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I'm all confused and need some help/advice

post #1 of 10
6/21/07 at 7:10am
Thread Starter 
So i've been doing some research and reading and had thought i had decided upon getting the Sony KDS60A2020 (specifically the BB online deal that includes a PS3).

So the wife and i head over to Best Buy yesterday to take a look at the Sony before i ordered it online. We get to the HDTV's and immediately we notice the plasma and lcd sets are waaaaay better looking and have a better picture than any of the rear projection sets, including the Sony we were going to buy.

Obviously i am disappointed and now more confused as ever. We wanted a nice big set (atleast 60"), but i just don't want to pay the extra $$ for a plasma. I never have really looked at the sets in store, so i was shocked at how much a difference the picture was. My wife immediately looks at me and says, this is like day and night quality.

So here i am really confused and unaware as to where to go now. I really like the price and sizes of the rear projection sets, but am i missing something here? This is no bashing thread, i'm just wondering if i didn't look at something right. I had all intentions of buying the Sony, but now that i've seen them i'm not sure. I know they weren't calibrated in store, but neither were the plasmas.

I'm just coming in here as a newbie and looking for some advice. Why should i reconsider this Sony and how significant a picture change will i get when i bring it home and calibrate it to my environment? Should what i saw yesterday at Best Buy discourage me from considering a rear projection and now a plasma?

Thanks. Just a confused new HDTV buyer here
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post #2 of 10
6/21/07 at 8:00am
As many will probably say, its up to your eyes. I think most plasmas are better out of the box, but a RPTV can be better, even when only doing user settings and a calibration disk. To even get a better picture on a RPTV, a professional calibration would be ideal. Quite a few people around here feel that a calibrated RPTV is superior to plasma's.
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post #3 of 10
6/21/07 at 8:09am
I used to think the same thing. Then I saw some Samsung DLP sets that must have been set up decently in the store (not pushing Samsung, this was just my experience). We opted for the 71" 1080p Samsung DLP set (7178w), and after 6 months of viewing - not a minute of regret. This set has not been calibrated professionally, and still looks quite good. We also have LCD and Plasma to compare to the DLP.

My recommendation is to go to some different stores to see if you notice any difference in PQ. It's worth a look, to get a larger screen for less dollars.
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post #4 of 10
6/21/07 at 8:19am
Thread Starter 
See i was telling my wife that they were not calibrated and she would say "Ya, but the plasma/lcd aren't as well and they still look better".

I just want a nice big set with a great picture and not having to pay the $$ it would be for a plasma or lcd. However, i don't want to get home and regret that i didn't get something else.

Think i'll head over to a couple more stores and see what they have and the difference in picture.
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post #5 of 10
6/21/07 at 8:33am
The Sony RPs in my local CC all sit on the floor. If you look at them while standing, your viewing angle makes the picture look like garbage. Make sure you are looking at the sets from the proper viewing angle!
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post #6 of 10
6/21/07 at 8:39am
And - you may also want to consider purchasing one where you can return it within 30 days for no re-stocking fee.
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post #7 of 10
6/21/07 at 10:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by noahj View Post

See i was telling my wife that they were not calibrated and she would say "Ya, but the plasma/lcd aren't as well and they still look better".

I just want a nice big set with a great picture and not having to pay the $$ it would be for a plasma or lcd. However, i don't want to get home and regret that i didn't get something else.

Think i'll head over to a couple more stores and see what they have and the difference in picture.

The plasma and LCD displays have less adjustments, so the the fact that they "haven't been adjusted" doesn't mean much since there's only so much you can do to them. The factory settings on the rear projection TVs tend to be "over-bright". This, combined with the bright showroom environment, messes up one of the biggest advantages the rear projection TVs have, and that's the black levels.

You really need to look at them with normal settings in a good environment, you won't be disappointed.
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post #8 of 10
6/21/07 at 3:09pm
You've gotten some good shopping advice in this thread. I've never been in a showroom where I thought I could tell which set would be best at home.

RPTV sets are best when your eyes are located in the same plane as the center of the TV set's screen. Another issue is lighting. Unless you have florescent lighting at home there is just no way to judge in a showroom.

A thirty day return period with no cost to you is the best protection. With a small portion of the money you save over the cost of a 1080p 60" plasma, you can have one of the professionals like Eliab, David Abrams or UMR calibrate your new set.

Check the link to owner's calibration reports at the bottom of my post.
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post #9 of 10
6/25/07 at 5:50am
Thread Starter 
Well i'm bumping this to get some more ideas and suggestions for sets.

I had really thought that a LCD was the better choice for me, but i still come back to rear projectors as i just can't get them off my mind.

I'm really really wanting to get a nice big set (around a 65"), but there's no way i want to pay the price i would have to for a lcd or plasma of that size. Heck, for the price of a 52" lcd, i can get a 65" rear projector and Blu Ray player.

But price isn't really only the reason for coming back to rear projectors. I keep telling my wife that the sets in Best Buy looked kinda ugly because they weren't even close to being calibrated to what they could be and the lcd/plasma were.

So we're gonna head over to Circuit City and another store to see how the projector sets look compared to BB. I've heard tons of great things about rear projectors and i just think my BB had crappy lighting and no calibration on the sets they had out that it did no justice as to what they could do.

Anyone else wanna comment on what i'm experiencing? Should i still have some faith in a rear projector compared to a lcd?
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post #10 of 10
6/25/07 at 6:19am
I was all set to go with a Toshiba REGZA 42"LCD but I realized for the same amount of money I could get their 57" DLP. Reviews on this very forum indicate the projection unit has a better picture than the LCD.

In any event, you can't trust a store environment, even if it's all you've got. It's good to look at the same model in several stores.. Good luck on your new TV!
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