Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Taking the HD plunge

Got a deal I could not pass up on one of these:
http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/HomeEntertainment/hedetails.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=-12464&category=



Now I have to choose who to get the HD signal from. I got time though.....going to take a few weeks.

Looks good Curtis; just don't get that Hsu too close to it.

Pretty Cool, Curtis! When did Epson get into HDTV's? Which size did you get?

Curtis:
Congrats! That how I ended up buying my DLP as well and I never looked back.

I ended up using my cable provider for my HDTV... which initially I assumed would be my last choice. The problem for me is that Concord sits down in a little valley, so I couldn't get local HD via antenna, and all the satellite providers used rooftop antennas for local stations.

My cable company provides those affiliate local stations, plus INHD1 & 2, ESPN-HD, Discovery HD, and the HD flavor of whatever premium movie channels we have in our package for $7.95/month. There was absolutely a temptation to go with VOOM for the sheer number of HD channels they offer, but I came to the realization that most of what Joyce and I watch is either a broadcast network show or a movie on HBO, etc. Getting TNT in HiDef wasn't as important as CBS...etc... Now that I've been watching INHD1 & 2, I have to admit that I really like their mix of movies, documentories, concerts, and just "fun", show-off stuff...extreme sports, etc.

For $6 more per month, I got a two-tuner HD box with built-in HD DVR. How could I go wrong?
Plus, I was able to simply drive to my local cable office and swap my old box for the new DVR HD box, so I literally had HD in half an hour after the phone call, instead of waiting for installation of a satellite dish.

Normally, I kinda dislike the stranglehold that my cable company has over my television and internet, but this ended up an obvious choice and I'm very happy!

curtis- thats a great looking TV. i have been toying with the idea of getting a 42" LCD, but i am waiting for the prices to come down a tad. i really like the 360 angle on the epson website. lets you get a good idea of the exact dimensions and shape of the TV. and, its cool to see the layout of the hook-ups in the back.

make sure and let us know how it performs once you get it home!!

bigjohn

A TV that prints pictures too?

Hmmm...

Great looking set though...Congrats Curtis.

WhatFurrer

Good deal, huh? They really get you on the ink cartridges, though.

hey...the printer in that thing is a dye-sub....cost of use is about 30-35cents a print.

It truely was a deal I could not pass up....moved my HD timetable up 8 months or so.

I got the 47".....my Parents went for the 57". Epson has been making LCD projectors for a while....but introduced RP LCD last year.

Beforehand....I checked out the picture at a local shop....looked great to me.....it was pretty much the deciding factor last evening.

Now choosing a provider is the hard part. I love DirecTV and my DirecTiVo......a DVR is a must for me now. Local cable, Adelphia, now offers Motorola's HD DVR with Moxi....very favorable reviews, and initial costs are low, a $12/mo rental fee. HD DirecTiVo is at least $800 for the box. Dish Networks' HD DVR is about $500. Monthy subsciption charges are all similar.

So it is boiling down to startup costs vs content. Any input is greatly appreciated.

When I get it up and running, I will have spiff come over for an honest critique with his IMAX eye. If he doesn't like it, I can just hit a couple of balls at him on the tennis court and I'll feel better.

I was totally joking about the ink thing -- I didn't even realize the TV had a printer. Craaaaaaazy.

now that's funny!

The specs don't look like that has an OTA tuner, right? That would be the easiest/fastest way to get HD.

I have the HD*Tivo and highly recommend it, if you can swallow the price. There are some issues w/ HDMI, but I use DVI and have had not problems at all. Don't think you need to be convinced on Tivo.

Some friends have the Comcast DVR, reviews are mixed, but your cabling will be easier to manager. Tivo still has that beat w/ ease of use. Voom's dead.

Yeah....Voom has been bought by Echostar, so they are hoping to integrate their HD programming into the system.....now that would be a big plus.

I would much rather do the HD DirecTiVo....but the cost of the unit is prohibitive right now.

Just got off the phone with Adelphia.....to switch from DirecTV they will give me a $400 credit spread out over 15 months.

So....with their top tier package, one SD box for the TV in the bedroom, one HD DVR for the new TV, along with my current internet access.....total $117/mo.....for 15 months. After that, it goes to $143/mo.

My landlord credits me $55/mo since I provide internet services to him and another tenant.

That is tough to beat!

My jaw dropped at the original price, but with that landlord credit, you've got yourself a killer deal. Nice!

hi mark

how do u like your sammy, could you please post your thoughts? I am a bit torn between sammy and panny dlp. Just wanted to know your impressions on the sammy.

raj

Peter.....remember....that is the top tier programming package too.....I can probably drop it another $40/mo.

how do u like your sammy, could you please post your thoughts? I am a bit torn between sammy and panny dlp.

