Time to get a new TV - what to buy?
- tcman50
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2012 2:08 pm
- Location: Naperville, Illinois
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I have a samsung LN52B750, best dam tv I have ever seen, does hd perfect, does my 1080P .mkv movie downloads perfect, does my computer perfect, does my xbox perfect, what the hell else is there.
I feed the 1080P movies to the tv downstairs via my 1GB wired home network, I am using XBMC as my frontend software, everybody that see's the XBMC software in action has dropped their jaw to the floor.
Don't overpay for stuff that's not needed, like 240hz, apps, 3d, etc, really isnt needed.
I feed the 1080P movies to the tv downstairs via my 1GB wired home network, I am using XBMC as my frontend software, everybody that see's the XBMC software in action has dropped their jaw to the floor.
Don't overpay for stuff that's not needed, like 240hz, apps, 3d, etc, really isnt needed.
WMC7 recording backend, XBMC12 media display frontend.
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And if you look at your TV's 3D counterpart, you'll find that it has better specs and better parts for the things you *do* care about.
Feature to feature, buy the 3D model. It's better built and has better specs.
Feature to feature, buy the 3D model. It's better built and has better specs.
- tcman50
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2012 2:08 pm
- Location: Naperville, Illinois
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Well yeah, I should have mentioned that my LN52B750 is like 4 years old, buy whatever it's current incarnation is and you cant go wrong.
WMC7 recording backend, XBMC12 media display frontend.
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I love my Samsung PN64D8000. I compared it to the Panasonic Viera series, and could not see a difference besides the extra $300 for the Panasonic... and the Samsung 3D glasses are WAY more comfortable than the Panasonic glasses. I spent more than an hour wearing each type of glasses in the store... and the Samsung glasses are much better. Plus, the Samsung uses Bluetooth for the glasses vs. the Panasonic's IR glasses. The BT glasses are much better... no problem when someone walks in front of the TV, whereas the IR glasses lose sync anytime the IR is interrupted.
It does 1:1 pixel mapping. It's called "screen fit" in the menu.
As for DTCP... the only thing I found by doing a Google search was a $555.00 Pioneer BD player. I'd guess that when DTCP becomes more prevalent, you will be able to buy a device that will connect to your existing TV. I would hope that DTCP would be included in a future firmware update, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
The DLNA features on the Sammy work fine.
It does 1:1 pixel mapping. It's called "screen fit" in the menu.
As for DTCP... the only thing I found by doing a Google search was a $555.00 Pioneer BD player. I'd guess that when DTCP becomes more prevalent, you will be able to buy a device that will connect to your existing TV. I would hope that DTCP would be included in a future firmware update, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
The DLNA features on the Sammy work fine.
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- Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2012 10:16 pm
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I have a pretty dark basement TV room. that is 26x14. would a projector work well on the 14' side? i cant go the 26 way. what projector would you guys recommend? or should I just hang a 60 inch LCD on the wall?
Thoughts on projectors in these days? lamps still work long enough?
Thanks
Thoughts on projectors in these days? lamps still work long enough?
Thanks
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- Posts: 5738
- Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:23 pm
- Location: Titusville, Florida, USA
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Just about any projector will work in either direction in your basement. At a 14' throw, just about any projector will give you at least a 100" (diagonal) picture. That means that you could use either wall and get a pretty big picture.
There are plenty of sites out there that will help you calculate the size of the picture at a given distance for a given projector. There are also calculators that will help you determine the best brightness (lumens) for your situation (ability to darken room, throw distance).
If your room has no windows or it is easy to black them out, you'll find plenty of HD projectors with low lumens (brightness) for reasonable prices that will suit your needs. I would guess that you would need about an 800 lumen projector to make a 100-120" picture in a completely dark room. That should be easy to find.
I recommend using a screen with a matte finish (not one of those glass-beaded ones). You'll probably be fine with a white screen (the gray ones claim to improve contrast, but require higher lumens). If you don't mind the screen being permanently attached to the wall, you can find the screen material (and black mask for the edges) pretty cheap on e-bay and simply build your own frame to stretch the fabric. There are instructions for how to do this on the Internet.
If you want a motorized, tab-tensioned screen (like I did), they're still pretty expensive (I paid $1650.00 for a 120" screen).
You can usually expect about 3000 hours from a lamp, unless you have lots of power surges at your house. Each projector is different though.
You can find reviews, calculators, and lots of information (including a tool to select a projector that meets your requirements) on http://www.projectorcentral.com. To find a projector that meets your needs (price, brightness, etc), click the "Search by feature" link on the left side.
There is also a "buyers guide" to help you understand the meanings of all the specs.
There are plenty of sites out there that will help you calculate the size of the picture at a given distance for a given projector. There are also calculators that will help you determine the best brightness (lumens) for your situation (ability to darken room, throw distance).
If your room has no windows or it is easy to black them out, you'll find plenty of HD projectors with low lumens (brightness) for reasonable prices that will suit your needs. I would guess that you would need about an 800 lumen projector to make a 100-120" picture in a completely dark room. That should be easy to find.
I recommend using a screen with a matte finish (not one of those glass-beaded ones). You'll probably be fine with a white screen (the gray ones claim to improve contrast, but require higher lumens). If you don't mind the screen being permanently attached to the wall, you can find the screen material (and black mask for the edges) pretty cheap on e-bay and simply build your own frame to stretch the fabric. There are instructions for how to do this on the Internet.
If you want a motorized, tab-tensioned screen (like I did), they're still pretty expensive (I paid $1650.00 for a 120" screen).
You can usually expect about 3000 hours from a lamp, unless you have lots of power surges at your house. Each projector is different though.
You can find reviews, calculators, and lots of information (including a tool to select a projector that meets your requirements) on http://www.projectorcentral.com. To find a projector that meets your needs (price, brightness, etc), click the "Search by feature" link on the left side.
There is also a "buyers guide" to help you understand the meanings of all the specs.
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I am also a big fan of the Viera series. I have a 3 yr old 58 in and it is excellent. The plasma makes everything look better.kc10boom wrote:Panasonic Viera series. Have the Geek Squad guys tune the color after 100 hours of use. Don't buy into the old plasma hype, the Vieras score high in most reviews. I have the 54" Viera and love it.