DescentBB

Mrs. Dedman and I are looking into buying a new TV. I donâ??t know squat about the technical specs or abilities of these things. We are looking for something that we can keep around for a long time, is compatible with upcoming technology, and is compatible with a good surround sound system. We are looking to spend less than a $1000.

Any ideas?

Samsung HDTV.

I bought one last year and it rocks. Enough connections for RGB, Stereo, DVD, VCR, (S-Video & console connections on Side of TV), rest are on back.

I've been very happy with this TV. Watching DVD's using component connections is mind blowing. The quality is wicked. The 27" version I bought is big enough for me in my appartmeent and they even included handles on side for easier lifting.

Now...I haven't read around or anything about this so the question probably sounds stupid, but here goes..

Is it true that you can't watch regular programming on HDTVs? That in order to watch TV you have to actually subscribe to your local cable company's HDTV service or whatever HD services are available?

Someone told me this once and I thought it was a load of bull. To me that would be impractical. If you have regular cable you should be able to watch everything there is on regular TV, however if they provide said channel or program in HD then that will come in clearer then whatever else there is.

Of course you'd want to subscribe to the HD service if you had an HDTV but you should be able to watch normal TV on it. No intent to hijack here, was just curious. Please answer Dedman's post too

That's a great questions Tyranny. I hadn't even considered it.

No, you can watch regular TV on a HDTV. But if you want to watch HDTV channels, then you need a decoder for it and make sure your provider has HDTV channels.

I have digital cable and the higher channels look awesome but the lower ones (70 and under) look like they did before.

My cable company has about 12 HDTV channels and you have to buy the decoder at 499$ and pay 20$/month for the channels. It's not worth it for me. Also, the HDTV channels are like NBC, CBS, CBC etc and nothing really good. I don't need to watch Friends or Frasier in HDTV. I'd rather watch Racing or movies in HDTV.

HDTV will get the most use from dvd and not cable so to speak, I have comcast hdtv, I pay $5 a month extra for the hdtv decoder and I get a woppin 4 or 5 channels that are actually hdtv, I don't use it that much.

I will say the picture can't be beat when watching dvd's though

totally off topic but are you looking to adopt dedman? you've been on a splurge lately

anyhoo, stay away from plasma, burns out in 5 years or so

what about air channel brodcasts? do you need a special decoder for them?

You do need a decoder box for over the air HDTV broadcast but the signal is usually better than the cable because they don't have to compress the signal to broadcast over the air, plus it's free over the air (once you buy the box).

I have the basic HDTV package from my cable provider which means I pay a couple dollars a month more for the digital box but don't pay for any pay HDTV channels. We get 2 of the HBO's in HDTV, Discovery HDTV (incredible stuff), and a few other HDTV channels at no extra charge. The rest is over the air stuff when I feel like turning on the HDTV box ($275 Zenith box).

Monday night football + HDTV + 52" TV = Awesome

Here's a link to a great resource of info

Thx Merlin

whuppinboy wrote:totally off topic but are you looking to adopt dedman? you've been on a splurge lately

anyhoo, stay away from plasma, burns out in 5 years or so

I don't know what you mean by splurge. Other than the bow flex we have been trying to cut our expendatures. Mrs. Dedman and I are going to take a 10% pay cut as of Jan 1.[/off topic]

It's just that our TV is at least 14 years old and it's 18 inch self is fading fast. We don't watch a lot of TV, but when we do we want to be able to enjoy it. Besides, I have to watch my Chargers win the Superbowl

Bonz wrote:HDTV will get the most use from dvd...

You need a Progressive DVD Player to make DVD's a reason for a purchase of an HDTV

EDTV and lower is fine or DVD, and "compatible with HDTV" is not HDTV

BUBBALOU wrote:and "compatible with HDTV" is not HDTV

To elaborate, this means that the TV is capable of displaying HD content, but it doesn't have a built-in tuner so unless you have a third-party decoder box it won't play any HD content on its own.

You'll also see TVs labeled "HDTV Ready". Its the same thing.

That being said, look at a TV with the most set of inputs and a large picture tube. Anything else is secondary. Theres no point in buying a nice shiny brand spanking new TV that only has one or two inputs on it. If at all possible, get one that supports component video (not to be confused with composite, which uses the red white and yellow cables) and/or S-Video. Anything less isn't worth the money, trust me. You loose picture resolution.

There is always DLP HDTV.

We are looking at this one.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Panasoni ... tDetail.do

Click

This is the TV I bought, sorta. Seems a bit different here than the one I have but features are the same.

