I have a 7 year old "HD ready" 65" Mits I'm looking to replace. Oddly, the stores I've looked at only have one choice (Mits) 65" and can only order larger. Sadly, they don't seem to get much larger. Weird... I truly thought TVs would be getting bigger. Do other brands just not make large sets or stores just don't carry them?
Also, when I bought mine most new sets came set in torch mode. Which brands seem most accurate out of the box? Do any have an easy access service menu?
gimmepilotwings
11-14-07, 10:50 AM
What stores are you looking at?
kaze0
11-14-07, 10:55 AM
Look into a projector perhaps?
Easy
11-14-07, 10:56 AM
What stores are you looking at?
The usual suspects. Best Buy, the-store-that-must-not- be-named, Sears. There are also a couple "specialty" stores but they do mostly FP and installs.
Easy
11-14-07, 10:59 AM
Look into a projector perhaps?
I would but light is a real issue. No way to completely shut it out.
ElementZ
11-14-07, 11:03 AM
Panasonic has a 103" plasma
Mordred
11-14-07, 12:46 PM
Sony makes a 70" SXRD and a 70" LCD which runs for 33k :lol: The SXRD is in the $5500 range if I remember correctly.
gimmepilotwings
11-14-07, 01:07 PM
I have had that 70" SXRD in my home as a loaner TV. Very nice.
Numanoid
11-14-07, 01:11 PM
I would but light is a real issue. No way to completely shut it out.So you're watching TV outside?
Easy
11-14-07, 01:17 PM
Sony makes a 70" SXRD... The SXRD is in the $5500 range if I remember correctly.
I specifically asked for that and was told they could order it. No way so see one in store, at least not locally.
hdtv00
11-14-07, 11:05 PM
You don't need to compeltely shit out light anymore. Mits 1500 FTW.
Spiky
11-14-07, 11:07 PM
Go to the real stores to see real TVs. I don't know your city, but here we have one chain that does ok on this, Ultimate Electronics. Costco usually has a couple over-60" models out. But high-end stores should have something.
I also would say don't dismiss FP too quickly. 100" is nice!
Easy
11-15-07, 08:06 AM
I already named the shopping options around here. It really is sad, I know. Went looking yesterday and finally saw 73" Mits. Yikes!! Looked horrible up close. Had to stand back 12' for it to look good. Kinda turned me off although it did look good at distance.
Talked with the manager of the shop where I bought my current TV and he told me about the Sony recall. Screens turning yellow... Yikes again!! He claimed he sold them side by side last year and only sold two Sonys. Most people chose the Mits when they saw them together so he didn't order any Sonys this year. He also reminded me that Mits used to make a 84" set. I can't imagine why they don't now.
Anyway, I'm just not finding the big screen I hoped to get. I may have to revisit FP options as some suggest. When I looked into it years ago I wasn't at all impressed but I'm sure they are greatly improved.
Mopower
11-15-07, 09:33 AM
Wouldn't standing back at least 12 feet from a 73" TV to make it look good be normal? Why would you want to sit any closer?
Easy
11-15-07, 10:46 AM
Wouldn't standing back at least 12 feet from a 73" TV to make it look good be normal? Why would you want to sit any closer?
Usually. Sometimes I want to be closer simply for immersion. Sometimes because of room arrangement... think guests over, football game. I suppose I could get everyone seated at a "proper" distance if I wanted my living room to look like a theater. I would certainly like to have a theater room but that just isn't in the cards.
ANDREMIKE
11-15-07, 11:37 AM
Not sure what your talkking about... these would be great sets....
Um no screen that big is made to be any closer than 10 ft. I mean seriously , your expectations are to high. As for immersion , all the more reason to get a projector and stop trying to get normal sets to do something they're not meant to do, and can't.
Spiky
11-15-07, 11:25 PM
Yes, have to agree with hdtv00. Plasma and RPTV sets at 70" or more tend to need distance to get rid of screen door and other issues. A nice FP will be better. My Panny LCD looks good from just a few feet away, and that's a 90" screen. I used to have a DLP and it was fine from 8', same screen.
Easy
11-16-07, 11:08 AM
Um no screen that big is made to be any closer than 10 ft. I mean seriously , your expectations are to high.
Are my expectations to high or has technology taken a step backward? I can sit much closer to my 65" CRT RPTV than I could to any DLP set I saw. Simply a fact... and it took me by surprise. I guess, "Stand back twelve feet or it looks like shit" just doesn't make good advertising copy. :D
Seriously, I just didn't expect that limitation. I guess I must have read about it but for some reason it didn't register.
Well, no hurry. The old Mits is still working fine for now. I was looking into options because it is getting older and I don't want to be forced into a hurried replacement. Of course, a LARGER set would also be great. Time to research FP I guess... digital vs. CRT, 720p vs 1080p etc. I'm not looking forward to this....
Spiky
11-17-07, 12:24 AM
Look up "screen door effect". That should answer your surprise .
