Technology: My new TV!

Want to see my newest addition to Casa de Rawman? It's my brand new HDTV! Here's some background...

As most of the modern world knows, I enjoy watching TV. Whenever I'm home, my TV is on. If I'm getting ready in the morning, I actually have one on in my bedroom and one on in my living room - tuned to the same channel, of course.

Well, everyone and their mother's brother have seemed to approach me in the past few years, "Dude... you've got to get an HDTV!" Granted, I have DirecTV, which carries the most high-def channels out there at the moment. But I kept thinking, "Nah... I'm good. I've got my 32" Toshiba. It's fine."

I guess what has been turning my tide towards this new-fangled techno-gizmo has been my interest in Fantasy Football. Each Sunday this fall I've enjoyed watching the NFL games, either at my house or at the Flying Saucer. The difference between the two is amazing - the clarity of the picture, where you can see individual grass blades, will definitely bowl you over!

So, a few weeks ago, I started investigating. I was shocked to see the prices had come down so much. Since we were entering the peak television purchasing time (Super Bowl Sunday), I saw a lot of interesting deals.

My next thought was, "What type of technology should I go with?" There are basically 3 main types out there: Plasma, DLP, and LCD. Which one is the best? I think it comes down to, "What BEST fits your needs?" I asked a lot of people. In fact, I even posted a question on a friend's blog: http://www.techinlaw.com/.

I narrowed my initial choice down to Plasma and LCD. I didn't like that the bulb would go out every few years on DLP (costing around $300 to replace). Given the light source in my living room, and the fact that I will be hooking up a Playstation, I decided to focus on LCD.

My next question was, "How large of a screen should I purchase?" It actually wasn't a "should" but a "could." You see, the way my house is configured, I have a cabinet that slips into a cut-out within my living rooom wall. I really like that cabinet, so getting rid of it was out of the question.

I measured the interior of the cabinet and found that the width is 47.5 inches. Well, the maximum screen size I could get (given the actual width of the TV) is 46 inches. The problem, though, was the height. It was just a few inches too tall to make it into the space.

I gotta say... I was a bit bummed by that revelation. I thought I was going to buy a 46" 60Hz Samsung 1080p LCD TV with a contrast ratio of 15,000:1. Maybe I should explain a few things...

Now, the herz allows for the TV to catch up to the action. So, the higher the herz, the less likely you'll see "blur." That comes in handy when you're watching sports. The contrast ratio allows for richer blacks and subtle nuances within the picture. So, higher is better.

And finally, I wanted to know "Which brand should I purchase?" Asking a lot of questions, most people seemed to indicate the top 3 brands these days are Samsung, Sony, and Sharp. I heard LG was also pretty decent.

Oh, and one more thing to do before buying your TV: Go to a store and "compare" it with others. You can actually see the difference between the various brands and technologies.

Because the 46" wasn't an option, I started looking at the 40" Samsung LCD models hoping to find "the best" in that range. After some research, I found one. In fact, I found an AWESOME one: Samsung LNT4071F 40" 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV

Not only does it come in 120Hz (allowing for more fluid frame transitions and clearer motion), the contrast ratio is 25,000:1. Knowing I needed to upgrade my DVR box, I was able to purchase my HD DVR for DirecTV right there at Best Buy. And, get this: Because I did that, they knocked $100 off the TV! I didn't expect that.

Well, everything is hooked up and I've had numerous compliments ranging from, "My gosh! It's like they're standing right here!" to "It's so clear and bright!" I love watching HD movies and the TV shows (network and local news). Now I just need to figure out what to do with my old Toshiba (it won't fit in my bedroom armoir). If you know of anyone that might want a good (used) 32" TV, just let me know.

But the biggest change? I'm actually watching all of these nature shows now just to see the high definition! The other night I watched a show about badgers. This weekend I saw something on Asteroids.

Maybe this purchase is going to make me smarter in the long run? TV... making you smarter... who would have thunk it???