Dedman wrote:We are looking at this one.

click me

"HD-capable"

Thats the same thing all over again. No built-in HD tuner so you're stuck buying a convertion box. Still, its a nice TV. I just wish they went into more detail on it.

For those that are curious about the details, click here.

I think in 2006 ALL transmission for t.v. will be changed from analog to hdtv. At such time you will need a converter for your analog set to display the new govt. mandated hdtv transmissions. So if you are buying a t.v., make sure it is able to recieve the new transmissions.

The FCC has mandated that by 2007 all televisions sold in the United States be HDTV-capable. Is that what you're thinking of woody?

Someone needs to invent an HDTV Tuner that has a simple VGA output so we can just use our monitors for HDTV's

woodchip wrote:I think in 2006 ALL transmission for t.v. will be changed from analog to hdtv. At such time you will need a converter for your analog set to display the new govt. mandated hdtv transmissions. So if you are buying a t.v., make sure it is able to recieve the new transmissions.

You mean like it was supposed to do like a year ago? Take it for a grain of salt dude. It'll probably be another ten years before all channels are HD.

Avder wrote:Someone needs to invent an HDTV Tuner that has a simple VGA output so we can just use our monitors for HDTV's

cough

Hmm scope out the Infocus x2 or x1 for the $1000.00 point;
800x600 isn't true hd, but your old eyes won't see the difference anyways (The picture will still look fantastic).

http://www.infocus.com/products/index.a ... =category2

http://www.streetprices.com/Electronics ... 41922.html

I have a trick or two to let you take svga over 75' just using Cat 5 UTP.

Why settle for inches when you can do that AND FEET

General

Aspect Ratio: 4:3 and 16:9
Brightness: 1600 max ANSI lumens (standard mode) 1100 max ANSI lumens (whisper mode)
Contrast Ratio: 2000:1 full on/full off
Data Compatibility: SVGA, VGA, XGA, Macintosh®
Display: DLP�by Texas Instruments®: 0.55" SVGA DDR DMD
Image Size (diagonal): 2.7â?? to greater than 21.6â?? (0.8 m to greater than 6.5 m)
Light Source: 200W SHP/3000 hours
Native Resolution: SVGA 800 x 600
Projection Lens: Zoom lens with manual focus and manual zoom adjust
Projection Methods: Front, ceiling, rear
Throw Ratio: 1.89 to 2.27:1 (D/W), 1.51 to 1.82:1 (D/D)
Video Compatibility: NTSC, PAL, SECAM, DVI, HDTV (1080i, 720p, and 480p)
Maximum Projection Distance :
Minimum Projection Distance: 1.5 m (maximum distance 9.8 m)
Zoom Ratio: 1.2:1

Very nice. We are probably going to do that when we setup our home theater in the basement. We have nothing to project on to in our living room. So for now we just need a better TV.

ok, why is it that some posts scroll way to the right side of my screen and I'm using 1280x1024 res? This is annoying.

CDN_Merlin wrote:ok, why is it that some posts scroll way to the right side of my screen and I'm using 1280x1024 res? This is annoying.

Because a certain someone (YOU) didn't dress a long ass link.

Canuck wrote:Why settle for inches when you can do that AND FEET

Now we're talking! TV's are for lightweights. Since Texas Instruments develops the DLP technology, and I just so happen to work for TI, I get a nice discount, too.

DCrazy wrote:The FCC has mandated that by 2007 all televisions sold in the United States be HDTV-capable. Is that what you're thinking of woody?

No. All transmission will be in HDTV format and if you have a older analog set you will have to get a seperate decoder for reception. Though what you say D is true also.

Hi guys,

Thanks to Woodchip for pointing me to this thread.

I spent a big part of the day on Wednesday and a chunk of Thursday morning wading through Consumer Reports on this stuff. We have a small den-type room for our main TV spot so even though the DLP technology looks appealing we are probably going to go with this baby.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productD ... &WT.mc_t=U

I found cheaper base prices online but when I put it together with shipping, the one at Circuit City was like a dollar more. I decided I better let my husband in on his Christmas surprise since it wouldn't be much of a present if he thought I had dropped $800 on the wrong machine. He's down there checking it out now.

Who's the idiot posting a 2000 pixel wide URL?
Thanks for making the thread unreadable.

Oh - it's Merlin...

Merl: Ever heard of BBCODE?

