[335e92tx]

incase you have not seen it -
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/te...y/13panel.html
3 Flat-Screen Makers Plead Guilty to Trying to Keep Prices High

I would think prices should drop pretty good between now and say Jan1.

[lcrain]

Last question, I will be using my xbox360 to watch dvds and play games, is there anything else I need to the get most out of the tv(cables etc.)?

[Blake]

Originally Posted by lcrain

Last question, I will be using my xbox360 to watch dvds and play games, is there anything else I need to the get most out of the tv(cables etc.)?

honestly, you can spend hundreds of dollars on expensive hdmi cables, but i've yet to really see a difference in quality between the different price ranges. i use mid-range hdmi's and they work just fine. i see you're in dallas, if you need any help deciding things, let me know. if you want to see a proper setup, i'd be glad to show you mine. i'm running a 70" sony, pioneer elite receiver, jmlabs speakers, power conditioners, the whole works. it's been pretty well established that sony is by far the best picture quality available, but if you are considering samsung, you should PM me. good friend of mine works for samsung north america, i can get you a good deal at list price.

[IrateSpeed6]

Quick question about "ghost images" and plasma vs. 120hz LCD vs. 60hz(?) LCD...

I was walking through BJ's Wholesale (not planning on buying a TV there) and was looking at the TV's playing a football game and saw TONS of shitty-looking ghost images or trails. Looked like crap - its got me kind of freaked-out though...

Will you see trails like that with a nice Samsung or Sony 120hz refresh LCD, or will you have to go with a plasma?

I'm not planning on watching sports much, but will be using my PS3 and want some crisp images...

[M3MIKE]

Originally Posted by ScottyGams

pioneer elite 50" 1080p plasma... but I'm a video snob

+1 I have 2 of them. Great picture.

[kabalm18]

Originally Posted by IrateSpeed6

Quick question about "ghost images" and plasma vs. 120hz LCD vs. 60hz(?) LCD...

I was walking through BJ's Wholesale (not planning on buying a TV there) and was looking at the TV's playing a football game and saw TONS of shitty-looking ghost images or trails. Looked like crap - its got me kind of freaked-out though...

Will you see trails like that with a nice Samsung or Sony 120hz refresh LCD, or will you have to go with a plasma?

I'm not planning on watching sports much, but will be using my PS3 and want some crisp images...

I have the Sony 52" XBR4 and it has 120hz refresh rate and I think it looks great. I have seen blurring at times but it is rare. I normally watch High def channels or blu-ray. HD Football looks great. I definately would go with the 120hz, don't go with 60hz as they will be obsolete soon anyway.

[darkcloud]

Originally Posted by MrSteak

Rule #1: Don't skimp out on quality.

1.Sonyover priced cuz of the name
2.Samsungfalling out of graces
3.LGdecent

1. Pioneer
2. Panansonic
3. Sony

The Pioneer Kuro is the bomb. Wayyy expensive though. So much so that unless you're a complete TV snob it's not worth it.

The Panny Plasma 800U is downright incredible(oh and I have that in 50''). The 850U is supposedly better per Panny, but the differences are minimal and unnoticeable to the eye but not to the check book.

I would def. read up on cnet.com. I did and it took me about 2 weeks to decide on a TV. DO NOT pay what the price tag says, just like a car. Best Buy wanted $2,499.99 for the 50'' Panny Plasma 800U 1080P and I got it for $1,700 after a price match a little haggling and a discount coupon I had received in the mail. Definitely call around to smaller stores to find the cheap prices, I would have bought from them but I felt a lot more comfortable with Best Buy's warranty.

Oh and pay for the calibration. It may seem like a gimmick at first but it made a huge difference in my TV. It actually makes adjustments to the TV's mother board not just the screen settings. Buy a decent surge protector. DO NOT buy your HDMI cables from Best Buy, pick those up at monoprice.com ; Best Buy HDMI = $120.00 Monoprice HDMI = $5.00 absolutely no difference. Def. get a Bluray player. The new Panny DMP-BD35(got it) player can't be beat for the price, if you don't already have a PS3.

Hope that helps.

[nissan]

cables from monoprice.com

Tweeter is clearancing/liquidating a lot of their TVs. Might be able to find a good deal on a Kuro there.

[Subw00er]

Dont buy Sony. Pioneer elite is good. We have a few of them at work.

