Blame Christmas Creep (© Tuesday Morning Quarterback), but we're already getting our Black Friday (R.I. P.
KURO Friday) attack plan laid out. With prices diving and features spreading on Blu-ray players, receivers, LCDs and plasmas -- remember
when a $1,000 42-inch 1024x768 plasma was a big deal? -- we figure you must have an idea of a big ticket item getting replaced in the next few months. Poll choices are for which component is getting added/swapped out sooner rather than later, let us know what product you're waiting for a price drop on in the comments.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Carlos @ Oct 11th 2009 3:18PM
Nothing, Nada. Maybe 5 years down the road when a 65 inches OLED TV comes to the market.
jesse @ Oct 11th 2009 3:46PM
we had to upgrade all the TVs in my house due to a break in only 1 more to go and that will be here on the 9th of Nov cant wait
UnnDunn @ Oct 11th 2009 3:49PM
Definitely the display (I'm angling for a Panasonic TC-P42G10) and maybe also my receiver (haven't decided on one yet.)
hoodgangstaz @ Oct 11th 2009 3:50PM
them OLED TVs are sweet tho
Rob @ Oct 11th 2009 3:54PM
"Something else"
Already bought new display - 60" Kuro KRP Monitor (yay) :)
Already have decent receiver and speakers.
Just bought new acoustic treatments package from GIK.
My new upgarde for the holidays will be new seating!
TJ @ Oct 11th 2009 4:43PM
Aah, seating. Just as important (if not more) as any electronic component.
Plus, it's something that the wife doesn't mind being actively involved in picking out.
Philip S @ Oct 11th 2009 4:23PM
I just swapped in an LG BD390 Blu-ray player yesterday in place of a Sony BDP-S550. Love all the online streaming features.
Rob @ Oct 11th 2009 4:40PM
You lucky Yanks and your high-tech Internet content and your reasonable prices :p Making us Canucks all envious and whatnot.
minimalist @ Oct 12th 2009 1:04AM
Just got a LG BD-390 last week and I'm loving it. Replacing a Sony BD S300. Night and day to say the least . That Sony was a sluggish, underpowered POS compared with the 390.
TJ @ Oct 11th 2009 4:37PM
Lots of upgrades this year (thanks to a new, better paying job).
- Blu-ray player for the main TV
- New TV for the bedroom (replacing a 13in CRT that's about 15 years old, with a 22 or 24in LCD)
- Swapping out the bedroom DVD player for some sort of networked streaming device (I want something that can handle Netflix, MKV, AVI, etc.)
- Pssibly swapping out my launch-era Xbox360 for a new one that uses less power and has HDMI
- Building a new computer, which will double as a gaming machine, and a HTPC (50ft HDMI cable from office to living room)
Nick @ Oct 11th 2009 4:54PM
Ha, I like how they ask what part of your home theater you are upgrading, and then they show a picture of a Vizio. Looks like that person needs to upgrade their display ;)
Lazarus Dark @ Oct 11th 2009 5:13PM
Hoping to afford an Onkyo 3007, not sure yet.
I need to upgrade my 3 year old 37" Westinghouse.
I still can't decide if I want to wait for 3d capable projector or just bite it for a 120hz lcd in the 50"+ range and get the 3d projector in a couple years.
zargon @ Oct 11th 2009 5:28PM
I really should invest in racking my gear and running cables. We have been in the new house for over a year now and I just haven't sat down and come up with a game plan yet. I know I want to make some built in shelving that would include all my a/v gear, I also need to find a good and affordable two post rack.
William Hook @ Oct 11th 2009 5:29PM
Speakers. Hopefully.
kevon27 @ Oct 11th 2009 5:44PM
I could not wait until Christmas. I got my new Polk DSW micro 1000 sub this past Friday. I may get a second one for Christmas.
Also, The Speaker Company is having a 20% sale on all speakers. I'm really tempted to get the TST2 towers for $359.. Audioholics gave them a rave review.
http://www.thespeakercompany.com/Floor-Standing-C8.aspx
BarkingGhost @ Oct 11th 2009 5:46PM
Of course, I am responding to the theater in my home and not some family/living or media room where ambient light is allowed, the display small, and no project-onto-screen present.
Then again, the theater is my home actually exceeds the overall presentation that any public mainstream pillbox can offer and at a very reasonable price.
Chillspace @ Oct 11th 2009 5:55PM
Quite a few things are getting an upgrade:
Display: from my old CRT to a Panasonic TCP54V10
All of my speakers...going from 5.1 to 7.1 Truaudio speakers
Remote: going from Harmony 890 Pro to a Nevo Q50
Adding an Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player as well.
Too much money spent now...
waffffffle @ Oct 11th 2009 6:11PM
I bought myself a Tivo.
Ed @ Oct 11th 2009 8:18PM
Time to dump my TiVo Series 3 and go with an HPTC based on Windows 7 and Media Center.
