Help me choose an LCD screen... (1 Viewer)

[MarcoBiscotti]

Hey guys,

I've finally decided that it's time to look into a monitor for my bedroom and so far, it looks as though I've settled with LCD technology. I haven't given much attention or research to this yet, so I'm really starting from scratch here and hoping that you'll be able to help me narrow down the options and find the right screen.


I'm looking to optimally spend in the $2.5k price range, give or take, but remaining under the 3,000 mark.


I would ideally be looking at an aaprox. 32" screen size and no less.


The only requirements:

HDTV Ready.

HDMI/DVI Input.

Slender and Sleek Design.



It is for my bedroom (wall-mounted and aaprox. 85" - 100" directly opposite my bed), and will almost exclusively be used to watch DVD's.


I have an extremely high-end DLP projection H.T. room setup down the hallway (I live in a 1240 sq. ft. condo) so you can guess that's where most of my nightly movie screenings have and will take place.



The sole purpose of this purchase would be for casual watching, mostly during the morning, daytime and afternoon, or when I'm too tired to setup the projector and just want to lie in bed and doze off with a movie.

I realize that I've been wasting a lot of lamp life on my DLP with content that really isn't necessary for 100" theater projection, such as supplemental and extra movie features, interviews, TV shows, Saturday morning cartoon DVD's, etc. I can't afford to spend $700 every 6 months to replace the bulb!


I should also note, that I do not have cable, or television at all for that matter right now. I'm not certain that I have much interest in this in future either. My time spent in front of the TV will be almost strictly limited to DVD viewing.


Moreso, I will be using the LCD as an alternative to projection for DVD TV series, television documentaries, non-theatrical cartoons, etc. so I guess another strong issue, is that makes for a lot of standard 4x3 (1.33:1) content, and I would need a monitor that handles ALL aspect ratios adeptly.


Anyways, I'm really not sure where to start?

I certainly don't want to invest nearly as much time or effort into this as I did my H.T. room. I expect quality regardless, and as a videophile, initially had certain concerns regarding the inherent setbacks to LCD technology such as black levels, pixelization, shimmering, screen door effect, etc.

I know that pixelization and a soft image will bother me the most. This is my pet peeve when it comes to viewing.


I would like to get your advice on what products are available in my price range and within my specifications, that would offer all the necessary features I'm looking for and also offer the highest image quality with deepest black levels.

Again, I'm not looking to stress my options as I did with my H.T., much of the viewing content will be of lower-res video based material.. But I always want the best quality for my money, and on those occassions when I do chose to screen movies, I want to try and achieve the most "filmic" looking picture, if that's possible.


Can you guys help with suggestions on models and manufacturers to look into? I've read countless reviews and declarations citing Sharp to be top of their game. I'd really appreciate any feedback you guys can offer..

Thanks a ton!

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

PS - I should add that (although I'm not a big gamer), I do intend to purchase the new Nintendo Revolution when it's released and will be using the LCD for this as well. I'm mainly looking to take advantage of the back-catalogue offerings from older systems made available through the Revolution (8bit old-skool NES, Gameboy and SNES) so I'm not sure if internet connection comes into play here but it's something I'd like to keep in mind because this will be my only outlet for playying video games.

Again, quick summary: ~ $2,500 budget, 32" monitor, HDTV ready.


It's going to be wall mounted and due to aesthetics and placement, must be sleek and not bulky.

 

[Leo Kerr]

Marco,

Sharp has a number of screens that should do well for you. We recently installed a 32" 16x9 screen, with integral speakers. The sound is a little odd, but the acoustics of the space are insane. I know it has DVI; I can't remember if it has the HDMI or not.

Very good viewing angle, too.

Leo

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Thanks Leo, do you remember the model or specifics?

To clarify, I don't need HDMI & DVI inputs, just one of the two. As well, integrated speakers and HDTV compatible.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

PS - Can anyone tell me how the 32" LC-32D6U Aquos handles lower-res standard def DVD such as older video based TV shows, concert footage, docus, etc. through HDMI connection?

I'm thinking of going with this and picking up the Oppo OPDV971H DVD player.


My only concern, is spending the ~2k or whatever it will cost, and than having a new model come out this spring with 1020p output...


Thanks.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Can anyone confirm whether the 32D6U features DVI input?

Some sites have it listed on their spec sheets and some don't. I need to make sure. I previously said HDMI or DVI but I actually need the DVI input!

Can anyone please verify?

 

[Leo Kerr]

I think we installed the 32D5U - I can check tommorrow at work. We're running 1973 Dick Cavot footage of Ray Charles through analog component. It's not too bad, but I know the integrity of the footage is missing (really brutal DVNR applied before mastering. I de-compressed, reformatted to fit, pillar-boxed, inside the 16x9 frame and added captions, and then recompressed.)

I'll also check the manual and see the specifics regarding the backplane inputs - but I really think it's the 5U.

Leo

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Thanks Leo, I'd really appreciate that!

 

[Dave Moritz]

Hello MarcoBiscotti

You can pick up a Sony KDFE50A10 50" LCD HDTV for well under $3k. It has a good scaler and has a hdmi input with a pc input. I picked up my set for $2400 just a few months ago. I was not a big fan of LCD or Sony but this tv has impressed me. I compaired it side by side with other LCD tv's like Hitachi and Mitsubishi and I liked the picture on the Sony. While its not as thin as a plasma screen but it is alot thinner than a standard rear projection set. My set weighs no more than 84lbs and is aprox 15" deap. If I would have had more money I would have gone with a DLP set instead. I hope this helps?

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Marco:

Are you looking for LCD or LCD-projection? There's obviously a difference. (If you want a flat-panel are are looking at the 50" I think you would be better off from a price-performance standpoint with a plasma for flat-panel.)

Regards,

Joe

 

[Jay H]

I just purchased a LC32DA5U though not the same model as what you're interested, (the 5U doesn't have a built in HD tuner, unlike the 6U series) and the DA5U does not have DVI inputs and has 1 HDMI input.

Jay

 

[Leo Kerr]

Okay, we've got the LC-32D5u. It's got one DVI and one HDMI input, as well as a conventional range of analog video and analog and digital cable inputs (including a "cable link card" or some such. Maybe it's its own set-top box?)

Leo

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

A cable card is a set-top-box alternative you can get from the cable company and which costs a couple of bucks a month less than an STB. It allows you to receive HD and other digital channels without a full STB, but it does not support full interactivity, so things like pay-per-view and other interactive options your cable company may offer will not work. (The CableCard 2.0 standard is supposed to address this, but the spec is still being written and no current sets support it. I don't know if existing sets will be able to upgrade to CC 2.0 via software or firmware upgrades.)

CC was kind of a non-issue for me because the difference in what Adelphia charges for a CableCard vs. a basic HD-STB vs. an HD-DVR is so small (especially for a 2nd HD-DVR) that I never seriously considered it, although all three of my HD sets support the feature.

Regards,

Joe

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Thanks A LOT guys!

I'm really happy to hear that DVI is infact an option.

And Joseph, I'm definitely looking at LCD (not LCD proj.) and am looking in the 32" range. I don't really need anything bigger for it's purpose. Plus I'm really not looking to spend the money for anything larger at this point. It's not really necessary for a bedroom TV. I also need it to be wall-mountable.

It looks like I'm set on the 32D6U than!


Well... I said I didn't want to stress over decisions as I did with my H.T. so I'd say this was fairly quick and simple.


Thanks again for all your help, I'll be shopping around this weekend!