Stumpyguy

Lets say you receive an unexpected windfall of around $5,000, and your beloved better-half wishes to buy a new TV (and you watch mainly fillums on DVD rather than broadcast programming) - what would you buy?

Some big-screen monstrousity presumably, but would you plump for? Front projection? Rear projection? HDTV? Plasma? What manufacturers would you be looking at? Has anyone bought one of these things that they are particularly happy with?

BrigieDarling

We've got a Mitsubishi something (will have to ask Todd later when he gets home what it is) It's big and I like it is all I can say!

What would you have said when you got your first colour TV in the 70's if you were told that one day people would actually pay $5000? Is another question!

Jan Alaska

ok last post of the evening ......

Our tv is a RCA and its crap ! can hear everything but what folks are saying ..... but then it could be US tv too I guess. I'm not a particular fan of anything here so far and bbc America is depressing ... too many repeats and those folks from groundforce going off down the pub fer a proper pint ... *sigh*


Ok thats it ...bed time for me for tomorrow down on the farm we make hay

Jan

Pulaski

I've no experience of big US TVs but I would plump for a plasma TV as other big screen TVs take up so much room even when your "family room" is as big as a small English county!

Stumpyguy

I am leaning toward plasma, though I read somewhere that the screens dont last as long as CRT technology. They are dead cool though...

Stumpyguy

It is, isn't it. I was quite pleased when our cable company picked it up, but it just consists of mostly repeats of cheaply made "Auntie Beeb" type stuff. I hardly ever watch it now.

I would love to have a live BBC news program first thing in the morning, but I am far to cheap to pay for satellite service...

tony_2003

I wouldnt buy a telly, i'd get a rear projection home cinema with a screen that fills an entire wall. They are fairly cheap these day's, 5 grand should get you a decent one

dunroving

If you had $5,000, rear projection isn't the best choice. They are the cheapest way to get widescreen, so $5,000 is almost too much. Also, if you're anything but directly in front of the thing, you're looking at a blank screen (slight exaggeration, but the picture is worse from an angle). What's the use having a big one if it doesn't work? (OK, less of the wisecracks in the cheap seats)

Pulaski is probably right, considering a $5,000 budget. I did a lot of looking when I bought mine, and I'd stand ga-ga in front of these mammoth flat panel things watching high definition pictures - it's about as close to perfect as you can get. CRT picture is also fantastic, but they're big (deep) - so, worthwhile compromise if you have, say, only 2,000-3,000 (listen to me, as if ever).

I had $1K, bought a 30" widescreen HDTV Samsung CRT and love it. Thank you Consumer Reports (again).

If you really are interested (come on, you can tell us if you really do have $5,000 - we won't hold it against you!), look in your local library for the CR (about May this year) - special on big TV's. They not only tell you ratings of certain models but also tell you what to "look for"

p.s. Can't beat Sony in my opinion, but 10% of the price (at least) is for the name.

Emm

I'd definitely buy one of those plasma screens, they are soooo cool and the picture is just great.

Although saying that, we do have a proper projector (not a back projection TV) in our front room and it is great for watching movies on. The kids love it and have parties for their friends with popcorn and the like just like at the cinema and hubby and I watch all our movies on it. It is probably the best investment we made (toss up of that or the surround sound system to go with it) and now it seems pointless spending a lot of money on a TV since we hardly ever watch it.

Emm.

ScarlettHill

Don't have a TV. Have an old commodore monitor hooked up to video and dvd players. If I had a windfall I could imagine about a million things I would rather spend it on other than one of those oversize livingroomkilling screens.

Still read the Eastenders photostory webpage, mind

Regards
-=-
Scarlett

JerseyBoy

Definitely avoid the rear-projectors. Apart from being huge and heavy, they also tend to stretch picture at the edges, which is annoying when it's not amusing.

Personally I'd go for a proper projection screen, but that's cos I'm sad and like the idea of an unfeasibly large screen occupying a whole wall!

The sensible idea would be something like a 48" plasma screen, which you could get for $5k.

doctor scrumpy

Say od it, buy a 14" black & white portable 2nd hand. Spend the rest on ale !!!!!!!

nathan barley

I'd avoid plasma for now, they are very prone to screenburn if a static image is displayed on it for a reasonable amount of time. Ie: Don't pause and leave your DVD, or play video games on one. They also have a very high manufacturing fail rate.

I'd get an LCD over plasma, though they not without their problems.

Back projection HDTV it would be I think, with PiP and all the extras.
Mmmmmm

Stumpyguy

Thanks to all for the info. It looks like plasma (making sure not to leave images paused on it for any length of time) is probably the winner with LCD being a close second.

I will track down the Consumer Reports article mentioned to see if that will help me zero in on which model is the best buy.

I think the good Doctor has probably given the best advice though, the ale will come in quite handy during test match season!