do you like hdtv sets?

[Nevada Sixx]

i was just at circuit city looking at tv's,, seems like those hdtv sets always look stretched or faded,, since we dont have hd channels here and most dvd's are regular definition,maybe i should get the edtv 44 inch,, or a regular 36 inch tv. anyone got opinions on hdtvs?

 

[captblue1]

i love my HDTV. even if you are getting a new tv anyway you might as well get one that if future proof. one day you will have HD broadcasts. it is the wide screen not the HDTV that makes the screen look stretched. you get used to it

 

[billtx]

I'm going through all this also. The only thing I can figure out is that TV watching is getting more expensive.

If I was going to spend some money ($1K+) I would get an HD capable TV. The ED format seems like an interim format that will be gone soon, I would not do it. All boadcasts will be HD in 2009. You can always get a converter box for your analog set so you are not really forced to buy one. So far, here is what I've learned:
Plasma - above 40 inches or so provides a better picture than LCD with better black and no burn-in
LCD - typical up to about 36 inches, but may have burn-in issues. I think Sony has a good picture.
DLP - This is a really cool system. I worked at TI and set next to the guys that invented this. It is used in sets from 40 inches and up. I think it has the best picture quality and from the demos in the store it was obvious.

I think it all comes down to how much dough you have and how much space you have.

P.S. I really like the HDTV format! But will stick with my analog set for a while.

 

[Okiewan]

All boadcasts will be HD in 2009

Unless there are new plans/regs that I haven't heard of, it's not HD that will be manditory, it's digital. There is no requirent to broadcast in 16:9 HD.

Plasma - above 40 inches or so provides a better picture than LCD with better black and no burn-in

... almost. In fact Plasma is the flat technology that can burn in, not LCD. Life of LCD is more than double that of plasma. There is a difference in black levels, if you can see it, you've got a good eye.... I'm pretty damn picky and just purchased a 37" LCD for the family room and am very pleased. At wide viewing angles, blacks will go gray. The ONLY technology that won't suffer at wide angles is CRT/Tube.

Plasma is 42" and larger only. A good old fashioned rear projector big screen still delivers the most realistic images. If you've got the space, a high-end rear-projector is a much better buy.

Watch the viewing angles and tendency to "rainbow" (color shifting) at various angles with DLP.

Bottom line, there are trade-off's with every techology compared to old-school CRT/Tube based TV's when it comes to pure picture quality.

Last thing... MANY people buy TV's way too big for their viewing distances. A 61", $4,000 tv won't look good at 4 feet. You'd need roughly 13 feet between your eyeballs and the screen to see a screen that size at it's best. Not room deminsions, actual distance to the screen.

Viewing Distances Guidelines:

30" 6.25 feet
35" 7.3 feet
40" 8.3 feet
45" 9.4 feet
50" 10.4 feet
55" 11.5 feet
60" 12.5 feet
65" 13.5 feet

Shopping for:

Plasma... Panasonic owns the market with respect to picture quality. Pioneer Elite if you want to spend big bucks... $5K+
LCD: Samsung and Sharp. Most say the Sharp is over priced.
DLP: Samsung
Rear Projector; Hitachi UlltraVision. Hitachi makes a good part of the components that go into all major brands... and save the best for their own. Pioneer Elite used to be the best, they are out of that business now.

 

[Okiewan]

i was just at circuit city looking at tv's,, seems like those hdtv sets always look stretched or faded

I'd try somewhere else... they have problems. I have a simple indoor antena hooked-up to a 37" LCD, digital and HD look awesome... same with DVD.

 

[Wind]

CRT/Tube is the standard by which others are judged and I have two of them. However that prevents me from being able to compare to other technology. They are both large screens but don't distort by stretching if you have the proper setting. My complaints are these: I expected sharper resolution like all my other Tube TVs (this could be the larger screen size translating or some kind of upconverting), noticeable delay of video out of sync with audio (not sure of this also, but seen that's seen on broadcasts and videos). My satellite is not HD and TV is.

