720p, 1080i, 1080p, LCD, Plasma, DLP. So many different choices and while I do know the basics, I really have no idea what I want. This is what I'm looking for: 40"-50" TV, no larger.

It's going in my living room and I am going to watch tons of sports on it and movies. I will eventually hook up my Wii to it.

From my readings, you can't really tell the difference from interlaced and progressive with tvs under 50". I've been to Bestbuy and CC to just look at the different options and it only further confuses me. And I don't trust the douchebags that work there. So I ask the Tech Forum, What do you recommend?

I currently have a broken 50" Toshiba projection that is old. I want something that will also not be obsolete in a couple of years.

Knowing your price range would help, but let me toss in a recommendation for a technology you haven't listed: LCoS.

LCoS is available from Sony as SXRD, or from JVC as D-ILA. I have a 50-inch Sony SXRD and love it. Great bang-for-the-busk technology, arguably the best picture quality of the bunch, and no burn-in worries with video games.

I'm looking to spend at a maximum 2K but would prefer to keep it around $1800

What does it stand for and can you explain the technology and how it works? How does it compare to 1080i/1080p?

Are Sony and JVC the only two that carry that tech or do other brands sell it also? (I'm not much of a fan of Sony.)

Thanks,

Hlt5087s

I think you mean 720 resolution TVs and 1080 resolution. Interlaced and progressive is easily distinguishable at any size. Hardly matters at this point since almost every HDTV is now progressive.

LCOS means Liquid Crystal On Silicon. The other acronyms are just brand names for the same thing. The fine details of the tech aren't in my head to type at the moment, you could find it quick on wikipedia or howstuffworks if you like. But it has darker blacks than DLP or LCD, generally speaking. Probably darker than plasma, too. That is the main reason people recommend it. Black level is very important to quality video.

Everybody talks about LCOS...Samsung, Hitachi, Mits....but you never seem to find too many of them actually shipping. Just Sony and JVC.

I'm not much of a Sony fan either, but their TVs are quite good, easily their best products. Possibly worth considering anyway.

go with the new SONY XBR4 40 inch

In addition to Spiky's explanation, I'll add this:

LCoS is 1920x1080p. They're rear-projection sets like DLP, but use three chips instead of one (one each for red, green and blue). The chips have a highly reflective surface that is then coated with a layer of liquid crystals. A projector bulb is shined on on the chips, and the crystals either allow light to reflect off the chip to the screen or they don't.

There's no "rainbow effect" because there is no spinning color wheel as there is with DLP. And there is no "screendoor effect" as there can be with plasma or LCD, because the pixels are so close together.

Pretty much. There is a third company making LCoS, but not one that most people have heard of.

Sony and JVC both make excellent LCoS sets. I don't know as much about the JVCs, obviously, because I don't own one. I can tell you that the Sonys have really good upconverters for non-HD sources.

The smallest Sony LCoS (SXRD) set is 50 inches. I picked mine up in February when new models were about to come out for about $1,500. Sony is about to release new models, so you may be able to find a good deal on the outgoing models that would put a 50-inch in your price range.

If not, a Panasonic plasma would be my second choice. I'd never turn down a Panny plasma, and they're well within your price range.

Yeah, great TV, but about a thousand dollars more than the OP is wanting to spend.

LCoS has a bulb u have to replace though, correct?

Yes, as do most DLP sets (the exceptions being the new LED light engines).

I've been looking at these models:

LG 50PC5D - PLASMA

SONY KDF50E2000 Grand WEGA 3LCD Rear Projection Television - It says 3 LCD, so I'm assuming this is not the same as LCoS?

Sony Grand Wega KDS-50A2020 - 1080p Rear Projection This model is about $500 cheaper than the KDS-50A2000 model. I figured the later model would cost more.

Panasonic TH-50PX75U - I saw this one at Sears and really like the picture quality, and it was a 720p plasma.

Anyone have any comments or own any of these televisions?

My standard recommendation is the Panasonic 720p 50" plasma. Excellent pic and with recent price reductions, great value.

IMHO, one of the best pics when properly calibrated, versatile placement and minimal if any concern of burn in.

Bleh. Panasonic is the way to go if you're going to get a plasma.

No, it's an LCD rear projector. The LCoS, as I posted above, is called SXRD by Sony.

This is an SXRD (LCoS), and it's the current model year of what I have.

http://www.vizio.com/products/detail.aspx?pid=36

Vizio makes an excellent television for the price. I bought the 47'' LCD HDTV a few months back (it was their largest available at the time), I plan to replace it once they get a 60''. They have just released a 52''. I have heard nothing but great things from everyone that owns one, and I absolutely love mine. Worth checking out.

I would recommend the Panasonic, also. I have the 58" version and very happy with my purchase. Stay away from the Vizio.

If you are going to slam a product, you should give an explanation. Plasma is yesterday's news.

Funny, you didn't follow your own advise!

My recommendation would be plasma over lcd (or projection). To me, plasma has a better picture, both brightness and color depth. You especially will be hard pressed to find either of the other two technologies that can beat plasma in reproduction of blacks. LCDs may still be better with whites. I'll let somebody else comment on the whites since they may have more recent experience.

yesterdays news?

you MUST be joking.

My father has 3 Vizios...all "highly rated"....all afterthoughts when talking about almost any other TV mentioned in this thread.

It does an OKAY job with HD, a TERRIBLE job with SD and has no decent upcpnverting for DVDs, so you MUST use an upconverting player.



Put the Vizio side by side with the SONY SXRD or the Panasonic Plasma and it looks like Tina Fey compared to Kate Beckinsale. Sure, Tina looks cute. Put her next to Kate and you really see all of her flaws.

Anyone who thinks Plasma is yesterdays news doesnt know enough about this subject to discuss it here. You've been listening to the boys at Best Buy too long.

A 720p Panasonic plasma's picture quality is head and shoulders better than your budget Vizio.

Vizio is a decent TV and good for someone on a tight budget. But with the recent price drops on the higher end televisions, I barely see a reason to consider one.

I just wish there was a pre-football season upgrade program so I could trade-in my HD-RPTV for a Plasma.

Hell, just today, Fry's is selling the 50" 720p plasma for $1400 this weekend (I think it's the TH-50PX75U. Dayum!

So... realistically, how big of a pain in the ass is it to replace a bulb in a Sony SXRD set? I've just started doing research on new TV's since I'm moving pretty soon, and LCoS was pretty high on my list of potentials.

Totally agree. I was like "where do these people get their information?" And "yesterday's news"? What does that even mean? Sure the plasma tvs from when they were first released would NOT stack up to todays plasmas or LCDs but the current ones, including Panasonic plasma like mine, are just beautiful (with the caveat that it is properly calibrated i.e. not the display model at Wal-Mart/Best Buy set to torch mode)

But thats just my recommendation. I don't have any experience with the Vizio but I would steer clear of no-name brands. I'm sure it's great if you're on a budget but with the 42" Panasonic plasma going for $999, I mean, that IS a bargain/budget price as far as large flat panel HDTVs are concerned.

Somebody pleas correct me if I'm wrong.




...but I'm not

I haven't had to do it yet (the bulb should last three years or so), but the procedure to change it is easy. There's a door on the right side of the TV; the bulb housing pops out, the new housing pops in. It should take less than five minutes.

I should also point out that Amazon.com has some fantastic prices on the SXRDs right now because the new models are about to come out. The KDS-50A2020 (50-inch model) is $1,374 or something like that. The 55-inch model is a little higher, but may have free shipping.

I agree with everyone else. You don't know what you're talking about.