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I am a audiophile at heart. I like clear, hi fidelity video but I am not a video junkie. However, I think I have the perception to appreciate good quality video reproduction. Until now, I have spent my entire energy on tweaking my audio system. I am moving to a new home and will have the entire rec room in the basement to set up my a/v system up. I have only about a couple grand to spend to video display unit and I am wondering which route to go - CRT direct view, rear projection or front projection (plasma is out of range). I know I want a big screen, at least 40" or up. My primary viewing will be DVD and satellite TV. I may dabble in HDTV, so I would want the diplay unit to be comapatible with the format.Questions:
Which display type should I consider?
Will the rear projection units have good fidelity with DVD or satellite tv?
Is there any danger watching 4:3 tv in 16:9 TVs?Please give me some material to ponder on.
TIA
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Indranil Dandaroy
Follow Ups:
Thanks! Looks like I have some reading to do. I will use the TV primarily for watching 4:3 satellite tv (dish or directv) - 60% and DVD (40%).In BB or C City, the RPTV sets look very good but almost all the feed is HDTV. I am not sure if the DVDs will look that good. I saw some DVD on a Samsung Plasma set yesterday and it looked like shit, hard edged and artificial with lots of digital artifacts along edges!
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Indranil Dandaroy
I had no desire to spend over $3000.00 for a tv, BUT as hard as I try
I just can't get passed the picture of those DLP's. I have been to 5 different stores, 2 PC Richards, 1 CC, 1 BB and in every store I keep getting drawn into those units. Today I watched the new RCA dlp's which were right next to the Samsung's and some very nice widescreen CRT Sonys. I'm still going with the Samsungs. What a picture!
Not only that but I can carry the set by myself as it only weighs 67 lbs. Try picking up a Sony 34 XBR910 which weighs in at 201 lbs.
The 40" Sony weighs in at over 300 lbs. BTW the Samsung is 43" 67 lbs.
No burn-in when watching 4/3 shows. I dislike 4/3 stretched.
GTF
I second the Pioneer Elite post below, I just got a Pro730HD, and it's gorgeous at a 12' to 14' viewing range. Right now using std. def cable and DSS...looks ok, DVDs look great. I will be upgrading to Hi-Def sooner than later.
Just remember that we are still in the early stages of this HDTV thing, the new digital sets being designed now are for digital signals, analog signals are processed extra, and don't look as good. But things will improve. And next year's models should for the most part have digital tuners internally installed.
What you're describing sounds like a perfect situation for front projection. A basement rec room is generally a room that can be light controlled very easily, so the major hurdle is taken care of there. With a budget of $2,000, you have quite a few decent options.One of the most popular units right now is the Infocus X1. You can find it without even trying for just under $1000, so you'll have plenty left over to buy a screen. A few bits about the X1 - it's 4:3 native (800x600) and is a DLP projector. DLP projector have a higher fill rate between pixels, so less of a "screen door" effect; however, some people are susceptible to seeing rainbows in the picture. Most people do see them and can learn to ignore them, but the guy I know personally here at work who has one says it's too distracting for him. This, to me, warrants seeing the projector in action. I know that Best Buy carries them and they'll probably crack one open to test out, but I do know that they charge a restocking fee if you return it. You can probably find another dealer who'll be more lenient, so check around in your area.
The other popular projector in the sub-$2000 bracket is the Sanyo PLV-Z1. This is 16:9 native (960x540 ... 1/4 of the 1920x1080 HD standard, which makes going to HD a lot easier when converting) and sells for between $1200 and $1400. This is an LCD projector, so you don't have the rainbow effect, but the screen door is a bit more pronounced. Most people say this disappears at a viewing distance of 1-1.5x the screen width, so if you view your 10 foot screen at 15 feet, you'll be fine. Some other people have defocused the image slightly if they have to sit closer, but I don't see too many people complaining about it once they've got it up and running.
If you want to save more of that money for your audio setup or more media, you can build a screen for far less... $100 would build a really decent screen with fabric from several different screen manufacturers (www.dazian.com for one) and a frame built of either wood or aluminum. Just remember that the screen is VERY important... pretty much everyone who projected on the wall is blown away by how much better their projectors look on a screen.
One advantage of the FP route is that 40" quickly becomes VERY small. Most people project between 70" and 110" without a problem.
> Will the rear projection units have good fidelity with DVD or
> satellite tv?both seem to be fine. one thing you might want to do is have a professional come in and adjust it for you. pretty much everyone who's had that done raves about it. but generally there aren't many complaints about either with RP.
> Is there any danger watching 4:3 tv in 16:9 TVs?
About the same as watching 16:9 on a 4:3. you'll just have the masking bars on the sides. some people are worried about burn-in, but i don't think i've heard about it actually happening.
honestly, i'd suggest going to www.avsforum.com and checking out display devices. for info on projectors, check out the Under $5000 Digital Projectors section. You may also want to check out Screens for more on buying or building a quality screen. Learn directly from others' experiences and save a few bucks in the process!
Pioneer PRO530 Rear Projection HD-Ready. Comes with all the bells and whistles (incl DVI/HDCP) and has the absolute killer picture in RP. On top of all that, Pioneer has a mucho dollar rebate on the units right now and I believe the 530 with rebate hits very close to your price target. Hurry up and good luck!Austin
Check out the RPTV section of the AVS forum, plenty of opinions on what TV to buy.It's going to depend on your budget, what percentage of standard def video, hi-def video, and DVDs you watch. Lighting is very important, whether the set is for full time/everyday viewing or just for movies. Viewing distance determines the max size screen, especially with standard def cable and DSS. Also if you are going to use the TV for video games, be concerned about what units have burn-in possibilities. Then you have different degrees of stretch mode performance from set to set, also important for std. def playback. Also video input options i.e. DVI, firewire, etc. After getting everyone’s opinion, check out all the sets in person, make sure that you can see their performance with reg. cable and DSS, as the Hi-Def loop the dealer will be showing will make all the sets look great. This may sound cynical, but be aware that what you are looking at may have been adjusted in accordance of what sets the dealer wants to move quicker. (This was actually admitted to by a salesperson on the AVS forum)
Have Fun!
You have 2K? Are you going to be watching off air or satellite mostly? How important is DVD movie picture to you? How much light is there in the room? Basically if you were watching mainly broadcast TV, I would get a directview, say 36inch or bigger if you can find it. Downside, they are about 200 lbs. Small children who like to push things over could get crushed! If the main thing is to watch movies, then a widescreen rear projectors are likely a better bet, especailly if you can control the amibent light. Regardless each is compromise, you need to decide who will be using the TV and what the main viewing will be (movie or broadcast). For me a direct veiw was the anwser, especially since a senior is the main user. They are bright, the size suits fading eyesight and the use is relatively straight forward. If you have small kids, get a "wee mote" remote. Made just for young kids (& seniors) who are technologically inclined. Big buttons, bright shapes, works great.
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