Which size LCD?

[jauburn]

I'm about to spring for an LCD TV and am torn about the size. Viewing distance will be 7 feet.

Should I go for a 32 inch or 37 inch? This would be for an apartment. Stand top is 32", so the 37" would overlap, probably not a big deal.

I'm thinking Sony Bravia for 32" and Sharp Aquos for 37"

Love to hear any and all opinions.

[rkester]

I'm gonna go with the bigger is better camp here. That Aquos has an outstanding picture too.

Think about it like this, you might not need the size right now but what about in a year or 2?

[HomieG]

We recently replaced our bedroom TV. Went from a 27" SD to a 32" (Sony) HD set. While it's not bad, I wish we had gone with the 37" instead.

Also, not that you asked, but we compared Aquos and Sony. IMNSHO, the Sony LCD blew the doors off the Aquos. I was all set to but the Aquos with a discount through work, but the $400 more for the Sony was well worth it in terms of PQ.

[bmgoodman]

Won't the SD Tivo video look horrible on LCD? I thought those only looked good with Hi Def feeds?

[jauburn]

We recently replaced our bedroom TV. Went from a 27" SD to a 32" (Sony) HD set. While it's not bad, I wish we had gone with the 37" instead.

Also, not that you asked, but we compared Aquos and Sony. IMNSHO, the Sony LCD blew the doors off the Aquos. I was all set to but the Aquos with a discount through work, but the $400 more for the Sony was well worth it in terms of PQ.

The Sony doesn't come in a 37"

Next size up is 40"

[jauburn]

Won't the SD Tivo video look horrible on LCD? I thought those only looked good with Hi Def feeds?


I have read that the Sony 32" does standard def well.

[jauburn]

We recently replaced our bedroom TV. Went from a 27" SD to a 32" (Sony) HD set. While it's not bad, I wish we had gone with the 37" instead.

Also, not that you asked, but we compared Aquos and Sony. IMNSHO, the Sony LCD blew the doors off the Aquos. I was all set to but the Aquos with a discount through work, but the $400 more for the Sony was well worth it in terms of PQ.

How is standard def on the Sony?

[MickeS]

At 7 feet, I'd personally go with at least 40"... I have a 42" LCD at a greater distance, and it feels too small. :(

I don't really get the complaints about SD looking so awful on hi-def sets. Sure it looks a lot worse than HD, but it doesn't look a lot worse than on a regular CRT, IMO...

[vman41]

The 4:3 picture area on a 32" widescreen set is more or less that of a 27" standard TV. Unless it is a very small apartment, you'll be happier with the 37". The Aquos was the best available when I bought mine 2 years ago, but the models have changed a lot since then.

[HomieG]

How is standard def on the Sony?

I had read it wasn't so good, but I didn't see it that way at the store. And when we got the LCD at home and hooked it up to cable, it looked fine too. Plenty of handles to adjust the picture on the Sony, and am very pleased with the SD and HD quality. In fact, I think it is outstanding.

And in response to the poster about Sony not making a 37" LCD, that's true. We were looking at the Aquos and others in that size. If I had to do it over again, I'd probably have passed on the Sony 32" (as nice as the picture was) and gone with a different manufacturer at 37". But Momma is happy with the 32", so I guess I'll live with it too. It's not terrible, and I always have the SXRD downstairs if I need to, ahem, get the size up :)

[HomieG]

The 4:3 picture area on a 32" widescreen set is more or less that of a 27" standard TV. Unless it is a very small apartment, you'll be happier with the 37". The Aquos was the best available when I bought mine 2 years ago, but the models have changed a lot since then.

I agree. BTW, Sharp makes non-Aquos HD LCD TV's too, so if you really want an Aquos, make sure it says so on the TV. Amazon had a Sharp listed as an Aquos, but it wasn't. From what I saw in the store, the non-Aquos was not quite as nice as the true Aquos, except for the lower price...

[jfh3]

Larger is better, within reason.

The distances you mention would be within reason.

[amjustice]

IMHO dont waste your money on the overpriced Sharps with 1080p, there is really no point in having 1080 at this size or at this time. I am the owner of a Sony Bravia 40" and it is an amazing TV that continues to impress me even after 6 months.