Mr. Salty
11-17-07, 05:38 PM
You don't need to compeltely shit out light anymore.
Best typo I've seen in a long time.
With regards to 70-inch-plus sets, I generally agree about needing some distance. But if that's not an option and you still want to go big, I'd recommend the Sony SXRDs (or their JVC equivalents). The pixels are so close together there is little to no screen door effect compared to plasma or LCD.
parrotheads4
11-19-07, 08:05 PM
I have a 6 1/2 year old 64" Pioneer RPTV. I'm in the same boat as you. Having lowered the contrast, and doing all the little tweeks you read about in the forums I expect a couple more years out of it. Hopefully in that time the new technologies will start to bare fruit. I'm most interested in front projection laser. But something new will probably come along.
If you are looking for something sooner rather than later I'd agree with those who said to look at 1080p front projection. For less than $3k you can have a 110" tv. Look here: http://www.projectorreviews.com/ You will be amazed when you see one in person. Much better than our old stuff.
GreenMonkey
11-19-07, 11:05 PM
Something I've expressed before, but not everyone agrees.
You can get a good projector and a cheap flat panel for daylight viewing for less than the price of a mega-sized 70"+ RPTV. IMO it's way better for less.
I run a 115" 720p DLP projector at night and we have a 37" 720p LCD on a swing arm in the corner for the daytime.
$830 + $640 and it's a fantastic setup. Sure, the projector is almost worthless in the daytime, but I think most folks do most of their watching in the evening anyway. The 37" spends most of its day running Oprah, Dr. Phil and Sesame Street anyway ;)
Spiky
11-20-07, 12:45 AM
Something I've expressed before, but not everyone agrees.
............
The 37" spends most of its day running Oprah, Dr. Phil and Sesame Street anyway ;)
Yeah, I wouldn't agree with that at all.
Sdallnct
11-20-07, 01:12 AM
Blah...you don't need total darkness to watch a modern digital projector. I often watch football during the day. And I don't totally black out the light. The biggest deal is to try to keep light off the screen. But shouldn't you do that with any tv?
The difference it light control needed between a FP and "typical" tv is not as much as you would think or as much as it use to be. Besides to get the best picture out of any display you need light control. A LCD panel or Plasma will look like crap with direct sun light on it. I can't image watching an NFL game on some little crappy 30 some inch TV with a great image on my 94" screen.
I love watching my projector ALL the time. Day, night everything....
parrotheads4
11-20-07, 10:22 AM
sdallnct,
How did you ever make out with the laminate screen? Just curious if you ever did it.
Sdallnct
11-20-07, 04:11 PM
sdallnct,
How did you ever make out with the laminate screen? Just curious if you ever did it.
No I been working my butt off, so I haven't done it. Tho I have had 2nd thoughts. Seems one of the favorites is a light grey laminate and I got some samples and while the grey certainly helped the blacks, I didn't like what it did to the whites.
Who knows, maybe at the beginning of the year...
parrotheads4
11-23-07, 08:40 PM
That would have been my guess with the grey screens. It makes me ask what's more important white, or black levels. I think I'd go with white.
It's funny though. I was at my mothers for Tgiving watching her Sharp Aquos LCD. The picture is beautiful, but when I got home I really noticed how much better the blacks are on my RPTV.
toddly6666
11-23-07, 08:46 PM
So then, what is the biggest HDTV in existence which is cheap and great quality?
Sdallnct
11-23-07, 11:10 PM
So then, what is the biggest HDTV in existence which is cheap and great quality?
Your kidding, right? You really want something "that" big and want it cheap?
The Mitsubishi at 65" is getting a lot of play for the size price. I think someone makes a 70 or 71".
But if you want BIG, high quality and cheap, IMHO, you only have one real choice...a projector.
Sdallnct
11-23-07, 11:14 PM
That would have been my guess with the grey screens. It makes me ask what's more important white, or black levels. I think I'd go with white.
It's funny though. I was at my mothers for Tgiving watching her Sharp Aquos LCD. The picture is beautiful, but when I got home I really noticed how much better the blacks are on my RPTV.
I also picked up a white sample that is a favorite in laminate, but I could not hardly tell the difference between it and what I have. Still might do it so I can make a slightly bigger screen. I have a 94" screen, but have the room for about a 104" screen.
parrotheads4
11-24-07, 10:04 AM
So then, what is the biggest HDTV in existence which is cheap and great quality?
My bother-in-law bought a 70+" Sony. He wanted to 1-up my 64" Pioneer. He failed. The picture on the Sony is crap, and it's too big for his room. The old saying is "You never here anyone say their tv is too big." Size does change the experience, no doubt. But don't blow your money on just a big screen. Save your money until you can get something good.
