Need HDTV and Sat advice!

[BKLYNH2]

I am in the market for a full video upgrade. A new TV for the bedroom (probably 32-37") and one for the entertainment/ living room (probably 42" -50") I have direct TV presently, but I will have to upgrade all equipment and so far it seems like they don't make any grand efforts to keep you as a client so a change may be the better route. Anyway I figured this is probably a good group to ask for some advice on flat panel tv's (no room for dlp, rear projection in my teeny city apartment anymore) and for comments pro's, cons on different services. By the way cable tv here is Time Warner and I didn't care much for them in the pre digital days. Your help is much appreciated.

[MarineHawk]

As for the big one, we got one of these (http://reviews.cnet.com/Pioneer_PDP_....html?tag=also) in December and are very happy with it.

[Note: we actually got the PDP-5071HD, which is the same thing only sold by Best Buy so that they do not have to price match the PDP-5070HD].

[Huck BB62]

Well, we have Directv HD throughout the house. In the living room, a 50" LG Plasma. Two years now, it's excellent. We have a 32" LCD in the bedroom, and a 21" LCD in my wife's sewing room.

The HD feeds are spectacular. I could never go back. I have to upgrade my receiver soon to one that switches HDMI when I get an HD bluray or HD DVD player.

My neighbor bought a new Plasma. It looked awful. I looked behind his set, and lo and behold, he had only used component cables instead of the HDMI cable. He bought the new cable, and his set looks amazing.

[dеiтайожни]

Originally Posted by MarineHawk

As for the big one, we got one of these (http://reviews.cnet.com/Pioneer_PDP_....html?tag=also) in December and are very happy with it.

[Note: we actually got the PDP-5071HD, which is the same thing only sold by Best Buy so that they do not have to price match the PDP-5070HD].

I'll second that. Pioneer makes some damn fine plasmas.

[KenP]

P, are you looking for a plasma specifically? We've had two, a 43 and a 50, and they're fine especially if you're going to mount it on the wall. If not, save the money, it's not worth it.

We just got a Sony Wega rear projection. We didn't want the DLP technology because I'd read where some people could actually "see" the mirrors.

Here's a link to the 50" version of what we have:
Sony 50" Rear Projection

BTW, it's supposed to be great for gaming and the pic is knock-out awesome.

We've had satellite before, but didn't like it. Service sucked and they wanted to charge me if they had to come out. With Cox Cable, we get a ton of HD channels including all the local ones, HBO, etc.

[BKLYNH2]

Hawk, I was looking at that one (pioneer) right before I wrote this. That seems like a good one and the prices on it seem pretty good as well.
I'm a little confused that 1080p seems to be the big deal now and a lot of the plasma's that are priced well are not true 1080p. Does it matter much or is it overkill. I think I read that 1080p doesn't matter at that size screen.

Ken, yes I'd rather stay with lcd or plasma, I suppose in my size range I can get either, which only makes things tougher. Right now I have a Sony 36" wega crt, It was amazing several years ago, still is actually but it is taking up about 15sf of my appartment. and I'd like to get the space back.

The best spot in my living room is above the fireplace (not used) but it wasn't possible to put crts or rear projections there, I am psyched about flat panel.

[MarineHawk]

BKLYN, I don't know about the 1080p specs, but I bet someone else on here does.

One thing I got that I really like is one of the decent swing wall mounts so that you can move it out, in, up, down, or tilt it in any direction.

[KenP]

I don't think 1080p vs 1080i is going to matter on that size. If you were pushing 60" it might.

We've got a Sony Wega crt in the den. It's fine for what it does, and you can watch HD on it too. The picture is just smaller when doing that, tho.

[KenP]

Found some stuff for you:
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6449_7-6361600-1.html

1080p resolution--which equates to 1,920x1,080 pixels--is the latest HD Holy Grail. That's because 1080p monitors are theoretically capable of displaying every pixel of the highest-resolution HD broadcasts. On paper, they should offer more than twice the resolution of today's 1,280x720, or 720p, HDTVs, such as Samsung's HL-P5085W. Some companies, such as LG, refer to these super-high-res of sets as ultra-HD, while others prefer to substitute true or full for ultra.

