Well, I'm disconnecting my cable TV soon because I have been paying for nothing for years and now it's going to get worse come February. So to that end I have decided to seriously look at TVs. The prices, while still high aren't coming down anytime soon so it will just take me longer to save up.

That being said, I've been educating myself and looking at 26 inch models. The reason for that is due to my space restrictions. The cabinet I have has an inside dimension of 29.5 inches wide by 24.5 inches high. The height is no problem, but the width has restricted me to the 26 inch models. (I was hoping to be able to go at least 32 inch, but that won't fit). The thing is that I sit about 10 feet from my current 25 inch analog tube TV and its ok. However, I'm worried about a new LCD flat panel and that distance. The seating arrangement is fixed so I can't move it.

What I am doing is as follows: I have an Onkyo 705 receiver (sweet) and a Panasonic DVD recorder/player (does have component hook up ability) and a VCR. Right now everything is hooked up to the receiver via composite cable due to the TV (except the CD player = fiber optic). I have a new powerful laptop which I plan on hooking up to the new TV so I can stream video from the Internet (including TV shows) onto the new TV and of course sound will go through the receiver.

I'm wondering what my image size will be on a 26 inch LCD TV? I know any SD signal will be cut off, but does that mean it will be the size of a postage stamp? I'm wondering if streaming from the Internet will be small or meet the natural aspect ratio of the TV?

 

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Onkyo TX-SR705
Onkyo DX-C390
Sony PX-LS520 turntable
Kenwood KX-5530 tape deck
Kenwood JL-690 main speakers
Polk CS-1 center channel
KLH 911B surround speakers
Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD recorder/player
Sony SLV-N88 VCR
Samsung LN40A530 LCD TV

Image size at close range should be no problem.  I game (PC) on a 24" Sammy LCD that is perfect.  Howver, 10' away on a 26" screen might be too small.  Are you sure you're stuck at 26"  

 

TV Screen Size recommendations

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Dreaming of a new H/T system...

srothfuss:

Image size at close range should be no problem.  I game (PC) on a 24" Sammy LCD that is perfect.  Howver, 10' away on a 26" screen might be too small.  Are you sure you're stuck at 26"  

 

TV Screen Size recommendations

Yes, sadly I am stuck at that size for two reasons. #1 My entertainment center TV cabinet portion is only 29.5 inches wide so a 32 inch LCD won't fit (about 1 to 2 inches over on both sides). #2 Budget. 32 inch units are still four digits and in my opinion no TV is worth four digits. (No TV is worth $700 either, but the prices are stuck there).

The only thing I could do is get a different entertainment center. I have thought about that, but its too expensive to have to also replace my cabinetry. There is also no way for me to change my seating arrangement as I am in an apartment and due to outlet locations, wall heaters and such, I don't have much, if any room to work with.

 

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Onkyo TX-SR705
Onkyo DX-C390
Sony PX-LS520 turntable
Kenwood KX-5530 tape deck
Kenwood JL-690 main speakers
Polk CS-1 center channel
KLH 911B surround speakers
Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD recorder/player
Sony SLV-N88 VCR
Samsung LN40A530 LCD TV

I really don't have any advice in reference to your TV size but I need to inform you that SDTV signals will not be cut off just analog signals.  Digital does not necessarily mean HD.   With a 26 inch(16:9 aspect ratio HDTV), you should be able to format the new digital signal(whether SD or HD) to fit the TV.

Bill

Willland:

I really don't have any advice in reference to your TV size but I need to inform you that SDTV signals will not be cut off just analog signals.  Digital does not necessarily mean HD.   With a 26 inch(16:9 aspect ratio HDTV), you should be able to format the new digital signal(whether SD or HD) to fit the TV.

Bill

That's good news since there won't be any analog signals anymore. I'm not concerned about whether a signal is HD or not. HD has no meaning for me personally, since with my terrible eyes I can't tell the difference between an SD signal and an HD signal.

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Onkyo TX-SR705
Onkyo DX-C390
Sony PX-LS520 turntable
Kenwood KX-5530 tape deck
Kenwood JL-690 main speakers
Polk CS-1 center channel
KLH 911B surround speakers
Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD recorder/player
Sony SLV-N88 VCR
Samsung LN40A530 LCD TV

all the more reason to get a gigantic TV.  

