The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: billt on November 27, 2011, 05:00:36 PM
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I'm preparing myself for the inevitable. My 61" Sony rear projection is going on 13 years old, (we got it in 1999). The sound on the speakers cuts out on one side from time to time. So I'm starting to try to educate myself for when the time comes when it takes a complete dump.
I don't follow electronic technology much. I notice the newer TV's all require separate sound systems. There are terms I'm not technically compatible with like HDMI and all the rest. From what I gather the newer ones have Wi-Fi. Does that mean you can watch the Internet from your TV? Don't you need a keyboard like I'm using now? Does everything, (sound, picture, ect.) go through the HDMI cable? How hard is all of this crap to hook up? The back of my set now looks like it was designed by Rube Goldberg. (Remember the guy who fell out of the control tower in Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World...."What's with all of these wires?") Are the new ones better?
3-D doesn't excite me because I don't want to have to wear special glasses to watch TV. When I go to Costco the newer sets are so much clearer than what I have, it makes mine look like someone smeared Vaseline on the screen. Is there anything to stay away from? Mitsubishi makes a 71" DLP, but I haven't seen the picture quality. Have any of you guys bought a new set recently? What did you get? I just don't want to have to do this blind. ??? ???
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The LED's are the latest and 120Hz, 1080P should be sufficient. There is a point at which the human eye cannot determine much change in refresh rates between 120Hz and 240hz so that's a waste of money.
Most of the new stuff comes with internet capability including Wi-Fi but you still need some kind of input device such as a computer and the TV becomes a monitor I suspect.
I defer to the knowledge that others may have. I've only just begun to do some research and I wouldn't be looking for anything that large anyway.
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Good Luck!!!
The reason I hate shopping for cars, trucks, and anything electronic is because of all the crap and upgrades that I not only don't understand but that no one has been able to convince me I really need.
Four years ago I bent over in front of some pimply faced kid at Best Buy and have a wall full of stuff to watch ball games and shooting shows on. Three remotes, a sound system that sounds anything but natural, and a DVD player that was obsolete before we got it home.
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Good Luck!!!
The reason I hate shopping for cars, trucks, and anything electronic is because of all the crap and upgrades that I not only don't understand but that no one has been able to convince me I really need.
I'm the same way. You just can't keep up unless your a total electronics freak. LED, LCD, DLP....It's all enough to drive you nuts! It sucks all of the joy out of buying anything new electronical.
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For a couple of bucks you can use Consumers Reports.org and get good reviews and great information before you purchase. I'm not a guy that would spend thousands on a TV but the ones in that size range are expensive. I've never gotten bad info from CR.
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Actually, from what I've seen thus far, the newer ones in the same size range are cheaper than what I paid back in 1999. I remember back in 1968 my mother paid $368.00 for a 14" RCA portable Color TV. By comparison a new Camaro ran around $2,700.00. Nothing gets cheaper, faster than electronics. Price a VHS recorder now compared to 1980.
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I still have a 19" Magnovox that works perfectly from about 1980. It was my wifes' grandmas TV.
I've been looking at a 42-46" screen, LED, 120Hz, 1080p/24 with internet capability for about 900 bucks. That's my limit and I'll probably not buy it till the price drops another few hundred bucks. It's not something I need at the moment.
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Price a VHS recorder now compared to 1980.
What's a VHS recorder? ::)
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What's a VHS recorder? ::)
I'm still waiting for DAT and Beta to come back myself!
Maybe dust off my TEAC reel to reel too...put the 8-track back in the car and scrape the melted tape of the back deck of my 65 Mustang...
;D
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The plasma will go the way of the DoDo bird, get the LCD. You'll be fine.
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For a couple of bucks you can use Consumers Reports.org and get good reviews and great information before you purchase. I'm not a guy that would spend thousands on a TV but the ones in that size range are expensive. I've never gotten bad info from CR.
They have a pretty extensive "getting started" under the buying advice tab. Well worth investing $20 for a subscription when compared to the price of the TV.
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The plasma will go the way of the DoDo bird, get the LCD. You'll be fine.
Plasma is a great heat source in the winter, lousy in the summer. It gets hot in front of the screen...and must be eating power.
