Which TV and Why??

[DawnCt1]

We have a 37" Sony Trinatron that must be close to 12 years old. The picture is flashing off and on. I plan to pay the $75 to see if it is salvagable but I think the reality is, we may need a new TV. Now I know there are Plasma TVs, HDTVs, LCD tvs and probably tvs that I haven't thought of. Which TV would you suggest. I don't want to spend a zillion dollars for a tv but which one offers a good picture for a reasonable amount of $$. I will probably wait until DH gets home from Iraq. What is a reasonable price for a tv these days. It would be for the family room.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Here is a good primer, Dawn........

http://reviews.cnet.com/Home_audio/4520-7608_7-1016109-1.html

 

[bicker]

Good luck Dawn. I'm pretty-much a techie kind of guy, yet we're still living with our flaky picture-tube television, because HDTV is just to darned complicated.

 

[LoraJ]

We were going to go with an LCD HDTV but ended up with a plasma. ANother thing you need to decide is if you want flat panel or rear projection. The flat panels are the ones you can hang on your wall. We did this with ours and it looks very nice. We got ours at Best Buy with some package deal that included delivery and installation. They also have a really good members rewards program. I am getting $200 in certificates after that purchase that we'll use towards a new TiVo.

If you decide to go HDTV, here's a good forum for info:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=6

 

[DawnCt1]

We were going to go with an LCD HDTV but ended up with a plasma. ANother thing you need to decide is if you want flat panel or rear projection. The flat panels are the ones you can hang on your wall. We did this with ours and it looks very nice. We got ours at Best Buy with some package deal that included delivery and installation. They also have a really good members rewards program. I am getting $200 in certificates after that purchase that we'll use towards a new TiVo.

If you decide to go HDTV, here's a good forum for info:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=6

I would love to hang it on the wall but I don't have one to hang it one. The one long wall is where the sofa is. The other wall is all fire place except for about 4 ft. The current tv is at an angle so the new one will have to be. The edge of the tv could overlap the fireplace bricks a bit and look fine. I think the skinnier the better however.

 

[DawnCt1]

Here is a good primer, Dawn........

http://reviews.cnet.com/Home_audio/4520-7608_7-1016109-1.html

You mean that I have to do my own homework!!?

 

[DawnCt1]

Good luck Dawn. I'm pretty-much a techie kind of guy, yet we're still living with our flaky picture-tube television, because HDTV is just to darned complicated.

Well THATS not very encouraging.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Hey Dawn, if I can go OT for a sec - how is your pup? Is she feeling better?

 

[tar heel]

Our 12-year-old Sony started doing the flashing on and off about six months. After it warmed up, it was usually fine. Then for a couple weeks, it just flashed. We turned it on one day a couple weeks ago, and it worked perfectly normally and has ever since. I know, of course, that this isn't going to last!

We TV shopped when it first started but hadn't settled on what to buy. We have a beautiful entertainment center which limits the size we can get. DH would love to have one of the fancy ones, but I feel like it's just a TV instead of something important and don't want to spend piles of $.

 

[bicker]

Well THATS not very encouraging.

Tell me about it. I'm a degreed engineer, and a system architect for a commercial software product, and I simply couldn't figure this stuff out. Both Tweeter and Cambridge Soundworks offer free consultations in our area. I think I'll avail myself of those opportunities... treat them as tutorials.

Mostly, now, however, we're waiting for the one thing we KNOW we're going to need, that everything else is going to have to fit in with: The Series 3 TiVo, coming out this Fall. I figure there is no sense in getting an HDTV (as long as my picture tube set is still somewhat working) until I can actually view HDTV programs, and since I watch nothing live, that means waiting until the Series 3 TiVo is out.

 

[DawnCt1]

Hey Dawn, if I can go OT for a sec - how is your pup? Is she feeling better?

She is. You know if was the weirdest syndrome. She was drinking a HUGE amount and peeing, even in her sleep. When I got her to the vets she weighed 61 pounds. She had lost 4 pounds since her previous visit. I kept her in the tiled bathroom on a tarp and blankets which she didn't like. She was dry 4 nights in a row and last night she went and I got in my bed before I did. I let her stay and she was dry. She seems back to normal in terms of water consumption, etc. At the vet last Friday she weighed 64.5 pounds so all that water loss was dehydration.

 

[DawnCt1]

Our 12-year-old Sony started doing the flashing on and off about six months. After it warmed up, it was usually fine. Then for a couple weeks, it just flashed. We turned it on one day a couple weeks ago, and it worked perfectly normally and has ever since. I know, of course, that this isn't going to last!

:

I hate to tell you but that's how it starts. I have a day or two when it is fine, in fact, I cancelled the repair man. I am too frugal to toss something away if it can be fixed for a reasonable amount of $$$. There is only two shows that I have to see. The Apprentice and 24 and they are both on at the same time, although CNBC repeats The Apprentice.

