Alright my brother has been on my case to find him a new TV. My parents went with the samsung DLP and love it but i noticed prices on the LCD and plasma have came down. So almost all 3 are in the same price range.

Which is the one to go with?

Also hes looking for something around 36-42" if anyone has any suggestions. He wants to spend around $1500

 

For that price the only plasma you will get is an EDTV.

 

I'd recommend against an EDTV plasma. Either get a real plasma, or don't get a plasma at all. You can find a good 42" HDTV Plasma for around $2500.

If that's too high, then you can get the Sammy 42" DLP for around $1700 or so. I think Best Buy has them onsale this week. Personally I prefer DLP over LCD. The screen-door effect on the LCDs drives me nuts. Then again, some people see rainbows on the DLP. I don't, and I prefer their picture, so DLP for me all the way.

BTW, just a heads-up... you're not really going to find any really good 42" DLP's or LCD's for $1500. You may find some 37" LCDs for that price.... but probably an off-brand (Polaroid, Oleva, etc). May want to raise that limited about $500-$800 if you want to go the LCD route.

 

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4039317

Hows that DLP from samsung? Its $1499

Also $300 over $1500 isnt an issue. Hes willing to pay it if its worth it, but then again this is for his basement. Which means lighting isnt much of a factor.

 

Great advice. The LCD vs. DLP debate is completely up to the viewer, some people don't like LCD's some don't like DLP's. There are benefits and short comings to both, view both yourself and if you don't see rainbows I'd go with DLP, if you see rainbows(they will drive you crazy) your stuck with LCD - which isn't the end of the world.

 

Brother and i both dont see rainbow effect on the parents HLP samsung model

 

I would take a pass on the 42" Samsung DLP. It doesn't have as nice of a screen as the 46" and 50" sets. avsforum.org has plenty of comments on that TV.

 

I've heard of the "rainbow" efect with DLPs and I've NEVER seen it on mine? Go to ABT and stare.....
For the money you have, I'd get the same TV Scrib has.

 

No idea what scrib has but if its over 42" then its way too big. The room isnt that large.

 

Just claim your free 42" Plasma TV in the ad below

I suggest just going down to your local Breast Buy or Circuit Town and looking at the Sony LCDs or the Samsung DLPs. Then write-down the model number of the one you like and order it online. That would probably the only way you can get a good one for around $1500.

Bon Chance!

 

If there's really a limitation on size, then go with this over the 42" Samsung. I have this set.

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...v_42%22to51%22

 

what TV do you have Scrib?

 

Look two posts up.

 

Probably the best advice here. I had the TV Scrib has in 60", and I hated it and returned it. Currently I just have the 50" Sammy DLP and I love that.

Go to the store, see what you like (with your own eyes), and decide. Each technology has its quirks... but what I may not like (SDE on LCD), you may not even notice.... so go and check it out in person, then decide which route you want to go....

 

is "HDTV ready" different from "EDTV"?

 

Yup...

EDTV is Enhanced Definition Television
HDTV is High Definition Television

The only way to get high def is to have a TV that is either HDTV Ready (means you'll need an HD tuner like those your satellite or cable company offers) or HD Built-In TV (means it comes with a built in tuner, so you can just get a CableCard from your provider and you don't need a seperate box).

Everyone I know with a built-in HD TV still uses the cable box b/c the CableCards suck (around here anyway).

Enhanced Definition (EDTV) offers a better picture then a standard TV, but is NOT a High-Def (HD) TV.

 

CableCard 2.0 is great. Problem is most TV manufacturers aren't adding enough advanced features like those that come bundled in your cable box (programming guides, ondemand, etc)

 

My neighbor had the CableCard 2.0 in his Mistu 1080 DLP (think it's 62") and he sent it back and just got the cable box.

His TV had a built-in DVR, built-in TV Guide, and so on... but nothing worked properly. Channels would go blank, guide never worked, DVR wouldn't work. I think he had cable over there or on the phone more then he had the TV turned on... so he just sent it back and got the cable box (HD-DVR) and all is well.

As mentioned above....maybe it's just Time Warner down here that has crappy CableCards....

 

We had the cable card in our Sony HDTV, it def did suck, changed it out for the HD box instead.

 

I would rec the TV Scrib has. I have the 50" model and love it. I ended up paying 1950 out the door. I'm sure you can find the 42" for a very resonable price, esp since it's not brand new anymore.

