don't know squat

 

How are Hitachi HDTV's? I've found a deal on a 57" 1080i Hitachi for $1,100 and I won't need a stand for it - here's the Circuit City Deal.

I have a Hitachi now, and it has done the trick since 1999.

 

I believe Costco sells the Sharp Aquos (rated amongst the best in flat panel LCDs) for $1500 for a 37" LCD. Its actually like $1800 with a $300 Instant rebate. I don't see it on their website anymore, I only see the 45", but if you goto the store you might be able to find them in stock still. Its last year's model, 720p, but its still a nice TV for the price.

 

Anyone ever used Green Glue for constructing their home theater?

Seems a lot of the guys over at AVSforum love this stuff and I was considering it for sound abatement in our condo. There are a couple of places I plan on doing the drywall sandwich with the green glue, as well as using it to glue down the dense rubber underlayment under the hardwood flooring.

The guys at Green Glue have been very helpful, but it's not a cheap investment ($180/case) so I want to make sure it's worth it.

 

Can't comment specifically on Hitachi, but this particular TV is a CRT Rear projection. There's some disadvantages to CRT RP compared with newer Rear projection TVs like DLP, SXRD, LCD, etc..

1. CRT Rear projections weigh a lot more, in fact this 58" CRT RPTV is 162 lbs. My 60" SXRD weighs around 100 lbs. May not be a big deal to you.

2. Generally speaking CRT Rear projection provides a smaller viewing angle than newer RPTVs. So if you're not sitting front and center, the picture may look discolored or distorted more so than on a DLP RPTV.

3. While some will say CRT provides a better picture still than DLP, LCD, or SXRD the picture will not start out that way and without a professional calibration it probably will never look as good. Plus CRTs tend to drift over time and need to be recalibrated every so often. Thats ~$200-300 for a calibration, if you're picky.

In the end, CRT is the oldest technology out there. Its up to you, goto Circuit City and check out the TV for yourself, but I wouldn't recommend spending money on whats really is a dead/dying technology. The TV seems to get good reviews on circuitcity.com ... but when's the last time you spent $1500 on a new toy and then told your buddy how its the worst TV you ever bought? Generally speaking people will like what they bought.

 

To get something similar to a 32" tube, I believe you need to go with a 40"+ lcd. There's a website that does the measurements, but I have to find it.

 

And buying from Costco is almost always a good thing when you're getting an HDTV, as they have a pretty much "no questions asked" return policy. If you don't like how the TV is performing, or if it develops an issue over time, they'll exchange it for you, often even letting you go to another model or brand.

- Jeremy (jnn4v)

 

I'm hoping to get some model suggestions in the next few days so I can look at quickly picking one up once I get into town. I don't need many fancy-schmancy features, but I want a quality picture for both SD and HD. Audio outs are about all I need. I currently have a Harmon Kardon receiver and Bose <sigh> surround speakers.

 

Pointy--

50 inch Sammy for $1299 shipped

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...4Ioz1URTZaIOWyQ

 

Thanks for the heads up Mark, but in my research I think I've determined that 1080i is a must. Through my sister that TV is actually $1,073 at Best Buy.

However, I've been reading a ton of reviews on the Hitachi and I think I'm sold on the 57" 1080i version for $1,100.

Now......if we can just get Chad to sell more cars.....