[bsipe9]

My parents are nipping at 70, are not audiophiles or 'videophiles' (think I made that last one up). Frankly, a perfect crystal clear picture is going to take a back seat to the size of the picture. I've told my mother repeatedly before they buy a new TV to consult me. Not because I'm a TV expert (PC's are my passion) but because I'm a research freak.


So today my dad tells me he bought a Sharp LC46D62U for about $2500. My first reaction is that they spent to much. Of course, I didn't realize this was a 1080p. Now my thoughts are that they'd be much better off getting a larger screen. They're probably never going to get HD service and they'll certainly never get a BluRay player. I'm also concerned with all the banding issues I've seen in the 5 minutes since I first talked to my father. Would something like the Samsung HL-S5686W (a 56" 720p) be a safer choice? It's almost $1000 cheaper too.

 

[miniz]

If they aren't going to feed it an HD signal then they shouldn't have an HDTV of any type. You need to find them an older rear projection 4:3 set, if they are simply looking for a big fuzzy analog screen. Look in your local paper, I'm sure you can find a used RPTV for very little money.

 

[RDO CA]



Quote:
Originally Posted by bsipe9 /forum/post/0


My parents are nipping at 70, are not audiophiles or 'videophiles' (think I made that last one up). Frankly, a perfect crystal clear picture is going to take a back seat to the size of the picture. I've told my mother repeatedly before they buy a new TV to consult me. Not because I'm a TV expert (PC's are my passion) but because I'm a research freak.


So today my dad tells me he bought a Sharp LC46D62U for about $2500. My first reaction is that they spent to much. Of course, I didn't realize this was a 1080p. Now my thoughts are that they'd be much better off getting a larger screen. They're probably never going to get HD service and they'll certainly never get a BluRay player. I'm also concerned with all the banding issues I've seen in the 5 minutes since I first talked to my father. Would something like the Samsung HL-S5686W (a 56" 720p) be a safer choice? It's almost $1000 cheaper too.

If you talk them into something else and they don't like it --than you are the problem. I would not try to change their mind as I have seen this set and it looks very good. If the banding is not noticeable leave it alone. Just talk them into getting an HD tier from their cable provider and let them enjoy.


Roy

 

[bsipe9]

Okay, so let's suppose they do subscribe to HD service, what then? They're viewing distance is a bit variable, as their TV seating is about 10 feet away, but they watch some TV from a dining table about 18-20 feet away. My gut still tells me the 1080p is overkill...

 

[RDO CA]



Quote:
Originally Posted by bsipe9 /forum/post/0


Okay, so let's suppose they do subscribe to HD service, what then? They're viewing distance is a bit variable, as their TV seating is about 10 feet away, but they watch some TV from a dining table about 18-20 feet away. My gut still tells me the 1080p is overkill...

A 46in 16x9 set is about the same height as a 38 in 4x3 so at 10 ft it is not too bad. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel --just say how good it looks and chill.


Roy

 

[bsipe9]

I can't say how good it looks, it hasn't even been delivered yet. I'm just trying to determine if a lesser TV (720p or 1080i) would suffice.

 

[miniz]

yes a lesser TV would do in this case. People who don't even know what day it is could care less about 1080p over 720p and all this new fangled technology

 

[buzzy_]

You instincts are right, there's no need for 1080p for them or most other people right now. Why not just explain to them that they could get a great looking picture on a bigger set for the same money, or spend less?

Quote:
Originally Posted by miniz /forum/post/0


If they aren't going to feed it an HD signal then they shouldn't have an HDTV of any type. You need to find them an older rear projection 4:3 set, if they are simply looking for a big fuzzy analog screen. Look in your local paper, I'm sure you can find a used RPTV for very little money.

Lousy advice, though not as foolish as your next comment about them not knowing what day it is. Lots of DVDs are in 16:9 and will look great to the parents if the upscaling is at all decent.


Also, is OTA HD an option where they are? Check antennaweb.org. They'd enjoy seeing prime time, sports, the news etc. in HD.

 

[bsipe9]

So they're sticking with the LC46D62U. They've gone and upgraded their cable to digital with some HD channels (gets installed tomorrow) while the TV gets delivered on Friday. Anything blatantly obvious that I need to do? My thoughts were to have them buy a UPS to protect it from power surges. Compusa has a 1200 VA for under $100. As for cables, what's my best bet?

 

[ftaok]



Quote:
Originally Posted by bsipe9 /forum/post/0


As for cables, what's my best bet?

monoprice.com


ft

 

[miniz]



Quote:
Anything blatantly obvious that I need to do? My thoughts were to have them buy a UPS to protect it from power surges. Compusa has a 1200 VA for under $100. As for cables, what's my best bet?

That is about the worst thought you could possibly have. COMPUTERS use a UPS. TV's use a PURE SINE WAVE battery back-up. They are totally different. A regular UPS will mess with your picture. It doesn't output the correct type of power for your TV.


As for cables,

Please make sure they do not buy MONSTER or any other over hyped over priced cable out there. monoprice or bluejeancable is your source for all your cable needs. They have the best cables at real world prices.

 

[bsipe9]

So then is a simple surge protector the only option?


Also, the TV came today, and while I wasn't there at the time, my parents said the delivery guy was very unimpressed by their HD signal. Granted, all that was on the HD channels at the time were Jerry Springer reruns, etc. A little later, The View came on and visually looked superb. When you hit the input button, an icon shows the signal as 1080i. Also, the non-HD channels look worse than on the 13-inch rabbit-eared TV in my garage.


Thanks for the cable websites. I guess my real question was do they need to upgrade from the cables provided by the cable company? The new cable bow doesn't have HDMI output.

 

[miniz]

Yes, get an APC surge protector. You could get an APC Pure Since Wave battery back up, but that is not required for your set-up. Make sure to surge protect the coax cable feed too! Your APC surge protector will have the coax covered if you purchase the correct one.


If you were watching Jerry Springer then you weren't watching HD. You were watching SD on an HD local channel. That is not HD. You need to flip over to HDNET, INHD or Discovery HD theater to view real HDTV. Make sure to properly adjust the TV. It is set to burn mode from the factory. Flip over to a true all-HD channel and find some a show that you can adjust the colors of the TV to match what is playing. I usally try and match skin tones in a movie. You want real life colors, contrast and brightness.


Does their cable box have a DVI output? What is the model of the cable box?

 

[bsipe9]

Why is the Pure Sine Wave not necessary? Would this model be good enough? Sorry if this is a silly comment, but it seems too inexpensive for $3000 worth of equipment.


As for the cable box, it's a Scientific Atlantic "Explorer 3250 HD". The outputs not being used currently are (2x) 1394, DVI, Optical Audio, Digital Audio and S-Video.

 

[miniz]

Yes, the surge protector is fine. I have a couple of those. They do not need a battery back-up because they don't have anything that requires a fan to operate (DVR, DLP, ect..). The surge protector from APC is the best solution for them.


They should use the DVI output from the 3250HD. Buy them a DVI to HDMI cable on monoprice. Then wire the audio to the TV using composite audio. If they have a surround sound system, then use digital audio out on the 3250HD.

 

[bsipe9]

When I use the DVI to HDMI, the video comes in, but no matter which combination of composite in/outs, I cannot get audio. Also, if there's any improvement in video quality, it's minimal. The non-HD channels are all just really grainy/pixelated (HD channels, when HD programming is on, look fantastic).