Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler How big is Yours?

My wife and I are discussing the difference between a 42" and a 50" TV - (cost not the primary issue), and we can't decide whether we want gargantuan, obnoxious size, or smaller size and more clarity.

While avoiding a discussion over which is better - DLP, RP-LCD, LCOS (if it ever really arrives), Plasma, etc. - I want to know how big your TVs are.

Apparently we all love great sound. But how many of us are buying $2500 sound systems and watching movies on a $500, 27" TV? (Me....)

So, my questions are -

(1) How big is your main HomeTheater TV?
(2) What kind is it - DLP, CRT, etc....
(3) Are you running HDTV content?
(4) Any notable impressions/cautionary tales about big screen that the rest of us should know about?

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But how many of us are buying $2500 sound systems and watching movies on a $500, 27" TV? (Me....)

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My tv cost $300, 6 years ago. I am clearly long overdue for an upgrade.

I've got close to $5000 in audio, and a 32" JVC 4:3 tv.

I'll be saving my pennies for a new TV next year. The new DLP xHD3 chip sets seem very promising. 1920x1080 DLP!

As far as size goes, everyone has always told me to get the very largest set you can fit/afford. It only looks huge for a few weeks, and then you're completely used to it.

true true.

i'm waiting on those next gen DLPs/LCDs as well. the last thing i want is a big bulky rear projection set.

maybe a year or so

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As far as size goes, everyone has always told me to get the very largest set you can fit/afford. It only looks huge for a few weeks, and then you're completely used to it.

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So, you get used to the size, but what about clarity? Any concerns?

Probably about $4K in audio (components, cables, speakers, stand, etc.). Scary when I just added it up...big upgrade from my OLD ~$300 system.

1) & 2) 42" plasma (Panny 42PWD6UY which is an EDTV, not true HDTV). Big upgrade from my 10 yr old 27" Zenith. Pretty decent TV, now my parents are using it.
3) DirecTV HD Samsung TS360 via DVI. Waiting w/ baited breath for release of HD D*Tivo and for some place to have price below MSRP. Pain in the a$$ to not have a pause ability...
4) True HD programming is stunning, even vs the best DVDs. I even catch myself watching HD commercials on HDNet. The Spiderman 2 trailer was OUTSTANDING, both visually and audio-wise (yeah Axioms!). Audio can be great as well, some of the OTA ABC shows transmit in Dolby Digital, so the sound is great. HOWEVER, just like w/ Axioms and any good speaker, bad recordings will show as bad recordings. SD content can vary greatly, from passable to absolutely horrendous. SD DirecTV is just so-so. Bummer because it would be nice to be able to watch those new Clone Wars cartoons in HD.

I guess that could depend a great deal on how close you'll be to the set.

Do not own a television. My parents gave me a second-hand Emerson when I was 15 and I threw it out six months ago b/c the green gun went out. The roommate has a nice tv (sony 36" wega or something like that) so we use it.

I'm waiting for HD to settle down. When I pull the trigger, it'll probably be a heavy-a$$ 42" HD tube television. I can't stand plasmas. We have three plasmas at work that range from 8 yrs old to 2 yrs old and they all look like crap to me...and they're high dollar units...it's just the damn plasma...(being a video editor I'm incredibly anal about monitors - takes the fun out of television). LCD is too new. A tube televsion is "mature" technology. In one of our suites we have a professional Sony LCD critical monitor (switchable 16:9/4:3 - we shoot digibeta in 16:9 and pan/scan to 4:3 for delivery). The monitor in the other suite is a pro Sony HR Trinitron critical monitor (8 yrs old and also switchable) and looks better than the new LCD - to my eyes...more realistic chroma. Plus, I'm waiting for HD to be more available and for the formats to settle...SD starts to fall apart if you get much bigger than 36"...unless you get far enough away that you can't see the pixels.

HD looks good on the plasmas and the LCDs, but the technology is too new...I don't want to drop $2500 for something that will degrade in picture quality to a point where I won't watch it in five years (that's about the life of the plasma screen).

Enough rambling.

