Which HD TV should I buy?

[vwalk]

I need a HDTV for my home theatre. My seating is about 17 feet from the wall where the t.v. will be located. Right now, I’m leaning toward a plasma, but am open to the idea of an LCD.
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Question 1: I’m concerned that a 50 inch is too small for the room. What’s the minimum recommended size, which brings me to question 2. #2. My budget is $3000. What’s the best t.v. for my situation?
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Thanks!
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Vince

[admin]

The ideal distance for viewing a 50" set is about 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet), assuming perfect eyesight. At 17 feet, the ideal size is probably 60/65", but I'm not sure about pricing in your area and whether you can source a set this large for under $3000. I guess you can always move the seating closer ;)

But let's say you are going for a 50", then LCD or plasma are both options. For LCD, you should always have a look at the Sony Bravia range - they are a bit more expensive, but their 1080p sets are worth the price. For plasmas, you should also be looking at 1080p sets, I think Panasonic has one for about the same price as a Bravia (just over $3,000), but a 58" has a retail value of $US 5,000. Certainly, large size plasmas are cheaper than large size LCDs at the moment - for example, the 70" Sony Bravia is at a staggering $33,000, whereas a 65" Panasonic plasma is "only" $9,000.

As for which is better, LCD or plasma, I wrote a blog entry about it some months ago, but it's mainly up to personal taste (just remember that harsh store lighting conditions favor LCDs due to their brightness, but they may not look as "natural" in your normal viewing conditions):

http://www.digital-digest.com/blog/DVDGuy/2007/05/23/the-age-old-question-lcd-or-plasma/

Also more recently, I wrote about some things that you should look for when buying a new TV (more of a "wish list" than a must have list, since most TVs don't have all of these functions yet - the Bravia comes close):

http://www.digital-digest.com/blog/DVDGuy/2007/09/12/new-blog-some-tv-buying-tips/

[beachbumm33]

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony-46-Bravia-XBR-Series-LCD-HDTV-KDL-46XBR4/sem/rpsm/oid/187120/catOid/-12867/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Samsung-52-LCD-HDTV-LNT5271F/sem/rpsm/oid/188917/catOid/-12867/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

checked these tvs out myself today in the store. with the new 120 Hz refresh rate it is simply amazing, the best pictures ive ever seen!

[admin]

120 Hz means you can playback 24p (24 frames per second) Blu-ray or HD DVD by simply increasing the framerate by 5 times, as opposed to 3:2 pulldown (http://wiki.digital-digest.com/index.php/Telecine#3:2_Pulldown) which introduces motion judder. The playback will be ultra smooth at 120 Hz, even better than what you see in cinemas as they usually use 72 Hz playback.

It's a shame the Australian/PAL version of the set only seems to do 100 Hz (as our TV system is 50 Hz based, not 60 Hz based NTSC).

[jayfire2620]

So to add to this question, 120htz are the ones to look at now? What I was told this means less of the blurring on plasma and LCD tv's?? I know that plasma and LCD have had problems with high speed stuff and especially sports and since I watch alot of sports on my tv's I would like to find one that doesn't blur.
What about DLP also. I know that last few times that I have looked at stores there are only a few sets being sold anymore. Are they on the way out? I don't need to worry about vertical or horizontal viewing, everyone has seats in front or just barely off to the side so would a DLP be fine for this set up cause it wouldn't matter about sitting of to the side and a dimmer picture. And one last one, anyone have any info about projection tv's. My room can be blackened out easily so are they're any good HDTV projectors? With all of this like what vwalk said under or around $3000?

[admin]

The 120 Hz, I don't think, has much to do with blurring (for that, you need to look at LCD response times and individual plasma performances before deciding). What 120 Hz gives you is super smooth picture, like what you see at cinemas. Normal film is at 24 FPS, but NTSC TVs refresh at 60 Hz. 24 does not go into 60, so a process called 3:2 pulldown (http://wiki.digital-digest.com/index.php/Telecine#3:2_Pulldown) is required, which causes the motion to be jerky. Because 24 goes into 120 fine (as does 60), it really is the ideal refresh rate for NTSC/film systems. To take full advantage of 120 Hz, you should be looking to see if the TV is a 1080p set, whether it has 1080p/24 input and then getting a Blu-ray (eg. PS3) or HD DVD player (eg. Toshiba HD-A30) that supports 1080p/24 output.

DLP is a rear projection system, and so is much cheaper size for size compared to plasma/LCD. The picture quality (especially brightness and viewing angles) might not be as good though. It will eventually be replaced by newer rear projection technologies, although that could be a while (or never, if LCD/plasma continue to dominate).

Front projection is good too, and is the cheapest way to get huge screen action (70" or above). It's worth considering, although the cost involved in blackening your room, installing the projector (ceiling mounted, or just placed on a table or something) and the need to change the bulb every 3000 or so hours, means the costs do add up over time, although it is the most authentic "cinema" experience out of all the display types. You also have to consider how appropriate a front projection system is for your entertainment needs, such as gaming or just casual TV watching.

For $3000, you could buy a fairly decent LCD or plasma. It won't be huge, but 50" will be good enough for most people (perfect for sitting around 3 meters away). I would say that prices will drop in time for the holiday season, and I think you might be able to find some bargains soon.

[vwalk]

I've narrowed my search to the Mitsubishi 73734 or 73833 (DLP). There appears to be a $500 price difference. The primary difference (for me) is the 120hz. I think that I'll be satisfied with the 734. I keep thinking that I can nearly buy a PS3 with the money saved from purchasing the 734. If I had both tvs beside each other, I'm sure that I would prefer the 833. I keep bouncing back and forth.

[jayfire2620]

Thanks Admin for the explination and the suggestions. I really appreciate the help. And Vwalk you'll have to let me know how those sets work for ya

[beachbumm33]

http://bfads.net/Sharp-Aquos-46-LCD-HDTV-at-Sears

http://bfads.net/Sharp-Aquos-52-1080p-LCD-HDTV-at-Circuit-City

might want to check these out, great tv's for a great price, black friday ad items

[tigerman8u]

I don't know where you live but circuit city has the 73734 for $3100 with free delivery. They also have the Sony 60" SXRD Rear Projection HDTV (120 Hz) for $1850 with free delivery. Plus they had a 10% off coupon earlier this week. Don't know if the coupon is still valid or not. I got the Canon Hv20 HD camcorder 3 months ago and it can record in 24p mode so I've been looking at getting a newer tv that has 1080p. My 61" HD widescreen only has 1080i. IMO the 60" Sony would be a nice replacement and app. the same size I have now. But I'm still shopping and I'm gonna wait to see what comes up this Black Friday.

[beachbumm33]

http://bfads.net/

The black friday ads are out