mrsteam

I am considering getting a new tv for my family room. I currently own a 4+ year old Sony LCD Rear Projection TV amazon.com/Sony-KDF-E42A10-42-Inch-Projection-Television/dp/B000A2K3XW. I have noticed that it is getting dimmer and the technology has progressed quite a bit so I am in the market for an LCD or LED. The TV is in a built in cabinet with the dimensions of 43" wide by 29" tall by ~24" deep. I'd like to move up to a 46" or 47" set which will be tight but I have a couple creative ideas. My thought is to use a telescoping mount similar to this amazon.com/Cheetah-Mounts-Swivel-Articulating-Plasma/dp/B000WL0I1I/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1259450175&sr=1-3. Many 46" and 47" lcds are less than 29" tall but everyone I've found is wider than 43". My plan is to have the tv "dock" diagonally in the cabinet when not in use. When in use I will use the telescoping feature of the mount to bring it a couple inches outside of the opening allowing it to extend slightly beyond the 43" opening. A couple more pieces of information, the couch is 115" from the TV and the bottom of the TV will be 42" from the floor. The room gets an average amount of light, its on the first floor but not flooded in light. The tv will be used primarily for 1080p movies through blu-ray or a media server and Comcast HD programming. Occasionally a ps3 will be used for gaming.

Ok, on to the questions. Assuming that the logistics of the mount work I would like to get a 1080p tv at either 46" or 47" if possible. Sam's club has a couple sub 1k tvs that seem promising. The Philips 47", its either 6000 series or 7000 series, I can't tell from their website samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=427457&pid=_Froogle&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=726497#Add.

Questions:

1. Would a 6000 or 7000 series Philips 47" LCD be a good choice for a TV?
2. There is a Samsung samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=458174&pCatg=13308 for $800 that looks pretty good, it does not have 120Hz. Should I be looking for a 120Hz tv or is 60Hz fine?
3. Any recommendations for other models?
4. Anything else I should be considering?

Sorry about the lack of links, I am new to the forum and it will not allow me to link out to other sites until I post 30 times.

Thanks in advance for your recommendations!
-Sean

cgray

Clearly not a spammer. Nobody has any advice? Sorry, mrsteam, that I don't know more about it. Usually detailed posts and questions, such as yours, are well-received here. Welcome to the forum!

Superman07

If you're intent on sticking with LCD at a minimum I would make sure the set is capable of 120hz. By the same token I would say 240hz is not necessary, nor will you likely find one anyway at the prices you are referencing.

Also of note LED is a type of LCD not a different technology.

mrsteam

Thanks for the responses. @Superman07, would you recommend not going with LCD?

Superman07

My personal preference, and many on here, is plasma rather than LCD. However, a lot will depend on budget, your viewing conditions (direct sun light vs indirect light) and personal preference. If it were my money I'd probably get the 46" Panasonic plasma. However, given that you have space constraints I'm not sure it will fit.

Example: S1 model - http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-VIER...9715505&sr=1-9 Price could be cheaper once Amazon gets it in stock though.

Sonic

Or the Panasonic 46G10 which is a higher model for $1087.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16889187122

Sdallnct

I'd go Panasonic Plasma...if ultimate picture quality is your goal (and I'm not being a smart ass, for some it is not their goal).

Two years ago just when Plasmas were dropping in price, I had a beautiful 50" Panny Plasma picked out. My wife went and looked on her own and some yahoo at BB told her Plasma was old technology. That with our window in our room, LCD would be better. My wife came home "insisting" on an LCD. I went along. I could have stood my ground, but figured wife got involved, she might not be happy with the Plasma no matter what. This wasn't my media room, this was mainly for watching TV and sure have a HD player hooked up, just in case.

I ended up with a "nice" Samsung LCD. Out of the box, I about chocked! Terrible, terrible. I used a calibration disc and the excellent info at AVS and after about 3 days, I had it dialed in about as good as it would get without calling in a pro. The picture is "nice". Not great. Black levels are lacking. And it doesn't have that 3-D look of a plasma.

As for windows, I had to add curtains to some windows next to the TV. Direct sun light is bad for ANY display. If you want to play the game that LCD is not as bad as Plasma, not really interested. Bad is bad. You need light control to the get the best image from any display. Unless again, ultimate picture quality is not a goal.

If you are sitting say 10' away or farther you can get a smoking deal on a 720p 50" plasma that will have a better overall picture than most 1080p LCD's. Course if you plan to use as a computer monitor, you probably want 1080p. But if those 720p's get much cheaper I'll pick one up as an upgrade to my 1080p Samsung LCD.

mrsteam

Ok, sounds like I need to go plasma. These 3 Panasonic models are all around the same cost:

Panasonic TC P46G15
amazon.com/Panasonic-TC-P46G15-plasma-widescreen/dp/B002CAB1EK/ref=dp_return_1?ie=UTF8&n=172282&s=electronics

Panasonic 46G10
newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889187122

Panasonic TC-P46S1
amazon.com/Panasonic-VIERA-TC-P46S1-46-Inch-Plasma/dp/B001UAD100/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=tv&qid=1259715505&sr=1-9

My goal is definitely best picture. I want a crisp, bright, smooth picture that works well in a medium light setting that handles fast motion and slow panning shots well.

Is there an obvious choice between these 3 models?

Sorry for the lame links, only 27 more posts until I can include real links!

Thanks,
Sean

Superman07

S1-->G10-->G15

S1
This line has all screen sizes Panasonic offers (42”, 46”, 50”, 54”, 58” and 65”). All are Full HD 1080p Neo PDP with full motion 1080 lines resolution, 40:000:1 contrast ratio, with 3 HDMI inputs, SD card slot for photo viewing and standard depth cabinet.

G10
The G10 series is offered in 42”, 46” 50” and 54” screen sizes. Unlike the above series, the G10s are standard depth plasmas (around 3.5”). The G10 uses Panasonics new “green” (low power) Neo PDP technology with Infinite Black and 40,000:1 contrast ratio and full 1080 lines of motion resolution. Features include VIERA Cast Internet connectivity, THX Certification, SD card slot for still photos & AVCHD home movies and 3 HDMI inputs.

G15 Series
The G15 series is also 2” thick and features 1080p resolution with Neo PDP Infinite Black high efficiency plasma panel, 40,000:1 contrast ratio, 1080 lines motion resolution, DCC, VIERA Cast, THX certified, SD card slot for still photos and AVCHD motion playback and 3 HDMI inputs.

Sdallnct

Now we are talking!! Most LCD's are torches. I have a 27" Olevia LCD in my bar. I have 3 full sized windows, a door with a window in it and 4 skylights!! And I still have to turn that thing way, way down.

It is not that Plasmas are "not bright". But compared LCD it is not going to look as bright. Which is in part why they attract attention at stores. But that is not a bad thing. Black levels and shadow detail are the holy grail of picture quality. I actually like the picture of my DLP pj over either of the LCD's I have.

Now things are not as extreme as they once were. But I still think the plasma (Panasonic or Pioneer) have the best picture available.

I actually remember reading the reviews of LCD TV's a year or two ago. And the "winner" got high marks, but the writer mentioned if you watched it more than a couple hours at a time, you might have to grab some Ray Bans! LOL