LCD 1080p flat panel TV-Blu ray

[Glynda]

The speaker has gone on our old TV and I need to buy a new one this week. Right now I have the picture on in the living room and the volume on the TV in the kitchen up full to hear in here. Neighbors must not be happy.

I plan to buy a LCD flat panel, HDTV, and would like it to be a 1080p for playing Blu Ray.

The problem. I can only fit a 32-37 inch screen in the cabinet (which I am not willing to part with or move) and I only see Sharp making a 37 inch 1080p as I search the internet and stores. I had hoped to buy Sony or Samsung but their 1080p starts at 40 inch. I was told that one needs at least a 40 inch screen for Blu Ray.

Does anyone have an opinion on the quality of Sharp or know of another 32-37 inch 1080p? If I buy a 720P will I be able to play Blu Ray at all or just not gain the full benefit from it?

 

[sandcastles]

I can't answer your question but I do want to tell you that I was in the same boat and bought a new LCD about a month ago.

We have a beautiful and expensive entertainment center that I was not willing to get rid of. We thought 37" would be pushing it. Our local store told us that Toshiba had a new 40" out that had very little side panels and it would fit where another 37" would fit. We bought it and it fits great. We did have to take the doors off the center but we would have had to do that with a 37" anyway.

 

[LUVourMarriotts]

Does anyone have an opinion on the quality of Sharp or know of another 32-37 inch 1080p? If I buy a 720P will I be able to play Blu Ray at all or just not gain the full benefit from it?

The quality of Sharp LCD is very good, especially when going for their 1080p models. Sharp is actually ahead of a lot of other manufacturers with technology, especially for their glass cutting process for the LCD's. The pictures from all the Sharps that I've seen are fantastic. A friend of a friend works at Sharp, and has many in his home. Very high end to lower end small LCD's for the kitchen. Every one is fantastic looking. You should be able to make out the general quality at a store, comparing to the surrounding models.

Note that VERY few channels will be 1080p, with cable. I think there is only 1 channel in my cable system. Other posts have said that satellite has a lot of 1080p channels. I wouldn't know about that.

 

[Glynda]

Sharp and 1080p

Thanks for the thumbs up on Sharp.

Well, I don't even know about the TV channels and 1080p. I was just told I needed it for Blu Ray and planned to buy a Blu Ray player with this new TV. Right now I don't even have HDTV added to my cable plan. Just wanted to get the best for the future though I know that changes all the time.

Do you know if I will I be able to play Blu Ray on a 720p?

 

[Glynda]

Toshiba

I'll go look up Toshiba's measurements their web site. Thanks. I think a 37 will be pushing it in the cabinet though and removing the doors would make not difference.

 

[TUGBrian]

there are zero 1080p broadcast channels that im aware of...highest you will see is 1080i or 720p.

the only thing doing 1080p is bluray..and some internet movies.

 

[LnM]

your blu ray will play on 720p just not up to its potential, the best place for info on anything video or audio is avs forum . com. they are to audio/video what tug is to timeshare.

 

[Kal]

Sharp makes an extremely good HDTV. I would pick up another one in a heart beat.

For Blu-ray, don't be confused about 1080p. The nice thing about Blu-ray, unlike other DVD players, is it will deliver 1080p. It will also deliver 720p and other formats. The 1080p is the top end of the scale, not the beginning of the scale.

 

[DaveNV]

I own a Sharp Aquos 52" and a Visio 42". Both are HDTV compatible, and both play Blu-Ray very well. The Visio is very good, but the Sharp is outstanding. If you can make a Sharp Aquos fit your cabinet, I'm sure you'll be very happy with it.

Dave

 

[Glynda]

Choices

Thanks everyone. Consumer reports gave Sharp the top two ratings in the 50-52 inch category but not such good ones below that size. Still, it appears that Sharp and Toshiba are the only two choices for me if I go 1080p. And after re-measuring my cabinet and checking out their widths, it looks like I've got to go down to a 32 inch model. I hate that in this day of bigger screen TVs but oh well, it's a small room and I love my red Habersham corner cabinet! Since I was also told that it takes at least a 40 inch and 1080p to realize the full Blu Ray benefits, and I can't go that large, I might consider going with a 720p and then Sony and Samsung open back up to me.

