[IH8Rice]

If I were you I would get a deal on a 32-40 inch plasma at circut city and save the rest to buy cool shenanigans like a logitech z5500 sound system. Or expensive beer to watch your new tv with.

small screen plasmas are stupid and no one really makes them...mainly because there is 0 market for it.
also, the logitech Z5500 is a computer "HTiB" and i wouldnt recommend it for home theater use. for $249 what the Z5500 goes go, there are plenty of real HTiB's that will blow the Logitech away.

I read the other day that a few companies are

Pioneer is dropping out of the TV business all together and focusing only on their audio division. starting in May of 2010, when the Japanese fiscal starts, they will be out of the LCD and Plasma business. Some articles have said March, but by the end of April, the transition will be completely done..too bad, they make the best plasmas hands down

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Pioneer is dropping out of the TV business all together

I love the picture on the Pioneer Elite, best TV out there IMO.

 

[narlus]

I love the picture on the Pioneer Elite, best TV out there IMO.

it was so good that Pioneer stopped making TVs.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

it was so good that Pioneer stopped making TVs.

At an average of $4500 or so for a 50" I don't think they could stay competitive. Most of the decent 50's range from $1700-$2300. That's why Sony bailed on the Plasmas and went with LCD.

 

[IH8Rice]

I love the picture on the Pioneer Elite, best TV out there IMO.

theyve had the best plasmas since 2003 w/ the entire Elite lineup

it was so good that Pioneer stopped making TVs.

the fact that s super small company like Pioneer was making their own glass, was a huge demise for their display lineup. their joint venture with Pana for their LCD and glass panels wasnt going to pan out. they only sold the LCD's in the European and Asian market.

That's why Sony bailed on the Plasmas and went with LCD.

Sony bailed because they were smart and realized the market was going to trend towards LCD's at the time they exited the glass business....they just dumped $3.5bil into a joint venture LCD plant w/ Sharp to help reduce cost even more

 

[Silver]

And we ALL appreciate you take the time to remove lotion and god knows what else out of frame.

I'm considerate that way...

 

[Cabdoctor]

I was looking to at a used DLP to because of their cheapness. I have an old xbox that I'm converting into XBMC Media Center, so the only thing it will probably be used for is DVDs, youtube, hulu, and all the sick videos on yeticycles(I'm addicted to them). I was looking at a 42". Any recommendations?

 

[IH8Rice]

dont waste your money on a 42" DLP. if youre looking for a tv that size, look at a plasma or LCD. ive always found that the smaller microdisplays (DLP, DiLA, LCD rear pro) are super bright and dont give a good picture compared to the larger sized sets. most tv's use the same watt bulb on all their models. a 42" will be brighter because the bulb doesnt have to fill up as much screen as say a 56, 61 or 70"

 

[CdaleTony]

My old 720 2 year old plasma

BrianHCM, is that a pair of Forte's?

And as far as someone saying LCD's dont produce black, you havent been looking lately. They have gotten pretty dam black. So much so, it was a non issue for me when I went to ABT to scope em out. Couldnt discern any real difference, so I discounted that " +/- " assertion..
CDT

 

[IH8Rice]

And as far as someone saying LCD's dont produce black, you havent been looking lately. They have gotten pretty dam black.

please look into your research. lcd's do not produce a real black...they can only produce a dark dark grey. only a phosphor based tv like a plasma or direct view crt tv, can produce blacks.
yes, lcd's have been doing a better and better job at producing colors that look black...like i said.
and i have been looking...for the past 6 years, non-stop

 

[jonKranked]

And as far as someone saying LCD's dont produce black, you havent been looking lately. They have gotten pretty dam black. So much so, it was a non issue for me when I went to ABT to scope em out. Couldnt discern any real difference, so I discounted that " +/- " assertion..
CDT

Your eyes may not be able to tell the difference, but a digital color meter can.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

BrianHCM, is that a pair of Forte's?

