Shagrath

I'm looking into upgrading to an HDTV within the next couple months, and am wondering what the good brands/models I should be thinking about. I saw that CC had 18 months, no interest on all TVs $499 and up, so I think I can finance a $1500-2000 set with little trouble. I really don't want a rear projection unit, so please rule out any of those in my price range.

I also play a lot of video games, so how does having a WS unit affect that? I know I'll have bars on the sides to get the 4:3 ratio, but are there any other drawbacks with lots of gameplaying on a WS?

Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks, Shagrath

Joshic

The best TVs for gaming are direct-view CRT TVs and plasmas. Because they both have good black levels and handle video motion very well. Unfortunately plasmas are out of your price range. So are DLP sets. For $1500-2000 you are looking at a direct-view CRT or rear-projection (which you already said you don't want). IMO the best gaming TV right now is the Sony 34xbr910, which is just a bit out of your price range. The 34hs510 is pretty good too and is $1999 - the only problem with it is that it can't display 480p in 4:3 or Wide Zoom modes, which is a big bummer for video games. Try to get a 34xbr910 if you can, Circuit City may not sell it for less than $2499, but if you bargain & negotiate with other local A/V shops, you can get it for $2100. I own a 34xbr800, which was the precursor to the 34xbr910 - both sets are fantastic for gaming.

BTW, I bought my 34xbr800 primarily with gaming in mind. I watch less than 4 hrs of TV per week and maybe 1 DVD movie per month. It's almost used exclusively for gaming on my PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube, and it's been great for more than a year.

Shagrath

Thanks for the reply, Joshic. Unfortunately, the CC ad states that you can't do their 18 month no interest financing on Sony XBR, Grand Wega, or Akai models. The only way I can afford to get a HD set right now is to go that route with the no interest, and pay it off over the year and a half (probably sooner, but still). I plan on going to the B&M later this week and taking a firsthand look at a couple sets, and maybe I'll list those and see if anyone has opinions about those particular models.

As for RP sets, I remember back in the day, they were horrible for gaming. Is that still the case, or has RP technology improved? My parents have a 65" Toshiba (I believe?) from a few years back, and personally, I think it looks horrible. But I have seen other more recent RPTV's with the wider viewing range or whatever, and they actually look halfway decent. So I may consider an RP set if they are decent for gaming nowadays. Thanks.

Chew

I have a 51" RP HDTV with Xbox (and the HD connector). Dragon's Lair is presented in 1080i and I happen to think it looks awesome. It comes close to a lot of HD programming.

Shagrath

I went to CC and looked at their selection first-hand today, and took note of a couple models to research more in depth. I've since narrowed it down, and I think I'm gonna go with the Sony KV36HS510 36" 4:3 CRT. I also liked the Sony KV34HS510 WS CRT, but after looking at the screen ratios, the 36" Sony will have almost the same 16:9 ratio (the equivelant of a 33" WS). I do play a lot of games, and the 4:3 on the WS unit would be about like a 27" set. So, I think my mind's made up on my set.

Does anyone else have the KV36HS510, and if so, are you happy with it, or have any issues I should be aware of before I make my newest investment?