U obviously missed my Panny thread in the Market forum. Oh well

As for 2006, yeah, all channels will stop sending analong signals, but they won't be sending HDTV singnals. R u kidding me? Millions of Americans with older technology TV, not capable of HDTV. The channels will simply be sent as digital instead of analog. And most will double up as HDTV. But not HDTV only...not for awhile.

This won't happen starting in 2006, either. It's going to take a while before the switch is actually made; too may people, myself included, have good ol' CRT screens that work perfectly well without an HD signal.

I will quickly throw my two cents worth in here...

Before purchasing my current TV nearly a year ago I researched off-and-on for about 18 months. I used the following guidelines.

Decide how much you are willing to pay. You have done this. Now, subtract a good amount from your limit. Why? Simple. There are several accessories that you will end up having to buy. Surge protectors (this is a must, considering if you are willing to invest in an expensive set), cables (these add up in a hurry...), a possible stand, etc...

Then make a prioritized list of features that your new TV must have. Then make a list of each technology on the market today. Those being, rear projection, CRT, projectors, LCD, plasma, dlp, etc...

Then compare your list to the itemized list of features per each technology.

Don't forget to add in items such as room placement, ambient light, viewing distance... these all add up. For example, if you buy a plasma or projector and put it in a room with a lot of ambient light, you will not be very happy.

Oh thanks Rev! I will be filing your advice away for February when I go ahead with the TV purchase.

Apparently my choice of TV was flawed from yet another angle. Doh!

I know you guys will understand this far better than I do, but apparently the TV I "bought"( it's still sitting at Circuit City) and will "return" tomorrow, will show HD programs in a really tiny letter box. If I want widescreen I'm going to have to pay about $1600, so must wait for bonus time.

Guess it's another Christmas of flannel shirts and slippers for my husband.

BTW what did you end up gettin Rev?

I think in 2006, all of you with analog sets will have to buy a convertor for your analog set.

sheepdog wrote:Oh thanks Rev! I will be filing your advice away for February when I go ahead with the TV purchase.

BTW what did you end up gettin Rev?

Of course, glad I could help.

I ended up purchasing a Mits.

Mitsubishi WS-65815 (Diamond CRT):
http://www.mitsubishitv.com/televisions ... .asp?id=93

Edit: HEH! It edited part of the URL... 'mitsubishi tv' without the space...

Just checked it out...Nice!

I have to think that's like better than going to a theater?!

decide on what piece of hardware you like and check out
any possible user-probs, design faults etc at a site like this http://www.avforums.com/ very useful for real-life reviews/experiences.

The FCC has mandated that by 2007 all televisions sold in the United States be HDTV-capable. Is that what you're thinking of woody?

No. All transmission will be in HDTV format and if you have a older analog set you will have to get a seperate decoder for reception. Though what you say D is true also.

Actually, you are both wrong. FCC has mandated that all broadcasters will transmit in a DIGITAL format. HDTV, while digital, is not standard digital transmission. Likewise, at the same time, all new TV's will begin to sport digital tuners exactly like the digital box you probably have on your TV set if you have digital cable.

This does not mean that after 2007 your old TV's will be useless. Cable systems, since they are Closed Circuit, will still be able to carry analog signals (channels 125 and below) as well as the digital carriers. However, those channels will only be analog on the cable system. They will be transmitted to the cable head end digitally. We are seeing the change over to this now, as each station does its roll-out of new digital IRD's (integrated reciever/descrambler).

Thus, if the cable system is in good shape, and set up right, your analog channels should look as good as the rest of your digital channels.

sheepdog wrote:Just checked it out...Nice!

I have to think that's like better than going to a theater?!

Yeah, especially with my sound system (which hurt the wallet as well)

I have made an effort to not go to the movies anymore, but wait on the DVD or try to find HD versions of movies if possible. I figure if I invest in the home theater system, I should not waste money on going to a theater. Just doesn't add up to me.

suicide eddie wrote:decide on what piece of hardware you like and check out
any possible user-probs, design faults etc at a site like this http://www.avforums.com/ very useful for real-life reviews/experiences.

Yes, good point.

Upon narrowing my selection down to three brands and models I hit the avsforums for popular and educated opinion. I was leaning heavily towards the Mits model, but wanted to make sure it was not causing problems for individuals that had already purchased it.

I was happy to see the debate on the avsforum site for the best CRT unit, at the time, was between the 55" and 65" mits diamond series. The Sony and Pioneer Elite series models were not even being mentioned... well, they were being mentioned, but with quite a bit of negativity.