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HDTV Time!

S

SkyyNet

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 24, 2006
Messages
393
Hello everyone!

I just moved into a new place and need some help with purchasing a new TV. I currently have a 30" HDTV CRT TV but it takes up a lot of space in my living room. I also just got back from my honeymoon and was a little spoiled as I had a plasma HDTV in my room at the resort.

I was wondering what exactly is the best choice of TV nowadays. I do not want a DLP TV! I do not care about how great they are...they are still rear projection TVs and they are still rather large. So its basically a plasma or lcd. I've read up on the advantages of both but still not sure on which would be better for me.

I watch a fair amount of TV - a couple hours or so when I get home from work and a couple hours watching movies with the wife on friday nights. I also have a xbox 360 and play that when I have the time. We are looking for something in the range of 37-50" and in the price range of about $2000-2500. I have a subscription to Comsumer reports and they recommend a plasma panasonic tv (dont have the model numbers right now).

Also would you recommend tvs with the ambi-light features or is that just a waste of money? I'll post some pics later of my current setup, ect.

Thanks!
 
perhaps you should check out bluray/hd-dvd on the 1080p DLPs before you crap all over them. Friggin beautiful.
 
Tutelary said:
perhaps you should check out bluray/hd-dvd on the 1080p DLPs before you crap all over them. Friggin beautiful.
Click to expand...

i really dont care if they are the greatest TVs in the world. i do not want a DLP TV....thanks for your suggestion however.
 
plasma otherwise if you want to get damn close get a from the sony kdl series :).

If you also want to game then I would get a LCD because of it´s higher resolution and no risk for burn in :). Having to wait 100 hours to really start gaming on a plasma is a bit much lol. And if I payed 2000 $ and then got burn in I would kill myself.
 
oqvist said:
plasma otherwise if you want to get damn close get a from the sony kdl series :).

If you also want to game then I would get a LCD because of it´s higher resolution and no risk for burn in :). Having to wait 100 hours to really start gaming on a plasma is a bit much lol. And if I payed 2000 $ and then got burn in I would kill myself.
Click to expand...

im guessing something like this would u would recommend?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...CategoryId=pcmcat95100050041&id=1134703573276
 
SkyyNet said:
Hello everyone!

I just moved into a new place and need some help with purchasing a new TV. I currently have a 30" HDTV CRT TV but it takes up a lot of space in my living room. I also just got back from my honeymoon and was a little spoiled as I had a plasma HDTV in my room at the resort.

I was wondering what exactly is the best choice of TV nowadays. I do not want a DLP TV! I do not care about how great they are...they are still rear projection TVs and they are still rather large. So its basically a plasma or lcd. I've read up on the advantages of both but still not sure on which would be better for me.

I watch a fair amount of TV - a couple hours or so when I get home from work and a couple hours watching movies with the wife on friday nights. I also have a xbox 360 and play that when I have the time. We are looking for something in the range of 37-50" and in the price range of about $2000-2500. I have a subscription to Comsumer reports and they recommend a plasma panasonic tv (dont have the model numbers right now).

Also would you recommend tvs with the ambi-light features or is that just a waste of money? I'll post some pics later of my current setup, ect.

Thanks!
Click to expand...


Panasonic Plasmas are alright, i dont like how they look 'clay faced' on them. I like samsung plasmas as my #2. #1 is of course the Pioneer....INSANE picture on those guys, then again....INSANE price too.

If you want to go LCD get the 1080P Toshiba thats sitting right next to that Sony you pulled up. Dont get the XBR2, it looks like shit the older XBR looked good. CHeck out the samsung LCD's...there are a couple sizes and they are VERY good with black levels and contrast is very good on those guys.


Rule #1 when buying a tv....avoid Consumer reports, they have no idea what you're looking for and what you value yet they rank things based on THEIR personal choice.

Do this, i swear it works.....go into where ever, plan on spending about an hour looking at TV's. Don't look at price, find the best looking ones. Then find everyone who works in that dept. and ask which is the best one and why. Most sales people will push the higher ones, thats fine....honeslty the top end tv's really do look better, but listen and ask questions when they come up. THen once you have a little info....LEAVE!