[gthassell]

I've been THRILLED with the 40" Sony Bravia XBR. PQ is amazing in HD - and the Standard def broadcast looks pretty good. We record pretty much everything on the DVD Humax at High - and on the T800 at Medium, and everything is very watchable.

In addition to the normal PQ on the bravia, the VGA display is stellar, and the USB port is amazingly handy for Photo slideshows.

I would recommend the Sony 40" highly.

:up: :up: :up:

[ashu]

IMHO dont waste your money on the overpriced Sharps with 1080p, there is really no point in having 1080 at this size or at this time. I am the owner of a Sony Bravia 40" and it is an amazing TV that continues to impress me even after 6 months.

Especially conidering the early (and even the newest $12000+ 60ish incher) 1080P Sharp Aquos is, unforgivablyt, incapable of accepting a 1080P input :eek:

Talk about evil, crooked marketting!

[MickeS]

If you want a cheap (relatively) 1080p monitor, I'm really, really happy with my Westinghouse 42"... can't beat that price either!

+: Very good picture, good connectivity, low price

-: Lacking some advanced picture controls, only 2 format modes, and no closed captioning

Plus the problem I've seen on all LCDs: not as deep blacks as plasma.

[jauburn]

These recommendations for 40" screens: Are we still talking about 6-7 feet viewing distance?

[TiVo Troll]

IMHO dont waste your money on the overpriced Sharps with 1080p, there is really no point in having 1080 at this size or at this time. I am the owner of a Sony Bravia 40" and it is an amazing TV that continues to impress me even after 6 months.

1080p in and of itself is the current limit on resolution. Plannining ahead never hurts.

I realize that some 1080i models may be attractive both for features and price, but I wouldn't make blanket abstract statements about not getting 1080p.

I got Westinghouse's 42" 1080p monitor as an open box closeout from Best Buy @ $1499, and am quite happy with it.

[jlb]

These recommendations for 40" screens: Are we still talking about 6-7 feet viewing distance?

For a brief period, I worked part-time in a high end HT store. A standard for viewing distance is twice the screen width plus 10". Remember, this is only a starting point. Everyone will have a different tolerance level for when the pixels start to become evident and/or their heads start to hurt. Using this calculation, a 40 inch TV should be roughly 7' 6" away.

Also, you might find this site handy when considering which size to get:
http://www.cavecreations.com/tv2.cgi

[cherry ghost]

These recommendations for 40" screens: Are we still talking about 6-7 feet viewing distance?


Yep.

http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html

[terryfoster]

These recommendations for 40" screens: Are we still talking about 6-7 feet viewing distance?

To push it further I would say you need something larger than 50", but you would probably be happy in the 40" range. The problem is visual acuity (http://www.webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?sourceid=Mozilla-search&va=visual+acuity) at 7'. I have linked to a viewing distance calculator below that I have used many times before. The key numbers are the "Viewing Distances Based on Visual Acuity" values, but YMMV if your (corrected) eyesight isn't 20/20.

Viewing Distance Calculator (http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html)

[jauburn]

Okay, I have ordered the Bravia 40"

Hope they can get it into the apartment without breaking it.

[rkester]

Excellent! Sony is always a great choice. They have yet ot let me down.

You will enjoy your new tv. I hope you have a few days off planned to sit and veg! :)

[ashu]

Sony is always a great choice.

You will enjoy your new tv. I hope you have a few days off planned to sit and veg! :)

Gigantic caveats on the Bolded section (emphasis mine). TVs are about the only remaining domain of competence among ALL of Sony's products.

That said, I completely agree that OP will love the TV ... just don't convince him to buy too much other SOny stuff ;)

[TiVo Troll]

Viewing Distance Calculator (http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html)

Whee! To be absolutely perfect I'd need an 80" TV.

[terryfoster]

Whee! To be absolutely perfect I'd need an 80" TV.

Most people at that size go for a projector....

EDIT:
I don't think most people realize how much closer you have to sit to a HDTV. For a standard 40" HDTV you should sit no farther than 5.2 feet away for 1080i programing while you can sit over double the distance away (13.9 feet) for SD programing. So throw out the old rules about TV size and viewing distance.

[MickeS]

The problem with viewing distance is that right now the only way to get the absolute right size TV for most people is to go with projection, either front or rear... I hope the flat screen technologies advance to the point where we can actually use the HD resolution in most situations.

