Need 47" or less sized TV with 16x9 squeeze - NOT a Wega (1 Viewer)

[Matt_Stevens]

My Sony Wega cannot be fixed (it has two problems) and they advise me not getting another Wega because the uneven brightness problem (one of the two I have) will never be fixed. So...
I would very much like to buy the new Panasonic 47WX49, but at 47", it will likely not fit into my apartment. My stairwell is too narrow and as measured, I'd have maybe 1 to 2 inches of clearance for the delivery guys and that simply isn't enough.
I'd consider a 36" Panasonic Tau, but the 16x9 function is ATUO-ONLY and doesn't work on all DVDs (seen this myself) AND worse, there is no option for a manual squeeze, leaving those certain DVDs useless, as well as my collection of SVHS anamorphic tapes.
So what to do? The 4:3 HDTV's do not have the option to do a 16x9 squeeze on anything but 1080i.
I cannot go back to non-anamorphic DVD playback! No way.
I see the HITACHI "43UWX10B" on Circuit City's website, but it is not on Hitachi's own web site. Is this last year's model? Is it any good?
SONY has a 43" 4:3 set called the KP-43HT20 and 16:9 compression is listed. But is it only for 1080i signals? I know the 53" Sony can do the squeeze manually, but the 43" I looked at last year could not.
Anyone have any advise for me? I am really in a tight spot here and when you look at the clearance I have to get a set into my apartment (damn old house), OUCH!
Measurements for stairwell: 48" height clearance and 29.5" width clearance.
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www.deceptions.net/superman
[Edited last by Matt_Stevens on July 26, 2001 at 10:58 AM]

 

[JohnnyG]

I believe the Sony does indeed squeeze for anamorphic DVDs (I think it even does it auto-magically).
The new Toshiba 43" models due in September (43H71 and 43HX71) will also do it.
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[Scott Barnhart]

Matt,
Maybe it is time for you to consider front projection. A cheap DLP like the Nec LT150 should fix all your problems (including supporting PAL natively - aren't you currently using a Tenlabs TR21?), is incredibly small, and with a screen should still come out either cheaper or comparable to what you are prepared to spend on a direct view.
Of course, if you have already considered and rejected FP for some reason, then ignore me!
Scott
(who has all the same concerns/needs as you re: PAL, anamorphic, size, etc., just no budget!)
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Scott Barnhart
[email protected]

 

[Matt_Stevens]

I wonder if I called Sony I'd get a clueless dingbat or someone that could answer my question.

I think I'll call.
The 47" Panasonic would be the perfect TV for me. Just perfect. But it is just a bit to big, I think. I'm going to call good old dad and have him do the amth for me on auto cad to see if the TV will fit the very tight corner.
Scott, I cannot do FP where I currently live. My viewing distance is too short and hanging a screen would be next to impossible in this old house. Plus, I won't be here more than another 9 months (at most, thank God). The set I need now will be reduced to Bedroom Status when I move and THEN I will go BIG!!

I just came back from Sears and Circuit Shitty and was amazed that the Hitachi, Samsung, Panasonic and Toshiba direct view HDTV ready 4:3 tubes had only auto 16x9, some 480p or higher only and NO manual squeeze. What is there problem?! Are they that dense?!!
And I won't even get into (in this thread) how rude the nimrods at Sears were to me. Guess they no longer care since they won't get any commission out of this. Grrr...
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www.deceptions.net/superman

 

[Dave Simpson]

Matt,
If Panny's 47" widescreen would almost be perfect for you, perhaps Toshiba's upcoming 42H81 will do the trick instead. 16x9, 540p/1080i, 3:2 pulldown, blah, blah, blah. Ships in Sept/Oct; JohhnyG can perhaps provide further info. Cheers.
Dave.
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"Buncha slack-jawed faggots around here! This stuff'll make ya a goddam sexual tyrannasorse...just like me!"
Dave's Really Moldy HT Page

 

[Matt_Stevens]

I'll need to make the purchase in the next two weeks, so waiting is out.

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www.deceptions.net/superman

 

[Greg S]

Mits 46807 is only 42" wide I believe.
Check their site for exact measurements but my 46807 sits on a 48" stand with room to spare on each side.
Great set and its a 16x9 HDTV.
Greg

 

[Greg S]

46809 - This years model
Height 38 1/4"
Width 42 3/4"
Depth 27 1/8"
From the Mits website
Greg

 

[Geordy]

The Hitachi 43 inch looks great. That baby might be mine in a couple of weeks...for details go to circuitcity.com
Peace
geordy

 

[Matt_Stevens]

The Mitsubishi line is out because Sears does not carry it.

Sears is giving me the credit on my Wega.
The Hitachi will give me the same picture "height" on 4:3 material (cable) and for the first time (for me), same height for 1.85:1 widescreen. 2.35:1 will have aprox the same height as 1.85:1 material has on my 36" Sony, so all viewing will either remain as is, or improve quite a bit.
But if I can get that 47" Panny in here, 2.35:1 films will have the same height as 4:3 material on my 4:3 36" Sony! GOD that would be awesome! And my friends would be oh so jealous.