Why not wait a bit and get a HD projector for the same money... probably in the next few months they'll hit $1k mark. Projectors are so much cooler, assuming you have a bit of wall space to shoot on.

[jaiman]

Originally Posted by Subw00er

Dont buy Sony. Pioneer elite is good. We have a few of them at work.

Why not wait a bit and get a HD projector for the same money... probably in the next few months they'll hit $1k mark. Projectors are so much cooler, assuming you have a bit of wall space to shoot on.

I've thought about a projector for my place, but the room it would be going in has a wall of windows 14 feet high by 18 feet wide. How dark does the room need to be for a projector to be a viable alternative?

[nissan]

Unless you have extremely good light control, a projector isn't going to look as great as a plasma/lcd/lcos set even w/a high gain screen. I'd est. you need to block out at least 80% of the light to get a picture worthy of watching during the day. IMO it's not worth getting a PJ unless you have a semi-dedicated room for it where you have complete light control (like a basement). It likely won't be any cheaper either once you figure in the cost of a good screen, mount, wires, AV, speakers, etc.

[Subw00er]

Originally Posted by nissan

Unless you have extremely good light control, a projector isn't going to look as great as a plasma/lcd/lcos set even w/a high gain screen. I'd est. you need to block out at least 80% of the light to get a picture worthy of watching during the day. IMO it's not worth getting a PJ unless you have a semi-dedicated room for it where you have complete light control (like a basement). It likely won't be any cheaper either once you figure in the cost of a good screen, mount, wires, AV, speakers, etc.

This is only partially true. These days you don't need gain screens. You just need a white or off white wall (The best is a slightly gray neutral color wall - they even make "projector paint" at Sherwan Williams). Many people think you need a screen because back in the day you did - the lumens were really low, sub 100 lumens and the reflective properties of the screen helped keep the image bright.

Today, there are 2-3000 lumen projectors and you can see quite nicely in a fully lit room. With that said, direct sunlight will wash your picture, but if you can dim the room a bit, you can get away with a 2000 lumen projector and see just fine. IMO, the much greater viewing size, more cinema-like image, and lack of looking at an ugly black box when its off far outweighs the minor nuisance of closing a blind or two. Projectors are just great!

About the audio, well there is that. But most people have some sort of stereo these days if they're going to buy a big plasma screen.

[IrateSpeed6]

Anyone want to comment on burn-in with Plasma TV's and videogames? For example health meters or area maps that constantly stay in the same screen location for hours on end?

Lets say for example I wanted to play the same video game for 6 hours a day, per weekend, for a year - would there be noticeable burn-in?

[IrateSpeed6]

^ anyone?

[Blake]

my friend has a plasma that is permaburned with various halo maps.

[IrateSpeed6]

Looks like LCD it is then

[Tondtar]

FYI ...Coscto's latest Bundle offers on Sharp Aquos TV's. Great prices! :

http://www.costco.com/Service/Featur...D-_-1-_-LCDTVs

[darkcloud]

Originally Posted by IrateSpeed6

Anyone want to comment on burn-in with Plasma TV's and videogames? For example health meters or area maps that constantly stay in the same screen location for hours on end?

Lets say for example I wanted to play the same video game for 6 hours a day, per weekend, for a year - would there be noticeable burn-in?

Most new plasma's have anti-burn in screens and built in software that will move the gases in the screen around w/o you noticing. I know there is a more technical way to explain it but that's my "dummy version"

Originally Posted by blakepilot

my friend has a plasma that is permaburned with various halo maps.

The is probably an extreme case. He probably also played a shit ton and more then likely left the game paused for long periods of time(my assumption's).

Yet this is also why you buy the extended warranties. Best Buy's warranty replaces for burn in's even if you cause them from leaving a movie or game paused for too long.

Also if plasma's were truly that bad and had a major problem with burn-in's then they wouldn't even be sold.

[155MPH]

Originally Posted by its ray den

yes.. burn in can still happen on plasmas, but that's only after having the image on the screen for many many many hours. something that most likely will never happen at home. the plasmas in my office have some burn in too, but that's because they play the same videos and slides over and over all day, every day for a month at a time.

bottom line, plasmas are still good for the home. don't worry about the burn in.

Agreed. Guess what, cathode ray tubes also have burn in, but we have been using them at home for 50 years and I have never had an image burnt into my TV. Caution though, don't pause a video game and then walk away for forget it...that will be a costly mistake.