O.T. Macrium

Well, I think I have everything, so I
should be good to go.

I'm still resizing my screens a day later.

I went looking for TV's today and was very
disappointed both Sears and Walmart. They
only had a half a dozen TV's and most were
way too big for my entertainment center.

I then looked up Frys electronics:

https://www.frys.com/search?storeNo=...&fq=100029%208

they actually have some my size! I've heard
of Samsung, but not LG, or Naxa,.. I don't
understand why there are no Sony's? It use
to be that Sony made the best TV's and now
I don't see any?


This one seems nearest in size to the WEGA

https://www.frys.com/product/9239549...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG

The dimensions of the WEGA are 24 3/4 inches x 15 3/4 inches
with a 21 inch diagonal screen.

Which TV would you recommend?

Thanks,
Robert

Mark Twain wrote:
Well, I think I have everything, so I
should be good to go.

I'm still resizing my screens a day later.

I went looking for TV's today and was very
disappointed both Sears and Walmart. They
only had a half a dozen TV's and most were
way too big for my entertainment center.

I then looked up Frys electronics:

https://www.frys.com/search?storeNo=...&fq=100029%208

they actually have some my size! I've heard
of Samsung, but not LG, or Naxa,.. I don't
understand why there are no Sony's? It use
to be that Sony made the best TV's and now
I don't see any?


This one seems nearest in size to the WEGA

https://www.frys.com/product/9239549...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG

The dimensions of the WEGA are 24 3/4 inches x 15 3/4 inches
with a 21 inch diagonal screen.

Which TV would you recommend?

Thanks,
Robert

Go look at them in operation. IMO, that is the best way to decide.
LG has been around for a long time.
My phones, microwaves, and monitors have all been LG.
I have not had a TV in over 20 years so no opinion about them.

I was hoping I could do this online without making
that long drive but I guess not.

I still haven't found a DVD player,.. neither Sears
or Walmart had any that I could see and Frys doesn't
carry them. I have to find all these replacement items
first with the prices before they will compensate me.

What do you think of this one? It says its from Walmart
but I couldn't find any while there.

https://www.google.com/search?biw=17...433767557 910


Robert

Mark Twain wrote:
I was hoping I could do this online without making
that long drive but I guess not.

I still haven't found a DVD player,.. neither Sears
or Walmart had any that I could see and Frys doesn't
carry them. I have to find all these replacement items
first with the prices before they will compensate me.

What do you think of this one? It says its from Walmart
but I couldn't find any while there.

https://www.google.com/search?biw=17...433767557 910


Robert


As an example of what one of the BluRay players offers.

bdp-s1700

Media Formats

BD-RE === Blue laser 405 nm
DVD+RW === Red laser 650 nm
DVD-RW
CD-RW === IR laser 780 nm

Dual-Layer Media Supported Yes

The 780nm looks to be off the chart here, to the right.
Hard to tell if that's visible or deep red.

https://www.d.umn.edu/~mharvey/colorspectrum.jpg

So that's an example of an apparently fully backward
compatible player. And if you look at the back...

http://crdms.images.consumerreports....ps6700-d-2.jpg

about all it's got is HDMI.

Also in that picture, is the evil word "Java". The BD standard
uses Java to "authorize" playback. When BD titles won't
play any more, that's the Java mucking about. I don't
think DVDs use Java, so *DVD playback shouldn't be affected* .

*******

This other one by comparison, is DVD and CD, so would only
have the two lasers.

DVP-SR510H

Playback

CD (CD-DA), Super VCD, Video CD

DVD+R, DVD+R Double Layer, DVD+RW, DVD-R,
DVD-R Dual Layer, DVD-RW, DVD Camcorder 8cm DVD,
DVD Video, JPEG, KODAK Picture, MP3

HDMI cable

So all we know is that one must have an HDMI cable.

