High Definition

Wow, NDub. Highly impressive.

I've always been a Sony fan ... I know they're not always the top choice, but they're usually consistent. Based on my purchases over the years, anyway.

The XBR facet has my attention. They have a 34" XBR that looks like a really good price/quality blend. It's about $1,000, is HDTV capable when the time comes (not now ... ), and it's replacing a 35-inch CRT TV, so I have the stand that accomodates the rather heavy unit (no fun with quote function, eh?) and all that already.

The drawback to plasmas are still daunting to me. The burn-in, the fact that they still run kinda hot and the oppressive price. On my salary, pass. Additionally, should I ever get a job that pays worth spit, I can always move this TV to my bedroom and really spring for the newest overpriced conversation piece.

I liked what I saw with the WEGA XBR? So I wasn't just seeing things (no pun intended)?

 

The Sonys are good stuff. If you're looking right around 1,000 that TV would work for you. Here's the kicker, though. That TV is also a tube, so it's heavy as hell. Seriously. That beast is pushing 200 bills. You can get a 32-inch LCD for around that price, maybe a bit more and get a brighter picture. One thing I didn't mention about flat-panels (LCDs, plasmas) is that they're LIGHT AS HELL for the screen size. My 37-inch weighs maybe 50 pounds. My old 32-inch tube is about 140.

 

I bought one of those "beasts" back in May... A 34" Sony XBR. It's a tube, and yes, it is heavy as hell. Not a real joy to move into my house, but once it was set up, I've been in the clear ever since. The picture on it is spectaular, and considering I got a deal on it because my roommate works for one of the retail chains, the price was right too.

In short, five months later, I'm very satisfied with my purchase.

 

The TV I'm replacing (35-inch CRT ... some of the lines aren't looking too good, hence the research now) weighs about two bills, maybe more. Amazingly, I have no hernia as evidence that I really lifted that sucker.

I know the flat panels are really light. Heavy on the wallet, though. The Sony 32" LCD runs about $1,400-1,900, depending on the bells and whistles. Nice pieces, no doubt, but I've got to draw the price line somewhere.

Other than it being a tube (old tech but, if nothing else, proven) and heavy as hell come moving time, any other serious drawbacks? I mean, it's HDTV, just not in the fancy lightweight package mounted on the wall. At least that's my viewpoint.

CitizenTino, thanks. Now I feel much, much better should I take that consumer road.

 

Sam, the WEGA XBR is what I have. I can't put into words how flawless the picture is. And in my first eight months with it, I have not had to make one click of picture adjustment. It's been consistent from day 1.

(Which brings me to something else ... pay the extra bucks to have a pro install your system. Don't do it yourself.)

 

What he said - picture quality is close to plasma - I think its the best value out there for quality tv.

You pay a lot less for LCD than plasma and with quality of Sony LCD its not worth extra money for plasma.

When I was looking for 50' - LCD 50 was around $2900 and Plasma version was about $11,000 . Its come down since but still not worth it .

 

LCD 50s are a complete rarity on the retail market. The largest I saw was 46 and those JUST started coming out. Plasma 50s run about 2700-4000.

 

But please make sure it's a pro you can trust. Get references, go see other work they've done. Yes, it's a pain in the rear, but I am currently hiring my second professional to go over what the first professional did with my home theater install and fix what's wrong. I don't know what's wrong myself, I just know it doesn't sound or look right.

References. Get 'em.

Hey look, 500 posts. At this rate I'll tie Dooley in 342 years.

 

No, because he'll be in the trillions by the time you hit 21,000.

 

Not really - they've been around for at least 3 years- You can get them now for about $1500 and the 60' for $2100 - half price of plasma

When I was shopping I did find Sony TV's were rarity at Best Buy in my area but they were everywhere else.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000G5WGYW/ref=pd_cp_e_title/002-0465551-8888817?ie=UTF8

 

If the rest of my system is already in place, what more is there for a professional to do? (Not trying to be brash, too much of a guy or ultra-cheap ... if anything I can be labeled a bit of an audiophile snob who dabbles in this kind of thing) I already have the speakers in place - Bose 901s up front, 201s in the back, center channel, receiver, DVD and audio CD all humming right along. Other than putting the set in place - which will be enough given the weight of the TV - what more is there to do?

FWIW, it's a small apartment living room. Already too much audio there, but it will come in handy when I get some bigger life upgrades.

 

There's never too much audio.

Where the professional comes in is adjusting all the picture-related settings on the TV and also adjusting the audio levels and settings for each speaker, if you haven't already done that. I have not yet taken the HD plunge but have been told by many people that having a pro set it up is well worth the money.