Here's my problem. My entertainment center was custom built for my Hitachi 60" RPTV. All I see anymore is letterbox/widescreens. My Hitachi is fine (old, but fine), but I know the day square RPTV's are gone, mine will fail. My local Sam's club has a Phillips HDTV 60" RPTV for a ridiculous price of $500 bucks. I'm almost compelled to buy it just to have a spare! So what's the story and future with square RPTVs? Thanks in advance.

Here's my problem. My entertainment center was custom built for my Hitachi 60" RPTV. All I see anymore is letterbox/widescreens. My Hitachi is fine (old, but fine), but I know the day square RPTV's are gone, mine will fail. My local Sam's club has a Phillips HDTV 60" RPTV for a ridiculous price of $500 bucks. I'm almost compelled to buy it just to have a spare! So what's the story and future with square RPTVs? Thanks in advance.To best answer your question, how wide and high is your space? Some thin frame RPTV displays might work out nicely, but pretty much all have gone to 16:9 form factor. Not very many full screen DVD's issued these days and combine that with digital broadcasts, 4:3 displays are pretty much regulated to low-end CRT market.

I'll measure my opening tonight, but it's not the depth i'm worried about, it's the width. I've got plenty of space behind the unit. When the day comes, I might be able to fit a 52" widescreen in the space.

OK, the opening in my entertainment center is:
52 inches wide
61 inches high
depth: almost 3 feet
So, if I ever get a 52 inch widescreen, it should fit right in, right?

screens are measured diagonally

You have to remember screen sizes are measured diagonally. Just a quick check on RPTVs shows that a 55" Sony SXRD and a 56" Sammy DLP come in under 52" wide for the whole unit. I'm sure many FPs in that range would fit also.

Your big loss (if it's really a loss) will be the size of your 4:3 content. 16:9 content on a 55" will be a little larger than what you get letter boxed on your 4:3 60". If I wasn't drinking already, I would calculate both it for you.

Seems like a good trade to me, DVDs and HDDVD or Blu, and HDTV are larger and old 4:3 content SDTV is smaller. Plus you'd be getting HDMI. And helping the econonmy. ;)

I think that philips is the last one somewhat available.

beat of luck with it.


I'd say scrap or change the entertainment center and go with an even bigger widescreen display.

Just received notice that Sony's dropping their rear projection TV and concentrating on LCD.
http://hometheatermag.com/news/122007sony/