New TV's ?

[billt]

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.     

[Timothy]

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.

[MikeBjerum]

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.

[billt]

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.

[Timothy]

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.

[Sponsor]

[billt]

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.

[Timothy]

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.

[Ichiban]

Price a VHS recorder now compared to 1980.

What's a VHS recorder?   

[Timothy]

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...

 

[twyacht]

The plasma will go the way of the DoDo bird, get the LCD. You'll be fine.