O/T......LCD TV's??

[DSGCobra]

Anyone have anything to say about them, I am looking at the Sony Grand Wega 50 or 60. Looks good in the store, is it better than a regular rear projection TV?? Any info would be great.




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[sndtowne]

The Sony 50" and 60" Grand Vegas are two great televisions.

1. Because they are based on LCD technology they do not experience burn in problems (at all) when a lot of 4:3 images are viewed.

2. The lamp is good for 6000 to 8000 hours and cost only $199 (US) to replace when it is used up. The lamp is user replaceable from the front.

3. These televisions are about 8-9" shallower than tube type big screens of equivalent screen size.

4. They are table top models so there is plenty of room for storage beneath them.

5. IMHO they look every bit as good a plasmas for a lot less money. (And plasmas can burn in.) The blacks are not quite as deep as on three gun tube sets, but with all of the other advantages I can live with it. Still, the blacks are very acceptable.




Bruce

[David Meek]

Bruce hit the highlights very well. My only comment is that if you watch a lot of "dark" movies, ie. Dark City, Blade, Interview With The Vampire, etc. then black-level does become a more serious issue. That's the biggest weakness of the LCD-type units, IMO. If you don't focus on movies like this, then an LCD is a very good choice - especially the Sony's.




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[Brandon B]

1. Because they are based on LCD technology they do not experience burn in problems (at all) when a lot of 4:3 images are viewed.

Not 100% true (closer to 99.999%). We have installed LCD PJs in attractions and after showing a static image for about 60% of the time for about 10 months (these are on 18 hours a day or so), this image, in fact, burned into the LCD panels themselves.

So if you were to leave your LCD TV on a test pattern, and go on vacation, you would likely find a ghost image that persisted for a bit when you came back.

But as you say, in normal television sue, there will be zero problem.

BB

[Eduardo]

I'm waiting for the DLP TV to come down in price. I like the concept of true blacks.

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[JonMarsh]

And probably some time around the end of 2003, Sony will start introducing their version of LCOS panel RPTV's and FPTV's, called SXRD, (Silicon Cyrstal Reflective Display), which is supposed to improve on LCOS's yeild, cost, and display contrast issues, while offering a true 1920 X 1080 display.... those who have seen a prototype of the FPTV based on this technology have been very enthusiastic. The claimed chip contrast ratio is 3000:1, and those who've seen the prototypes estimate the projector CR at about 1500:1. Think better blacks and shadow detail.

The LCD Grand Vega's are based on the LCD technology used in the 10HT, 11HT, 12HT, and HS10. As such, they're pretty dang nice, but have about half the pixel count of the upcoming SXRD displays. If you're not in an urgent hurry, I'd consider holding on to the greenbacks a while longer and see what turns up the end of the year. The "crystal" ball should be clearer, at least, by then, on the ability of SXRD to deliver.

~Jon




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[George Bellefontaine]

I saw one of these last week and was very impressed with the picture quality.




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[Kevin P]

LCD's biggest weakness is black level. If the lack of true blacks (and the resultant wash-out of colors) doesn't bother you, then the LCD Grand Wegas are fine sets. I'm not a big fan of LCD picture quality myself at present, for movie watching in a dark room. Maybe LCOS/SXRD technology will change my mind. The Grand Wegas on the other hand look great when used as a television in a normally lit room.

As for "burn-in" on LCDs, I've heard it can exhibit a temporary burn-in effect but it fades after displaying non-static images for a while. I don't know if LCD can suffer permanent damage from static image display.

KJP




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[DSGCobra]

Thanks for the replies. I think I am going to go with the Grand Wega 50. My only other issue, the total hight of the TV on the BoltZ rack I have is going to be about 48 and 1/2 inchs. Is the TV going to be up too high?? It is a solid 12 to 15 inches above what my Wega 36 stands.




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Audioquest everything.

[Rock Dog]

Misconvergence is another issue that means nothing on the LCDRPTV. As for black levels. My Grand Wega II 50xbr800, is significatly better than the GW I. There is something like a 25 or35% improvement (according to Sony) on the GWII's.

Other highlights on mine. DVI input, 7 other inputs including 2 component sets, That ability to rename the inputs to match the device, and Sony's DRC circuit from fine tuning each individual source. I love the built in memory stick reader, and slide show software. It's like having a giant, cycling picture frame. :T




-Thomas-

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[Rock Dog]

here's a couple of pics of mine, in a room, with a fair amount of ambient light.





These were daytime shots, and the room has too big skylights in the ceiling.



a little over 16" deep, was another big selling point for me.




-Thomas-

The easiest way to find something lost around the house, is to buy a replacement.

Hey You! Make sure you stop by the HTguide Off-Topic section. It's FUN!!!

[sndtowne]

RE: Burn in

In our store we have had a 50" Grand Vega set on MSNBC for war coverage. The set has been running all day six days a week. Today I checked for burn in and was unable to see any traces of it at all. It does not seem to be a problem.

During Gulf War 1, we had a three gun set tuned to CNN for a couble of weeks and burned the CNN logo into the red gun (and had to have it replaced).

Even though the Grand Vegas are priced a couple of thousand dollars higher than equivalent sized three gun big screens, we are selling many more Grand Vegas. People really like them .




Bruce

[leeda2]

just a bit of advice... i think your stand would be a bit too high, but that depends on how hight your seating surface is. i would not go much higher than 30" for the stand. though the gwii has great horizontal viewing angles, the vertical viewing angles are not that great. the image gets darker as you sit below or above the screen.

take a look at some racks from bdi, bello, or omnimount. i looked at all three brands and they each had various stands that would work well with the set. beware of cheap fiberboard stands. over time, even though the gwii is a relatively lightweight set, the wood may buckle.

good luck!