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05-05-2005, 02:43 PM
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#1 of 34 
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Local Time: 09:20 PM
Local Date: 10-16-2008
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Forced to downsize :(
Hello All:
This forum has been invaluable to me over the past few years. With your assistance, I have been able to put together a great 7.1 home theater that exceed all of my expectations. Now I'm moving into a small apt (you can probably fill in the blanks...)and am wondering about smaller display devices.
I am leaving a Toshiba 55" widescreen RPTV behind, and would like opinions on what a good choice might be for significantly smaller.
First, is there a minimum size below which the image becomes a joke? How is 27"? The Sharp AQUOS 27" Widescreen seems OK. Am I in the ball park? For a TV of this size, is LCD definitely the way to go? Any advantages to plasma?
As always, your thoughts and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Nick B
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05-05-2005, 03:32 PM
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#2 of 34
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John
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Location: Ontario
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How far from the display will you be sitting?
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05-05-2005, 03:38 PM
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#3 of 34
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Just as close as I want. It is such a small space. I am envisioning moveable seating. Up close for decent video and then moved away for life in general.
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05-06-2005, 07:50 AM
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#5 of 34
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Good advice, Stephen. Thank you. I thought LCD was quite expensive. I don't know if this matters or not, but I do not plan on watching broadcast/cable TV. This will be a DVD playing set-up only. I want the best picutre quality I can get, without going past the point of diminishing returns financially. Why do people go with LCD over tube? Picture quality? Space savings? Thank you again for your time and advice.
Nick B
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05-06-2005, 09:28 AM
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#6 of 34
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Barry
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Location: Hanover, Maryland
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Nick,
Having spent the past 3 years in apartments after downsizing(recently bought another house) I feel your pain. I went from a 48" RPTV to a 27" CRT. As the room it was in was small and I sat maybe 5' from the screen, this was ok but I longed for a 32"-36" screen; the latter may have been too big at that distance but it sure would have made me feel better about losing the larger display. If it were me, I would stick to a CRT set. I like seeing everything I expect to see and not seeing what I don't.
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05-06-2005, 12:29 PM
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#7 of 34
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I think LCD and plasma make even less sense as you get smaller, compared to CRTs since the annoyances of size, weight, and geometry problems decrease greatly with smaller size.
Quote:
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below which the image becomes a joke
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There is no bad size for a TV. Just find the size that suits your situation.
If you want to save money and space, and won't watch HD material, I suggest a good analog 27" set with the 16:9 squeeze feature. It will be perfect for DVDs, can easily be re-purposed for a bedroom or workshop TV if you upsize later, and will be relatively inexpensive. |
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05-06-2005, 02:05 PM
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#8 of 34
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CRT it is, gentlemen. Thank you for your sage advice. Dave, I wonder what you meant by not watching HD material. Do you mean broadcasts? I do want to take advantage of the highest resolution for DVD watching. I guess I was under the assumption that HD sets made for better, crisper pictures even when watching DVDs. Thanks again.
Nick B
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05-12-2005, 05:30 AM
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#9 of 34
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I am also in the same situation although I am not moving. I have a 47" rear-projection TV (burn-in: grrr) and need to downsize (and move the TV to a new location) but the flat-panel LCDs (esp. Sharp's Aquos) are too expensive. I live on a 2nd floor and a tube TV is too heavy and too thick and I didn't want anything less than 30". There isn't much selection.
However, I found a widescreen SamSung CRT TV that is 30" but 1/3 thinner than regular CRTs! I don't know how old this model is but it fits my criteria.
SlimFit TV
TX-R3079WH
Built-in HD tuner
www.samsung.com
Samsung introduces the new SlimFit(TM) television to the market. At only two-thirds the depth of a conventional flat screen CRT, TX-R3079WH delivers the high brightness, contrast and outstanding picture performance that you demand. This new SlimFit TV not only has a sleek space-saving design but its HDTV built-in tuner, progressive scan and 3:2 pull down deliver a crisp, flicker-free picture. You'll also find a full compliment of connections, 2 auto sensing wideband component inputs, an HDMI input, and 20 watt built-in speakers with BBE audio technology. SlimFit(TM) from Samsung - the final evolution of CRT TV.
Check out the demo on the home page of the SlimFit page. It weighs about 120-130lbs. and the advertised price is $999.
However, I don't know about the quality and performance of SamSung products or how their customer/technical service is.
I am hoping for more sizes but I am also hoping that other companies follow if the demand is there. This is the perfect configuration for me and I think I can live with 30" from 47". |
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05-12-2005, 03:04 PM
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#10 of 34
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Quote:
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Dave, I wonder what you meant by not watching HD material.
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Yes, I meant HDTV or HD movies from your PC, not DVDs or regular television.
If you're not going to watch any source with higher quality than DVDs, and want to save money and space, a moderately sized CRT with component inputs and a 16:9 mode is a great option. |
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05-12-2005, 03:51 PM
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#11 of 34
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Thanks for your advice. Right now, I am leaning toward a 34" Widesceen CRT, possibly Sony or Toshiba. I was wondering about HDMI, instead of component, as both the TV and the DVD player I am considering have HDMI. Will there be any improvement over component when it comes to DVDs?
Nick B
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05-12-2005, 10:03 PM
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#12 of 34
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Quote:
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Thanks for your advice. Right now, I am leaning toward a 34" Widesceen CRT,
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Actually, I recommend against that, simply because 30"+ CRTs are tremendously heavy and expensive for their size. They can also suffer geometry problems. (I have a 36" 4:3 Wega. Good TV, but I wouldn't buy it again for those reasons.)
Is your TV downsizing a matter of cost or size?
Others may disagree , but I think if you're looking to spend $1500 or more on a 34" or larger TV, you'd be better off getting a 45" - 50" widescreen RPTV. |
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