habers

Hello, I just came across ~$2000 that I can spend on a new TV, I would like to get a Widescreen TV that is good quality...duh!

I dont need to have it HD because I dont have any HD sources yet but it would be nice if its worth it for future uses, my dvd player is the sony DVP-N300 with component outputs. Any suggestions as to what I should get? And where I can get a good deal on it? Thanks guys!

Jon

MichaelBlanton

I'd buy an Infocus LP340. Why get a tv when you can have a movie projector?

RandyC

Just a teeny bit more and you can have a 34" Panasonic 16:9 TAU.

Very nice.

If you are really stuck at $2k, they also sell a 36" 4:3 TAU that is under $2k.

jabbas

Get Toshiba's new 36 inch 4:3 Flatscreen HDTV (model #, 36HF71, I think). It's available on line for about $1700 (dealmountain.com). Then, use the remaining money to spend $205 on a Panasonic RP-56 Progressive Scan DVD player ($204.99 this week only at Hifi.com, if you use the code 'hifi20aff' to save $20 off the 224.99 price, and get free shipping this week only)

Now, you have a great flatscreen HDTV TV, and the best DVD picture available without spending thousands on a DVD player alone.


Next, if you have another $2000 anytime soon, pick you a Denon 3802 receiver (or 3801 for $100 less) and a ascend acoustics surround sound system with HSU-VTF-2 subwoofer for $800 and $1100 respectively, then you'll really be set for life.

That's how to get an amazing home theater for under $4000, and if anyone can beat that, I'd love to hear it.

bmello

Where is your HD source? I know http://www.wrdw.com/ ,your local CBS affiliate, is broadcasting Digital and passing along the HD programming available!

SmackDaddy

Mitsubishi 46" 16x9 HD ready RPTV. I've got one an it s wonderful. Best $2000 I ever spent.

habers

how bout in the $2500 price range, are these any good and are these good prices? I have a nextcard visa from amazon, so i would get a good amount back in GC from them from buying from amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...741574-5616867

this is in the $2000 range:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...741574-5616867


a bit higher in price:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...741574-5616867


this seems like a good deal for $1800, not sure if its good though:
Panasonic 47" Widescreen Rear-Projection HDTV - Model: PT-47WX49
http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=...cat=24&scat=25

I would like at least a 45" set, any other suggestions or anyone have any input on the ones I listed abaove? Thanks so much!

bmello

habers, all of those are good choices! I've owned the Panny for about 3 months and have been very pleased! I bought it at Sears for $1,699.

Phil I

It just so happens that I was going thru what you are now last July, and after much research, I bought the Toshiba 50H81 16:9 HDTV Monitor on July 23rd.

I based my decision on :

1) Toshiba's 2001-2002 News Release;

http://www.tvinsite.com/twice/index....icleID=CA91710

2) Toshiba's 2001-2002 PDF Flip Chart;

http://www.toshiba.ca/ceg/html/Flip%20Chart%202001.pdf

3) Digital Pic's posted by an HT SPoT member Brian Swan

http://www.hometheaterspot.com/cgi-b...&f=21&t=001010

I received the $2,075.00 w/Free SH (curb-side) HDTV on August 1st, and was so impressed on what I saw that 1st day, that on the next day (August. 2nd), I posted my own digital images.

http://www.geocities.com/mv_us_2000/...0H81_HDTV.html

These images from my HDTV w/less than 10-12 hours of use - consider the pic's right out of the box.
- Performed Video Essentials Calibration after a couple of hours of use
- Used Touch Focus and the consumer menu driven 9-pt. Convergence option.

There are now 5 pages of digital images - the latest pic's from "Star Wars - Episode I - The Phantom Menace" (28 pic's). I have not linked the "Star Wars" webpage to the other 4 webpages yet, due to some technical problems @ GeoCities, . . . so here's a direct link:

http://www.geocities.com/mv_us_2000/...H81_HDTV5.html

So, based on my 2 1/2 months enjoyment, I recommend any 2001-2002 Toshiba 16:9 HDTV, . . . but for around $2k, you can't go wrong with the model 50H81!!

