*THE HULL TRUTH is the world's largest FREE network for the discussion of Boating & Fishing. Whether you're researching a new boat, or are a seasoned Captain, you'll find The Hull Truth Boating & Fishing Message Forum contains a wealth of information from Boaters and Sportfishermen around the world.
Welcome to the updated THT!
If you are having trouble signing in, please email feedback@thehulltruth.com with your username and we will help you. We thank you for your patience as we help you access the new site!
Random Quote: Beware the bolts from north or west;In south or east the bolts be best.
Ok so I am a little behind the times as far as TVs go. I recently got a 20" Insignia flat screen with DVD for the baby room. The picture quality is fantastic!
I am comparing this to my 52" rear projection screen TV (which is HD) and the 27" tube TV in my bedroom.
This weekend I am going to buy a couple of TVs and for the bedroom I want a 26" class flatscreen. But I also wand a DVD player in there. I was going to get a flat screen with a built in DVD player but I hear mixed reviews with that.
dvd players have reached the point I think where all "good" ones deliver an excellent picture. so just pick the tv you like. if it has dvd built-in or not then you have to decide.
i have always kept my components separate. if technology changes you can swap out what is outdated, same if something breaks.
whatever you decide make sure the TV and dvd player are Blu-Ray capable. getting 120 hz refresh rate is not mandatory but nice to have.
Well in the living room I am definatly not getting a built in dvd. But for the bedroom I would like the built in dvd because the TV will be mounted high on the wall opposite the bed so I would like to limit the amount of shit hooked to it.
I do have to find a place for the DTV box but I can just secure that to the wall mount bracket behind the TV because it works off RF so the remote doesn't need to be in sight of it.
But a seperate DVD player poses a whloe different issue. It would need its own bracket to mount it and be in sight for the remote to work. I want to keep the install nice and clean.
I am obviously sold on the built in DVD, but I was wondering if there were any people that had a problem with them.
Personally I wouldn't buy anything all-in-one. If one component fails and the cost of repair is prohibitive or worse yet, parts not available than the charm of the package is lost......I hate having anything that is broken.
I wouldn't be to concerned with the bulk of wires hanging out the back of a DVD/ TV now-a-days, you can buy some good looking wire organizers/ covers...but I know your concerns.
Chris, I'm with you. Next bedroom TV I get will have a built in DVD. I'm actually surprised that this hasn't become semi-standard on the 27-32" sets. The only concern I'd have today is that blu-ray is right around the corner for mainstream adoption, although I'm sure DVD will be readily available for years. There's nothing inherently wrong with the combo sets, just that the cheaper manufacturers are the ones cranking them out.
They aren't THAT much more expensive and while the quality won't be great, for a bedroom I'd rather have convenience and everything all in one then best a/v quality and a bunch of wires. Honestly if the DVD player dies, you're no worse off than you would have been originally, just use an external one.
Having said that, if you do seperates - look at the Ikea "lack" bookshelf for a good way to put small electronics on the wall under the TV.
Shop around (online) for your TV mounting brackets. You can get perfectly good ones for dirt cheap. (which is what they should cost for 3 pieces of stamped metal)
BTW: IMO I know it sounds ridiculous, but 26" is a little small for a bedroom TV. I have the normal small FL bedroom, and the foot of my bed is about 5 feet from the opposite wall, giving me a total viewing distance of ~12 feet or so. I have a 27 and wish I had gotten a 32. Is it watchable, of course, but could definitely be a little bit bigger. Compared to your 27 tube, a 26 widescreen will seem *tiny* and don't forget the screen itself will be a foot or two further away.
We have a 32" Sharp Aquos in our bedroom but no DVD player, either stand-alone or built-in. When we watch in the bedroom, it isn't long before the Admiral is asleep so the idea of watching something to conclusion is far-fetched, at least for us. As far as size, I think the 32" may be about the right size, I sure wouldn't want to go any smaller, if you can. Got one of those hangy, dangy brackets for the wall so we could swing it around to watch from the sitting area and that was a fairly good idea, however, we don't spend much time there so it's pretty much wasted.
I'm with the folks that talk about not getting a built-in DVD player because if something goes wrong, then the whole deal might have to be taken down to be repaired. However, we have had a couple of older DVD players and have never had a problem with them, so maybe that idea of no built-in is based on unbased fear.
__________________ jal
2009 Crestliner Superhawk 1900
175 Optimax Pro SX
Dodge Ram 2500 HD Cummins Diesel
Disclaimer: If you see emoticons, that means the above is written in jest. It is for entertainment purposes only. It is not meant to represent any actual persons, places, or things. It is the opinion of the poster that it is funny. Your opinion may vary. No animals were harmed in the typing of this post but a few egos may have been bruised.