Gilbert @ Oct 11th 2009 6:30PM
Ill be getting my first HDTV. I'm leaning toward vizio's new 552XVT internet enabled hdtv. I also have to replace my 20 year old Sony es receiver. I want to get an ht internet connected receiver so I can get internet radio stations and not have to pay for another Sirius license. Id like to be able to listen to KFI radio on my receiver so I can play games on my pc while I'm listening. :) I'm on the fence about getting a plasma. I really like Panasonic 54 inch internet enabled plasma. I'm worried about how hot they get and their reliability. Plus Id have a window on the side of it and in the front. My bedroom might be to bright in the day for a plasma.
Ramone @ Oct 11th 2009 7:58PM
Vizio 552XVT is what I'm waiting for which the say should be out before the holidays can't wait!
Rob @ Oct 11th 2009 9:51PM
Good plasmas - like the Panasonics - don't have any problems with reliability. My only knock against the Panny V10 plasmas is that they don't look their best in a well-lit room. The black levels do turn grey and the screen - while anti-reflective - still shows a fair bit of reflections in a well-lit room.
The Kuro plasmas are the best choice - whether the room is bright or dark, the Kuros outperform all other displays. The KRP models (KRP-500M 50" and KRP-600M 60") are the least expensive Kuros and they are essentially identical in performance to the Signature Elite PRO-101FD and PRO-141FD. But, being strictly monitors, they do not come with speakers, any sort of stand or any ATSC/NTSC tuners. Still an awesome deal price-wise though - given their stellar image quality.
After the Kuros, if you have a well-lit room, you're probably better off with a matte-screened LCD. Samsung's LCDs all have glossy screens these days. Much like the Apple Macbooks, they're so glossy that they're just unwatchable with any light in the room, IMO. So I'd stick with Sony or an LG LCD for a well-lit room if a Kuro is too expensive.
Sinh @ Oct 12th 2009 1:00PM
You're comparing a vizio to Panasonic in reliability? No comparison... Panasonic will outlast that vizio and not have any issues within the first year. 1.8% defect rates my friend, as well as no outsourcing makes Panny's the most reliable and well built displays on the market.
brehmm @ Oct 11th 2009 7:16PM
Home Theater should be upgraded as soon as it's viable to do so, and then only to the point where you're happy. The tech moves so rediculously fast, there's really no reason to wait for $50 off because it happens to be Black Friday :) Enjoy it now! Tomorrow something better will come out anyway!
Glenn @ Oct 11th 2009 8:10PM
Ceton card to have 4 cable-card tuners in my Media Center. I really hope they ship soon!
Travis @ Oct 11th 2009 8:50PM
FiOS should be available to us in about 3 weeks so that will be our Christmas present to us from us.
FNG @ Oct 12th 2009 2:21PM
I hate you. :)
axendo @ Oct 11th 2009 9:29PM
I am in the market to upgrade my 26" Vizio LCD and get a 42" TV, not sure LCD or Plasma, just depends what I like and can afford. If its LCD, its gotta be 120Hz, possibly one of the new 1080p sub $1000 projectors if I can see one in person and make up my mind. A receiver and some speakers will be next after that, preferably something with Pandora and Netflix connectivity. Before all that though, I need to get my 60GB (250 now) PS3 fixed. Its gonna be a very merry, very expensive Christmas for myself.
Zach @ Oct 11th 2009 10:25PM
You should look into getting a Vizio SV421XVT. Kill 2 birds with one stone. ;)
Zach @ Oct 11th 2009 10:45PM
Sorry, I meant the SV422XVT model.
JohnC @ Oct 11th 2009 9:33PM
With the economy and all the LED, OLED, LCD, revenge of Plasma, thin, super-thin, CableCard, wireless HD, (even wireless electricity) ... now is the time to wait for televisions to work out the kinks and get the NEXT NEXT generation ... unless you don't already have a HD tv that is.
kcmurphy88 @ Oct 11th 2009 9:46PM
"something else": Need to find something to upgrade my Popcorn Hour A100 with that is, like, finished and not waiting (still) for updates to make it work as promised.
Tauron @ Oct 11th 2009 9:56PM
Blu-ray Disc HTIB. Model # BDV-E500W for me. I'm anxious to hear the new HD audio (e.g. Dolby TrueHD). As well as reducing the clutter in my home theater system and the octopus behind it.
Rob @ Oct 11th 2009 9:55PM
It's good (really good) that you want to hear lossless TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks. But to really get the benefit of lossless HD audio, you need a better sound system that what you'll get with a HTiB, I'm afraid.
I'd recommend an Emotiva speaker package with a SVS NSD subwoofer atop an Auralex GRAMMA with a Denon receiver or an Onkyo if you need a little bit lower price. If we're talking pure value and performance for the dollar, nothing beats what I've just recommended.
