Do we have any flat-screen TV experts around here?

[Wavex]

OK so I just bought a new house and moved in last wkd :cheer:

It is now time to invest into a flat screen TV, and since I have never owned a TV in my life, I am a complete n00B... which is why I am hoping we have some experts around here that can point me in the right direction

I looked around a little bit, but this tv business is confusing as hell!

So here is what I am looking for:

- budget: around $1500
- tv type: LCD (I want to plug it in my computer to play games and movies, so I understand LCD is better than plasma?)
- tv size: 46" min
- full HD 1080p

FYI: I will be using Charter's digital HD tv package (basic)... not sure if it matters though...

Any advice is welcome! :rockon:

 

[YamahaMAXdRPMs]

i wouldnt consider myself an expert by any means, but i use to work for magnolia home theater for awhile. we installed alot of plasmas LCDs and surround sound, low range to full $100,000 systems. (that was for one of the executives of google, 50 some odd TVs, i didnt do it, but my partner did, i did however do ed reeds house!) but to be honest, you really dont need anything very special. I have two LCD's in my house, one in the kitchen, and one in the bedroom. I also have a DLP and a normal projection (big screen) the LCD's are Samsung, and the DLP is Samsung. The big screen is Toshiba. Personally, I would take Samsung right off the bat. i think they are a great company, very good quality. One thing you should look for is a VGA hook up for your computer.

The #1 selling point for LCD's is the glare. Plasmas have a glass screen, therefore allowing an incredible amount of glare, LCDs have an almost plastic screen that allows almost no glare, so they are great for rooms with alot of light.


here is a good example, i think i have this same on in 40" in the bedroom

 

[Ghost Weim]

OK so I just bought a new house and moved in last wkd :cheer:

It is now time to invest into a flat screen TV, and since I have never owned a TV in my life, I am a complete n00B... which is why I am hoping we have some experts around here that can point me in the right direction

I looked around a little bit, but this tv business is confusing as hell!

So here is what I am looking for:

- budget: around $1500
- tv type: LCD (I want to plug it in my computer to play games and movies, so I understand LCD is better than plasma?)
- tv size: 46\" min
- full HD 1080p

FYI: I will be using Charter's digital HD tv package (basic)... not sure if it matters though...

Any advice is welcome! :rockon:

Wavex - did I read that right? Never owned a TV before?

I am jealous though - would love to be able spring for a flat screen...

 

[tom5796]

The #1 selling point for LCD's is the glare. Plasmas have a glass screen, therefore allowing an incredible amount of glare, LCDs have an almost plastic screen that allows almost no glare, so they are great for rooms with alot of light.

Really? I have a 42" Panasonic plasma (2+ years old) and have no glare issues even with windows behind me. Great TV, btw. At the time they got great reviews. The downside risk to plasma was the potential for burn in. You don't want to leave a static screen for a long period of time. I've had no issues with that either. Check out current reviews on cnet.com. And you can find pretty good deals on them in your price range:

40" - 49"|Plasma Flat-Panel : Flat-Panel TVs - BestBuy

I'd suggest you go to best buy, figure out which you want and then go to Circuit City and negotiate a better deal. (CC will negotiate, BB won't. At least when I was shopping)

 

[Mattberkshire]

We've got a massive 32" telly. But it's about 3 feet deep. I don't think the wall would be strong enough to hold it

 

[JohnP]

I just helped my father pick out a 52" Sony LCD Wide screen. First question, what is your viewing room like? In my father's case, his room has a ton of windows. The Sony was by far the best screen for reducing glare. The Sony looks superb even mid-day when its nice and sunny out. No need to pull the shades down.

I bought myself a 52" DLP Rear Projection HD TV about 4 years ago, and have to pull the shades if its sunny out because the glare on the screen is awlful.

Plasmas are the worse for glare...but I love the quality of the plasma pictures.

So the first thing you should do is decide if glare is going to be a problem, and if so, that will narrow your choices a bit.

By the way, the Sony is absolutely superb. I will probably get one when my DLP bites the dust. It was about $2300 with inside delivery...so a bit over your budget, but smaller models are less $.

John

 

[phxtravis]

Sharp AQUOS always seems to get high praise, plus check out the combo deal on this!
Newegg.com - SHARP AQUOS 46" 16:9 4ms 1080p LCD HDTV LC-46D64U

Here's a SCEPTRE(They always had great computer monitors).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889112025&Tpk=89-112-025

 

[IPilot]

I own a 32'' LCD Olivia and has been just fantastic in the 2 years I've had it. They have excellent picture and are pretty afordable.

 

[nimzotech]

I may not be a TV professional by any means, but I can tell you that Sony has always been a top television manufacturer. Samsung is also very high quality. For a price comparision check out pricegrabber.com

I found this nice 46" 1080P Sony Bravia for around $1300.
Sony BRAVIA KDL-46S4100 46" LCD TV - KDL46S4100 - Compare Prices and Buy at PriceGrabber

Also don't forget to check out refurbdepot.com for some outstanding deals like this 52" Samsung 1080P for under $1300!
http://www.refurbdepot.com/productdetails2.cfm?Product_ID=5577

 

[SovietRobot]

You can get an amazing TV for those specs/prices.

