Are 60" LCD TVs too big for the technology?

why isn't plasma an option? once upon a time I said the same thing then decided to take a chance. really wish there were plasmas as small as 26" now.

According to many the price of LCDs is supposed to drop big time next year. If you aren't in a hurry, wait and see what's available then. May be better tvs for less money.

The price of all TV techs drops big time every year, and every year the sets get better (generally speaking). 2 years, 9 months ago I bought a 720p 50" plasma for $1,500 and felt I got a hell of a deal. Today a similar set is $800.

You can always wait, but if you're sitting around watching SD there's no time like the present to upgrade.

jeff

With edge lighting and 3D being the most prevalent trends in LCD TVs, I'm not sure next year will be the year when both 60 inch and 60+ inch LCDs make a big splash.

There is a world-wide shortage of LEDs which is keeping the price of LED models artificially high. But even when the prices of LEDs come down, the trend away from full LED backlighting and local dimming seems tied to 3D and aesthetics.

Unless you are sure you found the panel you really want, just wait and see what the next round of models brings. After all, Toshiba cancelled the Cell, Sharp dropped its 68, Vizio hasn't followed up on the 72, etc.

Finally, the answer to your question about whether 60 inches is too large for "the technology", the answer is no.

Can't we just take the statement for what it's worth and not turn the thread into a plasma vs LCD debate, because that's the direction it will most likely take when you ask that question.
I have ask myself the same question as I am also looking for a 60" and going back and forth between edge lit and CCFL. I'm mainly considering CCFL to avoid the inherit problems with edge lit at the sacrifice of black level performance. It seems the normal issues (flaslighting, bad uniformity, clouding) seem to occur more often as the glass gets larger, much more so with edge lit than CCFL at this point. I'm sure some of the issues will be improved upon in next years models but I have been waiting a while and not sure I want to hold out until the spring of next year.

No.

Agree!

Why Sony chose a 52" for their premier panel to this day makes no sense as they produced reference level panels in 55" - 70" Triluminous RGB LED and of course they were quite expensive.

IMO the new NX810 60" will trump the HX909 for HT immersion the 8" gains and personally there is no way I could go back to a 52" for my main HT.

The new NX810 scored very well in the recent flat panel shootout despite the fact it doesn't carry the XBR badge and all competitors in the shootout were the high end plasma and LED. Keep an eye on 2011 CES and then the Sony Show in Feb/March for new XBR's on the horizon and I doubt they stick with a 52" since sizewise it's a size that got trumped four years ago.

My 60 inch Sony EX700 has better PQ then my 2 year old 52 inch XBR6 so NO!!!

Do you have any idea how bad Sony was doing with their Consumer Electronics Division for several recent years? Really bad. Huge losses. At one point it cost more to make the Sony Playstation than they were selling it for! Sony had to come up with a new business plan for its Consumer Electronics Division.

They also had their hands full with all the replacements for the SXRDs that had green blob and other problems. How much do you think it cost Sony to have to first try to repair and then have to replace all the funky RPTVs?

Sony Audio was also not doing well. Denon, Pioneer, Onkyo, even Yamaha were giving Sony plenty of competition.

But companies like Sony like to make "statement pieces", which are state of the art items that have super premium prices. "Quite expensive" indeed!

Just so you haven't forgotten again, Sony is a for-profit business, not a 501 (c) 3, private non-profit organization. So they make business decisions when their statement pieces don't get them anywhere near operating in the black.

So, it should come as no surprise that they would make their premium LCD in "only" a 52 inch size. The real money to be made with LCDs is the mid-priced models that will sell in volume.

As you are aware, the EX500 series has been a success for Sony this season. Very good balance of price, performance, and features.

Sony knows that true hobbiests with a desire for screens 60+ will find something they can live with, whether it be another brand of LCD, a plasma, or a front projection system. People with basements can set up a great front projection system for $2,500.

