I am getting a new tv, first hdtv. I am looking to spend $900-1100 on a tv. For now I will still be watching SDTV, but will upgrade to HD at a later time, maybe in a year or so. I do not have a Blu-Ray player. I do have a HD-DVD player, but no HD movies. I am not sure what the important specs are anymore. I am definitely going 1080P, but after that I don't know what is important. Contrast Ratio used to be important, but with all the companies showing only dynamic it has become useless. Is 120hz worth it over 60hz? What are other specs to compare? LCD vs. DLP? Here are a couple tvs I am looking at. Any help in deciding between these or other suggestions would be appreciated. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...7lh30&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1218068505433 http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4248620&CatId=3650 http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3749849&CatId=1830
aww.. topical and a valid opinion I thought.. spend the money on something better.. mortgage payments perhaps to keep the economy going and the fat bankers living in luxury? I did say "personally".. or is it not allowed to have a giggle at the stupidity of the media hype around HDTV and the lack of good state funded eyecare leading to failing standards of vision amongst the general populace as they spend more and more time staring with fixed focus at a screen.. what does the OP think??
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Well SD on LCDs doesn't always look too hot. 1080p might be good, unfortunately there seems to be no native 1080p programing (other than Blu-Ray). The bandwith requirements are huge and I don't see this changing anytime soon (not in this economy with shrinking revenues). 120hz is probably important as LCDs suffer from motion lag (plasmas of course don't). DLP is pretty much a dead issue.
klassic, don't play mod as you'll get burnt for it from me or any other moderator. just do what rule 14 states & nothing else.
Some things to think about: 1. What's your replacement threshold? (i.e. how long do you plan on keeping it?) 2. Do you have adequate vieweing area for the TV you are considering? (opinions vary on this, I used "no more than 2.5 x diagonal" on my most recent purchase) 3. What is more important? Screen size or features? 4. Does $1100.00 include tax, shipping, and (dare I say it) extended warranty?
dailun- I am looking at the tv as a main tv for several years. Hopefully in the 4-6 year range. The room for the tv is about 14x16 and only has one small window. So there will be very little light for glare or to affect viewing. I have surround sound wired and ready for the room. My wife would prefer a larger screen, I asked her about going for a 40 or 42" with better features, but she seems to want to stay with 46 or 47 inch. I would prefer to spend 1000 for tv but can spend up to 1100. Tax, shipping and warranty will be added later. As well as things such as a good surge protector and cables. ddp- You can burn me if you want, but I am asking a legitimate question about hdtv's in a hdtv forum. If varnull has a problem with hdtv's and seemingly the idea of television in general then what the f is she posting here for. The second post is nothing but a backhanded slap at me for reporting and you for editing. So I am sorry if that pisses me off. If I posted a thread asking if purchasing a television is a smart thing in a declining global economy then here posts would be appropriate. Go ahead and edit away if you like. But I think I have a right not to be harassed.
OK, here are my thoughts. In a 12 x 14 room, you can go to 52" (budget nothwithstanding). At 46" in your budget, your probably in the 2nd tier brands, (Olevia, Vizio, Westinghouse, Proscan, etc.) you might find a deal on an older 60Hz TV. I've seen 46" Samsung Series 5 in the $1099 range. At 42" your brand window opens up a little more. As far as quality, you won't really appreciate a larger screen until you are looking at Blu-ray or HDTV. The picture will just be "bigger". In fact, at 46", depending on your vieweing distance, standard DVD MAY in fact look worse. If you're going to go 42" or 46" I would put away $70.00 or so for an upscaling DVD player if you're not buying Blu-ray anytime soon. I would get a 5 year extended warranty that includes home service if you are planning for this to last at least 5 years. IMHO, it's worth the piece of mind. There are deals to be had if you want to shop around and haggle. One of the other factors in this particular purchase was 12 month 0% financing. (Even though I was prepared to pay cash.) I bought a 46" Samsung 6 Series 120Hz model (The series 5 are 60Hz and substantially cheaper) I purchased an "open box" model but since I was making 5 yr. purchase and the 5 yr. extended was an "automatic", open box didn't scare me at all. The price I paid was the same as Costco is selling the 40" model new. I could've lived with a 60Hz model but I got a 120Hz model for the same price. Costco has a 42" Vizio 120Hz for 899.00 this month, but they also have the Sony and Sharp 46" 60Hz models for $999.00. But then again, it's only one guy's opinion. Your buying strategy and habits are probably different. Last thought. When you see all of these TVs in one room, you can see the difference between the first and second tier brands prettly clearly. However, when it's the only TV in your house, and it's all you have to go with, unless you're looking for a flaw, it'll probably be just fine. I did a "5 minute shopping run". I'd suggest the 46" Vizio and an upscaling DVD player (less than $100.00) I hope that helps.
