Got the go ahead to spend $2,300 on a new TV. Do I keep the old and add a new one or just get a new (1 Viewer)

[MarkSchro]

The wife gave in and gave the go ahead to spend $2,300 on a new TV. Our current tv is a rear projection 65" Toshiba which still works very well but it does not have HDMI. But here is the problem I wanted to buy a new tv 55" for our spare room so I can game and watch sports without fighting the kids over it. The 65" Toshiba is to big to move upstairs so do I keep it until it dies and get a 55" for the spare room or do I replace our main TV 65" with a 55 to 60" that has HDMI. My receiver is a Denon 5800 and does all the component switching for video and it does not have HDMI either. So that would be a whole other issue to deal with.

Part 2 I looked for posts about LED, LCD, Plasma and what people are getting for their money and it still looks like people are still buying Plasma's when I thought the majority would be getting LCD's and LED's. The spare room for a 55" TV has lots of windows so I am worried about glare and reflections. Just by reading some posts it looks like Panasonic and Samsung and maybe even Vizio are the choices that would best fit my glare issues. Any suggestions would be great.

 

[Jason Charlton]

Are you currently using component video to your 65" TV? Do you have Blu-Ray yet? Is the old set 1080p?


The reason I ask is that going from component video to HDMI only on the TV (video) side of things won't necessarily provide that much of an improvement. Many people can't notice the difference between 1080i (component) and 1080p (HDMI), and unless your source is Blu-Ray (really, about the only source for actual 1080p content) there really isn't any more detail to resolve.


Now, if you have Blu-Ray and are currently using component connections, then HDMI is more important because it provides a simpler means for hearing the lossless audio found only on Blu-Ray (assuming you're not using analog multi-channel outputs... are you?) but you can't realize that enhancement unless you upgrade your receiver.


In terms of the TV technology, most folks agree that plasma still has the edge over LCD (LED is LCD, by the way) in terms of overall picture quality, but you are correct in that plasmas do tend to have very reflective screens that produce a lot of glare in bright rooms. If the upstairs set is to be used primarily for gaming, that's another reason to go with plasma over LCD (just don't leave the set in torch mode - properly calibrate it after getting it).


I haven't shopped for TVs in a long time, but I know that Panasonics are pretty highly regarded. Best Buy has a 58" model for about $1400. That would leave enough to get a new receiver and Blu-Ray if you're in the market - or you can impress the wife by "saving" some money, which might help grease the wheels on upgrading the other TV sooner rather than later...

 

[MarkSchro]

Thanks for the input. I don't have Blu-Ray yet because of my TV and Receiver not having HDMI so after reading your reply I definitely need to upgrade the receiver along with the TV to make it work and see an improvement. So that answers that question and now I can focus on a plasma for the spare room. I know the next biggest question these days is the Plasma vs LED vs LCD but a 58" plasma for $1,400 sounds good enough to not second guess buying it. Plus the wife factor is going to pay off in the long run, thanks again for the input.

 

[Ayan]

Hi Mark,


I am going through much the same dilemma as you. I have a Pioneer 533HD5 53" RPTV that still works great; however, I have both HD-DVD and Blu-ray players. I too have a good, but older, AVR that doesn't support the new lossless audio formats.


When I purchased my BR player, I made sure that I purchased one (Samsung 6500) with analog outputs - with this I can run into the analog in on my AVR, and use the processor in the BR player for the lossless formats.


For the TV, I would really like to be able to use the HDMI outputs on the HD-DVD and BR players, especially to upconvert SD DVDs. I have an upconverting player hooked up to a 720p plasma in the other room, and it makes SD discs look fantastic.


So the big debate is do I buy an HD-Fury to allow me to use HDMI with my TV (risk is something breaks on the TV and is not worth repairing) or do I buy a new TV? If I do, what do I do with a 250lb beast? It still works too well to take apart and toss in the garbage!!!

 

[DaveF]

Two thoughts: Use the best TV for where you watch the most. See what you can sell the old TV for.

After buying a new flatscreen last year, I sold my 8 yr old, 250lb, 36" CRT for $300. That was a helpful "rebate" on the new TV.


Now, you've got the dilemma of possibly replacing a 65" set with a 55" set. I think you'll notice the size decrease. But will the improvement in picture quality offset that for you? It's a tough one.