Help Me Buy an LCD TV

[Myrtle]

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Then, you MUST have quality cables from it to the set, regardless of whether or not your using the HDMI or regular inputs/outputs. Do NOT disregard this point!!!

[/ QUOTE ]Depends on what you mean by "quality." One doesn't need $200 HDMI cables when you can buy them for $20.

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Gus, Please...........

Quality is NOT necessarily always defined by price.

Your statement as written above is misleading and can easily be interpreted incorrectly, leading one to a bad decision.


[/ QUOTE ]And your statement is vague and could easily be interpreted to mean "buy expensive cables."

What cables would you recommend?

PS Surely you realize that there is a huge debate in the audiophile community between the "cable is cable" crowd and the MIT/Kimber cable buyers. I'm far from the only cable skeptic.

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My apologies for any vagueness.......I simply do not have the time to write 4-5 pages thoroughly explaining every facet of this issue.

That's why I provided the link....Did you check it out?

As far as the "Wire/Cable" debate.

IMHO, skepticism is a good thing in regards to this subject.

O yes, I've been involved with it since the 70's, and again I don't care to write a dissertation on my views.

The reality is something that most folks don't want to hear.

The correct answer is..... "It all depends....".

You may not like it, but that's the truth.

The variables are too many to make broad definitive statements about the issue.

Now.........given what you've written, and the fact that you're familiar with, as you call it, the MIT/Kimber debate, let me remind you that I have already stated once in this string that I don't care to get into a pissing contest with anyone.

I've been doing this for a living for almost 40 years, and I'm weary of debating most of these issues.

Again, please, no offense intended.

I just don't care to go there any more.

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I appreciate your experience, but instead of writing that long post about how weary you are of these debates, and how you don't want to write a dissertation on X or Y, you could have written 1-2 sentences in which you answered his question as to what cables YOU, as a man in the business, would recommend as a quality product....

Sorry, but that would seem to be far more useful in this thread.

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Fair enough comment, but based upon the literally thousands of times that I have found myself in that position, here's where that so often ends up.....

......simply put, in a proverbial pissing contest.

It is very difficult to explain the reality to someone who considers their opinion to be based upon factual info, when it really isn't.

Invariably, it gets down to a "You're wrong....No, YOU'RE wrong" scenario.

The hobbyist audio/video community is FILLED with folks who's only life centers around their equipment, and it literally become their alter-ego.

I simply do not want to waste my time with folks like that here on 2+2.

Let me remind you, that this is my business, and I spend a certain time each and every day doing exactly that.

Forgive me for not wanting to do that on my own time.

Do you blame me for not wanting to go there here on 2+2?

If you have noticed, I have made numbers of comments, replies and statements here in this string.

I reserve the right to do so when I feel that my doing so can bring something to the party.

When I see a situation that I judge will just get me into a chitstorm, I just avoid it.

Hope that more fully explains my state of mind regarding this subject.


p.s. The answer to your questions as to what cables I personally would use?

.... "It all depends" [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

hint, hint....(Did I not provide a link in that post? My hope was that some would check it out and educate themselves about the issues instead of appealing to authority and looking for a simple answer) [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

[gusmahler]

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Hope that more fully explains my state of mind regarding this subject.

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We respect your want to avoid a "pissing contest." But the guy you're responding to (and me) just want to hear you say "I personally use [insert brand name here] and think you should try it."

TLDR really isn't a place full of flame wars, so I think you can expect that none of us will come full bore at you for your opinion. Especially now that you've said you're not going to argue.

[Myrtle]

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Hope that more fully explains my state of mind regarding this subject.

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We respect your want to avoid a "pissing contest." But the guy you're responding to (and me) just want to hear you say "I personally use [insert brand name here] and think you should try it."

TLDR really isn't a place full of flame wars, so I think you can expect that none of us will come full bore at you for your opinion. Especially now that you've said you're not going to argue.

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Hehe....Hell man, I'm not worried about anyone coming full bore at me!

Again, I've supported my family doing this since the early 70's.

It is my profession and I'm very well respected nationally in the business community.

No insult intended, but I think it's much more valuable for me (as a Lounge participant) to help my fellow Loungers LEARN something of value.

I just edited my last post with a p.s.

Does that help?

p.s. Not for nothing, regardless of how much I know, I don't know everything that there is to know. But, I do know where to go to find the answers.

If I can help just one of you learn how to do this, it will put a smile on my face.

[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Myrtle]

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I'd go for 40 or 42 inch, I guarantee 32 is gonna seem small. A 32" widescreen is much smaller than a 32" standard 4x3 tv.

I have a Toshiba REGZA 42" 1080p, also got a Toshiba HD-DVD player, both awesome. Don't get a cheapo like Westinghouse or Vizio, not that they are terrible but the quality is just not as good as the better brands even though some of the specs may sound the same.

Don't buy HDMI cables for 80 bucks from Circuit City/Best Buy. You can get the same thing for less than 10 bucks on Amazon, these cables are all basically the same (unlike non-digital cables where expensive ones might improve the pic quality).

