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Is this a good TV?

Danus

Danus

Member
OK, this Christmas I'm doing something totally secular, and I'm about to brag about it.

I have a room up stairs that we call the "Junk Room." it's 300 sq ft. It's full of toys, an old futon, a rowing machine and other junk. Well, this Christmas it's all going to be thrown away, donated or stowed properly, and I'm spending some money to make it into the DANUS FAMILY FUN ROOM!

I got the big sofa, coffee table, entertainment credenza, the Wii came...thing, blue ray player. I'm putting in recessed lighting and dimmer switches, a small fridge and and.......drum roll....a TV!

Now I know as a Christian what I am doing may be bragging, but I believe God has OK'ed this and has in fact shown down upon my effort.

I ordered a Samsung 46" 1080p 60Hz with 3 MDI ports..$699. Not a bad price, but I think I have a better deal.

I have this friend who is moving out of the country for a new "king of the world" job. He just bought a TV 3 months ago and he says I can have it for the same price I'm paying for the Samsong. $699.00....... It's a Toshiba 52" REGZA 1080p LCD 120 hz 4 mdi ports. ...any TV buffs out there...jealous?

Yes I know, pride comes before the fall, so I'll stop. Just wanted to tell somebody since doing so with my physical acquaintance would be even more distasteful.

However, does anyone have a media room type thing? Any tips or advice?
 
Having a 120Mhz refresh rate will be good for smooth rendering. Recently (on Black Friday) I bought a Panasonic 42" 600 Mhz Plasma HDTV for $500 (its already gone back up to about $620 now) that works great so far. Plasmas are not as bright as LCDs but it does the job in my apartment. I was going to mount it on the wall over the fireplace (and may still do so eventually... maybe) but for now I have it sitting on the top of my entertainment center meant to hold a smaller, more square (probably CRT) TV and it fits fine up top. I've even used it as a giant screen for my PC to play a few games. It's pretty nice. I say, "Sure go with that bigger TV!". Read some reviews about it though on sites like Amazon or NewEgg to see if that Toshiba is reliable or has any pit-falls you should know about (overheating can be one issue - my coworker said he doesn't need to use the heat in the winter at his house because he just turns his TV on and it heats the whole room!).

P.S. As a side note though Samsung and Sony TVs are top of the line right now and known to be the best and most reliable brands. The hitch? You are going to pay $100-$200 more for a Samsung or Sony when compared to a TV of comparable specs that is a different brand. Supposedly TVs dying is a concern in general in the HDTV market. I'm praying that doesn't happen to my plasma.

God Bless,

~Josh
 
Thanks Josh.

I've been out of touch with technology for a while. Before wife and kids I had all the gadgets. In fact, I still have a 37" JVC tube TV in the living room. It has 800+ horizontal lines of resolution....back in the day ....94, I think I cost me $875.00. It was once top of the line and had to order it. It's has an amazing picture, weighs 500 lbs (I think it does) and it still works so I keep it.

My friends make fun of me these days for not keeping up, or living up. I have a reputation for squeaking when I walk and pinching a penny. I drive an older car (1999 Isuzu Rodeo) Runs like a top. My computer is the first SONY VAIO made and it's about 10 years old and fast as lighting. My grill is charcoal and cooks the best steaks. :lol I just like to keep good old things, I'm not really into stuff and I often have the opposite effect on my friends when it comes to envy.

I call it "reverse envy". I owe nothing and I'm happy with what I have. Drives my friends crazy and they often admit it. :lol

So, after Christmas I plan on having a game and movie night for 3 of our closes friends/couples. They are going to freak OUT when they see this room and that TV, but we should all have a good time with it. That's my plan. I don't have a sound system yet for it, but I'm thinking of just getting a sound bar. I don;t know yet.

The Toshiba REGZA 52XV645U has got great reviews, and yes I agree Sony and Samsung are rated pretty high, but a big part of that rating is based on value (What you get for the money). I have a 36" Samsung in the bedroom. I like it.

This Toshiba is a waste of money for what it cost retail. It's a little like the Mercedes of TV's.....not something I'd buy, but something my friend "Paul money bags" would, and since he does not want to store it for the time he will be stuck in Asia making even more money to buy more stuff....It's my gain for pennies on the dollar. Retail for this thing is $1400.00 average with the seasonal sales going on. Amozon had one for about $1000.00 but it does not have all the features this one has.
 
