Inches or feet?

 

32" TV * 2.5 = ~ 80" viewing distance (or ~6.7 feet)

 

So that means I really need a 42-43" TV......hmmmm.....

it! 57" is waaaaay better

 

Seems like a pretty broad generalization to say that PQ on all RPTVs suck.

I used to hate CRT RPTV PQ just because it always seemed blurry and the viewing angle is so bad. But digital RPTVs are a lot better. Some reviewers say the PQ on Sony's SXRD exceeds that of Plasma and LCD.

To each his own, its all in the eye of the beholder, but I think my RPTV looks better than most flat panel LCDs and Plasmas, especially with HDTV. There are some situations where maybe LCD's brightness or Plasma's color reproduction might be better ... but overall I like the SXRD's picture better.

 

I'll chime in again. I don't have all the knowledge, but when I went looking for a plasma a year ago, I was specifically looking for the Panny "monitor-only" display. The blacks were great and the price was right. I have DTV, so no internal tuners do me any good. Just one problem- availability last fall was non-existent. I opted to bite the proverbial bullet and purchased the Pio Elite 50-incher.

That said, I would not recommend a plasma for gaming. HD programming... the best. Maybe it's the 10,000:1 contrast- dunno. Maybe it's how unrealistically bright the set is. There are times when I have watched DLP-driven Samsungs and wished my picture was more cinematic(grainy).

As was mentioned, sitting distance can negate all the bell-n-whistles of a super-duper set if that distance is too far. Conversely, sitting too close to a crappy set will cause you to .

Almost forgot, Alex... www.htauthority.com is where I got my BK's from. I'll check on avsforum.com to see if they have any GB's going on soon.

 

Also, the best audio is via analog, meaning you have to scrap the HDMI in favor of component unless you're playing the sound through a newer HDMI-switching receiver. Currently, I'm still using my old Denon.

 

If you use THX guidelines on viewing angles, that 57" TV is better for your room's configuration. There are a wide range of recommended viewing angles, depending on who you listen to. Believe it or not, Crutchfield (who actually sells TV's and you'd think would want you to buy larger units) recommends something closer to what he's saying. However, the THX guideline would make you get a much larger unit, which is funny since they don't sell TV's or equipment.

- Jeremy (jnn4v)

 

What do you mean by the best audio is via analog? You mean using RCA Jacks to provide your audio vice using HDMI or a digital RCA or SPDIF optical audio connection? Just curious as I thought since most audio today is provided digitally (HDTV via ATSC, Cable, Satellite, etc, DVD, BluRay, HDDVD etc all have their sound encoded digitally) that its better to keep the audio in the digital domain as long as possible.

 

Analog 7.1 I haven't had time to do it yet, but soundtracks are said to be beyond compare when done this way. At my age, I can't remember half of what I read.

If you have a new receiver that has the HDMI switching built-in, this may not apply to you. My Denon 3300 most definitely does not have this capability. That thing is about 6-7 years old. Can't remember off the top of my head, but I believe the 3805 mentioned earlier does has HDMI switching.

 

TODAY ONLY: JVC D-ILA HD-61Z886 61" RPTV for only $1,589.99 + $5.00 shipping at www.woot.com ... Incase anyone is in the market for a big screen TV at a great price. The 720p HD-ILAs aren't perfect, but at that price they're not bad either! The JVC D-ILA TVs are LCoS variants. I'd encourage anyone who is interested in the TV to goto avsforums.com quickly to look for reviews.

And incase anyone has never heard of it, woot.com is a very reputable business. They sell one item per day at a very low price (usually), and then the next day its a different item.

BTW- This is last year's model that had a problem in some early runs with blowing the bulb quickly. IIRC this problem was resolved with later models and fixable on the early models by JVC.