Sigh. This makes my head hurt.

I'll check out that web site!

 

[Icarus]

I have a Sharp Aquos 1080p LC-37D62U LCD and I really like it. BD disks played through my PS3 look great on it, as does 1080i HD tv. They don't even sell this model anymore and I didn't buy it that long ago, and when I bought it, it was a new model. In the CE space, models change frequently.

Looks like their current 37" model does 1080i and 720p only. Though it's also selling for several hundred dollars cheaper than what I paid for mine. Is there a current 37" 1080p model available?

Looks like you can get the one I have from B&H at a good price if that's the one you want:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/481561-REG/Sharp_LC37D62U_LC_37D62U_37_16_9_AQUOS.html

I guess there's also a 37D64U (available at onecall.com) that's also 1080p. Is that their current model or is that one also an older model? www.sharpusa.com still shows my model as the current model so I guess it's not clear if it's really discontinued or not. Don't let "discontinued" sway you from buying it. CE products are constantly evolving, and if anything discontinued in this case probably means a good price, though you won't get new features like 120Hz display.

As for BD players, they will output any resolution you select, but in order to get the most resolution from BD players, you probably want 1080p.

-David

 

[MOXJO7282]

The speaker has gone on our old TV and I need to buy a new one this week. Right now I have the picture on in the living room and the volume on the TV in the kitchen up full to hear in here. Neighbors must not be happy.

I plan to buy a LCD flat panel, HDTV, and would like it to be a 1080p for playing Blu Ray.

The problem. I can only fit a 32-37 inch screen in the cabinet (which I am not willing to part with or move) and I only see Sharp making a 37 inch 1080p as I search the internet and stores. I had hoped to buy Sony or Samsung but their 1080p starts at 40 inch. I was told that one needs at least a 40 inch screen for Blu Ray.

Does anyone have an opinion on the quality of Sharp or know of another 32-37 inch 1080p? If I buy a 720P will I be able to play Blu Ray at all or just not gain the full benefit from it?

We were in the exact same situation, and let me tell you what we did. We moved the cabinet. If it is that nice, it more than likely can be placed somewhere else, and look as nice or better. We came to this conclusion because we realized this will probably be a TV we have for 15 years so we wanted to get the right size. We now love the cabinet in our living room, and now have a beautiful 40" Sony XBR LCD, with Blu Ray in 1080P, and it is gorgeous. Not a huge set, but the 18000 contract ratio and the Blue ray video capability is amazing.

Good luck no matter what you decide.

Regards.
Joe

 

[Kal]

My neighbor just bought a Toshiba 47" LCD. After reading tons of material on the AVS Forum on this set, I adjusted the screen settings for him. I did my very best but was not pleased with the final outcome. The Toshiba is quite inferior compared to my AQUOS Sharp 46".

 

[SDKath]

I agree -- you can't beat the Aquos! Now if only they were a little less $$ for the larger sets (70+ inch), we'd be in good shape.

Katherine

 

[Glynda]

Cabinet and measurements...

We were in the exact same situation, and let me tell you what we did. We moved the cabinet. If it is that nice, it more than likely can be placed somewhere else, and look as nice or better. We came to this conclusion because we realized this will probably be a TV we have for 15 years so we wanted to get the right size. We now love the cabinet in our living room, and now have a beautiful 40" Sony XBR LCD, with Blu Ray in 1080P, and it is gorgeous. Not a huge set, but the 18000 contract ratio and the Blue ray video capability is amazing.

Good luck no matter what you decide.

