TV shopping HELP!!!!

[RedStep]

Though I'm not in the market yet (that's why I haven't researched the subject) I have been volunteered to help a friend purchase a television :LOL: ...OK, what are the most important features to focus on, and what should I avoid????
Any Help would be appreciated...




RedStep
We are truly a product of the decisions we make

[David Meek]

Red,

Opinions? Man you came to the right place - got a fresh shipment in for the New Year. But, first things first:

1) Whats the budget?
2) Is there a preference for tube or RPTV?
3) Is there a preference for 4:3 or 16:9?




David - HTGuide flunky
Our "Theater"
Our DVDs on DVD Tracker

[RedStep]

David, I Know the budget would be around $2K...and I should be more informed about hardware and formats, but I'm not. ops:
I'm in need of a crash coarse, I appreciate the help.




RedStep
We are truly a product of the decisions we make

[Lex]

Well, I'm not David, (Thank God!) JK. :LOL: but here's a little help.

With 2K, you should be able to look at a decent 50-55" Entrey level Sony, Pioneer, Panasonic, Samsung maybe. I think actually, they are getting HD sets down about that level, but that takes you to the widescreen 16:9 format set. For 4:3 viewing (standard television format), your looking at a standard NTSC set (what they've been making all along), not HD.

What does this mean? In simple terms, watching a DVD on a widesreen set, your black bars top and bottom on the screen are minimized. But with a 4:3 set, you loose a lot of height on the actual image, and have black bars top and bottom, rather substantial for some aspect ratios, not "as bad" for others. That does not mean you loose image! It's just the set is much wider, relative to the height, so when the 4:3 image is fitted to the screen, top to bottom fills up before the sides do. Make sense?

Forgive me, I can't say which aspect ratios fit best on widescreen. The widescreen mode presents the picture the way it was seen at the theaters, nothing chopped off the sides, as a 4:3 image does. On a 4:3 set, this means the black bars top and bottom, on a 16:9 set, it means a nice fit.

Of course, for television shows, nothing is really chopped on the sides, as it never was intended for viewing. The flip side with a 16:9 set is this. While watching 4:3 television (remember, that's the standard TV aspect ration), ON A 16:9 aspect ration television, you now have black bars on the left and right side!

I will save the anamorhic squeeze, and all that good stuff for others, more up on it to explain. For myself, I'm more about audio, but with video done right. Just I am not in the HD arena myself, the 4:3 Pioneer Elite is going to have to take me into the future for now...

So, in the end, which set is best for them should be deterined by their percentage of TV vs. movies watched. And of course, their planned percentage into the future, while they own the set.

Goodluck!
Lex




Cable Guy DVD Collection

[David Meek]

Red,

At that price point your friend should look at a 32-34" Panasonic Tau series widescreen. My sister-in-law just bought one and it has a stunningly georgeous picture!


It's a standard tube-type, meaning similar construction to TV's that have been around for years, and NOT a rear-projection system which is one of the really big boxy-looking units. It is an HD (high definition) TV which will give him/her access to the new super-resolution formats. You can see from the list of features (just follow the link) that there isn't much missing from these babies. If you want to maximize the screen size then yes, go with an RPTV (rear projection TV), but if smaller is better, then take a peek at these.

One thing I would caution your friend on: make sure that the HD inputs on ANY set he/she is looking at have digital as well as analog choices. If the studios have their way, all HD will become digital in nature, and any TV's with analog-ONLY inputs will be unable to display full high-def pictures!

[RedStep]

:5: This is the best forum, NOT like some that tell you to go research or do some reading...Thanks David & Lex for all the great info, this will help alot.
:^x




RedStep
We are truly a product of the decisions we make

[Lex]

Your welcome Redstep. Glad you call HTG your home! :-) you do, right?

Lex




Cable Guy DVD Collection

[David Meek]

Thanks Red. Lex'd be smackin' someone about the head if they pulled that "go research it yourself" line. :B

Re-reading my post, it sounds like a command - "look at this model". I didn't mean it that way. These Pannys do look good, but there are other fine systems out there too.

If you'd like, we can come up with more. Just let us know.




David - HTGuide flunky
Our "Theater"
Our DVDs on DVD Tracker

[Lex]

Yeah, or my personal favorite is, well duh, you know that's been covered before, just use the search engine to answer your own damn questions.

It's like well, if I had been around then, I wouldn't have asked the question, ya know!

Lex

[RedStep]

:LOL: LMAO...I could understand the really dumb questions, like "Duh, what are the best speakers"...But some things are not so obvious, and there's not years of archives here yet!

Thanks for understanding and all the great info :T




RedStep
We are truly a product of the decisions we make