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| skronker Notable Legendary Icon  Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 |  Posted - Jan 25 2008 : 2:02AMShopping for a flat panel in the $1k-$2k range ... thoughts? Currently thinking Vizio but also Pioneer Kuro (plasma) elite etc. .... low and high ... The size is not a firm consideration as much as quality/price ... Could go 42, 47 ... 50 on the high side but not a home theater obsessive just want a good unit ... [Link] |
| loveporn Member 186 Posts 5/07 | Posted - Jan 25 2008 : 8:14AM [Link] |
| Drew Black broken crankshaft 8009 Posts 9/99 | Posted - Jan 25 2008 : 11:00AM [Link] |
| Johnothan Pedak Senior Member Catastrophe 1594 Posts 6/07 | Posted - Jan 25 2008 : 8:42PM "All other things being equal, the simplest solution is usually stupidity." [Link] |
| Wild Billy Member I'm a Girl Watcher! 759 Posts 6/06 | Posted - Jan 26 2008 : 12:53AM [Link] |
Bill  All-Star Member 5334 Posts 6/00 | Posted - Jan 26 2008 : 12:32PM What's more important to an HDTV than the number of pixels is the contrast ratio.B&H is currently selling this set for $2099.95. It sounds to me like you can't go wrong with this TV and it's right in your ballpark pricewise. Edited by - Bill on 1/26/2008 12:39:55 PM [Link] |
| skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 | Posted - Jan 26 2008 : 1:13PM My couch is on the opposite side of a 6x9 foot rug from the TV now ... (32-inch Proscan circa 1998), so I would not be more than 3X distance. Not sure if I want a 50-incher, but I can check the other sizes, too ... cool. The 42-inch model lists at under $1700 on Amazon. Same strong customer feedback. Seems like I can't go wrong. Also, my primary interest is watching movies either off of DVD or thru an HDMI line from my hard drive. And HBO/Showtime. I have very little interest in watching anything else, so I don't know if that should affect my decision ... Edited by - skronker on 1/26/2008 1:34:21 PM [Link] |
| Bill All-Star Member 5334 Posts 6/00 | Posted - Jan 26 2008 : 1:45PM The source of your viewing material shouldn't affect your decision. Edited by - Bill on 1/26/2008 1:54:09 PM [Link] |
| skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 | Posted - Jan 26 2008 : 5:25PM Yeah, good point about the sales tax. Have to find a way to avoid. I'm wise to the cable game, having spent gazillions on the high-end audio grey market. Anyway, this looks like a good choice. May not act immediately, but by summer ... [Link] |
| Harri Patel Senior Member #SDNY he's all yours. -- Michael Steele 5110 Posts 3/03 | Posted - Jan 26 2008 : 8:19PM [Link] |
| Jeff @ IAFD Webmaster IAFD.COM 931 Posts 6/00 | Posted - Jan 26 2008 : 10:00PM I have the Vizio 47" and am pretty darn happy with it. [Link] |
| skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 | Posted - Jan 29 2008 : 4:26PM You think I live in some kind of ghetto? Edited by - skronker on 1/29/2008 4:27:04 PM [Link] |
| skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 | Posted - Jan 29 2008 : 4:36PM The 47 Viz costs about the same as the Pioneer plasma Bill suggests ... I doubt I want more than a 42-inch screen ... though Vizio's 42 LCD sets peak at $1300 or so ... which is even more affordable for me .... I'm not in any big rush ... [Link] |
| Ramsey Senior Member Trina Michaels fan 10332 Posts 10/02 | Posted - Jan 29 2008 : 6:06PM [Link] |
| AlexPanzer Deactivated User 1593 Posts 6/03 | Posted - Feb 2 2008 : 3:46AM [Link] |
| Bill All-Star Member 5334 Posts 6/00 | Posted - Feb 2 2008 : 3:03PM [Link] |
| skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 | Posted - Feb 2 2008 : 6:31PM [Link] |
| skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 | Posted - May 18 2008 : 9:07PM [Link] |
| skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 | Posted - May 18 2008 : 9:10PM [Link] |
| Bill All-Star Member 5334 Posts 6/00 | Posted - May 18 2008 : 9:49PM So far, it's getting very good reviews. Because of the different manufacturing required to allow for the narrow bezel, it's a bit expensive compared to other LCD TV's of the same size. Toshiba has another model 42XV540U that should be hitting the streets right about now. According to a Toshiba dealer who has good connections with Toshiba, the differences between the XF550U line and the XV540U lines are the bezel and the 540 has an extra side HDMI input that the 550 doesn't have. The price of the 540 is about $500 less than the 550 model of a similar size. Very few stores have this TV in stock right now. But, it appears that J&R has it for $1500. [Link] |
| skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 | Posted - May 18 2008 : 10:41PM The side panel HDMI is a plus for the second model. ... I'm sitting tight for a few weeks at least. The Pioneer 42 inch is about the same price as the Toshiba you have, so I;m still inclined to look for that, but it's good to know about the option. I;ll look for reviews ... [Link] |
| ChodeMasterJ Perpetual Marxist 5405 Posts 4/03 | Posted - May 19 2008 : 12:04AM It's kinda like your first car...it might not be a Ferrari and be the most awesomest thing out there, but it gets you around, which is the main point. [Link] |
| Bill All-Star Member 5334 Posts 6/00 | Posted - May 19 2008 : 12:33AM [Link] |
| skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 | Posted - May 19 2008 : 1:29AM [Link] |
| skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 | Posted - May 19 2008 : 9:37PM [Link] |
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| BadKarma Member 110 Posts 11/00 | Posted - May 19 2008 : 10:59PM At the time I bought the Pioneer, plasma had a better picture than LCD. I think, from what I've read, that LCD has caught up in picture quality. When you narrow down what you think you want checkout: http://www.avsforum.com and see what the feedback is on your choice. [Link] |
| Bill All-Star Member 5334 Posts 6/00 | Posted - May 19 2008 : 11:14PM I think that, with improvements in LCD, that line of equality is probably closer to the 46" or 50" models now. [Link] |
| skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 | Posted - May 19 2008 : 11:48PM I guess my thing is, I like the idea of a 42 inch set because it won't overwhelm the space it occupies ... I saw the Pioneer model mentioned above for $1500 on eBay, so obviously for that amount there's no problem finding a high-quality display. My biggest concern, other than being impressed by Pioneer's "blackest black" reputation, is that people can sit in my media space at watch from side angles and have as good an image as someone viewing from the sweet spot on the couch. I'd heard Plasma delivers that better than LCD. Bill, those Toshibas look real nice. I'll keep hanging tight for now. [Link] |
| skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 | Posted - May 19 2008 : 11:54PM I'm getting all Bauer024 neurotic on this topic ... Those Toshibas look damn good. Edited by - skronker on 5/20/2008 1:14:32 AM [Link] |
| jrv Senior Member 1266 Posts 2/03 | Posted - May 20 2008 : 2:00AM [Link] |
| ChodeMasterJ Perpetual Marxist 5405 Posts 4/03 | Posted - May 23 2008 : 3:25AM and btw...higher contrast ratio is better, right? what is a good contrast ratio to shoot for and/or stay away from because it's too low? thanks. [Link] |
| Roger Herraw Member 415 Posts 2/06 | Posted - May 24 2008 : 3:52PM [Link] |
| skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 | Posted - May 26 2008 : 2:31AM [Link] |
| ChodeMasterJ Perpetual Marxist 5405 Posts 4/03 | Posted - Jun 1 2008 : 10:44AM [Link] |
| Roger Herraw Member 415 Posts 2/06 | Posted - Jun 2 2008 : 7:35PM Almost every HDTV manufacturer publishes a contrast ratio number. TV Salesman explains the bigger the ratio, the better. If all other image criteria are equal, the display with the better contrast (brighter whites and darker blacks) would have the best picture and with it the best "perceived" sharpness. However, this specification has morphed beyond a useful measurement into a new, meaningless number that manufacturers call "dynamic contrast ratio". With the recent arrival of 2008 models, it has ushered in the era of "dynamic contrast ratio" boasting up to "one million to one" (1,000,000:1). The reality? Not only is the dynamic number meaningless, it reminds me of something Dr. Evil of Austin Powers fame would be promoting. The way dynamic contrast is measured is a two step process. First the HDTV is fed a completely black signal (0 IRE). The