^billy

I am still piecing together my HT. The hardest part for me to decide on is the video portion.

I still haven't a clue what to get, as for size I imagine the best good picture you can afford that suits the room and your viewing distance. The amount of light in the room is also a consideration.

I am currently using a 32" crt tv.

(1) How big is your main HomeTheater TV?
50" Toshiba RPTV 50HDX82 Cinema Series (wedding present from my wife)

(2) What kind is it - DLP, CRT, etc....
Already answered.

(3) Are you running HDTV content?
In Canada?
Are you kidding?

(4) Any notable impressions/cautionary tales about big screen that the rest of us should know about?
Tell your brother-in-law never to use the Touch Focus button when you are not home.

ok, i'll bite. What does the "Touch Focus" button do?

32" sony plasma
just signed up for adelphia cable in hd. their offerings are lean. it was only $4.00 per month more than the digital offering. considering our old tv was 20 yrs old, there is no comparison.
dan

1 & 2 - Mine's a 43 inch Samsung DLP (Apologies to those of you who've seen this before)



3 - Oh yes. I love HDTV, My cable company (COX) provides HBO, Showtime, ABC, CBS, Bravo, ESPN, INHD, and INHD2. Watching sporting events (football, hockey, and I hope baseball this summer) is a special treat.

4 - Fit the size of the TV not just to the room size, but also to how far from the set you'll be sitting. As you can see from the photo, I'm in relatively close quarters. So, although I've become accustomed to the size of my set (and have a secret longing for a 50 or 56 inch model), anything larger might be overkill for this room (11.5' x 18'; 7' to 9' from the set). If you are sitting to close for the size of the TV, you begin to lose "clarity," as the Capn brought up above. Nonetheless, get the biggest that you can afford and fit to the room and distance.

Metalaaron; One of the reasons I went with DLP is because of the size/weight factor. My old 24" Toshiba flat screen (which is now in the bedroom, and is still a very nice set) weighs 75 pounds. My 43" Samsung, weighs 7 pounds LESS at 67 pounds, and I can move it (albeit very carefully because of size, not weight) by myself. And, It's only 16" deep.

27" RCA stereo tube... seriously considering replacing it with the 26' x 20' jumbotron from the arena when they tear it down.

There, I win!

Bren R.

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ok, i'll bite. What does the "Touch Focus" button do?

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Bad... bad... things oldskool.

Like so many companies out there, striving to find the best innovation for the consumers' ease of use and the lust for the highest quality tweakings as possible, there are 2 right now that make me wince.
One is the YPAO feature of the new receivers.
The second feature (one that i own) is the Touch Focus button on my Toshiba rptv.

Technically it is supposed to align the guns so that all the convergence comes together nice and sharp. In reality it warps the damn guns more out of place than they were when i bought the unit. After first using this amazingly vaunted feature myself, i had to go online and find the Toshiba access codes normally used only by technicians which took some digging (many thanks to HomeTheatreSpot for the help though). Using these codes invalidates the warranty and you can seriously screw up the tv if you set something wrong. I found a great guide to doing a 56 point convergence alignment of the guns and after using the S&V disc following the convergence fix, the Toshiba was looking awesome!!
Then my brother in law came along to watch our dogs last weekend while i was at the Axiom Factory. He was playing his PS2 and noticed some slight misalignment of green and red in one corner (i haven't retweaked the set in a couple of months now so it was probably due) and he thought the Touchfocus button would fix it.
Obviously after using the button, he realized this judgement was seriously in error.
He then proceeded to try the "reset" button also on the front of the Toshiba thinking that would set everything back to the way it was. Of course the reset button sets everything back to the way Toshiba originally gave it to me with the contrast maxed out at 100%, shaprness set to zero, every other parameter set to on or 50%, etc. etc.

Needless to say, Touchfocus is a nightmare.
I now have a 2 hour tweakfest ahead of me this weekend.
At least Toshiba was thoughtful enough to include a lockout of the front panel controls in their menu. Too bad i had not set it up before i left. I never thought there would be a reason for him to use the Touchfocus.
Darned inquisitive relatives.

chess, post a wet paint sign and watch how many people touch the paint to see if it actually is wet.