You were all ready to jump on the Samsung UN65C8000, however, who knows what is going on with the Samsung UN65C8000 and its MSRP of $6,000. That is certainly not a bread-and-butter set for Samsung. Meanwhile, people are searching everywhere for the Panasonic 65VT25, and gobbling up the 65 S 2 for $2,000. I know plasma doesn't work for you, but you are a valuable source of information on big screen LCDs.

You just have to figure out if it is worth waiting for an LCD larger than 65 inches. I know that the 73 inch DLPs had a tremendous amount of impact compared to any 65 inch panel when I was in Magnolia.

There are a boat load of REALLY NICE projectors at that 2k price point. IMO if you have a room for projector and a 100" screen it's the best bang for buck hands down.

"At one point it cost more to make the Sony Playstation than they were selling it for! "

This has been true of virtually every console release in the last decade or more. Wii was a notable exception.

Also, please don't defend making 52-inch sets as some sort of acceptable flagship. Bottom line, Sony planned on selling RPTVs for years longer with SXRD. It failed in the market, and they basically have been unable since to deliver really big TVs in quality/quantity. Why this isn't a priority to Sony, who knows? But it means that when people shop for big TVs, they more or less don't consider Sony.

agreed with waiting, waiting will result in better tech an cheaper prices in the next 6 months

At the VE Shootout I asked the Sony VP why they didn't make a the 909 in a larger size than 52" and he said that it would have been cost prohibitive for them and been priced out of the market. So I guess they don't want another XBR8 and then have to have a blow out sale when they can't sell it at an exorbitant price. He did suggest they will come out with a 65" or larger set in 2011. I doubt if it will be local dimming though.

That kind of drivel is pretty irritating as a consumer. If Sharp can sell a mediocre 65-inch TV for something around $3000, I'm sure Sony can sell a good one for $4000. It's a choice, not some requirement.

And for $6000, my lord, not only could one do local dimming, one could do it with a record number of LEDs....

Given that Vizio is close to Samsung for the lead in LCD sales in the USA, how do you factor in the business decision that affects the profitability of the Home Electronics division of Sony?

Where do they stand to make the most money in TVs? With super premium 60 inch panels, or with smaller, more aesthetically pleasing edge-lit TVs?

Of the total TV buying public in the USA, how many do you think are hobbiests-enthusiasts who might pay $5,000-$6,000 for a super-premium 60 inch LCD?

Actually, I don't know a single one. Although my son has a 120" projection TV in his basement home theater, it was significantly cheaper than $5,000-$6,000 (TV & screen... sound system was pretty costly however). Of course, it's certainly not an LCD.

As much as I love TV's, I wouldn't even consider spending anywhere near that much and I do consider myself an enthusiast, just not a fanatic.

I know several people with Sony TV's including one with a 60". They considered all brands when making the decision.

My brother-in-law has a 60" SXRD and it's a great set. The real reason the technology was dropped was because everyone wants a thin TV. Thin is in.

1) Can we stop pretending that stamping out huge quantities of 40-inch LCDs and small quantities of 60s are somehow mutually exclusive? If factories were running at capacity, that'd be true. No report anywhere describes anything other than a glut of LCD panels and reduced production as a result. In other words, there is capacity.

2) Can we actually read what I'm saying? I'm not saying a $5000-6000 super-premium LCD. I'm saying a really good 65-inch set for $4000. That would be competitive with the high-end Panasonic and interest to lots and lots of people. There is no such LCD.

Nintendo has always sold their hardware for a profit, they have stated numerous times that they refuse to take even a slight loss on any hardware they sell.

I'm just waiting for a solid 60inch LCD with under 40ms of lag and solid performance overall, I don't need a top of the line beast, just something solid. (had those beasts in the past, really easy to pick them apart and justify a return over annoying defects, it is very hard to justify a return on a 50inch 720p plasma at todays prices so it was a keeper until something worthwhile comes along.)