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Friend wants TV over 50" and under $2,000: Suggestions? (1 Viewer)

Chuck C

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I've been out of the HT game for a while, so when my friend contacted me about a TV, I could not get specific about models. I gave him the low down about the way TV technology is moving (analog to digital) and that an LCD TV would be worthwile. Could anyone suggest a model? How bout a nice place to shop wholesale?
 

Joseph DeMartino

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I've just started looking myself, finally getting ready to replace my analog 55" Toshiba widescreen RPTV. I can tell you that your friend is going to be limited to CRT-based RPTVs. LCD flat-screens go up drastically in price once you get past 42", to the point where they often aren't competitive with plasma. There are very good HD CRT RPTVs, less bulky and not as deep as my dinosaur, available at the price point. (In fact there are some serious bargains.) But if he wants over 50" and LCD/Plasma/DLP/LCoS or LCD projection, the prices start at around $3,000 and they go up from there. He might find something in the $2500 to $2900 range, especially as the newer 1080p DLP and LCoS sets replace their 720p predecessors, but I think that's as good a bargain as he's going to get. If his budget doesn't have any flexibility, well the good news is the competition at the high end and the move away from RPTVs is making them a real bargain for entry-level HDTV buyers.

Regards,

Joe
 

Chuck C

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I was referring more to RPTV LCD rather than LCD flat-panel displays. I've seen Panasonic 61" LCD RPTV for as little as $1,825:

as shown here
 

Steven Sims

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I could be wrong, but I think all LCDs are flat panel. They're still considered rear projection, but they are all flat.
 

ChrisWiggles

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No, flat-panel LCD is like an LCD computer monitor. LCD-bsaed RPTVs use LCD projection within the set, and they are anything but flat-paneled. As in most any RPTV of course, the screen is flat, but it isn't a flat-panel by any stretch.

What will he be using the TV for? What kind of viewing environment?

CRT based RPTV provides the best image and value at this point, but if he's doing a lot of gaming, or wants a TV in a bright environment, a digital may be better suited.
 

Chuck C

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Actually, i did some ferocious refreshing at avsforum.com and found the perfect TV for my friends. The 42" Sony LCD RPTV (msrp $1,999; model no KDF-E42A10). High praise and volumes of technical information made this TV the logical choice.
 

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