I have a 61" Samsung DLP. I use a Sony HD Directv receiver. HD content is awesome. I have the Denon 910 and DVD picture quality is superb. Right now I have a POLK RM6700 sub/sat system. It does ok, but I am going to purchase an axiom set. Just trying to decide what setup to go with.

I have heard some complaints and concerns by people about the DLP's, but all I can say is if there is a better picture than what my setup provides, I would be amazed, and want to see it.

Within the last year got a Panasonic 34" widescreen pure flat
got it for $1500 at Circuit City. I was originally in love with a Sony 32" plasma, but I got that look from my wife and did not even push the issue.

My personal thought on the use of a old TV with a great audio set-up is that the audio fidelity makes up about 70% of your HT experience. So immersing yourself into a movie is much easier with awsome sound and a crappy TV, rather than the reverse. Then again what do I know?

my TV is a Sharp 36" stereo tube set. nothing special.. it was an improvement from my 27", but seems small now. since my entertainment center only holds a 36", my future options are limited..

i have measured, and the 42" flat/plasma screens will fit in the space in the E.C. on a stand.. it sticks out just a little bit, but definetely manageable..that will be my next 'BIG' purchase, a few years away..

i am getting DirecTv srvc in a few weeks.. i wanna go ahead and get it installed before the speakers arrive so i can hook it all up together.

bigjohn

I have a Samsung HLN-507W 50" rear projection DLP. Media is Hi-Def Comcast cable box (DCT5100), soon to be DirecTV HR10-250 (formerly HD-DVR250), aka "HD Tivo". I also have a Bravo D1 DVD player with DVI output. Although not high-def, well mastered DVDs played on a DVI-capable player to an HD display with DVI input can have almost HD quality to the casual observer.

Because of the high resolution, the viewing distance calculation is different from analog NTSC. You basically must sit closer to see all the resolution you paid for. For this reason a physically larger display may be more useful than you first think.

The extreme light weight and relative thin depth of the DLP is nice. The 50" is only 17.5" deep and weighs only 77 lbs. My wife and I have easily moved it several times when re-cabling equipment.

If you're used to time shifting via a VCR, Tivo, or other recorder, be advised HDTV recording is in its infancy, definitely less mature than HDTV displays themselves. Fortunately within the next year HD digital video recorders in cable boxes and satellite receivers will be more available and less buggy than today.

If you don't have HD cable or don't like it, be prepared to put up an antenna. Even if you have an HD satellite dish, you'll usually need an antenna for local HD channels, since the satellite providers don't have HD local channels. See http://www.antennaweb.org/

Material availability is pretty good, except for the difficulty of recording HD. Many of ABC, NBC and CBS prime time shows are HD. Specials like the Superbowl are HD. HBO and Showtime have HD versions.

Image quality is generally very good, but ultimately limited by source material. There's wide variation in quality of film-to-HD transfers. Likewise the bit rate can vary significantly from some local broadcasters. The worst offenders are those which use "subchannels" to steal bandwidth from the HD channel in order to provide additional lower-res channels like home shopping, etc. The lower data rate can cause pixelation and "macro blocking" on certain scenes.

In general HDTV is now at a maturity level so it's useful, with the caveats of difficulty/complexity of recording and frequent need of an antenna if not using HD cable.

(1) How big is your main HomeTheater TV?
(2) What kind is it - DLP, CRT, etc....
(3) Are you running HDTV content?
(4) Any notable impressions/cautionary tales about big screen that the rest of us should know about?

(1) 45" Panasonic PT45LC12
(2) LCD
(3) HD OTA via SIRT-151 - AWESOME PICTURE!!!
(4) LCD is still too new. I don't know if it will ever be as good as DLP can be. But for HD watching, it rocks. We don't watch much TV, but now it's pretty much HD or nothing!

