With the Super Bowl this Sunday (Jan 26), there were three options for me to watch the game – go to San Diego (ruled out immediately – a very expensive proposition), watch the game on a big screen TV in a neighborhood bar, drinking with strangers – also ruled out (I was uncomfortable with the “strangers’ and not the “drinking”) or buying a big screen TV and watch the game in the comfort of my home – which was my chosen option.
The Search
I started scanning the Net and trying to educate myself – my head was swimming with terms like - 36”, 40”, 43”, 51”, 60”, flat screen, direct vision, rear projection, plasma, HDTV ready, HDTV built in, Sony, Panasonic, Hitachi Toshiba, 16:9, 4:3. The more I read, the more confused I became and the more confused I became, the clearer I was able to think. Finally I attained nirvana, not under the Bodh tree but in the aisles of Sears. I purchased the Sony 43” projection HDTV model KP-43T90.
Here are ten reasons why I zeroed in on this make and model:
#1. The size: 43” is big enough to make viewing a pleasure and at the same time one can easily fit it in a standard living room – the minimum viewing distance is about 5 feet.
# 2. HDTV: High Definition TV is the future. Currently there are very few programs which are broadcast in this format (the Super Bowl will be transmitted in HDTV), however by 2006 all programs will be mandated to be HDTV. The quality is ten times better as that of a regular analog TV.
# 3. Rear Projection: Unlike the conventional directview tube TV, the TV signals are projected at the back of the screen. The TV tube has a better quality of picture, but I had to sacrifice picture quality for size and cost.
# 4. The Aspect Ratio: Though I would have preferred the 16:9 format which is what one sees in the theatre and also all DVD’s come in this format, I went in for the regular square screen 4:3 because it is less expensive – and is good for regular broadcast channels however for DVD’s the entire screen is not used and there is a dark band on the top and the bottom. I thought this was a small sacrifice.
# 5. The Sound Quality: It has two full-fledged speakers and gives out CD quality sound as compared to analog TVs’ where the sound quality is at best of FM quality.
# 6. The Physical Installation: It was very easy – just put on a stand – no need for elaborate cabinets, entertainment centers etc.
# 7. The Setup: It was pretty simple – everything is menu driven and easy to understand including the operating manuals.
# 8. Standard Outlets: It comes with the standard outlets to hook up to a home theatre system and also additional ports for video camera and the games.
# 9. The Price: The regular price is $1600 – there is a $200 discount because of the Super Bowl special and Sears is giving a free DVD player worth $100. To top it all there are no finance charges till Jan of next year. This is a good deal.
And Finally…..
# 10. The Brand Name of Sony: I am comfortable with electronic products from Sony even though one pays a premium of about $200-$300. Sony is discontinuing this model – a good enought reason to buy this model now.
I would recommend this model to anyone thinking of buying a big screen TV. Go Bucs Go. (The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the team I am rooting for to win the Super Bowl).