All RPTV Owners (Advice Please)

At the moment i have a sony 36", very happy with the picture quality but i want a bigger screen, so rptv must be the way to go . I have a few doubts, would be grateful if you could put my mind at rest.

I am retired through ill health and watch a lot of TV, my first concern would be the bulb life as the TV is normally on from 7am till gone 12 midnight. On average how many hours are the bulbs good for and is it a costly job to have them replaced?

All my viewing is through digital sat/digital cable and DVD`s, what can i expect in picture quality, shapness, contrast etc?

The set i am looking at is the SONY KP44PS2. The reviews i have read give it good marks, it has a lot of the technology and features that are in the sony i have, would you recommend your set? or is there something better you would like?

This would be the first TV i bought in my life, i have always rented, when the rented set had a fault they just came and replaced it, so it would be advisable to take out an extended warranty, but iv`e heard so many horror stories, what company would be a good choice? TIA

[damjanb]

> my first concern would be the bulb life as the TV is normally on
> from 7am till gone 12 midnight. On average how many hours
> are the bulbs good for ..
10.000 is the estimate i keep reading;
probably much longer than you would care to keep the set

> .. and is it a costly job to have them replaced?
yes, but i don't have a figure
(spare parts for RPTVs in general are more expensive,
as the sets themselves are)

I had a 32" Sony 100 Hz before moving to a 47" RPTV,
also 100 Hz, and could then see much more detail from
DVD and DVB than before;
contrast is better kept low anyway, but can probably be
pushed on any RPTV as high as you can stand it

On a CRT-based set, convergence (of red and blue to
green) is the major problem, and it is unlikely that the
user convergence (or the automatic convergence on
the Sony) will be good enough.
If you go for such a set, you should get a service manual,
which will tell you how to do a proper convergence.

Thanks for the reply; You have answered my main concerns, will now be looking for the best deal from a reputable dealer. Really want it for xmas.

[damjanb]

> Thanks for the reply; You have answered my main concerns,
you're wellcome - good to hear that

> will now be looking for the best deal from a reputable dealer.
> Really want it for xmas.
hope you find a good deal, and will be satisfied with the purchase!