level of black is measured. Next a test signal with a small patch of full white (100 IRE) is generated and the white area is measured. The ratio between the darkest and lightest signal is what is claimed to be "dynamic contrast". How does this relate to what you see when watching a TV program or movie? It doesn't! We don't watch content consisting of an all black screen, we see an image that has portions that will be dark (at times) light or something in the middle. An accepted contrast ratio standard measurement is called ANSI contrast, but HDTV manufacturers don't specify ANSI contrast, they just specify contrast so we really don't know how they measure it. The same display that may provides a dynamic number may spec its normal contrast ratio as 1/30th-1/100th of the dynamic contrast ratio number. Bottom line, disregard the dynamic contrast ratio, it is meaningless. One last note. Black level is part of the equation, but you can't perceive black level in stores like Best Buy and Costco where the ambient light level is many times higher than a the room in your own home where you view your new HDTV. Unless the dealer has realistic ambient light levels (that match the level of your home's viewing environment), you may not notice that the blacks on the store's demo set are really gray, until you take the HDTV home. [Link] |
| ChodeMasterJ Perpetual Marxist 5405 Posts 4/03 | Posted - Jun 3 2008 : 2:14AM [Link] |
| skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 | Posted - Jul 23 2008 : 2:40AM Samsung LN40A650 Got it off Amazon for $1465 shipped (free shipping, but they hit you for the NYC sale tax)... Had the best consumer response of anything I looked at that had comments on Amazon. And the geeks at AV Forum seem mostly to like it, as well. [Link] |
| skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 | Posted - Jul 30 2008 : 11:55AM The only complaint I have about Amazon's service was the shipping company CEVA is supposed to contact you to arrange delivery and even though the tracking page online indicated they had, I never had a message from them. Easy enough to call them though. I maybe got the set one day later than I might have but I was busy yesterday anyway. Pretty fast and easy to unpack and plug in ... I haven't done more than get the cable rolling and am watching a DVD now. There are probably a million settings to mess with later. Looks amazing. Even running a screener copy of a movie through S-video, the effect is weirdly 3-D. I'm not really used to it ... wild. Also, looks sharp ... and the silly "Touch of Color" hype (red accents on the framing of the TV's molding) isn't a distraction. It's muted enough that it might as well be black. So far, I'd totally recommend this model. I'm glad I waited and sorted through options as long as I did. Thanks a million to Bill for tons of advice and links. I probably paid $150 more via Amazon but I wanted to be secure about the purchase, so I consider that insurance of a sort. Edited by - skronker on 7/30/2008 11:57:39 AM [Link] |
| Johnothan Pedak Senior Member Catastrophe 1594 Posts 6/07 | Posted - Sep 19 2008 : 7:48AM [Link] |
| skronker Notable Legendary Icon Scopophiliac 9780 Posts 9/02 | Posted - Sep 24 2008 : 2:00AM Oh as to the shipper not calling me ... they did but they had an old number. Still very happy with the set. Haven't tinkered with the settings yet, though, nor do I have a DVD player with HDMI output ... so I suspect there's an even better level of visual quality to come. [Link] |
| Johnothan Pedak Senior Member Catastrophe 1594 Posts 6/07 | Posted - Sep 24 2008 : 8:40AM [Link] |
| Harri Patel Senior Member #SDNY he's all yours. -- Michael Steele 5110 Posts 3/03 | Posted - Jan 6 2009 : 12:45AM Someone asked me for a recommendation. I still haven't really sat down and tried to figure out what's what with these things, having not bought one myself yet. What features/technology/resolution constitute a "mainstream" unit at this point? (I.e., not a five grand, bleeding edge technology, videophile TV, but not some close-out cheapie, either.) I'm thinking the people it's for should buy a 50+" one, but will be resistant to go higher than mid-40's. [Link] |
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