In addition the health related issues plaguing my situation, my TV is in the process of dying. I'm irked because I use the damn thing so little I expected it to last forever, and moreover now that I actually "need" it (not much to do when you can't stray out of eyesight from your bed-ridden puppy), it's crapping out on me. I bought the thing in '08 - six years (almost to the day) of limited use doesn't strike me as a great lifespan. OTOH, it was soooooo cheap when I bought it, I can't be that mad at it. It's one of Samsung's slim DLPs, probably one of the last DLP TVs ever made. IIRC it's a 56", but I wouldn't swear to it. It's served me just fine, but the actual DLP chip is failing, which gives a result not unlike stuck pixels on an LCD TV. It's tolerable now, but it's clear the problem is getting worse quickly.
The DLP module is like $500, which I'm certainly not going to throw at it. The DLP chip by itself is available from questionable resellers from $50 to $200 - the price is variable based on the specific chip, and I don't know which one I have at the moment. Replacement is apparently not that big of a deal, little risk of failure. The only reason I am entertaining replacing it is because at six years old the bulb is noticeably (though only slightly) dimmer than it should be. It doesn't really affect me, but I'm not sold on the idea of spending money on a chip if the bulb is just going to fail anyway. Six years of even limited use does feel like a good run for a bulb. If the DLP module is on the $50 end, I'll try it - but if it's on the $200 end, the TV is going in the e-waste pile.
Even though buying a TV makes about zero financial sense right now, my 2014 budget is pretty much shot to hell, so maybe I don't care if it slips just a little more. Seems like the gtxf is pretty much a plasma fan club, but I figured I'd ask if anyone has any opinions on the current crop of 2k LED LCDs. Although I like the picture plasmas give, I cannot tolerate the sound they make, especially with an out-of-range signal or bright picture (like a light computer desktop). I guess most people can't hear it (or maybe just aren't bothered by it), but I've yet to encounter a plasma display that doesn't make the sound and just don't want to risk getting one that is abnormally loud (like the one that's in the office's upstairs conference room - I can hear it across the office). I'm also not a fan of their power consumption or physical characteristics - but those are by far secondary considerations. It's the sound. THE FUCKING SOUND.
The only three things I need are an HDMI port, 1080p, and at least 120Hz. I don't need any other inputs, I don't need smart features, I don't need 3D, I don't need any audio functions. I don't even care so much about picture quality - I just don't spend enough time in front of it to really care all that much I guess. I'd like backlit (vs. edge lit), but that's hardly a need. Not sure how much it's worth to me, in any case.
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Originally Posted by thesameguy
