Shopping for new widescreen HDTV... thoughts?

[rage2]

First off, props to kenny... if you need to buy a TV go through him. He's not a pushy salesman, and actually gives good advice. I didn't listen to him at first, and yea, I was wrong after visiting Future Shop where he works haha.

OK so I've been looking at building a new TV setup in my room. First off, I looked at projectors, at $1200-$1800, they're cheap, fairly bright, and HUGE. Problem was that they wash out in the daytime, so I can't use that in my bedroom.

Next up, were plasmas. I went and looked at pretty much every one at a bunch of stores, and the low end under $6000 units all have only 480 lines of vertical resolution, so it's fakes HDTV signals by compressing it down to 480 lines. When watching a HDTV 720 or 1080 line signal, the edges are all gone due to fitting it down to 480 lines. With the $6000+ plasmas, they display very well, but it's kinda pricey.

Next up are the LCD and DLP rear projections. First off, I found out that I can't get DLP's. Apparantly the picture quality is really good, but when I look at it, and I blink, the picture changes colors for a second. Very annoying. I guess I'm the 1% of the population that has this problem with DLP screens. I read up on how it works, and it's interesting to see that I can see fairly fast refresh rates. Go figure.

So now, LCD's. I looked at the Hitachi 42 and 50" widescreen, as well as the Sony Grand Wegas. The colors were much more vibrant on the sonys, and less susceptable to washout in daylight. Not sure if that's how future shop had it set, but it looked WAY better.

So it looks like I'm going with the Sony Grand Wega 42" (KF42WE620). I wanted to go with the 50" but I think with it sitting only 8 feet from my eyes, it might be a bit too big.

Anyone have this TV? Any problems? Comments? Anyone know any reason not to go with LCD rear projections? Anyone know if it's less tiring watching LCD's vs CRT's?

http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/servlet/ProductDetailDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&productId=173763

Comments much appreciated!

[legendboy]

I'm not gonna be too much help but my brand new Toshiba 42" widescreed projection hdtv is pretty damn nice. I don't notice much fade when my room is bright. Just reflections...

[rage2]

Originally posted by legendboy
I'm not gonna be too much help but my brand new Toshiba 42" widescreed projection hdtv is pretty damn nice. I don't notice much fade when my room is bright. Just reflections...
Did you get a LCD projection or a CRT projection? Model? Have you watched any HD content on it?

I'm gonna be watching a lot of HD material on it, and CRT's kinda wash out the details and sharpness of a HD image.

Oh ya, you should buy my HD shaw PVR or HD bell receiver to match your TV! :D

[Marsh]

Yeah i got a 51 inch Sony grand wega its amazing to watch for the distance the couch is from it...but yeah i haven't experienced any problems with it, its reliable and a whole lot of fun!

your 42 inch sounds killer...hope u get it!

[ninspeed]

I have noticed the same thing with the DLP's. It took a few times off looking at one before i noticed it, and then i could not avoid it.
I then started looking at LCD;s, and found hitachi had really vibrant colors compared to the panasonic bescide it.

I am still in the same boat as you, cant find something i like/need. I use my computer for everything then to a spliter, and then to the 3 tvs i have now, and i would like to be able to read size 12 fonts with out having to squint.

[rage2]

Oh yea, anyone know power consumption of LCD rear projection TVs vs say, CRT's and CRT projections?

Be nice if I can lower my power bill... another excuse to get a new TV! I think 40% of my power usage is from my TV... watch way too much! :rofl:

[Ed the SOHC]

I like the sony to but it really annoys me when I see a pixel burn out on LCD projection even though it's hardly noticable. I watched "finding nemo" on that sony and during one scene quick moving scene there was a lot of ghosting happening.

Personally, I would probably go for the Hitachi Utravision projection tv -> nice natural colours.

[GTS Jeff]

consider installing an extra set of super-blinds in your bedroom. this will allow you to use a projector.

and even if u still dont want a projo, ANY tv is going to look a little off if the room isnt pitch black. another annoying thing is that the level of light changes thru-out the day, meaning that your brightness and contrast settings will never be optimal unless u always make sure its dark.

itd be silly to spend a few grand on a nice tv and not have it set up optimally eh?

[Altezza]

I'd also recommend the Hitachi Ultravision. Perhaps even the Toshiba Cinema series.

I haven't picked up a plasma or LCD for the reason that the blacklevel generally still doesn't please me. Refresh rates sometimes are also below what I would expect.

In the past, I was not very pleased with the de-interlacing / progressive scan on the Sony TVs...the performance was quite poor IMO. Hopefully they have improved.