And as far as someone saying LCD's dont produce black, you havent been looking lately. They have gotten pretty dam black. So much so, it was a non issue for me when I went to ABT to scope em out. Couldnt discern any real difference, so I discounted that " +/- " assertion..
CDT

Yep, an old pair of 1988 Forte I's. I love them!!! One of the best sounding speakers Klipsch ever made IMO. They still sound great

 

[lovebunny]

Orv, I second pretty much everything rice stated. ...

Bottom line: Screw the TV. Spend your money to come out east and ride; you can watch ours while you're here. If you ride enough places, and visit enough people, you'll never need your own!

PEGBOY! whats new? hey oz, what are you doing with your old one?

 

[BigMike]

I run a 32" samsung 1080p series 6 LCD in the living room and the couch is about 13 feet away. Perfect size for the distant for most shows. I wouldn't mind going a little bigger for the hockey games but that is why I go to the games.

You are way to far away

http://www.av-products.com/ScreenCalculator.htm

 

[jimmydean]

You are way to far away

http://www.av-products.com/ScreenCalculator.htm

That calc says I should be less than 6' from my 50" screen for THX. My eyes hurt just from reading that.

 

[IH8Rice]

You are way to far away

http://www.av-products.com/ScreenCalculator.htm

13' is really too far away for a 32". ive always recommended a distance of 2-3x the size of your tv.....but everyone prefers their own thing.

im sitting about 8' away from my 56", 15' from my 34" and 5' from my 42"

 

[Brian HCM#1]

I need to splurge and get a new AV processor. My Lexicon DC-1 is just too old now. I've been eyeing the Lexicon MC-12HD, very sweet!!!!!

 

[CdaleTony]

please look into your research. lcd's do not produce a real black...they can only produce a dark dark grey. only a phosphor based tv like a plasma or direct view crt tv, can produce blacks.
yes, lcd's have been doing a better and better job at producing colors that look black...like i said.
and i have been looking...for the past 6 years, non-stop

Read my post. Side by side, the ones I watched, the blacks produced by both seemed identical. 100% black versus 99% dark dark grey = same to me. And most consumers.

Your eyes may not be able to tell the difference, but a digital color meter can.

I hope this was a poke at IH8Rice. I use eyes for looking, not digital color meter implants. At some point people should just buy a TV that looks good To Them and not rely on some minute % gain or difference...
CDT

 

[jonKranked]

Read my post. Side by side, the ones I watched, the blacks produced by both seemed identical. 100% black versus 99% dark dark grey = same to me. And most consumers.


I hope this was a poke at IH8Rice. I use eyes for looking, not digital color meter implants. At some point people should just buy a TV that looks good To Them and not rely on some minute % gain or difference...
CDT

bottom line, 99% black != 100% black. I totally agree, I can't visually tell the difference, so it doesn't matter to me either. But for people within the industry, this is their livelihood. That 1% that you can't see makes all the difference to those who are developing the technology.

 

[BMXman]

happy with my 42" Sharp AQUOS LCD

I just bought the same TV but in 32" ...and my PS3 kicks ass when you're running 1080p

 

[IH8Rice]

Read my post. Side by side, the ones I watched, the blacks produced by both seemed identical. 100% black versus 99% dark dark grey = same to me. And most consumers.

i did read your post and i have looked recently. staring at and selling tv's has been my sole job for the past 6 years. if you see a great plasma next to a good lcd or good plasma you will see what i am talking about....yes lcd's look fantastic now. 5 years ago, they looked like utter crap and couldnt come close to producing anything close to a black. as i mentioned though, only a phosphor based tv can produce real blacks. Sony made a 34" direct view tv over 5 years ago that would put almost any new tv to shame. its black were absolutely stunning.

i dont want to argue with you about what you saw....most consumers see a HD tv and think its amazing...but to me there hasnt been really too many tv's that i can "blew me away" besides the recent Pioneer Elite plasmas. everyone in the industry would whole heartily agree with me as well. when youre in ABT again, take a gander at what a great plasma looks like, you wont be dissapointed. their tv's are overpriced to other tv's in its size class though. Pioneer was also the only tv company to raise their prices for the new model run..which is a rarity.

