The poll is nearly five years old.
I already have it. I'm sure lots of people here do. This poll is moot
Gee, if most people do have it, I wonder why I still get many customers in who have old 4:3 rear projection CRT's and even old tube sets and want as much knowledge as they can get about investing in a hi-def display? This is the South Orange County Coast, where people do have money. So many of them want built-in speakers and I'm sure you're aware that not much is spent on installing the best speakers. In fact, they are portable rado speakers. I have a difficult time comprehending why someone wants hi-def video and mediocre sound to go with it. The 1080p "technology" (they had the capability in processing when 1080i was introduced but, of course, nothing to input 1080p) is more confusing for the consumer. So that poll could be changed to asking if one wants 1080p, a Blu-Ray or HD DVD player, and when will it be broadcast (probably when I'm pushing up daisies). There's also those who bought early plasma sets that were actually EDTV, 420p. The lifespan of those sets was 40,000 hours to half brightness but even after 6 years at eight hours a day, they are still firing up. Prices have dropped and are still dropping. The most popular plasma monitor, the Panasonic 9 series, is now the 10 series and $ 300. to $ 500. less than three months ago.
There's a lot of technological advances, like DLP (the millions of tiny mirrors) which are now using LED's and soon, Laser, for the light and color source instead of the color wheel and high density discharge lamp that's about 5,000 - 6,000 life.
I hate to tell most readers on this topic, but your TV is already obsolete.
What about LEP's (Light Emitting Polymers), where are they on the scale of things?
(also called PLED's)
Electro-luminescence will likely be the other technology to hit the market in the next two years. Sony has a small 12" screen in the works as a computer monitor or small TV. This technology could mean a true flat screen (LCD's and Plasma are misnamed flat screens as they aren't really flat once one mounts them on the wall) that could be fixed to the wall like wallpaper.
Ok. I think I'll wait for one of those
Don't hold you breath! Large screens are way down the road and one of the problems is brightness. I worked with this technology in the 80's on aircraft and automotive control displays. We were able to get more brightness by increasing the Hertz. There was only one color at the time, a blue/green.
Gasp, Ok. Thanks I'll continue to breath normally while watching my existing set.
On a more realistic note...
In your opinion, what is the most cost effective technology to buy today?
Cost Effective being, best balance of low cost, high quality image, durability and longevity of screen and components.
Panasonic plasma 10 series pro monitors. It's the 16 bit processing that makes the most difference but Panasonic's black matrix is one of the most effective. No receiver/tuner but you don't need that unless you're going to use an antenna and just pick up what HD there is over-the-air (from a large, high quality antenna unless you are close to the transmission). Panasonic includes 5 year Panasonic warranties for these sets. 1 year on their consumer sets. What does that tell you?
No speakers, unless you buy theirs, and, again, if one wants hi-def displays, why not comparable sound quality which you don't get with built-in speakers.
Thanks.
Maybe I'll ugrade sometime soon. Also, my step-father is looking for something nice around 50" in size.
The 42" should be selling in the area of $ 1399.00 fully calibrated to ICC specifications and the 50" should be around $ 1799.00 but that's the 9 Series 1080i and you'd have to find stock as they are discontinued. The new 1080p 50" is in the area of $ 3,200.00.
Lightwizard wrote:The 42" should be selling in the area of $ 1399.00 fully calibrated to ICC specifications and the 50" should be around $ 1799.00 but that's the 9 Series 1080i and you'd have to find stock as they are discontinued. The new 1080p 50" is in the area of $ 3,200.00.
Some of the online shopping sites show the new 1080p 50" at around $2000 or less. But it doesn't matter, when I asked my step dad how much he was willing to spend on a big TV he said anything under $10,000
That's a consumer model or a come-on bait-and-switch. $ 2000.00 would be under manufacturer's wholesale (there isn't much mark-up on TV's)
Found one ad online for about $2700.00 through Amazon but, of course, that's without calibration which, depending on the area, is $ 200.00 to $ 300.00. If you don't have a display calibrated to ICC specs and expect the factory setting to give you the best picture, you would be spending a lot of money on something that isn't performing to its best capability.
Under $ 10,000.00 would get him the Panasonic pro monitor 65" 1080p.
Panasonic 1080p 50" Pro Monitor Review
Just the nature of the retail marketing beast.
I thought thay LIKED to make profits.
There's profit if a 65" display is sold along the wall mounting and with a designed and engineered built-in-the-wall surround speakers system, a high quality AV receiver, theater seating, and a pop corn machine (among other things that would go in a home entertainment room. Circuit City is making no profits and closing hundreds of stores. They've fired their knowledgeable commissioned salesmen to hire wet-behind-the-ears by-the-hour help who won't know what they're talking about and just wing it. They were staying in business by making profit over the holidays but that's gone. Too much competition, especially from the specialized designers and installers.
