What TV type for the home environment? (long) (1 Viewer)

[FrankWilli]

Hey gang,
been upgrading the home entertainment system the last several months (Onkyo HTS600 & DVSP500), and now I'm down to the final component: the TV. Our 10 year old 30" Toshiba has done it's job valiantly, but it's getting to be time for something better. My requirements for the new TV are:
1) HDTV Compatible
2) Great regular cable picture (90% of the viewing)
3) Great progressive mode for the DVDs (10%)
4) Sitting area is 12' away, so nothing over 51" diag.
5) Durable - Basically it's on from 7am till 11 pm daily as my wife stays home with the kids (pre-schoolers), so either Sesame Street, videos, Dr. Phil or news is going most of the days. This TV will be the main TV of the house.
6) Prefer 16:9 in terms of future possibilities over 4:3
6) Budget - $2000-2200 Max
I've been wowed by some the 50" - 51" 16:9 RPTVs by Toshiba and Sony at BestBuy, however I am very worried about the durability/life of RPTVs as the main TV for the length of time I usually buy TV's for, i.e. 7-10 years. I've also got concerns about RPTVs and burn-in, as this TV will get used.
The ol' 30" Tosh is still going strong, so waiting another 6 months to 2 years is also an option, but the urge of a nice big wide screen for DVDs is a strong call.
Can RPTVs of today give the durability and reliability I'm looking for? Or does a 36" 4:3 Flatscreen meet this better? Or am I better off waiting as long as possible (1-2 more generations) before other tech. such as plasma becomes more affordable? I know, the next better thing is always around the corner, but with this still being an "optionable" upgrade for now (i.e. the old one still works) I have to give myself (and the wife especially.....) some good reasons why "now" is the time, and which way to go?????
I know this has been across other people's minds at one time or another, so I'd appreciate any feedback & insight.
Thanks,
Frank

 

[Eric_E]

I don't have any help to offer, but I just wanted to say that 12 inches away seems awfully close to sit and watch a 51" TV. Okay, okay, smartass mode off.

 

[Jan Strnad]

I'd wait. If the kids are watching PBS all morning, burn-in of the logo is almost inevitable.

Another solution, now or later, is to buy a cheap direct view set for the family and reserve a RPTV for movie use.

Good luck!

Jan

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

LOL, Eric! I was almost gonna point that out also.
Anyway, Frank, if I were you, I'd probably just wait until I feel a strong desire/need to upgrade before doing it, especially since you don't even watch much DVD.
I doubt though that reliable/durable HD plasma's will be quite around $2K in a year or two. Might take another 4-5 years before that happens, if not longer. DLP and LCD RPTVs might be the way to go when you're ready though. Also, it's a good idea for you to wait a bit for the dust to settle on some of the standards issues since you won't be taking full advantage of an HDTV right now.
FWIW, I just bought a 53" HD RPTV, but I do expect to upgrade maybe 5 years or so from now when HD plasma's or something similar come down into my price range. Ideally, my next upgrade will be longer term and will be more durable like direct-views, require much less space like plasma's or even LCD panels, and be 1080p w/ future-proof connectivity.
RE: Jan's suggestion, that's actually more or less what I do now. Stick w/ the old direct-view (mine's a 5-year-old 32" Toshiba) for regular 4x3 TV and use the big RPTV for movies and the handful of HD programming. But that's not something that'd work for everyone though since not everyone watches DVDs as often as we do.
_Man_

 

[FrankWilli]

Sorry about that, corrected the ' - " typo......
Actually, if it was 12" away that ol' Toshiba would look like a big screen after all........
Thanks for the input so far guys....keep'm coming!!!!
Frank