AVS Forum banner

bright apartment ruining my viewing experience

845 views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  RandyWalters 
#1 ·
Hey everyone,

I searched the forums but I could not find anything that addressed my issue. You see my fiance' and I just recently moved into a loft in Miami, Fl. The apartment has 13' ceilings with numerous windows and a lot of ambient lighting. I bring up the ceiling height because the windows pretty much go from floor to ceiling. The windows have curtains but they're semi-transparent. Now, I can't change the curtains because this apartment is a rental.

The current set I have is a Panny 42 inch px60U and the source is Atlantic Broadband standard coax (it's free and includes HD channels so I can't complain.) I primarily use the set for gaming, hd-def discs, and standard tv viewing (No PC). Unfortunately during the day (8am to about 6pm) I can't watch/play anything with a lot of black levels due to the ambient conditions (I should also let you guys know that the windows are in every part of the apartment for the exception of the kitchen and bathroom :p)

So I was thinking of purchasing a larger screen, my viewing distance is 10ft, since I wanted a larger screen anyways. I was looking at the new 50 inch Panny's with anti-glare screen and hoping the anti-glare would help. Is this a good solution? Or is there anything else you guys can recommend? Sorry for the long rant btw but it's been two months that I've been dealing with this problem and it's driving me crazy.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
With your windows and no light control there is not much you can do - I would get the best LCD you can afford (52" or 57" Sony XBR4/5, Samsung XX71 or XX81) and enjoy it while waiting for plasmas to come with 5 (or better 10 lumen tech) - that would make them brighter and thus better for daytime viewing.
 
#3 ·
Your situation sounds more extreme than mine, but I purchased a Panasonic 77U and it works well to cut down on reflections. However, direct sunlight will wash out the picture of any tv regardless of the type or screen coating. If I were you I would try a 77U from a place that has a good return policy..
 
#4 ·
I'd sure try to install some type of open/close light blocking over the windows for daytime viewing, even if it's a rental. Change the drapes/curtains to opaque, install temporary pulldown opaque shades, etc. Even use tall folding-type separator panels. Visit a store specializing in this stuff. Bright lighting spoils any HD display viewing. -- John
 
#5 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by exostrata /forum/post/12913501


I searched the forums but I could not find anything that addressed my issue. You see my fiance' and I just recently moved into a loft in Miami, Fl. The apartment has 13' ceilings with numerous windows and a lot of ambient lighting. I bring up the ceiling height because the windows pretty much go from floor to ceiling. The windows have curtains but they're semi-transparent. Now, I can't change the curtains because this apartment is a rental.



The current set I have is a Panny 42 inch px60U and the source is Atlantic Broadband standard coax (it's free and includes HD channels so I can't complain.) I primarily use the set for gaming, hd-def discs, and standard tv viewing (No PC). Unfortunately during the day (8am to about 6pm) I can't watch/play anything with a lot of black levels due to the ambient conditions (I should also let you guys know that the windows are in every part of the apartment for the exception of the kitchen and bathroom :p)


So I was thinking of purchasing a larger screen, my viewing distance is 10ft, since I wanted a larger screen anyways. I was looking at the new 50 inch Panny's with anti-glare screen and hoping the anti-glare would help. Is this a good solution? Or is there anything else you guys can recommend? Sorry for the long rant btw but it's been two months that I've been dealing with this problem and it's driving me crazy.

The two Panny models with the AG screen would be your best bet, and since your room is so bright i would pass on the 50PZ77U 1080p set (it's fairly dim compared to other models) and get the 50PX77U because it's definitely brighter than the PZ77U. These models are just about as non-reflective as the LCD TVs but still have that great plasma picture quality and none of the issues that plague LCD. It would be a huge improvement over your existing PX60U. My coworker has a 42PX77U in his bright den and it is totally watchable in the afternoon, where his former tube TV was almost impossible to see. Major improvement.


Panasonic is said to have dropped the Anti-Glare screen on the 2008 lineup and the supply of PX77Us seems to be dwindling a bit so you might want to act fast.


As for the semi-transparent curtains, you can get curtain liners that further reduce the amount of light that passes through or black-out liners that pretty much block the light completely so you might want to check into that as well.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top