I've been looking into buying a direct view HDTV for several months now and am slightly closer to making a decision then when I started, but am also slightly closer to just giving up and waiting. I'm _very_ interested in the Princeton Graphics AS3.2HD, its comming out this November, similar to the Ai3.2 except it has bug fixes and no channel 1 (which I thought was stupid anyways). This set draws me in for several reasons, I want a 4:3 TV, most of what I watch (DirecTV) will be 4:3, and the AS3.2 can change aspet ratios for 16:9 (and several other ratios) so thats good. I want a set with more then one component input, and a set that has progressive inputs (which bypass the internal line doubler). Also, I want a set to have a good line doubler, which the AS line does, it has film/video/computer doubling modes. And finally, I really want a TV with 720p and this is just about the only one out there (besides the Sampo which I wasn't impressed with). All this for $2800 ($2500 online).
The only problem is I can't find a dealer in the Bay Area that will actually carry the TV, sure they'll order it for me, but I won't get to demo it on the floor. I think Princeton has a $150 return fee which I would absorb just to try it out. And I would have liked to get a extened warranty from a big-name dealer (like I could with Loewe from GoodGuys), but at least my credit card company will double the 1 yr factory warranty to 2 years.
So I've never seen the Princeton, I have seen the Loewe Arconda 30" widescreen TV, and wow! If that is called a HDTV, Sony and their ilk should have to call their TVs subHDTV. And many people equate Princeton's picture quality to Loewe (some say Princeton is better even), so that makes me feel better about buying Princeton. I must say however much I'm wowed by Loewe, I'll never buy one for several reasons. There are no progressive inputs, all of the 3 s-vid and 1 (only one?) componenet imputs get put through the TV's internal doubler (ick), the only way to bypass it is to put it through the 15pin VGA port, and I would have to get a converter to convert my DVD player's output to VGA (which would mess with the signal of course, and cost me extra for the converter). And, all of the s-vid/composite inputs get stretched to 16:9, you can't say 'don't stretch this, leave it 4:3' which degrades the picture quality a little (as I saw it). And for the price ($3700), there is no 720p or built in HD decoder, though the guys at GoodGuys would sell it to me for $2800 on an open box unit they have. Though I do have to say, a non-progressive DVD signal (which is what they had setup) into the componenet plugs did look pretty good (there was some jittering though).
Last and for sure least is the Panasonic 32" 3:4, or the 34" widescreen HDTVs for $2000 and $2500. They look much better then all the other mid-range HDTVs I've seen (Sony, Phillips, RCA, Toshiba), I admit the Sony 34" widescreen looks sweet, but its too expensive.
Does anybody have anything to add to this? A big question I have is does anybody have any complaints about Princeton Graphic's TVs, how is the build quality, what is customer service like, do they run well for a long time, are they a good investment. I talked to a couple dealers who used to carry Princeton but now carry only Loewe and they said they like Loewe more (obviously, since they can't sell me a Princeton they're going to trash talk them).
The only problem is I can't find a dealer in the Bay Area that will actually carry the TV, sure they'll order it for me, but I won't get to demo it on the floor. I think Princeton has a $150 return fee which I would absorb just to try it out. And I would have liked to get a extened warranty from a big-name dealer (like I could with Loewe from GoodGuys), but at least my credit card company will double the 1 yr factory warranty to 2 years.
So I've never seen the Princeton, I have seen the Loewe Arconda 30" widescreen TV, and wow! If that is called a HDTV, Sony and their ilk should have to call their TVs subHDTV. And many people equate Princeton's picture quality to Loewe (some say Princeton is better even), so that makes me feel better about buying Princeton. I must say however much I'm wowed by Loewe, I'll never buy one for several reasons. There are no progressive inputs, all of the 3 s-vid and 1 (only one?) componenet imputs get put through the TV's internal doubler (ick), the only way to bypass it is to put it through the 15pin VGA port, and I would have to get a converter to convert my DVD player's output to VGA (which would mess with the signal of course, and cost me extra for the converter). And, all of the s-vid/composite inputs get stretched to 16:9, you can't say 'don't stretch this, leave it 4:3' which degrades the picture quality a little (as I saw it). And for the price ($3700), there is no 720p or built in HD decoder, though the guys at GoodGuys would sell it to me for $2800 on an open box unit they have. Though I do have to say, a non-progressive DVD signal (which is what they had setup) into the componenet plugs did look pretty good (there was some jittering though).
Last and for sure least is the Panasonic 32" 3:4, or the 34" widescreen HDTVs for $2000 and $2500. They look much better then all the other mid-range HDTVs I've seen (Sony, Phillips, RCA, Toshiba), I admit the Sony 34" widescreen looks sweet, but its too expensive.
Does anybody have anything to add to this? A big question I have is does anybody have any complaints about Princeton Graphic's TVs, how is the build quality, what is customer service like, do they run well for a long time, are they a good investment. I talked to a couple dealers who used to carry Princeton but now carry only Loewe and they said they like Loewe more (obviously, since they can't sell me a Princeton they're going to trash talk them).