Re: astroglide\'s home theater: what i own, what i would buy today
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Great thread. However, I have to disagree on the awesomeness of wall-mounting. The volume saved in our master bedroom by going with a wallmount LCD vs. a standard TV with a pedestal/entertainment center/etc. really opens up the room for me. I am really big on open space, though. I would mount all my electronics in/on the walls if possible.
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i see it as a perfectly functional decision if one is space-limited, or particularly enjoys open spaces. i think the general appeal of wall-mounted flat panels is the "ooh ah" though, and it's got nothing to do with the picture. i think all of the indiscriminate purchases of crappo plasmas from costco attests to this. i wouldn't avoid a flat panel just to make a statement about that stuff, i'm just saying i wouldn't seek it out for those reasons.
most flat panels i've seen in homes are what i'd consider to be improperly mounted too: too high, too low, off to the side, etc. i particularly hate the visual distraction of the over-the-fireplace mount, in addition to the height thing. it's not like we read books by holding them over our heads with a busy landscape right in front of our face.
immersion the thing that matters most to me when watching high definition content, and those are the sort of things that pop you out of it. another thing is viewing angle though, and a wall-mounted set is going to be set back a good 12-18 inches from where a rear projection set would have been. that effectively translates to a smaller screen, and less immersion. in other threads i've made a big deal out of screen size because it's a big, big deal to me. i think most people look at a 42" and say, hell, i've only got a 27" set now this is gonna be more than enough! once they sit 10' away from a 60" screen someplace else they should quickly realize that it isn't too big, it's just right.
it seems likely that flat panels will become the eventual standard, and i'll still be the first in line if it's cost-effective, large enough, and i'm able to mount it properly in the room.
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