jeffinputnam <jeffinputnam@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> It's time for a new TV. The old one, a 19" screen, needs an upgrade to
> something new. The set sits in a space about 6 feet in front of the
> futon so something larger is required for the full impact of my DVD
> player. (there is no broadcast, only the player)
>
> But then there's all kinds of new HDTV stuff I simply can't figure out.
> Plasma and LCD and all kinds of other initials. So I'm asking you,
> denizens of the smartest Usenet group in history.... help me make an
> educated choice.
>
> J
It depends if you want the best quality or the lowest price or something
in between.
I go for quality, so if I were in your situation I would buy a 46" Sony
Bravia Model KDL-46XBR4. Sony also has an XBR5 model that is a step up
from the XBR4, but I don't think it's worth the extra cost. I'd also buy
a Sony PlayStation 3 with the TV style remote so that I could play Blu-
ray discs.
Here's more detail on why I'd make this choice. You'll want to buy a
widescreen (16:9) HDTV. "HTDV" stands for "High Definition TeleVision."
"16:9" is the ratio of the long side of the screen to the short side of
the screen. 'Old' televisions had a 4:3 ratio of long side to short
side. The screen size given in marketing material is the diagonal
measurement of the screen. A 48" HDTV would have a screen that is
approximately 41.8" wide and 23.5" high. For a 16:9 TV, the ideal
viewing distance is said to be 3 times the height of the screen. Since
you've said you'll be sitting 6 feet from the screen, this criteria falls
halfway between 46" and 50" for a widescreen TV. HDTV sets come in
either plasma or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). I would choose LCD based
solely on the its reduced glare. If your TV is going to be in a room
with lots of windows and ambient light that cause glare, then I'd
definitely go for the LCD. Some plasma TVs now come with reduced-glare
screens but they still have way more glare than LCDs. The general rule-
of-thumb is that small screens are better in LCD and large screens are
better in plasma. 50" is about at the dividing line. Whatever you do,
don't get a rear-projection set. They are awful to watch. HDTV's come
in several levels of resolution. "Full" high definition is a resolution
of 1920 x 1080. Do not get anything less, like 1280x720 or 1280x1080.
You'll also want to get an HDTV that is 1080p NOT 1080i (the "p" stands
for "progressive scan as opposed to "i" which stands for "interlaced"
scan.) When getting an LCD, also be sure to get an HDTV with a 120 hertz
refresh rate, not 60 hertz. In the Sony XBR sets, they call this
"Motionflow". The reasons for this can get pretty technical but it does
make a difference in how the picture looks. For one thing, it will make
moving images, like a movie credits title roll, look much smoother than
on 60 hertz sets. This feature is also im****tant when playing material
such as Blu-ray discs that are recorded at 24 fps (frames per second).
Because 120 = 5 x 24, there is no need to go through a process called
"3:2 pulldown"; a technique that's needed to display 24 fps source
material on a 60 Hz HDTV.
I know that some of this sounds very technical. That's why I started
with the simple suggestion of a Sony XBR4 and a Playstation3 disc player
with TV remote. Since you will be watching only discs and not cable or
broadcast TV, you'll want to be able to watch Blu-ray discs and the XBR4
/ PS3 will allow you to do this with great quality.
BTW, I don't like the Sony company and I've been personally boycotting
Sony ever since they engaged in the rootkit fiasco with their music CDs.
Even so, I have to admit that their TVs are the best.
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