I compared - in home - the Panasonic, the Samsung, and the Toshiba lines. I ended up with the Toshiba. As good as either of the other two in the key areas, better even in some, and about $200 less than the Sammy in across all comparable models.

Just my (unasked for) $0.02.

Hi,

I compared these DLP models in the Texas Instruments exhibit at CES a few weeks ago, and they are awfully close. The sets were carefully calibrated and, as I wrote in the Axiom AudioFile January newsletter, I was impressed by all three. I'm sure Toshiba is very aggressive on pricing, as they lost ground having to drop their LCoS line of sets and play catch-up with DLP.

I'm very pleased with my Samsung 5063W, but looking at the Panasonic, Toshiba, and Samsung at CES, I'd be hard-pressed to choose one over the other. All three had a picture that I felt was superior to the Mitsubishi and Optoma DLPs in the same TI exhibit.

Regards,

alan, engine_joe

Appreciate your thougths!

Yes it is a very difficult choice, esp when i visit stores that calibrate all the TVs to the best levels.

It does feel good that the prices are sliding , I am hoping the trend continues.

Raj

Curtis if you can afford it I'd strongly recommend DirecTV and the HD Tivo, HR10-250. It is vastly better than anything else. It totally transforms the TV experience.

However -- you must use an off-the-air antenna for HD locals. Use AntennaWeb to check your options.

The lower cost and lower complexity option is digital cable with the new Digital Video Recorder integrated inside. However those are quite limited from a capacity and feature standpoint vs the HD Tivo.

I would love to stick with DirecTV and get the HD Tivo...but right now, it is cost prohibitive. It looks as thought to go from my SD Tivo to the HD Tivo, plus upgrade the dish and installation would be around $900...but I am not done shopping yet.

Whereas going with my local cable company and getting their Digeo Moxi DVR, there are no installation or equipment costs, plus a big discount for switching, and a reduction in cost for my internet connection.

So I will make the switch, check it out, and if I don't like it, I can switch back to DirecTV and hope prices have come down.

Digeo Moxi? I'd almost rule that out by the name alone.

LOL!!

oldskool and joema.....the HD DirecTiVo is going to be obsolete soon though right? DirecTV is going to rollout MPEG4 for HD later this year.

It's the "rumor" of the day. Yes, MPEG4 is the plan, but there's no date for hardware. AND, it's going to be tough for D* to completely turn off the existing HD sats in favor of MPEG4. HD tivo will be here for a while, heck, it's not Voom.

And if you are long standing D* customer, you should talk to a CSR in the retention dept. Tell them what Adelphia can do, and you may get lucky. I got about $250 off an HD package w/ HD receiver. When I got my HD Tivo, I sold the Samsung HD receiver on ebay for $275. So my HD tivo was far less than $999.

oldskool,
That is what I plan on doing Monday morning......but I still highly doubt they are going to be able to even come close to the deal my cable company is offering. If they could get me installation and the HD*TiVo for $500....I'd would probably go for it......because as it stands, I am getting the HD Moxi for nothing....AND....saving money.

Yeah, that Adelphia deal sounds like a stunner. You gotta post your review if you get the system. I've always been intrigued by Moxi since they announced at CES last year.

BTW, my non-techno savvy in laws got the Comcast DVR a few weeks ago. They're giving it up for D*Tivo cause it was too hard for them to understand. Just an FYI, probably a non-issue for technies, but something to note in regards to ease of use.

The TV is here....DVD's and SD look great. HD on Thursday from Adelphia.

It's not as gargantuan as I was expecting. Looks great!

Hmmm....I've heard that somewhere before......

The screen seems to be a perfect fit for the room.

Thanks!!

And to think I didn't even see the innuendo when I posted it. I must be getting soft.


D'oh!

We don't need to know about that sort of thing, dude.

That looks nice Curtis!

Thanks spiff!

Nice tennis playing on Monday!!

Curtis - looks REALLY nice. You are going to LOVE that TV and what HD brings to the party.

Thanks Ray.....

One downside...I can not find the particular Epson TV codes for my MX-700! I may have to "teach" them.

That is a HANDSOME HDTV. The room looks good too. Love the way the stands (TV & Speaker) match. Why did I think you had the Ascend stands for your 340s? Those are custom jobs, right?

Thanks Jack. Yup...they are customs from from Brian Bunge at http://www.rutledgeaudiodesign.com. Shipping killed me on those things.

Curtis, I did a quick search at Remote Central and ot nothing for Epson. Let me suggest you call Mike at SurfRemote Control. If there is anything, he will know or know how to find out.

Otherwise the learning thing will be OK. I hope you have separate On/Off commands though.

In reply to:

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I hope you have separate On/Off commands though.

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Nope...not on the supplied remote.

I will give Mike a call.