Also watchout for how shops setup their TVs for display. Generally, they are set for supreme brightness and contrast settings to show off the TV. But setting your brightness and contrast to such extreme settings does not generally fair well on the display's longevity and affects other aspects of the picture quality which most people don't pick up on. Kenny may be able to shed more light (no pun intended) on this practice.

[rage2]

Originally posted by Ed the SOHC
Personally, I would probably go for the Hitachi Utravision projection tv -> nice natural colours.
My inlaws have the Hitachi Ultravision CRT projection. I really don't like the HD detail washout of CRT projections. If you wanna know what I'm talking about, take one of my HD samples. Play it on an LCD monitor, then play it on a CRT monitor. The lost level of detail is staggering. Some people prefer the CRT look... I personally prefer the LCD look. Sharpness is very important for me I guess.

Originally posted by GTS Jeff
consider installing an extra set of super-blinds in your bedroom. this will allow you to use a projector.
Yea, I have lots of blinds already, but because I got a huge window, and 2 balconys in my bedroom, with one balcony pointing to a wall of windows, it's really bright in the day.

I can only cut down so much light before I have to paint all my windows black lol. I really wanted a projector, been shopping for a year on one now since I've had one at my parents house for years. But unfortunately, it's not practical enough for the bedroom.

Originally posted by Altezza
I'd also recommend the Hitachi Ultravision. Perhaps even the Toshiba Cinema series.

I haven't picked up a plasma or LCD for the reason that the blacklevel generally still doesn't please me. Refresh rates sometimes are also below what I would expect.

In the past, I was not very pleased with the de-interlacing / progressive scan on the Sony TVs...the performance was quite poor IMO. Hopefully they have improved.
Yea, I think my mind's set on the LCD... I'm actually replacing my Toshiba Cinema Series HDTV with this new LCD. I've done lots of comparisons with CRT HDTV's and the CRT's perform a lot worse with HD signals, especially live events.

As a bonus, with the TV being in the bedroom, I can turn down my air conditioning with an LCD haha. Having a large CRT in the room is like having a huge heater.

Yes the black levels aren't perfect, but really, it's not a terrible issue IMO. It's only an issue in very low light situations, and that's rarely going to happen in the master bedroom when the TV's on.

As for progressive scan, interlacing, refresh rates, it's REALLY hard to compare using 480p signals that every shop seems to use, since DVD's run different framerates at times and without proper pulldown it causes weird looks in high movement scenes. I brought in my HD PVR today to test the TV's with some pre-recorded 720p and 1080i material, and it's shocking how easier it is to tell TV's apart with a good signal.

[Khyron]

Well if you're set on a WEGA, they seem to have fixed the bulb problem (any google is bound to bring it up). I almost bought a 50 - the only thing that bugged me was the dark levels as I watch Gladiator/Abyss/Aliens more than Toy Story/Nemo. But check out brighter shows like Hulk and you can really see the appeal of the wega.

Though before you toss out your tosh - have you every gotten it professionally calibrated? There's a guy in Calgary that does it for a few hundred - it should put a CRT at near plasma levels... most of the people that complain about rear projections have never seen a properly set up one. Just another option. I was happy enough using one of the home-setup DVDs but I got also got a free 30 minute convergence only calibration with my purchase plan.

BTW a Sony grand wega is closer to being a DLP than an LCD. It just uses an LCD grid instead of the spinning wheel. But it's still a bulb shinning on the screen.

Khyron

[Altezza]

Originally posted by rage2
[B]
My inlaws have the Hitachi Ultravision CRT projection. I really don't like the HD detail washout of CRT projections. If you wanna know what I'm talking about, take one of my HD samples. Play it on an LCD monitor, then play it on a CRT monitor. The lost level of detail is staggering. Some people prefer the CRT look... I personally prefer the LCD look. Sharpness is very important for me I guess.


A lot lies in how the display is setup. A properly setup CRT and a poorly setup CRT is night and day. CRTs offer a wider range of control over your picture (there are a lot of hidden adjustments you can make which aren't offered in the standard menus). Age of a CRT display will also have a large contribution towards picture quality and sharpness. Colour reproduction, sharpness, and detail are generally still better with the CRTs depending on what type and content of source you're using. With LCDs inherent deinterlacing properties, it *should* look less crisp. However, the performance gap between the two is becoming smaller and smaller, almost to the point of splitting hairs with some of the premium LCD sets on the market.



As for progressive scan, interlacing, refresh rates, it's REALLY hard to compare using 480p signals that every shop seems to use, since DVD's run different framerates at times and without proper pulldown it causes weird looks in high movement scenes.


Yeah, I ran into similar issues. Difficult to compare as some sets up/downconvert signals before being displayed. As such, I don't rely on the DVD player, nor the TV for my de-interlacing and pulldown. I prefer using an external de-interlacer.

