Buying an HDTV...should I go all out?

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Linkgx1

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Hey fellow, CAGs!

I'm kind of in a dilema right now. I'm looking to purchase my first HDTV and was wondering...is it smarter to get the top of the line today or should I start off with something more basic? For example, I'm eyeing a 720P LG Plasma @ sears for $499 or I can get an Samsung LEDTV @ Sams for $1200. Any suggestions?
 
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i would wait until black friday. there's a lot of good deals.

theres a 40" samsung 1080p hdtv @ sears on black friday for $497.99
 
Lower mid to Mid quality, most cost efficient. Getting top of the line now, in 6 months you will regret it.

LEDTV are nice, but if your going from sdtv to hdtv a plasma will blow your mind away. Save some money now so in the future your old plasma can go to a room and new LED for living room.

Also, are LG plasma 720p really $500? That seems really high; I got my Panasonic 50" 1080p Plasma (TH-50PZ80U) for $380 used last year. I kinda assumed plasma would be dirt cheap by now.

*edit* definitely wait for Black Friday; I remember last year Best Buy would bundle discounted HDTV with a ps3 or 360.
 
Go with a mid to low range HDTV. Since you're moving up from SDTV, any HDTV will blow your mind away.

I think $500+ is a good budget for a brand name 40 inch model.

Be careful with the Black Friday models though. A lot of stores sell Black Friday models which are cheaper but offer less features. For example, last year a Samsung 40B550 was a great mid-range model but the Black Friday version of it was the 40B530 which offered less HDMI ports and features. I believe the 550 went for around $750 but the 530 was going for around $500.
 
Go with the most affordable.

I spent $700 on a Sony Bravia a few years ago, but then just last week I ordered a TCL television for $260 and it is equally as good. Considering the amount of savings and everything else the TCL was 300x more worth it.
 
i have the same conundrum. Do not buy cheap brands like TCL , Vizio or other generic brands.

i'm still deciding if 120hz better that 60hz , plasma or LCD LED.
 
Yeah I currently have my eye on 23-24 inch Samsung LED LCDs (around $300)... I don't watch TV so the huge sizes really aren't worth it to me.
 
[quote name='dejeckt']
Getting top of the line now, in 6 months you will regret it.
[/QUOTE]

But then, when would he *ever* get top-of-the-line? There's always gonna be something better in six months.

My vote is for top of the line, if you can afford it. But, I like to wait until the new year models come out and see some reviews (which is usually like March-April). If you *must* have a TV now now now, get some midrange that will eventually be moved to a second room.
 
[quote name='dejeckt']Lower mid to Mid quality, most cost efficient. Getting top of the line now, in 6 months you will regret it.[/QUOTE]

I agree with this sentiment. It seems like every few months, TV companies introduce some new superficial features and whatnot but the actual quality of the picture remains pretty much the same.
 
Unless you are a 'videophile' (which I assume you arent or you would already have an HDTV) I'd say go for a model 40"-50" no more than $700 and you'd likely be fine w/ $500. Check the spec to make sure you'll have enough HDMI/Component ports (and VGA if you care about that).

I've had LCDs, Plasmas, and even DLP for my TVs. I can say that all of them have been fine. The brands were Mitsubishi, Vizio, Zenith, Samsung, Apex. I havent had too much to complain about any of them (the Mitsubishi DLP was killed by twin lightning strikes to my house). I wouldnt get too caught up in name brands as, for example, I'm egually pleased with my Vizio as my Samsung. I think size, price, and features are more important for most people (especially in a first HDTV).
 
If nothing during Black Friday peaks your interest watch the week of and week after the Super Bowl.

I have picked up both my LCD HDTVs during this time. Many people buy them just for the Super Bowl and return them the next day (which means an open box discount). I got a Toshiba Regeza 720p 32 in open box from CC brick and mortar for 500 bucks back in Feb 08. Earlier this year, I got a steal on an LG 1080P 32 in for 380 dollars from an Amazon Gold Box deal.
 