Come back a 2nd time so you can look at them with a fresh eye and look at the same TV's....make the people do a factory reset on the TV's because alot of people mess with them, and employees are too lazy to fix it.

NOW start looking at price, you might be suprised that some of the TV's you like are midrange and not $5k....but only $2,200. Then again you might fall in love with the Pioneer's....who knows?



(I work at BB so excuse this reference....) Go in to BB or whoever has the Blu-ray and HD-DVD on display and see if they will hook it up to the LCD/Plasma you want to buy. Be nice and make it a weekday....a busy weekend you might just get a no. Dont watch the crappy internal feeds for your final choice......also ask to see a regular DVD player hooked up to it using composite, i know what you're thinking, but honestly this is the best way to test what a standard signal is going to look like....


With the internal feed, HD-DVD, and a reg DVD player using composite, you will know what your TV is capable of doing. Always ask about the return policy and what you need to get this thing going, sometimes people forget the simple accy's because they are too focused on a TV.

If you need advice on specifc TV's that BB carries i would be more then happy to help you out.....I am a reasonable guy, depending on what your getting i could even reccomend what price to offer them for a nice deal for you.
 
pickxx said:
Panasonic Plasmas are alright, i dont like how they look 'clay faced' on them. I like samsung plasmas as my #2. #1 is of course the Pioneer....INSANE picture on those guys, then again....INSANE price too.

If you want to go LCD get the 1080P Toshiba thats sitting right next to that Sony you pulled up. Dont get the XBR2, it looks like shit the older XBR looked good. CHeck out the samsung LCD's...there are a couple sizes and they are VERY good with black levels and contrast is very good on those guys.


Rule #1 when buying a tv....avoid Consumer reports, they have no idea what you're looking for and what you value yet they rank things based on THEIR personal choice.

Do this, i swear it works.....go into where ever, plan on spending about an hour looking at TV's. Don't look at price, find the best looking ones. Then find everyone who works in that dept. and ask which is the best one and why. Most sales people will push the higher ones, thats fine....honeslty the top end tv's really do look better, but listen and ask questions when they come up. THen once you have a little info....LEAVE!

Come back a 2nd time so you can look at them with a fresh eye and look at the same TV's....make the people do a factory reset on the TV's because alot of people mess with them, and employees are too lazy to fix it.

NOW start looking at price, you might be suprised that some of the TV's you like are midrange and not $5k....but only $2,200. Then again you might fall in love with the Pioneer's....who knows?



(I work at BB so excuse this reference....) Go in to BB or whoever has the Blu-ray and HD-DVD on display and see if they will hook it up to the LCD/Plasma you want to buy. Be nice and make it a weekday....a busy weekend you might just get a no. Dont watch the crappy internal feeds for your final choice......also ask to see a regular DVD player hooked up to it using composite, i know what you're thinking, but honestly this is the best way to test what a standard signal is going to look like....


With the internal feed, HD-DVD, and a reg DVD player using composite, you will know what your TV is capable of doing. Always ask about the return policy and what you need to get this thing going, sometimes people forget the simple accy's because they are too focused on a TV.

If you need advice on specifc TV's that BB carries i would be more then happy to help you out.....I am a reasonable guy, depending on what your getting i could even reccomend what price to offer them for a nice deal for you.
Click to expand...

thanks so much for all your advice.....personally which hdtv do you prefer? id like to go in and check out those first and then compare them to which I like doing what you said above. do u think im better off with a lcd or plasma?

and was this the toshiba you were talking about?
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...CategoryId=pcmcat95100050043&id=1140394358954
 
Went to Best Buy earlier today to check out all the tvs

I did happen to like the 40" Samsung LCD TV which featured 2 HDMI inputs

I also did like the above mentioned 42" Toshiba LCD TV which also has 2 HDMI inputs and was 1080p

Lastly the 42" Westinghouse LCD TV seemed pretty nice and had a good price point, was 1080p but only had 1 HDMI input.
 
