HDTV Recommendation
- Thread starter Jim Doolittle
- Start date
Guy Lavoie
Active Member
Many people say that projection sets (DLP and all) will eventually disappear as large flat panel sets become price competitive. Whether that becomes true remains to be seen.
I went with a Sony Bravia LCD set and couldn't be happier. It has a very wide viewing angle (spec: 178 deg) and I have it in a corner where the furthest viewing positions are 45 deg off center and there is no loss of brightness at all. I don't like projection sets because of the lens effect where the brightness always varys vertically if you move up and down. Even sitting down, it will be a bit brighter in the middle then at the top or bottom. Off conter viewing is also less bright. As others have also mentioned, many people report premature bulb failures, especially on some Toshiba sets.
But for a HDTV, you *must* see it in person first and you have to like the picture. Spec sheets cannot replace this most critical ascpect of choosing a set. Ideally you will want to view several different types of program material (sports, nature shots, dark scenes, etc). Hockey is a good test because the big bright, white ice will tell you if the other colors get washed out in a bright picture. Team jerseys usually have vivid colors that make this a good test.
I went with a Sony Bravia LCD set and couldn't be happier. It has a very wide viewing angle (spec: 178 deg) and I have it in a corner where the furthest viewing positions are 45 deg off center and there is no loss of brightness at all. I don't like projection sets because of the lens effect where the brightness always varys vertically if you move up and down. Even sitting down, it will be a bit brighter in the middle then at the top or bottom. Off conter viewing is also less bright. As others have also mentioned, many people report premature bulb failures, especially on some Toshiba sets.
But for a HDTV, you *must* see it in person first and you have to like the picture. Spec sheets cannot replace this most critical ascpect of choosing a set. Ideally you will want to view several different types of program material (sports, nature shots, dark scenes, etc). Hockey is a good test because the big bright, white ice will tell you if the other colors get washed out in a bright picture. Team jerseys usually have vivid colors that make this a good test.
Guy Lavoie
Active Member
As Skibum said, that's right. Look for response speed to be 8 mSec or faster. That was one of the selling points for the Bravia. Some newer sets indicate a speed as fast as 4 mSec.
Its very important to consider placement and illumination of the room were you are going to be watching your TV. In a dark basement nothing beats a plasma with its perfects blacks. But if you will be in the open, with light entering from windows or lamps, you might have a hard time with the plasma reflections.
My dad wanted a flat screen TV to use in the living room. He had too many windows and not enough blinds, so the recommended option as per the AVS forum member (in general) was to use LCD.
My dad wanted a flat screen TV to use in the living room. He had too many windows and not enough blinds, so the recommended option as per the AVS forum member (in general) was to use LCD.
I think this is a steal AND has free shipping and no tax (if you are not in FL/NC). CR rates Toshibas as reliable - but after reading AVS about premature bulb failures, the TV locking up like a MS 'puter, AND very long repair times, I'm still going to wait a while.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...4701&CatId=1830
Also THE top rated DLP projection by CR.
You would THINK that Cocoon forum members would know more about the pitfalls of being an early adopter than anybody!
Anyone up for a gamble?
GLT
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...4701&CatId=1830
Also THE top rated DLP projection by CR.
You would THINK that Cocoon forum members would know more about the pitfalls of being an early adopter than anybody!
Anyone up for a gamble?
GLT
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
I'm not sure about Consumer Reports, but one agency I do believe in is Ressellerratings.com. I think the main gamble here would be ordering from Tiger Direct! :lol:GLT said:
Attachments
Thanks BSR - I ASSumed they were big and therefore at least OK.
BTW the ONLY online RIP OFF I have ever experienced was via Tiger, and I have never ordered anything from them! Bought 2 cheap computer items from 2 NY online stores the SAME day. Next thing I knew I had just bought a $496 item from Tiger. LSS - I called them and they said since it was under $500 and sent to the same STATE as the billing address on the card, they didn't bother to check out anything. Bank took care of it and NO one was really interested in following up. What's $500 to them?
SKI- While CR is far from perfect - I don't know anyone better - when they are gone - who?
Also noticed, after my post, that the return policy is silly on that TV, better take it out and plug it in before you sign for it. But, to be fair, that is the same policy that buy.com has at the beginning of this thread. May be better off to pay substantially more at a brick and mortar - and fight the restocking fee. (Or better yet, wait for this market to calm down.)
Thanks again guys, my 6 year old JVC 36" still has a great picture, and my friends 60" year old Sony DLP works great - except when he tries to watch HD, then "it freezes up and has all these square block like things". Wonder what the WAF will be when they have to buy a $300 bulb?
:lol:
GLT
BTW the ONLY online RIP OFF I have ever experienced was via Tiger, and I have never ordered anything from them! Bought 2 cheap computer items from 2 NY online stores the SAME day. Next thing I knew I had just bought a $496 item from Tiger. LSS - I called them and they said since it was under $500 and sent to the same STATE as the billing address on the card, they didn't bother to check out anything. Bank took care of it and NO one was really interested in following up. What's $500 to them?
SKI- While CR is far from perfect - I don't know anyone better - when they are gone - who?
Also noticed, after my post, that the return policy is silly on that TV, better take it out and plug it in before you sign for it. But, to be fair, that is the same policy that buy.com has at the beginning of this thread. May be better off to pay substantially more at a brick and mortar - and fight the restocking fee. (Or better yet, wait for this market to calm down.)
Thanks again guys, my 6 year old JVC 36" still has a great picture, and my friends 60" year old Sony DLP works great - except when he tries to watch HD, then "it freezes up and has all these square block like things". Wonder what the WAF will be when they have to buy a $300 bulb?
