Looking for a new DLP or LCD display...

[Sonnie]

The wife really wants a larger set in the great room, despite how I feel the 61" LED is sufficient. We came from a big 5' high x 5' wide x 2' deep Toshiba RPTV and this Samsung 61" LED DLP just seems way too small for her. So... I told her if we could sell this one we would get the new 67" LED DLP that is suppose to be release sometime pretty soon... at least we hope it will be. My brother bought this one from us, but won't pick it up for a month or longer.

We put the old 65" in our other family room where our daughter hangs out most of the time. But it's just way to big for that small room. We have a couple of different people interested in it for $1000. We have pretty much agreed that if we can get $1000 for it that we'll use that to buy another display for the family room. I think we want something around 46-50" or so. It does not have to be 1080p... 720p is fine.

We can get the 50" Samsung HLT5075S DLP for about $1100. The Shack store has it for $999 shipped, but not available until March. The bulb replacements are about $110 every couple of years or so. We could always step on up to the LED DLP 50" for $1500 and not have to worry about lamp replacement, but I'd really like to stay closer to $1000.

The Samsung HLT4675S 46" Slim 720p DLP HDTV is a little under $1000 and available now.

The Panasonic PT-50LCZ70 50" 1080p LIFI Rear Projection HDTV has some sort of LiFi lamp technology... they warranty it for 5 years. This appears to be a thick LCD... 16.5" deep, but not a big deal. This set is only $999 delivered.

And wow... the 56" is only $999 delivered as well... it's almost 18" deep, but again not a biggie for the family room.

This Element PLX5002B 50" Plasma from CC looks interesting at $999... and I'll have to pay tax. That sounds too cheap for a Plasma... appears to be their house brand.


I can't seem to find any LCD displays at 46" or larger for anywhere around $1000.


That 56" Panny with the 5 year lamp warranty appears to be a pretty good deal.


Anyone have any thoughts on the above or any other possibilities?

Thanks!

[nova]

Nope,... other than I may be in a similar situation (looking for a new monitor) depending on what the shop finds.

[nova]

And so it begins,.... early front runners:
Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR4
Samsung LN T5281F
Samsung LN T5271F
Toshiba 52LX177

???

[Sonnie]

Those are pretty serious there.

We still haven't done anything yet.

[nova]

Yeah,... kinda caught between a rock and a hard place. I'd prefer to buy a projector and get the HT going in the basement. The wife likes a good TV in the great room / family room. She will likely win,...for now. So, in that case, I'd rather get something in the upper end. Of course I'm open to suggestions on something more wallet friendly. The biggest issue though,... it's on almost all the time, and in a pretty bright room. So I'm not too hip on another RPTV, really thinking LED backlight LCD. Dunno if it's worth the extra upfront cost, but from past experience, RPTV (LCD or DLP) just doesn't quite cut it in this room.

[nova]

A new contender - Toshiba 52XF550U. Hmmm,...gotta do some more research.

[Sonnie]

You are looking at some expensive ones. Have you seen the LED DLP's yet. I tell ya, this one we have is very nice.

[nova]

Yes, but I'm really not interested in another RPTV. I have also looked at the new Samsung LN-T5281F, it also has LED back lighting. I'm kinda leaning toward Toshiba due to my employee discount. The color push issues do bother me,...I've had a couple Toshiba's in the past and the color never looked quite right to me. Of course the new LCD's are a whole new ball game, but still...

[Sonnie]

That deal on the 46" Samsung DLP with the free stand and delivery included for $874 is lookin' better by the minute.

If you figure the stand at $199 delivered (retails for $249 normally, but you can buy it for $199 elsewhere)... that means you are only paying $675 delivered for the DLP. Hmmm!

[bobgpsr]

There are things about spinning color wheels and expensive lamps that burn out that bother me personally. I'm hoping I can hold out to get a 1080p, 120Hz refresh, ~50" LED backlit LCD panel display. Love the idea of no convergence issues and viewable in the daylight. These are serious money right now though.

If I can just wait another year for LED backlighting (very high contrast and very long life) LCD displays to get to be more common.

[Sonnie]

Well it looks like my brother will not need the stand, so we will have one already that will hold a 46-61" display.

LCD would be nice, but not for the family room... gotta keep it cheap. I know what you mean about the lamp replacements though. Maybe the 50" DLP LED will drop when the new ones come out in the next few months. These LED's are very nice, even if they are DLP.

[SteveCallas]

120hz is and has been nothing but a gimmick, and current LED backlit LCDs have a lot of room for improvement. All the reviews on the LED backlight models have been disappointing, as there aren't enough densely packed LEDs to achieve the proper effect - 92 or so won't cut it. I'd save your money and skip the 120hz "feature" and just find a good, current, cold cathode ray tube backlit LCD.

I've got my eye on the new Honeywell LCDs as a potential future upgrade - up to 82" commercially available. Every company from Sony to Sharp to Samsung to Phillips has had to pay for patent rights to all the best LCD technologies from Honeywell, now they are stepping into the game themselves....should be interesting.

The next, next big thing in the pipeline is OLED, but it's still got a handful of years to become economically feasible.

[bobgpsr]

The physics of simple 5:5 pullup of 24 fps sources reducing "judder" over 2:3 pull-down/(inverse telecine) is well understood. I agree the jury is still out on the other optional "motion compensation" enhancement features.

[SteveCallas]

bob, I have not seen 24fps blue-ray material played on a 120hz set, so I guess I shouldn't have been so absolute in my statement, but in regards to using 120hz smoothening for other sources, I find it only highlights a problem that wasn't really there to begin with - to my eyes.