Some advice on HDTV's

[hpman247]

I am thinking about getting a HDTV with a budget of 2000. Any suggestions.

[Mark Lamutt]

Rear projection, certainly with $2000 to spend. I'd take a look at the Hitachi Ultravisions and the Mitsubishis. Stay away from the Sonys at this point.

[hpman247]

What would be a good size.

[Cyclone]

Around 50"

[marko]

I bought a Mitsubishi 48413 for $1900 and am quite happy with it. You can probably get it for slightly cheaper, or you can get the 55313 for probably close the same amount (which has fewer features than than 413). Definitely a model worth checking out I would say.

[Ken_F]

Take a look at the new Panasonic PT50LC13 (http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?storeId=11251&catalogId=11005&itemId=64592&catGroupId=11254&modelNo=PT-50LC13&surfModel=PT-50LC13). It lists at $2999, but some people have been able to get it in the $2399 range; one or two members were able to manage <$2000 (http://www.fordtruckworld.com/showownerpic.asp?u=2152&n=314149&pos=1&album=4726) at Sears with price match. There are several scanned receipts over on the AVSForum (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=63) that might help you get that price at Circuit City or Sears, if you like the set. It's a new model, so not all stores carry it yet, but check your local Best Buy, Circuit City, Tweeter, and/or Magnolia Hi Fi.

Even if you can't get it for under $2000, I think you will find it worth the premium if you can manage the $2300-$2400.

[Mark Lamutt]

Size depends purely on your room, and where you'll be sitting in relation to the set. Generally, bigger is better. I have a 51" and sit 8' away, and it's about perfect.

Of course, I would have gone larger, but couldn't get anything larger down my stairs.

[DarrellP]

Pick up the latest Sound & Vision magazine, it is devoted to HD and HD sets, they reveiw over 50 models.

[alv]

Or call your local ISF guy for a recommendation. I know ISF calibration is somewhat expensive but it is the best per $ improvement in my theater.

[cbusbee]

I have a Toshiba 57" and think that it offered the best bang for the buck when I bought it 2 years ago. Back then all the magazines and forums were saying Mitsubishi, Pioneer elites or Toshiba. I'm not familar with the Hitachi sets. I think they are newer to the market.

I would highly recommend getting a progressive scan DVD player or recorder if your new set is progressive scan which I think all are now. Also, you cannot go wrong with the Dish 6000 and their HD pack. The 6000 has a weak programming guide and searches for the satelite too often when switching from a local digital channel but it is a great buy at $200. You cannot get hardware and programming for a better price than this deal.

You may want to tweak your new set with AV Essentials before spending the $ for an ISF calibration. I spent the $600 after a year and it did improve the picture color wise but probably not much in the resolution area.

Good luck and you will really enjoy your foray into HD.

[dtcarson]

Anyone have experience with the Philips 55PW9363 [or 60PW9363]? Or in fact any Philips RPTV HDTV? This is the one that I've got my eye on, for combination of price point and features. Currently will be used mostly for satellite and DVD via a prog scan DVD player; I watch a lot of WS anamorphic DVD, but also a lot of non-progressive content [anime, tv on dvd, etc.] It'll be a little while before we go HD satellite, I think...especially since according to another thread since I'm on the DHP, I'm SOL for HDSAT from Dish.

Size wise the general opinions I've seen vary from 'as big as possible,' 'as big as you can afford,' 'bigger than you think you want', to a viewing distance 1.5x-2.5x of the diagonal screen measurement. [I think for HD content you can be closer, toward the 1x-2x range, and still see an impressive picture.]

[hpman247]

Do any or you all have RCA HDTV. I've been looking at the D56W20 and I cant find any reviews on it anywhere. Are RCA HDTV's any good

[Jacob S]

I know that the smaller screen RCA tv's (up to 25 inch or greater) are not as good for the most part and have one of the worst ratings in Consumer Reports as well. I am also saying this from experience and from what others have told me.

[enforcer]

Do any or you all have RCA HDTV. I've been looking at the D56W20 and I cant find any reviews on it anywhere. Are RCA HDTV's any good

I currently I have a RCA 52inch Widescreen HDTV and I absolutely love mine. Picture quality is excellent. Some people may have different opinions, but from my experience AND others that I have talked to the RCA HDTV's are great products. Just my 2 cents.