The picture here is too low res to be sure what the other
connectors are. It could be Composite, L&R audio, S/PDIF
but not sure. You might be able to use that with an older
TV set via Composite. Your new TV must have HDMI though.
As it's a common interface choice now. Although I prefer
things like Component YPbPr (as that may allow recording).
Each connector type has some kind of potential content
protection. HDMI has HDCP. The TV will have the bit that
talks HDCP in it, to decode the encrypted video on HDMI
and make it visible. (The BluRay Player can have HDMI 2+
which has uncracked newer HDCP on it, for comparison.)

http://audiovideopricingandinformati...et/DVD+Players

This pic is at a better angle. Back view.

http://www.russellcomputech.com/pics...-SR510H-2a.jpg

*******

In terms of what optical drives I have in the house,
everything I've bought in the last 10 years or so
was LG. No failures.

You don't have to buy Sony if you don't want to.

And remember that DVD players hit rock bottom some
number of years ago. They were going for $50 each at
one time. And you really need a Chinese factory to hit
price points like that. The odds of a Sony actually
being made in Japan, for a product like that, are
pretty low. Only the much more expensive products
($3000 monitor) can they afford to make them in
Japan, and withstand the currency translation or
whatever.

Certainly the $50 player I've got, it's a Chinese wonder.
It's got some "Micky Mouse" brand on the front :-)

The "distinguishing features" as it were, of the Chinese
ones, is the list of video formats they play. You expect
them to play DVD video format, but they also play XVID,
so you can cut your own single sided DVDs with movies
on them and the player will eat them. When DVD players
first came out, they couldn't do slide shows or play
weird formats. Now, there's likely to be an OS inside
the player, and it decodes all sorts of stuff. That's
why some of them have the USB connector on the back,
to play from a USB stick.

I would read the reviews before settling on something,
if you can find reviews.

Paul

It all seems pretty confusing to me. All I
want is a simple DVD player to play my DVD's
but I can't seem to find one. I don't care about
all the other stuff and have no interest in it.

I only mentioned Sony because they use to be
very good and I've had nothing but Sony for
my TV/video.

I don't want Blue-Ray which would make all my
regular DVDs useless because they aren't compatible,
correct?

I do read the reviews but they don't tell me much.

Robert

Mark Twain wrote:
It all seems pretty confusing to me. All I
want is a simple DVD player to play my DVD's
but I can't seem to find one. I don't care about
all the other stuff and have no interest in it.

I only mentioned Sony because they use to be
very good and I've had nothing but Sony for
my TV/video.

I don't want Blue-Ray which would make all my
regular DVDs useless because they aren't compatible,
correct?

I do read the reviews but they don't tell me much.

Robert


They generally engineer for backward compatibility.

A BD player, plays BD, DVD, CD.

A DVD player, plays DVD, CD.

So the player usually plays the format that
came before it. (Always verify, before you buy.)

Both units have HDMI connectors.

Always check there is a remote control. And
check the layout of the remote control. There have
been some miserable remotes. A good remote, you
can "feel" the center buttons, which have
a familiar pattern, and you can make the
common adjustments without turning on a light
to see the remote.

There are also remotes which are a rectangular layout
with no tactile features at all. You can't tell what
row of buttons you're on, and have to turn up the
room lights to see what you're doing. That's the
kind of remote you don't want.

Paul

Mark Twain wrote:
I was hoping I could do this online without making
that long drive but I guess not.

I still haven't found a DVD player,.. neither Sears
or Walmart had any that I could see and Frys doesn't
carry them. I have to find all these replacement items
first with the prices before they will compensate me.

What do you think of this one? It says its from Walmart
but I couldn't find any while there.

https://www.google.com/search?biw=17...433767557 910


Robert

Best Buy has the same ones as Frys and Microcenter but they are 20% higher.

I read the reviews and this Sony seems
like what I want but it doesn't come with
a remote that I can see. I suppose I could
buy a universal remote for it.

I did check Best Buys which is allot closer
to me and the prices are about the same but I
can't find the smaller LG TV like at Frys.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchp...xtStoreId=1409

This seems to be the nearest I can get:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-24-c...?skuId=5734900

they do have one smaller:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insigni...?skuId=9215028

but I would rather have a LG and a bit larger.
I don't understand what open-box means?

Robert

I just saw the DVD player has a muli-brand
remote. So it looks like that is the one I'll
select and has good reviews and HDMI connects
but they are sold separately.

Well that sucks that I have to buy the cables
separately and looks like for the TV also. I
suppose I get those at Fry's as well? I'm
guessing I only need 1 cable.

