To Plasma or not to plasma

Flyboy

Flyboy

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Charlotte NC
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Display name:
Ron Kinney
My 10 year old 46" RCA projection TV toasted another power supply last night. It'll probably cost 3-400 bucks to fix it and I'm thinking of buying a new tv.

I see that Circuit City has a 42" ESA EDTV monitor for 1399 (1499 with 100 rebate) It has pretty good reviews by people that have bought it. 'm just wondering if it's too cheap. I'd love to be able to hang the tv on the wall and free up some floor space.

They also have a 52" RCA projection tv for 1400, thats availble online from another vendor for 1000 so they should match that price if I show them the add according to their low price guarantee.

Any suggestions?

I can't afford a high end plasma, I'm doing good to get a new TV since the wife would just as soon have no tv at all.
 
Flyboy said:
My 10 year old 46" RCA projection TV toasted another power supply last night. It'll probably cost 3-400 bucks to fix it and I'm thinking of buying a new tv.

I see that Circuit City has a 42" ESA EDTV monitor for 1399 (1499 with 100 rebate) It has pretty good reviews by people that have bought it. 'm just wondering if it's too cheap. I'd love to be able to hang the tv on the wall and free up some floor space.

They also have a 52" RCA projection tv for 1400, thats availble online from another vendor for 1000 so they should match that price if I show them the add according to their low price guarantee.

Any suggestions?

I can't afford a high end plasma, I'm doing good to get a new TV since the wife would just as soon have no tv at all.
Click to expand...

I'd be concerned about the longevity of any low end plasma TV. Those super thin LCD and plasma displays are sexy and can deliver a nice picture, but I think the DLP rear projectors are probably the best buy at this time. I'd also recommend staying away from the large screen EDTV formats. It's quite likely you'd be sorry you didn't go for at least 720P HDTV. The EDTV resolution is more appropriate for 30" and smaller displays IMO.

Also to hang a TV on the wall may require some structural enhancements. You sure don't want the thing falling off if the ground shakes.
 
Go HDTV - EDTV is a compromise at best.

Rear Projection is much better now than it used to be - most of the major manufacturers produce sets that are pretty reliable long term.

Plasma is great if you have 12grand to spend - there has been some concern over screen life issues tho, some people quoting as little as 6 years. Given the price tag, you could buy a brand new 50" rear projection every year and still come out cheaper ;)

I have a Samsung 42" 16:9 CRT Rear Projection HDTV - 2 1/2 years in and picture quality is still excellent, supports all the major formats, and was only marginally more money than a similarly sized direct-view CRT.

If you want to ask some HDTV Specific questions - make model stuff etc, try http://www.hdtvoice.com/voice/index.php

HTH :)
 
If you read the reviews you will see that the Sony (KE42ED) 42" EDTV gives a better looking picture than the lower end HDTV's. A friend bought one and I was suprised at the quality compared to my Mitsubishi 40" rear projection TV as well as many HDTV's that I have seen.
 
I've got a Mitsubishi rear projection at home. I've also installed (3) Sharp 37" LCD HDTV's, (2) Zenith 50" plasma monitors and (1) Samsung 50" plasma monitor.

My rear projection does well but not as nice as the Samsung. The Zenith's aren't bad but pricey for what you get. The Sharps are very nice as well.

That said, if I were buying today, I'd be looking at the DLP technology unless I had to hang it somewhere (which I did with all the plasma/LCD screens). It's been a few months since I looked, though, so if something new came out, I'm not on top of it.
 
Good points. The RCA is an HD monitor, so all I need is the Directv HD box. Wait I just bought the tivo a few months ago. Well, maybe HD for Christmas.

I've been real happy with my RCA that died. It can be fixed, I'm just not sure it's worth it.
 
waldo said:
If you read the reviews you will see that the Sony (KE42ED) 42" EDTV gives a better looking picture than the lower end HDTV's. A friend bought one and I was suprised at the quality compared to my Mitsubishi 40" rear projection TV as well as many HDTV's that I have seen.
Click to expand...

Is all down to the source, and the screen quality.

Regular TV (in the US at least) is 480 lines, interlaced, or 480i.

