I've been enjoying the [BLEEP!] out of both HD formats. I bought a Toshiba HD-A1 for HD-DVD in April of 2006, and a 20GB PS3 for Blu-Ray the day before Thanksgiving last year. 3 weeks ago I upgraded to the 2nd Generation XA2. Other than a few niche music DVDs, I have not purchased an SD DVD since June of 2006. Only HD for me.

Well, as much as I love my ISF-calibrated 65" Mitsubishi WS65613, I figured I'd venture out and see what the current crop of HDTVs can do, since it's been 3.5 years since I last spent time looking at sets...

Mistake. (at least from a fiscal perspective)

The last time I shopped DLPs, LCDs, and plasmas, they were fairly pitiful... lots of artifacts, and none could produce a decent black worth a damn. My, how far they've come!

Last week I shopped the 2 local boutique dealers, as well as checking out a number of sets at BB and CC (pathetic viewing conditions, but one can at least check out the various models). Since one of the local boutiques said he'd match any local store as well as the online big boys (JR, Crutchfield, Onecall, Amazon... but understandably not the "fell-off-the-truck" grey-market wholesalers out of NYC), I dove right in.

I can't control the lighting to the point where I could consider a projector, and the bang-for-the buck simply isn't there with LCDs or plasmas at large screen sizes (60"+), so I limited myself to the RPTV technologies (DLP, HD-ILA, LCOS, SXRD, and a whole bunch of other letters of the alphabet).

I can't tell you the sheer number of hours I've spent demoing sets, reading over at AVS about RPTVS (information overload really), as well as communicating with a few ISF techs on their opinions of sets as to pre- and post-calibration performance. I initially was considering the JVC 70FH97 ($3K) and the Samsung S7178W ($3.3K). However, I kept getting one other set being recommended to me above all others. I always take salesmen's recommendations very cynically, since they're always looking for their best commission, but when the ISF techs I'm talking to echo that same recommendation, I start to take notice.

Enter the Sony XBR2. I blanched at the price, since it's $1,500 more than the Samsung, and almost $2K more than the JVC. However, the more I read... and watched... and read... and watched, the more apparent the difference became.

Well, the question is how good does the set look on content I know inside and out as opposed to a demo feed, so I packed up my old HD-A1 and a box of HD-DVDs and carted them down to the dealer, and sat on the showroom floor demoing stuff on a 60-inch XBR2 for more than an hour.

Watching King Kong, Batman Begins, and Chronicles of Riddick, as well as a few other titles, it became abundantly clear that upgrading my set is going to produce almost as much of a PQ increase as going from DVD to HD-DVD did. It was jaw-droppingly amazing. I had no idea the difference a high-quality fixed-pixel display would make over a CRT RPTV. King Kong and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen took on new life on that set.

So after silencing the screams my credit card was making at me, I'm now expecting the delivery of a bouncing baby 70XBR2 next week.

The 60" I spent time demoing on had not been calibrated, just a few minor adjustments from factory defaults. If they're that nice out of the box, I cannot imagine what they look like after ISF calibration (especially in light of some of the glowing post-calibration reviews I've read). I've signed up to have umr (see AVS forum) calibrate my set when he comes through central Illinois in late July.

I may be paying for the darned thing for the next 5 years, but hey, you gotta enjoy life, right?

P.S. It's going to be fun to go back and rewatch all the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray titles I have as a "new experience."

I should not have read this. Must resist urge to see new HDTV. Must buy new washer and dryer I need instead. So tempting.

Do clean clothes display a beautiful 1080p picture?

Priorities!

Excellent choice. If I could have afforded it, I would have loved to get a 70" XBR2, from all I've read (and seen), it's an amazing set. But when I was shopping for a new HDTV, that one was about $7000+ here in Canada , so I had to settle for a different Sony SXRD, the 60A2000. Not quite as good, but I love it, and I'm sure you will definitely enjoy your set.

That's what I picked up. Technically, I got the 60A2020 which is black and doesn't have the annoying speakers attached on the side. But the inside of the TV is the same. As Tom Hanks on Sabra Price Is Right would say, "it's got Sony guts!".

It's definitely a new experience watching HD-DVDs and Blu-ray discs on that set instead of the 32" Samsung LCD in my bedroom. Some look even better. Others(Field of Dreams comes to mind) now look as bad as I've heard people say they were.

That would depend who is wearing them

Who calibrated your set? I have the 65413 calibrated by CraigR (from Home Theater Spot) and still love it. I am considering the new XBR SXRD when it comes out later this year for another room, but can't imagine it blowing the CRT away.