Based on what I've seen I think the best bang for the buck is a projector, like Sdallnct said. You see the old ones in sports bars that run 24hrs/day and look totally washed out and think no way would I buy that. But those are the old ones, and are crap. The new ones are amazing.
toddly6666
11-24-07, 06:05 PM
Parrotheads,
So current projection hdtvs don't have the problem with reflections as well, with lights on or watching during the day? So in other words, there shouldn't be an obvious visual difference between a good Projection HDTV and a good CRT HDTV or a good HDTV LCD? Are there any negatives about the current good Projection HDTVS, besides the size and weight?
parrotheads4
11-24-07, 06:22 PM
There are pros and cons to all. My Rear Projection TV had a plexiglass outer screen that reflected everything. You could have shaved, or tied a tie in it. My kids shattered that screen with a Wii-mote. When I removed the plexiglass the reflections were - for the most part - gone. Mine is set up in a basement without windows. I have seen 1080p front-end projectors in rooms with daylight, but no light shining on the screen. They look better than my RPTV. Here's one: Panasonic PT-AE2000U. I think you can get it for about $2500. At 110" it is amazing. With table lamps on I did not notice any reflection on the screen, but my friend has it set up to help avoid it. Also, the type of screen matters. But when you consider that my brother-in-law payed well over $3k for the 70+" Sony the projector above is a bargain.
Sdallnct
11-24-07, 10:29 PM
Parrotheads,
So current projection hdtvs don't have the problem with reflections as well, with lights on or watching during the day? So in other words, there shouldn't be an obvious visual difference between a good Projection HDTV and a good CRT HDTV or a good HDTV LCD? Are there any negatives about the current good Projection HDTVS, besides the size and weight?
All technologies have their pro's and con't. You are now asking something different then your original criteria. You asked for the biggest, best screen for cheap. The answer is easy, a front projector. I assume that is what you are talking about.
Now you are asking about other things. A "good" HD LCD in 55-60" (if they make them that big yet) is going to cost you a hell of a lot more then any reasonable front projector.
At some point you are going to have to narrow down what is most important to you. There reason there are so many options out there is because everyone has something different that is important to them.
But to generally answer some of your questions:
To use a projector you need light control. You do not need total black out. But then you need light control on any display. The excellent 50" Panasonic plasma will look like crap with light shinning on it. Do you need "more" light control on a projector then other displays? Hard to say, depends on what those other displays are, what you are watching and how critical you are going to be. I often what day time football games with window open in my theater room. Look very good. But when I'm watching movies, I like the darken things up. The key is keeping direct light off the screen (as is with any display). For early football games I often keep the windows open at the back of my room to read the paper while watching the game.
Today's digital projectors are very good. You can get some very nice 720p models for under $900 that will throw a 100" image and be very nice. 1080p models are still going to cost you in the $2,500 range.
GreenMonkey
11-26-07, 09:37 PM
To use a projector you need light control. You do not need total black out. But then you need light control on any display. The excellent 50" Panasonic plasma will look like crap with light shinning on it. Do you need "more" light control on a projector then other displays? Hard to say, depends on what those other displays are, what you are watching and how critical you are going to be. I often what day time football games with window open in my theater room. Look very good. But when I'm watching movies, I like the darken things up. The key is keeping direct light off the screen (as is with any display). For early football games I often keep the windows open at the back of my room to read the paper while watching the game.
I don't do sports, but bright stuff like that works fine on the projector in moderate light. To me the projector is useless during the daylight hours, even on a cloudy day. I can't stand how much of the image is washed out in dark scenes and how much detail is lost...then again I am unwilling to get a HiPower or gray screen and limit the viewing angle or whites, nor am I willing to close all the curtains in the daytime.
I'm not home in the daylight much nor do I really watch any movies in the daytime, so I can't say I care. The LCD works better for casual daytime viewing and saves tons of bulb hours, and the projector comes on at night (which, these days in Michigan, is about 5pm).
Sdallnct
11-26-07, 10:33 PM
Yea...I know there is a group out there that "saves the projector bulb" by getting a LCD. But to be honest, I don't seem the point. A solid 42" LCD or plasma is going to run $1000. That is about 3.5 bulbs (@ $275 ea.). A bulb will typically last 1.5 years watching several hours a day every day (3000 bulb life, 5.5 hours per day, 547 days). So it will take, what 5.5-6 years and 3.5 bulbs for the LCD to pay for itself.
And you miss a lot of great stuff on the big screen. I love watching football, basketball, heck even golf on the big screen.
But to each their own. I certainly respect any home theater set up that gets a person watching and enjoying.
Heck, my wife just told my Optoma is giving a notice on turn on that it is the recommended time to replace the bulb. We have had it right at a year. But there are days that the projector goes on at 9:00am and doesn't go off till 11:pm (mainly weekends, but some in the summer). Doesn't bother me a bit. The kids invite their friends over to watch the game or have movie night. My wife invites her friends over for movie night. We are always using it and wouldn't a traditional tv.
Truth be told, I was hoping the bulb would last a more typical 18 months for it would last till next summer, I'd look at just upgrading to a 1080p model. But $2,500 is a little steep for me, so I get a bulb and look at 1080p next christmas.
Buy: