Direct View vs Rear Projection (1 Viewer)

[RyanW]

Hello,

I had a question concerning TVs and what the best way to go is for my money. I would really like a 16:9 aspect TV and have seen that many HD rear projection TVs are at this ratio, but many direct views are not. I have also noted that the direct views are usually more expensive for less screen size. So my basic question is, is there a real down side to rear projection TVs for HT? Are direct view TVs a better purchase? Any assistance and suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Jeff_Galvin]

I am no expert like some on this forum, but I have been shopping and have made my purchase and my major question was the same as yours. I ended up with RP. With display size being equal, a tube is always a lot more money than RP. The only downside to RP that I have found is that it is more susceptible to ambient light (meaning if you have it in a room near a window when the sun is on that side of the house, then it can get pretty washed out. It also functions as a pretty high quality mirror and during the daytime, you can see yourself and the couch in the screen sometimes. At night or in a darkened room, RP will come up to speed just fine and for the same dollar buy you much more size. My shopping got me to two results: Pioneer Elite RP (53") and Sony 16:9 tube (40") - I went with Pioneer and no regrets - it is awesome. I spent over $5000, but to get a tube that big would have been as much as new car. Also with RP if you do things like lay on the floor in front of it or get way off to the side, then it loses focus and brightness, but you can line up 6 people on a 11 foot couch 8 feet away from the Pioneer and they are all good, as good as a quality $9 a seat theatre view. Good luck on your choices.

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

both formats have their positives and negatives. No format is a better purchase per se ... it comes down to what you can afford and how much space you have versus the size of image you are looking for.

If you want immersive entertainment, the RPTV is the choice of the two.

Direct view is simply too small and does not draw you into a film regardless of how it looks compared to a well set up RPTV.

Regards

 

[Rain]

2 cents worth from a new RPTV newbie:

To me, RPTVs look more "film like" than direct views.

Also, and I don't know if it's just me, I find them easier on the eyes.

All things considered, I cannot see myself every going back to a direct view set for watching movies.

 

[Donnie Seals]

Size vs. Quality. If size is your issue, and you want something that's going to deliver a presence in the room, then a RPTV is your choice. If video quality is important, then I would go with a direct TV image. The tube TV is smaller, and coupled with a progressive scan DVD player, you can't beat the image. I personally think SONY's HDTV tube sets look better than any RPTV on the market (yes, that includes the Pioneer Elite).

Now speaking of the Pioneer Elite series, no other RPTV touches it as far as video quality. The advantage it has over the tubes is its size. I mean, it's hard not to fall in love with it cause it's just...massive. But some of the other RPTV sets just don't provide the quality that I'd like. Some don't handle 16:9 images well, or the image falters a bit when viewing from the side.

It's a toss up honestly. Like someone stated before, there are positives and advantages to both.

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings
The statement about pioneer elites being at the top of the RPTV pecking order is up for debate.
Regards

 

[James Brown]

I was in the same situation about a week ago. I own a sony 27" wega and now a KP-57WS500. I love the picture on a direct view but to me, the big screen effect is just not there, even on the 40" XBR at the stores.

My only problem with the RPTV now is the reflection. Viewing in the daytime in my family room is kinda rough unless youre in the sweet spot(sliding door with vertical blinds and kitchen windows) but when the sun goes down, its a whole different story.

My wife and I love it. We had a party the day after we got it and had our family and friends packed in the room watching Game 1 of the World Series and we looked at each other and i whispered "imagine if we were still using the 27" in this room!"

 

[Neil Joseph]

If I were buying a TV for movie/TV viewing, then I would definitely go for a HD RPTV over a direct view for 16x9, bigger picture, and a slightly more cinematic feel.

 

[John-Miles]

Personally i perfer the picture on a direct view, and since i have only one tv i went with a 36" toshiba HD. that being said when i finally move out on my own i will likely get a RPTV for movie watching and such.
Bottom line in my opinion is a RPTV is for movies and a direct view for everythign else. But that is just my preference, im sure you will be happy with whatever you get

 

[Aaron Cohen]

I've got the KV-34XBR800 in my suite at college. The way I had it set up initally I was happy as there was not much room.....BUT I did a bit of moving and now there is about 17 feet from the couch to the tv and it is a LOT of room. I know think that a RPTV would look incredible there....the 34 inch just seems so small! Don't get me wrong, the picture is incredible, and I have yet to see how a RPTV would look in my room BUT where it is, there are NO WINDOWS at all and the room can be completely dark at all times of the day! I know that this is a big plus for viewing an RPTV....

So the question is, judging from my situation should I go with an RPTV? I want a 16x9 HD set and after doing something with this set I would have somewhere in the 3400 or so price range.... Can I get a good 16x9 set say.........about 55 inches or so for this price?

Let me know, thanks!

 

[Bill Slack]

Aaron:

You could get a 50-ish Panasonic and get it ISF calibrated for well under that $3400 price. Of course, it would be a real PITA to move every year. Then again, your current Sony must way in excess of 200lbs anyway, with that thick piece of glass in it!

17ft is incredibly far away, even for a 55-65" set though. I sit 6.5ft from my 40" and wish I had a bigger set (though I would move my viewing distance back to about 8ft, at that point.)

 

[Aaron Cohen]

Thanks for the info! How's the 57 inch Sony? I know how important getting the set calibrated is BUT will I need to get it re-calibrated everytime I move it? I will be moving it twice per year (taking it to and from college, I will be leaving it there over winter break) but won't moving it put some things out of alignment?

Let me know. Also, I have had my 34 inch set since august and it is too late to exchange it but I have the 3-year warranty. There is a bright yellow (and sometimes green) mark in the upper left corner that is not magnetic interference. It is very visible and annoying when brighter colors are displayed on the screen. I have been told that this may be a faulty CRT and that the tv should be replaced. I bought it from Circuit City. When the people come out and tell me it needs to be replaced, do I then have the option to get a credit towards a different tv? The reason I am leaning towards the Sony RPTV set is solely because that may be easier for them since it is the same company and therefore they would be more willing to give me a credit? I paid 2499.99 for my set (plus 300 for the stand but I don't expect them to take that back, I can sell it elsewhere however)

Do you think this will work out for me? If not, is there anyone here that wants to purchase my brand new, working set (Brand new if they only replace the set with the exact same model, I would not sell you my faulty model). I live in Charlotte, NC and though it would be great to find someone in the area, I suppose I can ship it as well. Please let me know!!!!

The price will be reasonable.

Thanks!

 

[Chris Strasz]

Aaron, I believe the more you move it, the more out of alignment certain parts get which would mean needing to recalibrate it (but I could be wrong). I live in an apartment myself so I usually move yearly, sometimes every 2 years. Still, I think that I'd probably get an RPTV regardless of moving it around as it wouldn't weigh anymore than the sofa my roommate has hehe.

 

[Aaron Cohen]

I went in and talked to Circuit City about the problem. They said that if the service people came out and determined that it needed to be replaced then I would get credit towards a new tv.... When I got home, the problem with the mark in the upper left was gone.....BUT now the entire screen is all warped. I don't know what is going on but if for some reason the service people are able to fix the problem, I am still going to say that the mark in the corner (which has come and gone before) was very annoying and I don't want to deal with it again with a replacement of the same tv.

I will be shooting for credit towards an RPTV. I don't know what's going on with the set now!

 

[Adil M]

Aaron,
You're on the path to a credit, it's almost guaranteed. Now before you buy your RPTV, I want you to look at both the Sony's (WV600) and the Hitachi's (SWX). Also, see if you can get the stand credit too. Geez, you paid full retail for everything and that is what the warranty is for, although I've never had a customer have a problem w/ the 34xbr800. Second, bring in some internet pricematches when you decide to get the Hit... RPTV of your choice. Use the pricematch towards A. ISF or B. an audio upgrade. You're set. Wanna do me a real big favor... meet me at CC and ...lol.

 

[Aaron Cohen]

Thanks for all the very informed responses. Adil M, when I talked to the manager he said that he would give me credit for the stand as well.

Yep, I paid full retail for the set and in hindsight maybe I should've tried to talk them down but it looks like I'm going to be getting a second chance!

I'll get several internet price matches before I go in there.

Update on the set, the mark in the corner comes and goes at random..... Also the alignment seems to be wayyyyyyyyy off all of a sudden, and the set has been stationary for months! Wierd..........

I'm hoping to get a credit, as much as I did like this set, I really think that an RPTV is more for me now that I realize I have the room!

I had only looked at the Sony set so far but will definitely check out others as well.

I'm looking for something 57 inches, no bigger and not much smaller. Thanks for the help!

 

[Bill Slack]

Yes, things can get out of alightnment when moving. I've seen sets moved that you could barely tell though.

Convergence, and focus are the two biggest problems. Focus shouldn't get movied around too much, really, and convergence is something that needs to be touched up anyway, and is easlily done yourself. The other changes won't be effected much by moving.

Keep in mind how much of a pain it is to move though, and the chance of breaking something. The Mitsubishi 65", for one, can be taken apart into two pieces to move. Perhaps some other sets have this nice feature as well.

Unless you can get a full refund, a front projection set is really out of the question. But that would sure make moving an easy thing to do!

 

[Alan Pummill]

You know about 6 years ago we were in the market for a bigger TV to replace our 27". After looking at both direct view and rear projection, we went with the top-of-the-line model of the Mits 40" direct view. My wife and I both agreed it had the best large picture of them all.

But about 6 weeks ago, after much thought and research, we decided to go for the only RPTV wide-screen that we felt even came close to the picture quality of our trusty old 40" Mits., the Pioneer Elite PRO-620HD 58" RPTV. This is one fantastic set!! We have not regretted our decision one bit.

I did upgrade from a DV-505 to an Elite DV-47Ai about a week ago to take advantage of the capabilities of our new RPTV. Next will be a VSX-49TXi receiver to replace our VSX-09TX....will it ever end!! Pioneer Elite all around....pictures soon!!

 

[Aaron Cohen]

Bill, I hadn't heard about that feature of some of the RPTV's, I'll see if any others have them. How much do Pioneer Elite sets run? About 5000?

 

[Chris Strasz]

Depends on what model you're looking at and what series. The x20 series without dvi can be had for cheaper, while the x30's are not out yet and won't be cheaper than 5K for the smallest size (53") more than likely.