Display hardware, in this case

[unixronin]

Technically, we have a TV¹.  It's a Pioneer 46" 4:3 back-projection NTSC TV.  It's also still in North Carolina, twelve years old, and needs its front screen replaced for the second time (because of damage inflicted by small people, also for the second time), which will probably cost around $400 even assuming parts are still available.  Doesn't seem like a good investment in a 12-year-old TV.

Costco has a coupon special good through this Sunday offering a $300 discount on this Vizio 42" direct-view LCD HDTV.  Right now, it appears that direct-view LCD is the technology to go with in a large-screen TV.  Direct-view LCD TVs have a wide viewing angle, low power draw, low heat output, good brightness, do not rely on short-lived halogen bulbs (which are often vendor-proprietary and cost as much as $500 each), and are typically on the order of 4" thick (and therefore readily wall-mountable).

Downside:  The Vizio unit does not natively display 1080i, but down-converts it to 720p (its native physical resolution is 1366x768, rather than the 1920x1080 required to natively display 1080i broadcasts).

Then again, neither does anything else under $3000 in that size, so far as I can tell.  I have found exactly three HDTVs under $3000 that natively support 1080i/1080p resolution.  Two are 37" sets: the Planar XP37W at about $2000, and the Westinghouse LVM-37W3 (which is a pure monitor and requires a separate tuner even for NTSC/ATSC) at about $1200.  The third is JVC's 40" LT-40FN97, which has an MSRP of $3499 but can be had for $2600 online.  It tunes ATSC and QAM internally, but apparently not NTSC.  The Vizio, at $1299 until tomorrow, tunes all three and is larger than any of the sub-$3000 1920x1080 units.

For an almost 3:1 price differential for the same screen size, I think we could stand to forego native 1080i resolution.

[1]  Well, technically, we have two.  We were given an old Sharp CRT set in the 19" range with only composite NTSC input, a missing power button, and a screen about as curved as a football.  The kids use it to watch videotapes of The Magic Schoolbus and the like.

Comments

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

You could forgo TV altogether... You hardly need that kind of resolution to watch VHS tapes or DVDs.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

We could. But personally, I can't really relax and enjoy watching a movie while sitting two feet in front of a monitor. It's really not practical for a whole family to gather in front of the same computer to watch a movie. Not to mention that there's a lot of programming (Discovery Channel, NOVA, sci-fi channel) that we miss.

[cymrullewes.livejournal.com]

Food Network, BBC America, PBS Kids, Nick, Noggin, History (which is a Discovery Channel), Speed (for you), and I'm fairly sure I'm missing one...

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

I understand Speedvision Speed TV The Speed Channel or whatever they're calling it now might as well, at this point, simply be renamed the NASCAR Channel. I'm not sure they broadcast Formula 1 or motorcycle racing at all any more.

[cymrullewes.livejournal.com]

Could always ask Ace what he watches the Formula 1 races on.

[genuine-snark.livejournal.com]

They still broadcast motorcycle racing, and (I believe) F1 racing as well. They don't give it quite as much respect as I'd prefer--harebrained timing on commercial cuts and the like--but they're pretty much the only game in town.

[novel-tharkun.livejournal.com]

The DLP sets at that size and even larger can cost about the same or less, even with 1080P. However, they're quite heavy, and not wall mountable (unless you're building a wall under them).

Personally, I miss being without a tv. But I'm so bad at it, that I'm likely soon to buy a tv tuner / monitor for my "office" even though I live alone and can walk to the other room in < 3 seconds.

[johnkzin.livejournal.com]

The westinghouse one looks nice. It looks like its designed for people who don't use their TV tuner anyway (like me: all DirecTivo and DVD player, my TV's tuner is _wasted_ electronics). So, if you've got a HD-DVR, HD DirectTV, Digital Cable (do they have HD channels yet? probably), or some combination of those, it's probably a good choice. If I was buying a new TV, that's probably what I'd go for.

