CRTs of course will still pwn any sort of LCD/plasma display in terms of pure clarity/color quality, which is always something to think about. I wanted an LCD because I'm fresh out of college, and hence would be moving around a lot within the next several years, and simply didn't want to put up with the hassle. Helping your best friend lug his huge console 1982 100 pound behemoth television up creaky wooden stairs that look like they will break any minute
does leave something of a lasting impression.
Shyguy, I'm no audiophile, so to be honest I wouldn't know if it is
spectacular or not, but it's definitely a clear sound and can get loud. I did notice that it seemed like some channels will be really quiet, and then others really loud. I don't know if my old TV regulated that sort of thing better (which I highly doubt), if the new one handles audio levels more closely to their original volumes, or if I just didn't notice it until now. I'd say the last option is the most likely.
(Just for kicks, one day I'm planning on getting a sound system from this site: niro1.com. The information on them (and seeing them on some tv show called "I want that!," or so I think it was called that) sounds brilliant. Apparently it's movie theatre quality for a low price. It has a subwoofer, a receiver component, and the main speaker, so it can't get true surround sound, but it still gives left/right/front information. Besides, not having cables running around all over the place pomotes the whole "clean" look thing. Anyway!)
Some other things to mention (not really important, but I'll mention 'em):
It changes channels quickly. My gf has a 15" Magnavox, and there's always lag when you change the channels. Hugely annoying, because you'll punch in, say, 14, and it only reads the 1, so you end up on channel 1. Or you press the channel up button, the number on the screen changes, but it doesn't actually
change for a second or two.
It has VGA in, which is pretty cool, simply for the fact that I could attach my computer, which is really cool since I could theoretically (one day) have a Media Center machine hooked up, playing all sorts of things.
It has an "audio only" feature, which goes along well with the VGA in, because you could set up a huge MP3 list, turn off the LCD screen, and hear music for a while. Or just let, say, a trippy screensaver run or something. Whatever.
The remote is ugly and doesn't light up. Also you really do need to aim pretty well for it to work. My old TV, I could point it in the other direction entirely and still change channels. This one is a bit more picky. One day I'll eventually get, say, a Logitech Harmony remote, so this isn't that big of a deal.
It doesn't have HDMI input. So if you are looking to get HD-DVD and/or BluRay, know that you can't use them, period. This is the MPAA's decision and it sucks, but DVD is good enough for me. I don't watch the extras anyway.
It only has two component inputs, but I use a Joytech receiver, which has 7 inputs, so that problem is alleviated. Although if you don't have one, it will be an issue if you have a lot of systems. Also, none of the inputs are in "easy to reach" locations - i.e., none of the front. They are all in the back, and there's a panel you remove to expose them. Personally I love that, as it promotes a very "clean" look, something I am obsessive compulsive over.
Headphone port on the front. Neat when someone is sleeping.
It has Picture Flip, so it can be flipped right, upside-down/right, upside-down/left. I guess this is perfect for freaking out drunk and/or high friends. Which means I won't get many chances to abuse that sort of thing.
Hmmm...what else. Has a handle on the back, for all your LCDTV and GC toting needs. Is very light of course.
There seems to be some confusion (to me at least) on what exactly it can output in terms of progressive scan. Most sources say 480i, 480p, and 720p, but I've seen a few places where it says it can do 1080i (which should be "worse" than 1080p I believe). The GC and the Rev won't output past 480p from what I understand (I believe Profession666 said that in my other thread), so this isn't an issue. If you have a 360, you won't get the best quality from what I know. But why would I talk about that here?
Anyway, the manual mentions an 1080 output, but again, that's one of the few places that does. I don't think it really does, I think it's just stock material Sharp might be putting in all their manuals. But it is mentioned at least twice.....I guess it can at least accept the signal, but only outputs to 720p. That might be it. Still a bit confusing.
You can switch 4:3 and 16:9 ratios easily in the picture setup. It's just a few presses away. Great for widescreen DVDs.
Lastly, when I got an LCD monitor, it seemed...well, worse than my CRT. But after using it for a while, I think you sort of adjust to it, so that stigma seems to have worn off. Same issue here. You adjust rather quickly.
Oh, and playing Viewtiful Joe on progressive scan? My goodness. I upgraded in the *nick* of time.
Topic: New TV for the upcoming Revolution (Read 14676 times)
