This is they KEY statement as it all depends what you will be using it for and the $$ you are willing to spend.

I plan on using it for HDTV ... it is true that DLP has come a long way but compared to CRT I would rather have a reconditioned CRT for the same price as a new DLP ... gaming would be awesome on either one though :cool:

steve,
yeah i realized i misunderstood what you were talkin about and tried to edit my post before you saw it! :lol:

:razz: :mrgreen:

AJ_77 Never notice any clarity problems. There is a set distance you should be from the TV but I am tired and can not for the life of me remember what the minimum distance should be.

I also have a computer hooked into my TV (Linux box running MythTV (glorified PVR system :biggrin: and I have 520 gig on the backend for recording TV shows :smile:

Check out http://www.hribnak.com/mythtv for some photos of my TV (pictures are not the greatest as the were taken with m,y DV camcorders still photo. I should have my 5 MP Olympus camera next week :biggrin:


Jim

0ne other thing to keep in mind is with the Big Screen TVs (rear projection), or any Big screen for that matter. You should have for someone to come in and completely tweak and setup the TV. They will spend a DAY fiddling and fine tuning it for optimum picutre etc. Price is steep though about $500 or $600, But I have been told it is well worth the money spent especially when your spending $5000+ for your TV (I was the one of the 1st people in Calgary to get the Toshiba 61" a few years ago. when I got it I had to wait 8 weeks for delivery, A*B sound only had the one Demo unit in stock, and they had to order it.. TV was $5000 plus also got the Progressive Scan DVD player for it at the same time PLUS my brother inlaw worked at A&B and we got a really good family discount :biggrin:

its a scam, all they do is set your convergence which you can do your self.. I asked Toshiba directly as some one told me it should be done every time you move your TV. they almost laughed on the phone and said the only reason to call some one is if after you set the convergence and you still have a lousy pic then call the repair man for warranty work.

Steve

You can do the basic convergance, there is a convergence that you do not have access to, when I had my TV go wonky, someone came out to look at it (repair man) and he got into some weird menu, and the convergence screen there was none I have seen when setting up my own TV. The TV has a small grid where you could align almost every inch. So I did some research on it and found out there is definately a "hidden menu system" that allow for all sorts of tweaks. But the warning said if you did not know what you were doing to not go into this mode ,as it was not a straight forward menu, that you selected.

Also check out http://myweb.accessus.net/~090/how2adj.html#1.2 it even mentions that a Rear Projection needs to be tuned. Let me quota a couple sections fromthe above site.

Calibration is for the most part directed at the Home Theater enthusiasts who want to get the full potential that their television sets can offer. It also has the possibility of adding a 3-dimensional realism and a "film like" look to video. When done properly it has the potential to extending the life of rear projectors (R/P's) by limiting and lowering the average light level output.

FYI - Most non-calibrated R/P's loose somewhere between 25-30% of their total light output in the first 1000 hours of use. After the first 1000 hours, light output remains almost consistent throughout the remaining life of the picture tubes (about +/- 10,000 hours).


1.3 WHAT TELEVISIONS NEED CALIBRATION
Currently no manufactured television (Direct View or Projection) out-of-the-box offers true NTSC gray scale tracking. Most TV's suffer from overscan, SVM, etc. Calibration can bring most TV's closer to the true NTSC standard.

1.3a REAR PROJECTORS (R/P's)
Rear projectors (R/P's) need proper initial setup and calibration if they are to give the degree of focus and clarity comparable to that of a Direct View (tube) set. In general R/P's, geometry, though improved, still needs work. Even with the best possible efforts with the "French horn screws" or s/w equivalent, it is impossible to get the "roller coaster" effect out of the ticker crawls. Also, convergence drift is still a problem. The price of that tremendous light output continues to be more than average viewing hotspots

So if it's not a a scam, it's still what sounds like a major hassle... Don't know that I've ever experienced one that was set up properly - judging by what you've described, Jim.

Not a great sales pitch for the RP units, but I imagine that might change to see one live and in top form.

I still haven't seen any to match the DLP RP models... that Samsung called me from across the store.
:lol:

that samsung DLP is very nice, my uncle just picked one up

Well the reason they need to be tweaked is because the RP can go out of alignment when they are moved. I have had mine partially done when the guns where misaligned because of a weird problem (upper corner would not align via the user convergence menu, and someone came in an re-aligned it with the service menu.


Jim