2. home-theater
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An audiophile who know NOTHING about TV

Well, I've been thinking of buying a new TV and holy crap, is this one confusing subject! First, what technology should I get: Plasma, DLP, LCD, etc. 16:9, 1080. I don't know what any of this stuff means. The funny thing is that i'm scanning consumer reports and others like it to see what is the "best" LOL. I don't think I found my SME 30 or Aesthetix IO there! I would be aghast at anyone who told me they were buying a high end piece of audio equipment like that, but here I was doing the same thing. Looking to see which had the best specs. I stopped by a best buy today and actually found someone who seemed to know what he was talking about. He asked the right questions (from what I read): What do you watch, how far do you sit, etc. I answered his questions. Not interested in surround sound at all. Mostly watch broadcast TV and lots of sports (I use dish network as my source), sit about 10 feet from the screen (need to measure, i'm just guessing), watch an occasional DVD.

So, we're moving along and he seemd to be steering me towards DLP (Samsung) but there was a Pioneer Plasma that looked great. Then he mentions that "regular" TV broadcasts look terrible!!?? You won't be able to use the whole screen? What the hell, I can't have that. Isn't most TV non High-Def? Why would you buy Plasma/DLP if this is the case? I know we are headed to high-def, but unless i'm missing something I would think I should wait before I buy. I guess I can go RP CRT but isn't that "old" technology? That's funny, coming from a guy who listens to records and has an all tube-based system LOL.

I just want the best picture and biggest picture that makes sense in my room.

Oh, the room has a lot of natural light during the day, but most watching is done at night.
cte500

Showing 1 response by rrekstad

rrekstad
45 posts
 


Reasons to upgrade now:

More and more sports are coming available in High-def, and it is unbelievable the difference in the viewing experience. If you watch DVD movies, You aren't really taking advantage of the "new" format unless you have a widescreen tv that at least displays in 480p (the DVD standard). You can use the whole screen on wide screen tv's for standard broadcasts in one of various "stretch modes" built into the tv's. Certain tv's do this better than others, and should factor into your decision making process. I have a 57" Sony High Def RP CRT and am very pleased. "old" CRT technology has come a long way, and what it concedes to all-digital displays like plasma in resolution, it makes up for in other important areas (to me) like accurate colors and better black levels. Plus it costs a fraction of what a plasma costs at this point. Down the road, plasma and DLP prices will drop and their weak points will improve. Until then, my decision was to get a bargain CRT display that allows me to enjoy the "little" bit of HD available, as well as Outstanding DVD experience.

Good Luck
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