The best right now at a sudo reasonable price is the Sharp Aquos line 57inch LCD

Has DVI
Has 4ms refresh
Has 1920x1080

all for under 10k

See specs here:

Clicky

I'm going to jump on this at the 7-8k range maybe even before christmas or shortly their after! What a friggin beautiful TV

Now if I was not in a hurry (my 10+ yr old rear projection (non hd) tv is on its last leg) I'd wait for some of the sets coming out in the next year or two!
 
Sunin said:
The best right now at a sudo reasonable price is the Sharp Aquos line 57inch LCD

Has DVI
Has 4ms refresh
Has 1920x1080

all for under 10k

See specs here:

Clicky

I'm going to jump on this at the 7-8k range maybe even before christmas or shortly their after! What a friggin beautiful TV

Now if I was not in a hurry (my 10+ yr old rear projection (non hd) tv is on its last leg) I'd wait for some of the sets coming out in the next year or two!
Click to expand...

umm thanks for the info but was only looking for a 32-50" TV and only looking to spend 2000-2500....just moved into a new place and I cant be throwing crazy money around on a tv....the wife would KILL me ;)
 
SkyyNet said:
thanks so much for all your advice.....personally which hdtv do you prefer? id like to go in and check out those first and then compare them to which I like doing what you said above. do u think im better off with a lcd or plasma?

and was this the toshiba you were talking about?
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...CategoryId=pcmcat95100050043&id=1140394358954
Click to expand...


Your size range is to big, would you rather have a very good 37" or a average 42 or a lower end 50"??

And YOU have to decide if you like plasma or LCD more, thats a personal choice.


My fav is the pioneer plasmas, but they are a tad outta your price range. Go and look at some in person....and dont be afraid to turn down the brightness or get a reset on the settings.....you need to know what your buying and they are too bright for home use.
 
pickxx said:
Your size range is to big, would you rather have a very good 37" or a average 42 or a lower end 50"??

And YOU have to decide if you like plasma or LCD more, thats a personal choice.


My fav is the pioneer plasmas, but they are a tad outta your price range. Go and look at some in person....and dont be afraid to turn down the brightness or get a reset on the settings.....you need to know what your buying and they are too bright for home use.
Click to expand...


i would like something that doesnt look stupid on my wall ie. too tiny. i think i am set on a lcd set because I will hook my x360 up to it and I dont want any sort of burn-in.

i also agree that the pioneer plasmas look terrific (from what I was seeing in Best Buy's Magnolia setup) but they are out of my price range :(

i didnt have time to mess around with all the settings as I am just beginning my search but I did like what I saw from the 3 sets that I mentioned earlier. With that being said is there anything that you would recommend that I check out to compare to the others that I mentioned?

thanks again!!
 
SkyyNet yes though the V version is what you should aim for :). V2000 instead of S2000.

Also is it only for movie and tv. If for PC use LCD:s has this very visible pixel grid so you need to sit 1,5-2 metres away from the screen optimum on a 32". It´s something you get used to and see less and less but it´s always in your face. A bit annoying when going from CRT. Of course if you go for a 1900x1200 monitor then that isn´t much of an issue but then you need some serious video cards to run it because widescreens shows more pixels.

But for TV haven´t seen a LCD TV to match it and the best plasmas is if anything only marginally better. It´s a dream watching movies on this one :). Colours almost seems to fly off the monitor give some kind of 3d impression lol.
 
I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned much here but the best value and great looking picture quality tv's are Westinghouse. I have a 37" 1080p Westy and I couldn't be happier! I compared it's picture to the more expensive Toshiba and I really couldn't see much of a difference between them. The 37" Westy is pretty difficult to find at BB but some people have been having luck locating them at Sam's club for a really low price lately (I think $1200 or below). You can also get it online for around $1300 or the 42" for around $1700. Whatever you do, don't settle for a 720p set, if you're going to spend up to $2000 then you should get a 1080p set for sure and IMO Westinghouse is the best way to go in your price/size range.


Check out this thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8317042#post8317042
 
As much as I do think the Westinghouse is a great TV for the price....I am a name brand whore. When people come over and ask what kind of TV it is I feel kinda funny saying it is a Westy.....I know that sounds stupid because I know what a really good tv it is.

