Available From
Why are these offers here?
Smart Buy!
Lowest price from a Trusted Store
Second Lowest Price
Third Lowest Price
- Overview
-
Reviews
- Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
Great starter HDTV at a reasonable price
Pros
Good quality image, versatile input/ output, good price
Cons
Viewing angle is a bit limited vertically.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Do buy this one if you have the room for it and you want a good quality picture at a reasonable price.
I will get to why I call it a starter TV later. First the specs. Mine is a 52", not a 44".
I bought it at Costco for $1899 Canadian in July 06, so I have owned it for a little over 3 months now.
It comes in a very large box. I suggest you have it delivered unless you have a pickup truck or a van with a large interior. It is surprisingly light given the size, but awkward.
The stand you see in the picture comes included with the TV, at least mine did. You will have to assemble it yourself. The assembly instructions are not very good, but thankfully, it is fairly simple anyway.
Having assembled the stand and placed it where you will want your TV, you will need two people to lift the TV onto the stand. It can be done by one person, but it is very awkward and you risk damaging it.
First, do you receive an HDTV signal from your satellite or cable provider, if not, make sure you upgrade to an HDTV package at the same time that you bring this TV home. Most programs and movies on the regular channels are better than your regular analog, but some seem just a little blurred. I suspect this may be a quality issue when the show was created and not the TV as some (typically the newer shows) are quite good.
Now the TV: You get the stand, the TV and remote (with batteries) in the box and instruction manual.
It can project images from 480i to 1080i. Translated; from a low to higher quality image. It has a number of input and output plugs in the back, which will allow you to connect DVDs, VCRs, cable and satellite boxes, etc. I could go on about all the ways you can configure your input/output but suffice it to say, you have a variety of choice. You can also connect your PC to this TV. Of course, good cables that match your TV and components will provide a better quality picture and sound.
It has two good speakers just below the TV in the front, but I have mine connected to my stereo or audio system for improved sound.
Some of the main features include being able to change the aspect of the picture from 4:3 to an elongated zoom, you can split the screen and get two pictures, there is a slot for a memory card in the front of the TV for JPEG picture viewing and, you can lock out channels. The remote can be programmed to control some of your other components, like the DVD player.
As I mentioned earlier, regular shows are good, but if you receive an HDTV transmission your in for a treat. HDTV channels on this TV look as close to 3D as can be without it being 3D.
I have mine set to 1080i reception (highest quality possible for this TV) and the image is just superb! I have access to channels like OASIS which is a HDTV channel broadcasting shows mostly about nature, national parks, and wildlife all around the world. My hats off to those who are filming these shows as they are superb. The clarity and detail are just amazing and in 52" widescreen, you'd think you were almost there. I can't get enough. You really get an enhanced appreciation for our planet and it's beauty.
I am also able to switch from a regular movie channel to the HDTV movie channel. Some movies are broadcast at the same time so you can compare. First, on the regular channel, the image is broadcast in analog format, so you get two black bars on either side of the image. Second, you can pick up detail on the HDTV channel that you just don't see on the regular channel. There is a noticeable difference.
OK, so why do I call this a starter TV. It is a projection TV, which means it has a light bulb with a lifespan of (I think) 3000 hours. For most of us that should be plenty for many years of viewing pleasure. You should be able to replace it fairly easy, but it is costly. When you get to the point that you need to replace it, the cost of new models will have come down and you may just want to upgrade by then. Only time will tell.
After three months of use, it produces a slight hum when you first turn it on. You won't notice it once the sound comes on and once it is fully warmed up, it disappears.
One last note, don't put in direct sunlight as you will not be able to see the picture very well.
I bought it at Costco for $1899 Canadian in July 06, so I have owned it for a little over 3 months now.
It comes in a very large box. I suggest you have it delivered unless you have a pickup truck or a van with a large interior. It is surprisingly light given the size, but awkward.
The stand you see in the picture comes included with the TV, at least mine did. You will have to assemble it yourself. The assembly instructions are not very good, but thankfully, it is fairly simple anyway.
Having assembled the stand and placed it where you will want your TV, you will need two people to lift the TV onto the stand. It can be done by one person, but it is very awkward and you risk damaging it.
First, do you receive an HDTV signal from your satellite or cable provider, if not, make sure you upgrade to an HDTV package at the same time that you bring this TV home. Most programs and movies on the regular channels are better than your regular analog, but some seem just a little blurred. I suspect this may be a quality issue when the show was created and not the TV as some (typically the newer shows) are quite good.
Now the TV: You get the stand, the TV and remote (with batteries) in the box and instruction manual.
It can project images from 480i to 1080i. Translated; from a low to higher quality image. It has a number of input and output plugs in the back, which will allow you to connect DVDs, VCRs, cable and satellite boxes, etc. I could go on about all the ways you can configure your input/output but suffice it to say, you have a variety of choice. You can also connect your PC to this TV. Of course, good cables that match your TV and components will provide a better quality picture and sound.
It has two good speakers just below the TV in the front, but I have mine connected to my stereo or audio system for improved sound.
Some of the main features include being able to change the aspect of the picture from 4:3 to an elongated zoom, you can split the screen and get two pictures, there is a slot for a memory card in the front of the TV for JPEG picture viewing and, you can lock out channels. The remote can be programmed to control some of your other components, like the DVD player.
As I mentioned earlier, regular shows are good, but if you receive an HDTV transmission your in for a treat. HDTV channels on this TV look as close to 3D as can be without it being 3D.
I have mine set to 1080i reception (highest quality possible for this TV) and the image is just superb! I have access to channels like OASIS which is a HDTV channel broadcasting shows mostly about nature, national parks, and wildlife all around the world. My hats off to those who are filming these shows as they are superb. The clarity and detail are just amazing and in 52" widescreen, you'd think you were almost there. I can't get enough. You really get an enhanced appreciation for our planet and it's beauty.
I am also able to switch from a regular movie channel to the HDTV movie channel. Some movies are broadcast at the same time so you can compare. First, on the regular channel, the image is broadcast in analog format, so you get two black bars on either side of the image. Second, you can pick up detail on the HDTV channel that you just don't see on the regular channel. There is a noticeable difference.
OK, so why do I call this a starter TV. It is a projection TV, which means it has a light bulb with a lifespan of (I think) 3000 hours. For most of us that should be plenty for many years of viewing pleasure. You should be able to replace it fairly easy, but it is costly. When you get to the point that you need to replace it, the cost of new models will have come down and you may just want to upgrade by then. Only time will tell.
After three months of use, it produces a slight hum when you first turn it on. You won't notice it once the sound comes on and once it is fully warmed up, it disappears.
One last note, don't put in direct sunlight as you will not be able to see the picture very well.
