"Mid size" selection. Should not be so hard!

[paulct]

Ok, I've spent some time browsing around, so hopefully this will not sound too ignorant:

We have done some remodelling, and in the process moved our direct view Sony (27")to another room. After doing that, I realize I just don't want to ever move it again, and since another TV died anyway, time for something new.

Here are the basics:
- We sit about 8-9 feet from the screen, about a 15 to 20 degree angle, ie not directly in front.
- We watch 90% standard cable broadcasts, with DVD rentals for movies
- HD is a nice to have, but I do not currently have the box. (we are Cablevision in Connecticut)
- We are NOT super fussy about the picture quality. Not to say we want crap, but some of the posts I've read are WAY over the top compared to what our standards are!
- Room is usually pretty well lit, as we are normally reading the paper or a magazine when watching TV. With DVD's the room is a little darker.
- Budget is no more than $2500
- No room for a front projector, due to room layout

I am intriqued by the new Samsung DLP and some of the other RP LCD models.

Am I ok thinking something like a 46 or 50" LCD or DLP RPTV is an OK choice? But now I read that these 16:9 sets can look pretty bad on 4:3 material. Also we watch a lot of tennis and auto racing, so there are some fast moving things on the screen.

Thanks!

Paul

[JonMarsh]

It's rather variable how these units perform with standard cable in, compared with a "normal" TV- the problem is that the digital sets all have to scale the image, they don't really operate in native mode at all, so the scaler is always in the circuit. So, you have an 8bit A/D conversion going on, plus variable levels of scaling circuit quality. Many of these sets look pretty nice with an HD feed or DVD on component, but look more like high compression motion JPEG with broadcast NTSC TV. It bugs the heck out of me when I go into most stores and see this.

Classic post was one I saw a while back, where I guy and his wife were checking out one of these sets, had a great picture on HD feed, then he hooked up an ordinary DVD feed on S-Video, and it had posterization and banding and genearlly funky color conversion/artifacts. I saw the same thing recently checking out a Sanyo 30" widescreen CRT model for a friend who didn't have much money to spend.

Bottom line? Don't buy without looking at all the relevant kinds of program material you're interested in, on the various connections; i.e., if you cable comes on composite video, or you watch some VHS tapes, check it out. You may not be happy with what you see, but you'll be an informed buyer.

Good luck shopping.

~Jon

[paulct]

Jon,

Thanks for the tip. That explained it in a format that I could understand!

I am just concerned from what I have read that a "classic" CRT based rear projection, which seems like the better choice for the material we watch, would have problems in a light room, where we sit slightly offset.

I'll have to take another spin through the stores and bring a tape measure and watch at exactly the right distance. Its also very clever that my local best buy has the lights dimmed over the TV section, with no way to turn it up!

Paul