The Best TV Money Can Buy by End of 2006

[kberg]

This question is to all of you folks that may have some experience/knowledge/insight as to what might be the best type of set I could expect to purchase within the next 1.5 years, based on current display technologies and where they are going from here.

Basically, by Xmas 2006, I expect to plunk down about $2,500 for a new set, and as far as what type it will be (e.g., plasma, LCD, DLP, LCoS), I am currently undecided. My only requirement is that it will need to be at least a 50" display and have the best contrast of any leading technology at that time.

So, with that limited info and your crystal ball techniques, any of you folks have any educated guesses as to what expectations I should have by that time?

[bknauss]

A couple of things I have observed in the past months of research for my own TV:

DLP: great color, but lacks detail. Due to some drawbacks from the single spinning wheel to create the picture, it causes some people to get a headache after long durations of viewing.

LCD direct view (not rear projection): great brightness, but blacks stink and fast moving things like sports don't look right. I forget what that effect is lovingly named.

LCD RPTV: Not as good of a contrast as DLP, but more detailed. Fairly similar pricing to the same sized DLP sets.

Plasma: I hate this technology! :) Its a power hog, the fans on the set are very noisy, blacks are sometimes green, and there's a huge problem with burn in. Very expensive, and seems like the worst bang for the buck.

LCoS/DILA: JVC seems to be the only company making LCoS/DILA sets. The last generation had a major recall, so don't know if this generation might have the same problems. From the couple times I've seen it, I liked it better than DLP. But BB dropped these sets... so... can't compare anymore.


I'm personally looking at the Sony RPTVs (the LCD types). They seem to have a good reliability, and I'd rather have detail over contrast. Assuming the set looks good, I'm looking at the KFD-E50A10... 50"er that supposedly will look better than the similar priced Sony lines right now, and will be pretty cheap to boot ($2800 MSRP from Sony press release). I expect the price to be at least a couple hundred less once they hit the stores this month or next month. The 55" version of the TV is on a "preorder" of sorts from BB for $2500 right now.

As always TV prices go down the longer you wait. Who knows how cheap they will be by Christmas.

[bknauss]

Oh yea, I should mention avsforum.com is where I get most of my info. Opinions come from spending too much time at electronics stores!

[PolkThug]

kberg, what are you going to be using it for? (ie standard cable, hdtv, dedicated for movies, etc)

[mantis]

For that kind of money , your limiting yourself.

I still perfer a good rear Projection tv. If space isn't a problem then they are still superior for overall picture quality.

Plasma is next in picture quality. I have Installed thousands of Plasmas and never saw this green black thing. Blacks are good on plasma. We carry good to high end plasmas and they all look pretty damn good.

LCD and DLP suck in my opnion. I can't stand the way the picture looks in high moving sceens. For a Bedroom or a non high watching tv, yeah LCD or DLP is what I would get.

Funny that the front projector DLP guns look good on Stewart screens. I just did a Vidicron DLP and it look damn nice.

Dan

[Toxis]

find an older, possibly used 55" mitsubishi diamond CRT RPTV. Unless you want pixelation, screen door effects, rainbows, flutter, jitter and more noise than you know what to do with... than go with any microdisplay.

[aaharvel]

for me it's 1080p or bust.

And until they can get the technology to perform within reason of price (regardless if the price is dropping) I'll stick to my 36" tube. =)

(edit) but i'm betting on DLP.

[unc2701]

Best picture I've seen is still on CRT's... but you can't go much over 34" widescreen. Next up is a properly calibrated CRT RPTV. Unfortunately, these rarely exist. They weight 2 f--king tons, are awkward and everytime you bump it, it goes a little more outta wack. The best compromise I've found are the LCD rear projection. The blacks aren't great, but unless you watch alien 4 times a day, you won't notice it much. The screen door effect can be bad, but if you see it, you're probabaly sitting too close to the TV anyway. I'll leave others to discuss the in & outs of LCD, plasma & DLP, as I have a little less experience with those.

[billbillw]

Technology changes so fast, it is impossible to predict what will be the "smart buy" 18 months from now. It is very hard to say even 6 months out. The "current" 2005/2006 models are just trickling into stores now, so there is little or no user experience to even judge this generation of sets. Of course, by next summer, there will be another generation coming. By the time you are shopping, there will be 2 generations of improvement over the ones that are currently available in most stores.

My advice, wait until about 1-2 months before you are going to buy and read up on the current models, compare features, image quality, and the prices at that time. Then make a decision.