:lol:
GLT
Skibum
Senior Member
I have nothing but good luck dealing with Tiger. Everything was exactly as expected, new and working fine.
I don't have any replacement for CR, I just know that the last time they reviewed something that I was VERY familiar with, their recommendations really sucked. That was the LAST time I read the mag.
I don't have any replacement for CR, I just know that the last time they reviewed something that I was VERY familiar with, their recommendations really sucked. That was the LAST time I read the mag.
Michael McSharry
Active Member
I obtained an ILA (the Sony/JVC equivalent of DLP) rear projection TV from Tiger Direct last year and was quite happy with the transaction. Prior to ordering I confirmed with the manf that Tiger was an authorized reseller so I would not have any warranty issues. I also surveyed the AVS board about the quality of the unit I was considering and viewed the picture quality at a local retailer.
I also confirmed that the warranty on the larger units is an in-home one so if there was any problem I would not have to deal with any transportation issues. The unit was trained from Chicago to Seattle and then trucked to my address. The unit was well packaged and no damage to the shipping box. If the box looked as if it was abused then there would be an issue with the trucking company, but I think that is true of anything that is shipped.
For those that like the comfort of buying locally then Costco makes for a good alternative. The prices are not great, but the warranty is from Costo and there are no hassles. Of course one needs a way to get the TV back to Costco. Note that Costco is not an authorized reseller so there is no manufacturer warranty, but Costco matches the manf one.
Tiger was very upfront about the terms of the sale and actually called back after my order to confirm that I wanted the TV and I understood the terms. I have dealt with Tiger Direct in the past and have not found any shady practices on their part. In the case of the TV, their only involvement was as a broker. The only issue I have with Tiger Direct is the popups that result each time I visit their web site.
Everyone has their own ideas as how to best spend their money. I suspect that for most the biggest money sink is their vehicles. The last thing I do everynight before going to bed is to watch TV so for my lifestyle I found it worthwhile to invest in the HD TV and pay the additional $20/month for the HD satellite feed. The only downside to watching HD is that when broadcasts are only available in SD then it is questionable if they are worth watching. It is not that the TV does a poor job of showing SD, but when expectations are raised, then it is harder to watch what was perfectable acceptable before.
I like, Ski, don't place much worth in CR when I can get so much more information avaialble from Google. There is still a place for CR on the newsstands and for those that know nothing about the product area they are researching. CR reports on so many different areas that one cannot expect them to have anything more than a superficial understanding of what they are reviewing.
I also confirmed that the warranty on the larger units is an in-home one so if there was any problem I would not have to deal with any transportation issues. The unit was trained from Chicago to Seattle and then trucked to my address. The unit was well packaged and no damage to the shipping box. If the box looked as if it was abused then there would be an issue with the trucking company, but I think that is true of anything that is shipped.
For those that like the comfort of buying locally then Costco makes for a good alternative. The prices are not great, but the warranty is from Costo and there are no hassles. Of course one needs a way to get the TV back to Costco. Note that Costco is not an authorized reseller so there is no manufacturer warranty, but Costco matches the manf one.
Tiger was very upfront about the terms of the sale and actually called back after my order to confirm that I wanted the TV and I understood the terms. I have dealt with Tiger Direct in the past and have not found any shady practices on their part. In the case of the TV, their only involvement was as a broker. The only issue I have with Tiger Direct is the popups that result each time I visit their web site.
Everyone has their own ideas as how to best spend their money. I suspect that for most the biggest money sink is their vehicles. The last thing I do everynight before going to bed is to watch TV so for my lifestyle I found it worthwhile to invest in the HD TV and pay the additional $20/month for the HD satellite feed. The only downside to watching HD is that when broadcasts are only available in SD then it is questionable if they are worth watching. It is not that the TV does a poor job of showing SD, but when expectations are raised, then it is harder to watch what was perfectable acceptable before.
I like, Ski, don't place much worth in CR when I can get so much more information avaialble from Google. There is still a place for CR on the newsstands and for those that know nothing about the product area they are researching. CR reports on so many different areas that one cannot expect them to have anything more than a superficial understanding of what they are reviewing.
My favorite CR moment was when they reviewed chainsaws for the TV news "CR review of the day". They had one brand labeled "Unaccaptable" because of a higher rick of kickback. And if you watched the guy doing the demonstration, he was moving the saw back and forth like it was a manual handsaw! It's like saying that cars are inherently dangerous because you can crash them if you drink and drive.
Jim Doolittle
Active Member
Continuing the CR tangent...
They were just caught claiming most child seats were not safe. They mistated the speed tested during the failures. The failures were at 75 mph. Still, it makes you wonder about having a kid in one and driving on the expressway.
My online CR membership is ending in a month or so. Guess, you guys convinced me to just look for other free online reviews which I have done when CR didn't review an item recently...especially the rapidly changing world of electronics!
Still haven't picked out a TV. Waiting to see what year end bonus is...
They were just caught claiming most child seats were not safe. They mistated the speed tested during the failures. The failures were at 75 mph. Still, it makes you wonder about having a kid in one and driving on the expressway.
My online CR membership is ending in a month or so. Guess, you guys convinced me to just look for other free online reviews which I have done when CR didn't review an item recently...especially the rapidly changing world of electronics!
Still haven't picked out a TV. Waiting to see what year end bonus is...
Skibum
Senior Member
This is my final choice for my bedroom TV... as soon as it gets into stock at my distributors:
http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/LCDTV/LNS4095DXXAA.asp
http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/LCDTV/LNS4095DXXAA.asp
