Recommendations for 32" TV for DirecTV use?
 

I wonder if anyone out there can give me some recommendations for a
32" Color TV for use with DirecTV. I've been living with my 20" RCA
for years (nothing wrong with it) but I'd like to upgrade.

I'd like to stay with 32" only because I have an expensive armoire in
the den that will only hold a 32" (35.5" wide door-to-door X 28.25"
high X 18.5" deep - but there is a hole in the back for extra depth).
But I guess I could turn the top into a bar!

Since I have DirecTV (using a Sony SAT-A2 receiver), I guess lots of
the bells and whistles are useless (like PIP), right?

Any recommendations for a particular brand and model (Panasonic,
Toshiba,Sony - though they tend to be a bit wide, Sharp, RCA, or more
generics like Apex)? Also, should I go with flat screen, HDTV ready
(or do I need a separate tuner, etc.)?

Thanks for your advice.

Mark wrote:

I wonder if anyone out there can give me some recommendations for a
32" Color TV for use with DirecTV. I've been living with my 20" RCA
for years (nothing wrong with it) but I'd like to upgrade.

I'd like to stay with 32" only because I have an expensive armoire in
the den that will only hold a 32" (35.5" wide door-to-door X 28.25"
high X 18.5" deep - but there is a hole in the back for extra depth).
But I guess I could turn the top into a bar!

Since I have DirecTV (using a Sony SAT-A2 receiver), I guess lots of
the bells and whistles are useless (like PIP), right?

I know someone who wanted PIP on his big screen TV so badly
that he bought a second receiver just for that.


Any recommendations for a particular brand and model (Panasonic,
Toshiba,Sony - though they tend to be a bit wide, Sharp, RCA, or more
generics like Apex)? Also, should I go with flat screen, HDTV ready
(or do I need a separate tuner, etc.)?

Thanks for your advice.

On Fri Jan 02, Mark disturbed my nap when he said:

I wonder if anyone out there can give me some recommendations for a
32" Color TV for use with DirecTV. I've been living with my 20" RCA
for years (nothing wrong with it) but I'd like to upgrade.

I'd like to stay with 32" only because I have an expensive armoire in
the den that will only hold a 32" (35.5" wide door-to-door X 28.25"
high X 18.5" deep - but there is a hole in the back for extra depth).
But I guess I could turn the top into a bar!

Since I have DirecTV (using a Sony SAT-A2 receiver), I guess lots of
the bells and whistles are useless (like PIP), right?

Any recommendations for a particular brand and model (Panasonic,
Toshiba,Sony - though they tend to be a bit wide, Sharp, RCA, or more
generics like Apex)? Also, should I go with flat screen, HDTV ready
(or do I need a separate tuner, etc.)?

Thanks for your advice.

I have DirecTV and a 15+ year-old 27" RCA which I replaced a couple weeks
ago. I read, posted and went to a couple stores and bought a Toshiba
32af43 (flat 32" direct-view) after I saw it and the comparable Sony side
by side. I use the S-video connx between sat rec'r and TV (same as the
old RCA) and considering I paid $533 am thrilled with this TV. The
picture quality is outstanding - vibrant/crisp. Plus it has a 16:9 mode
for widescreen DVDs. I have read one or two folks complaining it lacks
tons-o-features. I couldn't care less. I buy a TV to look at, not play
with.

This particular set is (IIRC) 34.5" wide, ~22" deep and around 20" tall.
It's 150 lbs and because of the width is somewhat awkward for one person
to bring in/set up (take my word for it :-))

As far as HD-ready, can't help much there. Although they are absolutely
spectacular to look at, HD programming is way too meager (I don't watch
primetime network) for spending that kind of cash. At twice the price
plus for a quality HD set it was a no-brainer. When HD is more prevalent
in a few years, and when HD TVs are even better for less money, that's
when I'll look into one. For now this great value direct-view set is the
tits AFAIC.

That's my recommendation.

Mike
--

mike.ballard--at--earthlink.net

"Roses are red, violets are blue,
I'm schizophrenic and so am I"

HDTV is everywhere, not meger at all. Screw the Networks, but ESPN and HD Net
is jaw dropping picture quality. ABC Monday Night Football is pretty dam good
too. I watch almost everything HD or I do not watch.

If you do not buy the top of the line RPTV's, then the price for a HD set is
very reasonable. At this point in time....GO HD

On Sat Jan 03, DOA9 disturbed my nap when he said:

HDTV is everywhere, not meger at all. Screw the Networks, but ESPN and HD Net
is jaw dropping picture quality. ABC Monday Night Football is pretty dam good
too. I watch almost everything HD or I do not watch.

Define "everywhere" (so long as we're both talking U.S.; and HD picture
quality has absolutely nothing to do with its availability). Let me see:
three networks offer some HD in _primetime_ only, an ESPN HD channel (ESPN
is MAJOR **** if you're a race fan), a Discovery channel and I think an
HBO HD channel. There's also...um, I guess that's about it (24hr sewing
channels in HD do not count).

DirecTV provides a couple hundred channels. That means about 5% have
(some) HD available. That my friend, is serious meager. And not a number
I personally am willing to blow more than $1000 on when in a few years
when HD truly is everywhere, and the set tech is better/cheaper is the
time to get HD.