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Danus, I'm not up on all the tech specs. I just know what looks and sounds great when I see it or hear it. I'm on my good friend all the time, because he has a great TV, but no sound system. :screwloose If you're going to dive into this, you MUST get a good surround sound system! That's not a suggestion. It's a command! And then run, RUN to the store and rent a war movie. The sound of planes and bullets flying over you, explosions behind you! :shocked! When I switch from high-def to standard, there is a huge drop off in sound in addition to the pic.

I have DirecTV, and virtually all their sporting events are in HD now. I'm a playa... or at least I wanna be. Love me some football and hockey; great in HD.

A friend, I'll just call him Richie Rich, has a high def projector he gets out to 11 feet in diameter in a fully equipped theater in his basement. He has 4 tiered seating with 6 posh leather Lazyboy recliners in each tier. That's 24 Lazyboys in his theater! They all have pistons in them that make the seats shake when something loud happens! Yeah. Whenever I leave his house, I wanna go home and kick the dog.

Soooo... when are you picking up your surround sound system?
 
Go for the larger screen and faster refresh rate. I reckon Sony and Samsung are top-of-the line, but Toshiba is still pretty good, and hey, it's specs (plus and extra HDMI port) make it a better deal IMO. Is it LCD, LED or Plasma? That can also be a decision-factor.

And mate, get a PS3 or Xbox 360.....soooooooooo good. I know the Wii is good for the family, but if you really want some good FPS games and better graphics, then I'd say go for it. And hey...you've got the TV to make it look really good!

An epic surround sound system is a must. I really wish I had one. My parents aren't big on the technology scene, and I basically run the computer scene and network at home.

Oh, and btw, 3D is overrated. Just sayin'. :D

Oh, and yes I am jealous. :grumpy
 
Cool...I'm all about this Toshiba, then.

Mike and Nick, I do plan on getting some sound on this. Just not sure what exactly. This room of mine is longer than it is wide, and this set up will be viewed from about 16'; the first half of the room width wise, so TV on one side seating on the other. Should entertain 8 comfortably 10 on the cramped end.

That leaves me the whole other half of the room, which will eventually house a poker table and maybe a ping-pong table or something. I Don't have room for a pool table. However, the price tag on this so far has reached my limit of spare pennies with only slight credit in use, and in keeping with my philosophy of no to little debt, I'm going to have to let the coffers fill a little before that sound system becomes a reality, but I'll get there. In the mean time I have another friend who says I can borrow his old system....maybe I can parlay that into a nice little purchase? We'll see.

Mike I had the same idea in terms of a war movie. The first Movie I will be watching on this...actually two for me and my beer buddies, "The Holly Grail" and "Saving Private Ryan"
 
Okay, here I'll submit a monkey wrench. This is only one person's experience, so take it for what its worth. We had 2, two, dos Toshiba televisions and they both were lemons. One blanked out after our warranty ran out (screwed) and the other took the gas pipe before. We were able to return that one and now we have a Samsung. :thumbsup

On an unrelated note, but related, we also had a Toshiba laptop that was a real dud. The guy who repaired our Toshiba, in a moment of honesty because he had nothing to gain from it, said that Toshiba markets low end products to hit that demographic and do so for the quick sell. He recommended that we never by Toshiba again, because he sees more of them than any other brand.

Personally, I'll NEVER buy another Toshiba.

I certainly agree with your premise of staying within your means in considering a sound system. I'm just saying, make this a goal. It makes the experience so much better. "Saving Private Ryan" is the PERFECT movie to watch and hear in surround sound. :yes
 
Danus, sounds good. (pun intended :D). I was about to say get a pool table, but alas, you have the same constraints I have. I would love a ping-pong table though. We have an air hockey table, and that's fun.
I highly recommend Saving Private Ryan as your breaking-in film :thumb.

Mike, my laptop is a Toshiba and is excellent. Sometimes it's a matter of luck.
 
I'm getting the extended repair deal on it. signed over. Probably a good thing. For this price I'll take my chances. :)
 
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