I checked at Frys again and it says only demo
and open box available while supplies last! I
hope I can get the TV while they still have one.

Robert

Mark Twain wrote:
I read the reviews and this Sony seems
like what I want but it doesn't come with
a remote that I can see. I suppose I could
buy a universal remote for it.

I did check Best Buys which is allot closer
to me and the prices are about the same but I
can't find the smaller LG TV like at Frys.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchp...xtStoreId=1409

This seems to be the nearest I can get:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-24-c...?skuId=5734900

they do have one smaller:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insigni...?skuId=9215028

but I would rather have a LG and a bit larger.
I don't understand what open-box means?

Robert


Open box means the product was returned by a previous customer.
The staff should repack the items and verify the box contents
are there. Note that for computing devices, sometimes they
neglect to flush disk drives and the like, which means
another customer can notice flaws when starting up the
system (i.e. it already has an account defined, and user
has to do a "reset" of the OS to get it to start "fresh").

With a TV set, a former customer could flash the BIOS on the
TV to a newer version, as an example of a detail the reboxing
staff might not be familiar with. I don't know if there
are any other details with TVs or not.

*******

I found a 24" Visio with 1920x1080 screen. Remote looks goofy though.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/vizio-2...?skuId=6032516

The next time you're near your AV center, take a measuring tape
and give us some dimensions for width and height of the
"hole that is available to be filled with a TV" :-)

As for the LG, there are two prices listed. A "new"
product, and an "open box" product. You want the new one,
especially if the open box product was returned because
it had a "stuck pixel".

LCD screens come in "classes". Panels are binned at the factory,
before they get to the TV factory. These are rated according
to defects. Some products, *all* the equipment comes with
perfect panels. No defects. Other equipment, may use the
cast-offs. There could be say 5 to 10 stuck pixels.
They don't take all the defective panels out back
and smash them :-) Each manufacturer of equipment, will have
a policy page somewhere, with respect to stuck pixels.
The web page might say "we promise not to have more than
10 stuck pixels".

My second monitor, has a single stuck green pixel. Massaging it
didn't work, and it's still there. But, I got the monitor
for around $100 at the time, and I'm not complaining. That's
an example of accepting (and not returning) a product because
of a stuck pixel.

The equivalent on CRT TVs didn't happen. I don't think a TV would
have shipped with a scratch inside on a tube or a defect in
a shadow-mask. But in the LCD era, anything goes, and
consumer beware.

TV screens could be TN, IPS, PV.

TN, if you move from side to side in the room, the colors change.

TN is the cheapest panel, and the TV is at high risk to get one.

IPS works out to 178 degrees, which means you can almost be edge-on
to the screen, before the colors go weird. These specs are based on a
degree of color transition as well, so when they say 178 degrees,
maybe you really can't spot a difference at all out to 90 degrees
or so. But if you've looked at a TN laptop, you should be
familiar with the effect. TN is a bitch. My laptop, I have to
tilt the screen back at about 45 degrees from vertical,
to have "nice" color. That's the kind of crap that isn't easy
to deal with on a TV set. This is why I look for certain
specs (viewing angle 178), or panel names (IPS) when shopping.

Now post up some dimensions, so we have materials to
work with. Will the 24" screen fit ? Probably. And
I don't think there's much after that, until you hit
32" diagonal.

My purpose in getting as large a set as possible, is the
risk the screen looks "tiny" compared to your WEGA. I
fear you're not going to be happy with this, at all.
But I don't see any easy solutions, because the
industry has some pretty fixed ideas about what will
sell.

That LG has a 178 viewing angle listed, so maybe that's
good enough to get this project going.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-24-c...?skuId=5734900

LG 24LF454B-PU (No HDMI cable included, an "industry standard" of cheapness...)
Remote control (Still cannot find a picture!)