I have a toshiba cinema series 36in direct view. It weighs more than I do and I would like to replace it with a DLP, but am waiting for there to be more HD content and for the prices to come down on the sets. Though, I live in San Fran so there is plenty of free HD content if I get a receiver.
I also don't have cable or dish so have a hard time working the cost of a $3000 HD tv into my budget when I really only watch DVDs and a little bit of over the air TV. In addition to that I'm a computer gamer so a TV that will let me play at a nice resolution (1600x1200 preferable 1280x1024 acceptable) is required.

jr

1) How big is your main HomeTheater TV?
I have a 50" Sony Grand Wega II LCD (GWII) , 50XBR800. Including the Axioms, probably have $8500- $10,000 tied up, (the equipment is listed in my profile), but I don't expect to do this every couple of months. The room could support 60", but this is more than adequate. Took zero time to get used to the TV's size. Now, watching other small TVs (27" to 40"), everything else looks too small.

(2) What kind is it - DLP, CRT, etc....
See above

(3) Are you running HDTV content?
Yes, I have the DirecTv HD package. HD is just fabulous. Also, DVDFs on this thing (while not HDTV) knock your socks off.

(4) Any notable impressions/cautionary tales about big screen that the rest of us should know about?

What I found out/considered as I was in the hunt and doing research:
Regular CRT TVs - Best pictures. Screens are too small for something I will own for 10+ years and technology moving forward. WAY too heavy. Lower end of the expense scale.($800-$2100)

Big Rear Projection Boxes - Too bulky, but the top could hold components or a center speaker. Viewing angle limited. Convergence/setup hassle. High risk of burn-in. Decent picture. Lower end of the expense scale. ($1400 - $3000)

DLP - Beautiful PQ, color and black levels. Slim and light; easy to work with. No threat of burn in. Technology still struggling a bit. Difficulty in getting discrete codes for a universal remote. Some see rainbows and/or experience nausea watching the picture (I did both). Quality control (especially with Samsung) was a concern based on research. Middle of the expense scale. ($3000 - $6000)

LCD - Beautiful PQ and color. Some complain about black levels; not an issue for me. Slim and light; easy to work with. No threat of burn in. Sony discrete codes were easy to obtain. Small percentage experience stuck pixels. Middle of the expense scale. ($2800 - $6000)

PLASMA - Way expensive (except for EDTV). Burn-in threat. Picture can degrade (although not for a number of years). PQ, color and black levels good. Did I mention expensive? Based on the expense, I didn't spend much time here. Top of the expense scale. ($5500 - $10,000). As an aside, when I was looking, the EDTVs hadn't really appeared. I might have considered one of these (42" or 50") at $2500 to $4000.

Never really considered front projector.

I guess I should chime in too...

27" Sony Wega CRT - purchased in law school some 4 years ago. I thought that it was a huge upgrade from my Panny 19" model.

Comcast HD is available in my area (D.C.) and I will get into it when the TV time is right...

Oh, this is about TV set screen size, my mistake. I have an old fashioned 32" CRT and its a magnavox to boot. Poor, poor, pitiful me. Other than that my wife hasn't complained.

My A/V system probably cost about $2300-2500, all told, not including the TV. And that's before I've gotten decent speakers or center/surrounds! The TV is a $300 27" CRT. Which ain't going nowhere until the HD thing settles down. Then I get to start begging for a bigger TV...

yikes, yeah, that's bad...

(1) How big is your main HomeTheater TV?
my main TV is a Toshiba 36HFX71 flatscreen

(2) What kind is it - DLP, CRT, etc....
it's a direct view CRT capable of 480p

(3) Are you running HDTV content?
no (for obvious reasons) but DVDs look amazing on it

(4) Any notable impressions/cautionary tales about big screen that the rest of us should know about?
Well, I suppose I'm pretty happy with the tube. I needed something a couple of years ago and at that point it was either direct-view or rear projection. I'm still very pleased with my choice because pq is fantastic (with DVD/sat signals) and was, in my opinion, far superior to any rear projection sets available. Once the HD thing settles out, I'll probably be looking for either a front projector or a DLP based set. IMO, CRTs are still a safe bet if you don't mind replacing in 5 years.

