Joined
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43 Posts
Hello All,
There are a lot of these "look I bought a plasma" posts out there and though they do not usually serve much of an educational purpose I know I enjoyed reading about peoples' journeys as I studied my purchase. So here's my little adventure to add to the rest, hopefully those out here on the edge will enjoy my little plasma adventure!
I actually started to visit this board back in 2000 when I was in the market for a rear projection set. I ended up getting a great Toshiba (TN50X81) that served me well for a few years. As I think back to the time I bought it I specifically remember thinking - "I'll have this set for no less than five to seven years." We all know how that goes... So it's 2004 and I recently signed a long-term contract with a client in my hometown of Cincinnati. The contract pretty much ties me here for the next 3-4 years (which is not a bad thing as most of my family is here and the bank is fantastic).
I recently purchased a new townhouse (2002) and decided, since I knew I would be here for a while, I would do a bit of remodeling. My grand plan hit a few bumps in the road due to labor costs so, rather than sacrifice my vision (and plasma), I decided to do all the work myself. Nine-hundred square feet of hardwood, miles of baseboard, kilometers of trim, gallons of paint, multiple personal art projects, one deck, a few pieces of custom-built furniture, and lots of snaked wire later I have the setup I was shooting for - and took 20 years off my back doing those damn nail down solid hardwood floors!
I knew I wanted to get a plasma, new speakers, and the HD Tivo, but there were lots of choices (except for the latter). Since I had all the pieces in my mind when I started my grand project (May), I knew that the new 7 series Pannys were "just around the corner." I had, over the course of a few months and the help of this forum, pretty much settled on the 50" Panny industrial model and had some time to wait while my entire first floor was ripped up. By the time it came to install the display, there was still no solid word on the 7 so I gave it a bit more time. When VA lowered their prices on the 6 in August, I pulled the trigger. I guess patience is a virtue I just don't have, but after spending countless hours getting this space ready I just wanted to be done with the whole thing. Looking at the situation now and knowing the new features on the 7, I'm fine with it. There's nothing too earth-shattering in the 7 that really makes me cringe and I got to see pretty much every game this season so far in HD - no regrets not waiting. We're all going to upgrade in half the time we think anyway so I'll be right there with you all on the 80" 1080p sets in 2008!
So I got the set on the wall in early September and the speakers up a week later. Here are the components:
* TH-50PHD6UY (Obviously!) w/ DVI blade
* KEF 2005.2 system (Also known as the "Eggs")
* HD Tivo (Don't remember the exact model... there's only one though)
* Bravo D2
* Sony Receiver (The only component to survive the update)
* Library card catalog style DVD cases from Target (online)... DVDs alphabetized of course!
* AV Unit is custom built (by me) to look built in. It actually slides out for easy cable management. I'd by happy to give rough plans to anyone who wants to try something similar.
I really need to give a big thanks to a lot of people on this board, especially to BruZZi with his wonderful Panny FAQ and RHarkness with the saga of the "Steaming Rat." There were many others who answered questions along the line with great and informative posts. This board is a true treasure on the internet (or is it internetS now?).
Here is a pic of the final setup. I am also posting a way for everyone to pass a bit of time. The following two posts contain close-up pics of the photographs over each DVD case. They are custom made stills from some of my favorite movies. So far no visitor to my place has correctly placed all ten - though any movie buff should be able to name these in their sleep and chide me for wasting their time! First correct placement of all ten in this thread gets absolutely nothing but the realization they will never get those few minutes of their life back...
Cheers AVSForum!
Tony
There are a lot of these "look I bought a plasma" posts out there and though they do not usually serve much of an educational purpose I know I enjoyed reading about peoples' journeys as I studied my purchase. So here's my little adventure to add to the rest, hopefully those out here on the edge will enjoy my little plasma adventure!
I actually started to visit this board back in 2000 when I was in the market for a rear projection set. I ended up getting a great Toshiba (TN50X81) that served me well for a few years. As I think back to the time I bought it I specifically remember thinking - "I'll have this set for no less than five to seven years." We all know how that goes... So it's 2004 and I recently signed a long-term contract with a client in my hometown of Cincinnati. The contract pretty much ties me here for the next 3-4 years (which is not a bad thing as most of my family is here and the bank is fantastic).
I recently purchased a new townhouse (2002) and decided, since I knew I would be here for a while, I would do a bit of remodeling. My grand plan hit a few bumps in the road due to labor costs so, rather than sacrifice my vision (and plasma), I decided to do all the work myself. Nine-hundred square feet of hardwood, miles of baseboard, kilometers of trim, gallons of paint, multiple personal art projects, one deck, a few pieces of custom-built furniture, and lots of snaked wire later I have the setup I was shooting for - and took 20 years off my back doing those damn nail down solid hardwood floors!
I knew I wanted to get a plasma, new speakers, and the HD Tivo, but there were lots of choices (except for the latter). Since I had all the pieces in my mind when I started my grand project (May), I knew that the new 7 series Pannys were "just around the corner." I had, over the course of a few months and the help of this forum, pretty much settled on the 50" Panny industrial model and had some time to wait while my entire first floor was ripped up. By the time it came to install the display, there was still no solid word on the 7 so I gave it a bit more time. When VA lowered their prices on the 6 in August, I pulled the trigger. I guess patience is a virtue I just don't have, but after spending countless hours getting this space ready I just wanted to be done with the whole thing. Looking at the situation now and knowing the new features on the 7, I'm fine with it. There's nothing too earth-shattering in the 7 that really makes me cringe and I got to see pretty much every game this season so far in HD - no regrets not waiting. We're all going to upgrade in half the time we think anyway so I'll be right there with you all on the 80" 1080p sets in 2008!
So I got the set on the wall in early September and the speakers up a week later. Here are the components:
* TH-50PHD6UY (Obviously!) w/ DVI blade
* KEF 2005.2 system (Also known as the "Eggs")
* HD Tivo (Don't remember the exact model... there's only one though)
* Bravo D2
* Sony Receiver (The only component to survive the update)
* Library card catalog style DVD cases from Target (online)... DVDs alphabetized of course!
* AV Unit is custom built (by me) to look built in. It actually slides out for easy cable management. I'd by happy to give rough plans to anyone who wants to try something similar.
I really need to give a big thanks to a lot of people on this board, especially to BruZZi with his wonderful Panny FAQ and RHarkness with the saga of the "Steaming Rat." There were many others who answered questions along the line with great and informative posts. This board is a true treasure on the internet (or is it internetS now?).
Here is a pic of the final setup. I am also posting a way for everyone to pass a bit of time. The following two posts contain close-up pics of the photographs over each DVD case. They are custom made stills from some of my favorite movies. So far no visitor to my place has correctly placed all ten - though any movie buff should be able to name these in their sleep and chide me for wasting their time! First correct placement of all ten in this thread gets absolutely nothing but the realization they will never get those few minutes of their life back...
Cheers AVSForum!
Tony
... the ht accessories forum guys should take a look at those...