Regards.
Joe

There is not a single other place in this small house to put the corner cabinet and it's really stunning in this room...the antiqued red finish against my dark gold walls...it's great moldings. Perfect to fit the corner space between the fireplace on one wall and a window on the other...filling an otherwise awkward space and perfect to close the doors and cover it all up as this is the only room to entertain in. It and the fireplace are the focal points of the room. This is an 1875 former kitchen house in Charleston and the living room is only like 12 x 14 so maximizing space is essential and viewing a smaller set is not bad. Can you tell how resolute I am?

I just helped my mother buy the 40" Sony 40V3000 for her house (she still had an ancient floor model in a cabinet) and I love that Sony set. That's one I would like to have as well.

Hmmmm....just got out my tape measure....while the opening at the front of the cabinet, the door opening, is just 34 inches, if I set the panel back about four or five inches into the cabinet, the cabinet sides widen out considerably to the wall before coming back in to the back corner. That gives me like 43 inches which is enough for a 40 inch screen, most which measure 38 or so in width. What I have to figure out is if part of the screen would not be viewable because of the front opening...especially on the outside corners. They don't have much casing around them these days. I'm pretty challenged when it comes to doing the math and spatial things. I could always buy one locally and take it back if it doesn't work. Thanks!

 

[Glynda]

I have a Sharp Aquos 1080p LC-37D62U LCD and I really like it. BD disks played through my PS3 look great on it, as does 1080i HD tv. They don't even sell this model anymore and I didn't buy it that long ago, and when I bought it, it was a new model. In the CE space, models change frequently.

Looks like their current 37" model does 1080i and 720p only. Though it's also selling for several hundred dollars cheaper than what I paid for mine. Is there a current 37" 1080p model available?

Looks like you can get the one I have from B&H at a good price if that's the one you want:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/481561-REG/Sharp_LC37D62U_LC_37D62U_37_16_9_AQUOS.html

I guess there's also a 37D64U (available at onecall.com) that's also 1080p. Is that their current model or is that one also an older model? www.sharpusa.com still shows my model as the current model so I guess it's not clear if it's really discontinued or not. Don't let "discontinued" sway you from buying it. CE products are constantly evolving, and if anything discontinued in this case probably means a good price, though you won't get new features like 120Hz display.

As for BD players, they will output any resolution you select, but in order to get the most resolution from BD players, you probably want 1080p.

-David

Thanks David. I do think Sharp has both 32 and 37 inch models which are 1080p. You've introduced a new concept with the 120Hz display though. Do I want whatever that is? I'm one of those who likes to get the latest and greatest gizmos.

I think I'm going to have to buy it locally though...so I can try it out in the cabinet and take it back if it doesn't work. The current one is only 4 years old, a flat screen Sony, but a monster in size and weight..had to add extra support to the shelf in the cabinet to hold it up. I can't figure out why the speaker won't work and two men who seem to know audio/video have tried and failed. It's hooked up through an amplifier to Bose ceiling speakers, a center speaker and base box. All of a sudden, the Bose speakers will play the radio off the amplifier but not the TV...so I know that they work. Can't get the TV's own speakers to work on TV but they will work when playing a DVD. ARGH!

 

[nazclk]

TV

I believe sony has a 32" 1080 as I am looking to put one in the office of my house. I think it is an XBR4 or XBR5 both the same working parts different cabinet.

 

[jlwquilter]

I have to buy a new set this week too. The old set has been acting funky for months...volume control wacky and is now turning itself on and off at will!

I am thinking the Sharp Aquos 42"... BJs has it for $1500.... is that a good/decent price? And can 2 resonably intelligent do-it-yourselfers install it or should I buy the store install option?
Thanks.

 

[Glynda]

Sony

I believe sony has a 32" 1080 as I am looking to put one in the office of my house. I think it is an XBR4 or XBR5 both the same working parts different cabinet.

I've been to Sony's web site and the only 1080ps I can find start at 40 inch.

Link me if you can find one smaller! Thanks.

