I currently have a 30" tube HDTV (Insignia) mounted in an entertainment center I built. It fits well, looks nice, and functions as we had hoped. However, the family thinks it is too small and would love a nice 42" LCD mounted above our gas fireplace. I am researching all of this to determine what all I will need to do to make this work and have questions:
1) Much of our componentry is very old and I do not want to upgrade all of it (honestly can't afford it). Ideally what I am considering is some kind of video selector switch that will allow me to plug in RCA cables, component cables, s-video, (and if possible the coax cable from our antenna) and output a single HDMI to the new TV. Basically, I only want to run a single HDMI cable from the selector to the TV (instead of a ton of cables through the wall). I believe I would need inputs for:
- VCR (RCA cables)
-DVD player (Component cables)
-DVD Burner (Component cables)
-iPod dock (s-video cables)
-Wii (Component cables)
-RF Transmitter (RCA cables)
-open (someday we may decide to get satelite or something)
-coax (from the antenna)
Does this kind of selector exist???
2) I have the mount picked out and have checked the angles and all...this should work perfectly for all of us. However, I am concerned about the heat generated from the fireplace. Will this affect the TV? Will it shorten the life of the TV?
3) I had selected the tube TV because I was under the impression it would deal with glare better, have deeper blacks and colors, and appear brighter. Will the LCD look as nice? I know the ones they have in the stores look nice, but... most that I have seen in person (in houses) look blurry or I can see hazy ghosting issues. I am not certain if this is due to the people's TV not being connected to digital cable or what it is...but I don't want to spend the $$$ on a bigger TV only to hate the result.
4) Will 42" be sufficiently large or will we want to go bigger in a year or so. Our typical viewing area will be approximately 14' from the TV...advice would be appreciated.
5) Anyone have pictures of surrounds available? I am trying to figure out if the TV mounted on the wall will look fine, or if I need to make some kind of "picture frame" surround.
I know I have asked a lot and appreciate any input you may have...
Thanks,
Thoma
Your best bet for a "switch" is an upconverting A/V receiver. You just have to make sure that analog sources (RCA, Svideo, Component) are all upconverted to the HDMI output (some do, some don't). This will also support surround sound either now or in the future. Whether you use an A/V receiver or dedicated switch this won't be cheap - I'd expect $300-$400 minimum but I haven't looked at them recently.
As for fireplace mounting - check with the tv manufacturer. They should cover this explicitly.
How do you currently receiver your TV programming? Analog cable? Digital Cable? OTA?
Then you'll need to run both a coax line and HDMI to the TV unless you plan to use a separate OTA receiver or DVR (Tivo, e.g.). You can't send the antenna signal over hdmi.
As for size, 42" will be ok at 14' - no worse than your current 30" 4:3 set at least. I'd recommend bigger - 46" to 50" if possible. If you want inexpensive, go for a 768p or 720p 42" set. You won't notice the difference between that and 1080p at that distance. Otherwise I'd wait until you can afford a 50" 1080p and an upconverting A/V receiver.
Regardless of which or who's HDTV - NONE - allow for mounting above an active fireplace & Maintain the warranty . . . . to verify, simply download the full manual of each Brand in which you might be interested & within theose initial 4 - 5 -6 pages, it WILL be so stated!
A top limit IS 104 F . . . even that Gas Log may exceed that.
The vertical picture quality limits of LCDs also will prevent any such mounting . . . all are especially limited in their abilities to maintain picture quality in the vertical "off-axis" viewing modes - I.E. - as in your case, the set will be mounted FAR above the recommended 41" - 42" exact display center from the floor - unless only viewing from tall bar stools, of course.
This IS simply a Good Decorating Magazine gimmick .... never a serious mounting option!
Admittedly - done time after time , particularly in those multi-million dollar McDonald Homes so popular before this Crash ! BUT - if / whenever that set is "opened" for service, the interior will clearly demonstrate it's "history" & therefore, No Fix - at least by the Maker! Perhaps, these folks don't care anyway . . . just want " dramatic appeal !"