Forget the Vizio with extended warranties, get a top tier set and then there is no need for extended warranties. In Consumers Reports reliability ratings based on 75,000 responses over 4 years, Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, Toshiba and JVC had less than 3% that needed repairs or had serious problems (LCD). Panasonic plasmas were some of the most reliable TVs ever tested at 2%. If it's Toshiba HD-DVD you have one of the best upscalers out there.
I do have a Toshiba HD-DVD player, so the upscaling dvd player is covered. What about Sharp Aquos or LG brand LCDs? Are these good brands?
Sharp Aquos is considered a "cadillac". LG is 1st tier. You really need to see them to make the "educated" decision, since it's "your eyes". If you have a "big box" retailer near you, go down and take a look, then you can price shop. And yes, I used to be a member of the "all extended warranties are for suckers" club. However, I am also a member of the "open box, scratch 'n dent, and floor model" buyer's club. My formula (for items cosing $750.00 or more.) If the price of an "orphan" plus a 3-5 yr. extended warranty is 10% or more less than a new model, it's a no brainer for me. I cite the fact that I purchased a Sony XBR4 that had both a main logic board AND the panel go out after the factory warranty had expired. The panel replacement was more than the purchase price of the set. The repair, as well as a loaner set for 30 days were 100% covered by the extended warranty. I now have the equivalent of a brand new set.
I usually never go with extended warranties, but on a major purchase I usually will. IE the canon digital camera I spent 400 on 6 years ago. It was a big investment, and though I never used the warranty it made me feel warm and cuddly inside. Especially when I bought the underwater case and took it snorkeling off the coast of Mexico. Thanks for the help. Now I have to go take a look see. My choices are: Sharp Aquos 46" 60hz LG 47" 60hz, 50,000:1 dcr LG 47" 120hz, 15,000:1 dcr
Hey, What I would recommend is getting a TV with at least 1080p and 120h. This will give good pictures for action, sports, and quick moving pictures. Samsung, LG, Sony, Pioneer, all make good products however the choice lies in your personal choice over the different pictures. It really is a personal choice thing. Aloha, Tara
There is another source of 1080 programming than Blu-Rays. Over-the-air (OTA) is a great source of mostly uncompressed television. There are a lot more channels now, too, since everything is digital. It's free, too. With that being said, I would highly recommend a Samsung LED DLP television. I don't have the model number on hand, but if you are interested I could get it. You could probably get the 56" model like I have for $1,100 these days. I bought the same model for $1,400 about two years ago. It's a great TV and a fraction of the price you'll pay for other types of TVs of the same size. Since the lamp used in this TV is composed of LEDs, there is no color wheel, hence there are no bulbs to replace (well, 10x less often at least), and there is no "rainbow effect" which hinders picture quality on some DLP TVs. The stats are good, there are 3 HDMI ports, and the design is sleek. The contrast ratio is only 10,000:1, which may not be as much as some LCD and plasma displays these days, but it's nothing to sneeze at and it's hard to argue with the price.
Yeah, I think all OTA broadcasts are 1080i. My point though was that there are cheap ways to get good HD content with a nice HD television. It may not be 1080p, but it's not bad at all. For true 1080p, I just go with the Netflix 2 at a time bluray service.