I have a 50" plasma and it has enough inputs for cable, satellite, roof antenna and a few playback/record devices. It has standard 2 speaker stereo.
If you can list a make and model, one of us can look at the specs and tell you what it can and can't do.
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Plasma TVs used about four times as much energy as the current LED on the market. Plasmas, as someone has already stated, are becoming obsolete.
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Here's a website to try. it doesn't tell you what to buy, but it tells you when based on when to get the best discounts. It also shows what's trending up and down.
FQ13
http://techcrunch.com/2011/06/20/decide-launches-an-electronics-shopping-service-that-tells-you-when-to-buy-and-wait/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29
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Timothy...you jogged my memory
Sansui Eight receiver
Dual 1219 turntable
Teac 4010 tape deck
Pioneer 99 speakers
did we have the same BX?
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Timothy...you jogged my memory
Sansui Eight receiver
Dual 1219 turntable
Teac 4010 tape deck
Pioneer 99 speakers
did we have the same BX?
I had the 4300 series I think. It was the late seventies, the model numbers escape me now!
Pioneer pre-amp
Pioneer main amp
Technics direct drive turntable
JBL Century 100 speakers
I bought all of my stuff from the Navy Exchange when I was in Iceland for about 1500 bucks in '76 and sold it three years later for over 3K...
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led is the way to go... did I mention they a light as hell too? which would you rather hang, some that is 5' across and wieghts 10 lbs or something that is 5' accross and weights 75 lbs?
<<<<<<<< can help when its time to run the wires and shit for the mount, so they won't be seen.
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Pioneer pre-amp
Pioneer main amp
Technics direct drive turntable
JBL Century 100 speakers
No reel to reel? Nice set up, Tim! 8) 8)
Bill, LED LCD for your new tv.
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No reel to reel? Nice set up, Tim! 8) 8)
Teac 4300 I think, look again...
It's all long gone now...at one time, we had four JBL speakers in a barracks room 12 x 12 and more watts than you can imagine!
Our barracks was party central in Iceland...I'm amazed I can still hear!
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Teac 4300 I think, look again...
It's all long gone now...at one time, we had four JBL speakers in a barracks room 12 x 12 and more watts than you can imagine!
Our barracks was party central in Iceland...I'm amazed I can still hear!
Right there with you. Mine was an Alpine and it was cassetes, but still....To be young again!
FQ13
http://www.totalmedia.com/images/maninchair.jpg
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Last big stereo system I had ran:
Dynaco Pre-amp
Dynaco 400 amp 200w/channel
Revox 10" reel to reel tape deck, Model G36
Teak cassette deck.
AR Direct Drive turntable
Shure V-90 (I think it was?) cartridge
2 AR9 Tower speakers.
The Dynaco were both kits I built. Studio performance at a bargain price. They were often used/modified by sound engineers and their mods were incorporated into the next model kit.
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You audiophiles are neglecting the Marantz Gold Series that would loosen sheetrock screws from homes...and came factory with over 150W per channel.
They were about 60lbs. and wood finished. But the receivers had a FM dial that would "glide" from 88.1 to 107.9 with a touch....
Including analog signal strength meter....
Inputs and outputs out the door, with Cerwin Vega Studio series monitors made Peter Frampton albums (on my Kenwood turntable), put you front row....
And yes I had an Akai reel to reel. Certain Pink Floyd songs still give me chills/flashbacks.... ::)
That stuff was like old muscle cars....."Horsepower"...and WATTS....
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6918th Security Squadron, Hakata, Japan 1970...
when we got off shift, each barracks room would fire up and out blast the neighbors.... usually have to reset the breakers as they would trip...
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I got a Sony LCD over a year ago and it's a great TV, decent sound. The only time I use the stereo, other than tunes, is when we are watching a movie.
You need HDMI cables to get HD quality, get them at Costco or order online.
Ad an HD DVR and you're all set. (I haven't watched a commercial in months) ;)
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what do you watch,
movies, general TV, Sports
how much re you wanting to spend and what sort of Sound system do you have??
or are you looking at upgrading that now as well .