LCD RPTV -- anything other than a Panny? (1 Viewer)

[EvanYeager]

We are considering the purchase of a LCD RPTV. Is Panny the only choice in this area? Can anyone who has one give me their view on this RPTV's pluses and minuses?

Thanks for all the help.

 

[Dean Wette]

I don't have an LCD, but I just finished going through the decision making process and shopping ordeal of getting a new TV.

My perception of the LCD monitors is that they all have washed out looking color and blacks aren't black, but more of a dark charcoal gray.

I'm guessing the stores think so too because, almost without exception, every one I visited shows nothing but animated video on them (Shrek, et al.). When I actually saw natural video I thought something was wrong with the TV (or my eyes).

I think they show animated material to hide the fact that they suck as far as color richness and blacks go, but they're pressured into stocking them by manufacturers.

Food for thought...

BTW: I went with DLP (never could discern any rainbows), and am waiting for delivery.

Dean

 

[Jeff Me]

Sony makes two LCD RPTVs the KF-50XBR800 and KF-60XBR800. These sets respond well to service menu adjustments. Check out this thread for more info.

UMR Does GWII

The following is my perspective on these TVs.

Negatives of these TV's are:

Black levels and contrast ratio worse than many other technologies. (BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THIS)
$200 light bulb will need to be replaced at about 8000 hrs.
Fan noise can be heard in quite scenes.
High screen resolution will show problems in standard definition broadcasts.
Best picture requires service menu adjustment.
LCD panels tend to have subtle patches of color or color shifts across screen. (Most annoying on B&W movies)
Factory service menu settings look washed out due to low gamma.
Dust can get on LCD requiring cleaning.
Some LCD artifacts are visible on high contrast scenes.
Panels cannot be adjusted by owner if they are out of alignment.
You cannot rescale 720p or 1080i images to eliminate black bars present on some HD material.
All images going into this set are scaled internally making the use of an external scaler of little use.
These sets are not as easy as some to hook a PC to as some others.

Positives of these TV's are:

Resolution of details at this price point.
Presentation is very film like.
Minimal LCD damage possibility with low wattage bulb allows 4:3 viewing without stretching or gray bars. Good for games also.
TV can be restored to near original picture by replacing bulb.
The picture can be improved with service menu adjustments.
Fewer artifacts (no temporal dithering, rainbows...) than competing DLP sets if you see them.
Bright screen image is good in high ambient light situations.
Good anti-reflection coating helps with bright rooms as well.
Physical size of TV compared to other RPTVs.
No convergence required.
Sony offers discrete remote codes (on, off, Video 1, Video2 ...).
Set will automatically detect anamorphic wide-screen material and scale the screen appropriately.
Near perfect geometry. (Slight bowing on some sets)
Good off-axis performance
No interference on picture from magnetic fields (speakers)