Which HD TV should I buy. Here's my situation... (1 Viewer)

[vwalk]

I need a HDTV for my home theatre. My seating is about 17 feet from the wall where the t.v. will be located. Right now, I’m leaning toward a plasma, but am open to the idea of an LCD.

Question 1: I’m concerned that a 50 inch is too small for the room. What’s the minimum recommended size, which brings me to question 2. #2. My budget is $3500. What’s the best t.v. for my situation?

Thanks!

Vince

 

[Jim Mcc]

17' is a pretty far seating distance for any TV. Either sit closer or go to a front projector.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

At 17 feet, I agree that a front projector is the right option. How dark is the room?

These days you can get a 1080p projector in that price range. But unless the room is fairly dark, it won't work well.

For comparison, I sit 9 feet from a 65" set and for me that's just about right. It depends what you and your family like, though.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Ditto for the projector. With a huge screen. 17' is too far away for even the largest of DLP's. I sit 8 feet from a 65" 1080p and it is just right for me. The recommended screen size for 1080p at 17' is a whopping 152", which is probably not possible.

Remember, a home theater tries to replicate the theater experience. There is no way to get a theater-like field of view sitting 17' feet from the screen in most rooms. If you can't go projector because of light control, consider moving the seating closer (by about 1/2) and then putting in another row of seats on a riser to have "stadium" seating.

 

[Craig]

OneCall had a 58" Panasonic plasma, the TH-58PZ700U, for $3739, which is pretty close to your price point. Samsung also has a 58" plasma that sells for under $4K (streetprice). I'd agree that a 50" set is a little small for a home theater setup with your viewing distance. I have a 50" Panasonic in my family room that we use for general TV viewing from about 13 feet away, and it's fine for that purpose. However, with a dedicated home theater setup bigger is better.

Both plasmas and LCDs go up pretty steeply in price once you get above he 50"-52" range. You'd get more bang for your buck by going with an RPTV, but if you really want a flat panel, then one of the 58" plasmas would probably be your best bet. Personally, I'd opt for a 65" RPTV if had a large room like yours.

 

[vwalk]

I have a ton of windows, so I don't think the projector is an option. I'm leaning toward the Panny 58PZ700U or the Pioneer 6070HD. Any thoughts on these tvs? Are they comparable in performance? The Pioneer is about $800 less than the Panny, which makes me wonder if the Panny is that much superior. Also, Panny makes the 58PZ7508 which has "pro-set", a one button calibration feature. The 750 costs about $500 more than the 700. I don't know if it's worth it.

Again, thanks for everyone's thoughts.

 

[Patrick Sun]

The Panasonic 58PZ700U is a 1080p plasma set, its resolution is 1920x1080, while the Pioneer 6070HD is a 720p plasma set, its resolution is 1366x768, this is why the Panasonic model cost more, even though it's 2" less (diagonal measurement) than the Pioneer set.

 

[vwalk]

Sorry. I should have been able to figure that out. I guess it's down to the Panny. Anyone have an opinion on paying the extra $500 for the "pro-setting" on the 58PZ750U?

 

[SethH]

Any reason you're not considering DLP? You could pick up a Samsung or Mitsubishi DLP set between 61" and 73" and stay under $4000. The Panny is a great set, but given your seating distance and number of windows I would be going for the biggest set and I could and I would be worried about glare off the glass on a plasma.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

What does the room look like? Is there a way to rearrange it so the seats aren't so far away?

At 17', I doubt that anyone could even tell the difference between 1080p and 720p on a 50" screen.

Considering the viewing distance and the light in the room, I think a 72" DLP or LCoS set would be your best bet (in a landslide).