[rkester]

I have a 42" and I sit about 9-10 feet from it. I think its about the right size. have had 1 friend say they think its too big. I wanted the 50" but it was too much. Now that same tv is $1300 and the 50" is less than waht i paid for mine. but loving hte tv just the same. had it for about 9 months.

and to defend sony, I have had many of their products over the years and found them all to be excellent. my bedroom tv is a 20" sony from ages ago still works. my first tivo was a sony, still works. my last 3 ht receivers were sony, all still worked when i sold them ot update to newer ones. altho i did go denon this last time but thats another story.

[jlb]

Excellent! Sony is always a great choice. They have yet ot let me down.


I wish the 27 inch analog Sony I bought in 1998 would die. But it just seems to keep going and going and going.......

[rkester]

careful what you wish for. it will die, and at a time when you have other unexpected expenses and you will be stuck watching tv on a handheld tv for sevreal months.

[jauburn]

Thanks. To be honest, I really only watch football and Charlie Rose -- oh, and Law and Order on Tivo.

Excellent! Sony is always a great choice. They have yet ot let me down.

You will enjoy your new tv. I hope you have a few days off planned to sit and veg! :)

[TiVo Troll]

Whee! To be absolutely perfect I'd need an 80" TV.

Most people at that size go for a projector....

EDIT:
I don't think most people realize how much closer you have to sit to a HDTV. For a standard 40" HDTV you should sit no farther than 5.2 feet away for 1080i programing while you can sit over double the distance away (13.9 feet) for SD programing. So throw out the old rules about TV size and viewing distance.

Yeah, but I ain't perfect and don't even wanna' be.

We got the really neat Westinghouse LVM-42w2 (http://www.westinghousedigital.com/pc-44-7-42-1080p-monitor.aspx) cheap as a Best Buy closeout. It works and looks great!

But it's not only being used as a TV set from across the room, but also as a computer monitor from two feet away. Try that with a projector!

[rkester]

if you watch the football on ESPNHD or a local HD, you are in for sure joy I hear. Football is supposed to be super crispy in HD.

[MickeS]

Yeah, but I ain't perfect and don't even wanna' be.

We got the really neat Westinghouse LVM-42w2 (http://www.westinghousedigital.com/pc-44-7-42-1080p-monitor.aspx) cheap as a Best Buy closeout. It works and looks great!

But it's not only being used as a TV set from across the room, but also as a computer monitor from two feet away. Try that with a projector!

That was one of the reasons I wanted this LCD (secondary reason, but still :))... hoping to use this as a 42" 1920*1080 monitor for the PC permanently in a couple of years when something bigger and better has come along to use as a TV. :) Plasmas have that burn-in issue, so I don't think they'd be as good as computer monitors.

[ashu]

That was one of the reasons I wanted this LCD (secondary reason, but still :))... hoping to use this as a 42" 1920*1080 monitor for the PC permanently in a couple of years when something bigger and better has come along to use as a TV. :) Plasmas have that burn-in issue, so I don't think they'd be as good as computer monitors.


Plasma burn-in is well under control and over-exaggerated - especially for newer units.
If I could afford a 1080p 42" plasma (if such a beast even existed), that's what I'd own instead of my 42" 1080P Sceptre Naga 42GV :) (Same ChiMei LCD 42" panel as the Westinghouse listed above)

[rkester]

Sceptre Naga 42GV

THat sounds like a space aged super hero from japanese anime, seriously. :)

I've seen the westinghouses, they have a nice pic adn are quite affordable. I looked at their 32" LCD at one point.

[ashu]

THat sounds like a space aged super hero from japanese anime, seriously. :)

I've seen the westinghouses, they have a nice pic adn are quite affordable. I looked at their 32" LCD at one point.

It absolutely does. :)
As soon as I was able to look past the name, I picked the Sceptre (over the Westy) based on
- additional HDMI input on Westy useless to me, I need more than 2 anyway (new Sceptres DO have 2)
- Sceptre has OTA/ATSC-QAM HD tuner
- (Arguably, because it's inhouse) Inferior SD scaling
- Costco ('Nuff said)

Its 1599+tax now, IIRC, I paid much more (the Westy has dropped in price in lockstep, and has consistently been $100ish less)

Both are excellent with HD and PC inputs!