 

[gris gris]

We bought a 47" projection HDTV at BJ's last year. The brand is Akai and it was $999 plus we bought an extended warranty on it. This is the type of TV that sits on the floor but it's pretty big. It actually came with a stand and we have it at an angle. You can also get the plasma ones and not put them on the wall - some come with stands so you can put them on your own TV stand/furniture. Plasma is a lot more expensive.

Just a warning - if you want to tap into HD, you have to get a different box from the cable company and also pay a monthly fee. I think we pay $2 extra for the box and $7.95 per month for HD. And another warning - once you watch TV in HD, you are beyond spoiled, and will wish every TV you watch had HD! It's incredible - I don't have to wear my glasses when we're watching an HD channel!

ETA: Our old TV was a 35" Panasonic that we had for 5 years. We decided to fix it because it only cost $100 to fix. So we have that one in another room. Also, the new projection TV weighs a lot less than the 35"! And it has handles built in so it's easy to move.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I was so glad that you started this thread Dawn as we are in the market for a new TV ourselves....seems we had this cabinet built in our bedroom to house our TV, cable box and DVD player....and the other night the shelf gave out murdering our TV as it came crashing to the ground. It was one of those older big tv's and we think it is time to get a lighter weight new one, preferably HDTV....

So I am reading this thread, hoping to get ideas of what to buy, where to buy, etc., without too much homework on my part. I hate laboring over these decisions, just give me the new TV and let me go home.

 

[golfgal]

We bought a 47" projection HDTV at BJ's last year. The brand is Akai and it was $999 plus we bought an extended warranty on it. This is the type of TV that sits on the floor but it's pretty big. It actually came with a stand and we have it at an angle. You can also get the plasma ones and not put them on the wall - some come with stands so you can put them on your own TV stand/furniture. Plasma is a lot more expensive.

Just a warning - if you want to tap into HD, you have to get a different box from the cable company and also pay a monthly fee. I think we pay $2 extra for the box and $7.95 per month for HD. And another warning - once you watch TV in HD, you are beyond spoiled, and will wish every TV you watch had HD! It's incredible - I don't have to wear my glasses when we're watching an HD channel!

ETA: Our old TV was a 35" Panasonic that we had for 5 years. We decided to fix it because it only cost $100 to fix. So we have that one in another room. Also, the new projection TV weighs a lot less than the 35"! And it has handles built in so it's easy to move.

Is your tv HDTV compatible or HDTV ready? We are also looking for a new TV and about the only thing I can figure out is if your tv is HDTV Compatible you need a different converter box, if the tv is HDTV READY, it has the converter built in, or something like that. It IS really confusing.

 

[diznygirl]

Not sure about the technical aspect of anything - DH handles all of that. We just bought a new TV (plasma but not wall mounted) cuz something about all shows will start to be broadcast in widescreen format in the fall. Anyone know anything about that?

We have DirecTV and will be getting new hardware in the fall. That's all I know about that. But my new entertainment center is beautiful!!!

 

[cardaway]

We are in the market for one real soon as well. In fact we were out shopping on Saturday but didn't pull the trigger.

One thing I was told that will factor highly into our purchase is the glare factor on plasmas vs. projection. Our house is almost all windows on both sides and plasmas are as bad as glass screen tube TV's when it comes to glare from outside light. The new projection TV's (looking at a DLP) have little to no glare. They also seem to handle black levels better as well which is one of the biggest factors for me.

 

[N.Bailey]

I can't really offer up much advice, but if any video games are going to be played on this set, stay away from plasma. You'll have major burn in problems. There is absolutely no burn in with LCD.

 

[bicker]

What little I have figured out is that I probably want DLP instead of plasma or LCD. I wish someone could explain why that's the case -- I sure can't!

Seriously, I believe its because of the lack of burn-in (so better than plasma) and the better black levels (so better than LCD, within the same price range).

Does anyone know if "cable card" has anything to do with HDTV decisions?

 

[wdwoldtimer]

If you get a DLP set, I would suggest springing for the extended warranty...but only if it covers replacement bulbs and the motor on the color wheel. The bulbs burn out every couple years or so, depending on how much you use it and they are around $200 - $300 a pop.

For those wondering....the major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS etc) have been broadcasting in widescreen HDTV for a couple years now. Nearly every primetime show is in HD (except for reality shows). These broadcasts are free, over-the-air. All you need is an HD over-the-air tuner, which is built into many sets now, or available separate if not. A separate tuner is around 200 bucks. You'll also need a UHF antenna and of course, a TV that can display HD. Typically when you see "HD Ready" that means you don't get a built-in tuner.

Most cable companies and the sat companies also have HD options, but as someone mentioned, at extra cost.