 

 

(back on topic)

 

 

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Dreaming of a new H/T system...

I think we really need to figure out how to get a bigger set in that cabinet for you. 

Maybe a swing out arm to stow the TV and bring it closeer to you? 

 

As the primary set in your home, we want to make sure this process doesn't leave you wanting more screen area.

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Dreaming of a new H/T system...

srothfuss:

I think we really need to figure out how to get a bigger set in that cabinet for you. 

Maybe a swing out arm to stow the TV and bring it closeer to you? 

 

As the primary set in your home, we want to make sure this process doesn't leave you wanting more screen area.

That's a really interesting idea. I really wish I could get a larger screen area like a 32 inch, but I would have to get rid of my entertainment center and get something different (no easy task). It would cost me $70 to get rid of my old entertainment unit because I can't sell it, it's against the apartment complex rules. (Fine, I don't want the world to know where I live either). I was thinking of getting a low-boy type unit, but it would be hell on the audio gear. I was also thinking I could get a peice for the TV and a separate cabinet for the audio gear, but that turns out to be very expensive for a stereo cabinet these days and then there is the problem of hooking up the TV to the receiver.

So your swing arm or something sounds good. Where do I find such an animal and I would want to make sure it is stable otherwise it could topple over the whole thing with all that weight out front like that.

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Onkyo TX-SR705
Onkyo DX-C390
Sony PX-LS520 turntable
Kenwood KX-5530 tape deck
Kenwood JL-690 main speakers
Polk CS-1 center channel
KLH 911B surround speakers
Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD recorder/player
Sony SLV-N88 VCR
Samsung LN40A530 LCD TV

Let me look up a couple of units and then we can see if any of them fit the bill.  And it's OK to not post too much info on the net...  No one wants to be too exposed out here.

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Dreaming of a new H/T system...

srothfuss:

Let me look up a couple of units and then we can see if any of them fit the bill.  And it's OK to not post too much info on the net...  No one wants to be too exposed out here.

It will take me about 5 months to save up for a 32 inch TV in the $700 or less range (that's as high as I can go with my budget, any larger and its a waste of money with my viewing habits, not to mention the fact that it would take me years to save up).

While your looking around for the swing arm solution, I'm going to see what might be out there in furniture around the $300 to $400 range. (If I find and do the furniture solution I won't be able to hook up my new TV for about 3 months, but I think I can deal with that). I think what would work furniture-wise would be something in a large "L" shape. One side would be for my audio components and then the lower part of the "L" (perhaps with a shelf or two under that) would fit the TV. I don't want to go Ikea type stuff because their units would not be able to take the heat and weight of my receiver. I need something a bit more solid. There is no gauranty I will find a furniture solution so I may be stuck with a 26 inch after all. (I would not mind since I'd be able to get one of those in about 3 months).

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Onkyo TX-SR705
Onkyo DX-C390
Sony PX-LS520 turntable
Kenwood KX-5530 tape deck
Kenwood JL-690 main speakers
Polk CS-1 center channel
KLH 911B surround speakers
Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD recorder/player
Sony SLV-N88 VCR
Samsung LN40A530 LCD TV

After posing the question in two different ways to two different advisors here at Crutchfield, I got the same answer from both. A 26 inch LCD at 10 feet away will not work for me. (One of them showed me the mathematical ratio formula which revealed the whole picture - no pun intended). A 32 inch LCD will be the equivalant of my current 26 inch CRT TV as far as viewing size goes at 10 feet.

So adding that to what everyone else is telling me - what I need to do now is save up another 5 months for a 32 inch TV and another 3 months on top of that for a new audio/video furniture arrangement to accomodate the TV.

Back to the ol drawing board.

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Onkyo TX-SR705
Onkyo DX-C390
Sony PX-LS520 turntable
Kenwood KX-5530 tape deck
Kenwood JL-690 main speakers
Polk CS-1 center channel
KLH 911B surround speakers
Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD recorder/player
Sony SLV-N88 VCR
Samsung LN40A530 LCD TV

Man, this is a challenging problem for sure..