[Altezza]

Originally posted by rage2

Sharness is very important for me I guess.



Originally posted by rage2

live events.



Originally posted by rage2

TV being in the bedroom




HDTV Camcorder


Hmm...putting those together, it's pretty evident what you'll be using the TV for, LOL... :poosie:

[Ajay]

Originally posted by Altezza


[/b]

[/b]



Hmm...putting those together, it's pretty evident what you'll be using the TV for, LOL... :poosie: [/B]



Clever! :rofl:

[YCB]

Originally posted by Ajay




Clever! :rofl:


very clever hahaha :rofl: :thumbsup:

[Xtrema]

hahaha

That aside. I didn't notice DLP problems and watching a HD baseball game make me want to buy one of them Samsung DLP rear projection TV.

But my Tosh Cinema is still pretty new so I guess I'll wait.

The only thing I don't like about my Toshiba is that it doesn't do native 720P, which will be great for Xbox or bumping up my HTPC resolution (current running 960X540 in 540P timing).

I want to watch a lot of TV but hardly has time any more.

[pixil9]

I have a 60" sony DLP and I think it looks like shit unless i'm on a shaw digital HDTV channel or a DVD
paid 8 grand for the fucking thing too

[benyl]

you forgot:


rage2 said:
it's REALLY hard

[sputnik]

Its too bad you cant get a DLP screen. They are my personal favorite (especially now that Panasonic makes them).

I would stay FAR away from Plasma. Personally I think they dont look that great to begin with and the one that we have in our lobby at the office is REALLY washed out and blurry (in less than 2 years running 8/hrs per day).

DLIA is a new technology available on the market these days, however it might affect you like the DLP screens do. Also, the technology is rather new and untested.

After that the only choice you really have is LCD projection. The grand wegas have a nice picture, but I think their "case" looks like ass.

[rage2]

Originally posted by Altezza
Yeah, I ran into similar issues. Difficult to compare as some sets up/downconvert signals before being displayed. As such, I don't rely on the DVD player, nor the TV for my de-interlacing and pulldown. I prefer using an external de-interlacer.
De-interlacer? DVD's are stored progressively AFAIK, so proscan DVDs should play out just fine. As for my PVR, everything that's SD is upconverted to 720p (or 1080i) anyways, so I don't think I need a de-interlacer.

Originally posted by pixil9
I have a 60" sony DLP and I think it looks like shit unless i'm on a shaw digital HDTV channel or a DVD
paid 8 grand for the fucking thing too
That's apparant on ANY SD signal with HDTV's. Because the detail is so crisp, you notice the compression artifacts off satellte, digital cable, etc. Makes it look like crap. The only way around that is to use a non HDTV, in which case the bluriness of the TV itself will clean up the artifacting and make it look good to you. This is a huge problem with guys buying HDTV's but have no HDTV signals.

Originally posted by sputnik
I would stay FAR away from Plasma. Personally I think they dont look that great to begin with and the one that we have in our lobby at the office is REALLY washed out and blurry (in less than 2 years running 8/hrs per day).
Yea, plasmas are definately too costly still... well for GOOD plasmas anyways.

Originally posted by sputnik
After that the only choice you really have is LCD projection. The grand wegas have a nice picture, but I think their "case" looks like ass.
haha no doubt! I love how the Hitachi rear LCD's look. The case on the Sony's does look like shit.

[Ben]

Cant go wrong with Hitachi.

We've always owned Hitachi and will continue owning Hitachi.

Ultravision or Bust.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by pixil9
I have a 60" sony DLP and I think it looks like shit unless i'm on a shaw digital HDTV channel or a DVD
paid 8 grand for the fucking thing too

AFAIK Sony doesnt make any DLP TVs.

[Altezza]

Originally posted by rage2

De-interlacer? DVD's are stored progressively AFAIK, so proscan DVDs should play out just fine. As for my PVR, everything that's SD is upconverted to 720p (or 1080i) anyways, so I don't think I need a de-interlacer.


DVDs by design are for interlaced displays. The content is conceptually interlaced based on how the DVD is produced from a digital-tape based master. There are very few DVDs with true progressive content. However, many DVDs contain flags or marks to help with proper de-interlacing.

An external de-interlacer/upconverter is not a "need". Your PVR, your DVD player, your TV all have de-interlacing properties. However, they are all typically run of the mill and use basic techniques. If you're looking for the better film and video mode de-interlacing and upconversion, look towards an external device with a better de-interlacing chipset (ie, one with motion adaptive or motion compensated algorithms) and you won't regret it. :thumbsup:

[pixil9]

oops i meant LCD
http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/servlet/ProductDetailDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=169409&navigationPath=32050n45260

and ya.. don't buy this unless all you do is watch movies or HDTV channels

[Jynx]

We just bot the newest 50" hitachi LCD( The new black one) , and we hated it....maybe something was wrong wit ours, but it wuld take a few minuts 2 warm up, and sometimes it wuld randomly just turn off.....i think it was faulty...... now we are also int he market for another one

ne suggestions?

dont really want plasma or dlp

[sputnik]

Originally posted by Jynx
dont really want plasma or dlp

Why dont you want DLP?

