FW: [Rhodes22-list] Knowledge Pool Question.

[Eaton, Gil]

	From my office buddy...
	gil


-----Original Message-----
From: Kurcon, Glenn 
Sent: Monday, October 28, 2002 2:48 PM
To: Eaton, Gil
Subject: RE: [Rhodes22-list] Knowledge Pool Question.


There is a lot to look at in the under $5000 range.  Factors that are going
to drive the price up are whether or not the TV has a digital (HDTV) tuner
built-in, the type of technology used (rear-projection crt vs. plasma
display vs. rear projection lcd) size, etc... Most of the TV's on the market
currently are HDTV-Ready, which means you will need to purchase a separate
HDTV receiver.  If you are in an area that is served by a cable provider
that is rolling out HDTV service, they will rent you the receiver.  Directv
and Dishnet both have HDTV receivers now available for their subscribers.
Here is a checklist of two things I would insist on for a new TV:

1. Component Video Inputs.  This is a high-quality input that most new TV's
and DVD players have that break color and sync signals out over three
connections.  This is the standard for most HDTV receivers and equipment.
You generally want a least 2 of these on the set, one for DVD, one for an
HDTV receiver.

2. Wide Screen TV (16x9).  Some TV's on the market can accept HDTV signals,
but are still manufactured to original NTSC aspect ratio standards (4x3).
All HDTV programming in the future will be in a 16x9 ratio.  Some people
don't like the looks of it, but they need to get used to it, because it's
going to be the standard soon.

Other things to look for in a good HDTV-ready or HDTV set would be:

DVI Interface.  This is a new interface standard found on many high-end HDTV
projectors, but is now finding its way into the mainstream.  More and more
HDTV receivers has these types of interfaces as well, if you can find a TV
that you like that has this, it's an added bonus that may benefit you over
one that doesn't have one.

Now the question remains what type of TV should you look for?  Direct view
TV's (CRT) generally offer the sharpest picture, but are usually limited to
about a 40" picture tube size.  Rear projection TV's offer much larger
screen sizes but sometimes require quite a bit of work to get the picture
right.  Here are my recommendations on brands to look at:

Projection:

Toshiba-  Toshiba consistently has been reviewed as one of the best models
for the money, with great picture quality.

Panasonic- Another great manufacturer, and a price to match.

Pioneer-  Like Toshiba, has a great picture quality, but generally is more
expensive.

Sony- Sony's high end XBR series have a great picture quality, but run a
little on the high side like the Pioneers.

Direct View:

Sony-The XBR Direct View tv is probably one of the best HDTV's I have seen.

RCA- RCA is one of the only HDTV's I've seen that has a built in
HDTV\Directv Satellite receiver  on one set.

Samsung- Samsung is making great strides in making a name for themselves in
the HDTV market, I've been impressed with what I've seen from them.

Panasonic- Panasonic has been making quality TV's at an affordable price for
years.

I currently have a Toshiba 42H81 42" widescreen rear projection HDTV-ready
TV, which I love.  I haven't seen any HDTV sources on it yet, as I live in
an apartment and have no place to put an antenna, and I'm still waiting for
Comcast to convert to an all-in-one digital cable box that will deliver HDTV
service.  DVD's on this TV are stunning.  The downside is that the TV makes
regular TV look as bad as it really is, I'm not sure if it's just my cable
service or not.  But given that HDTV is higher quality than DVD, I'm sure
the set will look amazing once I get HDTV service (hopefully within the
month).



-----Original Message-----
From: Eaton, Gil 
Sent: Monday, October 28, 2002 1:53 PM
To: Kurcon, Glenn
Subject: FW: [Rhodes22-list] Knowledge Pool Question.


	Hi Glenn,
	Any info would be appreciated.
	Thanks
	gil

-----Original Message-----
From: R22RumRunner@aol.com [mailto:R22RumRunner@aol.com] 
Sent: Monday, October 28, 2002 1:49 PM
To: rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org; Rhodes-List@sailnet.net
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Knowledge Pool Question.


We are looking to replace our current television with a newer HD TV and we 
are looking for any advice/recommendations. We looked at some "Plasma" 
televisions, but the $5,000 price tag was a little more than we wanted to 
spend. Any help will be appreciated.

Rummy....no, not for the boat.
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