Thanks...I was afraid of the heat generated by the fireplace. We do have a nice deep mantle...but it still puts out a lot of heat. I guess I could take a measurement of the heat where I would mount the TV...but it is sounding like I should look for a better alternative. I was just imagining relaxing on the sofa...watching both the TV and fire (currently, I have to choose which to watch...and it results in us not using the fireplace nearly as much as we would like).
While I agree that a 720p is the way to go, 42 inches is not big enough to see HD from 14 feet away. The very smallest would be at least 50 inches. Fortunately, both Samsung and Panasonic have 50 inch 720P plasmas being closed out at a number of stores for under $1000. You can get wall mounts for these online for $30 including shipping. Put a thermometer on the mantel and check the temp--I bet it will be less than 104.
He's correct regarding the Panasonic closeouts - here's one from a very respected web store - no Tax except NY + KY = $1000 net and safe, guar, dely into your TV Room { not that wall mount, naturally } - - - http://www.crutchfield.com/p_13350PX80/ ... tml?tp=161
And, although slightly larger than absolutely needed, I've used this #3401 before & found it to be a very secure hardware set, offering sufficient "tilting" for your specific application, as well - - - - - - - - - - - - - - http://www.monoprice.com/products/produ ... cification
Do keep the certified 1.3 HDMI cabling & electrical power on the surface rather than trying "concealed."
It'd cost a fortune to bury it inside a masonry / brick wall.
There are also very "wee" specific cooling fan(s) which ARE designed for providing added circulation re {HDTVs } at very modest prices - - - just place on top of the mantle & "aim" to blow horizontally below that wall-mounted HDTV, so that any heating Never even reaches it at all !
eli
Well, we are starting to get back on our feet financially and are in a position to consider this again. I have found a very nice deal on two televisions and am curious as to which size would be recommended. Again, viewing distance approximately 14-feet and we are still looking at mounting it above the mantle (the height would work very well for reclined viewing). Recall, we currently have a 30" 1080p tube television with all standard definition DVD player etc and will not be upgrading those items for a while...
Sorry to "disagree" w/ akirby - but- you certainly do NOT need to worry about the 720p set - that will be so very far removed from your eyeballs that you will NOT benefit from a 1920 X 1080 - full HD - set at all !
That's for 58" - 60" and larger HDTVs w/ also use of a Blu Ray / P.C. / Games Console / etc., involving "Up Close" seating !
Glare will also be "moot" due to that sharp inclination or tilting above the Mantle downward toward those recliners.
Excellent @ $932, no tax except NY + KY plus, safe, guar, 2 person del'y unpacked & set atop your temporary TV Stand !!
Here's a # 3401 tilting wall mount that I've used w/ great success, since it allows for many lags or - in your case - anchor bolts - with it's 45" long wall plate - (scroll up for image) - - - - - http://www.monoprice.com/products/produ ... cification
Everyone should have access to a "tie breaker" for themselves in order to make up their own minds - - - this IS an old discussion BUT it also contains added references which try to explain What the human Eye can & can NOT discern . . . . take you time & enjoy ! One about "Contrast Ratios - Huge Numbers" . . . and the other about the 720p vs 1080p affair . . . .
Careful, Eli. There is no absolute answer about whether someone will or will not see a difference between 720 and 1080 on a 50" set at 14 feet - some will even if most won't.
There is also no way you can say whether they will have glare problems or not.
Let me put it this way - if it was me I'd take a 47" 1080p LCD over a 50" 720p plasma every time, all else being relatively equal. You're guaranteed to have the best picture (in terms of resolution) and no glare. This could be important down the road with Blu-Ray, etc. Maybe if it was a 42" LCD, but there's not much difference practically speaking between a 47" and 50" screen.
What concerns me about the 1080 set is that we went from a standard aspect ratio 27" tv to a 30" 1080i set a few years ago. Though the 30" set is technically larger...the portion actually used is smaller than our old 27" tv. Some stations will use more of the screen than others...but for the most part, this larger tv seems smaller...
No contest whatever with your points! . . . I, too, strongly believe that after it's "all-said-and-done" no one should buy NOW any new HDTV @ less than 1080p ! {excluding a second, small 42" bedroom set, of course } . . .