[rage2]

Originally posted by Jynx
We just bot the newest 50" hitachi LCD( The new black one) , and we hated it....maybe something was wrong wit ours, but it wuld take a few minuts 2 warm up, and sometimes it wuld randomly just turn off.....i think it was faulty...... now we are also int he market for another one

ne suggestions?

dont really want plasma or dlp
If you're looking for LCD rear projection, IMO the Sony Wega's are the best based on testing like 6 different ones the other day. I haven't seen anyone in this thread disagree with me yet... so I think I'm making the right choice. Just some good discussion here on CRT vs LCD.

[badseed]

Just curious, how much is the 42" vega your lookin at and what model toshiba do you have currently?? Just cuz I own a cinema series and wanted your thougts on it.

[rage2]

The Toshiba I have is a CRT cinema series 32". The 42" Grand Wega LCD rear projection I'm looking at is $3500+GST.

[Ed the SOHC]

Originally posted by rage2
Grand Wega LCD rear projection I'm looking at is $3500+GST.

kenny can do better than that... and don't forget the PSP ;) :D

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by rage2
The Toshiba I have is a CRT cinema series 32". The 42" Grand Wega LCD rear projection I'm looking at is $3500+GST.



Originally posted by Ed the SOHC


kenny can do better than that... and don't forget the PSP ;) :D


Forget Kenny...

I can do better than that...:D...and I'm not pushy either...

tsk, tsk, tsk Rage..seeing Kenny over the 2 Local Beyond Sony Salesguys...:D

Grand Wegas ALL the way:thumbsup:

[1-Bar]

hahha....perfect time to post a reply!! Hahaha...Screw Kenny j/j

Sony is the best choice IMO in terms of price and quality. But if your a baller, and I know you are Rage, get a B&O!!

You might want to hold off, there's new models of the Grand Wega due to arrive, 3 models in fact. But the catch is its only availble 50"+

BTW the reason for your the colors changing when you blink on the DLP is that it based on a color wheel which tries to spin faster then you can detect.....which as you can tell, doesn't work for all. Some people get dizzy after watching DLP monitors for an hour or so.....

Coles nots: Grand Wega :thumbsup:
Oh yeah...don't get the PSP from futureshop, Sony Manufacture warranty is the way to go, come see me :rofl:

[kenny]

Originally posted by 1-Bar
Oh yeah...don't get the PSP from futureshop, Sony Manufacture warranty is the way to go, come see me :rofl:

Tell this to the guy that bought a grand wega 3 months ago without the service plan. Every third word was profanity because we wouldn't send someone out to take a look at his TV. We told him to call Sony who provides the limited 1 year warranty, and he was told the problem he was having wouldn't be covered.

Service plans are not designed for EVERYBODY but obviously this guy couldn't afford to fix his new tv :rofl:

I never force anyone to buy service plans nor do I even apply any pressure, just ask rage2 how many times I asked him :)

[Khyron]

I would definately buy a service plan with the WEGA. You might even get a free bulb change out of it anyway.

I went with a 57 tosh cinema rear proj instead, but weight and size were not an issue, wega was 2nd choice.

Also they are top heavy so try and wrangle that stand into the deal (its stupid expensive just cause it's got the clips), or build something with clamps. You don't want that thing falling, especially if there's ever kids in the area.

Khyron

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by 1-Bar
hahha....perfect time to post a reply!! Hahaha...Screw Kenny j/j

Oh yeah...don't get the PSP from futureshop, Sony Manufacture warranty is the way to go, come see me :rofl:




No, no...come see me...I am closer anyway...I am in the south...;)

[1-Bar]

Originally posted by kenny


Tell this to the guy that bought a grand wega 3 months ago without the service plan. Every third word was profanity because we wouldn't send someone out to take a look at his TV. We told him to call Sony who provides the limited 1 year warranty, and he was told the problem he was having wouldn't be covered.

Service plans are not designed for EVERYBODY but obviously this guy couldn't afford to fix his new tv :rofl:

lol...did he dunk it in water or something?? Customer's of mine got new TVs with in 2 months of at least 10 pixels burning out. I wonder what went wrong....probably a power surge, something that warranty does not cover.

Please, protect your equipment!!

