CanadianGuitarist 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2009 Also, I've officially given up on my hopes of an Xbox BluRay add-on, and have added a Blu Ray player to my TV wishlist. I'll endure having five(five!) remotes and a little less space in my entertainment centre. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dobbs 3K 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2009 Also, I've officially given up on my hopes of an Xbox BluRay add-on, and have added a Blu Ray player to my TV wishlist. I'll endure having five(five!) remotes and a little less space in my entertainment centre. Couldn't some kind of universal remote solve that? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dandy 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2009 Get a Harmony remote by Logitech. I have programmed a handful of them to work home theaters that I put together, and they work very well once you get them set up the way you need. The software is downloaded to your computer and you put the model numbers of your gear in the appropriate places on your profile. Plug in the remote to your computer's USB, and it downloads the info it needs to operate your system. If need be, you can add lags so it turns on certain parts of your system before others, which is needed in home theater setups. The remote is also capable of learning individual buttons on your existing remotes, and you can fine-tune them to the smallest detail. Most of them handle up to 15 different objects (including lighting, fans, fireplaces, etc.) Some of them command RF as well as IR. Once you have the remotes programmed correctly, operating your system is a breeze. Here is an example from one of my home theater jobs: Pressing the "Watch TV" button powered on the surround sound for 2 seconds before turning on the TV and DirecTV box. During the setup, the software asks if you control the volume through the TV or surround system, which component you use to change channels, which input your TV needs to be on for each component, etc. When the TV came on, it immediately switched to "HDMI 1" as that was where the satellite box was connected. There is no "press this button to control the TV, then this button to switch back to the surround sound." Pressing "Watch Movie," powered on the necessary components for that to work properly. It really is a terrific program, but the setup can be a little frustrating due to no instructions included with the remote. The software has troubleshooting help, but you might need to call customer service and have them walk you through the setup so you can get it working perfectly with regards to lags and other fine-tuning. Once you get it set up, though, it's well worth it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianGuitarist 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2009 I saw the selection we had at Best Buy. No customer ever asked me personally about them, but I did kinda learn the basics of them. They seem like a great idea, and I like the concept of "anything with IR" being controlled by one: TV, STB, BluRay player, ht receiver, 360. Yeah, I think I'd benefit. I should have picked one up (or two, for that matter) when my staff discount meant essentially 50% off. I was going to get one for Christmas for my grandparents, one of whom is blind, who are in the market for a new TV and surround sound system. Then we implemented a $10 dollar limit on gifts that weren't to charity. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianGuitarist 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2009 Did you decide between the two links, Mike? I talked to a guy at a gaming store a few days ago, and he swore up and down Sceptre were a phenomenal TV. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NoCalMike 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2009 Did you decide between the two links, Mike? I talked to a guy at a gaming store a few days ago, and he swore up and down Sceptre were a phenomenal TV. Nope not yet, but my plans may be put on hold a little while longer since our tax return might not end up as big as we initially thought... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hyperchord24 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2009 Get a Harmony remote by Logitech. I have programmed a handful of them to work home theaters that I put together, and they work very well once you get them set up the way you need. The software is downloaded to your computer and you put the model numbers of your gear in the appropriate places on your profile. Plug in the remote to your computer's USB, and it downloads the info it needs to operate your system. If need be, you can add lags so it turns on certain parts of your system before others, which is needed in home theater setups. The remote is also capable of learning individual buttons on your existing remotes, and you can fine-tune them to the smallest detail. Most of them handle up to 15 different objects (including lighting, fans, fireplaces, etc.) Some of them command RF as well as IR. Once you have the remotes programmed correctly, operating your system is a breeze. Here is an example from one of my home theater jobs: Pressing the "Watch TV" button powered on the surround sound for 2 seconds before turning on the TV and DirecTV box. During the setup, the software asks if you control the volume through the TV or surround system, which component you use to change channels, which input your TV needs to be on for each component, etc. When the TV came on, it immediately switched to "HDMI 1" as that was where the satellite box was connected. There is no "press this button to control the TV, then this button to switch back to the surround sound." Pressing "Watch Movie," powered on the necessary components for that to work properly. It really is a terrific program, but the setup can be a little frustrating due to no instructions included with the remote. The software has troubleshooting help, but you might need to call customer service and have them walk you through the setup so you can get it working perfectly with regards to lags and other fine-tuning. Once you get it set up, though, it's well worth it. Love the idea. We have 4 remotes (TV, cable, sound system and blu-ray). We have to turn on the three main components to watch TV or a movie. It's very cumbersome. It's great, only the price tag is 188 bucks at Amazon. The wife certainly does not want to spend that much on something like this especially since we just bought all this other stuff. Plus she has a thing about leaving things plugged in (the remote has a charger). