This thread looks like its almost dead but I will give my input. I have done tons of research in purchasing a new TV. This is the one I settled on:
KDF-46E2000 Sony 3LCD rear projection TV. I will say it is out of your price range. But, the smaller 42" version (KDF-42E2000) on Amazon is around $850 after shipping (depending on who has it in stock). Why I choose this TV line:
-LCDs are amazing, but once pixels go bad, your viewing will be less than lackluster once you start focusing on thosesparkly little distractions. Last 4-5 years
-Plasma- amazing color but again, you will have to replace your TV in 4-5 years.
-DLPs-nice but, having to replace impossible to fine color wheels sucks and can be very expensive. Not to mention noisy (it shouldn't have to compete with your 360 on the decibel meter).
-3LCD- Better than DLPs but not the picture of a LCD or Plasma. Has a replaceable (and affordable) bulb ($150USD) that you can by right from Sony. It also defuses light from outside sources making your gaming experience better without the distraction from your lamps or PC.
They have a new 1080P version...if I had the cash, I would have gotten that one instead but, since I graduated from college, my student loans are rolling in (and my wife might be upset by the $500 difference).
If you wanted a CRT (yea I know), Toshiba makes a nice one.
I hope this tidbit helps.
keldonson
On LCDs, I don't think I've ever heard of pixels going bad over time. Usually you might have some bad ones in the first few months or right when you get it. Or over 5 years, maybe the backlighting might dim overtime. An old 15inch LCD I've had for 5 years still works, just not as bright as when I first got it. But those were PC LCDs. HDTVs are usually rated for a very very long lifespan
Replace a plasma every 4 to 5 years? I guess like 8 yeras ago that was a concern. But are not those rated 60,000 hours now-a-days, like LCDs? But without checking, lets say 30,000 hours, that would be 13.7 years at 6 hours a day. Just checked, yep, most claim 60k hours, about the same life as LCds, and that is generally better than the life of CRT tube tvs.
DLPs. I think the fan is more noisy in DLPs than a Color wheel is, since the wheel is no moving air, and that can be an issue with an rear projection type. And while a color wheel is a mechanical part that may fail, it's not something that often does like say a bulb after 3.5 something years. Never heard of anyone needing to replace a wheel, or if it did, no more harder to find than any other part of a tv. DLPs have regular bulbs just like 3LCD rear projections and LCoS rear projections. There's even LED DLPs that don't use a color wheel and the LEDs are rated 20,000 hours. Also, only downside with DLP is they are one chip, not 3 chip like 3LCD, so some might see rainbows. I see them, but often don't pop out enough to be an issue.
3LCD Rear Projections are not really better than DLP. Back in the day when those were still the top of the line Sony, DLPs were known to have the better blacks. LCD RP finally got an iris to help the blacks, but by then Sony was using LCoS type Rear Projection rebadged as SXRD for their first 1080p screen. Now the only 3LCD tvs left are their smaller 720p screens, which I don't think can hold a candle to current generations of DLP or SXRD or other LCoS tvs ( SXRD and LCoS are 3 chip like 3LCD). Maybe the bulb is cheaper, but most are still not too bad like the $240 bulb on my new 65inch DLP.
I see Sony has a new 3LCD 50e3000 50inch 1080p tv coming. But that's kind of small for the largest size, and expensive compared to what you can find with a DLP. Rather pay a bit more to get a new sony SXRD a3000 models, or get a deal on their previous a2020 models. I know before then new A3000s were heard of I was able to get Circuit City price of the 60inch SXRD a2020 1080p down to $2099, then ew 50e3000 3LCD is $1799 (i guess probably lower with discounts). But the a2020s should be pretty much close to the price of the 3LCDs. A could order the 60inch a2020 for $1880 at circuit city after 10% off. The 55inch is already the list price of the 50inch 1080p 3LCD before the 10%, so $1620 after 10%. Currently has the 50e300 at $1599 before any discountys, but I'd go a little more for the 55inch SXRD
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