I believe that LCOS will be the best technology in the upcoming years if they can get past some of the production issues that have kept it back so far. The current Sony Qualia 006 which uses SXRD (Sony's version of LCOS) has what is widely considered to be the best HDTV image currently availble, but with a new generation of 1080p sets coming to stores in the next few months, this may change. The Qualia is Sony's 70" flagship set, selling for $10k, but it is expected they will put the same technology into a smaller, more affordable set very soon.

DLP is good and improving with every new generation, but the single chip/color wheel combination will eventually hold it back from 3 chip designs. LCD also has limitations with slow response time and difficulty getting really good blacks.

I think that CRTs can still offer the best image quality IF they are set up properly, but most of the time they are not. Usually they are poorly adjusted from the factory and unless the owner gets a full ISF calibration/tweaking they will never see the full potential. Sadly, most of the manufacturers are trying to phase out the CRT based RPTV sets and are not focusing much in the way of research/design into them.

[Early B.]

unless the owner gets a full ISF calibration/tweaking they will never see the full potential.

I have a basic 36" Sony Trinitron TV that I'd like to get calibrated. What does something like that cost?

[unc2701]

Tube tv's generally don't need calibration- while they can get out of spec (see http://www.tru-line.com/tvfaq.htm for a complete list), usually it's RP CRT's that you have issues with. So, you're probably wasting your money getting a trinitron calibrated.

[billbillw]

Originally posted by Early B.
I have a basic 36" Sony Trinitron TV that I'd like to get calibrated. What does something like that cost?

Standard ISF price for a direct view CRT is about $225. You would want to ask them if your set is a good candidate before spending that kind of money though. Not every set is recommended for ISF calibration. From what I've read the Sonys can be calibrated quite well.

Read what this guy says about Sony direct view sets:
http://www.advancedtechservice.com/setinfo.htm

Edit: That link is to a local ISF calibrator, who is well respected nationally.

[bknauss]

Originally posted by aaharvel
for me it's 1080p or bust.

If 1080p TVs were coming out in mass by xmas that could actually handle a 1080p input, I would be on top of that. Unfortunately, most TVs (including all of the Samsung DLPs) will NOT be able to handle 1080p input.

I'm also concerned about when 1080p hardware/software will come out, and when it will become the next "standard". Sure, there will be HD-DVD and Blu Ray players coming out next year, but how many movies will be out with them? How much will those movies cost?? And the PS3 is also going to have the ability to do 1080p, but with the salesman mentality that Sony is taking with the console wars (ie they like to claim a lot more than what's possible), I'm going to hold back and see when and how many games come out in 1080p.

For now, I'll be perfectly happy with an upconverting DVD player to do 720p, video games in 720p, and HD signals coming in at 480p,720p, or 1080i.

[kberg]

Originally posted by PolkThug
kberg, what are you going to be using it for? (ie standard cable, hdtv, dedicated for movies, etc)

Mostly movies and then standard cable at first. But, if the additional cost of HD service isn't too prohibitive, that too. So, I suppose it would be the best "all-purpose" set.

Thanks for everybody's input so far!

[kberg]

Originally posted by billbillw
I believe that LCOS will be the best technology in the upcoming years if they can get past some of the production issues that have kept it back so far.

Yeah, I'm keeping an eye on this technology as well, and seeing what JVC and others might do with it if it survives.

[Cwaters]

Originally posted by bknauss
LCoS/DILA: JVC seems to be the only company making LCoS/DILA sets. The last generation had a major recall, so don't know if this generation might have the same problems. From the couple times I've seen it, I liked it better than DLP. But BB dropped these sets... so... can't compare anymore.

The JVC "Corrective Action" took the service guy all of twenty minutes to complete at my home.
It WAS a PITA to get it scheduled and actually hook-up with the service guy but that's really not JVCs fault, the local service place was at fault there.
These sets had some outo f the box problems (thankfully not mine!) but, from what I've read, JVC has been VERY good with the customer service. In one instance, I read where they actually flew factory techs out to look at a guys TV set when the local yahoos couldn't fix it. I think they replaced that unit.

I LOVE my ILA set. It could be better in some aspects. It'll only get more better-er though as more and more HD programming comes online.

Cory
52" JVC D-ILA light-magician!
Polk Lsi9s and a CS200 up front with JBL Control 1Plus rockin the rear

[bknauss]

Cwaters - I should have mentioned the stories I heard were mostly about local yahoos who either didn't know how to properly fix the problem or they would do the cable company run around of "yea, i'll be there between now and next month". (that was a run on sentence!)

[Toxis]

I'll be curious to see Sony's new SXRD...or is it XSRD? Either one...