TV advice

[acords]

I'm planning on replacing my Sony 53" rear projection TV.  I am interested in some sort of HD version.  I want to spend no more than $2500.  What is my best bet?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

[West Coast Kansan]

I have noticed the prices drop over the last year from about $100 an inch to about $50 dollars an inch.  HD is coming but we only have 8 HD channels in my area.  Dependent on the cable company to provide the HD box here. We have a 42 inch sony. It was an HD "ready" what ever that means. It is nice but not sure the HD channels are all that much of a wow. The picture on this is so much better than our old one that alone was a wow.  I may have bought the wrong thing for HD or it just may not be worth it to me.  I know this is no help but may give you a question to ask or someone else to chime in on.

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

I have an InFocus 61"DLP HD tv. I really like the DLP technology. "HD ready" mean the tv will display HD material, but does not have an internal HD tuner. Problem with large set displaying regular programming is that you are just have a larger, fuzzier image. HD really makes a difference if you have that option and can get the programming.

Arcs_n_Sparks

[Gizmo]

You have a lot of factors to consider (and IMHO price is the last on the list).  To answer Kansan's post HD "ready" means the set does not have a HD tuner built in but will accept HD signals (like from a HD cable box) and display a picture in HD providing the broadcast is in HD.  Broadcast in HD means the show was filmed in HD, the broadcasting station is "airing" it in HD and your TV set is receiving it in HD or the cable company is sending to your cable box in HD.

The biggest choice you may need to make is the type of picture screen you want.  There are several choices.  DLP, Plasma and LCD are the 3 big players in large screen.  They are listed here in my order of preference.  IMHO if you need to hang it on the wall, Plasma.  If you can put it on the floor or on a stand and have about 17 extra inches behind the set, DLP is the best choice.  I am sure many may debate this but for me, DLP has the best picture, contrast, life expetancy, etc. but is a little bulky.

Next choice is manufacturer.  Some things to consider are warrenty and if you can get it repaired locally or even better, they come to your house since a big screen doesn't like to travel.  This may also be a good reason to buy from a local retail store rather than ordering online.  Price is my last consideration.  My desires tend to be on the high end of things and if I don't wait until I can afford what I want ("need" when discussing with my better half), then I won't be satisfied with what  I ended up with.

Now, what about surround sound, and then feeling the action with audio transducers?  Yah, I am a gadget head, but the guests get big smiles when they "feel" the explosions in their rear ends.  

[Oldman]

Sony 53" rear projection TV....................We have a 42 inch sony................I have an InFocus 61"DLP HD tv.

You all watch way to much T.V. Or give it to much importances in your life... gee  ;) While my wife has a 32 incher that she leaves on for the dogs 24/7 (yuck,) next to my computer is a small 25 incher that has not been turned on in months!

Sorry all I don't mean to step out of line but since I was 25 I stopped watching T.V. for the most part and filled my time with what I feel are more important things.

Now don't get me wrong I will grab a movie from time to time, or watch the history / military / cooking channels on occasions, but nothing major other than the sci-fi of SG1 ect. on Friday nights (2 hours.)

[Gizmo]

Not a problem for me Olds.  I would agree that I watch way too much TV.  There are other things in life that can be done, but I wouldn't say I put an importance on TV.  It is just another piece of life's entertainment and I believe what ever makes you happy, is what you should be doing.  As right now,  I am reading the comments on this board, watching NFL Football in HD, keeping an eye on a brisket, and entertaining the dog.  I guess I could say it is all part of multitasking. :D  Any way, too each his own and everyone measure that in different ways.  Now if i could just retire 20 years early, live next to the great hunting grounds with a big fishing lake on the side, I wouldn't take the time to watch TV, be too busy wettin' a hook especially if the Q was sitting next to me.   ;)

[Habanero Smoker]

I can't help with your choices, I'm in the market for a television also. From what I am reading, if you can hold off to late fall or later, the prices of all units are projected to drop.

[West Coast Kansan]

Olds, I think you watch the same things I do.  Discovery, History, HGTV, Military Channel seem to be the only stations we ever turn ON.  The rest always are for flipping through. We have a lot of music channels - everything you ever want to listen to is available.  Those TV channels with the sound system is better listening than my real sound system but then it is pretty old and has had its share of abuse.

Gizmo, how goes the brisket? I thought I might be the only one in SD  county that does brisket. Mine are not too good though.

[Vampyr]

Great minds think alike.  ;) My favorite channels are Discovery, HGTV, History, Food Network, and SiFi.  I turned off my cable this spring because my wife and i never seem to watch it much.  That is not to say that i dont want a 60" plasma on the wall but we watch very little tv cuz we always seem to be busy doing something else.  Especially the summer in Alaska... Fish, Fish, Fish hehehee

[icerat4]

SONY  50 INCH LCD The best and brightess picture.Done my home work here folks. Sony lcd then panasonic plasma or Samsung dlp they are the brightess .Which IMO is the best way to go. My set up is a sony 50 inch lcd and a sony 7.1 surround sound with bose speakers dts and hdmi cables for a nice picture and sound.BEAUTIFUL. ;D.The sony sxrd is nice but for the buck ya cant beat the lesser model.about 1500 buck and well worth it.

