not with a bang but with a wimper

[cellio]

Our previous TV died in a lightning strike, with accompanying sounds and smells. That was, I think, ten years ago, and we've been thinking idle thoughts about upgrading the current one, but haven't because (1) it works fine and (2) it weighs 200 pounds and is on the second floor. (Ok, maybe not 200 pounds, but heavier than the two of us can lift, let alone carry down steps.)

Tonight I turned on the TV and got a click, a brief flash of white light, and then nothing. Tried the actual power switch in case it's the remote; tried unplugging and replugging in case something had gotten jostled loose. No dice. Swapped the batteries in the remote anyway just in case the physical switch has been dead for years (who'd know?). No dice.

Well that's inconvenient.

Off to research modern TVs, then. I guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow afternoon...

Comments

[alaricmacconnal.livejournal.com]

We've been very happy with our Samsung flat screens.

[dsrtao]

The size vs resolution chart here http://carltonbale.com/1080p-does-matter is based on 20/20 vision.

I suspect that for you, the interesting factors will be largest size in your budget, number of appropriate inputs, and overall longevity.

The most energy efficient screens available are LED-backlit LCD. They are likely to last longest, too.
Plasma looks very good but consumes almost as much power as a CRT.
A great warranty is probably better than any brand reputation for quality. Buying with certain credit cards (notably AmEx) can add a year to your warranty.

[steven.livejournal.com]

Get one of those fancy new COLOR models. They even have the antenna buried inside!

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

TVs are often cheaply available the days after the Superbowl.
I am also very pleased with our Samsung.

You can likely get a CRT tv from someone moving to flatscreen for cheap or free.

[cellio]

Thanks for the chart. I'd already decided that 1080 matters, if not for vision directly then for interoperability, but it's good to have that data too.

I was surprised by the viewing-distance recommendations in a recent Consumer Reports; they recommend sitting much closer than I would have expected. By their recommendation we are currently sitting too far away from our 32" TV, but will be about right for 42" or 46". (It's not a large room.) Which fits with my preferences -- 32" is ok for most things but I can't read most subtitles without leaning forward, and I'm sure I'm missing all sorts of other subtleties. (And, of course, old-style 32" isn't the same as new-style 32", which would produce a smaller image for the 4:3 aspect ratio.) Early in the days of the new TV, I plan to rewatch some B5 space battles -- just as a test, you understand. :-)

We don't watch so much TV that I really care about the power footprint. Based on specs I want plasma for viewing angle and suitability for darker rooms.

Thanks for the tips! Hadn't thought to check which credit card to use.

[cellio]

I had one of those, and then I had to go buy a new antenna and converter box anyway because they stopped using analogue! Backward-compatability is overrated, apparently. :-)

[littlekatydid.livejournal.com]

Oh man, when our 200 lb tv died last year we had so many issues. The company we bought the new one from said they'd haul it away, but then when they got there said it was too heavy for them to haul away so it sat in the front room for like a year until we moved and had to figure out a way to get rid of it!

[nsingman.livejournal.com]

I promised myself that I wouldn't replace our CRTs with flat panels until they were either dead or moribund. I've been pretty good so far, but the televisions are getting close to shedding their electro-mortal coils. I'll try to behave and not define down "moribund."
:-)

Good luck with your purchase!

[cellio]

The conversation at the checkout counter went roughly like this:

Me: Now, about delivery...
Her: this would probably fit in your car if you want it today.
Me: I can't move the 200-pound CRT TV this is replacing. With delivery you'll haul it away.
Her: True dat.
(Time passes.)
Her: Now this includes delivery, installation, and connection of one device like a DVD player.
Me: And you haul away the old one.
Her: Yes.
Me: Which weighs 200 pounds. This is important.
Her: Yes.
Me: Ok, just making sure.

[littlekatydid.livejournal.com]

Hope that turns out to be true! Good luck! :)

[alienor.livejournal.com]

Last year we replaced our 36" CRT, and gave that TV to a friend. I was out of town when they came to pick it up... it took 4 of us to get it up to the 2nd floor of the townhouse, I'm glad I missed taking it out!

When's delivery of your new set?

[cellio]

Delivery is Wednesday. I sure hope they routinely have two people on appliance-delivery runs! I mean, I suppose "down" is easier than "up", especially when the box is broken, but still...

[cellio]

Fortunately there is a 30-day price guarantee. Otherwise, I told the guy, I'd be back the day after the Superbowl. Thanks for the tip.

I've been feeling a little challenged with smaller details (like subtitles) on the recently-expired TV, so wouldn't want anything smaller -- and wouldn't want to carry a larger CRT up the stairs. :-) We've been thinking about upgrading to HD and flatscreen for a while, but couldn't justify it while the old set worked fine.

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

Understood.
The savings come when purchasing tvs which were bought just to watch the game on, then returned.

Please be aware that the closed captions can be fiddly. I had some aggravation setting them up, the way they are sent changed recently.

[cellio]

Please be aware that the closed captions can be fiddly. I had some aggravation setting them up, the way they are sent changed recently.

Thanks for the warning. I'm just talking about regular old subtitles, though. My hearing's fine; I don't use close-captioning. But sometimes shows I watch -- or even the occasional entire movie -- have foreign-language dialogue, hence subtitles.

[dragonazure.livejournal.com]

I forgot to chime in on this....

When searching for a new flat-panel display, also check the screen refresh rate and the anti-blurring technology that comes with it. When ealdthryth and I started looking into a replacement for the WEGA, we noticed that the larger screens (even with the high resolution) looked blurry because the screen isn't completely refreshed by the time the next refresh cycle starts.