[Niytros]

Might as well add my 2 cents... I've had a Hitachi 50V500 LCD rear projection since March and am really happy with it, have had no problems at all with it. HD programming is quite good on it using the Bell 6000 HD reciever.. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: for me on it.

Probably a good idea to check out:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/

[kenny]

Originally posted by 1-Bar


lol...did he dunk it in water or something?? Customer's of mine got new TVs with in 2 months of at least 10 pixels burning out. I wonder what went wrong....probably a power surge, something that warranty does not cover.

Please, protect your equipment!!

Does sony extended warranty cover that? Im not sure what the cause of the problem was but there was a thick band of green across his screen and for some reason it was not covered so he expected future shop to take his back and give him a new one hahah :rofl:

[Xtrema]

JIT for the discussion, Tom's Hardware is comparing 4 projection technologies:

http://graphics.tomshardware.com/video/20041015/index.html

[legendboy]

I spend $350 somethin on the futureshop/bestbuy 5 year extended warrenty. Money well spent imo.

[1-Bar]

Originally posted by kenny
Does sony extended warranty cover that? Im not sure what the cause of the problem was but there was a thick band of green across his screen and for some reason it was not covered so he expected future shop to take his back and give him a new one hahah :rofl:

I belive Sony covers pixel loss w/i a year, if its greater then 10....Or so that's what they tell me. But anything over a year and your SOL....

Poor guy...hahaha, I wonder what he did. Usually Sony's good with TV repairs under warranty. He musta done something bad to this unit....Think green band points me in the direction that its been droped.

[rage2]

The only problem with the PSP is future shop's attitude. I bought the PSP for my vaccuum cleaner (a big mofu that I can't fit in my car and got delivery) and when it broke 2 months later, they refused to come out and pick it up. So I borrowed a van, drove it to future shop and said fix it. Then they told me to bring it to the manufacturer, becuase the PSP only kicks in AFTER the warranty expires. I was so pissed off I threw the thing out and bought central vaccuum which I should've done in the first place.

Of course, with kenny working there, I'd kick his ass if he didn't come over! :rofl:

The secret is to buy from someone you know hehe.

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by kenny


Does sony extended warranty cover that? Im not sure what the cause of the problem was but there was a thick band of green across his screen and for some reason it was not covered so he expected future shop to take his back and give him a new one hahah :rofl:


I am not sure what the problem was...but I had a customer with the exact same issues on his 50 inch Grand Wega...we replaced it, as soon as a tech went out to his home...

[rage2]

Originally posted by Khyron
I would definately buy a service plan with the WEGA. You might even get a free bulb change out of it anyway.
PSP doesn't cover wear and tear stuff... so bulbs won't be covered.

I upgrade TV's every 2 or 3 years anyways, so it's really not a big deal with PSP for me.

And not to diss Futureshop PSP or nothing, but when you buy from Sony store, you get pretty damn good service. But you do pay higher (on average) than buying at Futureshop... but future shop is more expensive when u buy PSP... hehe.

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by rage2
And not to diss Futureshop PSP or nothing, but when you buy from Sony store, you get pretty damn good service. But you do pay higher (on average) than buying at Futureshop...

I am glad someone noticed the better service...:D

yes our prices are higher on average, but you will get better follow-up service, unless as Rage mentioned you are purchasing from a friend...

Rage let me know what Kenny offers you, as perhaps I can allow a better deal??:devil: :D

[Ed the SOHC]

Rage, you know I used to work at futureshop and I'll tell you that if you're looking just for the lowest price goto video and sound in T&T market. No real service but I sent a customer there to get a quote, he brought it back, I verified it, and my store manager said "we can't do that" it was selling at 7% over cost.

edit: my bad, kenny :(

[MerfBall]

Originally posted by rage2

PSP doesn't cover wear and tear stuff... so bulbs won't be covered.

I upgrade TV's every 2 or 3 years anyways, so it's really not a big deal with PSP for me.


Actually unless the PSP has changed much which I doubt other then the price going higher, PSP is suppose to cover wear and tear this is one of its key features, it doesn't cover consumables (i.e. printer ink) but a bulb on a projo should be covered :D


Originally posted by rage2

And not to diss Futureshop PSP or nothing, but when you buy from Sony store, you get pretty damn good service. But you do pay higher (on average) than buying at Futureshop... but future shop is more expensive when u buy PSP... hehe.

I believe that was the only way for Sony to have their stores stay open and still be able to sell their products to large retailers like Future Shop. Once upon a time Future Shop refused to carry Sony products because Sony would not allow Fshop to sell their products for less then the Sony stores.

[Ed the SOHC]

FS covers "normal" wear and tear. Ink, paper, batteries, printer heads, and LCD projector bulbs are consumable items which are NOT covered by PSP.