(1) How big is your main HomeTheater TV?
92 inch diagonal (front projection pull down screen)
(2) What kind is it - DLP, CRT, etc....
LCD fp
(3) Are you running HDTV content?
Yes via comcast cable. very awesome for sports, concerts, etc. Overkill for typical viewing on the big screen.
(4) Any notable impressions/cautionary tales about big screen that the rest of us should know about?
Consider a fp setup. Can be cheaper than other alternatives. Very close to true theater experience for movies (often better actually). One weekend I watched the first two LOTR at home, then the third in the theater on Sunday - I was disappointed. High WAF factor, I can basically put everything away when not in use (and use a regular 31 inch tv for regular viewing). Downside is the setup can be a bit less than plug and play, but we're mostly geeks that like to tweak anyhow. Other downside is bulb life - they last a year or two then you need to replace.

I've got a 51 inch widescreen Hitachi Ultravision (RPTV). I paid about $2300 for it a little over a year ago. I am completely satisfied. I would not get any sort of flatscreen at the moment, as the technology is still evolving, and it is not clear which flat panel technology will become predominant. RPTV is a mature technology, and if you can deal with the size and limited viewing angle issues, they have a great picture.

I have about $4k tied up in the audio side.

I have a hi-def cable box, and watch several hours a week of hi-def programming. Sporting events and the Sopranos are great in hi-def. I can't wait until more content is available.

Mark

(1) How big is your main HomeTheater TV?

65" Mitsubishi

(2) What kind is it - DLP, CRT, etc....

RPTV / CRT

(3) Are you running HDTV content?

Yes, I pick up all of the local channels including PBS, and some Delaware channels. I also get the same channels plus ESPNHD and a couple of others off of Comcast cable.

(4) Any notable impressions/cautionary tales about big screen that the rest of us should know about?

Yes. If you buy a huge RPTV, do it before you get married. All of my friend's wives love the picture, but hate the box. Girlfriends just shake their heads the first time they see if, but then resign themselves to the fact that it was here before they were.

Also, make sure that you don't need to move it very often if you have carpet. My set weighs 360 lbs.. No way could I move it in or out of the house by myself. Fortunately, it has very nice wheels, and I have hardwood floors. It's easy to move on wood. I'd hate to try it on carpet.

PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCER

If you have a "too big/too heavy" thing you need to move (TV, entertainment center, etc), there is a neat helper available at stores like Home Depot. They are called Magic Gliders or Magic Sliders. Come in various sizes and shapes up to 4" round.

They are made of teflon and, for want of a better description, shaped like small baby moon hubcaps. Stick one under each corner of what you want to move and it is incerdibly easy to slide the unit around. This description is a bit ham-handed, but they work really well. I have a 2" slider on each corner of my TV / component stand and I can easily swing it out to get to alll of the wiring.

(1) How big is your main HomeTheater TV?

I have a 42" Mitsubishi WT-42311 widescreen RPTV.

(2) What kind is it - DLP, CRT, etc....

CRT

(3) Are you running HDTV content?

Yes. I have an HD cable box from Bright House Networks and get ABC, CBS, FOX, PBS, Discovery HD, INHD1, INHD2, HDNet, HDNet Movies and Sunshine (Florida sports channel). I should have ESPN, NBC, WB, and UPN soon. HBO and Showtime are available, but I dropped them.

(4) Any notable impressions/cautionary tales about big screen that the rest of us should know about?

A CRT based RPTV is susceptable to burn-in, so I stretch TV shows that aren't broadcast in widescreen. The best picture you can get from a big TV (not tube based or a projector) is from a CRT based RPTV that has been ISF calibrated. It's also the least expensive. This was the best choice for my conditions (I had to fit it in an existing entertainment center) until I have a dedicated room with a projector. You can see some photos here.

1) 106" 16:9 (92" x 52")
2) LCD FP
3) nothing higher-def than 480p
4) I LOVE the front projection. No regrets at all.

Dave - love your set-up. You have to let me know where one could pick up the speaker cloth to cover the "unsightly" aspects of the TV etc. It really makes your Ent.Cent. look professional and finished!

