My parents are looking to buy a big screen TV soon but they are not very tech savey and I would like to point them in the right direction. The TV will be in a large finished basement. I think 55-60" would not be too big based on how far away people will be seated. I have been looking online and plasma’s at that size are much more than they are looking to spend… $1000-2000 at most.
Does anyone have any advice/ideas about what the best alternative would be? Their priority are size and price before picture quality (assuming it is still pretty good) and space is not an issue.
New rear projection DLP HDTVs seem to have good picture quality and are much better looking than they used to be…only about 1 and 1/2" deep. I have also seen great prices on projectors but I am skeptical about picture quality, especially in a room with lots of windows that will be used during the day.
[quote]Dorso wrote:
My parents are looking to buy a big screen TV soon but they are not very tech savey and I would like to point them in the right direction. The TV will be in a large finished basement. I think 55-60" would not be too big based on how far away people will be seated. I have been looking online and plasma’s at that size are much more than they are looking to spend… $1000-2000 at most.
Does anyone have any advice/ideas about what the best alternative would be? Their priority are size and price before picture quality (assuming it is still pretty good) and space is not an issue.
New rear projection DLP HDTVs seem to have good picture quality and are much better looking than they used to be…only about 1 and 1/2" deep. I have also seen great prices on projectors but I am skeptical about picture quality, especially in a room with lots of windows that will be used during the day.
As far as what kind of television, you’ll hear something different from everyone. LCDs are bright and cheaper than the rest, but i’ve heard negative things about true colors and refresh rates. Plasmas can have true blacks and excellent color but cost more. DLPs are usually incredibly vivid, but take up more space, have moving parts that can break, and supposedly a certain percentage of the population can’t watch them without seeing some sort of rainbow effect in the screen. Projectors offer a huge high-quality image for a good price, but that really depends on the amount of light in the room.
Does that mean any of the negatives would be an issue for you? Who knows.
There is more info in that thread than I really need. My parents are not at that level. They want a big, nice tv but are not going to be “gaming” or anything.
I guese the question is:
DLP or CRT?
Is the picture quality that much better with DLP? The main thing I preferred about DLPs was that they have a bit less depth and generally look better but the prices are much higher. Are there CRTs that are less than 24" deep? What’s the deal?
I don’t think that a projector is a good option for them as there is a lot of light in that room during the day.
Also, they probably will not be replacing this TV for another 10 years. Are there any maintenance issues to consider with DLP v. CRT? I read something about CRTs having to be tuned. They are not good about that stuff.
Thx PGA… I have been looking at the one you have for a while. Everyone has been trying to talk me out of it because it’s a projection. I have read all of the reviews and they are great, glad to see you like yours!