I still have tube type Television. I am thinking 42 or 46 inch flat panel, may consider rear projection.

a lot of the display TVs at the different stores look fuzzy or pixely when not receiving a High Definition signal. I just want a bigger TV that will at least look as good as my picture on my tube TV that I already have. It woud seem a waste to spend money on a flat screen if the picture wasn't as good or better than what I am viewing now.

I also don't want to spend a Million bucks on a tv either.

TV experts speak up please. Most bang for the buck in a 42 to 46 inch flat panel, (prefer 46 inch).

Todd

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Well, it might not be what you want to hear, but the only person who can decide what looks best is yourself. Everyone's tastes are different. I'd just start shopping around and seeing what looks best to you. Personally, I'm still happy with my 32" Toshiba tube, too. Maybe someday when the need really arises, I'll consider an HD LCD. Figure out your budget and go comparison shopping.

One brand I'd stay away from is Philips/Magnavox though. From what I've heard, their quality is really down.

Here Check these out.......

http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/learningcenter/home/tv_flatpanel.html

and

http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/S-826gT6jm6Bq/reviews/20030930/plasma_myths.html

Most bang for the buck though would be the newer type of rear projection, but you did say you wanted flat panel. They have changed a lot from the collosal boxes they use to be.

I bought a rear projection Sony HD 1080p last January and I really like it. The standard broadcasts and vcr tapes aren't that great on it, but the HD broadcasts and dvds are fantastic!

Todd,

Pixelation, AKA "screen door effect", will occur on any flat screen TV - just depends how close you are to it. Think about it this way, if you are close to a screen door you can see the actually wires. As you back away from, it at some point you, the wires disappear. So it is with flat screens (or any display using pixels).

If, for instance, you are looking at a 1080P flatscreen there are a fixed number of pixels on the screen. A 32" 1080P screen has exactly the same number of pixels as a 50" 1080P screen. Difference is, on a 50" screen the pixels are bigger. Therefore, if you stand 6 feet away from both screens you probably won't see pixelation on the 32" screen, but you probably will on the 50". Want the 50"? Back up until you don't see the individual pixels.

There is a general rule when selecting screen sizes in order to minimize pixelation/SDE. Naturally, I forget what it is. I have a 43" plasma and I sit 9 or 10 feet from it and don't see any screen door effect at all.

Go to www.avsforums.com (http://www.avsforums.com) for all the information you could possibly want.

Dan

EDIT: Just re-read your thread and noticed you mentioned "when not receiving an HD signal". If the unit is taking a program that was done in 4:3 format and trying to display it in 16:9 it will be distorted. The processor is altering the original format to fill the screen, by stretching it in some way. It's also trying to change low resolution into a higher resolution. Almost the same idea as screen door effect. If you look at a low resolution picture on a small tube it looks much sharper then the same picture on a larger tube.

Thanks for the input so far, and the links. Looks like I am definately going to need to do some homework, to make a fairly good decision on the purchase of a TV.
I am off to read the info in the links you guys supplied.

Much appreciated! :)

It can be overwheming Todd.

Start with your requirements, because that will help to narrow down the options. Things like: the distance from your couch/chair to the front of the screen (helps determine screen size), if you need excellent off-axis viewability (If yes, dismisses DLP units), using it in a real bright room? (plasma might be a little better choice over LCD), wall mountable? (dismisses DLP's), etc-etc.

D

I just bought a 50" Panasonic Plasma. I thought the regular digital signal channels looked fuzzier in the store, but when I got it home, I put it above the entertainment center and compared it to my 32" tube type TV. No comparison ,as the plasma picture was still better than my tube picture on regular channels and the high def stuff is just amazing, and I thought I had a pretty good picture on my 32".

The bigger the picture, the more pixelated it will look. Kinda like trying to watch a utube video full screen. Also, with a digital picture, particullary satellite and cable, the broadcaster will compress the signal, causing artifacts that aren't as easily seen on a smaller screen. With satellite, I had read that the "basic" channels are compressed more than the premium channels, with pay-per-view being the least compressed.

Also note that televisions in a showroom consistanly have their video setting set way off. They will have color, brightness, contrast and sharpness set way too high.

I had a Sony "tube" type and bought a Sanyo LCD. I can tell you that anything you get will be better than what you have. The new stuff is visually amazing, now if the programming would just get better....................

the pixelation can be worse when using a large screen, but if your cable signal is strong it won't be as bad

if u have a dish it should still be pretty nice, if you don't you might consider it...you get $300 off a new TV at work (circuit city) for signing up and get more HD channels (at least in our area its ~20 vs ~70)

brands to look at: Sony, Samsung, Panasonic

www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com
www.lcdtvbuyingguide.com

Some good stuff there to read.

I have a 42" Panasonic plasma and love it to death. You can see flaws in the SD picture that you wouldn't see on a tube because of the way it makes the picture. Pixels VS scanlines. I sat and watched Discovery HD for about 4 hours after we got the thing hooked up. Beautiful. :) Most TV content is still crap though. the picture might be better, but the shows themselves won't.

K