Mike
--

mike.ballard--at--earthlink.net

"Roses are red, violets are blue,
I'm schizophrenic and so am I"

During NFL regular season, I get 5 HD games a week, plus several NHL games a
week with some NBA and College Hoop games. Plus some college football games in
stunning HD. My favorite old series "Charlie's Angles" that Mark Cuban has made
all high def. Almost all Fox, NBC, CBS and ABC shows are in high def between
8PM and 11 PM. Plus 24 hours a day Discovery Channel HD, HDNET, ESPN HD, one
HBO HD, one SHOW Time HD. Plus other shows during off peak veiw times as
indicated on TitanTV.com.

Do not for get that most of the HD shows are in 5.1 so......... yep there is a
ton of HD available with more all the time. My cable offers no HD but Direct TV
and OTA provides me plenty of choices. Do not forget Zoom TV that has 21 HD
channels.

HD is not available for a lot of stuff yet but there is still is a ton of shows
available righ now with more every week coming available. If you like sports,
that is the only reason you need to get HD.

HD is no longer expensive so why waste your money on old technology. Go HD now
and you will never look back.

DOA9 wrote:

During NFL regular season, I get 5 HD games a week, plus several NHL games a
week with some NBA and College Hoop games. Plus some college football games in
stunning HD. My favorite old series "Charlie's Angles" that Mark Cuban has made
all high def. Almost all Fox, NBC, CBS and ABC shows are in high def between
8PM and 11 PM.

I believe FOX has no (zero) HD programming available for the next 6
months.....



Plus 24 hours a day Discovery Channel HD, HDNET, ESPN HD, one
HBO HD, one SHOW Time HD. Plus other shows during off peak veiw times as
indicated on TitanTV.com.

Do not for get that most of the HD shows are in 5.1 so......... yep there is a
ton of HD available with more all the time. My cable offers no HD but Direct TV
and OTA provides me plenty of choices. Do not forget Zoom TV that has 21 HD
channels.

HD is not available for a lot of stuff yet but there is still is a ton of shows
available righ now with more every week coming available. If you like sports,
that is the only reason you need to get HD.

HD is no longer expensive so why waste your money on old technology. Go HD now
and you will never look back.

Jeff Strieble ) wrote in alt.home-theater.misc:
I have no use for satellite TV either. From what I've read, the
satellite systems have a *lot* of drawbacks, such as, in most cases,
no local channels unless one pays extra for them,

Trust me, you pay for your locals on cable...it's just bundled in and
cannot be taken out. Ask your cable company if you can reduce your
service to "lifeline" or "minimum"...whatever they call the fewest
channels. Chances are, it includes the locals and a few cable channels
that pay the cable company for carriage, yet your bill will be over
$10/month. *That's* what you pay for locals.

poor reception in
rainy or snowy weather,

It has to be a monsoon (or hurricane, in my case) to kill reception.
Even so, it's rarely more than 5 minutes. Snow doesn't affect my dish
at all, even though it has been nearly buried before. BTW, I live near
DC, so we are "lucky" enough to get *both* snow and the occasional
hurricane.

no customer support in case the dish crashes
to the ground,

I have never heard this reported by anyone. My TV antenna suffered from
the hurricane winds, but the satellite dish didn't budge.

the LNB(s) goes bad, or something goes wrong with the
receiver (the customer is responsible for all repairs to a satellite
system).

This is true, although you can pay DirecTV for an extended warranty
service that covers *everything* from dish to receiver...free repairs
and equipment replacement for anything.

With cable, repairs are taken care of by the cable provider,

....but not always free. Usually, if it is inside your house and it isn't
the cable box, it costs money.

local broadcast channels are always part of every level of service,
and the reception is never affected by weather.

"never affected by weather"...what a riot. When DirecTV only carried the
"big 5" networks, I kept lifeline cable to be able to watch UPN and WB.
During those two years, the cable went out far more often during rain
than the satellite signal, because most of the cables are underground, and
just a little bit of water getting into the connectors kills the signal,
and until the water drains out, it stays killed. So, we had cable outages
of 8 to 10 hours while we never lost satellite at all, because the rain
was light but long.

IMO, cable has it all over satellite; I would not have a satellite
dish unless I were living in an area (such as some parts of the West
and Southwest, or very rural areas in other parts of the country)
which did not have cable.

Despite the fact that I have a large cable company servicing my area
(Comcast), I would never go back to them. I can receive all my HD locals
over the air via an antenna (which I would still need even with cable,
since they don't provide all of them), and get everything else I want from
DirecTV, and spend far less doing it. For all the services I get, I spend
$65/month for DirecTV instead of the nearly $80/month for Comcast.

--
Jeff Rife |
For address harvesters: | http://www.nabs.net/Cartoons/OverTheHedge/Olympics.gif
|
|
|

Jeff Rife wrote in message ...

Despite the fact that I have a large cable company servicing my area
(Comcast), I would never go back to them. I can receive all my HD locals
over the air via an antenna (which I would still need even with cable,
since they don't provide all of them), and get everything else I want from
DirecTV, and spend far less doing it. For all the services I get, I spend
$65/month for DirecTV instead of the nearly $80/month for Comcast.

Ditto for me. One other reason for going with satellite, such as
Direct TV, the picture is superb on virtually every channel. When I
had cable, the picture on most channels experienced lots of
interference. I wouldn't go back to cable.