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TV's??
- Thread starter grebeck
- Start date
Okay, we now know everyone's preference for TVs, so what are you guys using for a remote and how do you like it? Personally, I'm using the Harmony for Xbox 360. I don't have an Xbox but I figured having for extra buttons couldn't hurt, and I was right. Programming was a lot harder than Harmony would lead you to believe. Some of my components were in the database, but the IR commands were wrong, so each function had to be remapped. I really like how it works, and how it always knows what I'm doing. For instance, if I'm listening to a cd and decide I want to watch a movie, one button push will activate my surround sound, dvd, TV, switch the input, and turn off power to the cd player. So, the remote remembers what's "on" and knows what to power up or down to get to the next activity. It can be a pain if someone gets the remote out of sequence, and there are a few minor bugs, but this remote is killer!
Harmony 880... tame the system! Friends and family could never even figure out how to turn all that stuff on (tv, avr, tivo, 2 DVDs, cd changer, vhs... and that is just one room). You are right on programing though, not as simple as they would imply. Have all your model numbers written down and all your settings recorded before you sit down to program. They have different models to keep in mind what you own before you order.
My remote
My Remote:
More info to come on my home theater.
Where are all the pics at, of these home theaters that people have.... I will def post mine when i get a chance.
My Remote:
More info to come on my home theater.
Where are all the pics at, of these home theaters that people have.... I will def post mine when i get a chance.
andreww said:
LCD flat panels have 60,000 hour life, that's about 25 years of normal use, of course the rest of the set will die in 10-15 years but still darn good with no degradation...plasmas are cheaper, in fact Circuit City and Best Buy use them at low low prices to lure customers in to buy LCD's. Because Plasma panels are phosphor coated they will degrade over time like picture tubes and there is still the concern of burn in. There is still a huge inventory of low end industrial type plasma panels out there the manufacturers are dying to unload, thus, schools, airports and shopping centers pick them up in quantity for a song. They don't care what the picture looks like as long as the "is" a picture......you can get a 1080p LCD with high contrast from Toshiba for about 2 grand...not bad and well worth the difference fron a comparable Plasma
My only long term reference for LCD is from years of laptop use. Laptop screens loose brightness very quickly. Dead and stuck pixels are always a problem. I don't like the matte, soft plastic screen material. As for durability I have read that plasma has a half life of 15 years.
I don't want to argue the tech specs of these two types of technology, its just my unbiased opinion that my year old plasma can match anything in the Sony store for picture quality. I have very good eyesight and pay attention to detail. I was at the Sony store about two hours ago. Even their high end LCDs tend to pixelate with any kind of camera movement. Very nice HD picture with a static shot, but movement causes havoc. Being Canadian, hockey is a big part of our TV experience. My brother inlaw was asking me the other day about his brother's new LCD set. "It looks great, but why does hockey look like shit?". Answer is simple, LCD can still not match plasma refresh rates.
I don't want to argue the tech specs of these two types of technology, its just my unbiased opinion that my year old plasma can match anything in the Sony store for picture quality. I have very good eyesight and pay attention to detail. I was at the Sony store about two hours ago. Even their high end LCDs tend to pixelate with any kind of camera movement. Very nice HD picture with a static shot, but movement causes havoc. Being Canadian, hockey is a big part of our TV experience. My brother inlaw was asking me the other day about his brother's new LCD set. "It looks great, but why does hockey look like shit?". Answer is simple, LCD can still not match plasma refresh rates.
Nice.gioarmani7428 said:
Dual 2GHz G5 (3GB RAM, 1TB HDD, 24" display) and a MacBook Core 2 Duo here. Mrs Pugwash has a 1GHz G4 iBook.
Very nice. I decided against the pro because the 13" is an excellent size and I like it in Black.gioarmani7428 said:
andreww said:
I just want to put thing striaght. LCD technology have improved vastly over the year. The things you say are all true at that time. I am not here to bash any one technology. There is no perfect TV. Although SED seems like it, if they release that. But let me set things straight about plasma and LCD.
Screen life: Tie (60,000 hours VS 60,000 with the current 2006/2007 models) Old days plasma died first lesss than 6,00 hours.
Color: Plasma in my books are slightly better, but LCD MAY tie if you believe them (2006/2007models with new color corrected (warm) backlighting)
Sharpness and resolution: LCD is equal or better in most models VS plasma (1920x1080 vs 1366X768) unless you buy top of the line 50"+ plasma $$$$
Contrast: (the specs are measured differently for the two technolgy, so you need to know how read them) But Plasma has a slight advantage
Power consumption: LCD wins over plasma
Refresh Rate: TIE for current 2006/2007 model big brand names (10ms to 4ms). Plasma wins if you bought 2005/6 or current lesser models (16ms).
Burn In: LCD wins hands down (none). Plamsa burns in.
Weight: LCD lighter, harder to break glass and can work in high elevations and won't buzz like plasma.
Dead Pixels: Tie they can all have dead pixels
Brightness: LCD wins hands down. Meaning that for most people it will work in any room.
View angle
lasma slight edge 180 degrees vs 178 degress....Now about that SONY. Like I said Sharp has the best unit right now. They has a 4 ms (millisecond) response rate no lag or smear on there top of the line units. Sony has 8 ms response panels on there top of the line units. Most people can see this smears at between 12 to 8ms response panels. Up until this year all panels including sharp were between 16 to 12 ms. Now if you were not looking at a top of the line sony then the resolution would be 1366x 768. Which is at the same resolution of your 50 plasma. You must remember that most people including stores don't adjust the sets when they hit the floor. And if you do not have an HDTV feed and just use regular cable TV (SDTV) it can look horrible. Garbage in garbage out. That would account for things. It is like feeding a 63 vette with regular gas. Ouch.
Just trying to set the record straight and dispell the myths. It like trying to sell widescreen to people who want full screen movies just because they want to fill that black space.
Basically
Buy plasma for price, colour and no smearing, as long as you don't play games or use the computer (burn in).
Buy LCD for everything else (with the new warm backlighting has 98% colour rendition, models without warm backlighting has about 75% rendition).
And I do watch alot of hockey. Because IluvHockey.
Great summary thanks. BTW, my TV is just that, no games or computer. I realize plasma has a burn in risk and will no use anything that will put it at risk. After my ranting about the merits of Plasma, I'll let you know that I am currently in the market for a 34" lcd for my bedroom. Unfortunately nobody is making plasmas under 42" anymore.
I bought a Sony LCD 55" about 3 months ago from Best Buy for $1700 as it was technology one step behind current and I have never looked back. Some things you get buyers remorse about... this is the first i have not