Separate components for me. I've gone through three or four DVD players and the TV still works after about 8 years.
Me too! DVD players are not going to last as long as a TV. They are mechanical devices that are prone to fail. I would never get a tv with integrated DVD unless the TV was going into a toy such as a trailer. You are much better off saving money on the TV or getting a better tv and getting a cheap external player that can be easily replaced when it fails. I probably have 4 or 5 defective dvd players floating around the house and all of which were quality units from Sony or Pioneer..
The way a/v media is distributed is changing rapidly. And as it does std DVD players are becoming less significant.
Sony, Samsung, and Best Buy's own label, Insignia, all have DVD players that are internet ready. Netflix and Best Buy recently did a promotion for the Insignia unit -- it has both both Ethernet and wi-fi connection to the internet -- a $300 player, on sale for $200, reduced another $20 at checkout, and knock off another $50 with the coupon found inside a Netflix DVD sleeve. Total price: $130 -- watch DVDs up to 1080p or connect to the internet via wi-fi (or Ethernet) to watch free Netflix movies if you have a Netflix account, no computer interface needed. If your internet connection will handle the bandwidth, you can also watch the HD movies free from Netflix, too. You no longer need the DVD disc at all. You don't need a computer, either, except that Netflix requires you to have a computer to have an online Netflix account.
This is an indication of how the distribution of a/v media will be done -- no more discs. Amazon.com is also getting into the media distribution over the net thing. So is Microsoft and Apple.
We recently bought a Blu-Ray player, LG, that connects to the net. It also had the Netflix connection and we have enjoyed it greatly since getting connected. Only problem is that not all the movies on Netflix are available to be downloaded so you still need to get DVDs or Blu-Ray discs from Netflix. However, it's a hoot when you get something that you wish to see. With out internet provider, Bresnan, the product downloads very quickly and, with one small exception, the pictures have been great, even on our 720p LCD. I would still recommend getting a separate player.
__________________ jal
2009 Crestliner Superhawk 1900
175 Optimax Pro SX
Dodge Ram 2500 HD Cummins Diesel
Ok....I went to Best Buy and went a little wild. With so many to choose from I went with the Insignia. I did this because of price mostly. But I did buy an Insignia 20" DVD/TV for the baby room a while back and I have been very happy with it.
So for the bedroom I went with the Insignia 32" DVD/TV combo. I don't want seperate components because of where I mounted it. Its mounted high on the wall opposite the bed. There is no place for an additional shelf for a seperate DVD. The install came out very nice. I ran all the wires in from the attic so all you see is the flat screen hangin on a tilt wall mount. I have the DTV box secured behind the TV so you can't even see it. The instalation came out perfect.
The 32" unit was on sale for $450.00 which I think is a great price for a set that sixe. And the picture quality is very good. I also bough the baby an Insignia portable DVD player.
I also bought a Panasonic blu ray DVD player for the living room. Unfortunatly I wont be able to utilize the quality of that unit on my current TV. Its a Magnavox 52" HD rear projection TV. The picture quality is pretty good but no where near the new flat screens. I'll be replacing that with a new flat screen soon.
Separate components for me. I've gone through three or four DVD players and the TV still works after about 8 years.
I really like the all-in-one concept, but have had the same experience with the tv/dvd and tv/vcr combos....originally I thought the dvd players would last longer and not be a repeat of the vcrs....I was wrong.
The wife was all for the shopping spree. She hated the huge 27" tube hanging from the celing as much as I did. The blu ray for the living room was also her idea. As far as I'm concerned I don't need a dvd, I watch pay-per-view or on-demand for movies. The dvd players are for the baby.
Yeah.....for the living room TV I'm going to go with a big name brand, but not plasma or LED. I think a nice Samsung, LG or Sony LCD 52"+ will do just fine.
Times may have changed since my retirement, from a job of keeping up with technology and purchasing it. at that time , I would never buy a combo of anything. As some one said above, keep all components separate.
__________________ If you think Education is expensive, try ignorance.
Sorry to read this late chris, I grew up as a carpenter, So my 32" lcd was mounted inside the wall, and built a shelf on top for my satellite and cable boxes. We walk past the end of the bed there so I didn't want to accidentally bump it, it sticks out 1" from the wall and accessories are above our heads.
You have to be kidding me, you make the best light setups for boats and you are behind on times
Just wish you took credit cards that didn't have to go through pay pal, I hate pay pal, I would have had them a long time ago.
THT sponsor
Flat screen TV....built in DVD player or not? 
