TV selections


I am currently looking for a new TV, probably 36" or above for my living room.

My living room is like this:

_______empty space________
|-------------------------TV----|
|SP--------------------------SP|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------sofa--------------|
|________________________|

The vieing distance is about 9-11'.
Should I get a 16:9 RPTV (47" or 42")(panny, Toshiba, Samsung) or a Direct View 36" TV (Sony HS500, XBR800 or Panny)? I am going to watch DVD 35%, Direct TV 40% and tape 25%.

I know this may not be the optimal location to place the TV but that's the only option for me (WAF). Also, RPTV is mostly for watching DVD althought samsung 42" RPTV is acceptable for watching SDTV, tape, etc when I tried it in Best Buy. For direct view, it is more for my wife to watch TV and tape. I am going to keep this for a while so I am more incline to get a HD-ready TV.

Or, should I just save it up now and get a 36" analog TV for 600-800 bucks and wait a couple more years? What's your experience with Direct view TV with 9-11' watching distance, will that make a differece between a HD TV and an analog one?

Thanks so much for your helps.
fever104

Showing 2 responses by chaskelljr2001

"Fever104"

Going by the picture of your room above, I may I have to concur with "Mejames" up to a point. I don't think that an RPTV is going to work either. Not if you go with the placement of the TV versus the seating position from which you will be viewing the TV. With what you are faced with, then I think that a 36" Direct-View set might be the best thing for you.

But, let me ask you this one question before I go on. Is this arrangement going to be permanent??? Or are you and your wife planning to move in the next two or three years or so???

If you guys are going to stay put for a while, then it might be best for you to invest a few more dollars and get a Sony 40" Direct-View set (either their standard model or their XBR model...... either way, both sets are HDTV ready).

On the other hand, if you guys are going to be moving sometime in the near future, then I would go ahead and go with an RPTV then.

I really think that before you go out and spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a TV, I think that it is imperative that you decide what your future living arrangment is going to be. That in itself will go a long way toward which type of set you will want to buy and stay with over the long haul.

By the way, that's what I have done and so forth. Right now, I have a 27" analog set (a TOL Panasonic from 2000). My set has a great picture (it ain't high definition, but it remarkably close for what is an analog set. Hook up a decent DVD player to it, you'll know what I'm talking about then). For the three years I had my Panasonic, I ain't had no complaints about mine. And like I said, the picture is magnificent. I'll be holding onto mine until a good affordable plasma comes along. I'll just hope that by the time I get mine, the technology and reliability issues that John has pointed out will be addressed then. And hopefully, the price will be came down a little further by then as well.

And they had better be addressed too. I'm going to be pretty pissed off if I end up having a $2,000.00-to-$2,500.00 TV sitting in my house and I cannot even get the damn thing repaired when it breaks.

--Charles--
"Alpass":

I have......

In fact, I have checked out both of these sets. And I find both of them to be excellent TVs. So, if either one of these sets tickle your fancy, then go ahead..... make your move. You won't get any objections from me. I'm sure you won't get any objections from any of the fellas here either.

Good Luck and Happy Shopping!!!!

--Charles--