[Yosh70]

I cant see (read:hear) speakers being utilized in today's flat panel TV's given that there cant be any room left over for decent SQ.


I know the manufacturers arent too concerned with sound now that almost everybody runs the audio through a stereo and I would think there is just not enough space to accommodate a decent sized driver for audio.


My 7 yr old 57" Hitachi CRT has had the speakers turned on once and that was enough for me.They have been silent ever since.

I recently purchased a 32" Sony LCD for upstairs and altho the picture was beautiful, the sound literally sucked - but a quick trip to Walmart and a pair of amplified speakers are now being used with sound that I'm not embarrassed about.


The reason I'm bringing this up is that an acquaintance of mine purchased a new Samsung 950 series LCD and he's more than happy with the sound emanating from the TV speakers for normal satellite viewing instead of thru his sound system. Is he on crack or can some panels have decent sound thru their speakers?

 

[David James]

Just a guess, but I'd say upwards to 90% of the people who watch flat screens use the speakers in the TV when watching TV.


I'm one of them and I have a dedicated home theater (overhead projector) used for DVD viewing and occasional TV viewing and a 2 channel listening room.


I would expect this poll to almost invert my guess, but I can't think of a worse place to get statistically accurate results.

Edit - as for your comments about your acquaintance, "on crack" because he doesn't think like you?

This is a great hobby, but the crowd that frequents forums like these are in the distinct minority.

 

[Tulpa]

I think that some if not many flat panel speakers aren't as good as CRT speakers were, at least not the flat panel speakers that are rear firing or have very small grills. My friend's Samsung plasma certainly doesn't sound quite as good as my old 27" RCA CRT. Granted, it's in a different room, but still...


I've never used the speakers in my DLP TV. I don't have any audio cables going to it, unless you count the HDMI cable going from the DVD player to it, which I don't (although it probably delivers sound.) I had a sound system in place before I got the TV, and saw no need to use the TV speakers. I suppose they would sound okay, but I'm not really interested in unmuting them and finding out.

 

[Kevin Tx]

I have a 6 year old RPTV that has been through 2 lamps and an optical block and the speakers have been used a total of ZERO times.

My buddy uses the TV speakers at all times except during movies.

And he wonders why he doesn't have many visitors during sporting events.

Sounds like AM radio.

 

[CADOBHuK]

Where's the option " I have a TV?! "

Cause I don't have one and despise TV's. I think most people that can find a place for a projector setup should forget TV's in this day and age, but they still buy them, out of ignorance imo.

 

[crawdad379]

My SXRD XBR1 version has great speakers but they arent 5.1. I have 5.1 in the bedroom and just put 2.1 in the bathroom.

 

[petergaryr]

Although my Sony LCD is connected to a full HT setup, I typically only use that when watching movies, or a very special TV show.


Most of the time, the internal speakers of the TV are good enough, especially when I don't want to annoy the neighbors.

 

[KyaDawn]

In my last home, I used 5.1 set-ups for both the living room and the bedroom. Actually, my plasma was first generation and didn't even have speakers!


However, I moved into a larger home and now have 4 display set-ups (3 flat-screens, 1 projector). I have surround set-ups in both my living room and my bedroom. However, due to space constraints and just practicality, I use just the TV speakers for the flat-screens in the family room and guest bedroom.


Funny enough, it was my wife that first mentioned that she didn't think the sound in the family room TV was good enough, so I might go look for a sound bar, but without a sub as there is no space to put it because we built a huge cabinet that takes up the entire back wall to house the TV and other things.


For me, though, I think the TV speaker is just fine, especially since we use it mostly for TV and my child's DVDs, and I have the option of using either the living room projector set-up or the bedroom system for 5.1 movies, etc. Keep in mind before we moved in, I hadn't used a TV speaker for 6 years, so it was actually quite refreshing not to have to turn on the TV and receiver separately!


Plus, for me, I think the sound of my flat-screen LCD is way better than my old CRT speakers from years ago. I think somehow they learned to improve bass response, which makes a huge difference.

 

[Raymond Leggs]



Quote:
Originally Posted by petergaryr /forum/post/15474975


Although my Sony LCD is connected to a full HT setup, I typically only use that when watching movies, or a very special TV show.


