HD TV Help :)

QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
edited November 2007 in Internet & Media
Okay- it’s coming. The rest of the family is putting the hammerlock on me to get an HD system and, of course, I’ve been avoiding the issue for as long as I can- so I’ve got to confess my ignorance at this point.

For this thread I’d like to focus first on the TV. Here are some guidelines I’d like to follow:

1. 46-52”
2. NOT plasma.
3. 1080p
4. I’m very much leaning to LCD.
5. I’d like the cap to be about $2000.

Questions like: Should I go online? Who’s the best outfit to buy from? Brand? What should I look for (including ports, etc)? Yadda, yadda ... comes to mind.

I’ll also be browsing about, but I’d like to poll this community for their thoughts and experiences.

Thanks, everyone :) .

Comments

  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited November 2007
    Basically when it comes down to it, stay with a major brand(sony, samsung, philips, sharp, panasonic ect...), and make sure it has as many HDMI ports as you can get. I'd check out the tv's at a local store just to see which one you like the most. There are so many options out there its tough for someone to say "this is the best model ever made." While there are higher end models(obviously), they come with a very high price.
  • fatcatfatcat Mizzou Icrontian
    edited November 2007
    Sony, Samsung, Westinghouse.

    As many HDMI ports as possible

    full 1080p. Make sure you compare contrast, viewing angles, response time etc.

    I have a 42" Westinghouse 1080p and am quite happy with it.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2007
    Look into:

    Sony KDL-46XBR4
    Samsung LN-T4681F (Or 4671F)
    or the Panasonic TH-58PZ700U
  • RichDRichD Essex, UK
    edited November 2007
    The big question is do you have a HD source. Be warned, viewing an non HD source with a HD TV looks pretty poor unless it has a decent upscaler. Non sure why you have ruled out plasma as imo they are better than LCD. This all assumes you want flat screen. If you would consider a CRT then look at any of the Philips Pixel Plus TVs. That said I think they now do Pixel Plus on flat screens too.
  • stoopidstoopid Albany, NY New
    edited November 2007
    Recently purchased a LG 42" 1080p LCD TV and couldn't be happier. LG is considered one of the better quality pictures and it came with a ton of features. Image is spectacular, but it did (like most LCDs) need some setup out of the box. Might be worth investing in a home theater setup DVD to tweak the contrast, backlight, saturation, and color balance. If you're going to spend $2000 on a good television spend another $30 on the tools to get it looking like a $2000 television.

    What we got:

    http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8258048&type=product&cp=1&id=1169857637051


    LG makes a 47" of the same model, aka 47LB5D:

    http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8256852&type=product&cp=1&id=1169857636091



    Beware that there's a lot of issues with the latest Westinghouse 42" 1080p model LCD TVs. On forums like this people are reporting some pretty serious issues and have even returned the television a few times to only have the same issue(s) with the replacement. For the price I was tempted but all these recent issues forced me to spend more. Glad I did though, my friend was the 42" Westinhouse and he agrees that the LG is leaps and bounds better all around.
  • QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
    edited November 2007
    First of all, thanks everyone.
    RichD wrote:
    ... Non sure why you have ruled out plasma as imo they are better than LCD ...

    Imho- I have seen too many issues. Burn-in, picture degradation, failure (just about every soul I know with them has had problems). People may argue with me on each point- I just know what my friends have shown me. Nothing uglier than watching a $6000 60" replacement set (yeah the original died too) have 2/3 perfect picture and 1/3 taper off to true blue.

    I used to agree with you on the picture quality, but not anymore. I've seen them side by side and I almost can't tell- and actually give the nod to LCD in HD mode. The XBR4s and new Samsung LN-Ts are a case in point. Blue-ray & HD-DVDs are breathtaking.

    But I was clamped to $2K and the new premeire sets are just too rich- so I went with the Sony KDL-46V3000. By the time you figure in warranties and taxes, I really was stuck with only about $15-1700 BSP to work with. However, with the rest of the family placated, time and technology are now on my side.

    I honestly think that the market will be stuck at 1080p for a while. It's a great picture and the rest of consumer technology has a ways to go to catch up to it (PC video editting, efficient data media, etc.). The next set will likely have many of the new features standard for much less.
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