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Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

post #1 of 18
5/17/06 at 5:20pm
Thread Starter 
Hi!

Im getting ready to pull the trigger on a new big screen tv to replace my old 27" RCA. Im looking for a set between 46" and 50". If I can get bigger and still get a quality display thats fine too. Heres the caveat. I want to spend less than $1400(including tax/shipping ) and a CRT based set is out of the question due to size/weight. This will be going in a basement. Unless you think its a dumb idea, I have no problems with refurbs. Ive been looking at this (http://stores.ebay.com/SamsungStore) Ebay store in particular. They seem to have good feedback and I dont recall hearing anything bad about Samsung's DLP sets. Ive been to Best Buy and looked around but all of the televisions are set up so differently and all seem to have weak signals sent to them so it is very hard to judge quality based on there displays. Any advice on what to buy or where to look? Would you buy from that Ebay store?

Help me out guys, I need your advice before I waste my hard earned money.
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post #2 of 18
5/20/06 at 2:57pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

Alright.. I guess ill figure it out on my own.
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post #3 of 18
5/20/06 at 9:47pm

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

Samsung DLP sets up until the newly introduced HL-S series models have a number of characteristics you should know about.

1-audio and video are often out of synch--processing for video is a bit too slow to keep up with the audio. This characteristic is the main reason many current AV receivers have a provision to delay audio a bit to re-synch everything.

2-the same video processing lag really plays havoc with some video games--player inputs don't show up on screen quickly enough.

3-severe macroblocking and picture smear on fast moving scenes, especially on SD and video games.

I suspect the reason you got no other replies is the fact that with a hard and fast $1400 limit there just aren't any viable non-crt rptvs around.

The closest thing I can recommend would be a new Sony 42A-10 lcd based rptv. These were an excellent set with great picture quality introduced last fall. New models will be arriving in the next couple of months so you may be able to find one within a couple of hundred of your price limit, maybe 1600ish.

Otherwise you are stuck with crt, which is not really a bad choice if you don't mind the big box factor. CRT is actually capable of overall better picture quality than any microdisplay rptv. The main downfall is that they aren't very suitable for really brightly lit rooms but you are going to be in a basement so I doubt if light control is much of a problem. There aren't many crt models still available and many of those that still exist aren't really very good. Stay away from RCA, Samsung, Magnavox. Look for Hitachi, Mitsubishi, or if you can find one a Sony.
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post #4 of 18
5/21/06 at 5:19pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

Thanks for the info. I went to Circuit City today and did some looking around at the Samsumg sets. I asked the clerk about the audio synch problem and he said it only occured when they had a samsung dvd player connected via hdmi. Of course, he then also told me that the picture looked squished because "it was cinamorphic."

I replied, "I dont think its supposed to be anamorphic, I think the image is squished."

He said, "no". "Anamorphic is when the picture fills the whole screen, this is cinamorphic, thats why you see the black bars."
So, yea. Hes credibility was pretty much shot after that.
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post #5 of 18
5/22/06 at 8:10pm

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

JImi,

I don't know the pricing on the new HLS series Samsungs, they may have a 42" set in your range. The HLS series is supposed to have pretty much cured the audio lag and other problems that plagued earlier series, but the A-10 Sonys are a known quantity, very reliable with great pq.
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post #6 of 18
5/22/06 at 8:55pm

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

Thought I'd mention the Toshiba 46" DLP. I'm not sure of U.S. pricing, but the Toshibas have a pretty good reputation and if its in your price range, would be worth considering.
Larry
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post #7 of 18
5/22/06 at 11:22pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

Ive thought about it and I think im just gonna go balls out and buy one of the new 1080p Samsung sets. The 50" model is around $2600. Ill may as well take advantage of there no interest financing. I just finished paying off my car so it wont be a big deal. Ill buy it from Circuit City and get the extended warranty. The PQ just blew everything else out of the water. Ill probably wait a few days and think it over though. 3K just sounds like a hell of alot of money for a tv. Especially for a guy who drives a Taurus.
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post #8 of 18
5/22/06 at 11:27pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

Does anyone know anything about this Panasonic set?
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Panas...oductDetail.do

I cant find any stores locally that carry that particular Sony set you recommended. I did find it on Sonys website for 1799.99 with free shipping though.
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post #9 of 18
5/23/06 at 4:50am

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

Jimi,

I know you did not want a crt based projection set but Sears in fact still has some of their crt based Sony displays. I picked up a sony wega 46" crt based set last Nov for $1200. It does weigh about 140 pounds but it is still small enough to fit in a cabinet. It is a table top version. The sears here in Maine has new 2005 models still on display. It has hdmi and looks as good as any other display I demoed.
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post #10 of 18
5/23/06 at 6:34am

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

hi guys
I really like the new Samsungs. I just received a HLS4266 unit a couple of days ago. It was way cool....I was actually able to pick it up myself and carry it into my basement. ( A whole 60ish pounds).
Regards
Gregg
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post #11 of 18
5/23/06 at 10:26am
Thread Starter 

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

The savings I would get on an RPTV (since 99% are not table top versions) would be negated by the fact that I would have to buy an audio rack. I already have a nice stand I planned on using. Most important, the weight. 140 lbs around a tight corner and down a flight of stairs just scares me. Im not stuck on Samsung, although I do kind of prefer dlp over lcd. Im in no real rush to buy the tv. I would like it in time to see the stanley cup finals in HD.

Gregg, is that a 1080p set?
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post #12 of 18
5/24/06 at 3:39am

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

Whatever you decide on make sure you take alot of time walking it through it's paces, you obviously want this more than just for the stanley cup playoffs considering the price point you are at now. Fast-moving objects are a big issue with non-crt sets and hockey is no exception. I know the sets are improving day by day but don't settle on something that is bright and vibrant in the stores cuz the're probably in the "torch" mode meaning the contrast is cranked up and prob the brightness as well. The retail stores love to display the sets like this with slow camera pans like discovery earth or some nature channel. Go to a higher end store and look at the sets with a good movie that you know real well or a soccer game, might be able to pull that off at CC but when there crowded who knows. You may want to try Stereo Advantage for the Directors Series Hitachi and give them a try, all I can say is don't buy one cuz your tired of looking around and want to end the pain. Good luck
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post #13 of 18
5/29/06 at 3:30pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=4891099

Does anyone know anything about this tv? $1348 for a 50" Panasonic LCD. Looks like a good deal. If they ever get more in stock. And yea yea yea, I know.. Walmart, evil mega corporation.
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post #14 of 18
5/29/06 at 11:45pm

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

I would check sam's club if you can. I got a 47 inch samsung tv set last year.. it came with a free tv stand.

Jacob

the guy that told you about the audio sync problem with a samsung dvd player and samsung tv is correct. I got a samsung dvd player and for some reason had many problems with it.
the guy was right about that. I ended up taking the dvd player back to circuit city.
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post #15 of 18
5/30/06 at 1:20pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

What brand player did you replace it with and did you have the audio sync issues with that? I can get an older model Samsung for a song compared to the "s" series.
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post #16 of 18
5/30/06 at 6:50pm

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimi C
What brand player did you replace it with and did you have the audio sync issues with that? I can get an older model Samsung for a song compared to the "s" series.


IMHO it's not worth the savings to get any Samsung other than the current HLS sets--far too many issues with the older models.
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post #17 of 18
5/31/06 at 12:32pm

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

I finally replaced my ancient 45" Pioneer with a brand new RCA 50" DLP HDTV (m50wh72s) and I absolutely love it! It even came with a free matching stand. Surprisingly, it weighs 90 lbs and just under 16" deep. $1486 at Walmart.

Actually, I got the 52" CRT at first but it was too big, bulky and extremely heavy, so a week later I exchanged it for the 50" DLP. It also looks pretty sleek looking. Great picture and overall, I love it!
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post #18 of 18
5/31/06 at 7:16pm

Re: Looking for an RPTV. Suggestions, recommendations? Please help!

I was at Circuit City the other day and they had a 56" Samsung DLP (not sure of the model number) and it looked phenomenal! I know these displays on the floor are not calibrated properly...I can't imagine how much better it could look.
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