[Tiffster]

Well I had been looking at Direct View sets, but realized that none of them are big enough for our room.


I just measured and my average sitting distance is 9.5' from the set. Will the Panasonic PT-53WX42 be big enough for this viewing area?


I am on a big time budget right now, but will be turning our basement into a full blown home theater late next year with all the bells and whistles, so am not looking to drop a ton of cash on this particular set.


This set is going into our family room and will be viewed by all of us. Our primary viewing habits:


Digital Cable

DVDs

PS2 and XBox gaming


This is kinda rambled, but basically I want to know if the 53" will be adequate for our viewing area and if you guys have any other suggestions on a set that is in the same price range as the Panasonic ($1600)?

 

[Tiffster]

Anyone? Some help for this newbie would be greatly appreciated. TIA!!

 

[djturner]

I purchased this set a few months ago and have been very happy. I did have one "evil pop" so far but that was eaisly fixed. My viewing distance ranges from 8' to 11' with about a 20 degree difference in viewing angle and it looks great from all spots. I personally wouldn't get anything bigger for your room. My dss reception looks suprisingly well. I can't help you out with games though. I hope this helps. Good luck,

 

[Tiffster]

I went out to Sears today to look at this set and all the others. Now I know that in store setups are far from best, but the 53WX42 was by far the worst looking one of the bunch. The colors were extremely washed out, the PQ was horrid.


Every other set on the floor, was nice and crisp, colors were great and the PQ on all of them was excellent.


Can I say this is due to the store set up? Or does the rptv really suk that badly?


I was somewhat impressed with the Mit 55311 (?) and am now looking at that as well.


Any comments or explanation of why the Panny would look SO bad in the store?

 

[wolf868]

Tiff,


I bought a similar set (47" 52 series, includes the screen guard) and I am extremely happy w/ the set at a 9' viewing distance. I used Sound & Vison magazine's setup DVD (available at BestBuy stores for 18 bucks) to set up the set initially. After the holidays I plan on having an ISF calibration done. The picture has been FANTASTIC with progressive scan DVD as a source. I haven't ran my cable & DSS connections yet, but intend to use this set for 95% movies anyway.


I bought my set from Tweeter and have no complaints. I looked at the 42 series, but I felt the extra $$$ was worth it for the screen guard.


I would disregard any picture you see in a Sears/Circuit City type retailer. So many customers mess with the settings, and the salespeople don't have the time to keep the sets looking their best anyway.


I hope this helps you!


Wolf

 

[Man-Fai Wong]

Yes, I also think the Panny's look great. I just bought the 53wx42 myself and love it. We use it w/ 8' viewing distance, which I find ideal for immersive movie viewing although sitting farther away might be a good idea for some low quality, non-16x9 DVDs and for cable/sat.


Like Wolf said, anything can happen w/ sets on showroom floors, especially in chain stores. For instance, I thought a couple of Mits, especially a 65", looked horrible in a couple different Best Buys where I shopped for my TV. But I wouldn't judge against them simply based on those instances.


Most of the various TV makers have their fans, and all their TVs seem to have certain flaws that differentiate them. If you want the best PQ possible on a good size set (say >=50"), you should consider ISF calibration (maybe $400?) in your budget and just go for one that's got a reputable PQ plus the feature set that you want.


That's more or less how I chose the Panny 53" although I haven't decided on getting ISF calibration yet. This TV seems very tweakable for very good PQ even w/out ISF calibration, so I don't know.


FWIW, a couple of good ISF calibrators who frequent these forums do recommend the Panny's quite highly, especially where budget is a concern. They have claimed that these Panny's w/ ISF calibration will look better than any TV you find for $4-5K "out-of-the-box".


Now, having said that, I don't doubt that one can say similarly about most of the competition, but then, most of them also cost quite a bit more than the Panny's. OTOH, many of them do come w/ more bells and whistles and probably build quality. The Panny's are cheap w/ good reason. And seems like build quality is one area where they skimped some.


_Man_

 

[Tiffster]

Fortunately I have a friend here who can do any calibration I need and will simply charge me for his time, possibly paying him in beer money


I talked to him today and he flat out recommended the Panny for my budget. Told me he would recommend something else if I had a bunch more to spend, but at my price range the Panny was one of the best.


My local Wal-Mart of all places has 3 of these and they are priced at $1648...lowest local price I have found.


Thanks for the recommendations guys, I really appreciate it. I will for sure be back with silly newbie questions after I get the set

 

[Man-Fai Wong]

That sounds great that you have a friend who can help you out w/ getting good performance from the TV. Also, helps that he recommends the Panny to you. He'll probably be more helpful to you since you're taking his advice.


That sounds like a decent price at Wal-Mart. I got mine just last week from Best Buy for the same price, but w/ free recliner and in-home delivery included.


When they deliver, just make sure you keep an eye on them that they don't do anything risky looking when moving the TV. There are plenty of horror stories about TV delivery.


Enjoy!


_Man_