Archive for October, 2008

I’m currently in the market for a new television and a DVD player, and I still have absolutely no idea which way to go. There’s plenty of educational material on the web, and I’ve read a fair amount of it. The classic LCD vs. plasma debate is the topic of conversation everywhere, and everyone seems to say the same thing: it all depends on what you want. Plasma has some great pros: deeper black levels, a better viewing angle, and (according to some sources) cheaper per inch than an LCD. One of the major drawbacks for me is that plasma screens are highly reflective. I’ve got four windows that allow in the bright afternoon sun, and they’re directly opposite where the TV will ultimately be placed. I’ve got blinds, but they only do so much for the light. However, I primarily watch television at night, so it’s not a major issue (though it might become one in the summer, when it’s lighter later).

My current TV of choice is the Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80U (which seems to be offered by a different 3rd party outfit every day). I’ve read that at under 50 inches, going to 1080p isn’t really worth it, unless you plan on using the screen as a computer monitor. I’m not planning on doing that, so the cost savings is worth it to me.

As far as DVD players go, I’m not sure what to do. Lots of players do upconversion these days, but I’ve read some strange reports of problems with this feature. Some players upconvert to 16:9 only, forcing you to stretch older DVDs (e.g. older television shows) to fit the screen. Other players have reports of defaulting to 1080p, causing display issues on 720p sets.

What kinds of TVs and DVD players do you folks use? Any tips on what I should buy or avoid?

One of the decisions I made before I moved into my new house was to not sign up for cable television (though RoadRunner was a requirement). Instead, I’ve decided to watch television over the air. This will fulfill nearly all of my television watching needs: The Simpsons, The Office, Pushing Daisies, the news, PBS, etc. Right now, I’ve got an old, tiny CRT television hooked up to some rabbit ears. The reception is shoddy, the picture blurry, and things are generally bad. Hopefully, switching to digital television will fix this (more on this in an upcoming post).

Instead of cable television, I’m going to try out Netflix. I’ve heard great things about it from various people, and it’s way cheaper than paying Time-Warner (in the neighborhood of $40 or $50 cheaper a month). And interestingly enough, I see reports of people dropping cable for Netflix around the web (in a number of product reviews at Amazon, for example). There are a literal ton of movies that I’ve never seen, and it’s high time to catch up. Plus, I’m eager to catch up on some old television shows that I enjoy (M*A*S*H, Cheers, and Frasier to name a few). Just as soon as I can pick up a DVD player (and possibly a new television), I’ll sign up.

Do you use Netflix? If so, what do you think?