But for people within the industry, this is their livelihood. That 1% that you can't see makes all the difference to those who are developing the technology.

what he said

 

[jimmydean]

I love my 50" Panasonic 1080p and it's the low end one. The picture is incredible even with the sub-par Onkyo 606 (ranked middle of the road for picture quality) upconversion. It looks much better than my friends Sharp 46" and he's running the Onkyo 706.

I wasn't keen on spending $1500 to upgrade the TV and receiver, but I'm happy I did. I can't wait to move so I can toss the old speakers and hook up my Infinity Primus P362's!

 

[IH8Rice]

I love my 50" Panasonic 1080p and it's the low end one. The picture is incredible even with the sub-par Onkyo 606 (ranked middle of the road for picture quality) upconversion. It looks much better than my friends Sharp 46" and he's running the Onkyo 706.

besides for power output, your 606 isnt too much different than his 707 model. the 707 can upconvert with the Faroudja processor to 1080p, but big deal....the difference b/w 1080i and 1080p is very small..expecially when upconverting through a receiver


Pana's recent glass has been pretty damn nice. theyve come a long way even from two years ago.

 

[IH8Rice]

more on the Pioneer's
http://newteevee.com/2009/02/21/pioneers-kuro-killing-a-tipping-point-in-the-plasma-era/

LCD picture quality still failed to reach plasma levels, but to average consumers, the difference was no longer obvious.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

I love my 50" Panasonic 1080p and it's the low end one. The picture is incredible even with the sub-par Onkyo 606 (ranked middle of the road for picture quality) upconversion. It looks much better than my friends Sharp 46" and he's running the Onkyo 706.

I wasn't keen on spending $1500 to upgrade the TV and receiver, but I'm happy I did. I can't wait to move so I can toss the old speakers and hook up my Infinity Primus P362's!

$1500 is nothing, I wish I could afford the Lexicon MC-12 for my new processor.

 

[jimmydean]

$1500 is nothing, I wish I could afford the Lexicon MC-12 for my new processor.

Actual, $1500 is what I paid for my first motorcycle, and I could ride it to work!

I know I got a deal considering my friend paid more than twice that for his 706 and 46" Sharp not 6 months prior. I bought at the right time and got a killer price.

My speakers were on sale at Fry's for $120 each. I got 4 because I couldn't resist. I am still deciding on a sub, though. I am leaning towards either the Infinity PS210 or Polk PSW10. The Polk is on sale right now for $130 and sounds awesome.

<edit>I love these speakers!

 

[IH8Rice]

the Polk is a better choice than the Infinity in this case.

the infinity lacks the punch and clarity compared to the PSW10

 

[Brian HCM#1]

I am still deciding on a sub

I'm still using a Sunfire True Sub

 

[narlus]

bottom line, 99% black != 100% black.

None More Black!

 

[IH8Rice]

I'm still using a Sunfire True Sub

and thats the only thing you should be using. that or the Super Jr.

 

[jimmydean]

the Polk is a better choice than the Infinity in this case.

the infinity lacks the punch and clarity compared to the PSW10

That's what I was feeling. It's always hard to tell in the demo room, but the Polk sounded a little more solid. I figure it's on sale, so no huge loss if it totally sucks ass.

<edit> Brian, that sub is nice, but 1500w is a bit much for my system. All I would need after that is a fake trunk with a license plate to rattle behind the couch to complete the sensation of being in a Civic.

 

[IH8Rice]

<edit> Brian, that sub is nice, but 1500w is a bit much for my system. All I would need after that is a fake trunk with a license plate to rattle behind the couch to complete the sensation of being in a Civic.

Sunfire makes a sub that can work with any system.
this 1500w 8" sub will kick a big theater or a small stereo setup just fine
http://www.sunfire.com/productdetail.asp?id=10

the only problem is the price

 

[jimmydean]

Sunfire makes a sub that can work with any system.
this 1500w 8" sub will kick a big theater or a small stereo setup just fine
http://www.sunfire.com/productdetail.asp?id=10

the only problem is the price

I used to design show car systems and believe strongly in the distribution of power. If you have a 1500w sub in a systems sporting 90w a channel (like my 606), you are either drowning the system or seriously under utilizing the sub.