That being said I again went to my local best buy (different store this time) and they really had a limited amont of LCD TVs on display....infact the only 1080p LCD TV I was able to find was a 46" Sony Bravia. The TV was priced at something like $4400 which is a little out of my price range. When I got home I was able to find a 40" Bravia for $2999 at BBY. When I was at the store, I went really close to the screen of the Bravia and the picture looked very "pixelized" during action sequences.

There were a couple Samsung TVs which looked very nice but were only 720p. I did find a 42" Samsung plasma that was open box (nice condition) for $1999....I do have a coupon for 15% off any open box item plus I am sure I can get that $1999 price down a little before I whip out my coupon.

Models so far that I am considering

Samsung 40" 1080p LCD HDTV
Model: LN-S4095D
$2999

Sony BRAVIA 40" Widescreen Digital-Cable-Ready LCD HDTV with HDMI Input
Model: KDLV40XBR1
$2999

Toshiba TheaterWide 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV
Model: 42HL196
$2799

(Long Shot) Westinghouse 42" 1080p LCD HD Monitor
Model: LVM-42w2
$1999

Samsung 40" LCD LNR409....pretty sure this is 720p but its an open box at $2400

Samsung HPR4272 42" Plasma $1999 (as mentioned above - open box)
$2400
 
SkyyNet said:
As much as I do think the Westinghouse is a great TV for the price....I am a name brand whore. When people come over and ask what kind of TV it is I feel kinda funny saying it is a Westy.....I know that sounds stupid because I know what a really good tv it is.
Click to expand...

It's dissapointing that you are buying a TV as a status symbol instead of something to enjoy movies and television on. It makes sense you are more worried about looks and brand name if you aren't even considering a DLP set. I guess if thats your deal then just drop your cash on the first one you like. Go with a sexy Samsung, they make some fine looking sets.
 
SkyyNet said:
infact the only 1080p LCD TV I was able to find was a 46" Sony Bravia. The TV was priced at something like $4400 which is a little out of my price range.
Click to expand...

THats not the Bravia line...its the XBR2.....
It may say Bravia on the panel, but i assure you its an XBR2, which i said earlier looks like shit. Its 1080p, and granted maybe with a cleaner signal could do more....but i haven't seen it look as good as the previous XBR line of TV's.

As for a reccomendation its all about budget, if you want to get a 42" westinghouse and know you got a good TV for a low price, Sweet. But i have seen all the TV's here and my vote is the toshiba....and its outside your price range.




Like i asked before, do you want a big lower end tv, or a smaller higher end one? You need to figure out what you want to do there.

The Westinghouses are good, and i am looking at a 22" LCD right now from them, and i love it. But by no means are they the best TV's...BUT for the price they are unbeatable at those sizes. Period.

If you want 1080p i would go toshiba then westy then Samsung...all very good.

Its all about budget and pricerange and what size you want.....
 
rygy said:
It's dissapointing that you are buying a TV as a status symbol instead of something to enjoy movies and television on. It makes sense you are more worried about looks and brand name if you aren't even considering a DLP set. I guess if thats your deal then just drop your cash on the first one you like. Go with a sexy Samsung, they make some fine looking sets.
Click to expand...

People buy tvs all the time for status symbols.....get used to it.

And about the DLP, odds are i wouldn't buy one either. I love the SXRD's from sony, and for projection....they look the best to me(and for the price i could buy one....it would be retarded to buy something else.). He deosn't want a big-backed tv(aka the J-lo TV), i can't make the judgement for him, its his call.


THen again he could get a 50" SXRD for $2658....a tad over his budget but looks better then all these LCD's he's throwing around......But its his money, so he can spend it on whatever he wants.
 
I think the first question you should ask yourself is what type of source are you (and your new significant other - congrats) are going to be watching most of the time.

