DVD Smurf

PLEASE HELP ME!

I have been doing a lot of HDTV researching, but I still have trouble in figuring out which one would be best for me.

I am looking at these four Widescreen models.

1. Sony 46'' (KP46WT500)
2. Panasonic 47" (PT47WX53)
3. Mitsubishi 48" (WS-A48)
4. Toshiba 42" (42H83)

My question or questions would be which one is the better choice and why? I have a Toshiba SD-9200 DVD player and I would use it mostly to watch DVDs and sport on TV. I am also concerned with space, and thus including the Toshiba in my list. I have heard good things about the Mitsubishi, but I think the Panasonic would fit perfect with the speakers close to the floor. However, the Sony have had good reviews. So please, which one would be the best purrchase for me for now and in the long run. Also how important is a DVI-input considering future HDTV signals?

Thanks in advance,

DVD Smurf.

Edited: I am leaning towards this one Sony 46'' (KP46WT500). Thinking of getting a table with the center speaker (Mission 70c2) underneath the TV angled up. Ideas for a good table for this?

Darthkim

Dvd Smurf,

I would recommend the largest screen that you can afford. These widescreen tv's have a tendency to "shrink" after a little while. especially if you watch alot of 2.35 aspect ratio movies, they make the screen look smaller.!!

Anyways, people know i am biased toward the mits, but to each his own. I like the cabinets better on the mits than the toshiba's.

The importance of DVI? Well, this is a heated debate which for now has no ending. Is it required? I don't think so. As long as you have one of the interfaces (dvi or firewire), i think you should be ok. We are going to see more firewire and dvi products in the coming months, so that should prove interesting.

Check out hometheaterspot.com for more information regarding each of the models.

Good luck!

collven

Don't forget that Toshiba has a 46" tv now, the 46H83. That might be a perfect fit. I haven't seen one yet, so I don't know if it will be a tabletop model or not, but I would definitely look at that over the 42H83. I just got the 51H83, and I really like it.

Chew

I'm looking to get a HDTV too and have been researching as well.

The Sony you have listed is an editor's choice at CNET and is actually the second highest they have rated.

It also has a 82% thumbs-up from the six pages worth of reviews.

Circuit City, where I would buy it from, gives it a 4.5/5 rating from it's 50 or so user reviews.

I compared the picture between the Sony and Panasonic and think there's a big difference: the Sony is hands-down better.

Plus, it has 3:2 and auto convergence. The Panny has neither.

The only drawback is the height: you'll likely need to buy something to put it on. There's another $200........

Let us know your choice!

Brian Shannon

Which ones have you been able to see with your own source material?

DVI is a very sticky question at the moment and may not be the connector of the future.

DVD Smurf

For you who asked I got a Toshiba 42" (42H83), because my 1-room apartment has limited depth where the TV is. I am very pleased with it after one days use, and I tested several DVD's such as Lord of the Rings, Monsters Inc., Toy Story 2, The Others, among others and it delivers a nice image. Even the X-box looks sharp after I have turned down the contrast in order to prevent the "burn-in chance". Anyway, thanks for your help and I will continue asking whenever I am buying something else.

Cheers

DVD Smurf

TenaciousD

I have the 46" Sony HDTV and am very happy with it. HDTV looks very good and Progressive Scan DVD is fantastic. I highly recommend this TV.

Hobgoblin

I am looking at this set as well. I plan to watch DVDs most of the time, but how good is this set with regular (non-digital) cable?


The "good" reviews sound fine, but these minority reviews scare me a bit:
One review at the circuit city site says "Great TV - But Beware of Dreaded 'Flicker' Problem".

Another review says " The picture was terrible coming from digital cable and only a tad better from the DVD player with RGB component hookups. The picture reminded me of an old UHF broadcast. So I summoned a tech as a last resort to find out what was wrong. To my dismay his answer was that there was nothing wrong and this is just the picture quality of this TV".

Another guy says: "I'm unsure about the picture quality on this set, but am still experimenting. I bought a ReplayTV at the same time, and I'm playing with the settings to see if it's the DVR or the set or my cable outlet. I bought all the best Monster Cables and still, I have a very 'grainy' picture. I sit about 6-7 feet back, and I feel I am looking at a projected picture. I realize I am, but my 6 year old set does a better job, and it definitely doesn't look 'projected.' I hooked up a DVD using S-Video cables, and it's better, but not great. "

I wonder why the last guy used S-Video instead of component input for DVDs.

Someone mentioned that you need a progressive scan DVD player to get the best picture out of this unit. But this unit has a line doubler along with 3:2 pulldown to convert the output signal to 480p, so I wonder why progressive scan is needed.

X

Because a DVD player can almost always do a better job of deinterlacing since it's done digitally before the signal gets converted to analog. The RPTV has to deinterlace the signal after it was already converted to analog.

Hiro11

It's a rare problem that's hyped up on the internet. It is also associated only with the older **HDX82 models. I would still get the extended warrenty (I would on anything this expensive) because then you really have nothing to worry about.

