davcivic

From what I have researched, Plasmas could burn, but they are supposed to last something like 20 years before they burn off and stop working. I'm not sure where you are shopping but I have seen 42" Plasmas for $1300-$1800. Even if you get a cheaper brand name, get the protection plan, it might cost you an extra $200-$300 but you are covered for 5 years or so. You could buy a separete HD receiver, or spend a little more and get the HDTV. But if you are used to regular TV like we all are, even the EDTV or any plasma will be better than regular TV. Right now I don't think HDTV is a big deal, I don't care if I could see a persons face pores really.

Any projection you'll get you have to watch from the front, anyone sitting on the side of it won't see crap. I don't like them. I rather have a nice plasma, even if I have to go smaller.

CarAudiophile

I just like how they say it will last 20 years when really the technology hasn't even been tested over 20 years.

davcivic

There's some nice ones here

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...Sort=3&Recs=10


If you were in Florida or Georgia, you can find pretty good deals here. They have an HD ready 42" for $1300, but you need an HDTV receiver. They have HDTV ones for $2300.
http://brandsmart.com/ads/p11.htm

davcivic

That's 20 years of use by a regular american family.

Now this is just using crap numbers of my head but let's say
you take an average of hours a TV is used in a day by a typical family. Kids get home around 4pm from school and the parents turn of the family room TV at around 8pm. That's 4 hours of use. 4 hours times 7 days a week on average is 28 hours a week. Times 52 weeks of the year. That's 1456 hours. Times 20 years that's 29120 hours of use. Divided by 24 hours per day gives you 1214 days divided by 365 days of a year you get 3.3 years. You could easily test run a TV for that long, the technology has been here for longer, and the development of them have probably been going on for 8-10 years.

Of course this is all just crap numbers, but it could be done.

90accordIHI

to say that HD doesn't make a difference or whatever is completely rediculous. by 2007 directTV will broadcast everything in HD, and cable will soon fall along the same path. tube tv's will soon be obsolete, with lcd and plasma being what you will need. if you're buying a tv, get one that is worth it. no $1500 plasma is worth the money. its kinda like looks for a eg hatch and settling for a hyundia s coupe. stupid.

davcivic

I'm not saying it doesn't make a difference it sure does, but if you are coming from a regular tube TV, and going to plasma, even if it is not HD, you will see a difference and be happy with it. You could buy the HD ready TV, and when everything changes to HD just buy the adapter or the receiver.

Even if they change to HD, satellite and cable I highly doubt they won't make or use a system that is compatible to regular tube TV's. Not everyone can afford a new $3500 TV just because. And the cable companies won't lose all those millions of customers.

I just don't see the need of HDTV's just yet. I'm sure I'll change my mind when they are cheaper, but I've been happy with tube tv's for 24 years now. I can live with it. Rather buy an EDTV or HD ready plasma now and spend the rest of the money on something else.

But that's just my opinion

Jcushing

theres no NEED to buy one with a hdtv tuner in it since most calbe companies and directv bacially provide you with one when you subscribe to HD programming. you only NEED it for over the air and not many people use that.

now an EDTV will look better for dvd's because the tv is in the same resolution as the dvd is, no scaling. for sports though you do want tru HDTV.... oh and that cant see projections from the side, well new projections are WAY better now. plasmas are still the best at viewing angle with lcd's shortly behind.

personally theve been talking about the mandating HDTV and obselete BULLSHIT for some time now, its not gonna happen fast because of the money involved in the transition. its not like your tv wont work, youll just need a box (like you do now if you have digital cable or satelite ANYWAY)

88crxSi

well said. Cable companies "encode" the HDTV content so they cannot be ripped off easily., the HD box decodes it. Any HDTV Tuner in the HDTV wont be able to do this until CableCARD's become super popular, which they are starting to do. So try to find one w/ CableCARD slot for futureproofing it.

Also, a HDTV is required to have the following to be HD. minimum 720 lines of native verticle resolution and be widescreen (16:9). if the set does not have BOTH of these it is not true HD, just HD Compatible. EDTV is 480p, SDTV (regular TV) is 480i, MINIMUM HDTV is 720p.

I would seriously hold off for a year before buying a HDTV because A) prices will drop alot, B) wait until the standard spec's are set in place.

Cray91

Everyone says to hold off, but that is the same ting every year. They will always drop in price, and something new will come out. That is just something that you have to be comfortable with when buying a high-end electronics item.

I have a couple friends with LCD's and rear projections that are HD. I personally would go with a rear projection. You can't hang em on the wall, but it isn't like they are very fat either. My friends Sony is only like a 18" deep. So you can pu tit against the wall without a problem.

When you get it, get satellite service. Having non-digital channels from cable is bogus. When you go from HD to analog channels it is horrible. The all digital line-up from DTV at least brings all the quality up a lot.