 

[Icarus]

I think I'm going to have to buy it locally though...so I can try it out in the cabinet and take it back if it doesn't work. The current one is only 4 years old, a flat screen Sony, but a monster in size and weight..had to add extra support to the shelf in the cabinet to hold it up. I can't figure out why the speaker won't work and two men who seem to know audio/video have tried and failed. It's hooked up through an amplifier to Bose ceiling speakers, a center speaker and base box. All of a sudden, the Bose speakers will play the radio off the amplifier but not the TV...so I know that they work. Can't get the TV's own speakers to work on TV but they will work when playing a DVD. ARGH!

ok, so let's try to solve that problem. You aren't getting audio out of the home theater receiver and the bose speakers from the tv, is that the problem? What about the internal speakers on the tv? If they are disabled, can you enable them? How do you get audio from the video source to the receiver? We sort of need to know how you have this all wired up to figure out what's wrong, before you decide that it's the TV. It could be several things that have to be eliminated first. For example, the receiver may not be set up properly even though it was before. The video source may not be set up properly to send the audio to the receiver. Are you getting audio from your dvd player through the receiver?

If you have a cable box, the way I would connect it to the tv and the receiver are to use in the following order:

- HDMI from the cable box to the tv (carries both audio + video)
- DVI + Audio L+R from the cable box to the tv.
- Component Video + Audio L+R from the cable box to the tv.

Plus, if you have a home theater receiver,

- Optical audio out from the cable box to the home theater receiver.

This is not the only way to do this, some people wire everything through a home theater receiver and use the home theater receiver to switch the video sources to the TV. The only downside with that method is that you can't use the TVs speakers and must turn on the A/V receiver in order to do anything. Personally, I prefer to run audio + video directly to the tv, and run the optical or coax outputs from the cable box and dvd players to the receiver so I can chose which way I want to watch and listen to the source. This also makes it easier to solve problems like this.

Either way, there are two things to check. Make sure the optical output is enabled on the cable box and check what sort of stream it's sending to the receiver. You probably want Dolby Digital if your receiver can handle that. PCM should almost always work for troubleshooting. Then check on the receiver that the input source (eg, cable box, or whatever) is paired with the input you have the cable box optical out plugged into on the receiver.

The dimensions for these TVs are all available online. For example, for the LC-37D62U, they are on this page:

http://www.sharpusa.com/products/ModelDetailedSpecs/0,1161,1833-,00.html

 

[Kal]

....a new concept with the 120Hz display though. Do I want whatever that is? I'm one of those who likes to get the latest and greatest gizmos....

Definitely, the 120Hz Frame Rate Conversion is a must-have feature. It provides a crystal clear image for FAST action scenes. Read about it Here.

 

[carl2591]

getting a new LCD tv

I went to local best buy with a tape measure and looked at and got actual sizes of the units I was looking at.

Sony is the best hands down.. Sharp is nice unit no doubt but he XBR5 series sony are the top of the heap and they price them accordingly.

Also make sure you are getting a new generation of sharp as they had problem with picture on the older models.. and go for the 120 mzh model it will make a nice difference in fast motion scene like basketball, hockey etc...

we get several high def station in the raleigh area.. WRAL is 1080i over the air.. forget cable and use your outdoor antenna the picture is amazing..use cable for HGTV and such..

have fun and good hunting...

 

[Glynda]

ok, so let's try to solve that problem. You aren't getting audio out of the home theater receiver and the bose speakers from the tv, is that the problem? What about the internal speakers on the tv? If they are disabled, can you enable them? How do you get audio from the video source to the receiver? We sort of need to know how you have this all wired up to figure out what's wrong, before you decide that it's the TV. It could be several things that have to be eliminated first. For example, the receiver may not be set up properly even though it was before. The video source may not be set up properly to send the audio to the receiver. Are you getting audio from your dvd player through the receiver?

If you have a cable box, the way I would connect it to the tv and the receiver are to use in the following order:

- HDMI from the cable box to the tv (carries both audio + video)
- DVI + Audio L+R from the cable box to the tv.
- Component Video + Audio L+R from the cable box to the tv.