http://www.lg.com/us/tvs/lg-24LF454B-led-tv

Display Type LED TVs
PICTURE QUALITY Resolution 1366 x 768
Panel Type Wide Viewing Angle (ADS) === never heard of it
Color Gamut (CIE1931) 72%
Color Bit 8bit (6bit+FRC) === dithered panel ???
Color Depth (Number of Colors) 16.7M
Pixel pitch(mm) 0.38175 x 0.38175
Brightness (Typ.) 180 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio (Original) 1000:1 === panel contrast ratio
Contrast Ratio (DFC) 5M:1 === dropping LED intensity to make "black" color
Response Time_Typ. (GTG) 14ms
Viewing Angle (CR≥10) R/L 178 degrees, U/D 178 degrees (color shift)
Surface Treatment(Glare/non Glare) non Glare === bright light behind you won't reflect off

TV with Stand (WxHxD) 21.9" x 5.8" x 15.2"

It only has one input, so the DVD player had better work
over HDMI :-) There is no pile of connectors on the back.
Just a connector for a TV antenna, and the HDMI.

As long as the DVD player has L&R audio outputs, you
can send the movie audio to your speakers, whatever you
end up getting. The speakers inside the TV may not be
all that wonderful. You can mute the sound on the TV and
then get better sound from your speakers. And that's as long
as the DVD player has multiple things on its panel. Like
an HDMI. And L&R audio.

*******

This is what another LG remote looks like, for comparison.
Has the convention four arrow pattern 2/3 down on the remote.

https://www.amazon.com/LG-AKB7397571.../dp/B00N6FHUX6

And this would be an example of the remote style I hate.
I don't like remotes that are just a rectangular array
of buttons, because you can't find the "home row" in the
dark.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076GMMRK1/

Paul

Mark Twain wrote:
I read the reviews and this Sony seems
like what I want but it doesn't come with
a remote that I can see. I suppose I could
buy a universal remote for it.

I did check Best Buys which is allot closer
to me and the prices are about the same but I
can't find the smaller LG TV like at Frys.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchp...xtStoreId=1409

This seems to be the nearest I can get:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-24-c...?skuId=5734900

they do have one smaller:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insigni...?skuId=9215028

but I would rather have a LG and a bit larger.
I don't understand what open-box means?

Robert

Personally, I would never buy "open box" unless I got it cheap enough to just
throw it away if I did not like it. $10 max for TV, $3 for DVD player.

The space in the entertainment center where the
TV goes measures 25 x 25 inches.

I do not want to involve my stereo speakers, this
is why I was so upset because I was very satisfied
with the WEGA speakers which were to either side.

TV's should provide adequate ssound without having
to buy separates or connect to a stereo which is using
even more power just to watch TV? Also my stereo does
not have a A/V receiver. It's a true stereo system which
seems pretty rare these days.

Yamaha A-1 Integrated amp
Yamaha T-1 tuner
Teac C-3 cassette deck
Teac 5 disc CD player
Sansui SE-7 graphic equalizer
Pioneer Pl-L1000 linear turntable
Pioneer HPM-1500 speakers

I'm not too concerned about remotes, none of them
are easy to use in my opinion. As long as they have
the basic functions is all I care about but in your
last example I agree with you. Figures it's blue-ray.

I don't have many options its either floor model
or open box because I can't find a TV to fit the entertainment
center, or get a 32 inch and live with a post in front
of the TV. You see how I'm in a Catch22?

Also, when I mentioned about resizing my pages after
going to my Admin account. I still am adjusting my User
Account pages afterwards, this is 'normal' but it shouldn't
be happening at all once I've adjusted the pages.

Later I'll check my resolution for both but just saying
this shouldn't continue to happen afterwards.

Thanks,
Robert

This looks like my best bet so far:

https://www.frys.com/product/8813162...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Robert

I was just checking over the features of the
DVD player I'm thinking about getting and was
reading the manual when I saw that it has to have the
correct region code.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-DVP-...&wl13=&veh=sem

https://cc.cnetcontent.com/vcs/sony/...857_source.pdf

I called the store and as I thought they don't stock
it so I have have to order it online and have it shipped
to my house but how will I know if I have to correct region
code? I'm assuming that since it's being sold in the U.S.
it will have the correct code but you never know these days.

and for the TV I'll have to go pick it up

https://www.frys.com/product/8813162...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG

it doesn't appear to be a floor model or a open box item.

what do you think?

Robert

Robert

I went to the Admin Account again to
check it's resolution and it's the same
as my User Account so there should be no
difference when switching from one to another.

Robert