2. Why 1080p is theoretically better than 1080i
1080i, the former king of the HDTV hill, actually boasts an identical 1,920x1,080 resolution but conveys the images in an interlaced format (the i in 1080i). In a tube-based television, otherwise known as a CRT, 1080i sources get "painted" on the screen sequentially: the odd-numbered lines of resolution appear on your screen first, followed by the even-numbered lines--all within 1/30 of a second. Progressive-scan formats such as 480p, 720p, and 1080p convey all of the lines of resolution sequentially in a single pass, which makes for a smoother, cleaner image, especially with sports and other motion-intensive content. As opposed to tubes, microdisplays (DLP, LCoS, and LCD rear-projection) and other fixed-pixel TVs, including plasma and LCD flat-panel, are inherently progressive in nature, so when the incoming source is interlaced, as 1080i is, they convert it to progressive scan for display.

3. What content is available in 1080p?
Really, nothing at this point. Today's high-def broadcasts are done in either 1080i or 720p, and there's little or no chance they'll jump to 1080p any time soon because of bandwidth issues.

READ THIS:
http://www.hometheatermag.com/gearworks/1106gear/

There Is No Difference Between 1080p and 1080i
My bold-printed, big-lettered breaker above is a little sensationalistic, but, as far as movies are concerned, this is basically true. Here's why. Movies (and most TV shows) are shot at 24 frames per second (either on film or on 24-frame-per-second HD cameras). Every TV sold in the United States has a refresh rate of 60 hertz. This means that the screen refreshes 60 times per second. In order to display 24-frame-per-second content on a display that essentially shows 60 frames per second, you need to make up or create new frames. This is accomplished by a method called 3:2 pulldown (or, more accurately, 2:3 pulldown). It doubles the first frame of film, triples the second frame, doubles the third frame, and so on, creating a 2-3-2-3-2-3 sequence. (Check out Figure 1 for a more colorful depiction.) So, the new frames don't have new information; they are just duplicates of the original film frames. This process converts 24-frame-per-second film to be displayed on a 60-Hz display.

[Tah2oe]

I've got this TV and it is great. Cable card just plugs right into the TV with no need for the set top box. Go with cable and this and you will not be dissapointed.

Samsung

LN-S4696D
46" Wide HDTV with Integrated DCR Tuner and 1080P

Samsung's sleek 46" LCD leads the industry in realistic home entertainment. With its 6000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, over two million pixel resolution, Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp. S-PVA Panel, and 10-bit processor with 12.8 billion colors, the LN-S4696D delivers a picture of startling clarity that rivals real life.

[bparker]

If you can get ATT Uverse in your area i HIGHLY recomend it! As much as I dislike ATT this is by far the best looking and sounding HD programming I have had. I had Direct TV, Cable and lastly had Dishnetworks HD premium - but this Uverse blows it away. The quality of picture on non-HD is night and day better where as the HD picture is the same - BUT - the sound quality is way far beyond what I have gotten out of any other providers.

Now as for TVs, I love Pioneed Elite(s) they are pricey but well worth it if you want the best picture AND a long life.

I opted for a Hitachi Ultra Vision 55" plasma on the wall above the fireplace which is a nice touch. And a JVC 42" plasma for the bedroom. I have only had the Hitachi for 2 years but all is well with it. The JVC I have had for over 5 years and still going strong.

You can get the Hitachi 55" for the same coin as most high end 50" plasmas too. I would put the Hitachi on your "to view" list.

[BKLYNH2]

can't get uverse or fios here yet. i will check out the hittachi too. doing some looking tonight.

[BKLYNH2]

Ok saw a few at best buy last night and my head is spinning. I saw that Pioneer which was nice but the color was super saturated. Everyone looked like they had a bad sunburn. The floor guy said it was in vivid mode or something like that and he couldn't change it. He assured me that it was awesome. Don't really want to go by his assurance though. Hawk do you know about this vivid mode and do you leave it off or do you correct the color otherwise?
Other than that I was left a little unsure about plasmas as they said that glare can be a problem and I'm not sure if the lighting in my place might be bad for that. I guess I could be safe and just get LCD they certainly come large enough now. I thought the sharp lcd's looked really good, even better than the Sonys. I saw a bluray movie too that was so clear and colorful it hurt my eyes after a while.