BUT - do recall the special problems / attributes associated w/ this application . . . . only O.T.A.-HD for the very limited channel availabilities, that HUGE 14 feet viewing distance, the absolute need of keeping the available HDTV budget in mind, the improper mounting most-of-all, etc., etc..
It sounds very ominously like " twmattox " may have been exposed to a wretched "Vizio" 47" because of it's low initial pricing ! Heaven forbid . . .
There IS no adequate size LCD or Plasma display even available for that distance for proper "HD" immersion / effects / appreciation at all ! That would require a Projection set onto a completely-flat screen !
It's going to be simply a replacement TV set, w/o any HD effects at all . . . so, as was already posted, NO Blu Ray Player now or in future is needed or should be planned.
In the .. 47" .. vs .. 50.. " issue, he really needs to INCREASE - never go down in size to "fit" the available, proposed budget!
In terms of area viewed, there IS a huge difference going from his 47" to a 50" - - and, better still - - a 52" LCD" most assuredly ! In-point-of-fact, about 13% [50"] and a great 25% { 52" }!!
FAR better to sacrifice the possibility of " .. seeing a pixel or two on occasion .." that to have such an unsatisfactorily-small display that they WILL wonder why they spent the monies / changed at all !
You HAVE exactly "hit-the-nail-on-the-head" the very first time !
ALL switching from CRTs to any new 16:9 set DO experience that very same phenomena - " IF " they don't understand that these new HDTVs literally ARE 25% smaller in their vertical display dimension !
To ONLY stay the same, one must increase by ~ ~ that % - I.E. - in your case, that 27" CRT should have been replaced w/ at the minimum a " 34 " - and since those aren't made, a 37" LCD.
If you can control the light in the room at all, I'd get a plasma; if not, an lcd. As for resolution, unless you watch a lot of sports on abc and fox (which broadcast atsc at 720p) I'd definitely get a 1080p set, especially if you plan to eventually get a bluray player; 1080p prices have nosedived this year and are marginally more expensive than comparable 720p sets. As for size, I'd personally compromise a for a smaller 1080p over a larger 720p. But you need to take your tape measure to a big box store and look at plasmas and lcds with different program material (e.g., fast action sports, high resolution nature - look at the Planet Earth bluray) to see whether the picture size, resolution and quality differences matter to you. As to where to buy, only buy from an authorized dealer whether at at local store or mail order. If you find a model you like, check and compare Amazon.com, 6Ave.com, Buydig.com, vanns.com, and bhphotovideo.com. Crutchfield.com is reliable but tends to be pricier, more comparable to Bestbuy.
Thanks everyone. We have a very old home (125yrs at least) and the placement of windows makes finding a TV spot difficult. When we bought the home, I built an entertainment center between two windows and filled it with the largest TV possible (the 30" tube 1080i set we have). However, we usually sit around 10' away from it and would like something bigger...if possible. The only other location we could put a TV is above our fire place (there are absolutely no other places that would work)!!! Above the fireplace we are constrained because we don't want it to be as wide as the fireplace itself (60"). I have actually measured our viewing distance again today and came up with more along the line of 12'...not sure if that 2' makes a difference.
I am leaning toward the 47" LCD 1080p. It is only $40 more than the other set...
As far as make etc...we are looking at Best Buy Insignia sets (both). Standard price for the 47" is $830...and we have family who works there and may be able to get a good discount...
Definitely avoid that "Private Label" set at all costs - - - even IF it means doing w/o for another interval !!
Terrible Customer Service during it's lifetime before you give up & scrap it at a terrific loss-out-of-pocket!
Totally misleading savings or economy! Definitely wait until the situation allows a Top Tier, Brand-name HDTV which WILL have national, In-Home, 100 % coverage / warranty!
HDTVs are Never "inexpensive" - BUT - these newest batch of "Disposable / Throwaway" ones are a continual BLIGHT !
eli
Edited @ 2:10 pm- CDT (? your time) . . . that B.B. mess requires that it be remove / taken ONLY to them by the customer, deposited into their "self-repair" scheme & wait & wait & wait . . . .
Absolutely NOT the best of reading materials for your "family-employee" of that B.B & Private Label TV -
BUT - read about 2/3 rds the way down in the article about ' IT ' - - - - -
