Replace 35" TV with something bigger

Like we've mentioned before and is repeated here, MAKE SURE that the TV has a good picture at ANY viewing angle at various distances. This alone will eliminate almost every brand of RPTV except a VERY few. I will say that there is a reason why Mitsubishi has the highest amount of sales and repeat customers when it comes to big screens. I will also say that the Pioneer Elite's are EXCELLENT but pricey. Check them out for yourself and see what YOU like.

To repeat what was already said (again), having ANY TV properly aligned ( convergence, contrast, brightness, color, etc...) CORRECTLY via calibration standards and NOT by eye makes a WORLD of difference. Most EVERY tv comes set WRONG from the factory and the "amateur tune up" doesn't do much to help. Keep in mind that RPTV's work best with a small amount of difuse light coming from behind the TV.

I would also like to add that if a GOOD quality RPTV is PROPERLY set up, you will not have a problem viewing it up close OR at quite an angle. I can view my 55" at a 90* angle from a 20' distance without ANY problems whatsoever. Our normal viewing distance is also only about 10' from the screen. Those that can't enjoy their big screen like that REALLY need to check their settings and probably invest in some rudimentary ( and quite easy ) calibration discs like Video Essentials or Avia. Both are WELL worth the money, even for a "normal" sized TV's.

One more suggestion is to look for a TV with PLENTY of inputs. Component video is most desired with S video being second and composite video being bottom of the barrel. Hope this helps. Sean
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PS... don't forget to include a "screen guard" when shopping.

my understanding is that Plasma sets will NOT have as long of a lifespan as that of a good quality RPTV or especially a standard "tube" set. The various reasons escape me right now. As such, i do agree that the picture on them is typically excellent.

I would like to recommend to Argent to pick up a copy of the Video Essentials DVD and to calibrate your Mitsu. If you think it is good now, just wait till you have it set up "right". While the price on these discs keeps creeping up, you might be able to find them online for about $30 or so.

For the record, i like the Video Essentials calibration dvd better than i do the Avia. While the Avia is much more in depth and time consuming, the Video Essentials version will give you extremely similar results with half the work and time. Kind of the "quick and dirty" approach, but it works. Sean
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Most decent Audio / Video stores will carry one of the two discs mentioned. If they don't have either, they can typically order it. You might also try something like Amazon, etc... on the web.

As mentioned, the Video Essentials DVD is easier to use while Avia can get much more involved and goes into greater depth. I think that for most practical purposes, Video Essentials is what i would use 90% of the time simply for ease of use. Avia can get to be a bit of a pain with all of the calibrations that they expect you to do.

I do have to make mention of a few "caveats" here though. Some TV's only have calibrations for ALL sources or inputs while some can be adjusted based on which input you select. If you have the "one size fits all" type of tv, adjusting it for best color and resolution with your dvd may make watching broadcast, cable, satellite, vcr, etc... hard to do. Once the TV is "dialed in" to that one format, it can really show just how out of whack some of the signals being broadcast truly are.

Another "quick" suggestion is to kind of "log" where each adjustment is once your finally happy with the settings. Most tv's return to the factory defaults ( which typically look like junk ) if you lose power. This means resetting the tv step by step all over again. As such, having ballpark adjustments to go by at a glance can really make life easier. Sean
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Hey "Swampy", do you feel that using Video Essentials made a worthwhile change to your video performance ? Would you buy and use it again knowing what you know now ? I don't want some of these folks to buy this thing if i'm the only one that thinks it's a good investment. Sean
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