[MickeS]

I was looking at the Sceptre too... but man that thing was U-GLY! :) Not that the Westinghouse is a work of art but geez... :) Seemed good otherwise. I have a Sceptre 19" LCD monitor for the PC, and I'm very happy with it.

And yeah. Costco is a big plus... best place ever to buy electronics, IMO. And everything else. :)

[ashu]

I was looking at the Sceptre too... but man that thing was U-GLY! :) Not that the Westinghouse is a work of art but geez... :) Seemed good otherwise. I have a Sceptre 19" LCD monitor for the PC, and I'm very happy with it.

And yeah. Costco is a big plus... best place ever to buy electronics, IMO. And everything else. :)

The 'U' factor is a given with both these brands ... at least the Sceptre is black, has a super thin screen and the silly cursive branding is easily removed!

And once turned on, you're supposed to look INSIDE the frame anyway ;)

Neither compares to the occasionally-available EyeFi LCD units at Sams Club, though - possibly the SAME set of (37/42/47) LCD panels from ChiMei but MUCH better packaging, polished aluminium finish, solid stand etc etc. Hunt down the AVSForum thread for a case of superiorly-packaged-cheap-1080p-LCD-envy!

[havana]

I got 100" at about 12'.
Me likee.

[megazone]

I got 100" at about 12'.
Me likee.100"? Using a projector?

[Stanley Rohner]

Should have went with a DLP.

[MickeS]

Unless you're like me and can't watch DLP because of the rainbow effect.

[megazone]

Unless you're like me and can't watch DLP because of the rainbow effect.Have you seen the new Samsung DLPs like the HL-S6187W? 15,000RPM color wheel, with more colors. I have one - I can't see any rainbows, and reports around the net are the same. The new wheel was designed to eliminate rainbowing.

[raven41]

you people must be made of money. a 37" TV for a BEDROOM? we have a 20" in there and that's plenty big enough, and that's only because we bought a 32" for the living room - so it graduated up from a 13" for the bedroom. which is also probably big enough. it's an apartment, but it's a two bedroom.

i can't imagine where anyone would put a 37" TV in their bedroom, let alone why you'd need something that big in a space where you are sleeping most of the time.

[rkester]

My bedroom tv is a 20+ year old Sony 20" tv with only 1 functional input (coax). Im not made of money. :)

[raven41]

My bedroom tv is a 20+ year old Sony 20" tv with only 1 functional input (coax). Im not made of money. :)

ha yeah i was replying to the other poster who was talking about that. sorry i didn't quote anyone.

[MickeS]

Have you seen the new Samsung DLPs like the HL-S6187W? 15,000RPM color wheel, with more colors. I have one - I can't see any rainbows, and reports around the net are the same. The new wheel was designed to eliminate rainbowing.

No, have not seen it, sounds interesting. The DLP I have looked at all had the rainbow effect.

But I bought a flat-panel LCD anyway already, so too late. :)

[Stormspace]

Plasma burn-in is well under control and over-exaggerated - especially for newer units.
If I could afford a 1080p 42" plasma (if such a beast even existed), that's what I'd own instead of my 42" 1080P Sceptre Naga 42GV :) (Same ChiMei LCD 42" panel as the Westinghouse listed above)

I have one. Purchased at SAMs this year for 1300.00. Its an AKAI 4273M. Does 1080p and the others. I've been happy with it, but I can't use basic for recording anything other than animation. For everything else it's Medium at the lowest to get a good picture and on extremely dark shows, High or Best is required. Of course it may just be how my set handles SD.

[MickeS]

That Akai might accept 1080p signals, but it does not display them in full resolution.

[Stormspace]

That Akai might accept 1080p signals, but it does not display them in full resolution.

I haven't seen any info to confirm or deny this. The stated resolution of the screen is 1024 x 1024 so what you say may be accurate. As for picture quality standard DVD's through a component connection are beautiful. Once I get an HD signal in there I plan to be very happy. :)

[Scrith]

Another vote for Westinghouse, which is easily the best deal in large LCD TVs these days.

I have a 37" 1080p that I got for 1299 (including shipping...there are a few places on the internet that offer that deal right now). The picture is amazing, it has zero dead/stuck pixels, and I'm so happy with it that I'll probably buy a 42" 1080p version (selling in the 1500-1700 range) for another room.