Head spinning! Need help finding TV to fit in entertainment center.

Truman · 03-03-2006, 07:28 PM

I've spent the last three hours scouring the vast expanses of the internet in the hopes of finding the right TV to fit in my new entertainment center. All I've managed to find is a headache. I knew there would be a lot of TVs out there to look through, but I didn't know it would be this bad!

My biggest problem is size constraints. Every time I come across a TV that I particularly like, I end up noting the dimensions on a spec sheet and finding out it won't fit. My entertainment center has a TV cavity with the following dimensions:

35" x 30.375" x 20" (W x H x D)

Those dimensions are rough measurements and accomodate for a few pieces of trim at the face of the cavity. The exact, tight measurements of the cavity are slightly larger. They are:

37.5" x 31" x 20" (W x H x D)

I can get away with a TV that's slightly larger than the rough measurements. I'll just have to angle it in. I don't want to get anything that fits too tightly though, for fear of improper ventilation.

I stumbled upon this forum and am now making this thread in the hopes that some of you TV gurus out there can help me in tracking down some TVs that will fit in this space.

I'd like to have the best TV I can get given the size constraints. And by "best" I mean that I want a full range of inputs (Composite, S-Video, Component, HDMI, and maybe even RF). I also would prefer a widescreen and wish to maximize the trade-off between diagonal screen size and actual unit dimensions. I want, of course, to have top notch picture quality and as few problems as possible. I always cringe when I hear horror stories about such and such brand/model that required four service calls within the first four months of ownership.

So then, link me to some great TVs, if you please! I greatly appreciate any and all help. If there is any further information you require in order to better help me, please just ask in this thread.

BobY · 03-03-2006, 07:47 PM

You need to look for a unit which has speakers on the bottom (or separate) to maximize your screen size. When I got mine, the Toshiba CRT's were the only ones like that...

Truman · 03-03-2006, 11:50 PM

After reading countless posts regarding problems with Toshiba's, I must admit I'm a little scared to buy one. I'm in love with the 34HFX84 and am aware that this model is built by Toshiba rather than Orion, hence far fewer issues, but I doubt I'll be able to find one anywhere locally. I imagine every store I walk into will have the 34HFX85. I'll be damned if I'm ordering a TV online because every delivery service in my area, be it USPS, UPS or FedEx tends to be overly rough when it comes to package handling.

I've gotten outright tired of looking at Sony's. Every model I look at seems to have speakers mounted on the sides of the unit.

I'm not sure what other brands are trustworthy these days.

Porcupine · 03-06-2006, 04:31 PM

One of the current 30" Samsung models has speakers on the bottom. I'd have gotten it except I think the Samsungs cannot turn off Velocity Scan Modulation (making them worse than the Toshibas in my book). If you don't care about that, get a Samsung. They look like excellent TVs to me in most other aspects.

RSawdey · 03-07-2006, 04:14 PM

You might also consider an LCD flat panel... many have bottom speakers or removeable ones... The Sharp 37" is only 36 1/2" wide.

Porcupine · 03-07-2006, 09:13 PM

I just learned that the Samsungs apparently CAN turn off Velocity Scan Modulation in the service menu. Sorry for the misinformation (I was misinformed earlier so I had passed that on). I actually went out today to buy a Samsung TXR-3080W slimfit, not for the slimfit depth which I couldn't care less about, but simply because it was another bottom-speaker CRT HDTV that could be good. I ended up coming home though empty-handed, because after looking at the Samsungs in the store *critically* for the first time, I noticed too many problems I hadn't previously, and decided I didn't want one.

The LG 30" slim widescreen is due out soon (some people already bought it). It also has bottom speakers. I've never seen it yet.

03-03-2006, 07:28 PM	#1
Truman Colbert Nation Join Date: Mar 2006 Age: 25 Posts: 20	Head spinning! Need help finding TV to fit in entertainment center. I've spent the last three hours scouring the vast expanses of the internet in the hopes of finding the right TV to fit in my new entertainment center. All I've managed to find is a headache. I knew there would be a lot of TVs out there to look through, but I didn't know it would be this bad! My biggest problem is size constraints. Every time I come across a TV that I particularly like, I end up noting the dimensions on a spec sheet and finding out it won't fit. My entertainment center has a TV cavity with the following dimensions: 35" x 30.375" x 20" (W x H x D) Those dimensions are rough measurements and accomodate for a few pieces of trim at the face of the cavity. The exact, tight measurements of the cavity are slightly larger. They are: 37.5" x 31" x 20" (W x H x D) I can get away with a TV that's slightly larger than the rough measurements. I'll just have to angle it in. I don't want to get anything that fits too tightly though, for fear of improper ventilation. I stumbled upon this forum and am now making this thread in the hopes that some of you TV gurus out there can help me in tracking down some TVs that will fit in this space. I'd like to have the best TV I can get given the size constraints. And by "best" I mean that I want a full range of inputs (Composite, S-Video, Component, HDMI, and maybe even RF). I also would prefer a widescreen and wish to maximize the trade-off between diagonal screen size and actual unit dimensions. I want, of course, to have top notch picture quality and as few problems as possible. I always cringe when I hear horror stories about such and such brand/model that required four service calls within the first four months of ownership. So then, link me to some great TVs, if you please! I greatly appreciate any and all help. If there is any further information you require in order to better help me, please just ask in this thread.

03-03-2006, 07:47 PM	#2
BobY What's all this, then?... Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,197	You need to look for a unit which has speakers on the bottom (or separate) to maximize your screen size. When I got mine, the Toshiba CRT's were the only ones like that...

03-03-2006, 11:50 PM	#3
Truman Colbert Nation Join Date: Mar 2006 Age: 25 Posts: 20	After reading countless posts regarding problems with Toshiba's, I must admit I'm a little scared to buy one. I'm in love with the 34HFX84 and am aware that this model is built by Toshiba rather than Orion, hence far fewer issues, but I doubt I'll be able to find one anywhere locally. I imagine every store I walk into will have the 34HFX85. I'll be damned if I'm ordering a TV online because every delivery service in my area, be it USPS, UPS or FedEx tends to be overly rough when it comes to package handling. I've gotten outright tired of looking at Sony's. Every model I look at seems to have speakers mounted on the sides of the unit. I'm not sure what other brands are trustworthy these days.

03-06-2006, 04:31 PM	#4
Porcupine My HDTV sux :( Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 344	One of the current 30" Samsung models has speakers on the bottom. I'd have gotten it except I think the Samsungs cannot turn off Velocity Scan Modulation (making them worse than the Toshibas in my book). If you don't care about that, get a Samsung. They look like excellent TVs to me in most other aspects.

03-07-2006, 04:14 PM	#5
RSawdey Mr. Wizard Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ferndale, Michigan Age: 62 Posts: 5,981	You might also consider an LCD flat panel... many have bottom speakers or removeable ones... The Sharp 37" is only 36 1/2" wide.

03-07-2006, 09:13 PM	#6
Porcupine My HDTV sux :( Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 344	I just learned that the Samsungs apparently CAN turn off Velocity Scan Modulation in the service menu. Sorry for the misinformation (I was misinformed earlier so I had passed that on). I actually went out today to buy a Samsung TXR-3080W slimfit, not for the slimfit depth which I couldn't care less about, but simply because it was another bottom-speaker CRT HDTV that could be good. I ended up coming home though empty-handed, because after looking at the Samsungs in the store critically for the first time, I noticed too many problems I hadn't previously, and decided I didn't want one. The LG 30" slim widescreen is due out soon (some people already bought it). It also has bottom speakers. I've never seen it yet.