My living room is only about 400sqft. I'm not rocking the stadium seating, that's all I'm saying.

<edit> Also paying $800+ for a sub to support $400 worth of speakers is like putting $2000 rims on your $1500 Civic. That's not how I roll.

 

[Arkayne]

My new place has a horrible layout for a home theater. The room has too much light so my previous projector setup was a no-go. I ended up getting a 46" Aquos and mounted it underneath the kitchen counter with a Polk SoundBar. My old Energy Microstar 12.1 is in the corner.

The receiver, cable box and ps3 is behind the tv in the cabinet.

 

[IH8Rice]

I used to design show car systems and believe strongly in the distribution of power. If you have a 1500w sub in a systems sporting 90w a channel (like my 606), you are either drowning the system or seriously under utilizing the sub.

My living room is only about 400sqft. I'm not rocking the stadium seating, that's all I'm saying.

<edit> Also paying $800+ for a sub to support $400 worth of speakers is like putting $2000 rims on your $1500 Civic. That's not how I roll.

1500w does sound lot a ton of power, and in any other case that would be true. ive put the Super Jr in rooms a little bit bigger than your room and it was fine.
the sub has the ability to seem like its not there when its not needed, but still can rock your world.
its really something you have to go out and hear for yourself.

and yes youre right. a $800 sub going with cheaper speakers is crazy. Sunfire products are pricey, theres no denying that

 

[jimmydean]

How do you like the soundbar? I haven't seen a real setup that I can actually judge, but it seems like a cool idea.

My living room is a suck configuration too because the build a spot for the TV above the fireplace that is angled. Not only do I not care to have the TV that high, but now the speaker location is all funky.

I like the fact that the receiver can adjust for the room and speaker placement with the little mic setup.

 

[jimmydean]

1500w does sound lot a ton of power, and in any other case that would be true. ive put the Super Jr in rooms a little bit bigger than your room and it was fine.

I'm sure it was, but that's because you weren't using it. My guess is you could put a 150w sub in the same room and gotten a pretty similar response.

When we won IASCA Nationals 1000w+ unlimited class with a truck pushing barely 2000w, people were shocked. Some of the trucks in that class were pushing 8000w! Yet we hit 152db (before safe sound rules) with near flawless frequency response. Why? Because we knew how to apply power.

You don't need a 1500w sub to fill a room. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

 

[Arkayne]

How do you like the soundbar? I haven't seen a real setup that I can actually judge, but it seems like a cool idea.

I was able to demo the soundbar at a local home theater shop and thought it was satisfactory. The surround 'effect' works IF you are sitting in the middle of the room. Anything better than the tv speakers is really what I needed. I have a receiver from my previous setup so the Yamaha Sound Projector was out. Plus, it's too damn expensive. The Onkyo.... bleh never been a fan of their speakers. Boston, their included sub wouldn't rattle the windows. The Polk sounded best, fit best and looks cool too!

 

[IH8Rice]

i do definitely agree with you on power output. like i said, its the type of thing you need to really hear.

i think BrianHCM can relate to what i am saying

 

[jimmydean]

I was able to demo the soundbar at a local home theater shop and thought it was satisfactory. The surround 'effect' works IF you are sitting in the middle of the room. Anything better than the tv speakers is really what I needed. I have a receiver from my previous setup so the Yamaha Sound Projector was out. Plus, it's too damn expensive. The Onkyo.... bleh never been a fan of their speakers. Boston, their included sub wouldn't rattle the windows. The Polk sounded best, fit best and looks cool too!

That's awesome. I love a lot of Polk's gear and have used it in a lot of setups. I'm not a fan of any of the included speakers with the package deals. I listened to a lot of crap before I decided to get the setup I got. I got the Infinity's because they were wicked cheap (like 150% off, cheap).

I don't have a spot for a center, so I am running without one. My setup is 4+1 and the Onkyo compensates for the lack of center.