The number one problem w/ FS's PSP is that it's so grey. If you go to one store they'll say it's not covered, then you goto another store and it's covered... unless, you have someone on the inside ;)

[rage2]

Originally posted by Ed the SOHC
The number one problem w/ FS's PSP is that it's so grey. If you go to one store they'll say it's not covered, then you goto another store and it's covered... unless, you have someone on the inside ;)
The worse is the sales guys that tell u one thing, and when it comes in to get repairs, a different story comes out from the manager. That's what happened with my vaccuum, and that's why I only shop thru kenny now at FS.

[MerfBall]

Originally posted by rage2

The worse is the sales guys that tell u one thing, and when it comes in to get repairs, a different story comes out from the manager. That's what happened with my vaccuum, and that's why I only shop thru kenny now at FS.

The manager is being an ass then, for such simple little things they could have sent the salesman that sold it to you out there to pick it up or been alot more helpful. Future Shop service is decent so long as you don't go through a store.

And to think you used to buy things through Inder the #1 lying SOB in the company.:D

[rage2]

Originally posted by MerfBall
And to think you used to buy things through Inder the #1 lying SOB in the company.:D
Dude, Inder treated me wicked. That's why I only went through him. Even when I didn't buy PSP, he exchanged broken stuff months after purchase, no questions asked. When he moved to the Northland store, I went there with all my purchases through him.

He left to be a manager at best buy in TO, and I lost my insider at FS... this was before kenny started working there. The new manager at FS was the one that denied my PSP for my vaccuum cleaner! :banghead:

[1-Bar]

Originally posted by rage2

PSP doesn't cover wear and tear stuff... so bulbs won't be covered.

I upgrade TV's every 2 or 3 years anyways, so it's really not a big deal with PSP for me.

And not to diss Futureshop PSP or nothing, but when you buy from Sony store, you get pretty damn good service. But you do pay higher (on average) than buying at Futureshop... but future shop is more expensive when u buy PSP... hehe.

:werd: thanks....as Cyclone said, its nice to be recognized and apprichated. Serivce is half the battle of selling....

Newho, back on topic....the bulb in the Grand Wegas are under warranty for 90 days. They fixed the issue of last years models burning out prematurely by switching bulb manufactures -----> Philips now.

But under clean and regualted power, ie. monster power, you should get 6000 hours of lamp life (not 60 000 like the FS commercial....cause of this I have to argue with a lot of customers, that's like 6 years if you left it on!!!)

[rage2]

I was told UPS's are bad for the TV and bulb life. Is that true? I'm thinking of putting a UPS for the TV as LCD's use so little power, a decent sized unit can keep the TV on for close to an hour when we get a crazy storm and power outages.

[1-Bar]

no I mean...regualted clean power and voltage stabilizer. Well I recommend clean power at least. Monster power centers are the only ones that totally disconnect from the outlet after a surge. Usually surges happen in 1+ its not the first one that kills your equipment, its the next ones after when your peices are vunerable. Also, if you get some high end ones, they come with audio/video noise filters.

Ever get the fuzzy screen when you turn on a blow dryer or use the vacume when you watch TV?? Well these filteres eliminate that noise.....Stop by the store if your in the area and I'll give you a demo.

There's also a voltage stabilzer you can buy. It regulates incoming voltage at 120V always, as you know there isn't a consistant 120V supply to all outlets. Its around ~110, the equipment is not built to run on low voltage, at <100V the TV will not even turn on.....

Finally having clean power as I mentioned earlier reduces power surge as well. Its like taking 2 light bulbs, leaving one on, and the other turn it off and on...which one will last longer?? The one that is left on...the power surge stresses the light bulb to burn out prematurely....

*whew* end of lesson....good ol' monster training :thumbsup:

[rage2]

haha, I'm asking a different question... are UPS's bad for the TV? ;)

I already have some hefty voltage stabilizer hooked up to it... now I wanna watch TV if we get like 20 minute power failures in harsh winter storms.

[1-Bar]

hahaha....just buy a generator!! Run everything!!

[Altezza]

Originally posted by rage2
I was told UPS's are bad for the TV and bulb life. Is that true? I'm thinking of putting a UPS for the TV as LCD's use so little power, a decent sized unit can keep the TV on for close to an hour when we get a crazy storm and power outages.

That is correct. Using a standard computer UPS with home theatre equipment is definitely not recommended. A computer UPS typically outputs a simulated sin/cosine power wave (actually a square wave). This will adversely effect the precision in the electronics and ultimately your display quality. Moreover, UPS designed for computer usage are not able to handle the different types of loads that TVS, amplifiers, optical devices, etc place on the electrical system. Since you'll be using this in your bedroom, any decent line conditioner would be suitable. You don't need a dedicated powersupply.