[boba]

If you go for an RCA get an extended warranty. History says you have a good chance of using it.

[chris_h]

I have had a Hitachi 53UWX10B for a little over a year. I saw a similar one at CC for $1600. I have been very happy with it. It does an excellent job of upconverting SD content. Don't get me wrong, HD looks so much better, but the SD stuff is still very watchable, which is important during the transition to HD. I have read a lot of complaints from folks that SD is unviewable on their HD set, so they use a smaller SD set in another room. This TV was #2 in consumer reports (for widescreen RPTVs) at the time, and the pioneer was #1, but cost ~2K more.

Also, I will never again buy any component for my system that does not support discrete power codes. For a TV, you also want it to support discrete codes for input select. All of the newer Hitachi widescreens support both power and input discrete codes. If you do not know about discrete codes, check out www.remotecentral.com.

[dtcarson]

I read the faq question on discrete codes, and that kinda makes sense, but what benefit do discrete codes have?

[scottchez]

"Stay away at Sony at this point?"

Sony is the best right now with there new models. They had a problem last year with some flickering issues. These have all been fixed.

Now it is Mitsubishi that has a problem with the DVI port having the Sides of the screen cut off.

Every brand has troubles here and there.

The Sony is the best becuase there DVI port works and works good for Dish and Direct TV.

The Sony can also do 720p where some other brands cant. Some Xbox games wont play in HD with out 720p and it is always nice to be able to put your receiver in 720p mode (the p is for PROGRESSIVE).

The sony has much better Stretch modes.

The Sony has less Glare that the Mitsibushis that you have to turn all lights off to watch.

The sony has 4 custom setting modes so you can tweak your box to the Sat Receiver and DVD (they require different TV settings).

All in All I would go with Hitichi or Sony, but never Misubishi right now. This will of couse all change with next years models- it is a race.

[AllieVi]

I am thinking about getting a HDTV with a budget of 2000. Any suggestions.
Yes...wait. And don't look at the displays in the stores... :hurah:

History has shown that whatever you pay $2,000 for today will be available in a few months for less and will be replaced by something with even more features/capabilities than exist now.

Just my $0.02

[dtcarson]

Yes...wait. And don't look at the displays in the stores... :hurah:

History has shown that whatever you pay $2,000 for today will be available in a few months for less and will be replaced by something with even more features/capabilities than exist now.

Just my $0.02


That's true with almost all technology, but you can wait forever if you follow that. I should have waited to go with Dish till the HD receivers come out; I should have waited six months and my computer would have been cheaper. The price/features curve will keep going forever, you have to decide where on that curve you want to buy. If I waited ten years I could probably get an 85" HD RPTV with built in HD tuner and sat reciever for 1200. I don't want to wait that long. I would say in general to wait only on the 'brand new' technologies, like plasma, because the first few years those are out, the early adopters are going to pay a huge premium. Let them buy it and get the bugs worked out. Keep an ear out for future tech, but if you see something that has the features you like/need, with a little room for growth [I think you should always try to buy a little 'more' than you think you need, whether that be car, tv, computer, square footage in a home, etc.], at a price that's reasonable for you, go for it.
Or maybe I'm just protesting too much, because my HDTV is being delivered Tuesday....coincidentally my anniversary, which means I'd better get the missus something *damn* good.

'Best' size varies--I've heard your main viewing position should be anywhere from 1.5 to 3x the diagonal width of the screen, away from the screen, depending on if you're viewing HD or SD content [you can be closer to HD, and progressive DVD's and still have a good picture.] We went with a 60", the room it's going to be in is somewhat long and wide, and I'm not sure where our sofa is going to be.

Anyone have opinions on JVC RPTV HDTV's? Especially this model AV56WP74. BestBuy's got it for 1799, which is the same price I paid for mine; feature wise, it's pretty equivalent, except 4 inches smaller, A/V jacks on front rather than side, it does have 3:2 pulldown, has 3D Y/C filter versus 3d comb filter, and has 1 extra HD component jack. I'm wondering if those features [specifically the pulldown and the 3DY/C filter] are more beneficial than the extra 4 inch screen measurement.

[marko]

"Stay away at Sony at this point?"

The Sony has less Glare that the Mitsibushis that you have to turn all lights off to watch.