 

[KaTooMer]

since we dont have hd channels here and most dvd's are regular definition,maybe i should get the edtv 44 inch,, or a regular 36 inch tv.

Personally, I wouldn't go HD unless you have access to HD programming. I've got 42" plasma and really don't enjoy watching the non-HD channels. Old fashioned tube TV is still better for that. Watching CBS football in non-HD is just plain crappy on mine, partly from the stretching and because it's not very clear. ESPN Sunday night football, on the other hand...amazing.

 

[RYDMOTO]

http://www.avsforum.com/
There is all kinds of information on this site.I hope you find it helpful

 

[captblue1]

here is some good info
http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/learningcenter/home/tv.html

 

[billtx]

Okie, good info, thanks for the update. I still have more to learn on this.

 

[snb73]

Hey what about Mitsubishi? I bought a WS-55613 for around $2300 two years ago, picture is great. Dvd's look awsome in 1080i. It's a 55" 16:9 with a built in HD tunner. I installed an antenna on the roof and get about 20 HD channels for free. I view regular cable in the expanded mode, the image is good.

RYDMOTO gave you a good web site, here are a few more. I would stay away from CC and BB. You can find some good deals but I would look at the specialty big screen stores for better buys on a better quality product. Nothing like watching the superbowl on HD for free.

Good luck, Steve.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/

http://www.partsexpress.com/

http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/Address.aspx

http://www.antennasdirect.com/

 

[CaptainObvious]

I bought my father in-law a Samsung 30" HD-CRT in a 16:9 format for Christmas. A very nice picture, but as noted above, unless you are watching a program formated for 16:9, it can be worse than watching a program in a 4:3 format.

As for HD, it is all it is cracked up to be. Comcast charges an extra $1 per month for an HD converter box (no broadcast signals where I live - too far from the city).

I have been thinking about a 42" 16:9 for myself. I do like the DLP sets.

 

[bsmith]

Can't help in the TV department, yet as a one time CC buyer I would never go back.
Had a Panasonic MiniDV PalmCorder that I bought from CC that was broken when trying to hook into the VCR. I went to CC and they wouldn't help me at all.
Went to Sears and the guy took parts(Jack Box) off another camara to see if that was my problem. It was, so I ordered another one; Problem fixed. CC did nothing and didn't care and I won't go back. It was about a $700 camara and just over a year old (past the warrenty), yet it was a big deal to me and I saw "NO" customer service.

I shop at Sears or Best Buy.

 

[Joe Diver]

http://www.avsforum.com/
There is all kinds of information on this site.I hope you find it helpful

:cool: I just bought the mits WD-52628 and couldn't be happier. Get yourself over to avsforum and start reading...it will take time and you will learn more than you wanted to know....

 

[SpDyKen]

Do any of the 16:9 sets allow you to show 4:3 broadcasts in 4:3 (with black filler on each side, like a 4:3 set does with widescreen show) ?

 

[CPT Jack]

i was just at circuit city looking at tv's,, seems like those hdtv sets always look stretched or faded,, since we dont have hd channels here and most dvd's are regular definition,maybe i should get the edtv 44 inch,, or a regular 36 inch tv. anyone got opinions on hdtvs?

Check out THIS LINK for a jump start on your HDTV knowledge. FYI, you can get HDTV channels with satellite (DirecTV or Dish Network), so factor that, and the cost into your decision. Also, widescreen versions DVD's are made for HDTV sets.

SpDyKen, yes, individual models will have several display modes. My Mitsubishi has 5 modes, one of which had grey bars on the left & right (as you described). I really wish they were black - why anyone would want that distracting light grey is beyond me.

 

[trakkerman]

I really wish they were black - why anyone would want that distracting light grey is beyond me.

Have you tried adjusting the brightness/contrast?

I have a 4:3 and when watching wide screen I have the bars at top and bottom. If I watch at night with all the lights off, I have to adjust the brightness/contrast to make the bars appear black. I don't notice this during the day or if there is ambient light in the room.