Well, the ones without HDTV's that is.
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www.deceptions.net/superman

 

[Rob Scott]

Matt,
If the concern is the delivery guys getting it around a tight corner up the stairs, let me tell you about my experience.
I just purchased a Toshiba 56H80 and took it around a tight corner and up the stairs with the help of some friends. I rented a U-Haul appliance dolly; strapped the TV onto it (blankets around it of course).
The corner was so tight that we had to remove the dolly and scoot the TV around, then re-attach the dolly to get the TV up the stairs.
In order to make sure the TV would make it around the corner, I used some PVC pipe sections and connectors I had laying around to "mock up" the footprint of the TV and move it through the path.
An inch or two of clearance was all that was necessary in my case. Your mileage may vary, of course.
Best wishes!
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Rob Scott

 

[Matt_Stevens]

Rob, you read my mind. I'll be building a mock up of the sets dimensions to see if it will, in fact, fit. That's my job tomorrow.
I hope it does because I have my heart set on it now. Fingers crossed.
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www.deceptions.net/superman

 

[Matt_Stevens]

Did my cardboard mock-up already and it will fit, so i am off to Sears to set up the exchange.
One 36" Sony Wega for one 47" Panasonic HDTV!! YEAH BABY!!!

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www.deceptions.net/superman

 

[Carlo_M]

Matt,
As the owner of a PT-47, the first RPTV I've owned after 10 years of owning Sony direct view TVs, I have some counsel to offer you for your upcoming PT-47:
1. Out-of-the-box performance may be bad/very bad. This seems to be the norm for this set. Back off all picture settings. If you have AVIA or VE, use them.
2. After breaking it in (leave it on for at least an hour or two) do the 9 pt convergence. This will tighten up the picture considerably.
3. If you're a DIY'er, call Panasonic's number (it's on one of the forms that come with the set) and order the service manual. This will allow you to fix the red push (which some say is bad, but mine was only about 10% initially) and do the 64 pt convergence.
4. If you're not a DIY'er, wait about a month and then call an ISF tech. The gray scale on this set routinely peaks over 10000K, some measuring as high as 16000K!
5. There are people working on a hardware fix for disabling SVM. Keep your eyes open here and at hometheaterspot.
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If you've never owned an RPTV, here's some words of advice. The viewing angles for RPTVs are much less than direct views, so be prepared for that. My PT-47 is not very viewable past, say, 140 degrees horizontally, and less than that vertically! If I stand up the screen diminishes greatly! But if you sit at eye level, you will see a great picture. Also, since there are three CRTs rather than one tube, be prepared to do a lot of adjustments to get the perfect picture. It's a labor of love but once you get that pic looking just right, you'll be in HT heaven.
I went with an RPTV over another direct view because of one thing that I've found to be true in Home Theater: There is no substitute for size! A 36" tube would have been marginally larger than my old 32" tube and the cost difference between a decent 36 and the 47 was negligible. Being that it's a widescreen set, no black bars on 1.85 material and little ones for 2.35 material, the gain in widescreen picture area is phenomenal (2.5 times greater than my old 32").
Good luck with your set!
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My dealer of choice (especially if you live in So-Cal, I highly recommend them): www.yawaonline.com

 

[Matt_Stevens]

Hey thanks Carlo, I appreciate the tips.
I do have VE and will absolutely use it. I saw how bad the settings were at Sears (Torch mode) but after adjustments, it was terrific and that's with a set that probably already has damage from the Contrast being set at 100% since the day it was put out for display.
I am a mild DIY'er and will tackle the 9 point convergence and the red push issue. Beyond that, ISF to the rescue. It'll be my first time and I hope I can get a a real pro (I am in New Haven CT).
And I hope that there is a way to shut off SVM because it looks pretty nasty on some material. I saw it in the store and spotted it right away. All the HDTV's on display had it. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why don't they want us shutting it off?
I am thrilled my 1.85:1 DVD's are going to have the same vertical height as the height on my 36" Sony! That will be killer!
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www.deceptions.net/superman

 

[Carlo_M]

Ironic that we are both going away from Sony tubes. The Sony HD tube I saw at Good Guys was the only one that had a USER MENU SVM DISABLE?
See? Sony gets it! Why can't the rest of them get it?
If you have color decoder checks in VE (I have AVIA and it does) then the service menu stuff ain't that hard. And no ISF'er will do the whole 64pt convergence as it can take hours on end to get perfect. I'd recommend at least buying the service manual, it's only $13 and it's the best $13 you'll spend for this set.
I'll try to post back later to this site I have bookmarked at home. It calculates the viewing area for 4:3, 16x9, 1.85 and 2.35 areas between TVs of both 4:3 and 16x9 variety. That's where I learned that the viewing area was 2.5 times greater on the 47 over the 32" 4:3. Pretty cool.
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My dealer of choice (especially if you live in So-Cal, I highly recommend them): www.yawaonline.com

 

[Carlo_M]

Link Removed is the link for that site that computes the viewing area of TVs. Pretty cool site, I think.
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My dealer of choice (especially if you live in So-Cal, I highly recommend them): www.yawaonline.com