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I like your choice of products, and more importantly, the advice in your post is both insightful and solid.

[gusmahler]

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hint, hint....(Did I not provide a link in that post? My hope was that some would check it out and educate themselves about the issues instead of appealing to authority and looking for a simple answer) [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

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That link tells what brand you recommend. But it doesn't say much else.

All it says is that one specific cable manufacturer has decided to rate its own cables. How is that any different from Monster having different series of cables?

[Myrtle]

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hint, hint....(Did I not provide a link in that post? My hope was that some would check it out and educate themselves about the issues instead of appealing to authority and looking for a simple answer) [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

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That link tells what brand you recommend. But it doesn't say much else.

All it says is that one specific cable manufacturer has decided to rate its own cables. How is that any different from Monster having different series of cables?

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Gus,

I made an assumption that those who checked out the link would also cruise the site, which gives you much more specific information.

My Bad.....I know better than to assume anything.

Get back on the site & hit the Home button. Check out the other press releases and the rest of the site for more info.

The DPL ratings are the stepchild of Jeff Boccaccio of In-Vision Technology, not of Ethereal. It just so happens that the folks at Ethereal build HDMI cables that perform very well to the required standards.

Virtually all cable makers have different series of cables. The problem that we run into in this particular case is that it has been almost impossible to separate the good ones from the bad ones.

The DPL ratings that In-Vision has established as standards for HDMI signal transmission will serve to clarify how good each of them are.

[gusmahler]

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Gus,

I made an assumption that those who checked out the link would also cruise the site, which gives you much more specific information.

My Bad.....I know better than to assume anything.

Get back on the site & hit the Home button. Check out the other press releases and the rest of the site for more info.


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You're telling someone to learn about how to evaluate cables by going to a specific cable manufacturer's website. That's like asking someone for info on what OS to pick to go to the Microsoft website.

If you want to learn about HDMI, go to:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=168

[Myrtle]

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Gus,

I made an assumption that those who checked out the link would also cruise the site, which gives you much more specific information.

My Bad.....I know better than to assume anything.

Get back on the site & hit the Home button. Check out the other press releases and the rest of the site for more info.


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You're telling someone to learn about how to evaluate cables by going to a specific cable manufacturer's website. That's like asking someone for info on what OS to pick to go to the Microsoft website.

If you want to learn about HDMI, go to:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=168

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Geezez Gus....I'm getting frustrated.

Did you READ any of the info at that link?

[gusmahler]

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Gus,

I made an assumption that those who checked out the link would also cruise the site, which gives you much more specific information.

My Bad.....I know better than to assume anything.

Get back on the site & hit the Home button. Check out the other press releases and the rest of the site for more info.


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You're telling someone to learn about how to evaluate cables by going to a specific cable manufacturer's website. That's like asking someone for info on what OS to pick to go to the Microsoft website.

If you want to learn about HDMI, go to:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=168

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Geezez Gus....I'm getting frustrated.

Did you READ any of the info at that link?

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Are we even talking about the same site:

http://www.etherealhometheater.com/index.php

You keep talking about that site like it's some magic tutorial that will teach everyone anything they will ever need to know about cables. But I've been to every page on the site. All I see is marketing BS about how their cables feature special construction and quality materials. Barely different from anything I've seen on Monster or Audioquest's website.

[Myrtle]

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Gus,

I made an assumption that those who checked out the link would also cruise the site, which gives you much more specific information.

My Bad.....I know better than to assume anything.

Get back on the site & hit the Home button. Check out the other press releases and the rest of the site for more info.


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You're telling someone to learn about how to evaluate cables by going to a specific cable manufacturer's website. That's like asking someone for info on what OS to pick to go to the Microsoft website.

If you want to learn about HDMI, go to:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=168

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Geezez Gus....I'm getting frustrated.

Did you READ any of the info at that link?

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Are we even talking about the same site:

http://www.etherealhometheater.com/index.php

You keep talking about that site like it's some magic tutorial that will teach everyone anything they will ever need to know about cables. But I've been to every page on the site. All I see is marketing BS about how their cables feature special construction and quality materials. Barely different from anything I've seen on Monster or Audioquest's website.

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Gus,

We are talking about the same site.

The link I gave (I thought?) took you to one of the press releases on their home page.

If you read it (and the related one)you will read some hard information surrounding In-Vision Technology and Jeff Boccaccio.

In-Vision has done some in-depth engineering studies surrounding the performance characteristics of HDMI cables.

Jeff Boccaccio is a well-respected electrical engineer who has been involved in the audio industry since the 60's.

Should you wish more detail on their position, I would suggest that you contact them directly.

And now....Your responses have supported the case that I've made in earlier posts as to why I am hesitant to get involved at this level with these kind of discussions.

You are the one who labeled what is there as "Marketing BS" without even having the diligence or curiosity to do any follow-up.

It is not my fault (or problem) that you do not appear to have the ability or desire to perform due diligence in regards to this subject.

Opinions are like arseholes.....everyone has one.

We're done.