TV choices narrowed down. Please advise.

BrianTwig · 08-15-2006, 09:24 AM

OK, I am tech challenged and tight budgeted. But I want a new TV. To my advantage, I am in no rush but would like to do it in the next few months. Preferably before Christmas.

My requirements. 50", 52", 55" or 56". WAF will not allow for larger than 56". NO DLP and NO LCD and NO Front Projectors. They just don't do it for me and I have always found "off angle" viewing as I call it to be far less than acceptable. And I just have no way of using a front projector in the room. Budget is $2,500 but I can scrap up a few more dollars if I can justify it to myself and the wife.

What I don't need: I do not need to wall mount the TV. I have a large "TV stand" holding all of my audio gear, satelitte box, DVD, and VCR. TV can go on that.

The vast bulk of my TV viewing will be SD broadcasts through my Dish Network service. Not a huge movie watcher, but with the new sound system (Marantz SR5600, Marantz CC4300, NHT IW3s for my L,R,C,SR,SL, and SVS PB12-NSD/2) I have up my movie viewing quite a bit. I couldn't even tell you what my DVD player is, but its old and nothing special. I have no plans on buying an HD-DVD player or Blu-Ray. But do need to get an newer technology DVD player. Maybe the OPPO OPDV971H or DV-970HD. I have heard good things about them, but honestly don't know exactly what all the technical jargon is, which I should get (if either), or another player.

I will be sitting (estimating here) 10' to 12' feet from the screen. There is a lot of "off angle" viewing from other parts of the room and the adjoining kitchen.

So here are the products I am considering. Would appreciate pros/cons, do's/don'ts, etc...

Sony KDS-55A2000 (55" SXRD/LCoS) 1080p and the 50" version KDS-50A2000.

JVC HD527BP7 (52" HD-ILA/LCoS) 720p and the 56" version HD567BP7. Maybe step up to their new 1080p versions.

Maxent Plasma 5020HPM 50" HDTV Monitor w/dual HDMI (honestly, don't even know what that is or why I would want it)

Vizio 50" plasma P50HDTV10A from Sam's Club.

Sam's Club also has the JVC HD-ILA HD56G647 at a good price ($2,200). What is the real difference between the 56" JVC HD-ILA found at Sam's and the one found at places like Best Buy, Circut City, etc...?

That is pretty much what I have narrowed my consideration down to.

Do I need 1080p? Why or why not?

Also, the TV will have 3 large windows directly across from it that are aligned perfectly with the setting sun so the 2nd half of the day and until the sun is down there is sunlight coming in even though there are blinds on the windows. May have to work out a removeable system to block the sun when I need it blocked for whatever reason.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. And if something is not on the list that I should add to the mix let me know. Thanks!

On Edit: I have a membership in both Sam's and BJ's if that makes a difference. And my one concern with the LCoS TVs is bulb life. Don't need to be spending several hundred dollars a year on new bulbs. TV gets heavy viewing.

Joseph DeMartino · 08-15-2006, 12:39 PM

I have the 720p version of the HD-ILA, picked up at Best Buy last year. Love it. I mostly watch SD DVD, a bit of SD TV programming and lots of HD network stuff (which is mostly broadcast at 720p or 1080i anyway.) Won't even think about any hi-def DVD format for at least five years, until the format war is over and prices are coming way down. Also have a big SD DVD collection that I'm in on hurry to replace and which looks damned good on my current system. The off-angle performance is good. That doesn't come up very often since I rarely have more people over watching a movie than will fit on my couch, but I often watch from all angles while moving between livingroom, kitchen and dining room, and have never noticed a problem, certainly nothing like my two LCD TVs.)

The image is always very bright and clear.

The lack of a reflective "shield" on the screen means that sun is less of a problem. (I have glass doors facing northwest that are covered, but not completely darkened by vertical blinds, and two light wells in the ceiling with no covering at all. On the birghtest days the screen will be somewhat washed out from the overhead sunlight, but still watchable for football and baseball games.)

I've heard about problems with LCoS (and DLP and LCD RP) bulb life, but my understanding is that this was largely a problem with earlier models. I've only had my TV since last November so I can't speak from experience. Bulb life is estimate in thousands of hours. I've seen estimates for LCoS sets anywhere from a low of 6,000 to a high of 20,000. (The newer - and more expensive - LED light engines are supposed to come in around 60,000. I don't know if my set can be retrofit to take one of those, but I'm sure going to try to find out when they become more common.) Based on my average viewing, my bulb should last me about 3 or 4 years at the low-end of the guesstimates. If 3 or 4 years from now I have to pop for a $200 bulb that will make my set look as bright and beautiful as the day I got it - which is something no plasma set will ever do once it starts fading - I'm OK with that.