[rage2]

Interesting. Looks like there ARE some UPS that output pure sine waves... Gotta look into one of those bad boys.

http://www.apcc.com/products/family/index.cfm?id=165

Looks like the cheapo $100 UPS's automatically switch from wall power to battery power only when power's out... and stepped wave not square wave. No current UPS's have square waves, just ugly stepped waves or whatever.

Gotta get me a good UPS!

[Altezza]

Originally posted by rage2

Looks like the cheapo $100 UPS's automatically switch from wall power to battery power only when power's out... and stepped wave not square wave. No current UPS's have square waves, just ugly stepped waves or whatever.


I guess I should have been more specific but it's just semantics. A stepped wave is simply a modified square wave built from the summation of square waves that are slightly out of phase.

But you are right, there are some higher end UPS units that output extemely nice looking sine waves. I've seen the output of budget UPS' on the scope and some of them have some pretty damn ugly approximations for sine waves (despite claiming they have "sine wave" output). Some have pretty crappy harmonics and some pretty poor settling times for the stepped output. But since you're not a budget shopper, I don't think you'll have this problem.

[MerfBall]

Originally posted by rage2
haha, I'm asking a different question... are UPS's bad for the TV? ;)

I already have some hefty voltage stabilizer hooked up to it... now I wanna watch TV if we get like 20 minute power failures in harsh winter storms.

Dude you can't live without your TV for 20 minutes??? :rofl:

[rage2]

Not if it's a good show! :rofl:

So ya, I picked up the Grand Wega 42", and I'm REALLY happy with it. The distance that I watch it at in the bedroom is perfect for the 42" size. Wife wasn't terribly happy with the size, said the TV was too big for the bedroom, but after measuring a SD signal compared to the old 32" TV, it was about 5% larger, so it was more of an illusion that the image was larger. HD signals, of course was a LOT larger.

HD signals on this thing looks awesome. Daylight performance and evening performance are wicked. With the lights off, it's actually a bit too bright... but after some adjustments, I now have a day and night mode that's fairly good. Need the Avia calibration disc to make it perfect (anyone have one I can borrow or know where I can buy?).

DVD performance from my Pioneer and JVC proscan players were decent, but nothing spectacular. I was expecting a lot better. I thought it was the cheap component cables I was using, so I went and upgraded to beefy cables. No dice... still looked like crap. After pulling out my hair for an hour, I downgraded the DVD mode from 480p to 480i. Then on the TV I turned on the "sony 4x resolution" deinterlacing option and "cinevision" 3:2 detection options, and WOW. I've never seen DVD's look so good on a TV. Very odd, because I thought the DVD's built in deinterlacer would look better doing the job digitally. Either that or sony's algorithms are that much better. Basically, it now looks as good as when played on a computer and projected digitally. So there's a hint for you guys with the GW's setting up their DVD players and optimal modes to use.

I'll report back once I watch more TV. In the meantime, anyone got that Avia DVD? :)

[Khyron]

Hrm I never thought about letting my tv do the deinterlacing instead of the cheap dvd player - have to give that a shot. Btw I have the sound and vision setup disc, it's pretty much the same thing and was only 20 bucks or so.

Khyron

[Altezza]

Originally posted by rage2
Either that or sony's algorithms are that much better.


Glad to see that they've finally improved!



I'll report back once I watch more TV. In the meantime, anyone got that Avia DVD? :)

Congrats on the new TV :clap:

I have the Avia DVD. Kenny had it for like a year with my sound level meter, LOL.

[FiveFreshFish]

Originally posted by rage2
So ya, I picked up the Grand Wega 42&quot;, and I'm REALLY happy with it. The distance that I watch it at in the bedroom is perfect for the 42&quot; size.

What's your viewing distance? I'm also considering a 42" but I have two viewing distances: 5 ft from the chair in the sitting area and 16 ft from the bed.

[Khyron]

Originally posted by FiveFreshFish


What's your viewing distance? I'm also considering a 42&quot; but I have two viewing distances: 5 ft from the chair in the sitting area and 16 ft from the bed.

Rule of thumb I've always heard is 12 inches of tv for every 3 feet?

Khyron

[FiveFreshFish]

Originally posted by Khyron


Rule of thumb I've always heard is 12 inches of tv for every 3 feet?

Khyron


I heard it was 3 to 4 times the screen's diagonal measurement, but that was back in the day when almost all TVs were direct-view tubes showing a standard broadcast signal. Not sure if this applies to today's technology.

