Shopping for a quality big screen tv?

Question

Im in the market for a new tv. Im looking for something between 50-60" maybe even bigger. But i dont wont to spend over 1500 dollars..Im really lost about all the tv talk. HDTV, LCD, PROJECTION, DLP, PLASMA....I will probably only use regular cable but will use alot of DVDs and games. Do i need HD cable for these tv's? What will the picture look like if i dont? What is the best set-up for low mantiance and long life? I know projection needs a light bulb replaced every few years. I really just dont know alot about the new stuff out..Im also not able to have dish..Please explain all the tech talk and what would be the best set-up for my usage. Thanks

Answer 1

I do in fact have a recomendation and it's one shared by most experts in the audio/visual field. At this point in time the Hitachi f59 series is the absolute best bang for the buck available on the market, bar none. LCD? Plasma? DLP? Nope, it's got every set below $3000 covered hands down in every relevant category, be it picture quality, gaming performance or maintenance cost. The fact is that CRT is still the benchmark all others are judged by and at this point in time a High Def rear projection set such as the Hitachi offers the savvy buyer all the goodies without the hassles.

The F59 series is available in 51, 57 and 65 inch screen sizes, and as to price, well lets just say that on a good sale day you can pick up the 65 for between $1000-$1200 and the 57 for $999. Personally, I'd wait for the annual 'After the Super Bowl' sales as most retailers really offer some blowout pricing at this time, many close to those of 'Black Friday'. It was 'Black Friday' which put the 51 inch version on my doorstep at $699 shipped and I couldn't be happier with this set, heck I'd have paid full price and still considered it a steal. Yes, it really IS that good! But don't just take my word for it, take a look for youself at some of the factors which lead me to this purchase.

For instance lets look at the bulbs, or should I say lack of. ALL of the others technologies require an arc lamp bulb to provide the light source and it does a wonderful job...for about two years. 18-24 months is the average life expectancy of these bulbs under normal viewing conditions, then its time for replacement at a cost of $200. Average that out over the ten plus years you'll watch your typical CRT rear projection set like the Hitachi with ZERO bulbs and you'll see just what the latest 'High Tech' is really worth.

As a gamer this is the best choice once again due to a few things, the foremost being response time. CRT doesn't have to measure pixel response in milliseconds because there are none, thus instant and true image representaion is there 24/7/365. This is critical when playing first person shooters such as Halo on Xbox Live as the lag associated with the other technologies allows the slightest bit of lag. Sure, a 10ms lag doesn't seem like much but it is the difference in that hitting and missing those vital split second shots, the difference between tea bagging an downed opponent or cursing yourself blue over why your 'dead on' head shot failed to take out the bad guy. Oh, and screen 'Burn In' isn't really an issue either anymore so than any other set, in fact less if proper cautions such as not leaving ANYTHING paused for extended periods of time.

Now as far as movie watching goes I certainly hope you have access to a lot of DVDs because viewing them on this set is more addictive than heroin or internet porn. My personal collection grows by the week now, even movies I've seen a million times gain new life on this set. And as for cable, well I have digital cable and see NO reason to upgrade to HD because the Standard def stations would remain the same and the combo of digital and this TV make you swear you were watching true High Def when tuned to any of the Discovery Network channels.

I'll not even go into the realm of picture quality, suffice to say 1080i with the true blacks and true color representation only CRT can deliver is still king of the hill despite every attempt to knock it off. So go ahead and pull the trigger on one of these bad boys, I promise, you'll not be dissapointed in any way, shape or form. Good luck and happy viewing

Answer 2

at $1500 your best bet will probably be a CRT if you want something big. i've been looking at 50"-60" tvs too and DLPs usually start at 1500-$1700 where i live. plasma and LCD are more expensive than that. CRT isn't as advanced as the other 3 - it's an older technology that is actually almost obsolete, but my friend just got a 57" hitachi CRT 1080i that is an awesome tv. he only paid like $800 for it, and it's hard to tell the difference between it and newer tvs (DLP, LCD, plasma). ALL hdtvs look bad when watching regular tv stations from what i've heard, it's really not worth upgrading yet unless you watch lots of DVDs or play lots of xbox 360 or PS3 unless you get HD channels.

Answer 3

When considering HDTVs you need to consider your situation to make the best decision about the purchase: where are you going to sit, what are you going to watch, whats the lighting situation, where do you want to put the TV. If you're sitting at extreme angles throw out the projections, if light will glare off the screen plasma isn't a great idea because its a sheet of glass and the reflects, if you're going to mount the TV throw out DLP, etc etc. The lamp in a DLP will need to be replaced roughly every three years (about 3k hours), most major retailers service policies cover the replacement of the bulb. You can expect around 60k hours out of both plasma and lcd. I'd seriously consider purchasing extended service on HDTVs, they're a big investment. DLP is the best for the money but has its downsides. The best way to pick a tv is to look at them and buy which picture you like the best. Keep in mind, a plasma consumes a lot of power and these TVs should have a clean consistent flow of power, look into a Panamax Power conditioner (MX4300 w/o audio, MX5100/5300 w/ audio) and a good set of cords is a plus. Don't forget YOU NEED AN HD SOURCE, if you're on Direct/Dish get better cables...you have a better signal.

Answer 4

If you're price range is around $1500 go with a rear projection HD ready TV. I've had a 61" for about 4 years and couldn't be happier.