Watching "The Phantom Menace", . . . if you liked the movie, that is, . . . is why we buy HT Systems capable of Theater SPL's and a Big Screen TV!!! I scheduled two viewing sessions on Friday and Saturday with my family and friends (keep it to about around a dozen @ a time) who love this "Star Wars" movie.

Phil

habers

I was just tlooking at that TV just before I saw your post and it looks great, If you could point me to a place where I can pick it up for around what you paid, I can definetly do that, any ideas?

Phil I

I bought mine thru the InterNet - which is why I received my 50H81 about a week before any B&M store in Northern CA - SF Bay Area.

A quick Yahoo Shopping Search reveals

http://all.search.shopping.yahoo.com...&rkeys=&clink=

. . . excellent prices via the InterNet - check out their S/H policy & prices. Review their Customer Satisfaction (if available) and email / call them for any specific questions you might have.

Happy hunting,
Phil

bmello

Sears carries this set and you still may be able to get a internet price match. Your mileage will vary and you might have to visit different stores and talk to different sales people to get a pricematch. Good Luck!

Mike

Sorry guys, but I got a little confused visiting the links you've so kindly provided for us all.

Amazon has the Toshiba 50H81 at $2499.99. The Yahoo link brought me to a place called "PricesRight", which has the identical TV for $1888.99 (both have Free shipping, I believe, though Amazon claims they'll set it up for you).

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...476869-8852915

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/pricesrite/50h81.html


My first question is:

- The Amazon one claims to be HDTV-Ready, the other one doesn't mention this. Is the Amazon one superior in that it comes with the extra box to make the TV ready to recieve HD signals once it is available?


My other question is:

- Should I have any concern with a projection HDTV? I really want a big-assed TV, and it seems the huge projection TVs are price-comprable to the 30"-38" standard HDTVs. Need I be concerned?

Sorry, just one final question:

- What is this whole progressive scan business. Having worked with HD cameras, I fully understand the whole progressive vs. interlaced story, but I don't understand how a DVD player could be progressive scan. DVDs don't yet hold HD images, so how can they hold the progressive scan technology and still work on standard NTSC televisions?


Ok, another question:

- I had a lucky day at the slots and am planning on purchasing an HDTV very soon (I'm looking into the Toshiba 50H81). Best Buy is offering a free Toshiba DVD player (won't list specific model) valued at $159.99 which offers component output. I currently use a Sony DVP-S7000 (I think?). Is the Toshiba DVD worth consideration?


I swear, my final question!!!:

- What do you guys think of the RCA projection HDTVs? They seem to be the cheapest around for the size, and have a seemingly really cool feature with their TVGuide Plus. Is there some important feature that the RCAs are lacking? Progressive scan? Component imputs? Something else?


You guys rule! I trust your opinions more than those audio/video electronics magazines.
Thanks so much, in advance!!!

- Mike

[email protected]

DeadGnat

OK, lets see how many questions I can answer before I fall asleep.

HDTV-ready means you need a seperate box to receive hdtv signals, and amazon doesn't provide one for you. the other term used is HDTV monitor.

For the size/price issue, don't be concerned. The technology to make a direct view tube tv with that many pixels is more expensive, and remember, rear projection HD prices were pretty darned high a few years back-it's through mass production/popularity that the prices have dropped. The only real concern I have with my RPTV is viewing angle-direct view sets have a pretty good viewing angle, but for RPTV's, you pretty much have to be in a sweet spot to see everything well.

For progressive scanning, the dvd players have a cheap version of a line doubler/de-interlacer built in. Usually the better players have much better doublers built in like the kenwood (faroudja dcdi technology) and the denons (silicon image/dvdo). The toshiba 50H81 has a built in doubler and displays images at either 540p or 1080i with the box. So all non-hd images are upconverted to 540p. The doubler/scaler in the tv is actually not too bad, so it might be better than a really cheap progressive scan dvd. If that free toshiba dvd player isn't progressive scan, it's not worth it. If it is progressive scan, you'll have to see if you get a picture using the progressive scan vs. an interlaced output.


