Buying a new TV, lots of questions!
 

I'm finally going to be in the market for a new TV soon. I'm going to go all-out and get a big, expensive HDTV. I have a friend who has a 40" widescreen TV, a toshiba. He loves it and I just don't have the heart to tell him how blurey, washed out and crappy stuff looks on it, especially video games. But, I remember it looking better so I'm wondering if it just started to wear out after a while. It's a Toshiba widescreen, no HDTV or anything like that.

I don't want my new TV to have the same problem, so I've been staying away from RPTVs and figured really I'm gonna have to go with a plasma. I will have $4000 to spend when I'm finished this website I'm working on :) ... I wandered around Best Buy window shopping with money I don't have yet, and looking on their website too, they have a 42" samsung and daewoo plasma but they're listed as EDTV .. what the heck is that? The other "name brand" plasmas in my price range there are all under 40", and I'd like something even bigger. Also, I've heard that after a couple of years plasmas can develop dead pixels, like laptop monitors get, where you can have a black pixel right in the middle of the screen that you wouldn't think would be a problem but you always notice it. Is that true? Do extended warranties cover that sort of thing?

Anyway, I started checking out DLP RPTVs and I was surprised to see how clear they were compared to the other RPTVs around them, even compared to the plasmas. And the price vs size thing is so much better. Heck I can get a 60" Sony grand wega for 4k, or a 30-something inch plasma. So first off, what's the difference between a DLP and a LCD RPTV? How do they compare, in longevity mostly, to a Plasma hang-on-the-wall TV?

When it comes to TVs, I've always favored Sony above all else, it seems to me that's always been the 1 thing that they are the absolute best at but I know everyone has different opinions on brands :) Would I be better off paying a little extra for the Sony name, or are there other TVs (like Mitsubishi, Toshiba, etc) in the price range I should seriously consider? I'm going for a 50" based on the size of my room, so I'm hoping to spend closer to $3000, so I can have extra left over for stuff like the new DVD player I'll need and the DirecTV I'll be getting installed too :)

One other thing, what's with the DVI video connections? Is that better than component cables? Are there DVD players that use them? Do TVs usually just have 1? Can I hook my PC up to them?

And lastly, I do a lot of video gaming, which kind of TV will give me the best image quality? Plasmas or DLP?

1. $3000 is going to limit which 50 inch HDTV you can get
2. DVI will make difference the bigger your HDTV gets
3. Plasmas can be very overpriced for what you get, I would go with LCD or DLP.

EDTV max resolution is 480p, while it can display HD signal, it will never give full resolution. Poor mans HDTV.

$3000 completely limits you to an RPTV in the 50" range. If I were in your shoes (and I was 8 months ago) I would be considering that plasma, LCoS, LCD and DLP are all brand new technologies. You WILL pay a premium for having this technology. If you are itching to get into the game, why not get an RPTV for now and when the new tech is respectfully priced, you'll have the money for it.

Even the best 50" plasma looks like crap with a bad source.

There is a lot happening in this market right now. Panasonic is the first manufacturer to come out with a cable ready (read: no cable box needed) HD manufacturer. More will come out in the coming year.

I have a 50" Toshiba 50HDX82 that I bought in March. At the time, I had no method of getting an HD signal. DVDs looked incredible. Television looked very fuzzy by comparison.

Last month, I had HD comcast cable installed. I currently get 6 channels. Monday Night Football looks out of this world awesome. ABC is just starting to get their act together though and sometimes there are sound issues and pixelization artifacts.

Still, 90% of my viewing is plain old digital cable or regular cable and it is hard to watch knowing that HD is SO much clearer.

Another consideration is the viewing distance. At this point, I wish I had gotten a 57" when I am watching HD. This is my main television but also my "home theater" and when I am in home theater mode, I want the picture to be bigger. The more resolution you have, the closer you can sit to get the theater feel.

Now for my mini-rant on stores and how they display televisions...
Like you, I did a lot of shopping around for the television I bought. I was probably in 20 different stores in the 12 months leading up to, what I considered, a significant purchase. My conclusion? Only seriously accept picture impressions on televisions from stores that have a qualified calibration technician on staff. This will keep you out of an big box store with their massive flourescent lighting and contrasts set at SUPERNOVA.

Be prepared to be underwhelmed once you've made your purchase. Regular television is very grainy, even on a calibrated set. HD does look great but there are still transmission problems and it is inconsistent. Consider your viewing distance, this will make a difference, a 42" 16x9 television is very small from anything over 6-8 feet away.

One last note and the final thing that made me choose the Toshiba, most television is still in the 4x3 format. Check the different television stretch modes. You'll be unhappy with the 4x3 native display with the bars down the side. Toshiba's stretch mode #1 does a great job (to my eyes) of streching the picture. There will be a day when most broadcasts are HD and this won't make a difference but I think we are still several years away from this.

My company has a division that supplies the big plasma display makers with their tooling and I know that we are gearing up to supply them with Generation 5 tooling. Expect to see plasmas in the 72-80 inch range in the next 12-18 months.

For information on DLP vs LCD, check out www.avsforum.com in the Display Device --> Rear Projection Units --> FAQ thread. In summary, LCD suffers from imperfect black levels, screen door effect, and possible dead pixels. DLP is susceptible to dithering, motion artifacts, and "rainbox." None of the newer RP technology is perfect yet.

CRT RPTV will offer better picture quality than LCD, DLP, or LYCOS. However, the picture will not be as bright as the new technology. Also, to get the best pq out of CRT, you will need ISF calibration and yearly re-calibration. And CRT is susceptible to "burn in."

A lot of your questions can be answered at the following sites:

http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5108...html?tag=arrow

http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5102926-1.html?tag=hed

It's a good starting point but not as advanced as AVS Forum and HTF. I'm also buying a new TV and am leaning toward DLP. I think it's the best price vs features but I do not know about the durability of the TV over time.

I have an LCD RPTV. I considered the Samsung DLP before purchasing my TV. However, I get headache from watching the DLP therefore I ruled it out. I also ruled out CRT because I wanted to use the new TV sometimes as a computer monitor without having to worry about "burn-in" and I do not want to stretch 4:3 image. I finally made the decision on the Panasonic 50LC13 based on the price point (I got it at about $2,200) and the connections the set provides. The new Sony Grand Wega is just too bright for my likings and the Hitachi V500 series does not offer enough connection options (although I think that the V500 series offers the best pq in the current LCD RPTV group).

P.S., DVI connection provides all digital path from a digital source (e.g., DVD player) to a digital display. Component connection requires (1) the DVD player to translate digital signal into analog, (2) sends the analog signal over to the TV via the component cables, (3) the TV must then take the analog signal and convert it back to digital before displaying the picture. The A/D conversion can and usually degrade performance. Right now there are only 3 DVD players with DVI out for sales in the US - Samsung HD931, Bravo D1, and Denon 5900 ($$$). I have the D1 and I will never go back to component cable.

I have a Samsung DLP HLN567W and a Bravo D1 DVI player. The picture is excellent.

In my opinion, the DLP technology gives a much more film-like experience than LCD- or CRT-based RPTV's. Motion artifacts are not really a problem for DVD's but they can be on HD telecasts that don't use the full bit-rate.

Whatever TV you get, make sure to save some money for a Home Theater system because the desire for that is soon to follow.

Well, I'm backwards, I got the HT system first, and now I need a good TV :)