Help me go on a shopping spree: TV, digital cam, Xbox 360

[Felon]

OK, so I went by Fry's yesterday and did some browsing. I thought the choice was only between LCD and plasma, but then I saw some DLP models that were every bit as good. In fact, on the plasmas I routinely saw the screen blur up (the salesmen assured me it was just the local feeed).

So, what do you guys think? Worth considering? I hear the projection TV's require an expensive light bult.

 

[jenesyss]

I recently bought a Sony Wega 46" LCD Projection. I was worried about the cost of the replacement bulb, then found they're only $200-$300, and they're supposed to last 5-8 years depending on usage. I figured it would be cheaper than replacing a burned in plasma.

On the Xbox360 front, there is a new version coming out in about 4 weeks - the Elite. It has bigger HDD (120gb) and HDMI connectivity. Mass Effect doesn't have an official street date as far as I am aware, so you might want to wait for the systems that are supposed to have more stable hardware and a smaller, cooler chip. Early 360 systems are known to crash and get the Three Rings of Doom (complete hardware failure). I'm not sure how the current hardware is running, whether they have the same high failure rate as launch systems, but it is something to consider.

Good Luck!

~ Jenesyss

 

[Thunderfoot]

OK, so I went by Fry's yesterday and did some browsing. I thought the choice was only between LCD and plasma, but then I saw some DLP models that were every bit as good. In fact, on the plasmas I routinely saw the screen blur up (the salesmen assured me it was just the local feeed).

So, what do you guys think? Worth considering? I hear the projection TV's require an expensive light bult.

See, that is my problem with plasma, there is a blurring effect, especially during things with "multpile tracked objects" such as snow and rain. I was looking to go plasma until I saw "The Hunt For Red October" on one, the landing on the USS Dallas in a rainstorm scene consisted of a large grey blur with sound effects and dialog. I started looking at LCD after that.

 

[John Crichton]

On the Xbox360 front, there is a new version coming out in about 4 weeks - the Elite. It has bigger HDD (120gb) and HDMI connectivity. Mass Effect doesn't have an official street date as far as I am aware, so you might want to wait for the systems that are supposed to have more stable hardware and a smaller, cooler chip. Early 360 systems are known to crash and get the Three Rings of Doom (complete hardware failure). I'm not sure how the current hardware is running, whether they have the same high failure rate as launch systems, but it is something to consider.

The Elite does not have a cooler chip in it. It's the same chip as the launch models. There is a rumor that the unit does run a little quieter, but is till very loud.

 

[nerfherder]

See, that is my problem with plasma, there is a blurring effect, especially during things with "multpile tracked objects" such as snow and rain. I was looking to go plasma until I saw "The Hunt For Red October" on one, the landing on the USS Dallas in a rainstorm scene consisted of a large grey blur with sound effects and dialog. I started looking at LCD after that.

Hmm, LCD tends to be worse for that than plasma. Unless you're talking about posterisation on some of the older or cheaper plasmas.

The advice I would give is to look at a good AV forum like http://www.avfsforum.com and get a short list of panels with different technologies (i.e. a couple of plasma, a couple of LCD, a couple of rear projector), and then go look at them in a store.

You will probably find that you prefer the look of one over the other, so go with that.

 

[Felon]

On the Xbox360 front, there is a new version coming out in about 4 weeks - the Elite. It has bigger HDD (120gb) and HDMI connectivity. Mass Effect doesn't have an official street date as far as I am aware, so you might want to wait for the systems that are supposed to have more stable hardware and a smaller, cooler chip. Early 360 systems are known to crash and get the Three Rings of Doom (complete hardware failure). I'm not sure how the current hardware is running, whether they have the same high failure rate as launch systems, but it is something to consider.

I will in fact be getting the 360 Elite, although preordering doesn't seem to be much of an option. Then again, I don't see there being a run on these.

 

[John Crichton]

I will in fact be getting the 360 Elite, although preordering doesn't seem to be much of an option. Then again, I don't see there being a run on these.

Did you pick a TV yet?

I hang out at http://www.hdtvarcade.com and it's a pretty good place to get feedback on gaming + HDTV tech. The forums are lacking quite a bit but they have hands-on experience with lots of current HDTV stuff.

 

[Felon]

Heh. Still shopping around. Not for one for rushing into big purchases. Here's what I'm currently looking at:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/cu...72282&s=electronics&customer-reviews.start=11

Say, can anyone explain what the big deal is with two HDMI connections (as opposed to one)?

 

[nerfherder]

Say, can anyone explain what the big deal is with two HDMI connections (as opposed to one)?

You can connect two HD sources without having to swap cables.

 

[John Crichton]

Say, can anyone explain what the big deal is with two HDMI connections (as opposed to one)?

The Nerf is spot on.

However, you may want to make sure your receiver has multiple HMDI inputs rather than the TV. That is good future-proofing. The TV really only needs one. It's the receiver that every component in your system should be running through.