I am thinking about upgrading my tv any suggestions? (up to 47in)?

Question

I am thinking about uprading my tv any suggestions? (LCD, Plasma, up to 50in) I also want to upgrade to a new desktop that i can use to run DVR, Movies, Satelite, TV, etc... any suggestions on what i will need?

Answer 1

42-47in is perfect. I recommend LCD. I have one myself. Plasma may not be bad if you are in a dark area (Basement) as the protective screen has a large glare factor and remember Plasma screens have a limited use time. Mind you unless you watch TV 24 hours a day your wouldn't come close but yet just another factor in siding with an LCD!!! I recommend Sharp AQUAS. SHarp will really take care of you after the purchase as well. You can join an Elite AQUOS club LoL! Seriously, you get discounts and newsletters and stuff.

Answer 2

The Image Science Foundation recommends that a television be half the distance of the diagonal that you are sitting at.  Ergo, if somebody is sitting at 100 inches, the set itself should be 50 inches.  Currently the top sets out are Pioneer Elite FD series in the plasma technology and the Samsung 81 series in L.C.D.  A 46 inch in the 81 series goes for about 3500 dollars if that is indeed the size that is correct.  These televisions are the only sets by major manufacturers that are certified by the Image Science Foundation to meet their standards.  They do require professional calibration by a C.E.D.I.A. certified home theater professional to be able to reach these standards which costs an additional 300 dollars or so.  If the 81 series Samsung is out of the question, then the Samsung 650 series is the next best out there which will give slightly better color results than the Sony X.B.R. 4 and 5.  These are the main two L.C.D. sets to consider.  If a different L.C.D. set is purchased, the set should at least have 120 Hz. capabilities and stay away from sets that have their firmware locked by the manufacturer so that only they can service it.  Sharp is the main violator of this rule.  If it is locked, it would keep the user from being able to get the set calibrated and also it makes repair costs higher because the television would have to be repaired by somebody directly from the company in general.

As for the computer, there really isn't a huge requisite for it.  There would have to be a V.G.A. output for video and an S.P.D.I.F. output for sound.  There should also be a Blu-Ray drive in there as well.  Keep in mind that satellite is the best way to go for the sheer number of high definition stations, but that the content is protected through high definition copyright protection and cannot be recorded with out the use of a D.V.R. particularly slated from the satellite company.

For a surround sound receiver, it's recommended that it be H.D.M.I. 1.3 capable and have DolbyTrueH.D. and D.T.S.H.D. as well.  H.D.M.I. upscaling is also a recommended feature.