I'm sure your wife loves it, and mine would probably go 'ga-ga' over hiding stuff in a cabinet like that. She's always preferred table-top options to a closeable cabinet (for bulk/size reasons), but I bet if she saw yours, she have second thoughts.

P.s. do infra-red signals pass through the cloth? If so, it'd be a great way to hide some necessarily exposed components (receiver especially).

p.p.s - How do you attach the cloth? Do you tack it directly to the Ent.cent. or do you construct a frame and place the frame in the center (and how difficult is it to remove, move, etc.?)

Thanks!

Thanks Capn_Pickard! It's not only appealing to my girlfriend, but it makes a big difference watching movies. I have a little cloth left over that I'm going to use to make mattes that will hide everything but the picture from the movie.

I built a frame out of 1x2 wood and had the cloth stretched onto it. The infra-red signals don't pass through, so I was careful to leave it exposed on the TV. I measured to allow only the screen to be exposed. If your entertainment center is a standard color, you can order the grill cloth from here:

http://www.simplyspeakers.com/11speakergrills.htm

I needed a custom color to match the stain on our entertainment center, so I took it to a local place to order the cloth and stretch it on the frame I built. I'll post a picture of the frame in the next couple of days.

OH Yeah! Great job with the panel that surrounds the TV. Really makes it look good!

I have spent close to about 2500.00 int he audio department.
But I bought the tele first. Its a 65" widescreen MITS HI DEF enabled RPTV. I think It looks very nice right now, and have not even had it calibrated yet. I did do some stuff on my own that was discussed over at the SPOT and it def improved the look. When i was looking for a TV, I was told that as long as money is not the deciding factor get the largest one you can, Cuz once you get it home, and set up, you will wish you went 1 or 2 sizes bigger.

I have a HD Phillips 60" RPTV. Available now at Costco in soCal for $1449. It's the old fashioned 4:3 size, but letterboxes the HD/Widescreen format at about 55". We watch fair amounts of TV (especially w/ the baby hear now) so the old shape really appealed to me. PQ is tremendous to my eye, though we haven't tested its 1080p capabilities.

Davehead, burn-in is a myth, isn't it?. Some folks seem to think it only happens when you're tweakin' for days, playing the same video game all day and all night. Other folks said it doesn't happen at all. I've never seen a set that displayed any sort of burned-in artifacts.

(1) How big is your main HomeTheater TV?
-55" Mitsubishi HDTV

(2) What kind is it - DLP, CRT, etc....
-CRT

(3) Are you running HDTV content?
-With the exception of a few XBOX games no. I am waiting until there are alot more channels available on DirecTV. I refuse to pay extra for service and a new receiver just to have a few channels. I'd love to be able to use my set for what it was truely intended for, HDTV, but I can wait.

(4) Any notable impressions/cautionary tales about big screen that the rest of us should know about?
-First thing is shop, read, ask tons of questions and compare. And then shop, read, ask tons of questions and compare some more. And then again and again. I did it for several months when I knew I was serious about buying. Be educated before you ever step foot in any store or they will try their best to take advantage of your big screen ignorance.
-Make sure you buy the right size set. There is such a thing as too big for your viewing distance. And when you go too big you will have not so good impressions of the pq. Also don't go too small or you will have buyers remorse.
-Don't be too paranoid about burn-in. If you are careful, and divide up your viewing sources equally, you will not have a problem.
-Once you finally buy a set make sure to get a good calibration disc. Most sets come out of the box not set very well at all.
-Finally don't buy into the hype. Every place is going to try to sell you a super-duper Plasma. You can get almost as good HD pq on a good CRT as you can a Plasma. Don't believe me?? Shop around and you will see.

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You can get almost as good HD pq on a good CRT as you can a Plasma.

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I don't necessarily believe that is true in all cases. Some top of the line CRT based projection TVs (front & rear} can give plasmas a run for their money. Plasma isn't the "ultimate" in video reproduction. That has not been invented yet.

I think the "ultimate" display will be one in which you can see "hard edges" on all of the objects on the screen when you get up close to them.

