Television

[Bellringer]

So im in the new market for a TV and have about a 2-2.5k budget. I've been looking around and thinking about getting

SAMSUNG - LN-R409D 40-IN LCD TV Wide with ATSC/Digital Cable Ready (DCR) Tuner

Shown >> http://www.bestbuyplasma.com/Plasma/..._Sku_Y_LNR409D


Any ideas on this is a good buy or something better?

[Nikkohung You]

New formats are coming you may just want to wait and see what happens with it.

[Bellringer]

How long though? Cause just got a new place so no real tv here...this 20 inch isn't cutting it.

[Zistrix]

I don't agree - Prices have come down so much for dlp, lcd and even plasma. I've read lcd versus plasma debates and I've seen both technologies in affect with the same movie etc. For 40" and below, I suggest lcd, for beyond that size, plasma.

New technologies may be coming out but that is ALWAYS the case - with that rational you may never buy a tv

[etchazz]

check out www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com
it reviews just about every television on the market and gives you the pros and cons of each and also compares LCD tv's against plasma's. i found this site very helpful when i was shopping for my new television as it was very informative and didn't seem to be biased toward one company or another. in the end i went with the Panasonic TH-42PHD8UK Plasma TV and i am very happy with the purchase. the colors are truly amazing, some of the best i've seen aside from front projection televisions (which will be my next purchase down the line).

[Millie]

Originally Posted by Zistrix

I don't agree - Prices have come down so much for dlp, lcd and even plasma. I've read lcd versus plasma debates and I've seen both technologies in affect with the same movie etc. For 40" and below, I suggest lcd, for beyond that size, plasma.

New technologies may be coming out but that is ALWAYS the case - with that rational you may never buy a tv

Agreed. "New formats" emerge every year in high-tech industries and consumer electronics -- whether it's TVs, automobiles, PCs, or even microwave ovens. If you're always waiting for the latest model to come out, you're never going to end up buying anything.

The one exception to this rule is if you know a paradigm-shifting technology is on the horizon, and you want to hold out for it. For the last several years, the rumor in the TV business has been that there's a "second generation" of plasma technology about to be released.

Whether this is true or not, I see nothing wrong with the existing generation. Supposedly the new plasma TV models are going to address problems like burn-in -- which, by the way, is almost entirely a myth with current plasmas. I have owned two plasma TVs for the last year and a half (one 50", one 42"), and neither has given me any problems, whether with burn-in or otherwise.

Also, if you wait for this supposed next generation to come out, you're going to be paying ridiculous prices for it. A nice plasma TV can be had for a couple thousand dollars these days. Expect to pay upwards of 5k or 6k for an equivalent display in second-generation technology, if not more. That's assuming, of course, that this long-storied "second generation" even exists.

[beepbeepbeep]

I can't recommend a high definition projector enough. 12 feet of crispness right in front of you.

[etchazz]

front projection is the way to go, but it is very expensive and you also need the perfect place for one. someone who is living in an apartment would not have the necessary room for a projection TV (unless it is one big ass apartment). you also need a place with minimal sunlight, like a basement and a big wall on which to display the picture (or you need to buy a projection screen which can cost more than a normal television). the other problem with projection tv's is the bulbs don't have a very long lifespan and if you used your projection tv as much as a normal tv you would need to replace your bulb about every 12 to 18 months (at roughly $200 to $300 a pop).

don't get me wrong, the people that i know who have them rave about them all the time (and for good reason, they are freaking awesome). however, they also usually only use them for watching movies or a big sporting event or some other special occasion and have another tv that they use for normal television viewing.

[BigMovieBuff]

I parrot what Millie said.

Even if the next gen format hit stores tomorrow, you're going to pay waaaay too much for it. the cost/benefit ratio just isn't worth it. In addition, there's no guarantee that the new format will "catch on", better or not. (betamax, DAT, DCC, Minidisc, etc, etc.)

Get yourself that Samsung and enjoy it. I've heard nothing but postitives about samsung TV's and monitors. I use a Syncmaster 912n and love it.

[Eomer]

front projection is the way to go, but it is very expensive and you also need the perfect place for one. someone who is living in an apartment would not have the necessary room for a projection TV (unless it is one big ass apartment).

You missed my home theatre thread in screenshots eh?

you also need a place with minimal sunlight, like a basement and a big wall on which to display the picture (or you need to buy a projection screen which can cost more than a normal television)

Depends how picky you are. My Hitachi PJTX-100 is able to throw a 106" picture on my screen bright enough that even during the day with all my blinds open it's usable for surfing the net, reading forums etc (so long as sunlight isn't directly hitting the picture, obviously). But yeah, it is somewhat washed out. During the day with the blinds pulled it looks sexcellent, even though they room is still relatively bright. At night, well, obviously it's amazing.

don't get me wrong, the people that i know who have them rave about them all the time (and for good reason, they are freaking awesome). however, they also usually only use them for watching movies or a big sporting event or some other special occasion and have another tv that they use for normal television viewing.

For most people, maybe. Personally since I set up my HTPC on the projector, I've barely used my old desktop. For checking email, surfing the net and just general computer use I've pretty much exclusively been using my projector. On top of TV, movies, and so on obviously. I think I'm up to about 1000 hours, roughly averaging about 4 hours a day of use. Bulb is probably getting to be on it's last legs now.

I only have three complaints about my projector: one is that I can't get it to focus properly. It's fairly decent, but it's not "crisp" like it should be. It's fine for computer use, but when I go back to my desktop (19" CRT) the difference is pretty huge. Not really a problem for DVD's, but it's a problem especially for gaming on it. The other one is that a lot of old games simply won't run at 720p, although I guess that's not my projector's fault. Third is that I live in a 100 year old loft building that's all masonry and timber construction, and the projector is hung from a beam that supports the roof of the building (top floor of a 5 storey building). Heavy trucks on the street outside, people slamming doors, or heavy winds can make the picture kind of jiggle around a bit, and it can be very disorienting. Again not really the fault of my projector.

I really have to get around to seriously looking into the focus issue one of these days, I haven't had a chance. The jackasses who installed the system basically told me to deal with it. Guess I won't be buying a 1080p projector from them when they aren't worth an arm and a leg.

Home Theatre Thread: http://www.fohguild.org/forums/scree...e-thread.html?

[Zuuljin]

I think one of the biggest things with brand new hardware coming out isnt that you want to buy the new hardware, its that it cuts the price of all the older models signifigantly.

[Bellringer]

I ended up ordering that TV, should be here in the next few days, can't wait.