My wife and I watch DVDs (not HD-DVDs just yet) about once or twice a week. I maybe watch them maybe 3 times a week. Most of the time it is local digital cable and then when there is something good on, move up to the HD channels (FOOTBALL season is fast approaching...ESPN MNF in HD...thank you God). The BB employee was right, have them show you how the lowest quality signal looks, becuase chances are, that's what you will be watching the most of.

If you are planning on watching a good bit of SDTV/digital or sat non-hd channels you may want to look at that Toshiba. I hate bars. Not candy bars, black/gray bars anywhere on the screen, so when I watch SDTV is use the Theaterwide stretch modes to make the 4:3 material fill the screen. Toshibas have the best stretch modes, especially the Theaterwides, of course if you can get a look at Toshiba Cinema Series Flat Panels.

Also, you may want to head over to avsforums...not that the [H] is bad, but the wealth of knowledge over there is a great resource for anyone researching a purchase. But you are doing the right thing by getting out there and looking for yourself, your eye is the only one that really matters
 
thanks for all the feedback guys

to tell you the truth we dont really watch that many movies...maybe once a week on a friday night and the wife falls asleep halfway thru it anyways. i mainly only watch the HD channels CBS HD, ABC HD, ESPN HD, YES HD (Yankees)....basically if its not in HD then its not worth watching ;) and yes, i cannot wait for football season to begin....all the games in HD, SNF in HD and MNF in HD.....ah i love it!

i will also be using the tv for my x360. so that is the main reason for choosing lcd over plasma.

pickxx....u said u would go with the toshiba but never said which model...just the one next to the sony that I had mentioned....id like to go check out the one you are recommending.

thanks again everyone....i am just beginning my search and i been going out to the stores almost everyday to see whats out there. like i said before i do not want a DLP, i would prefer it to be 1080p and i decided to go with the lcd over plasma. i also think the best choice for me would be a 40-42" with $2500 being about the most I want to spend.

looking forward to any more comments
 
SkyyNet said:
pickxx....u said u would go with the toshiba but never said which model...just the one next to the sony that I had mentioned....id like to go check out the one you are recommending.
Click to expand...
The 42" 1080p toshiba.....its 2650 right now.

THats a tad outside your range, so you may want to consider other options. the 42" Westy is an option in your price range, and a couple other goosd LCDs as well bu they are not 1080p.


SO you have a choice to make there......Which is an odd choice.



THe reason why i said the toshiba next to the sony is because thats where the planogram says it should be. Granted a lot of stores, incluing my own ignore the plano sometimes, but thats where it should be.
 
pickxx said:
The 42" 1080p toshiba.....its 2650 right now.

THats a tad outside your range, so you may want to consider other options. the 42" Westy is an option in your price range, and a couple other goosd LCDs as well bu they are not 1080p.


SO you have a choice to make there......Which is an odd choice.



THe reason why i said the toshiba next to the sony is because thats where the planogram says it should be. Granted a lot of stores, incluing my own ignore the plano sometimes, but thats where it should be.
Click to expand...

thanks again for the feedback....why do u feel its an odd choice?

i didnt see the Toshiba at the BBY I went to today...doesnt seem like they had it in stock or on the floor plan....just to make sure its the 42" Toshiba Theaterwide Model: 42HL196
TV, right? It is just a tad outside my price range but there are like 3 BBYs by my house and I'm going to keep checking to see if I can possibly get an open box one.

also, i can remember off hand but is there a 15% restocking fee on these TVs at BBY? I ask because maybe I can get one of my parents to go in and buy it....then have them return it and I can scoop it up at an open box price plus use my 15% off coupon.

as for the other LCDs....I really would prefer them to be 1080p. I do agree with the other guy's post that the Samsungs are pretty sexy but for the most part they are 720p and not 1080p.

thanks!
 
