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I currently own a Sony 30xs955 CRT which most of you know has the coveted SFP tube. It has been ISF calibrated and has an outstanding picture. The problem is that the sofa is 8.5 feet from the TV so i really miss out on much of the resolution. I do sometimes pull a chair closer and sit ~4 feet from it when it's just me watching despite my wife making fun of me. I watch a mix of SD, HD, DVD's and sometimes hook up my laptop for downloaded content (SD and HD). If I had a fixed pixel display I might do some occasional web browsing as well (too much flicker on a CRT). The room is not too bright. I would like to upgrade to a larger set but I'm currently limited by vertical space constraints and budget. I can go up to 42" and my budget is around $1500.
My thoughts have wavered between 42" plasma's (most notably the Panasonic 42px60u/600u) and some of the less expensive 40-42" 1080p LCD's (such as the Westinghouse 42w2 or maybe even the Sharp 42d62u). I like different aspects of each display type - the color/contrast/blacks on the plasmas and the sharpness/brightness on the LCD's and keep wavering. My main concern with plasma is the significant decrease in resolution. The SFT tube has an approximate equivalent resolution of 1400x1080i whereas the 42" plasmas are 1024x768 (not even true HD). My concern with LCD is the contrast/blacks especially coming from a CRT. One may also argue that even a 42" set is still too small for my seating distance but I'm limited.
So, has anyone had any similar upgrade paths and thoughts? Will I be disappointed with my current constraints coming from a Sony SFP CRT? I will have a very significant income increase in about 1 1/2 years and will probably be moving soon after. Should I wait and just sit close to my CRT when I can for now? Thanks in advance.
My thoughts have wavered between 42" plasma's (most notably the Panasonic 42px60u/600u) and some of the less expensive 40-42" 1080p LCD's (such as the Westinghouse 42w2 or maybe even the Sharp 42d62u). I like different aspects of each display type - the color/contrast/blacks on the plasmas and the sharpness/brightness on the LCD's and keep wavering. My main concern with plasma is the significant decrease in resolution. The SFT tube has an approximate equivalent resolution of 1400x1080i whereas the 42" plasmas are 1024x768 (not even true HD). My concern with LCD is the contrast/blacks especially coming from a CRT. One may also argue that even a 42" set is still too small for my seating distance but I'm limited.
So, has anyone had any similar upgrade paths and thoughts? Will I be disappointed with my current constraints coming from a Sony SFP CRT? I will have a very significant income increase in about 1 1/2 years and will probably be moving soon after. Should I wait and just sit close to my CRT when I can for now? Thanks in advance.