No matter what you go with through, go with Samsung. I've got a samsung lcd tv and have had many samsung lcd monitors, never a problem, always the best quality/price.

I haven't kept up on the new models over the past year, but if you watch a lot of sports, get one with 120hz.

 

[Raid The Revenge]

Samsung LCDs are always TESTED before shipping. Can't go wrong with them.
Sony's are great, but I find their prices are sometimes a little higher than par.
I own a TOSHIBA that hasn't let me down.

You want the HIGHEST REFRESH RATE.
You want to make sure the highest refresh rates don't make any "noise."*

*I remember this one guy who owned a LCD 52" that looked great, but it had a high-pitched whine-sound when displaying high refresh rates.

PLASMA TV's have high refresh rates, but they drain MORE ENERGY than an LCD.

Try this site:
TV Reviews: LCD tvs, HDTV, flat screen tvs, plasma tvs - CNET Reviews

It has good reviews for TV's you might be looking for. Try to find one that has at least a 4-star rating from BOTH red and blue groups.

Since you like to make movies, you may want a TV that has MEMORY CARD slots or USB slots to hook your camera into.

Here's an example of a REALLY GOOD TV:

Samsung LN-T4071F Flat-panel TV reviews - CNET Reviews

Good hunting.

 

[Mississippi]

I have a 52" Samsung LCD 1080p tv, and a 32" Samsung LCD 720p. I love them! I bought them this summer when my house got hit by lightning. I went with the Samsung, because in my mind, they had the best pictrue, a built in swival stand, and I liked the overall looks of the TV's. From what I found out, Samsung and Sony are the same. They have the Sony Bravio picture and the Samsung sound. I also have a 22" Toshiba whith a built in DVD player in the bathroom. The picture is great, but the sound is no where near the Samsungs.

Also, the LCD's have different frame rates and response times. Frame rate is 60hz or 120hz. The higher the Frame rate, the better the picture. However, to me the 120hz tv's make the picture seem like it is animated insead of real people. Also, their is a big jump in price. Mine is a 60hz, and it is fine to me. As far as the response times, the lower the number, the better. Most tv's are around 8ms, but my Samsung is 6ms. It is supposed to have something to do with the refresh rate, so that you do not see shadows with action or sports. Check it out at the store, and you will see what I am talking about.

Good luck!

 

[Shinn]

I work for future shop (canadian version of best buy) and I can pretty much answer any questions you got wavex. Send me a pm and I will try my hardest to get the best tv for ya. (Same goes for anyone else)

 

[CrazyBiker]

Surprised, nobody is mentioning Philips?? Philips and Samsung are the ones I would look for your budget. Sharp and Sony are expensive.

 

[YamahaMAXdRPMs]

I'd suggest you go to best buy, figure out which you want and then go to Circuit City and negotiate a better deal. (CC will negotiate, BB won't. At least when I was shopping)

Circuit city is closing alot of their doors, bad move as they will probably all be getting jobs at wal mart soon :thumbup:

 

[cws6fan]

Hey Dave, another thing to remember is the LCD is backlit and the Plasma is not. If you have a lot of ambient light you may be better off with the LCD.

 

[segue00]

Too bad I'm not an expert. I could suggest some...

Congrats on your new house, David. and your new tv, too.:thumbup:

 

[necrotimus]

There was a huge thread on HD tvs already. My best resource to give you is to go to cnet.com, they review a ton of stuff. Many people love 'their brand' but the first question you should ask yourself is what will you be using it for and how much. Believe it or not most people are fine with a vizio because even though most models don't go above 720 they don't use it enough to justify the cost of a 1080. So consider saving some money.

And for the record I have a 65" Sharp LCD and I love it.

 

[madmanmaigret]

Really? I have a 42\" Panasonic plasma (2+ years old) and have no glare issues even with windows behind me. Great TV, btw. At the time they got great reviews. The downside risk to plasma was the potential for burn in. You don't want to leave a static screen for a long period of time. I've had no issues with that either. Check out current reviews on cnet.com. And you can find pretty good deals on them in your price range:

I'd suggest you go to best buy, figure out which you want and then go to Circuit City and negotiate a better deal. (CC will negotiate, BB won't. At least when I was shopping)

Along these lines..... a friend of mine went to CC and found what he wanted, went to circut city and the same TV was cheaper so he went to sears and they did a price match plus 10 or 15% so in the end it was cheaper (almost $300) at sears for the exact same tv. Do your homework!

 

[Wavex]

Wavex - did I read that right? Never owned a TV before?

I am jealous though - would love to be able spring for a flat screen...

Nope, I never watch tv (can`t stand commercials) I do watch movies though, but up until now I was using my computer with dual screen plugged into a projector... the new tv will be plugged into my computer as well for that purpose.