[Altezza]

With widescreen based TVs, you should be looking at an optimal viewing distance of 3-6 times the screen WIDTH for SD material. You want to have a viewing angle of roughly 30 degrees. So for a 42" diagonal sized screen, sitting anywhere between 9-18' is good. For a 57" diagonal screen, you'd want to be in 12-24 feet range. For HDTV based content, sitting closer yield better results.

[rvd]

Sharp LC37G4U 37" Widescreen LCD TV

[rage2]

My viewing distance from where I lay down on the bed to TV is roughly 10ft. 50" LCD's are too big for this distance... you still see the individual pixels at 10ft. Well, I got good eyes anyways.

[Jynx]

Originally posted by sputnik


Why dont you want DLP?


It doesnt have the capability to show fast moving objects
for example when ure watching a hokey game and someone shoots the puck across the screen, at times u will be able 2 seee thepuck drag across the screen

[rage2]

Originally posted by Jynx
It doesnt have the capability to show fast moving objects
for example when ure watching a hokey game and someone shoots the puck across the screen, at times u will be able 2 seee thepuck drag across the screen
I think you're talking about LCD TV's.

The problem with DLP is that when you move your eyes fast, the image changes to rainbow colors. For me, whenever I blink, the entire image changes colors. This is because there's only 1 DLP chip and it shoots through a color wheel that's not fast enough. It's bizarre.

BTW Altezza, thanks for the Avia DVD. I got all 3 modes calibrated nicely now, and the annoying "red push" is gone. Skin tones actually looks normal now. Can't believe how big of a difference calibration makes, even just basic stuff.

[Altezza]

Originally posted by rage2

BTW Altezza, thanks for the Avia DVD. I got all 3 modes calibrated nicely now, and the annoying &quot;red push&quot; is gone. Skin tones actually looks normal now. Can't believe how big of a difference calibration makes, even just basic stuff.

NP....glad it helped. :thumbsup:.

[d-UNiT]

32 inch wega 899 good enough ?

[d-UNiT]

lol k nevermind you got the grand wega.. good purchase.. too steep for a bloody tv if you ask me :)

[adept]

Since you bought the sony 42" lcd. Hows regular cable viewing on it? I know it will not be as good as crt but just wanted your thoughts. Any regrests buying this lcd tv?

Thank you
Todd

[tictactoe2004]

Rage, how much did you pay for this TV?

Too bad I didnt see this thread earlier, I probably could have saved you some cash...

Oh well... enjoy it.

[rage2]

I love the TV. With DTV, about 70% of all my viewing is HD, so I don't get much SD content anymore (basically just Stern in SD). No regrets, except that I went with a 42" hehe. SD (normal satellite/cable) does look pretty crappy on it, but as I mentioned, the better the HD quality, the worse the SD quality.

I'll prob. be selling this TV in a month or 2 when the new models come out. The new ones have a slimmer case, so I can fit the 50" in my room much better!

As for how much I paid, I dont think anyone would've beaten the price ;).

[1-Bar]

Originally posted by rage2
...As for how much I paid, I dont think anyone would've beaten the price ;).

lol...I can beat that price now!!

[tictactoe2004]

Originally posted by rage2
As for how much I paid, I dont think anyone would've beaten the price ;).

you'd be surprised ;)

[redline]

A couple of frinds have that model of Sony in the 50" and 60" and it is a good TV. I have seen these tv in HD and Progressive scan DVD and they are really nice.

On the Hitachi, there are two differnet model one priced close to the sony and one for a 1k more. if you are taking about the ones in the same price range i would take the Sony but if you are talking about the more expensive one then i would get that hitachi. (sorry cant remember model numbers)

I have to live with my old school 57" WS projection hitachi and my 34" ws tube Sony for a few more years!

[rage2]

Originally posted by tictactoe2004
you'd be surprised ;)
Tell me how much u can get me the 42" GW today, and I'll tell you if I can get it cheaper. I'm not allowed to disclose my price unfortunately, cuz the guy would prob. get in trouble lol.

[Mad$ella]

I didnt read all the thread... but I used to sell TVs at International and I got my dad into the 42" Sony LCD and it is seriously the BEST. My freind liked it soooo much he went out and got one too. LCD is better than projo and IMO better than Plasma as well. Also on the back of the Sony it has a DVI input which makes playing Doom 3 linked from the computer pretty PIMP. That is my 2c

[rage2]

Plasma still looks better. Contrast ratio is way better. But, burn in flaws, and most of all... too rich for my blood!

LCD is catching up though in contrast ratio and blacks.

[sml]

I thought you can't hook up the DVI in the back of the GW to a computer because the resolution is different.

[max]

Originally posted by sml
I thought you can't hook up the DVI in the back of the GW to a computer because the resolution is different.
use a program called powerstrip, it let's you create custom resolutions

I used the following links to get mine setup

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=3326925#post3326925
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=331875