my TV needs
 

My eight year old Mitsu 35" direct view (old school) TV is starting to go. The problem is I have not paid any attention to TV technology in the eight years since I bought the set. I'm only familiar with 4:3 direct view. I recently have spent time here trying to read and learn but all the terms and acronyms leave me a bit bewildered. Here's the current situation I have:

Budget is about 2K for a new TV
Toshiba 3109 DVD player (non progressive scan. It's old, about 3-4 years)
RCA DirecTivo satellite
Yamaha 995 AV receiver
Norh 4.0 speakers

Viewing distance is about 15-16 feet. Family watches about seven-eight hours of regular TV from DirecTV a day. Two DVD movies are watched on the weekend. I want something BIG as the viewing distance is pretty far away. Rear projection seems like a good bang for the buck and large, but since more than 90% of the family viewing is standard TV and not DVDs that might be the wrong direction to take. I have read here that DirecTV doesn't look so good on rear projection TVs, but DVDs do. The Pioneer 64" from Costco for 2K seems like a good buy but like I said I don't know if 16:9 rear projection is wrong for my needs. How would I know without trying it? I have no idea when I would upgrade to HD. I guess whenever the DirecTivo with HD is affordable. I'm looking for anyone kind enough to lend me any info or push in the right direction what to look for, questions to ask, ideas, experinces, FAQs etc. Thanks in advance

If you want something big at $2k, your only option is crt-rptv. I have read a lot of people post at www.avsforum.com that the Pioneer at Costco is an excellent buy if you can actually find one.

CRT does have a risk of burn in. The best thing you can do to minimize it is to turn down the brightness and contrast, watch 4:3 material stretched and/or keep your viewing mixed.

One thing you might consider is OTA HDTV broadcasts. You can check OTA availabilty in your area by going to www.antennaweb.org There is a significant amount of network HD programming during prime time. All you need is a set top box (STB) and an antenna (either rooftop or indoor if you are close enough). Watching primetime hd broadcasts should reduce your risk significantly.

Since you watch a high percentage of SDTV, remember that SDTV is not going to look all that great on a big screen and can vary greatly from channel to channel.

I wish there was a way I could view SDTV on a big screen TV so I know what it could look like before I buy.

At that viewing distance I would definitely go with something in the 61"-65" range. I view a 57" from about 10 feet away, which is perfect, IMO. I would also definetly go 16:9. You will rediscover the DVD experience! DVD and HDTV are incredible and make widscreen well worth it. The stretching on 4:3 material is largely unnoticeable once you get used to it.

edit: Btw, standard TV is not that bad at all for me. It varies though depending on the channel I am watching. I have cable so I can't really comment on digital satelite.

That shouldn't be too hard. Most of the time I see HDTVs in stores, they are showing a SD signal. Having a large viewing distance will help SD look better.

I have read that the signal from digital cable and satellite can be highly compressed and give a poor picture on a big screen. I use my HD STB to view OTA SD-DTV from the local stations. The SD-DTV doesn't look too bad to me, especially if it just the news.

If you ask the salesmen real nice some will let you bring your own VCR an hook it up. If VHS looks decent enlarged and stretched on a 16;9 tv you should be fine with SD cable or sat.