I'm afraid there are so many brands of very nice quality these days, that I can't really pick one or two. You may want to get with Jeff on that, as he put up a nice flatscreen at his place not too long ago and has more recent experience in that.
However, on features and sizes, I've a couple things you might want to watch for.
First, for size, I know you have a rather "tight" area there downstairs where you could put it. You might want to cut a piece of cardboard rectangle of, perhaps 42 to 44" inch screen size and move it around on the wall to get an idea of how much space it will take up, and whether you can go larger (and how much). Remember that you'll be using it for games as well as DVD/Video, and for the games you sit a lot closer with your gaming arrangement. Too large a screen might be a bit overwhelming for that.
Another thing to consider in your situation is the viewing angle, especially for your guests on the couch. Some screens begin to go "off angle" closer to the centerline than others. You'll have to check that out in person at the store. You probably want as wide a viewing angle as you can get, or the image will fade and look screwy to those sitting at the edges.
With as dim as you normally keep the living room, brightness won't be as much of a factor as the contrast. But contrast will become more important. You'll want a screen that has high contrast values so you can see the subtle shades of dark grey to black, as well as the differences at the bright end of the spectrum. As you turn the brightness down, some screens have problems seperating those out but the higher contrast helps in that area.
Inputs may be important to you. You'll probably want to be able to plug your games in as well as your HD components. You might even want to plug the laptop/computer in some day. At least once each S-Video, HDMI (component), and RCA connection is about the minimum you should accept. More, of course, is better, including a digital computer input as an option. Some screens also provide direct inputs for USB and various memory chips so you can view your digital photos on the screen without going through a computer first, but that's a bit of "overkill" in my mind.
A few things to be aware of: Samsung and other vendors are packaging various "content stream" features with their systems now. For instance, Samsung has "Infolink", "Wiselink" and "Content Library". These are are actually services as well as features within the screen. For example, *InfoLink" is streaming data of various types. If you don't want to subscribe to those, you'll end up paying extra for capabilities in the set that you won't be hooking up. Take a look at the tags and if you see a term you don't understand, be sure to ask the staff there what it means, because these new features come with a LOT of different titles.
Also, be watchful for the extra abilities of a screen. Some have speakers and audio amps, others don't. Some have built in HD tuners, and others are just displays. Make sure you get the "built ins" you need, but watch for the differences when comparing prices. You might get a great bargain but find out when you get it home that it has no tuner and you'll need to buy an "outboard" one before you can watch cable or off-the-air channels. On the other hand, if you already have a cable box or new HD tuner for your existing set, why spend the extra $$s for aother one built into the screen?
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Date: 2009-01-01 03:39 am (UTC)However, on features and sizes, I've a couple things you might want to watch for.
First, for size, I know you have a rather "tight" area there downstairs where you could put it. You might want to cut a piece of cardboard rectangle of, perhaps 42 to 44" inch screen size and move it around on the wall to get an idea of how much space it will take up, and whether you can go larger (and how much). Remember that you'll be using it for games as well as DVD/Video, and for the games you sit a lot closer with your gaming arrangement. Too large a screen might be a bit overwhelming for that.
Another thing to consider in your situation is the viewing angle, especially for your guests on the couch. Some screens begin to go "off angle" closer to the centerline than others. You'll have to check that out in person at the store. You probably want as wide a viewing angle as you can get, or the image will fade and look screwy to those sitting at the edges.
With as dim as you normally keep the living room, brightness won't be as much of a factor as the contrast. But contrast will become more important. You'll want a screen that has high contrast values so you can see the subtle shades of dark grey to black, as well as the differences at the bright end of the spectrum. As you turn the brightness down, some screens have problems seperating those out but the higher contrast helps in that area.
Inputs may be important to you. You'll probably want to be able to plug your games in as well as your HD components. You might even want to plug the laptop/computer in some day. At least once each S-Video, HDMI (component), and RCA connection is about the minimum you should accept. More, of course, is better, including a digital computer input as an option. Some screens also provide direct inputs for USB and various memory chips so you can view your digital photos on the screen without going through a computer first, but that's a bit of "overkill" in my mind.
A few things to be aware of: Samsung and other vendors are packaging various "content stream" features with their systems now. For instance, Samsung has "Infolink", "Wiselink" and "Content Library". These are are actually services as well as features within the screen. For example, *InfoLink" is streaming data of various types. If you don't want to subscribe to those, you'll end up paying extra for capabilities in the set that you won't be hooking up. Take a look at the tags and if you see a term you don't understand, be sure to ask the staff there what it means, because these new features come with a LOT of different titles.
Also, be watchful for the extra abilities of a screen. Some have speakers and audio amps, others don't. Some have built in HD tuners, and others are just displays. Make sure you get the "built ins" you need, but watch for the differences when comparing prices. You might get a great bargain but find out when you get it home that it has no tuner and you'll need to buy an "outboard" one before you can watch cable or off-the-air channels. On the other hand, if you already have a cable box or new HD tuner for your existing set, why spend the extra $$s for aother one built into the screen?
Hope this has been a bit of help!