[mythtv-users] Advice Requested re LCD TV's

[R. G. Newbury]

David Fishburn wrote:
> On 9/20/07, R. G. Newbury <newbury at mandamus.org> wrote:
> <snip>
>> Well I blew an hour and a half at lunch time looking at various screens,
>> in variable lighting, with generally execrable video feeds being
>> displayed...but then what do you expect at a Best Buy, or a Future
>> Shop...Tomorrow lunch time, I'm going for the high-price spread: I'm
>> going to visit a Sony Store...."Toys for Big Boys" (No the really
>> expensive toys are in a boat yard...if you do not believe me, google
>> 'Wally' and 'yacht')
>>
>> But seriously, it looks like the Sony KDL32XBR4 is leading the running
>> at the moment...
> 
> So Geoff, what was the verdict and why?
> 
> I am looking for one myself, but know nothing on the topic.

I took a look at the Sony offerings. The larger units are very pricey 
compared to other brands. They *do* have big toys for big boys though. I 
kinda liked the KDL70XBR3,,,but it won't fit down the basement stairs 
and I don't think my piggy bank is good for $40,000.00 less a penny 
(before TAX of course). I didn't stay long there.

I went back to Best Buy, where the KDL32XBR4 was also $1,499 not much 
more than the Sharp I took back. Very nice colour. I suspect the 120Hz 
frame rate helps too. But the specification which said there were 2 coax 
inputs was wrong.

 From the sonystyle.ca site: "RF in/ Cable in: 2 ( 1 UHF/VHF/ 1 Cable In 
) Rear". But I could find only one coax input. Moreover, it had the same 
problem in the design which made it annoyingly difficult to change from 
cable to antenna. Takes 7 or 8 menu selections, scrolling etc. etc. etc.

While I was waiting for a salesman to find a remote in order to check 
that out, I started fiddling with the controls on an LG 37LB4D...Hmm, 
antenna and cable are input source choices in the input menu, as is 
VGA-PC, not buried in the setup menu. And it will do full resolution 
from the VGA input. And the colours were stunning. And for the same 
price of $1,499. The remote has an input button, like the unit, so 
changing is a simple 'push, scroll, push'. Heck, it auto-selects so that 
you don't even need the last push. And there is another button 'TV 
Input' which does ONLY that.

So I bought it. It is bigger than my wife wanted, but 'size matters'. 
Right guys?

Best yet. I was looking for some better splitters this past weekend and 
ended up in a FutureShop. Darned if the same LG 37LB4D wasn't listed at 
$1,1199.00....So I went back to Best Buy and got them to match that 
price. (I used part of the refund to buy some Monster coax splitters. 
And YES, they DO make a difference...Damned expensive but worth it.)

And my wife loves the colour saturation and sharpness. There is no 
waviness or distortion when using the various picture expansion modes. 
Even the Standard Definition stuff off cable looks better, as it is now 
sent by VGA cable not S-video. The high def stuff, such as the football 
games Saturday and yesteday are stunning. Highly Recommended.

And I have not touched the colour/hue etc. tuning. And I think that I 
actually do not have the optimum resolution setup yet, as xorg.0.log 
tells me this unit has some special resolution modes besides the VESA 
standards. For those, I think I need the 915resolution program to 
replace one of the standard resolution lines with the special 1366x768 
mode. But so far, I don't even have a modeline in xorg.conf. I let xorg 
and the TV shake hands and do it all.

Geoff