Rob @ Oct 12th 2009 2:23AM
Dang - just checked and Emotiva is actually all sold out of their ERM-1 front speakers. They were an awesome deal while Emotiva was clearing them out. But they aren't making that model anymore, so the price for 5 speakers is a lot higher now.
So change my recommendation there a bit. I'll make it even easier and just suggest a 5.1 package - all from SVSound :)
Another awesome speaker option would be three Ascend Acoustics speakers across the front with the Emotiva ERD-1 surround speakers. They actually blend really well together tonally.
Scott Byer @ Oct 11th 2009 10:08PM
In the middle of a 10-yr (!!) refresh. Did the TV, A/V Receiver, now waiting to see who does a good Win7 / SSD / ATI 5870 liquid cooled HTPC.
Josh Wardell @ Oct 11th 2009 11:59PM
I'll be upgrading the most important (and most expensive) part: moving it to a new house!
brennok @ Oct 12th 2009 12:34AM
My plan is to buy a Plasma to upgrade at least one of my CRTs to HD.
batterie ordinateur portable @ Oct 12th 2009 12:33AM
I think I am going to change my speaker system since I don't like that is come along with it.so my vote is going for speaker system.
wechseljahre
Blindman @ Oct 12th 2009 7:37AM
adding mac mini as media center.
TRT @ Oct 12th 2009 7:56AM
Nothing. I'm all set.
Evan @ Oct 12th 2009 9:26AM
HTPC
My Popcorn Hour has served me well, but I need the kind of streaming video support that comes best from a PC.
Derrick Bostrom @ Oct 12th 2009 9:53AM
The upgrades we've already done this year pretty much demand a remote solution. On any given day, I can't remember how to turn anything on.
Galley @ Oct 12th 2009 10:00AM
I could use a secondary display for the den.
George @ Oct 12th 2009 11:25AM
I wish I had a room designed to be a theater. The room I'm using now in the house has the seating a little too close.
But the worst part is the windows. I'm planning on adding some room darkening curtains to reduce the glare.
I'm also upgrading my screen itself. I have an old Westinghouse 42, and I'm getting the HDMI sparkles with the Blu-Ray when it's set to 1080p. Fortunately I've got the extended warranty, and I doubt a new board will fix it...so I'm getting me a new 50" + LCD. :)
SteveMak @ Oct 12th 2009 12:04PM
After years of being anti-plasma (burn-in, dimming, etc), I am taking the chance with a Panasonic TCP65V10 plasma display. The image quality, when new, is videophile quality with notable detail in dark areas. It was simply stunning, in all ways.
As much as I like LCD displays for never having concerns for burn-in, image retention, and dimming, my displays have not met my expectations for videophile-grade viewing (many folks will still love them, none the less). My favorite display was a Toshiba 72" DLP, with the only curse being rainbow effect when viewed in a dark room, and the 22 inch depth, which I can no longer accommodate in my new space.
I look forward to calibrating the new set, and hopefully, avoiding the traditional plasma issues that are alledged to be a "thing of the past."
I also have a Denon DBP-4010UDCI reference Blu-ray/DVD/CD/SACD player on order, which sould make a perfect companion for the Panasonic plasma.
Rob @ Oct 12th 2009 12:29PM
It's such a shame that the old (though admittedly legitimate) fears about burn-in and 5 year lifespans of plasmas are still causing people to avoid plasmas today.
Strictly speaking, your plasma WILL still dim over time. But the time it takes to reach 50% brightness is now up around 100,000 hours, so it's not at all like the old days.
LCD displays can have their issues too, to be fair. Polarizers can go and the liquid crystals themselves can sometimes develop uneven "wear". One need only look at my old Sanyo LCD projector to witness what I'm talking about ;)
j.howlett @ Oct 12th 2009 1:08PM
i just want a new entertainment center
Dave @ Oct 12th 2009 1:43PM
I voted speakers, but specifically it's the subwoofer...I'm finally going to add one in! Couldn't afford to buy the whole system at once (currently rocking a Yamaha RX-V665 and the Klipsch Quintet III speakers) so I bought the speakers first, then the receiver (mostly because I heard about Yamaha's new line coming out right when I was about to pick up the RX-V663), and now I'm ready for my sub. Probably just a 10" (smaller house with two small children and a wife who's not big on loud noises) but I'm not sure which way I'm going to go, because I was planning on picking up Klipsch's Synergy Sub-10, but it doesn't seem to be made anymore! Have to see what they've got for a replacement...
pablo_paul @ Oct 12th 2009 1:54PM
New Plasma for Me I'm interested in the current panasonic sets. BUT Should I wait for 3D
At the weekend i saw a demo of the panasonic 105 inch (I think) 3D TV at the NEC (UK) the sport they showed was impressive. Not sure about film though the avatar clip they showed didn't blow me away.
I wear glasses as well so wearing the 3D glasses over the top was slightly uncomfortable I guess the future of TV is for people with 20/20 vision.