TV Purchase Dilemma

In My Humble Opinion
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I’m trying to decide on a TV for my mother. If it were me I was shopping for, this wouldn’t be an issue - I know what I like and what I want. But her needs are a bit different than mine…

Basically she’s 65 and a mild luddite. No cell phone ( no phone at all, as of recently ), no computer, no car, no cable/satellite. She does like watching TV/films, but hates big intrusive electronics suites - she has a media cabinet into which the TV MUST fit so it can be hidden when unwatched, which pretty much limites the screen size to a maximum of maybe 21". She has refused for years to allow me to get her a DVD player, as her VCR was “good enough.” Now said VCR has finally given up the ghost and the rapidly approaching end of analog broadcasts means she’s nearing the end of her TV’s lifespan ( yes, I could just get her a digital converter, but really her 19" set is old and crappy anyway ).

So I figured I’d get her a little 20" digital 4:3 480i CRT set ( now nearly as rare as hen’s teeth ) and an inexpensive DVD player. $200, maybe less depending on the DVD player.

But then I got to thinking - if she’s going to have to transition to digital broadcasts anyway, why not boost the budget a bit and go HD? I could get a 720p 19" LCD and an upscaling DVD player for probably not much more than $300 on the low end. I’d appreciate it on the rare occasions I’m over there and she might really get a kick out of it.

Than again, she might not. Would a cheap 19" LCD display really look superior to a cheap CRT? Would the less deep blacks and off-angle viewing issues annoy her? Would transitioning to 16:9 ( or 16:10, more likely ) framing disturb her luddite sensibilities? Is there a difference in digital tuner qualities? She’s going to be limited to rabbit ears - no cable, no DSL, no satellite, not even a roof-top antenna. Would the larger frame of a CRT allow for a better quality digital receiver than a little thin-paneled 19" LCD? Would HD signals picked up on rabbit ears be worth it? Worse, are the very cheapest 19" LCD’s worth it or do you really need to spend top dollar to get good quality at that size? One of the problems is that nobody really bothers to review those dinky little sets, especially for mundane features like rabbit-ear reception.

So. Opinions? Experiences? Thing is I promised to at least get the DVD player for her by early Sunday and she has no phone to consult with her :p. If I went with HD, I might as well get an upconverting player, so I sort of have to make a decision by Sunday morning.

Caveat: I will not purchase any combo products, like VHS/DVD players, TV/DVD players, etc. In my anecdotal experience they have too many compromises in construction and tend to fail at a higher rate.

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[Would a cheap 19" LCD display really look superior to a cheap CRT? Would the less deep blacks and off-angle viewing issues annoy her?]

The LCD would look better than any 20 year old CRT I’ve ever seen. Off angle and deep blacks don’t even register with me. Unless your mom has eagle eyes and is a maven about picture quality, I wouldn’t worry about it.

[Is there a difference in digital tuner qualities? She’s going to be limited to rabbit ears - no cable, no DSL, no satellite, not even a roof-top antenna. Would the larger frame of a CRT allow for a better quality digital receiver than a little thin-paneled 19" LCD?]

There is a difference in the low-signal sensitivity of digital tuners. The el-cheepo converter box I bought does OK but is not as sensitive as my big screen LG LCD. Surprisingly, a tiny little KWorld TV stick about the size of a pack of gum nearly equals the LG. So size is not related to quality. I don’t know of any decent tech guides on this.

[Would HD signals picked up on rabbit ears be worth it?]

Only in the very heart of a large city where you might get enough signal out of the rabbit ears to get maybe a half dozen stations. If you’re on the edge of town or behind some hills you’ll be lucky to pull in one or two. And it does depend on the weather. I suggest an amplified antenna, and not from Radio Shack (I bought one and it’s crap, worse than no amp). You need an amp with a sensitive front end, which means spending money on fancy transistors. Otherwise it’s no better than the amp that is already built into your TV. And you’ll get a hell of a lot better performance out of a tuned directional antenna with a matched built in amp. Either way try something from Channel Master, their stuff works for me. Also if your existing coax cables have ever gotten their ends rain soaked, or if they are mangled or dented anywhere along their length, buy new ones. Unlike a regular power cable, the dents do affect their impedance.

[Worse, are the very cheapest 19" LCD’s worth it or do you really need to spend top dollar to get good quality at that size? One of the problems is that nobody really bothers to review those dinky little sets, especially for mundane features like rabbit-ear reception.]

I’m told that most TVs of any size these days don’t have real great front end sensitivity because most customers have either cable or dish, which both put out nice ‘loud’ signals. Also, the entire radio section, decoding, and TV raster scan circuits are all on one VLSI integrated chip and I think TV makers use the same chip for all their models. The differences are mostly in screen size and type. A friend of mine has a little 20" LCD for the kitchen (don’t know what mfg) that works just as well as my big screen.

Luck!