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarvinisaLunatic 0 Report post Posted February 12, 2009 Is it just me, or are the Pioneer Kuro plasmas dropping in price? Japan's Nikkei is reporting that despite planning a return to profitability by sourcing Panasonic plasma panels, facing a consolidated loss of 100 billion yen ($1.08 billion U.S.) it will end TV development and production entirely. that might actually drive the price back up lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianGuitarist 0 Report post Posted February 12, 2009 Did you decide between the two links, Mike? I talked to a guy at a gaming store a few days ago, and he swore up and down Sceptre were a phenomenal TV. Nope not yet, but my plans may be put on hold a little while longer since our tax return might not end up as big as we initially thought... The Sceptre you were looking at is down to 599. The Panasonic plasma I had my eye on is down to 899 - that's 400 cheaper than 2001 Audio Video, where I was looking at it. Plus, free shipping in the States (a buddy of mine will let me ship it to his place), and a sensible amount of sales tax (compared to roughly 45% in Ontario). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawkius Maximus 0 Report post Posted February 13, 2009 Can someone pitch to me a HDTV that I could find for about 400 dollars? While I've stayed somewhat knowledgeable about HDTV's despite not owning one, this is for my mother and she...she has no idea WTF she's looking for. While I can help her, it would be more logical to get the advice of the people in this thread. She's aiming for upper 20's, lower 30's if she can. That'll be a tight fit, I can see online as nothing in that scale from a reputatable brand for that size seems to be near that range. All she'll be aiming to do is watching TV and DVD's. So that's all she really needs. As long as it'd look as good as a CRT she should be happy. I don't even know if she has plans to get HD programming, or a Bluray or anything. She'll sort that out later. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarvinisaLunatic 0 Report post Posted February 13, 2009 Big Lots has a factory reconditioned 32 inch RCA LCD for $350 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NoCalMike 0 Report post Posted February 13, 2009 Did you decide between the two links, Mike? I talked to a guy at a gaming store a few days ago, and he swore up and down Sceptre were a phenomenal TV. Nope not yet, but my plans may be put on hold a little while longer since our tax return might not end up as big as we initially thought... The Sceptre you were looking at is down to 599. The Panasonic plasma I had my eye on is down to 899 - that's 400 cheaper than 2001 Audio Video, where I was looking at it. Plus, free shipping in the States (a buddy of mine will let me ship it to his place), and a sensible amount of sales tax (compared to roughly 45% in Ontario). Wow, No Shit? For that price, I don't even need a tax return to buy it, I can basically withdraw some quick cash and make the purchase....hmm how big was that set again 46"? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianGuitarist 0 Report post Posted February 13, 2009 My bad, it's a 42". The only two I see on there now are a 32 and a 42. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dobbs 3K 0 Report post Posted February 21, 2009 Not to brag, but the wife and I brought home a brand new Pioneer Kuro 50" plasma TV last night. It's a beautiful set. A definite upgrade in picture quality over my old Mitsubishi 48" RPTV. Too bad Pioneer is getting out of the TV business soon, as this flat panel is outstanding. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianGuitarist 0 Report post Posted February 22, 2009 Marvin kinda eluded to Pioneer dropping their prices all over the place - they're probably still out of my +/- 1k budget, but I can say without hyperbole, having seen them on display next to other similar models, they're the frontrunners of plasma. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dobbs 3K 0 Report post Posted February 22, 2009 Yeah...well, I sold my old TV Thursday night and they picked it up Friday, so I wasn't going to sit around for several days or weeks without a TV in our living room. I probably paid a little more for it than I could have gotten it for online, too...but the set I bought is seemingly becoming quite rare. I called like a half dozen stores in SE Wisconsin and only one place had any new ones in stock, so I jumped to get it. Anyway, this set was originally going for around $3500 when it first came out last year, so at current prices it's still a bargain (about 2 grand right now). