New HDTV!!

[Andy M.]

I didn't get the DVR function. We seldom feel the need to record something because it's "unmissable"

 

[GB]

Recording is a great feature of DVR's, but it is only one of many other features that make it such a great product.

My wife recordes the awards shows like the Academy Awards. She then watches it the next day or whenever she wants. This way she is able to skip over all the commercials and applause and other fluff. A 2 hour award show can then be watched in about 20 minutes

What I love it most for though is all the times that my wife decides to talk to me at that critical moment right when the show is telling you that one piece of info you have been waiting an hour for (who the killer is, how it was done, etc.). I can now rewind so that I do not miss that sort of stuff when she picks that time to ask if I emptied the litter box.

 

[Andy M.]

Good point, GB. I may have to reconsider. I can't tell you how many times one of us turns to the other and asks, "What did he say?".

 

[GB]

It is great for moments like that. Most even have a button that automatically rewinds just a few seconds (5 or so) for those very times.

I also love it when I need to go to the bathroom or answer the phone or get a drink or whatever. You pause it, go do what you need to do, then when you come back you can fast forward over the next set of commercials.

 

[pacanis]

It is great for moments like that. Most even have a button that automatically rewinds just a few seconds (5 or so) for those very times.

I also love it when I need to go to the bathroom or answer the phone or get a drink or whatever. You pause it, go do what you need to do, then when you come back you can fast forward over the next set of commercials.

I love my new DVD player because it will do just that.... you can hit a button and it will back up just a bit and automatically start playing again. Being hard of hearing that's a great feature, but if I had DVR I could do that to also, those 2 hour Academies you mentioned would take me 3

My ultimate goal is to have a TV in every room so I can keep up with the program. And it's not that complicated anymore with wireless TV tuners.

 

[buckytom]

quick question: should i spend the extra $400 bucks and go for the newer 120 hz frame rate technology on the samsung 1080p sets? or is the older, standard response time and lower contrast ration ok?
i've looked at the samsungs and the sonys, and imo, the samsungs were very slightly better, but for a good price i'm open to either.

 

[pacanis]

Can you find any reviews anywhere?
I went with the Samsung LNT 4665F and am pretty happy with it. I just looked and it is 60 hz.
400 bucks..... that'll by a small HDTV for the kitchen! (lol)

 

[GB]

I do not know about the frame rates, but I do know that I could not be happier with my Sony which must be the older technology. If you have the extra $400 to blow then go for it, but my guess is that you would be plenty happy with the older ones.

 

[Andy M.]

quick question: should i spend the extra $400 bucks and go for the newer 120 hz frame rate technology on the samsung 1080p sets? or is the older, standard response time and lower contrast ration ok?
i've looked at the samsungs and the sonys, and imo, the samsungs were very slightly better, but for a good price i'm open to either.

From what I've read, the 120 hz is especially useful when watching sports or other high speed action. I was shown a side by side demo in a showroom of a live cable broadcast and you can see the difference.

I bought my TV online at Abe's of Maine (located in Edison, NJ). It was a very good price and free shipping. Much better than store prices. I bought the Sony for the price of a Mitsubishi or Samsung.

Check out avsforum.com to read what the AV geeks have to say.

 

[In the Kitchen]

HDTV Question - Turning it on and off - OK?

Hello,

Do you think it is OK to watch an HDTV for 5-10 minutes and then turn it off. And to do this over its lifetime? I don't want to shorten the life of the HDTV.

 

[buckytom]

itk, i'll ask the guys that repair monitors and tvs today. i doubt there's long term specs on large lcd or plasma tvs, but they'll have an idea what's good for the power supply and electronics.

thanks to andy, gb, and pacanis for the info. i'm gonna have to do a side by side like andy mentioned.

 

[GB]

Bucky, can you ask your guys something else too? This is something I heard a long time ago that made sense to me, but have never really researched it. I was told that it makes sense to leave electronic equipment on instead of turning it on and off because the constant heating and cooling makes the little wires and whatnot expand and contract which will weaken them over time. Keeping them on all the time will keep them expanded and will not weaken them as quickly. I am curious to know what the pros think.

 

[buckytom]

gb, this breaks down to 2 categories, first of all. there's consumer elecronics and then there's the pro stuff. consumer electronics in general is pretty much not intended to be left on all of the time. the pro stuff is built heavier, with more robust power supplies, heat sinks, and electronics.
we've had problems where a dept. tried to cheaply replace monitors and speakers and associated equipment with consumer stuff, and they burned out within a year because they were on 24/7. they're not built for that kind of use.
the only thing that i've found that prefers to be left running are hard drives. any type of hard drive, from ide to internal scsi to whole raid arrays. every time you power off and on a drive, you risk a crash. the older and more used the drive gets, the higher the risk.

as far as wires and connectors go: it's not so much the expanding and contracing of the wires or insulation, but oxidation that can build up on the connector surfaces. most home environments don't have extremes in temp and humidity, so it's usually not a problem. besides, as electronics get smaller, there's fewer and fewer wires and connectors to be affected that way. they're too bulky and heavy.

ok, gotta run. lol, i have to go change out a monitor. (no kidding!) bbl.

 

[buckytom]

one last quick thing, thinking about it: the characteristics or properties of silicon chips changes over time with usage (essentially the amount of time being heated), so it's better to leave things powered off when not in use.

i recently saw a show about keeping a "green" house by cutting power to all electronics in order to reduce the "vampire" power drain that many devices still draw, even when powered off. my first thoughts were hard drive failures, operating temp fluctuations causing chip failure, and systems that need to be re-initialized every time power is completely pulled.

ok, gotta run again, he heee.

 

[GB]

Thanks BT!

 

[buckytom]

andy, thanks for the link to avs forum. i'm more confused now than ever, about which hdtv to buy. the 40" sony xbr4, or the samsung 4071.

but at least i have a lot more info to agonize over.

itk, i asked the experts, and they said it depends on how often you turn it on and off. the biggest risks are to the power supply (easily replaced if needed), or the backlight (not easily replaced).
it's ok to turn it on for 5 or 10 minutes, so long as you're only doing that a few times a day. in fact, you're saving energy.
but if you're turning it on and off for 5 or 10 minutes a few times an hour, then you end up stressing the power supply trying to provide the high voltage for the backlight, which is usually a type of flourescent lamp. flourescents eventually burn out, so it would be better to leave it on.

somewhere on a curve, there's the difference between saving money on energy and having to spend it on repairs.

hope this helps.

 

[GB]

Bucky, when i was looking at TV's I found the Sony's were much better when it came to how black their blacks really were. Well "much better" might be a stretch. They were better. I also love what my TV looks like when it is off. It looks like a framed piece of art (honestly) with a floating glass frame. From people I know who have bought the Samsung HDTV's, they have all been extremely pleased. I honestly do not think you could go wrong with either of them.

 

[Corey123]

I was either going to get a Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba or a Magnavox, and I chose a Sony.

None of that no-name junk!!

 

[Andy M.]

Good point, GB. I may have to reconsider. I can't tell you how many times one of us turns to the other and asks, "What did he say?".

I broke down and changed my order to add the DVR to the package. I decided it would be worth it for us.

 

[GB]

You are a smart man Charlie Brown.