front projection is the best value out there. I have a 720p projector with a 104" screen. While 1080p would be fantastic (I got in the game a little too early), I can't complain about my $2000 104" HDTV.
LCD for me!
by Rod Roddy - 9/26/07 5:34 PM In reply to: Poll: If you had one choice, what would you pick for an HDTV? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I already own a Vizio 37" HDTV, and a 20" Philips LCD, I love'um. Picture quality aside, LCD's, and Plasmas are just way more space saving and convinient than projection or CRT. You have options to hang them on your wall, or if you have them on a table they weigh a lot less than a projection screen. Let's take an educated guess and say LCD/Plasma are the wave of the future--Yeah I think so.
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