flat-screen tv recommendations

so my questionably rigorous online research has revealed that the step up from 120 Hz to 240 Hz isn't really worth it, it's going from 60 to 120 that is noticeable.

after spending way too long doing online shopping yesterday, i'm considering the following:
LG 42LH40 - 42" Widescreen 1080p LCD HDTV
Toshiba REGZA 42ZV650U 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
Sharp LC40E77U 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV
TOSHIBA REGZA 40" 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV 40XV645U
(common specs: 120 Hz refresh, response times under 8 ms, high contrast, high brightness, good reviews - but the real test will be how they perform IRL… hoping i can track them down offline)

chaz wrote:
The only area pic wise where lcd wins is if you have a very very bright room with lots of windows and glare. 

that's my situation.  2 southern-facing windows to the side and 2 west-facing windows directly across from the tv.  i fear that a glass-paneled plasma would be almost unusable during daylight hours.

chaz wrote:
The most important advice:  Go as big as your budget and room will possibly allow.  Noone has ever said "gee i wish i'd gotten a smaller tv".

you haven't met my wife.  she's even more of a tv luddite than i am.  if i show up with a jumbotron, i will have things thrown at me.  i'm limiting myself to 42", which will also help keep costs under control.

kosmo wrote:
Also as far as what size to get, it's best to get buy off from the significant other before proceeding  ;D

beat me to it :)  if we didn't have all the expenses associated with moving in to our first house, i'd have more latitude in what i spend money on.  as is, just getting monthly HDTV charges in to the budget was a minor struggle - thanks goodness we're going in to a world cup, the missus supports the need to have HD to watch it.

soccer in hd is a pretty big step up. not quite as big as hockey, though

are you the guy that used to go to applebees to watch sports

godsshoeshine wrote:
soccer in hd is a pretty big step up. not quite as big as hockey, though

i don't think i can ever watch hockey again in SD.  tried a few weeks ago… painful.

was anybody here at the lucky bar for the last world cup's england-portugal game?  it was a saturday morning, doors opened around 8:30am, doors closed at 9:05 b/c capacity was reached (shoulder-to-shoulder), and we partied while we waited for the game to start at 11 am.  it was one of the best times i've ever had in a bar - great energy in there, too bad england lost.  ANYHOO, point of this story is that just before the game went on, management took the mic and asked the crowd: do you want to watch the game in HD with american commentary, or in SD with british commentary?  crowded voted to go with english SD, much to my chagrin.  ugh.  yes, the english commentary is better, but it that REALLY what we're here for??

godsshoeshine wrote:
are you the guy that used to go to applebees to watch sports

 
yeah, that was me while exiled in NJ (i.e. before this past june).  went there b/c i didn't have a TV of my own, and could get them to put on pretty much anything i wanted including the world juniors on TSN - they had every sports channel subscription known to man.

but soon, i shall be autarkic in di-def sport provisionment!  mwahahahaahaaaa…

ANYHOO, point of this story is that just before the game went on, management took the mic and asked the crowd: do you want to watch the game in HD with american commentary, or in SD with british commentary?  crowded voted to go with english SD, much to my chagrin.  ugh.  yes, the english commentary is better, but it that REALLY what we're here for??

that to me sounds like a bunch of poseurs were trying to prove how Euro they were….  unless they were actual Brits voting that way…

Doctor wrote:
that to me sounds like a bunch of poseurs were trying to prove how Euro they were….  unless they were actual Brits voting that way…

some of the latter, mostly the former.  "soccer is only appreciated by euros, therefore we MUST have euro commentary".  even the english owner of the lucky bar wanted american HD but was yelled down.

It is now my contention that so-called "high definition" (HD) is the new "standard definition" (SD). Even free broadcast is new SD. The old standard should be redubbed LD, for "legacy definition" (of course, it would be known as "low def" by why hurt the old man's feelings, alright?). Cable companies should cut the crap and allow customers to get new SD as the standard package, without the LD versions of the same channels tagging along, never to be watched. LD customers could get a budget channel line-up.