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

Sony 53" rear projection TV....................We have a 42 inch sony................I have an InFocus 61"DLP HD tv.

You all watch way to much T.V. Or give it to much importances in your life... gee  ;) While my wife has a 32 incher that she leaves on for the dogs 24/7 (yuck,) next to my computer is a small 25 incher that has not been turned on in months!

Actually, I rarely watch TV. Not sure there is a relationship between the size of a tv and how much you watch it.

Arcs_n_Sparks

[owrstrich]

i hear those lcd tvs cause brain damage...

you gotta eat...

owrstrich

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

owrstrich knows what he is taking about.

[Gizmo]

Kansan:  Took the flat part out of the oven at 5:00 PM and then put it in a pre-warmed (second) oven until 7:00 PM (FTC or a rest in essence).  Very tender (almost couldn't slice), very tasty but slightly dry compared to the Briskets at the Greenbrier.  Splashed a little of the liquid from the foil pan fixed up the slight dryness.  There was a section of the flat, just under the fat, that was very moist.  Just pulled the tip from rest and it is dripping wet with tons of flavor.  Hard to believe they are the same piece of meat.

Started reading some other technical information on meat temperatures and believe the dryness is caused by too low and too slow and not reaching the desired internal temperature until some of the moisture had been "squeezed" out of the meat.

The score card on this is:
Whole Packer choice angus 12 LBS
Cut tip from flat
Rubbed with Greenbrier Brisket Rub and Basic BBQ rub.
Bagged and refrigerated for 8 hours.
Smoked for 4 hours with Oak at 200F, tip on top rack (second slot down from top), flat underneath.
After 4 hours, Boated, Apple Cider sprayed with 1/2 cup in bottom of boat, HD foil over top.  The tip boat also had some turbinado added to the bottom of boat along with the apple cider.  Placed in oven at 200F, meat temp plateau at 175F, took several hours to inch up to 179F which was after 16 hours total time.  Increased oven temperature to 230F.  Pulled flat when temp reached 190F which was after 18 hours.  Placed in pre-warmed 2nd oven for a 2 hour rest.  The Tip had a dual probe inserted.  After the oven was brought up to 230F, the internal temperature of the foil boat reached 212F when the meat reached 190F. Total time for the tip was 22 hours without the rest. 

Here is a few snippets from what I was reading about too low and too slow:
http://www.eaglequest.com/~bbq/faq2/17.html  (need to go about half way down to get to the following info).

Here's what's going on inside the meat. Since the meat itself works as an insulator in its own right, and if you are cooking at just a few degrees above the internal temperature you are wanting to achieve, chances are that it will never achieve it, and if it does reach your target temperature, the meat will be overcooked. The wider the gap between the cooking temperature (to a point) and the internal temperature one is wanting to achieve, the easier it is to get there. Go by guidelines some of us set as "taking off temperatures". . . .
If the meat is cooked at a lower temperature, it will take a longer time to get tender (break down the collagen). When cooking at a higher temperature, the meat collagen will break down at a faster rate due to the higher temperature. How far one can go on either end of this style of cooking technique will be argued until the end of time. . .
If you are following a recipe that calls for an internal temperature of say 180F or so, make sure the temperature in your smoker is a least 60 or 70F above that target temperature. For example, to get to a 180F internal temperature, I would cook in the 240 to 250F range. If you are cooking at a lower temperature, then make adjustments downward for the internal target temperature of the meat. You would take the meat off at a lower internal temperature, but it would cook longer. . .

I suspect that those here that are cooking in the 200 range are going to 160F final temps and those that are in the 220 range are going to final temps around 190.

Here is another piece of info I found:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4304720,00.html

The important temperatures in the process of meat cookery are as follows: at 40C (104F), proteins in meat start to denature. At 50C (122F), collagen begins to contract. At 55C (131F), collagen starts softening. Between 70C (158F) and 75C (167F), the meat no longer holds oxygen and turns grey. At 100C (212F), water in meat begins to evaporate. If meat is cooked at 100C (212F), the pressure caused by the evaporation obliterates the meat, and any juices left in it disappear.
Therefore, the higher the level of connective tissue, the longer the meat will need to be held in the temperature range of 55C (131F).

[Gizmo]

Oh yah, Sparks
That there TV in the picture isn't high def.  (LOL)  Looks a little spectral to me, but if you got a good one (built in mod/demod) you can use it to tune in a radio station.   ;)