Since you already have a good dvd player, you'd have to get a pretty decent progressive scan unit to outperform it-and if you have the dough, you may want to consider a line doubler. That way you can line double every component you have instead of just the dvd. I also have the sony 7000 and couldn't justify spending $1000 on a decent player for the 50H81, so I bought the dvdo iscan. I have a replaytv, 3 vrcs and a playstation 2 which now all are run through the iscan as well as the 7000.

As for RCA stuff, I really don't recommend any of it. Even the DLP unit. I haven't had any luck with RCA branded stuff, and I don't have any friends who have either. So if you really like that 38" direct view, look at loewe. Same tube, but way better more reliable electronics with a great pic. Not sure about the RPTVs, but I'd spend the extra money for a mitsubishi/toshiba.

Mike

Hey there, Gnat! Thanks SO MUCH for the info.
You're helping me out a lot in making my decision.

I am not understanding one thing, however.

This is part of your response:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since you already have a good dvd player, you'd have to get a pretty decent progressive scan unit to outperform it-and if you have the dough, you may want to consider a line doubler. That way you can line double every component you have instead of just the dvd. I also have the sony 7000 and couldn't justify spending $1000 on a decent player for the 50H81, so I bought the dvdo iscan. I have a replaytv, 3 vrcs and a playstation 2 which now all are run through the iscan as well as the 7000.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok, so are you suggesting that my Sony 7000 would be superior to a cheaper DVD player that has component output?
Remember, the Sony 7000 was a first generation player, and it just has S-Video outputs.

Also, does this line doubler simply make all images appear to be progressive scan? If the TV I purchase has one of these built in doublers do I still need the line doubler?

And could you please elaborate more on this DVDO IScan devise?

Thanks again, I really appreciate your help.

- Mike

(so are you suggesting that the Toshiba 50H81 combined with just my Sony 7000 would be pretty sweet?)

DeadGnat

The sony 7000 does have component output-it's on the back between the s-video out and s-link. That's how I have my unit hooked up. The 7000 has the flip down face in front of the dvd-door, so if it doesn't have that, it's a different model and may not have component out.

Since the toshiba converts all images to progressive whether they are that way or not, any progressive scan dvd player you plug into it will have to outperform the doubling unit in the tv in order for you to see the difference. Otherwise, you won't see any difference between a newer dvd player and the sony. The features your sony lacks are: DTS audio pass through, progressive scanning, 3:2 pulldown and dvd audio. The toshiba does progressive scanning and 3:2 pulldown, so unless the player does it better, it's not worth it to invest in one. So that leaves dvd audio and dts. If you're not into dvd audio, then you'll just have to decide if you want dts bad enough to burn $500-700 it will take to get a player good enough to see the difference on.

Suggestions include the Toshiba 9200 (now under $700 at many places and does do dvd-audio), the panasonic RP-91 (ditto), and the new phillips-not sure of the model number on this one, but it's about $450 and has the new faroudja dcdi chip used in the kenwood soveriegn-no dvd-audio though. If you want to lighten your wallet further, then the denon 4800 and kenwood 5700 are both really nice ($1200).

As for the external line doubler, I bought the iscan because it can outperform the doubler inside the toshiba. If you're satisified with the way the picture looks without one, then you're ok without one. Remember-the new toshibas output 540p, so even with a doubler, the tv's circuitry will still alter the image, so you're still at the mercy of the tv, although the image with an external doubler is better. The improvements are pretty subtle, but you really notice them after you're used to watching images through the iscan.

Feel free to email me on the side-I can show you where to find some very good pricing on this stuff if you want.

Cheddarmuff

This TV is AMAZING....they have it here www.wholesaleconnection.com for $2,300...can't remember if the amazon.com visa has a "best price guarantee" or not but if they did, pick up the model at Amazon...get the points and have Nextcard pricematch the other price..

theprophe

I can't believe no one has mentioned the Sampo 16x9 unit, fry's had them 1899, very beautiful picture, does all the hdtv resolutions including 720p and has vga in also