New toy help needed.......
08-05-2002, 09:29 AM
#1
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New toy help needed.......
We've decided to buy a new digital widescreen but niether of us have nearly enough time to research them the way we should... So, since I tend to trust "most" of you (especially regarding expensive items), I thought I would seek your advice.
Could you post what brand/model/size (HDTV or not) of disgital widescreen you have? Why did you get the one you have and what do you like about it? Would you buy something else if you were looking today?
I don't have satellite service and don't plan to get it so true HDTV won't be coming into the set unless I can use a cable decoder setup (don't know if that's available in my area).
OK, Thanks and list away!!
Could you post what brand/model/size (HDTV or not) of disgital widescreen you have? Why did you get the one you have and what do you like about it? Would you buy something else if you were looking today?
I don't have satellite service and don't plan to get it so true HDTV won't be coming into the set unless I can use a cable decoder setup (don't know if that's available in my area).
OK, Thanks and list away!!
08-05-2002, 09:34 AM
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My choices >>>
Would be Toshiba, Mitsubishi, or Sony. Probably in that order.
A Digital Widescreen will be at least HDTV-Ready. I'd go for that option, it'll be available to you sooner or later.
As far as picture quality, similarly prices models of the above brands should be pretty close. Beware of stores cranking up all of the settings to make the picture "pop"... it's not an accurate picture.
A Digital Widescreen will be at least HDTV-Ready. I'd go for that option, it'll be available to you sooner or later.
As far as picture quality, similarly prices models of the above brands should be pretty close. Beware of stores cranking up all of the settings to make the picture "pop"... it's not an accurate picture.
08-05-2002, 09:36 AM
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Sh*t Joel, why not ask us to go out and buy and deliver it for you too? :-P Reminds me of something
my dad did many years ago, we're talking early 70's. At the time, he was the regional manager for Alitalia airlines here in Miami. The then-director of the Miami Opera Guild called my dad up, and asked about a trip to Italy for him and his wife. My dad said sure, come on by my office. Instead, the pompous *** tell my dad "Why don't you come over to our house, and you can bring brochures, and tell me and my wife all about Italy, and then we'll decide what we want to do."
So my dad, without missing a beat says, "Sure, but first, send a tenor, soprano, a pianist, and a few strings over to my house, have them play me a few arias, and I'll decide if I want to subscribe to the opera season." needless to say he never heard back from the guy.
So my dad, without missing a beat says, "Sure, but first, send a tenor, soprano, a pianist, and a few strings over to my house, have them play me a few arias, and I'll decide if I want to subscribe to the opera season." needless to say he never heard back from the guy.
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08-05-2002, 09:52 AM
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Depends on your needs/wants - I'm going to buy a Sampo
I like tubes, not huge projection TVs. I think the picture is cleaner. You may just want a bigger viewing area.
Given that, I started researching the biggest widescreen CRT TVs that I could find (which is about 34"). You can get bigger if you believe Sony's claim of XBR 4:3 TVs with a widescreen mode and such. It's crap. If the physical dimensions aren't 16:9, it's not a widescreen.
For my needs, there was only one choice - Sampo SME-34WHD5. Who? Small (relatively) Taiwanese company trying to get into the HDTV market in the US. Thus, the prices are lower. And it's a great set. It's the only set with native 480i/480p/720p/1080i signal handling, without 2:3 conversion. The picture is awesome. You can use it as a computer monitor too if you want. List is about $3500, but you can get one delivered to your door for about $2000, if you shop around. It can handle both NTSC and PAL (in case you move to Europe or something). It uses a very high end Panasonic or Toshiba (I forget which) tube which isn't otherwise used in US bound TVs - Japan only.
The minor problem: the reviews I have seen pretty much agree that this is a video geek's tv - you'll have to sit with a tuning DVD for a little while to adjust everything perfectly. If you want something more plug-n-play, go for the big names (Sony, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, etc.)
The bigger problem: SME-34WHD5 is discontinued (end of model year), but the SME-34WHD6 should be out in Septemeber. I have one preordered. The 6 is the same as the 5, but with a built in line doubler, reworked remote, couple bugs fixed, and more component video inputs (all info based on CES reports - no one has 100% specs yet). Based on the info I could find, it's worth waiting the month for the new model.
Dunno if that helps any, but I tried.
More info:<ul><li><a href="http://www.sampoamericas.com">Sampo</a></li></ul>
Given that, I started researching the biggest widescreen CRT TVs that I could find (which is about 34"). You can get bigger if you believe Sony's claim of XBR 4:3 TVs with a widescreen mode and such. It's crap. If the physical dimensions aren't 16:9, it's not a widescreen.
For my needs, there was only one choice - Sampo SME-34WHD5. Who? Small (relatively) Taiwanese company trying to get into the HDTV market in the US. Thus, the prices are lower. And it's a great set. It's the only set with native 480i/480p/720p/1080i signal handling, without 2:3 conversion. The picture is awesome. You can use it as a computer monitor too if you want. List is about $3500, but you can get one delivered to your door for about $2000, if you shop around. It can handle both NTSC and PAL (in case you move to Europe or something). It uses a very high end Panasonic or Toshiba (I forget which) tube which isn't otherwise used in US bound TVs - Japan only.
The minor problem: the reviews I have seen pretty much agree that this is a video geek's tv - you'll have to sit with a tuning DVD for a little while to adjust everything perfectly. If you want something more plug-n-play, go for the big names (Sony, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, etc.)
The bigger problem: SME-34WHD5 is discontinued (end of model year), but the SME-34WHD6 should be out in Septemeber. I have one preordered. The 6 is the same as the 5, but with a built in line doubler, reworked remote, couple bugs fixed, and more component video inputs (all info based on CES reports - no one has 100% specs yet). Based on the info I could find, it's worth waiting the month for the new model.
Dunno if that helps any, but I tried.
More info:<ul><li><a href="http://www.sampoamericas.com">Sampo</a></li></ul>