Congrats on your tv!

I have the Samsung 71in and for the record, the picture is ALOT better after ISF calibration. In my research, I read this and so went with it. I LOVE mine.

Some sets look average out of the box or even with simple tweaking via DVE or something.

After reading reports on AVS, some experienced ISF techs claim the Sammy HLS series has the best picture of all RPTVs after proper ISF calibration. So, anyone thinking about these sets, please keep that in mind. ISF calibration is VERY important.

BTW - Avical is EXCELLENT.

Hmm....the Ruby is under $5K. 1080 SXRD in whatever size you want....

I was quite happy with my CRT 57" Toshiba, but my post-Avical calibrated Samsung 6188 blows it out of the water. Unbelievable picture.

I thought about that quite a bit as I was shopping as well. The truth of the matter is that so little of my viewing is non-1080i/p any more that it doesn't make sense (in my case) to make that a major factor in my decisionmaking process.

Network TV: all locals are broadcast in HD OTA = 1080i
Dish: I hardly ever watch SD material any more, and the 211 is outputting 1080i.
HD-DVD: 1080p
Blu-Ray: 1080i/p
Region 1 DVD: Reon upscaling through the Toshiba HD-A2 @ 1080p
PAL and non-R1 DVD: Oppo upscaling to 1080i

It's a 1080 world...

If you want better scaling, try the Panny AE series. They have pretty big screens. (they are projectors)

As much as I would love to go front projection, especially with something like the Ruby, my current "TV room" isn't ideal for such a display (an odd shaped room that wouldn't allow a screen to be placed flat against a wall, and the light control isn't the best either). If I'm able to build a dedicated home theatre room in the future (a dream of mine!), I'd get a Ruby in a heartbeat.

I have the Samsung HL-S5687 and the silk screen effect bothered me too. For about a month. Now I almost never notice it. Which is good since it's an awesome TV. But if you couldn't adjust to it, that's too bad.

Does the calibration that you're all discussing make a huge difference for upconverted SD DVD's also? Or is it mainly just the HD discs?

Wow, I cannot believe you replaced your 3.5 year old TV. I'm in a similiar situation though I have a 5.5 year old MITS WS55807 (I think that is the part number) and the picture is still great. It's just a BIG ASS TV (space wise). I was thinking of upgrading to a 1080p set also, I was looking at the MITS DLP's since they are under $2K these days. However, I cannot just justify spending any more money on that. I just had a child also, and just remodeled the kitchen, so money is in a lot of other places....

well, see though....new gadgets are always fun. When will we see the next BIG drop in TV prices?

"He who dies with the most debt wins..."

Seriously though, I don't have a spouse or kids, so I can afford to be a bit more reckless with my expenditures...

I just replaced a 5 1/2 year old Mitsubishi WS-55809 with the Sony 60" SXRD A2020 and trust me, there's no comparison. The new set completely blows away the old one.

I know, I almost had my wife convinced that we needed a new TV (it would take up less room, I could move my components underneath instead of next to it, thus we would have a free space.

However, the $2K price tag is what is holding us back. I guess once I pay off a few bills....Best Buy may get my business with a 24 month no interest whenever they have it again.

I'm sure when the time comes I'll be back to get suggestions of what TV I want. Sony seems nice, but expensive...and I love my Mits, so there DLP seems good.

I guess I need something for Gaming as well, with the 360 and PS3.

^ If you need financing, I suggest getting a low interest (or no interest) credit card offer and using it.

You will get a MUCH better deal on a set online and you can get a warranty for it too. It could potentially save hundreds, not to mention tax.

It might put a new tv in your price range if you research online.

Good luck!

Thanks for the offer....but opening MORE credit cards is not my ideal situation. I already have a Best Buy credit card...and sometimes they will match a price or I've seen decent prices with the 12% off coupon also.

Although, I have to decide what I really want and WHEN I can do this.

Understandable about the credit card....I dont like opening them either.

Im just pointing out that sometimes you can save more money than 0% financing would help.

For example, I bought my tv from a reputable dealer off the net for $3700 shipped.....At that time at Best Buy, the same set was $4799 (after sales tax would have been almost $5200). Even with the 12% off, online was a much better deal.

Research is definately the key.

Yes, I'll research, but by the time I'm ready to buy, something new will be out. I have to pay my fridge off from Best Buy first

This all makes me very glad I have a room where I can control all the light and use a projector. But, that does sound like a great set.

We can't control the lighting in our room, but I grabbed a $600 37" LCD for the daytime and mounted it in the corner. Best of both worlds IMO. Projector at nighttime @ 115", LCD for daytime.