SkyyNet said:
thanks for all the feedback guys

to tell you the truth we dont really watch that many movies...maybe once a week on a friday night and the wife falls asleep halfway thru it anyways. i mainly only watch the HD channels CBS HD, ABC HD, ESPN HD, YES HD (Yankees)....basically if its not in HD then its not worth watching ;) and yes, i cannot wait for football season to begin....all the games in HD, SNF in HD and MNF in HD.....ah i love it!

i will also be using the tv for my x360. so that is the main reason for choosing lcd over plasma.

pickxx....u said u would go with the toshiba but never said which model...just the one next to the sony that I had mentioned....id like to go check out the one you are recommending.

thanks again everyone....i am just beginning my search and i been going out to the stores almost everyday to see whats out there. like i said before i do not want a DLP, i would prefer it to be 1080p and i decided to go with the lcd over plasma. i also think the best choice for me would be a 40-42" with $2500 being about the most I want to spend.

looking forward to any more comments
Click to expand...
That's an incredible sale price on that Panny I linked and you won't be disappointed...and you'll have money left for other things. :cool:
 
joemama said:
That's an incredible sale price on that Panny I linked and you won't be disappointed...and you'll have money left for other things. :cool:
Click to expand...

yeah but its 720p and 1080i.....wasnt really what I was looking for
 
joemama said:
What are you going to view that is true 1080p?
Click to expand...

nothing right now but I dont want to be constantly upgrading. id rather pay a bit more now and not have to worry/care later on in the future.
 
SkyyNet said:
nothing right now but I dont want to be constantly upgrading. id rather pay a bit more now and not have to worry/care later on in the future.
Click to expand...
Have you actually seen the difference between 1080i and 1080p? I have and for my money it's not worth paying a premium for at this time (just like HD-DVD/Blu-ray)...especially since no broadcast in the very near future will be 1080p. Hell...even regular HD is still in it's infancy.
 
joemama said:
Have you actually seen the difference between 1080i and 1080p? I have and for my money it's not worth paying a premium for at this time (just like HD-DVD/Blu-ray)...especially since no broadcast in the very near future will be 1080p. Hell...even regular HD is still in it's infancy.
Click to expand...

no i have not seen them side by side but if I did I probably wouldnt see the difference. i guess you do have a point....i just want to have my tv for a while and not want to upgrade every couple of years.

would u guys suggest that I just go with a 720p set instead of a 1080p? is it really worth it as joemamma is suggesting?
 
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=40 <<< Go to this forum, you'll have all your questions answered (maybe.. :D )

Anyways, just to let you know i work as a Directv installer and i've seen quite a few good TVs. You won't be dissapointed with any plasma or LCD out there except of course the cheap ones. The cheap ones are not that bad really but the pictures can't compare to the more expensive ones. Also i don't know about the high end Toshibas but the mid-low end, they are pretty bad in pictures even the new ones. The Samsungs (some) have an issue with HDMI connection for Directv HD receivers right now. As far as projections, the Sony XRD is still the best in class (very clean picture) and second are the Toshibas. Hope that helps a bit.
 
Uhm if I had 2500 I would get a 480p projector like the infocus 4805 for like 500 or 600, and then spend the 1900 remaining dollars on a tv like the vizo 50 inch plasma that was going for like 1300 at costco. Or if you wanted 1080p I'd spend 1600 on the 42 inch westinghouse lcd.
 
joemama said:
Have you actually seen the difference between 1080i and 1080p? I have and for my money it's not worth paying a premium for at this time (just like HD-DVD/Blu-ray)...especially since no broadcast in the very near future will be 1080p. Hell...even regular HD is still in it's infancy.
Click to expand...

Its not about the source...its about the source AND the TV. Some TV's will make a 1080i source look nice, and some it will look like shit.

A 1080i source on a 720p looks like shit, period. A 1080i source on a non1080p tv scales down and its actually WORSE then a 720p source.

If you have a 1080p tv then all 1080i sources will buffer and become 1080p source. Its technical and weird and tons of people dont know what the hell they are talking about.



I have seen every tv mentioned on this list in HD 720p, 1080i, and for the 1080p ones i have seen those with 1080p. I have also had the luxury of seeing what HD-DVD looks like on 25 tv's hooked up with HDMI and component.

I know what you're saying, the difference is minimal....but there are actually a lot of 1080i sources out there now, and while DirectTV and Comcast may not be doing it, all the HD-DVD's, BluRay, Xbox 360, and PS3 will all do 1080i no problem.