Quote:

Another review says " The picture was terrible coming from digital cable and only a tad better from the DVD player with RGB component hookups. The picture reminded me of an old UHF broadcast. So I summoned a tech as a last resort to find out what was wrong. To my dismay his answer was that there was nothing wrong and this is just the picture quality of this TV".

Another guy says: "I'm unsure about the picture quality on this set, but am still experimenting. I bought a ReplayTV at the same time, and I'm playing with the settings to see if it's the DVR or the set or my cable outlet. I bought all the best Monster Cables and still, I have a very 'grainy' picture. I sit about 6-7 feet back, and I feel I am looking at a projected picture. I realize I am, but my 6 year old set does a better job, and it definitely doesn't look 'projected.' I hooked up a DVD using S-Video cables, and it's better, but not great. "

********. This TV's guns (the same ones in the **H82s) have been highly rated for picture quality for the past year. They've won many, many roundups.

Quote:

Someone mentioned that you need a progressive scan DVD player to get the best picture out of this unit. But this unit has a line doubler along with 3:2 pulldown to convert the output signal to 480p, so I wonder why progressive scan is needed.

Interlased and progressive scan will both look great on this display, but progressive scan definitely looks better when objects are in motion. Besides, you can pick up a great progressive deck for about $120 bucks these days, why not just splurg as long as you're going for a new TV?

/proud owner of a 50HX81.

chipmac

The Sony flicker problem has most likely been fixed on the newer ones being made as they're now aware of the problem and fixing it under warranty. That said I still would look at other models first for a RPTV. Sony made their rep on their direct view models and for RPTV Pioneer, Mits, Tosh, Hitachi and Panasonic are the mainstays in that group while Sony is still trying to catch up. Many people who upgraded from Sony direct views to Sony RPTV were not as happy with them as the smaller direct view sets that they had. Add to that the premium price the Sony names adds to it and you can often find a better set for less.

gcribbs

The Sony flicker problem effected a large number of sets manufactured in 2001 and 2002. Sony will only admit to around 1% of their sets although it was big enough that they extended peoples warranties and are spending money to change the crt's and some resistors to solve the flicker problem.

http://products.sel.sony.com/SEL/ser.../flicker.shtml

Serial Numbers Affected:

Sets with the following serial number ranges may be affected:

KP-51HW40 and KP-57HW40 models: Serial numbers which have a Zero in second digit, i.e. 90xxxxx. (not applicable with other models).

WS500 models: KP-51WS500 (9000001 – 9020557)
KP-57WS500 (9000001 – 9014575)

XBR2 models: KDP-57XBR2 (9000001- 9000565)
KDP-65XBR2 (9000001 – 9000340)


Symptoms:
Picture Flicker
Greenish Hue


The Sony KP46WT500 was not one of the sets effected so you should not have any more of a problem with this set than any other companies set.

the_dude8

how about this one:
http://www.globalsupersale.com/inc/pdetail?v=1&pid=3452

costco selling this one for 899 -$100 instant saving via costco coupon valid from 8/11-8/17/03.

Videoholic

You also need to be concerned with seating arangement. If you only have seating directly in front of the set then CRT is fine.

If you have seating to the side I would avoid CRTs. THeir viewing angles are so small. I would recommend LCD, DLP, or blah plasma. Plasma is nice, but burn in problems make you watch 4x3 material stretched and well, that's the devil.

I have a DLP and I have one lazyboy chair at a tremendous angle and the set looks great from the seat. With a CRT it would be completely dark. Nizasty.

hoyalawya

I just bought a Panasonic PT-50LC13 today for $2,339 (after price matching). It is a LCD rear projection 720p TV. After 1 year of research and waiting, I decided that the Panny is the set to get. The picture on the Panny is very similar to Samsung HLN (based on my observation at Best Buy and Circuit City). I admit that the Samsung DLP has a better black level. But for $1,000 less, I think that the Panny is more sensible and affordable choice.

For the Sony flicker problem, please check out www.hometheaterspot.com. It seems to be a widespread problem for the users there.

tonyc3742

I'm still in the research stage, but hoping someonecan answer this question:
Some widescreen HDTV's I see say they have 'reverse 3:2 pulldown.' Some don't specify that. But some DVD players have it also. If I get a DVD player with it, am I fine? Is there any other source material that would benefit from 3:2 pulldown, so I would want a TV with it [my other sources are satellite and very occasionally a video game or home video camera.]

X

I believe you only need (reverse) 3:2 pulldown when you are deinterlacing film-based material to NTSC video. This is needed for the 24 fps film to 30 fps video conversion.

If you send a progressive signal from your DVD player to your HDTV you don't need to do the 3:2 pulldown in your HDTV.

The player can probably do a better job of it since it's doing it while the signal is still digital, before it converts it to analog to send to the HDTV.

tonyc3742

So a progressive scan DVD player 'includes' the 3:2 pulldown, even if it's not specifically mentioned?

clappj

Where did you pick it up for that price, and who did you price match?
Thanks for the info!

clappj

hoyalawya come back.