Ok, so I have been reading and searching this forum extensively the past 48 hours and would like some advice from all of you hd-know-it-alls. I'm looking to buy an HDTV specifically by the time Halo 3 comes in Sept. I also want to primarily use it as a pc monitor for gaming and watching normal DVDS and SD programming (but probably HD later at some point). So, in short think - primarily gaming. Halo 3. Must. Look. Sweet. I believe what I am looking for is an LCD tv since I have read that plasmas arent good for gaming and space in my little one bedroom is short (no rear projection then). Also my room is very brightly lit so again no plasmas (I think). My viewing distance is about 6-7 feet and I'm thinking something in the range of 40-46" and I believe I can settle for a quality 720p instead of 1080p since Im not going too huge. Have I been totally mislead or do my conclusions sound pretty reasonable? I want to spend right around the 1k mark (say $800-1200) and I know that is pretty cheap but I see brands like Olevia and Vizio on newegg etc. for like 700-800. Does anyone have any models that they personally own or brands that are reputable that would fit the bill? I am also worried about picking the wrong type of tv that will ghost or something so please yell at me if LCD is a no no!
Sorry but can't seem to find an "edit" button- and What about LCOS???? I know it exists but no stores seem to sell them (unless its under a different name I am not aware of). Are these good for gaming?
u can get some good named brand lcd's for 1k-1200 40-42"....meaning i say name brand is because i have and olevia and love it for gaming and movies well the only down side was i had to send it back to the manufacture to get it fixed as soon as i purchased it and it took forever and i heard online later that they have speaker issues....and i hear speaker issues with this tv are most problems with the tv but my new one works great for gaming and its a 37" i got for 650$ so wasnt to bad i have mixed feelings about olevia even tho i like my tv now...as for vizioi've heard mixed comments..but if money is the issues then olevia and vizio are the way to go but if u dont mind spending a few bucks more then i'd go name brand...try westinghouse for starters they have pretty good deals here an there...good luck with your purchase
I am certainly NOT one of the HDTV gods. But I offer this advice to any one that asks me. If possible, get a "monitor only" TV rather than one with a tuner. Main reason, they are cheaper. Some people will tell you that you need the tuner, especially the HD tuner if you're gonna watch anything on TV other than DVD's or gaming. BUT, anything coming in as HD to your TV will be through a cable box or satellite box, etc. And they are the tuner anyway. Your DVD player acts as a tuner. Your Xbox, PS2/3, Wii act as tuners. So why do you need a tuner built in? I have a Westinghouse 1080p TV and it is monitor only. I have yet to miss a show, movie, video game... you get the point. And I would also spend a little more and get the 1080p rather than the 720p, just so you won't have to upgrade later. Programming hasn't reached 1080p yet, but it will soon and you'll be ready. Please someone correct me if I'm wrong.
If you want to buy just a monitor without a built in tuner, you're buying a used tv. All tv's come with tuners. Prices are coming down and I wouldn't invest in something that is outdated like a monitor only if you plan on watching television on it. You can get high def over the air.
I said that because new televisions all come with tuners. I haven't seen many televisions that are top of the line or even middle ranged sets without tuner.
Don't scare me brotha. So my Westinghouse is NOT the gem I thought it was? I know it doesn't have HDMI, but I thought at the very least since it was 1080p, I was getting a good enough TV. LOL... crap!
I think westinghouse is a fine manufacturer. 1080p isn't as important as contrast ratio and refresh rate. You can have a tv in 720p native looking better than 1080p because the contrast ratio is good and the refresh rate is through the roof. If you don't have hdmi you may run into problems recieving high definition content in the future. HDCP will effect you. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hdmi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-bandwidth_Digital_Content_Protection In the end, take anything you hear from or anyone on here for that matter with a grain of salt. If you like your set and it does what you want it to do, than who cares.
I just looked up your tv and you have a digital connection. The dvi connection is basically an older version of hdmi. It's essentially the same but doesn't carry audio like hdmi.
Thank you. Very informative. Since you seem to have a pretty good idea what you're talking about, could you take a look at this link and offer your input... http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/544855. If not, no worries. Thanx for the response here.
The difference in what you said versus what I said is that I state that the DVI connection does support HDCP. You said Keywords: "Digital" and "Connection." All DVI-D connections don't support HDCP (actually most don't). For that matter not all HDMI connections support HDCP either (although most do; HDMI version 1.1 and higher). So stating if the connection supports HDCP is important with older model tvs. Ced
gdubb85 If I was you I would look for a nice 32" LCD tv, Sacrifice a little bit of size for quality. I think for a viewing distance of 6-7 feet a 40" or bigger tv is not gonna look so good, you will problay notice a bit of blockiness. But hey go to your local electronic store and stand 6 feet from a lcd tv and see how it looks. Good luck Peace all
Samsung range are good Quality i use mine for tv, wii, ps3 and my pc i think its spot on i run it at 720p for ps3 gaming and 1080i for bluerays http://www.pcworld.co.uk/images/835543_01_huge.jpg
I haven't looked lately, but if I were you, I would check out the Vizio line. Lots of people bought them and I haven't seen many complaints. I personally have a Westinghouse LVM-42w2. It's a great TV in HD, but the SD channels are subpar (hurts my eyes). I bought it over a year ago, before the market was flooded with 1080p sets. I was looking for a year before I bought it. Note: Westinghouse was one of the first manufactures to offer 1080P. I agree with {TKO}... you really don't need the "built in" HD tuner since most HDTV owners are using their cable or satellite box as the tuner. 1080P is becoming the standard so you may want to invest in one. LCDs are great if you have a small space... They also look cool. Note: HDTVs without "tuners" are technically called HD Monitors. Here are some other things to look for: High contrast ratio (nowadays look for a 10,000:1) Keep in mind the differences between Dynamic and Static CRs Multiple inputs (at least 2+ HDMI connections) Hope this helps... Good luck!
When you say high contrast ratio, you kind of have to know a little more than that. With the advent of dynamic contrast you can sometimes have much more colors per pixal than a standard contrast ratio that is higher.
Yes, there is a difference so you will need to do your homework. The "Dynamic" Contrast Ratio is NOT the same as the "Static" Contrast Ratio. Unfortunately, this little detail is usually not mentioned in stores or on ads so you will need to verify this information yourself to make sure you're comparing apples to apples and so on.
