I finally sprang for a big TV. Went and picked up a JVC HD56FN97. It's a 56", 1080P, LCoS (JVC calls it HD-ILA), gi-normous box of love. The 1080P model was only a couple of bills over the normal one so I went ahead and got it. I figure I'm now future-proof for a few years anyway.

I'll tell you one thing, going from the CRT to this thing is like putting on glasses after squinting all your life. Unbelievable. Even on SD it's far clearer and more precise and colorful and so on than my CRT. And I found something out pretty quickly: Somethings are best NOT viewed on a 56" TV. I put in Apollo 13 after getting everything hooked up and the scene where Marilyn Lovell wakes up after her nightmare about Jim being blown out of his capsule almost gave me a heart attack. It shows her bloodshot eyeball full screen in horrible detail. *shudder*

Picking up the Comcast HD tuner after work today. Now I have to resist picking up an HD DVD solution until the Format War shakes itself out a little. Maybe I'll pick up the new OPPO DV-981HD. It's a 1080P upconverting player.

Alright Mark! Welcome to the wonderful world of TVs that cost as much as my 1971 MGB convertible. Congratulations! I, too, have a 56" (Samsung HL-S5687W). Here is a viewing distance chart that will show you that the optimum viewing distance from a 56" 1080p HDTV is 87.84 inches, or 7.32 feet.

That does not mean you can't sit farther away and totally enjoy your HDTV. It just means that, if you do, your TV can produce more detail than your eyes can actually make out and you won't be realizing the full potential of your HDTV. Many people, however, sit farther back and enjoy their sets tremendously.

Sitting closer than 7.32 feet means you eyes are capable of seeing more detail than your set can produce, and the picture might look a little soft.

Very interesting. 7' seems close enough that you might get seasick watching a particularly motion-filled scene. Luckily I can move my couch between about 8' to about 14 feet from the screen so I'll find a sweet spot and stick to it. Currently it's at ~11' and the TV couldn't look better from there just on first impression.

As far as price, all things are relative. When I worked at Intel we bought 2 Panasonic 42" plasma displays. Our discounted price (from $20K retail) was $16K US each. This was in '99. While at the store yesterday there was the (very highly touted in AVS Forums) Panny 60u 42" pdp for $1518 US. Also, when I first looked at the JVC LSoS displays a 52" model was $2999 and the 55 was $3400. Yesterday I picked up (with a LOT of haggling: Auto salesmen hate me) the TV, Stand, and 3 year warranty for just under 2 grand. It's the most expensive thing I've bought since the Axioms 2 years ago. And it'll be well worth it.

Either you invited 9 and 1/3 average men over or you got a new TV. After reading your post, I see it's the latter.

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Very interesting. 7' seems close enough that you might get seasick watching a particularly motion-filled scene.

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LOL! Well, the idea is to become "immersed" in the action. However, if you find yourself reaching for an airline paper bag, perhaps you should move back a little. Though I do a lot of watching at about 11 feet (at my desk), my sweet spot (for movies and important TV shows) is at 7.5 feet and I haven't had mal de mer......................yet.