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Hello everyone,I must admit I've been out of the loop on HDTV’s. My church is looking to purchase a HDTV (720 is OK) for our parish center and I'm looking for advice on what brand/size/type (Plasma, LCD?) we should purchase to mount on the wall. They want it thin so I'm thinking DLP is out of the question. It will also be connected to a DVD player (HDMI,) We will not have a Blue-Ray player connected.
The room size is 16' X 22', but has two pocket doors (6' opening) that leads to another room which is the same width and another 20' deep. Another words the TV will mainly be for the 16X22 room, but could also be viewed from the other room as well when needed. The TV will be mounted on the 16' wall. Also the TV needs the capability to be connected to a computer as well for presentations and such.
There are windows on one wall, but have blinds that can be shut. It also has sheers (completely over windows) and drapes (don't close). I have never noticed this room to be very bright from sunlight (i.e. no direct sunlight.) When the room is in use, the above fluorescent lights are usually turned on. However, during daylight hours, the TV probably would be fine with the above lights turned off.
We would want a quality product that will last for many years (I know, I am asking for the moon.)
The budget is in the $1,000 to $1,500 range. We might could go a little higher if their is something better/worthy of the price. Any suggestions on size, brand/model, type would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
Edits: 06/11/10Follow Ups:
You want to save power and not heat up your room. Go for an LCD. Go to a retailer and try the hand test. Place your hand on top of the various HDTV's. You will find the following:
Plasma's are hot and have a nice stream of hot air rising from them.
Normal (florescent backlit) LCD's have just a hint of warmness rising from them.
LED backlits are basically cool.
The problem is LED backlits cost about 500 or so more so they may be out of your budget.
The size recommendations are right, the larger the better, mid 50's at the minimum.
DO NOT USE A DVD Player. Come on, you can get a blu ray player for about 100 bucks, less used so do not use a cheap dvd player. On that big screen a dvd output will look horrible unless it is a quality unit that does some decent upscaling. Just get a bluray player, they make even regular dvd's look great.
Just because it is a church doesn't mean you have to put up with junk. Let it be known that for a few hundred extra you can get a nice, cool LED backlit tv with a new blu ray player. I'm sure a few families will be willing to make the donations.
We'll have to agree to disagree about global warming until the next global cooling scare comes along
I'd be inclined to pay as little as possible without getting into anything more no-name than Vizio. This is not a display for videophiles watching 1080p content. LCD, not plasma, and if the source is mainly DVD, 720p is just fine. 50" rather than 40" if possible. The less you pay, the less painful it'll be to replace if it dies or is obsolete. Put the money you save in a "replace or upgrade" savings account, and buy with a credit card that doubles the manufacturer's warranty if possible. I don't think flat-panel displays are mature enough yet to invest in for the long term. If it's still working in 5 years, raffle it off to parishioners and put the money towards buying something better (1080p? LED?).
I'm also tempted to suggest an LCD (or DLP) projector, but there's the question of bulb life, and dealing with ambient light.
So don't waste it and get more for your money! For $1450 delivered, you can get a 54" 1920x1080 Panasonic plasma from the reputable online vendor below:
Joe, read the specs. It has very limited PC connectivity, as in HDMI & component only. A great TV at a really good price, but not worth a hoot as a display for a PC. The OP said that it had to double as a PC display for presentations, etc.
You mean to tell me people are still using the VGA output on their PC? Seriously? DVI has been around for what... over a decade? Besides, even a cheapskate can get a video card with a DVI output for $25. Many come with DVI-HDMI adapters and with the ones that don't you can just use a DVI-HDMI cable. There are even several motherboards now available with HDMI outputs.
The display doesn't have limited PC capability -- using VGA for the PC's output is what is limiting. Trust me or check your calendar -- it really is 2010.
It looks like Best buy has a good selection. But here is one cheaper option.
The bad review on the Costco site was for a slightly different model.
Plasma would do just fine there as well. You can easily find a Panasonic 50" in that price range. Picture quality from plasma is still better than LCD types. Plasmas can still get very bright, so will work in well lit rooms.
I do not necessarily disagree with what you said about the suitability of plasma to the room environement. My LCD recco had more to do with the potential for use as a PC display, being big enough to be seen from twenty feet away and fitting the budget. It is going to be nearly impossible to find a plasma to fit all those requirements. For example, the Panny you linked to is at the minimum size I would consider for a room that big, it is well within budget, but it has very limited PC connectivity capability (HDMI input only). I still think to get the complete package he's almost forced to go LCD for the budget he has.
Edits: 06/11/10
From the description of the environment and the budget, my recco would be to look at LCD's, and given the size of the room the bigger the better. To get into the 60" and bigger range, which given room size is where I suggest you concentrate, you're going to have to up the budget by as much as 50% over the top of your range. You can definitely get into the 50" - 55" size category with your current budget. In this size group you may want to look closely at models from LG. Not so much because of picture quality, but because of connectivity with computer and internet sources. LG seems to be just a little ahead of they competition in this respect. Personally, I am not a fan of LCD. I prefer plasma, but given your requirements I feel like the LCD would be a better fit for your situation.
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