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| Small TV/DVD player; recommendation sought | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 4 2009, 12:36 PM (295 Views) | |
| jon-nyc | Apr 4 2009, 12:36 PM Post #1 |
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Cheers
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We're finally upgrading from our 19" CRT (w/ built in DVD player!). It works fine, but its big and ugly. We have it hidden away in the 2nd bedroom but as that is going to become the nursery soon, we'll do our DVD watching in our bedroom. So we want something a bit more elegant, flat screen. And small. 22in or 26in max. A built in DVD player is important. Keep in mind, this will only be used for DVDs, not TV or games. Any recommendations? |
| In my defense, I was left unsupervised. | |
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| Larry | Apr 4 2009, 12:54 PM Post #2 |
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Mmmmmmm, pie!
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Built in stuff has a tendency to not last as long as the main unit, sending you out not to buy just the builtin item, but the whole shebang. In other words, the DVD player might be dead in a year, and the TV will still work. I'd consider separates, but that's just my opinion. I'm on my 5th DVD player in 2 years - and I rarely actually use them. |
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Of the Pokatwat Tribe | |
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| QuirtEvans | Apr 4 2009, 12:58 PM Post #3 |
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I Owe It All To John D'Oh
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I second that opinion. In general, the better-quality stuff is individual components (although I've seen a nice combo unit ... it might have been from Toshiba). The other point is that, within a few years, the DVD will be dead, and everything will be Blu-ray, and you won't be able to swap it out as easily. Why is the combo important? Space? You can get a small shelf that sits on a dresser, the TV goes on top and a DVD player can fit under. In that way, it would be approximately the same space as a combo unit. |
| It would be unwise to underestimate what large groups of ill-informed people acting together can achieve. -- John D'Oh, January 14, 2010. | |
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| George K | Apr 4 2009, 01:09 PM Post #4 |
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Finally
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What Larry and Quirt said. Go separate. The other thing is that the "sweet spot" for TV's now seems to be a 32" flat screen. It takes up just a bit more room than your current 26" (in width) but the height is about the same: the difference being the 16:9 aspect ration of the flat screen vs the 4:3 ratio of the CRT. I recently purchased a 32" Sharp for under $500 at Best Buy. Nice TV. |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| Mikhailoh | Apr 4 2009, 01:16 PM Post #5 |
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
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Yep. Look for Sharp, Panasonic, Sony (although they are pricier) - other brands are generally lesser quality, although I hear good things about Samsung and Mitsubishi. |
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Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball | |
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| jon-nyc | Apr 4 2009, 01:36 PM Post #6 |
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Cheers
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Guys - I see your logic, but the variable Rachel optimizes is aesthetics, not durability or even utility. Especially television, which is something that she thinks should be neither seen nor heard. ![]() Its gotta be one unit. Our last two worked out (a 13" w/ built in VCR we bought in 2000, then a 19" w/ built in DVD we bought in 2004). I was looking at a Sharp and a Toshiba today. The SONY I saw didn't have the built in DVD (but maybe its available). Panasonic is highly rated at CR, but they also don't have the combo unit. Mitsubishi was not well rated on CR. I've not yet looked into Samsung. Any other brand recommendations? Any brands to stay away from? |
| In my defense, I was left unsupervised. | |
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| Mark | Apr 4 2009, 05:29 PM Post #7 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Get a 24" iMac! |
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___.___ (_]===* o 0 When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells | |
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| Jolly | Apr 4 2009, 06:10 PM Post #8 |
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Geaux Tigers!
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Ok.... Put the sucker in a recessed cabinet with a concealed hinge. Hang suitable and desired artwork on front. Open cabinet to watch birthing videos (Push! Now breathe..). Close when not in use. Sharp, Sony and we've had decent luck with Vizio at work... |
| The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States.- George Soros | |
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| Mikhailoh | Apr 4 2009, 06:26 PM Post #9 |
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
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Ok - Sharp Aquos, a very good LCD brand, is just now putting out a 32" LCD-Blu-Ray combo at under a grand. That's what you ought to look for. www.engadget.com/2009/02/12/sharps-32-37-inch-blu-ray-aquos-lcd-hdtvs-up-for-pre-order |
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Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball | |
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| blondie | Apr 4 2009, 06:26 PM Post #10 |
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Bull-Carp
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I'm with Rachel. I got myself a small Sharp with built in DVD 1.5 yrs ago jon for in front of my treadmill. Looked up the ratings with Consumer Reports first. Works well but I wish I could get more volume from it (but that's b/c the TM is noisy.) Some advice: Get the best swing arm possible & this means multi-positional & bulky looking. I had a professional install mine. Why? Because that angle has to be just perfect for your viewing. Your TV will protrude I'd say 6-10" from the wall. ![]() |
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| jon-nyc | Apr 5 2009, 05:04 AM Post #11 |
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Cheers
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TOO BIG! And I'm not an early adopter. We'll switch to blue ray when netflix quits carrying DVDs... We'd prefer a 22in but the viewing angles are bad. 26in is tolerable, but I wouldn't go larger. I think we can get a 26in w/ DVD for 400ish. Maybe we'll get 4-5 good years out of it. By then there should be 26in w/ built in blue rays for $300. |
| In my defense, I was left unsupervised. | |
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| jon-nyc | Apr 5 2009, 05:06 AM Post #12 |
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Cheers
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THanks for the tips, everyone. I'll definitely be checking out Toshiba, Sharp, and Sony. |
| In my defense, I was left unsupervised. | |
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| 1hp | Apr 5 2009, 09:20 AM Post #13 |
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Fulla-Carp
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Don't know about reliability, but the number 1 brand (flat panel TV) sold in the United States is...........Vizio. Frankly, for what you want (non cutting edge, mature technology with a very specific footprint/style) I would worry less about brand, and look for exactly what you want. We bought a no name brand DVD player from Walmart (actually we bought several of them). It was the cheapest one they sold - reason we bought it was because it supported both US and European standards which we needed for testing. We abused them no end - stored them on the floor in a corner, travelled around with them, etc.... Damned if they weren't pretty much indestructible! I just gave the last one away to a woman at my old work who wanted to play some British DVD's she had. or you could go top of the line: Bang and Olufsen - BeoVision7 |
| There are 10 kinds of people in this world, those that understand binary and................ | |
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| Frank_W | Apr 5 2009, 04:50 PM Post #14 |
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Resident Misanthrope
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Awesome! The Missus and I were contemplating a combo unit, too. Going with separate components will not only keep the costs down, but will allow us more latitude in what we buy for a TV.
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Anatomy Prof: "The human body has about 20 sq. meters of skin." Me: "Man, that's a lot of lampshades!" | |
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| QuirtEvans | Apr 5 2009, 04:53 PM Post #15 |
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I Owe It All To John D'Oh
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Aren't Blu-ray players backwards compatible? |
| It would be unwise to underestimate what large groups of ill-informed people acting together can achieve. -- John D'Oh, January 14, 2010. | |
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| jon-nyc | Apr 5 2009, 05:04 PM Post #16 |
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Cheers
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You don't understand the Luddite mindset, Quirt. I'll buy blue ray when netflix quits carrying DVDs on new releases. And by that time the players will be stable and cheap. Thats what got me to switch to DVD in 2004. The local video store quit getting new releases in VHS. |
| In my defense, I was left unsupervised. | |
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