Most of the time, the internal speakers of the TV are good enough, especially when I don't want to annoy the neighbors.

If the neighbors cant take some reasonable moderate bass they are wimps, especially if you can *barely* hear it through the walls.

I swear some people exaggerate, but who in the hell would use thier TV speakers when they are as bright as they are, not to mention the poor level control most TV's have.


If you still use TV speakers you are still in the stone age as far as I am concerned.

 

[cschang]

I have watched a few movies on a friend's Panny 58" plasma using the built-in speakers. Obviously, I would have rather had a nicer audio setup to hear, but it was not a bad experience either.

 

[Knucklehead90]

*

Not in my house!


Speaker quality in TVs seem to have disintegrate. Or perhaps I demand more SQ when I listen to TV. I only watch maybe 1/2 hour of TV a day. Well, I do watch SNL.

 

[KyaDawn]



Quote:
Originally Posted by cschang /forum/post/15475383


I have watched a few movies on a friend's Panny 58" plasma using the built-in speakers. Obviously, I would have rather had a nicer audio setup to hear, but it was not a bad experience either.

I find the larger flat-screens tend to have better sound than the smaller ones. My 52" LCD's speakers are considerably better than the 42", and that is better than the 32". Ironically, it's my 52" in my bedroom that I have hooked up one of our two HT set-ups, though the 42" and 32" TVs are in much smaller rooms, and therefore the sound is more than good enough.


If I was using the 42" in the living room instead of the PJ and using its speakers, it would be miserable.

 

[fireman325]

I have a 50" Sammy plasma in the living room and have had the speakers on one time because I had a classic NES plugged into the side input and didn't want the hassle of running the audio to my receiver. Other than that though the TV's speakers are always on mute. I have a small 20" LCD in my bedroom, and use its speakers, but I'm not concerned about putting a sound system in there. We only use that for watching while getting ready to go out or sitting in bed or something. All "serious" viewing is done in the living room.

 

[petergaryr]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Raymond Leggs /forum/post/15475136


If the neighbors cant take some reasonable moderate bass they are wimps, especially if you can *barely* hear it through the walls.

My neighbor has guns. More than one.

 

[mconno]

TV speakers ?


What else do you need for the weather channel girl ?

 

[mconno]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Knucklehead90 /forum/post/15475607


*

Not in my house!


Speaker quality in TVs seem to have disintegrate. Or perhaps I demand more SQ when I listen to TV. I only watch maybe 1/2 hour of TV a day. Well, I do watch SNL.

Have to agree....though what can you expect from a Tv that's 2" thick.

 

[Espo77]

Apparently some installers think like some of the above posters and assume that every time a customer turns on his TV, he will want to listen to it through the surround system. That is a bad assumption. I purchased a receiver for my daughter and her husband a while back and she paid installers to install two in ceiling surrounds and hook it all up. Everything was good except that I had to go over and do a little rewiring so that they didn't have to turn the whole system on every time they wanted to watch a little TV. I feel the same way as my daughter. I watch a lot of news and other stuff that I simply don't need to hear in surround sound. It's a treat to turn it all on for a good movie or concert however.

 

[fireman325]

Just a differing opinion here, but I listen through the surround system every time the TV is on. I did buy a Logitech Harmony remote, though, which simplifies the process significantly.

 

[PLB]

I have a flatpanel LCD TV.


I don't use any stinking TV speaker in my dedicated media room. I don't think my projector has speakers. I mounted speakers on the walls and in the closet (woofer), don't you know.


But my flatpanel LCD TV does have speakers and I use them. It has a 6" screen and hangs under a cabinet in my kitchen. The best feature of this flatpanel TV is the egg timer. When my food is ready it buzzes through those TV speakers you hold in such contempt.

 

[Espo77]



Quote:
Originally Posted by PLB /forum/post/15476488


I have a flatpanel LCD TV.


I don't use any stinking TV speaker in my dedicated media room. I don't think my projector has speakers. I mounted speakers on the walls and in the closet (woofer), don't you know.


But my flatpanel LCD TV does have speakers and I use them. It has a 6" screen and hangs under a cabinet in my kitchen. The best feature of this flatpanel TV is the egg timer. When my food is ready it buzzes through those TV speakers you hold in such contempt.

Maybe we could start another poll titled "Yes indeedy I use my tweedy"?