PERSONALLY i would buya 1080p tv because i would use it for a computer monitor, if i was using it for JUST a tv....i would probably get a 720p flat panel LCD.




In reality i would get a 60" SXRD. Best bang for your buck.....PERIOD. ESP for the prices i could get one for.
 
well.....looks like all this may be for nothing. i had a buyer lined up for my current tv (sony 30" crt HDTV) and now they are backing out....so the money I was going to use for that sale is no longer there. i still may be able to negotiate with them so I'm not going to give up just yet on getting a new tv.

on a side note....what do u think about this tv?

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INT...Dept=tvvideo&CategoryName=tv_flatpanel_32to40
 
You know, I was in the market for a tv about a two years ago and I had all of the same questions you did so I'll share some of my thoughts. I researched and researched and got all of my questions answered but I just couldn't seem to make a decision. Out of all of the screens I had seen I liked the Sharp LCDs the best. Well, about 6 months had past and I still didn't buy a TV. I moved into an apartment shortly after finishing college and wanted to congratulate myself. Thus, I started looking at projectors that started another 6 months of researching. I finally came to a decision and bought an HD projector. It's a 720p unit but handles 1080i just as good. It has become my primary TV for all broadcast HD programming that I watch. (FOX, ABC, TNT HD mainly, mostly all are 1080i broadcast) I also watch all of my DVDs (upconverted) and HD DVDs though the projector. I also watch some SD television on the projector and it handles it really well. When I am not watching it, I use an old TV that my parents bought before I was born, and yes, it's a color TV. (I'm still pretty young.) If I could go back and do it over again, I still think I'd pick the projector over a nice TV. Of course, I don't have a wife to convince or anything, lol.

If you do go with a TV set, 720p is fine but make sure it handles 1080i content very well. If I were in your shoes I'd opt for the 720p set. 1080p is nice and all but there is NO 1080p source in the readily available market. Keep in mind that there are also no displays that support HDMI V1.3 which would really be the thing to futureproof a purchase as much as you possibly can. While it may not matter now or next year, it will certainly matter in the next five or so years.
 
SkyyNet said:
well.....looks like all this may be for nothing. i had a buyer lined up for my current tv (sony 30" crt HDTV) and now they are backing out....so the money I was going to use for that sale is no longer there. i still may be able to negotiate with them so I'm not going to give up just yet on getting a new tv.

on a side note....what do u think about this tv?

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INT...Dept=tvvideo&CategoryName=tv_flatpanel_32to40
Click to expand...

Never seen that tv in action, I would assume its alright because sont does have a good LCD panel.
 
PCMusicGuy said:
If you do go with a TV set, 720p is fine but make sure it handles 1080i content very well. If I were in your shoes I'd opt for the 720p set. 1080p is nice and all but there is NO 1080p source in the readily available market. Keep in mind that there are also no displays that support HDMI V1.3 which would really be the thing to futureproof a purchase as much as you possibly can. While it may not matter now or next year, it will certainly matter in the next five or so years.
Click to expand...


First off there are several 1080p sources out now, and more comming. Like i said cable companies arn't going 1080p for a VERY long time. But you have HD-DVD, BluRay, Computer monitor, and it will make all those pretty shiny 1080i sources you were talking about into 1080p.

WHen you watch 1080i on a 720p tv. (aka a tv that has a native res below 1080) You are watching a worse signal because it has to scale and it ends up being something that very much resembles 540p. BUT on a 1080p tv....it buffers and creates a 1080p signal and you can utilize the full qualitiy that is available.




ALL THIS BEING SAID.....
I personally wouldn't worry about 1080p tv's, unless you are buying a very large tv the extra res really isn't needed, and most people would barley spot the difference between 1080p and 720p. BUT thats what the guy wants.....He should get what he wants, its his money.
 
Just get teh 42" Westy. Its big enough to look good on the wall. Cheap enough that you can maybe pull it off without even selling your current tv or maybe sell it for less easier. Plus no one is going to dog on its brand once they see it, instead there going to say "it was how much!?!?" and go out and buy one themselves.
 
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