Any suggestions for a smaller "HD-lite" display?

[madpoet]

I'd like to replace my 27" SD TV with something that is closer to HD resolution and a better image. Does anyone have some suggestions for AFFORDABLE displays in the 22-27" range like this? I still think a major hurdle for HD is getting into the mid-range set market. They are too freaking expensive!

 

[CDH]

Before purchasing my current 30" widescreen HDTV I tried a 27" Panasonic HDTV CT27HL14. I bought it as a floor-sample for $470. No DVI or HDMI input, but it got a good picture with Cable and Voom over component inputs. Of course it was a 4:3 screen which meant that HD signals were letter-boxed. There was also no way (that I could find) to "zoom" the image, but perhaps you could use the menus on the Voom STB to stretch or otherwise alter the picture.

One thing that many people have found with this unit is that there can be a tendency for a red-push in the color saturation, but I was able to alter the balance satisfactorily.

I liked it!

CDH.

 

[DarrellP]

What do you consider affordable? For about $1200 you can get a direct view tube 34" widescreen and you will not lose any vertical height as compared to your 27" 4:3 set. If you want to spend less, you can get a 30" WS tube set for around $700. I would stay away from the 4:3 HD sets that are in the 32" and under category, they have not fared well with reviews. You will do well PQ wise to go with Toshiba, Philips or Sony.

 

[squicken]

I used to have a Toshiba 30", but it was just too small vertically. If this is your market, though, then it's a great TV for about $700

 

[madpoet]

Yeah, I really just don't have a ton of space for the set. Thanks for the advice. It's really amazing when you consider I paid about $300 for my very nice 27" direct view SD set.

 

[DarrellP]

If you don't want HD, but want a nice SD set, the Sony 27" Wegas are down around $500 and have the Vertical squeeze for anamorphic material.

 

[madpoet]

Nope, if I'm buying a new set it's going to be at least capable of 720p. Otherwise I've got no reason to replace my old one

 

[dankgus]

If you don't want HD, but want a nice SD set, the Sony 27" Wegas are down around $500 and have the Vertical squeeze for anamorphic material.

What exactly do you mean it has "vertical squeeze for anamorphic"? A guy I work with has a 27" Wega and he has told me several times "it automatically goes to 16:9 mode when you play a DVD". I asked him, what do you mean, does it zoom in and cut off the sides or does it distort the picture to fit on the screen?. He says, no it just automatically goes to 16:9 and fills the screen.

I don't want to sound snobbish so I have not pushed this issue, but he has mentioned it like 6 times. I sure would like to know what he means without having to discuss it much further.

THANKS!
--Dan

 

[DarrellP]

What happens is this: You have say 480 horizontal lines scanning your TV tube for your picture which is a 4:3 shape. When an "Enhanced" or Anamorphic DVD is played to the TV, it senses this and automatically takes all of the 480 lines and "squeezes" them vertically so that all of the 480 lines are now in the picture area and the black space is not wasting scan lines. This effectively gives you a higher resolution for your picture. Make sense?

 

[dankgus]

What happens is this: You have say 480 horizontal lines scanning your TV tube for your picture which is a 4:3 shape. When an "Enhanced" or Anamorphic DVD is played to the TV, it senses this and automatically takes all of the 480 lines and "squeezes" them vertically so that all of the 480 lines are now in the picture area and the black space is not wasting scan lines. This effectively gives you a higher resolution for your picture. Make sense?

I think that makes sense. So, lets say I am using my old 19" sanyo crap tv and playing an anamorphic DVD on it using svideo or RF, which of course would give me black bars on top and bottom, would my DVD image only use like (approx) 200 horizontal scan lines of the entire 480?

If so, then yeah, thats a cool feature for the Sony to have. Is this a common feature for modern 4:3 sets?

THANKS!
--Dan

 

[DarrellP]

If you have a TV without the enhanced mode, some of the scan lines will be wasted in the black area. So if you are watching a 2.35:1 aspect movie where about 40% of a 4:3 TV is black, all the 480 lines are going to the entire picture, thus the picture area is only being displayed with about 280 lines, whereas an enhanced TV would utilize all 480 lines in the picture area, leaving the black area with NO scan lines.

A lot of modern TV's have this feature.

 

[blitzpb]

Costco has a 30 philips widescreen HDTV that, I believe, runs all resolutions to 1080i. Its the little brother to my 34". I think its around 500 or so. At least they have it in my Costco (Orange County CA)

Nick

 

[DarrellP]

I've seen that one, it's a nice set. My local Costco's been running it around $679, but a 30" widescreen is just too darn small, even for a small room. If you currently have a 27" 4:3 set, you need a 34" widescreen to replace it. A friend of mine bought the Philips 30" and though it has a fantastic picture, he has to sit like 4 fee from it.

 

[madpoet]

Intersting, thanks. I'll have to go check Costco out and see the set.

 

[dankgus]

I've seen that one, it's a nice set. My local Costco's been running it around $679, but a 30" widescreen is just too darn small, even for a small room. If you currently have a 27" 4:3 set, you need a 34" widescreen to replace it. A friend of mine bought the Philips 30" and though it has a fantastic picture, he has to sit like 4 fee from it.

I too have seen it, I thought it was $699, maybe $599. I don't believe it has DVI or HDMI input however, so I went with the 30" Sony for a little more money. For me, 30" widescreen is just fine, perfect in fact. Another interesting note, Costco has a really big Pioneer plasma or LCD panel there I was looking at a couple days ago, as far as I could see it had no DVI/HDMI interface! I couldn't believe it, a really fancy unit like that and no digital input.

--Dan

 

[dfergie]

I have a 27" flatscreen Samsung hd 4x3 in one of my campers. I got it at Sears for under 700 early this year...wish I had gotten the 16x9 but space was a problem...Heavy sucker though Pq is pretty good.

 

[Walter L.]

a couple of weeks ago, I saw a Samsung 30" HDTV at Costco with some $100 rebate that would make it $699.