Is anyone here knowledgeable about HD sets?

A local Pawn shop has a used 2005 Panasonic 52lcx15 52" Rear projection set for $480.

What is the difference between Rear Projection / LCD / Plasma? This set is rear projection. I THINK it's also LCD.

The picture seemed really dark in the store. The manager said I had to sit on axis with this type of set. I lowered myself to screen level & it improved, but stiill seemed dark. Do the lights have to be out in the room for this type of set?

Any knowledgeable advice would be really appreciated. I wasn't planning on moving to hd yet, but the price is awfully cheap & with my failing eye site (my surgically repaired eye now has a cataract that I may be living with for awhile) the bigger set would really help.

2 other questions: how long does this type of set tend to last? My viewing room is pertty small. With a regular tv, that's a +. Will it be a problem with this type? The projector is built into the frame.

Googling got me very little information & no in depth reviews.

Typically the modern sets are built to last only about 5 years. This surprised me as well, but came from a reliable source, a friend of mine who works on televisions for a living and keeps up with the industry very closely. I have a 57" rear projection CRT HD set which I'm very happy with. Those type are supposed to be longer lasting than the newer DLP LCD and Plasma sets, according to my friend. But that technology is old-school and getting harder to find.
That Panasonic model is a rear projection LCD and it seems like it's pretty decent. Nice size, built-in HD tuner, plenty of inputs. I found a decent review of it here:
http://products.howstuffworks.com/panas ... review.htm
If it's really dark you may want to see if the brightness was turned down or if the backlight is burning out. LCD aren't usually dark.
Your best bet is to search around on avsforums for the TV and see what others are saying about it or similar models. That site is an invaluable resource for buying HDTV sets. http://www.avsforum.com/

Oh and if you have a small viewing room, that might be a little overpowering size TV.

Jeff, thanks. I registered at avs & duplicated the post there.

I've also heard that the large crt's are superior. Good luck finding one, though!

I find it staggering that $2000-$5000 sets are intentionally engineered to only have a 5 year life span. With a crt, I'd usually consider that a defective set.

Yep, I have an old CRT 21" set in my kids room, which was MY set when I lived with my parents all the way up through each of my moves until I got the 57" one we have now. It's 18 years old and still in perfect working order! It's sad when I know I will have to finance or wait for tax time to buy a new TV again for the prices these things run. Hopefully they will drop in price dramatically by the time I need a replacement.

FYI so far no replies at avs, but I did get several from DVD Talk Forum if anyone else has similar ?'s.

That surprises me, Geff. I've always had good luck there and so have most other people I know. Sorry they weren't any help.

Jeff, thanks again for your suggestion; the post wasn't meant to be negative towards you in any way!

I still have my Zenith 25" console I bought in 1991. Recently had to spend $300 to have the powerboard replaced, but the picture tube is still fine. Serves as a piece of furniture too, as I have all of my stereo components on top of it. So I spent $689 17 years ago or I can spend $2000 for a TV that will last 5 years and that I better purchase the service plan on? I think I'll hold out.