[genuine-snark.livejournal.com]

I can't find any specific reviews on -that- Vizio, but poking around shows lots of complaints about image quality with other Vizio stuff. There may be a reason it's so cheap. You may be better served saving up a few more dollars and buying a name brand, or finding a lightly used one. They're so easy to transport, compared to a CRT, that it's much more viable to buy them used now.

720p is no big deal--that's what nearly all LCD HDTVs deplay, as you found. For TV or gaming, you won't care. Even for computer display, 720p is OK for a living room.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Hm. When we looked at one in Costco today, it looked OK. I will admit to having some concerns about having never heard of the brand before. The Sharp Aquos sets nearby looked really nice, but were also a lot more expensive.

Nothing says we're locked into it forever, and if we try it out and find we hate it, we can always take it back.

Either way, they were out of stock, so we have a 30-day raincheck to think it over.

[genuine-snark.livejournal.com]

Think it over. My take on it is that TVs tend to stay in service 5-10 years. Particularly if you're at the upper end of that spectrum, it's worth doing it right.

Good point on returning it, but my own experience is that once it's in the entertainment center, you never get around to it. :)

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Both true. Of course, a flat-screen's much easier to return, too. :)

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

With a few days' research, I can't find anything price-competitive with the Vizio in the same size range, including looking at refurbished units.

That said, for about $80 more than the regular, non-sale price of the Vizio, we can get a Westinghouse LWM42W2 LCD HDTV monitor (https://www.westinghousedigital.com/pc-44-7-42-1080p-monitor.aspx). The Westinghouse is a pure monitor with no tuner; on the other hand, around here, we're told TV reception pretty much implies either cable or satellite, which means anything we're going to be driving it with will already have a tuner. It's a couple hundred dollars more than the Vizio; on the other hand, it's full 1080p-capable, with native 1920x1080 resolution, it has better contrast ratio, and it's a known brand name. It only has one HDMI input vs. the Vizio's two ... on the other hand, really, how many do you need, with an A/V receiver? It has wimpy 10w internal speakers ... on the other hand, hooked up to the A/V system, we'll probably never even use them anway. I never used the internal speakers on my 46" Pioneer back-projection TV.

[genuine-snark.livejournal.com]

Now that's what I'm talking about. I wouldn't miss the tuner at all.

That looks like a terrific choice.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

The big question then becomes whether we want to spend $1680 on a TV.

What I need to do is find a deal like I got on my Pioneer -- last of line, discontinued model, display model, Fourth of July sale, all stacking to yield a final price of $1200 on a 46" back-projection TV in 1994.

[genuine-snark.livejournal.com]

*nod* That's how I got my 36" Sony CRT HDTV. $800, iirc, at Fry's on closeout. OTOH, after moving it into the apartment once, now I appreciate the concept of an LCD. 250lb televisions aren't fun to maneuver through doorways.

Still, nothing beats the picture quality of a good CRT.

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

Yea the front lenticular lens is fragile on those, it's why they have the hard screen kits to protect them and newer ones come with those integral to the unit.

I'd suggest mounting the unit in such a way the kids cannot touch it. Buy them there own remote and when they break it let them go for a month without TV. :)

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

BTW LCD's are much much worse about damage. I'd suggest some sort of plexiglass shield but don't know if one is available.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Well, unfortunately, there wasn't really any way to mount a unit four feet high, four feet wide and over thirty inches deep up out of the reach of children. :)

With a thin-and-flat screen, it won't be a problem. We're thinking of putting it above the mantel, over the fireplace in the upstairs living room at the house. This will also mean small people running around the room will not interrupt line-of-sight for people watching the TV -- no more "Hey! DOWN IN FRONT!"

[olafthunderfoot.livejournal.com]

ya don't need a television at all!

[darthgeek.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough, I saw one (or at least the box it comes in) in the back of a pickup truck heading east on I-70 towards Frederick, MD this morning. Might have been taking it back since the only Costco's around that area are in Frederick or Winchester, VA (south and west of where I was)