Yes but LD shows take up less space on the DVR  than HD/SD, so until DVRs start coming with monster HDs we'll be sticking with watching  LD at least for time shifted shows.  Our HD watching is pretty much limited to On demand stuff,  or if by chance we are watching something live.  Now the ablility to record BBCAmerica in HD would be nice…

why can't you record BBC in HD?  or is it a case of the same ol' space limitation?

the DVR i'll be getting with Fios states "Record up to 80 hrs. of standard definition content and up to 20 hrs. of HD content".  ugh.  i wonder if i can open up the machine and put in a larger hard drive.

sweetcell wrote:
i wonder if i can open up the machine and put in a larger hard drive.

No, you'd be voiding your membership agreement. I asked.

We have two of the FIOS Home-Media ones so that gives us 40 hours (that can be watched on either TV) between the two, and a modified Tivo HD for another 80.

sweetcell wrote:
why can't you record BBC in HD?  or is it a case of the same ol' space limitation?

the DVR i'll be getting with Fios states "Record up to 80 hrs. of standard definition content and up to 20 hrs. of HD content".  ugh.  i wonder if i can open up the machine and put in a larger hard drive.

No BBCA in HD on Comcrap because it's more important to add the HD Weather Channel instead :P

We haven't gotten BBCA in HD on Fios either, so don't feel bad.

Julian, wrote:

sweetcell wrote:
i wonder if i can open up the machine and put in a larger hard drive.

No, you'd be voiding your membership agreement. I asked.

We have two of the FIOS Home-Media ones so that gives us 40 hours (that can be watched on either TV) between the two, and a modified Tivo HD for another 80.

dammit.  been reading that verizon has been promising to enable external storage on their DVRs for some time now (via a firmware update), but it's all vaporware.  tivo seems to be the only way to go beyond 20 hr/box.

television can be a very expensive pursuit (if one can call sitting on a couch a "pursuit").

sweetcell wrote:
television can be a very expensive pursuit (if one can call sitting on a couch a "pursuit").

Hey, don't give up the faith. We truly are the greatest generation.

sweetcell wrote:
(if one can call sitting on a couch a "pursuit").

It definitely is a pursuit… a pursuit of ill health….

I opted not to use the cable co. DVR and ordered two of the new TiVo Premiere DVRs.  Recording capactiy (45 hours of HD) and ability to share programs between DVRs and computers were the motivating factors.  The web stuff is just a bonus.  They also have an eSata port for adding even more capacity (though I can't see us needing more than 90 hours).

TiVo has also enabled storing on Windows Home Servers so really have to think about how I want to do this…. 

Julian, wrote:

sweetcell wrote:
i wonder if i can open up the machine and put in a larger hard drive.

No, you'd be voiding your membership agreement. I asked.

Don't let that stop you….

What should stop you though, is that I don't think it can be done on the Motorola or the Scientific American box that Verizon supplies for FiOS.

vansmack wrote:
I opted not to use the cable co. DVR and ordered two of the new TiVo Premiere DVRs.  Recording capactiy (45 hours of HD) and ability to share programs between DVRs and computers were the motivating factors.  The web stuff is just a bonus.  They also have an eSata port for adding even more capacity (though I can't see us needing more than 90 hours).

I was uaware of TiVo Premiere. What's that run?

Julian, wrote:
I was uaware of TiVo Premiere. What's that run?

$299 for the 45 Hours model, $499 for the 150 hours/THX certified model.  Existing TiVo owners can upgrade at a discount (despite the fact that I haven't used my TiVo series one in over 5 years, they upgraded that box for $200).  Ships to the general public in about two weeks.

http://www.tivo.com/what-is-premiere/premiere-is/index.html

I always found the comcast dvr to be pretty craptastic.  Why they can't just give that thing an overhaul is beyond me.  It hasn't changed a lick in years.  I have fios and like the dvr just fine.  More storage would be nice, but as long as I'm diligent it's usually fine.  I don't store much, and usually delete right after I watch.  And no, you can not add your own drive to it.  Won't work.

vansmack wrote:
I opted not to use the cable co. DVR and ordered two of the new TiVo Premiere DVRs.  Recording capactiy (45 hours of HD) and ability to share programs between DVRs and computers were the motivating factors.  The web stuff is just a bonus.  They also have an eSata port for adding even more capacity (though I can't see us needing more than 90 hours).

TiVo has also enabled storing on Windows Home Servers so really have to think about how I want to do this…. 

i go back and forth on the external. on one hand i'd like to keep some things that i delete, but on another i record too many things as it is. i dont mind the directv dvr's that much, just a few menu complaints