EDTV is 480 lines, all painted each scan. This is also known as 480p, or progressive scan. This gives a significant subjective increase in picture quality, especially from DVD replay etc. A true 480p source will also look better than a 480i source converted to 480p

HDTV comes in multiple flavors. The most popular is currently 1080i, or 1080 lines displayed as 2 x 540 line interlaced frames. For slower moving sequences, this gives much higher resolution than 480i, 480p or the other main HDTV standard of 720p.

720p on the other hand is better for fast moving action, as it paints the whole screen each scan, but with less lines. ESPN tends to use the 720p format, CBS, HDNet, Discovery and NBC tend to use 1080i.

EDTV and HDTV are only as good as the source signal however. With a 480p signal, the picture on the EDTV will be just as good as that on the HDTV (subject to the quality of the set itself). However, EDTV cannot display any of the higher source signals directly, so you will get a picture better on HDTV with a good HDTV source.

Now...the quality of the source signals...thats a whole 'nuther discussion ;)
 
Look into the Panasonic commercial Plasma models. I've got a 50" TH50PHD6UY that we bought last year. It is fantastic, with deep blacks and a very good picture. I mostly watch HDTivo and DVD's on a Denon 2900 with it.

The Panasonics are unique in their ability to produce deep blacks, and have very long lifetimes and are the most resistant to image burn in. A few other brands use Panasonic display panels in their plasmas.

The commercial models are top quality, no frills versions. They are not sold through retail consumer channels, but through broadcast suppliers and other sources, like the internet. I bought from Visual Apex after doing a lot of research on the subject. A great forum for discussing plasma and other AV stuff is AVSforum.com. Their price on the Panasonic 42" ED is $1575 and I think in the long run, you'll be way, way happier with it than the no-name brand.

The HD model with more pixels will deliver a sharper picture, but a good ED plasma can deliver a very good image, especially with a good DVD player. If you can spring for an HD model, do so. If not, then get the best ED that you can lay your hands on.
 
I'm also in the market for a new TV. I definitely want HDTV, and I think I've narrowed it down to basically two options, given my budget.

1) a Sony 50-inch LCD projection model or
2) a Panasonic 42-inch plasma

I'm pretty familiar with the +/- on the plasma, but although I've researched, I'm still looking for comments on/experience with the LCD projection technology. Size-wise, the viewing distance is "optimal" for a 46"-50" display, but the >42" plasmas are past my budget (how much of a viewing compromise is the slightly smaller-than-optimal display?). Since right now I'm watching on 27", 15 yr old CRT, either will be an enormous leap forward...:)

Thoughts?

Jeff
 
My wife sells appliances to the government. In my opinion and hers, I would not go plasma. I would try for the DLP's. They are the new hot things out. There are wall mounts for them even though they are not as thin as the plasma's, but they are relatively light. RCA is an entry level model but most people are buying Toshiba's from her. Strangly enough the Toshiba is cheaper and has a better picture than an RCA. The RCA has the built in tuner, where as most do not and that is why they charge more. She hardly sells plasma's anymore.

We are supposidly getting a 46" DLP free from Toshiba at the end of the month. I am personally looking at getting a DLP Sony projector for the basement. I think they run around $2000.

For what it's worth.

Brent
 
larrysb said:
Look into the Panasonic commercial Plasma models. I've got a 50" TH50PHD6UY that we bought last year. It is fantastic, with deep blacks and a very good picture. I mostly watch HDTivo and DVD's on a Denon 2900 with it.

The Panasonics are unique in their ability to produce deep blacks, and have very long lifetimes and are the most resistant to image burn in. A few other brands use Panasonic display panels in their plasmas.

The commercial models are top quality, no frills versions. They are not sold through retail consumer channels, but through broadcast suppliers and other sources, like the internet. I bought from Visual Apex after doing a lot of research on the subject. A great forum for discussing plasma and other AV stuff is AVSforum.com. Their price on the Panasonic 42" ED is $1575 and I think in the long run, you'll be way, way happier with it than the no-name brand.

The HD model with more pixels will deliver a sharper picture, but a good ED plasma can deliver a very good image, especially with a good DVD player. If you can spring for an HD model, do so. If not, then get the best ED that you can lay your hands on.
Click to expand...

That might be a good move for me. All I need is a monitor. I Have directv as the tuner and run it through a Denon surround sound system. I'll have a peak at their site.
 
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