[MarineHawk]

Originally Posted by BKLYNH2

Ok saw a few at best buy last night and my head is spinning. I saw that Pioneer which was nice but the color was super saturated. Everyone looked like they had a bad sunburn. The floor guy said it was in vivid mode or something like that and he couldn't change it. He assured me that it was awesome. Don't really want to go by his assurance though. Hawk do you know about this vivid mode and do you leave it off or do you correct the color otherwise?
Other than that I was left a little unsure about plasmas as they said that glare can be a problem and I'm not sure if the lighting in my place might be bad for that. I guess I could be safe and just get LCD they certainly come large enough now. I thought the sharp lcd's looked really good, even better than the Sonys. I saw a bluray movie too that was so clear and colorful it hurt my eyes after a while.

I had the installer dude optimize the settings on ours. It looks way better than the one in the store did. You just have to have it set correctly.

I worried about the glare too, but it's not noticeable to us. To the extent that there is any glare, the aforementioned wall pivot mount has completely taken care of that. During the day, we just rotate it a little away form the windows to the right. At night, if we have some lights on behind us, we just rotate it a little the other way. The picture on HD is really unbelievable. I doubt we'll ever go to a theater again. (I always end up with a cross-eyed psycho with bad breath and a bladder control problem sitting next to me).

[MarineHawk]

For example, this article has the optimal settings for a Panasonic: http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatvreviews/panasonic-th50px60u-review.html

The Best Buy store here had most of the TVs running on default settings, which weren?t that good.

Here are some hopefully useful info sources:

http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatvreviews/plasma-vs-lcd.html

http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatvreviews/plasmatv-fireplace.html

http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatvreviews/whyplasmatv.html

http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatv/plasmatv-misconceptions.html

[KenP]

Originally Posted by BKLYNH2

The floor guy said it was in vivid mode or something like that and he couldn't change it.

That's common as most stores do that. Or so I read...

We've got BluRay and it's awesome.

[NJ H2]

I have the Pioneer Plasma and Love it! Keep this in mind LCD technology is getting better and Plasma's will most likely be phased out by next year. The new Plasma's will last about 6 years where LCD's will basically last for the life of the TV. At this point if you want 37" or higher Plasma is better but for your smaller TV >37" go with LCD. Vizio LCD's are getting some real good marks.
FYI. I have the infared wall eye which enables me to keep the cable box, DVD player, Onkyo receiver and VCR all in the basement. Everything plugs into the Onkyo nad 1 HDMI cable from the Onkyo to the TV. It cuts way down on wireing and also keeps everything out of you way. I know you don't have a basemnet but you can relocate it to a closet or storage space. 1 remote controlls everything!

[BKLYNH2]

Thats some good info on the av receiver as i'd like to minimize the cables that run to the tv. Does that thing do the surround sound as well? It's good to here a lot of praise for the Pioneer it is definitely a top contender and the price is at 2 grand now, not too bad.

[KenP]

Originally Posted by BKLYNH2

Thats some good info on the av receiver as i'd like to minimize the cables that run to the tv. Does that thing do the surround sound as well?

Yes.

I got ours at Circuit City as an open box with full warranty. Saved hundreds.

If you're interested in a new remote, I got this one at Best Buy. It's pretty new and we had to drive 30 minutes to get one. Super easy to set up. You install the software on your computer, go to the website, enter the make and models of your equipment, answer a series of yes/no questions and let it do it's thing.

If you have a problem when using it, like my cable box didn't come on, you tap the "help" button and it asks you a series of yes/no questions until it fixes the problem. Took about 10 seconds and no trouble since.

We were quoted $1200 for a remote that does the samething. I b!tched about it and they told me $300 for programming!!! Took me about 30 minutes. I'm still pissed about it!! Anyway, it's about $449.
Logitech Harmony 1000

[dеiтайожни]

Originally Posted by NJ H2

Vizio LCD's are getting some real good marks.

No, no, no! Vizio's are pieces of shit. Their picture sucks, if there is even the slightest bit of sunlight in the room you can't see it. The viewing angle sucks, you practically have to be directly in front of it. Lastly, the speakers on them are horrible.

After my first plasma died, I picked up a 42" Vizio LCD... I don't remember why. But I ended up taking it back and getting a 46" Sony Bravia LCD, it was 3x more expensive but you get what you pay for.

Yes, the Pioneer is the way to go... I'm picking another one up for the bedroom shortly. That a/v setup sounds cool, I want!