 

Can someone explain this Screen Door Effect?

 

You know how you see a bunch of lines when you look through a screen door? Well some TVs can look like that if you sit too close to them.

 

Yup... basically that's it. It looks like you're watching TV through a screen door. Sitting too close to it is not really the reason it happens. It's just that some people see it, and some do not. We sit about 12 feet away and I was able to see it on the Sony LCD I returned. I could also be about 16+ feet away behind the couch just looking at the TV, and I could see it at times. Meanwhile, my wife hardly noticed it... even when I brought her 1 foot away. So some people notice it... others do not. But yes, in theory, it is supposed to get worse the closer you get. It just drove me nuts from every distance... so back to the store it went.

Just like some people see rainbows in the DLP TVs. I've never seen them, even when others pointed it out to me. Due to that fact I favor DLPs over the other technologies right now and I have a 50" DLP and I'm waiting for the new 2006 models to come out so I can scoop up a 61" DLP. But that's just me.

 

I've got the Gen 3 Samsung 61" and I havent seen any rainbow effects. Someone explained to me the big difference between LCD and DLP is mostly based on the amount of sunlight that's in the room. LCD's are more appropriate for a bright room, where the DLP are great at projecting in the dark or with lower ambient light.

I bought a cheap LCD from Costco for our office to put in the break room so ppl could watch it during lunch time. It was a 32" and the quality is ok to watch stuff like CNN and whatnot, but its not something I would put in my house. So, I would be careful when looking at cheaper LCD's

 

should look at the DILA or LCOS (sony) too. I chose this tv over other technology is because i can actually see the color wheel and it bugs the living crap out of me. So i went with a jvc 61" 1080P and never looked back

 

I thought only JVC was doing LCoS...which was why I didnt recommend that technoology.

 

Sony SXRD is, essentially, LCoS

 

Can this tv be wall mounted?

 

Nope. It's a rear projection unit, just like the DLPs. You'll have to go LCD or plasma for wall mounting.

 

Anyone have any experiences with the Dell plasmas or Lcd's?

 

One of my neighbors has the Dell plasma... think it's either 37" or 42". Anyway, they love it. Picture was good. I've seen better, but don't get me wrong, it was in no way bad... and for the price, good bang for the buck....

 

on the AVSforum I remember posting in a thread that said the Vizio P50 50" plasma was best bang for the buck. Plus you get Costco return policy.

 

sorry brian, gonna have to drop a little more cash to get a lcd or plasma.

 

Was just going back through and caught this.

No televisions have CableCard 2.0 so far as I know.

Samsung/Panny were showing the first models at CES.

CableCard 2.0 supports two-way communication with your cable provider. It allows for interactive programming, enhanced channel guides, video on demand, pay per view, and most importantly... tuning for up to 5 channels at a time.

Mitsubishi hasn't announced plans for CC2 support. I wouldn't expect it in Mitsu models until 2007.

 

I didn't think it was out, but I was just re-typing what you typed earlier b/c I honestly do not know much about cable cards.

All I know is my neighbor has a brand new (well, 4 weeks old now) Mitsu 1080p DLP and he got rid of his cable card after a few days and went with the good ole cable box. So whatever version of cable card it is.... it sucks big time.

 

Yeah, I'm still debating whether or not to get a plasma, or just get another bike for the summer. Hmm...

Maybe both?

 

^^just got a new bike last summer, time for a new tv. I'm considering pulling the trigger on either a 37 or 42 Panny plasma. It's not a cost issue but a space issue that will determine which I pick ultimately.

 

My wife's resistance is fading. I will soon defeat her. I got her to agree to a wall mount setup. Now just the size of the plasma and a cabinet for underneath is all that stands in my way. I'm also going to slip in a new AVR because my current one is only ProLogic. I just won't tell her about it, and when she figures it out I'll just tell her it cost $50.

 

Get a 42".

I have a 37" and it looks puny.

 

So, you don't recommend the Sony SXRD line (as per soopa's post right below yours)...? How come (aside from the high price)...?



As well, I really need a new TV for my house and have been eyeing the Samsung DLP HLR5064. The store here is offering me it for $2100CAD. Yay or nay, experts? And are other brands like Toshiba, LG, and Sony even worth considering...?

Thanks!