Take that glare screen off if you have a mitsubishi. It looks much better.

[Sonnie Parker]

I would recommend having a professional setup/isf calibration completed on any RPTV purchased. It will cost you about $500-$600 but you will notice a huge difference. This usually includes removal of protective screens.

In my research for a RPTV I found in the RPTV forums most people liked Toshiba's stretch modes more than any other. I ended up with a Toshiba 65HDX82 and have become accustomed to the stretch mode TW1. When I watch 4:3 material in the normal mode it doesn't look right to me anymore while the TW1 mode does.

The HDX models will accept 720p and possibly their other models will too although I have not verified this.

You can get a Toshiba HD or HDX model fairly reasonable and probably at or below your price point depending on what size you want. As cbusbee stated, Toshiba's seem to provide the most bang for the buck.

[Sonnie Parker]

dtcarson, discrete codes benefit you in that if you have a programable/learning remote control you can setup macros and other functions easier.

For example:

Some remotes only allow you to toggle between "on" and "off" with one button while with a discrete code you can setup a button for "on" and a button for "off".

You may have a button that allows you to scroll through 10 different dsp or surround modes but if you had discrete codes you could designate a button to go to a certain mode. You might set up a macro button so that when you press that button the input source will change and the appropriate surround mode will change, whereas if you only had a toggle or scroll button you wouldn't be able to program it to go to that specific mode.

My previous Sony RPTV did not have discrete input codes so everytime I changed from one source to another I had to manually scroll throught the inputs to get to that source. Now on my Toshiba I can press one button to go to a source and the Toshiba will automatically go to that input for that source because I have a discrete code for that input.

[chris_h]

I read the faq question on discrete codes, and that kinda makes sense, but what benefit do discrete codes have?

Discretes offer greater capability to program macros in a macro-capable remote control. It does not matter what activity you are doing (watching TV, SAT, HDTV, LD, VCR, etc) if you want to watch a DVD you can hit one button, and have everything set to go (amp, TV, DVD player, lights, etc). I think the macro that saves me the most time is the "system off" macro. I hit one button and everything gets turned off, even the room lights--after a delay to get out of the room, of course.

[tansu]

Any comments on a 36 direct view tv for the 6000/921

[DishDude1]

"Stay away at Sony at this point?"

The Sony is the best becuase there DVI port works and works good for Dish and Direct TV.



How can you say this for certain with Dish?

[DishDude1]

Yes...wait. And don't look at the displays in the stores... :hurah:

History has shown that whatever you pay $2,000 for today will be available in a few months for less and will be replaced by something with even more features/capabilities than exist now.

Just my $0.02


And if you just keep waiting, you will never buy!

[Marcus S]

I agree that a decission should no longer be based on brand or brand loyality. I should be based on PQ and the features you have identified as must have. For example Samsung was using Panasonic Delta Data grade tubes, but did a better job on their mother board as far as up conversion than Panasonic. Sony had a great deal of trouble with their auto focus system years ago, and I believe Proton or Proscan was really a Pioneer. RCA had a history of reliability issues, but then, many are pleased with their sets and have not had problems of late.

[wiz]

I have a Mits 55 ws and can vouch for their cust. service. I had a scanning problem with only 2 weeks left in my 1 yr warrenty, not only have they agreed to fixed it, but extended my warrenty for an additional year for free. The only thing I can warn against is conectivity. Be sure to have the DVI for the new 811 or a firewire path if you ever want to record HD. I was to buy again, I stilll buy the MIts only I would go with the Integrated set. That way you DVI and firewire networking capabilities. If not, make sure the set is upgradable.

[Marcus S]

I disagree on the must have DVI or Firewire. As early adopters will suddenly realize, welcome to the world of content blocking.

[xgrep]

I disagree on the must have DVI or Firewire. As early adopters will suddenly realize, welcome to the world of content blocking.You have every reason to be skeptical, but realize that component video is probably worse: the plan is that content they don't want being recorded would be flagged so that the receiver will down-res the content over the component video connection, and you would get no HD at all! At least with DVI or Firewire, you will see the program in HD, though you may not be able to record it. And there will be a strong trend to eliminate component video altogether as it could potentially be used to remove copy protection. So if you have only component for HD on your equipment, you may not be able to use future equipment that doesn't.

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