Joseph DeMartino
Senior HTF Member
My nephew is in the market for a new TV. His current set is OK, but he wants something a bit bigger and better, that will last him for 5 to 10 years.
Right now his signal source is analog cable that comes included in his HOA fees. Tomorrow he's going to call to find out what his digital cable and satellite options are. (His townhouse has a DirecTV Dish left over from the former owner and is already wired for satellite, cable and ethernet.
) He's got a DVD player with progressive outputs.
He's looking for something up to about 47" (based on the space avaiable in his entertainment center and the viewing distance of his main seating area.) His price range is about $900 (where he was when he was thinking 40-some inch analog direct view) up to $1500 to 1600. (Where he got when he started looking at HD sets.)
He's not married to any display technology, he just wants something he's not going to hate himself for buying in six months.
He called me from a local Best Buy tonight, where he had gone all set to buy a Sony Vega he'd seen in a newspaper ad, totally confused and wanting some guidance. My advice was to put his wallet away and to meet me at a Best Buy near my office at lunchtime tomorrow. I figure we can narrow down his search to a few models and that he can price compare from there. (There's a BrandsMart behind the Best Buy, a CompUSA and Circuit City within a quarter mile, Sound Advice - a step up from the big box stores - and Audio Advisors - a high end custom HT shop - a couple of miles past them.)
My problem is that while I sort of keep an eye on the different HD technology options, I've been deliberately not looking at TVs for the past several years. (I was laid off for a while and have been trying to avoid temptation while I rebuild my finances.) I have a perfectly adequate 56" analog widescreen RPTV and my cable company doesn't even offer HD service in my area. (And satellite isn't an option for my north-facing condo.) So I don't have a lot of current market knowledge to guide me in guiding him, or any experience with HD sets and service.
He mostly watches DVD movies and is a huge sports fan, and I have a feeling he'll be going for a DirecTV package with maybe one premium movie service plus the NFL and college basketball packages once he hears what the local cable thieves want for half the service. So that's our starting place.
Would love to get some specific recommendations on HD or HD ready sets that fall within his size and price parameters, as well as any comments on the current state of the art in DLP, CRT, LCD (direct and RPTV) and direct view.
Help, guys.
Thanks,
Joe
Right now his signal source is analog cable that comes included in his HOA fees. Tomorrow he's going to call to find out what his digital cable and satellite options are. (His townhouse has a DirecTV Dish left over from the former owner and is already wired for satellite, cable and ethernet.
) He's got a DVD player with progressive outputs.He's looking for something up to about 47" (based on the space avaiable in his entertainment center and the viewing distance of his main seating area.) His price range is about $900 (where he was when he was thinking 40-some inch analog direct view) up to $1500 to 1600. (Where he got when he started looking at HD sets.)
He's not married to any display technology, he just wants something he's not going to hate himself for buying in six months.
He called me from a local Best Buy tonight, where he had gone all set to buy a Sony Vega he'd seen in a newspaper ad, totally confused and wanting some guidance. My advice was to put his wallet away and to meet me at a Best Buy near my office at lunchtime tomorrow. I figure we can narrow down his search to a few models and that he can price compare from there. (There's a BrandsMart behind the Best Buy, a CompUSA and Circuit City within a quarter mile, Sound Advice - a step up from the big box stores - and Audio Advisors - a high end custom HT shop - a couple of miles past them.)
My problem is that while I sort of keep an eye on the different HD technology options, I've been deliberately not looking at TVs for the past several years. (I was laid off for a while and have been trying to avoid temptation while I rebuild my finances.) I have a perfectly adequate 56" analog widescreen RPTV and my cable company doesn't even offer HD service in my area. (And satellite isn't an option for my north-facing condo.) So I don't have a lot of current market knowledge to guide me in guiding him, or any experience with HD sets and service.
He mostly watches DVD movies and is a huge sports fan, and I have a feeling he'll be going for a DirecTV package with maybe one premium movie service plus the NFL and college basketball packages once he hears what the local cable thieves want for half the service. So that's our starting place.
Would love to get some specific recommendations on HD or HD ready sets that fall within his size and price parameters, as well as any comments on the current state of the art in DLP, CRT, LCD (direct and RPTV) and direct view.
Help, guys.
Thanks,
Joe