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dandy 0 Report post Posted February 22, 2009 Love the idea. We have 4 remotes (TV, cable, sound system and blu-ray). We have to turn on the three main components to watch TV or a movie. It's very cumbersome. It's great, only the price tag is 188 bucks at Amazon. The wife certainly does not want to spend that much on something like this especially since we just bought all this other stuff. Plus she has a thing about leaving things plugged in (the remote has a charger). They make a lot of different versions of the Logitech Harmony remotes. Most of them do not have chargers and are battery operated. There are some that are less expensive than others as well. It's still an expensive remote any way you slice it, but totally worth it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarvinisaLunatic 0 Report post Posted February 22, 2009 Marvin kinda eluded to Pioneer dropping their prices all over the place - they're probably still out of my +/- 1k budget, but I can say without hyperbole, having seen them on display next to other similar models, they're the frontrunners of plasma. The Kuro line will go through the roof price wise though. They were already ridiculously priced and this will probably just drive that price up further. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0 Report post Posted March 3, 2009 Are calibration disks worth the price? I just realized that my TV's aren't properly calibrated and I want to get the best picture possible out of them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrVenkman PhD 0 Report post Posted March 4, 2009 You can download a calibration program for $2 from the Xbox Marketplace. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0 Report post Posted March 4, 2009 What's it called and is it effective? $2 is very affordable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrVenkman PhD 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2009 Don't know and don't know, just saw it in Community Games and thought it was interesting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Young 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2009 Are Insignia brand TVs okay? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianGuitarist 0 Report post Posted March 6, 2009 Are Insignia brand TVs okay? Needless to say, I was asked this constantly during my seasonal Best Buy tenure. My answer was always....sort of. They're not too bad, but HD when viewed OTA was incredibly laggy, and froze a lot. I suppose this could be a moot point if you're watching using a cable box (I really can't say for certain, since all we displayed was ota), but I'm willing to bet the song would remain the same. I'm not going to entertain the potential rebuttal of you not watching HD, as you damn well should be. The Dynex, another BB house brand, were the better of the two. Unquestionably, the two brands are priced very well, and while middle-of-the-road, the specs are typically respectable. A Viera plasma I'm looking at boasts "480 hz subfield drive". The measurement of hz suggests it's the same, or similar to, refresh rate - is it? Can anyone fill me in? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jaxxson Mayhem 0 Report post Posted March 6, 2009 Love the idea. We have 4 remotes (TV, cable, sound system and blu-ray). We have to turn on the three main components to watch TV or a movie. It's very cumbersome. It's great, only the price tag is 188 bucks at Amazon. The wife certainly does not want to spend that much on something like this especially since we just bought all this other stuff. Plus she has a thing about leaving things plugged in (the remote has a charger). They make a lot of different versions of the Logitech Harmony remotes. Most of them do not have chargers and are battery operated. There are some that are less expensive than others as well. It's still an expensive remote any way you slice it, but totally worth it. http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-880...?tag=slickdeals $70 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jericholic82 0 Report post Posted March 10, 2009 I'm still baffled by my Circuit City's liquidation sales. People were happily paying full price for open box and display tvs. We were out of all tvs by last Thursday and we closed Sunday. Hell they wre buying in droves the first week, when Tvs were "10 percent off" (really 10 percent of the MSRP, which is higher than our regular prices were of course) The liquidators must have made a killing on this closeout. Considering the all sales final thing, pretty funny to watch. Of course most of them didn't give a crap about me losing my job, so I'm not exactly losing sleep over their problems. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KobashiFS 0 Report post Posted March 26, 2009 I'm looking for an HDTV for my bedroom, and came across a 42-inch Panasonic Viera (C1 Series TC-P42C1 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV). It is only 720p, but it will be a secondary tv set, so I'm willing to settle if I can get a nice 42-incher for $750. I'm not very knowledgeable concerning televisions, so I'd like any opinions on Panasonic Viera's and the specs for this particular model: Product Features 1024 x 768 Native contrast 15,000:1, Dynamic contrast Infinite black for the brightest whites and darkest blacks 2 HDMI 600 Hz Sub-Field drive for razor sharp moving images Viera Image Viewer, enjoy your photos on the big screen via SD card Technical Details Brand Name: Panasonic Model: TC-P42C1 Display Size: 42 inches Height: 26.8 inches Width: 40.2 inches Weight: 57.3 pounds Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianGuitarist 0 Report post Posted March 27, 2009 15k contrast is so-so, especially for a plasma. 720p native is not the highest available by any means, but the difference between rendered 1080 and native 1080 is not earth-shattering. Viera is probably the best-made plasma on the planet, and 42" for 750, regardless of specs, is a bargain. Enjoy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarvinisaLunatic 0 Report post Posted March 31, 2015 It's funny reading some of this thread and then realizing some smaller sized 4k tv are selling for $500 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