All CRTs show objects with "fuzz edges". If you get within 2 to 10 inches of any CRT picture, you'll see that there are no hard edges to any of the objects on the screen. In some smaller CRTs like the Trinitons you see the black mask with little holes in it.

Plasmas have the dark areas between the pixels. "Screen door" effect.

DLPs have the rainbow thingy going on. I think I've read something about "blockiness" on these also.

(Disclaimer.. I haven't watched a DLP set - I have no idea if this is factual)

Given that all of the different systems have their flaws, how do we pick the "best"? I've seen great pictures on two of the three. I can also see the flaws in both of them. I'm taking other people's word that the DLPs have their issues.

I just keep thinking "We aren't there yet..." Pick your poison.

Michael,
The point of that part of my post was not to say that CRT are better than Plasma. It was more to keep future buyers from being sucked in to the mentality that you have to spend $10k+ on a plasma to get a beautiful picture. I have seen CRT's that blow plasma out of the water. It all depends on their quality and how good they are calibrated. You are right that DLP sets have issues. That is why I chose to wait. I really want one for the simple fact that burn-in is not even a risk with them. Also the size and viewing angles. But the technology is too new. Maybe in 5-6 years it will advance and become cheaper just like CRT based RPTV's did and ended up today.

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burn-in is a myth, isn't it

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No, it isn't a myth. Channel bugs and static display elements (scores, ads, etc) are the worst offenders, but if you watch a lot of 4:3 material unstretched you can also get burn-in. I've seen the result of it from Cartoon Network on someone's Mitsubishi 65" widescreen RPTV.

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You can get almost as good HD pq on a good CRT as you can a Plasma.



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I don't necessarily believe that is true in all cases.

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Whoops... You are correct, Monster. I FUBAR'd the edit on that post. Delete the first sentence. We DO agree on that. The rest of my post was ok. Sorry 'bout that.

The whole point of the post was supposed to be to reinforce what you said. I started typing, and changed my mind on how I wanted to say it. Then, I forgot to go back and delete that first sentence.

I was just trying to elaborate on why you might chose one type over the other.

Mike,

Lie down, breathe slowly, take some aspirin. It should fell better in a couple of hours.

Davehead, my HD Phillips is 4:3. The only letter-boxing that goes on is for widescreen DVDs.
My TV was relatively cheap and IMO provides a huge and beautiful picture w/ 480p images. It even does a good job upgrading the std cable signal to acceptable quality.
Nobody seems to agree w/ me, but based on my experience I would recommend big, cheap, 4:3, HD (1080), CRT RPTV. Couldn't be happier (w/ PQ - the TV itself is kinda ugly).

BigWill,

A 4:3 HDTV can be a good choice for some people, especially if it can perform "the squeeze". I mainly watch DVDs and HD content that is broadcast widescreen, so I went with a widescreen. Widescreens also have that "cool factor" when people see them.

Have you had your TV ISF'd? The difference in my TV has been obvious to everyone that saw it before and I had already tweaked it with Avia.

David

Had my Sammy HLN4365W ISF'd, and was glad I did. Didn't like the $350 tab, though. It was worth it.

Thanks Ray.

I'm feeling much better now after a short night of sleep, and a long day's work.

The short night is no joke.... I fell asleep sitting on the sofa listening to what else? I had 5 CDs in the changer and I had it going at 75-80dB. It auto repeats until you hit stop. Passed out somewhere around 11pm. I woke up around 4am, turned the system off, and went to bed.

The bad new is I was dog tired today. The good news is that I now know the lyrics to 57 new songs by heart. Karaoke anyone? (you don't really wanna hear me sing...)

LOL, Michael. Learned them songs did ya?

Good news - more songs. Bad news - gotta take some aspirin and lie down again. Did I see this in the movie "Groundhog Day"?

michael, dont you just love it when that happens.. i would go to sleep with music every night if i could.. always try to when i am camping.

bigjohn

#1 We have the Toshiba 50H82.
#2 CRT
#3 TimeWarner cable HDTV w/CBS, ABC, HBO and DiscoveryHD
#4 Everyone has an opinion, only yours counts.

Note: The lockout function for the front panel painfully doesn't include the power button.