Many of you will know I'm dealing with an ailing 1292 right now. It's forced me back into the marketplace to see what my options are. So I visit a local specialty HT dealer and they are SO motivated to get their Runco 992 off the ceiling it's not even funny (great deal). Simply put, while the HT market is booming the CRT market is dwindling fast. These guys just can't sell them like they can the digital units. We all know the reasons why the "average consumer" wants the DLPs/DILAs over the CRTs. As the owner of this store said, the pool of people still willing to put a big CRT in their rooms is shrinking at an exponential rate.
I know this is the CRT forum but I saw the latest Marantz (VP3 moniker or something) plus the Runco 710. Didn't see the Sharp 12000 anywhere or the JVC 3-chip DILA HX1. What I saw looked very good. The older I get (3rd - and final! - child due in 14d) the less time I have for this "hobby" (did someone say obsession?) and I just want it to be easy already. Enough with the size, weight, loudness, calibrations, trying to find a service person, etc.
Personally, I feel that the next 12-18months will be sort of a watershed time for the projection industry. We'll have to see what shakes out. In the interim, I hope my 1292 comes back to life but failing that, for the reasons mentioned above, I'll magically become that average consumer at this life stage!
Other thoughtful insight welcome to the discussion-
Warren
I know this is the CRT forum but I saw the latest Marantz (VP3 moniker or something) plus the Runco 710. Didn't see the Sharp 12000 anywhere or the JVC 3-chip DILA HX1. What I saw looked very good. The older I get (3rd - and final! - child due in 14d) the less time I have for this "hobby" (did someone say obsession?) and I just want it to be easy already. Enough with the size, weight, loudness, calibrations, trying to find a service person, etc.
Personally, I feel that the next 12-18months will be sort of a watershed time for the projection industry. We'll have to see what shakes out. In the interim, I hope my 1292 comes back to life but failing that, for the reasons mentioned above, I'll magically become that average consumer at this life stage!
Other thoughtful insight welcome to the discussion-
Warren