In 5 years time this set may well be moved into my home office and replaced with something else, anyway. But for the money it was the prefect "transitional" set to meet my needs at the time and to finally replace my aging 16:9 Tosibha SD RPTV. (Which I could no longer stand watching after having my first HD LCD flat panel running next to it for a month.

)

Regards,

Joe

BrianTwig · 08-15-2006, 02:00 PM

Thanks Joe. I have been leaning heavily toward the 56" JVC HD-ILA. Its a lot cheaper than the Sony SXRD. Do you (or anyone else) know what the difference, if any, is between the HD-ILA sets at Best Buy, Circut City, etc... and the ones at Sam's?

I wouldn't think they would make two different sets. One for the general market and one for Sam's. But with the price concessions that Wal-Mart/Sam's puts on suppliers and the volume they deal in, maybe it is a different set.

Thanks!

Joseph DeMartino · 08-15-2006, 03:32 PM

I'm not sure either. Maybe they just keep track of the units by different numbers, or maybe it is like the world of mattresses, where stores apply their own variant model numbers to make apples to apples comparison harder. On their website and in the holiday sales circular, my JVC was also identified as a HD567BP7, but the manual that came with it covers 4 different models - 2 52" and 2 56" models - none of which uses that number. (And I have no idea what differences exist between those, either.) The 56" are the 56G786 and the 56G886. If forget which is actually on my TV. (I registered the product using the serial number and card provided, so didn't go crawling around behind it once it was in the entertainment unit.)

When I bought my set the JVC 1080s were just coming out and no local store carried them. Sony had 2 XRD 1080 models, at 50" and a 60" - one smaller, one bigger than what I wanted (I was replacing a 56" and found that screen size ideal for my condo) and the smaller of the two was about $1000 more than my JVC 720p. It looked good, but not that good. In fact, I bought a 32" LCD with the difference.

Regards,

Joe

JeremyErwin · 08-15-2006, 06:12 PM

You'll definitely want an HD source of some sort. I have an Oppo 971H, and the difference between broadcast hdtv and upconverted dvds is striking (even on my rather small 27 inch screen.)

**HTF Ads**

BrianTwig · 08-16-2006, 07:37 AM

Jeremy,

I suspect that I would want an HD source and would upgrade my Dish Network box to an HD one. But that would likely be it. Are the Oppo's HD? I definitly need a new DVD player, but I am not going to spend the crazy money that Blu Ray and some other HD DVD players cost. $200 is about the max I would spend on a DVD Player.

JeremyErwin · 08-16-2006, 02:16 PM

The Oppos upsample and deinterlace 480i DVDs to 480p, 720p or 1080i.

BrianTwig · 08-16-2006, 03:16 PM

Jeremy,

I have no idea what that means. And don't try to explain it to me. My ignorance will only cause you great pain.

My method of research and purchase is "will this do this? Yes? I'll take it." Or "Hey, I have $X for a DVD. Here is the TV I have and the audio gear. What should I purchase?" And I just know my piece of crap DVD player (I think its a Go Video dual VHS/DVD) is not what I want running to the new TV. And my other DVD players are Apex for like $30! But hey, they work and do what I need them to do on my current sets. But a new and quality one will be needed with the new set.

Like I stated above, I don't watch a lot of movies, and in addition, my whole system was pretty much constructed for music and to overcome WAF on some components. I had to go with inwalls vs. towers to keep she who must be obeyed happy. But I did win the sub battle and got the SVS PB12-NSD/2. Her comment upon seeing it, "I am not happy." I was!

But with the killer audio setup I am watching more movies and with a new display soon, will watch even more. Who knows, I might become a movie fan! Wife got me LOTR ROTK today for our anniversary since we have the first two and I watch them a lot for the LFE. But I am playing poker tonight (on our anniversary!) and will have to watch it tomorrow.

Joseph DeMartino · 08-16-2006, 04:09 PM

The big question is which does a better job of scaling video - your DVD player or your display? I find I get the best results by letting my JVC handle that work, so the whole question of "upconverting DVD players" is really moot as far as I'm concerned. Again, by the time I'm ready for a new DVD player, I'll also be ready for a new 1080p TV - which in 5 to 7 years may use some technology we're barely aware of now. And a Blu Ray or HD-DVD player will be $80.

Regards,

Joe