[B Gallagher]

Hey all,

My parents are looking at getting a new flatscreen TV for their new house, and non of us are really sure which type is best. Which do you think is, and why?

[SVass]

What is the viewing distance? What kind of shows do they want to watch? movies on dvd? home theater sound? Will the location be semi-permanent? There is no best for all conditions! sam

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

This may help

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?t=223497

[Railroader]

I prefer CRT TVs. They are big, heavy, and require a stand, but they produce the best color and sharpness.

[Doofy]

I too still prefer CRT TVs.

[davidflas]

I'd give another vote for CRTs. I give them low marks for coolness, but high marks for image quality, which is all that matters to me.

[ManOfSteal]

If I were buying a new TV today, I would go with DLP personally.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by Railroader

I prefer CRT TVs. They are big, heavy, and require a stand, but they produce the best color and sharpness.

I have a direct view CRT widescreen HD flatscreen.

However, I don't for a second believe that CRTs win on sharpness.

I have not yet seen a projection TV I've liked enough to buy.

If I were to buy today, it'd be a plasma or possibly an LCD, unless I could get a killer deal on a direct view CRT.

[ghporter]

CRTs take a lot of power for their screen size, they're big (particularly DEEP), heavy, and HOT. All projection TVs, including DLPs have far too much off-axis drop off for my tastes. I like to be able to sit anywhere in front of the screen and see the picture, but you just can't with a projection. Plasma and LCD have typically good viewing angles and both are pretty low on power usage for their screen size, but it all depends on who made the screen which looks better. So far I've liked LCDs best, but I haven't plunked down the money to buy any fancy new TV yet.

[Mediaman_12]

Originally Posted by Doofy

I too still prefer CRT TVs.

You appear to be in a slowly diminishing minority (In the UK at least).
There was an article in the media last week saying that sales of 'flat panel' TV's had overtaken traditional CRT ones for the first time, at one of the UK's biggest chain of stores (Argos Who sell more TV's than any other single retailer: link to story)
Unfortunately most of these aren't going to have been 'HD ready' as the UK hasn't announced what standard it's going to broadcast in. The only people who have said ANYTHING are Sky TV (Digital Satellite broadcaster). Who have announced a broad set of 'guidelines' for what it's going to start broadcasting in next year, and that it's going to be a DIFFERENT standard to the USA .

[Link]

If I were to get a new TV for our main TV setup today, it'd be a front projection setup, here's why:

1. It gets on our nerves when people come over to visit and start watching crap on TV (usually police shows and 80s "women's sitcoms")... - a FP setup can be set on a motorized screen that is cleanly out of site without one of those gaudy armoires.

2. DLP-RP TVs blow through bulbs (and the bulbs are just as expensive), as DLP-FP setups.

3. It's more portable, I could always take down the projector and hide it or just take it somewhere else if I needed to.

4. "PLAAAZMA" is becoming the single most annoying word in the world. Shows on HGTV seem to be all about *stainless steel* (which is really a bitch to clean in many cases), and *Plaaazma* TV... oh yeah they burn out after 6 years completely...

For a standalone setup I still like the old fashioned CRT RPs, we have a nice toshiba one from a few years back -- it looks nice, has a relatively big screen, and it didn't cost much, plus it has "zero" maintenance to worry about. No lightbulbs or any of that dumb crap.

Hanging a TV on the wall sounds alright, but I'll just wait until LCDs can get a little bigger (or OLEDs mainstream), tell ya the truth it aint a big deal right now We barely watch TV anyway

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Mediaman_12

You appear to be in a slowly diminishing minority (In the UK at least).

Yeah, I know. But hey, it only cost me 50p (Radio Times competition entry).

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by ghporter

CRTs take a lot of power for their screen size, they're big (particularly DEEP), heavy, and HOT. All projection TVs, including DLPs have far too much off-axis drop off for my tastes. I like to be able to sit anywhere in front of the screen and see the picture, but you just can't with a projection. Plasma and LCD have typically good viewing angles and both are pretty low on power usage for their screen size, but it all depends on who made the screen which looks better. So far I've liked LCDs best, but I haven't plunked down the money to buy any fancy new TV yet.

Actually, plasmas (or is it LCDs) run extremely hot. I was surprised at the heat coming off the screen and the top of the unit. I feel very little heat from the top of my CRT, but it was pretty expensive unit at the time. It's about 10 years old now. I'll buy a HDTV when Tivo ships it's second generation HDTV TiVo boxes.

[BasketofPuppies]

Wait until the end of the year for thin CRTs to show up.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by BasketofPuppies

Wait until the end of the year for thin CRTs to show up.

Tell us more!

[BasketofPuppies]

All the advantages of standard CRTs--yes, including significantly lower prices than LCDs, plasmas, DLPs, et al.--while taking up far less space than current, thick CRTs.

Several consumer electronics companies have been test marketing thin CRT television sets in East Asia since the beginning of the year. If all goes well, they should be available in the rest of the world towards the end of the year.

[OreoCookie]

I don't have a tv.

[BasketofPuppies]

Then what do you do?

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by BasketofPuppies

All the advantages of standard CRTs--yes, including significantly lower prices than LCDs, plasmas, DLPs, et al.--while taking up far less space than current, thick CRTs.

Several consumer electronics companies have been test marketing thin CRT television sets in East Asia since the beginning of the year. If all goes well, they should be available in the rest of the world towards the end of the year.

I am eagerly awaiting seeing this new technology.

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by BasketofPuppies

Then what do you do?

Think, read and surf the net.
Or I go out with friends.

[BasketofPuppies]

Fascinating. If I didn't have a television set, I would stare at the wall all day.

[Cadaver]

I have a plamsa (42"), an LCD rear projection (55") and an LCD flat panel (26"). One sentence observations on each...

•Plasmas are nice, bright and produce a killer picture when connected to a good source, but they put out a lot of heat and I worry about screen burn-in.
•The LCD-RP produces a gorgeous picture (esp. via an upscaling DVD player and an HDMI output) but can't really hang it on the wall; needs it own space.
•The LCD flat panel is nice, but can get washed out in bright daylight.

[residentEvil]

Originally Posted by Railroader

I am eagerly awaiting seeing this new technology.

Samsung already has their first batch on the market, their 30" SlimFit CRTs, only 16" deep. Their next batch are suppose to be 12" deep.

http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/n...2fSlimFit+HDTV

[as2]

The current generation of LCD TV's, especially those with high end video processing built in such as the new range of LOEWE Xelos panels have exceptional picture quality.

If you have the $$ I would highly recommend them.