 

My idea of the swing arm hasn't yeilded the results I was expecting either. 

 

Vision Mount <- My idea would have been to use somthing like this mounted to the cabinet to hold the TV and then have it swing into a postion that would stow the TV length wise instead of across, to fit the larger size into your cabinet.  But I couldn't find any that had the weight range I liked along with the flexibility that I dreamed of.

 

Ugh!

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Dreaming of a new H/T system...

srothfuss:

Man, this is a challenging problem for sure..

 

My idea of the swing arm hasn't yeilded the results I was expecting either. 

 

Vision Mount <- My idea would have been to use somthing like this mounted to the cabinet to hold the TV and then have it swing into a postion that would stow the TV length wise instead of across, to fit the larger size into your cabinet.  But I couldn't find any that had the weight range I liked along with the flexibility that I dreamed of.

 

Ugh!

Thanks for trying. I see the problem your seeing. On top of that I would have to mount the base to one of the sides of the cabinet which would bring up a nasty geometry problem. (The cabinet is open back).

After much thought and advice I have decided to go with a 32 inch TV and will have to get a new entertainment center to accomodate. (My current entertainment center was made before anything over a 28 inch TV was on the market)! So it will take me longer to get a new TV (about 5 months) and more time to get a new piece to put all my gear in (I figure an additional 3 months), so I won't be able to hook up the TV and turn it on for 8 months total.

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Onkyo TX-SR705
Onkyo DX-C390
Sony PX-LS520 turntable
Kenwood KX-5530 tape deck
Kenwood JL-690 main speakers
Polk CS-1 center channel
KLH 911B surround speakers
Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD recorder/player
Sony SLV-N88 VCR
Samsung LN40A530 LCD TV

You can sell your entertainment unit on craigslist.  If you don't know how we can tell you.  Their are lots of lowboy cabinets on the net you could buy for less than you will get for your entertainment unit.  Maybe some left over towards your TV.  Your TV would sit on top with th other electronics inside the unit.

mason:

You can sell your entertainment unit on craigslist.  If you don't know how we can tell you.  Their are lots of lowboy cabinets on the net you could buy for less than you will get for your entertainment unit.  Maybe some left over towards your TV.  Your TV would sit on top with th other electronics inside the unit.

Sorry, I can't sell my entertainment unit on Craigslist or anything like that. How in the world would I ship a 400 pound peice of furniture? Also, I can't have people tracking in and out of my apartment, it's against the rules. I just have to pay $ to have it hauled away by the junkman.

I went looking around this weekend and the lowboy cabinets are $100 to $150 less than I paid for my Entertainment unit 20 years ago. However, I also need an audio gear tower. The lowboy would work for the TV and VCR, but that's all. I have an Onkyo 705 which requires it's own shelf with as much ventilation as possible. I also have a Turntable, DVD recorder player, CD changer and tape deck which is rarely used anymore, but I'm keeping it for now and finally a center channel speaker. A lowboy would not even hold the receiver due to the height of the shelves. Plus I don't want to have to crawl on my hands and knees everytime I want to play a CD or DVD.  So I came up with a config that will cost me the same that I paid 20 years ago. I found it at I*** of all places. I'm going to put together a lowboy that has a shelf and two drawers and a matching tower unit on one side with frosted glass door and a slide out shelf for the turntable  that will hold the rest of the gear. Finally, a shelf unit that is an upside-down "U" so I can put my center channel speaker there. (There would be no place for that either with just a lowboy). I don't normally like Ikea's stuff, but this fit the bill like a hand in glove and cost no more than what I paid 20 years ago for my EC. Not only that, but it weighs less so it's easier to get back there an hook everything up.

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Onkyo TX-SR705
Onkyo DX-C390
Sony PX-LS520 turntable
Kenwood KX-5530 tape deck
Kenwood JL-690 main speakers
Polk CS-1 center channel
KLH 911B surround speakers
Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD recorder/player
Sony SLV-N88 VCR
Samsung LN40A530 LCD TV