Plus, if you have a home theater receiver,

- Optical audio out from the cable box to the home theater receiver.

This is not the only way to do this, some people wire everything through a home theater receiver and use the home theater receiver to switch the video sources to the TV. The only downside with that method is that you can't use the TVs speakers and must turn on the A/V receiver in order to do anything. Personally, I prefer to run audio + video directly to the tv, and run the optical or coax outputs from the cable box and dvd players to the receiver so I can chose which way I want to watch and listen to the source. This also makes it easier to solve problems like this.

Either way, there are two things to check. Make sure the optical output is enabled on the cable box and check what sort of stream it's sending to the receiver. You probably want Dolby Digital if your receiver can handle that. PCM should almost always work for troubleshooting. Then check on the receiver that the input source (eg, cable box, or whatever) is paired with the input you have the cable box optical out plugged into on the receiver.

The dimensions for these TVs are all available online. For example, for the LC-37D62U, they are on this page:

http://www.sharpusa.com/products/ModelDetailedSpecs/0,1161,1833-,00.html

KEMcA: Thanks, David, that was a lot of effort and I appreciate it but it's kind of Greek to me. Plus I am incapable of moving out the monster TV to look behind it and wouldn't know what I was looking at if I did. I've also found a nice, financially struggling, young man who wants the free TV and is coming for it tomorrow. I wouldn't want to let him down now.

I will print your information for set-up of the new TV which will be lighter and easier for me (or more likely whoever I can persuade to come over and do it) to get to the various whatevers. I may even have to pay for installation from wherever I buy it.

As far as the mystery of what it is goes, I'm not getting audio for television programming from either the Bose speakers or the TV's own speakers. I can get radio through the Bose Speakers from the receiver and I can put a DVD in the player and get audio through the TV's own speakers so apparently all work and it must be a connection problem. There is a cable box involved too. But I'm not capable of answering your other questions. Thanks!

 

[Glynda]

Decisions Decisions...

Tomorrow is the day I must decide and purchase. I'm going to have to go with a 32 inch because of the cabinet.

On avs.com, if I understand what I'm reading (and I don't understand a whole lot on there),1080p really doesn't make any difference on smaller than 40 inches or when sitting more than 5 feet away from a small screen.

While Sharp seems to be the only choice for a 32 inch 1080p I've read that there is/has been a banding issue with Sharp. Somewhere I think I've read that's only on larger sets though. Does anyone here know the status of that issue?

Son-in-law is telling me that I don't need 1080p and that he'd wait on buying a Blu Ray player for awhile and just buy an HDDVD player that, as he put it, "jacks it up."

I'm just getting cross-eyed over this. But right now, it's between these three:

Sony Bravia XBR KDL 32XBR4 (720p) $1329 at Best Buy
Samsung LN-T3242H (720p) $809 at Best Buy
Sharp Aquos LC32GP1U (1080p) $1329 Best Buy

I haven't figured out yet if any of them have the 120hz.

While I don't like to waste money, the price difference doesn't matter IF I'm getting that much more quality and features for the money.

Thoughts?

 

[Icarus]

Son-in-law is telling me that I don't need 1080p and that he'd wait on buying a Blu Ray player for awhile and just buy an HDDVD player that, as he put it, "jacks it up."

Thoughts?

HDDVD is dead. Toshiba announced that they were exiting the business which kills it off, since they were the force behind HD-DVD. You can still buy an HD-DVD player and you can still find movies in HD-DVD right now, but it's going the way of Betamax, and in the near to long term, you won't be able to purchase new movies in HD-DVD.

If you want a BD player, the best option right now is to get the Sony PS3 for $399 plus the $24 DVD player bluetooth remote for the PS3.

My opinion is that you should go look at the TVs you are interested in and do some viewing in the store (using HD sources and also SD sources) and determine for yourself what you want.

People, including me, can tell you what they like, but we can't tell you what you like and what differences you can or can't detect between TVs. At the end of the day, you're the one that has to live with it.

-David