Guys,

I'm in the market for a 50" tv and I thought I'd ask my fellow Outlaws for some recommendations. I've read many reports and comparisons on the various formats that it boggles the mind since each type has it's pros and cons. I'm looking for a format that will display the best picture in both standard TV and HDTV along with an exceptional DVD display. I would also like picture that looks 3D. It's hard to compare in stores since many are not set-up properly or the signal is split a million ways.

I currently own a standard 43" Sony rptv and the picture is quite good on DVD. I know I'm under-utilizing my Denon 2200 universal player with 3 Outlaw component cables since the TV is not HD and does not accept a progressive signal.

If you guys have any recommendations I would greatly appreciate your ideas. Thanks, Ron

Check this thread for a more general discussion of digital sets.

you are never going to get a 3d picture on todays tvs. accept that now and go for the best picture otherwise. you can get clarity and definition, but 3d is something entirely different. dont let the "minority report" fool you into thinking that technology exists yet, because it doesnt.

Thanks for your response. I went to another store this weekend and did some additional comparisons. I'm still not convinced that the overall picture quality of digital TV's is that much better than my standard format CRT Sony. The digital channels on my cable box are pretty good and so is my DVD picture. My biggest issue is that the back ground material on the digital TV's seem to shimmer which can be very distracting. If this is happening on HD material, what will it look like on standard TV or from a DVD source?

I also have concerns with replacing the light sources for the projection type TV. I've heard they need to be replaced aproximately every 3 years at a cost up to $300.

The CRT based HDTV's are probably the way to go, but since my table-top Sony is located on a low stand containing my stereo components, I can not use a 50" CRT HDTV due to the size and weight. Also the screens on CRT TV's still are very reflective especially during daylight hours.

I'm probably being too critical, but I always look deeply into every thing I buy. That's why I bought the Outlaw 950/7100 and LFM. Ron.

id agree that the best picture is on a crt (non-projection) hdtv. though you are limited by the size that you want. there is a reason people dont have 65 inch glass crt tvs, because it would weight a ton (figuratively and literally).

I have a Samsung DLP and I am having issues with the PQ. Samsung is actually replacing it so the customer service is pretty good. It may be just an isolated issue with this set but I have had some experience with 'ghost images' in my pic. Others who have this particular (HLPXX85-see my HT pics) have too so be careful and get the warranty .

Crt Rear projection sets can look excellent with ISF calibration and the price is right.I have a nice Toshiba 51" Cinema Series in the master bedroom.

To Nonrags:
I'm the newbie in 5.1/7.1
A comment, however on your presumption that projection light sources need replacing every 3 yrs. We've had our 50 inch Mitsubishi for 15yrs and even moved 1800 miles with it. No problems.
Didn't even require alignment or tweaking. I will admit I was amazed at that, though. But our sources seem the same as yrs ago. Maybe just lucky. Good luck. We'll be interested to know what you do.

DLP and LCD rear projectors do use lamps, and the average life is reported to be around three years. Older CRT rear projection sets (which are all that existed 15 years ago) use the CRT tube as the light source and the image generator, and as such do not require re-lamping.

I attended the Home Entertainment Show this weekend in NY and observed many tv set-ups from both the manufacturers and vendors. I thought by attending the show I would have observed these sets in the ideal condition using the best hardware and cables. The back ground picture still shimmered especially during action scenes on all the DLP, LCD and plasma sets. I thought the pioneer elite had one of the best pictures overall, but I can't justify spending 4x to 5x the price for a plasma over a rear projection crt. I decided to wait until the fall before I make the plunge. I'm leaning towards the 51" Sony or Hitachi rp crt.

Well I decided to take the plunge into hdtv and bought the Sony KDF55WF655 LCD rptv over the weekend. Even though I was leaning towards a rp crt, I didn't have the room to install one of those monster tvs. I needed a tv that would lay atop my equipment cabinet. I decided the lcd format over dlp due the moving parts of a dlp and the picture quality didn't seem much different in the stores. A good plasma tv was out of my price range in the 50 to 55" range.

Here's my first impressions:

-The picture quality in standard tv is definitely not as good as my 43" standard rptv, but I new that when I first looked into digital tvs. Some stations on cable looked awful while some were just ok. Even the best stations had some smearing of colors especially in darker scenes. I can't wait to hdtv on monday. I hope it as good as everyone states.

-The dvd picture is almost as good as the rp. I didn't notice any difference between 480i or 480p using the Denon 2200 univeral player even though I'm using outlaw component cables. I called denon and the tech stated that it is possible there may not be any difference especially due to the size of the tv and the format. He mentioned some customers actually thought 480i was better in some cases.

-I called Sony's tech support for some suggestions but the really weren't very helpful. I tried calibrating the settings using the video essentials dvd, but the picture seemed dull and dark.

If you guys have suggestions I will gladly appreciate any. I'll post this on the hometheater forum for their comments. I can't wait for monday and hope hdtv will restore my faith with this purchase.

Ron