New Addition to the Family Room

What with the Beijing Olympics being telecast next month, the not too far off football and basketball season within sight, and of course, the new fall season of network shows starting in just a few weeks, I decided that it was time to upgrade the family room television to a digital format. Our 61 inch Sony rear projection set had served us well for the last five years, but the time had come to purchase a HD TV. The questions, as always when considering this kind of purchase, are what size screen will fit best in the viewing room and should the set have a plasma or LCD screen. The 1080p part was a given. There are other factors (such as the brand) to consider, but these are the basic questions that I was trying to address during my extended search for a new TV.

I settled on a LCD screen, but in doing so I made some compromises. First, was regarding screen size. My preference was to buy a unit that had a screen between 58 and 65 inches, but the prices for those units were more than I felt were reasonable - at least compared to TVs a few inches smaller. The cost to value, relating to the screen size, is currently in the 52 inch range. Go larger than 52 inches and the price escalates considerably. Also, screens in the 58 inch and above range tend to be of the plasma type. I did not rule out buying a plasma unit, but my preference was for the LCD format. The LCD screens tend to be brighter and you eliminate the risk of "burn in" with a LCD screen. I found my best value at Sears. Sears had a display model that was steeply discounted and well bench tested (it had been on display for approximately five months), so I went for it. With a little help from my neighbor Al (thanks so much for your help, Al), using his trusty Tahoe truck (great vehicle for hauling a large screen TV), we moved the one hundred and two pound TV home without a hitch. With the HDMI hookup connected to my previously purchased blue ray player (a BEST Buy Insignia brand) and another port connected to my newly acquired Comcast DVR (that now makes for two DVR's), I was ready for the fall TV season.

I really like the Regza. It's not at the top of most HDTV ratings, but it fares extremely well against the Sony XBR, the Sharp Aquos and the Pioneer Elite. Several online reviews have been quite favorable toward the Regza and even more so if you factor in the cost. You can see a picture of the new addition to our family room to the right and at the bottom of the blog page. Can't wait for the Olympics and Kings games to start!!!