[quote name='panzerfaust']Yeah I currently have my eye on 23-24 inch Samsung LED LCDs (around $300)... I don't watch TV so the huge sizes really aren't worth it to me.[/QUOTE]

I don't think it's worth it (LEDs) if you are getting anything less than 37"
 
If you have $1,200 to spend, you could spend $999 at dell.com on a 65" Mitsubish DLP. Then you could spend $50-150 on a stand and still be under the $1,200 it would cost for the Samsung.

Should you be interested in 3D in the future, you could get the $100 Mitsubishi 3D adapter, and be good to go (assuming you buy a pair of glasses) without having to buy a new tv should you go this route.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Video_Conferencing/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=19&sku=A4186751&baynote_bnrank=0&baynote_irrank=4&~ck=dellSearch
 
[quote name='pjb16']If you have $1,200 to spend, you could spend $999 at dell.com on a 65" Mitsubish DLP. Then you could spend $50-150 on a stand and still be under the $1,200 it would cost for the Samsung.

Should you be interested in 3D in the future, you could get the $100 Mitsubishi 3D adapter, and be good to go (assuming you buy a pair of glasses) without having to buy a new tv should you go this route.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Video_Conferencing/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=19&sku=A4186751&baynote_bnrank=0&baynote_irrank=4&~ck=dellSearch[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I was TV shopping a few months ago and almost got one of those Mitsubishi's. They're actually great tv's and have a nice picture but the off-center viewing wasn't so hot, so I decided to go with a Sharp 60" LCD instead.

You get *a lot* of tv for your money when you buy one of those Mitsubishi's though. They are always on sale at Dell.com too. The 73" was only $1250 there a couple weeks ago. Just keep checking BensBargains.com every day until the next deal pops-up. The Mitsubishi Dell.com deals get posted there at least once a week.
 
[quote name='norkusa']Yeah, I was TV shopping a few months ago and almost got one of those Mitsubishi's. They're actually great tv's and have a nice picture but the off-center viewing wasn't so hot, so I decided to go with a Sharp 60" LCD instead.

You get *a lot* of tv for your money when you buy one of those Mitsubishi's though. They are always on sale at Dell.com too. The 73" was only $1250 there a couple weeks ago. Just keep checking BensBargains.com every day until the next deal pops-up. The Mitsubishi Dell.com deals get posted there at least once a week.[/QUOTE]
Yea, I got last years 73" model (the C9) in April for that price. I have no problem with viewing angle, no matter where I sit/stand in my house. But yes, if you try and look at more than a 100 degree angle (from left or right) you might have an issue. I think it's pretty difficult to do that though if you're sitting at the proper distance for 1080p with a TV this size. The picture is great out of the box, and the 3D is really good too IMO.
 
I am sitting in the same position as the OP. Except I've been looking at LED-LCD's. I have heard some issues with side-lit lcds and inconsistent blacks so im not too sure.
Have been seriously looking at the Sharp Quattron 40". Looks nice and they are pretty decently priced right now for around $900. I will keep my eyes open for decent black friday deals though.

Also, any reason why I would get a plain LCD rather than an LED-LCD. I know the basics, LED thinner, more power efficient, but is there any advantages to staying with the regular LCD?
 
If you wanted something really basic to start off with, Target will have a 40" Westinghouse for $300 on Black Friday.

[quote name='maxim2boobles']Do not buy cheap brands like TCL , Vizio or other generic brands.[/QUOTE]

What's wrong with Vizio? They've become quite a decent brand over the last few years.
 
OP, figure out how long you plan to hold onto this TV. The technology changes pretty quickly, and new models will be announced at CES in January of next year and you'll see them on the shelf by the early part of next year.

Anything you see now may be "replaced" by newer models in 6 months. This is how TVs work for models, they're replaced every 6-12 months by newer and better items.

If you plan to hold onto it for a while, increase what you'll spend on it. If you plan to hold onto it for less time, then go with a lesser model.

There's plenty of edge-lit LED sets that have lessor picture quality than a CCFL-LCD set. Edge-lit LED backlighting has issues all on its own, as does full-LED backlighting.

Lots of choices out there, and there's going to be numerous deals between BF and end of the year, and then again in mid-January for football season coming to a close.
 
I was wondering this a few years ago. Got a 60 inch Kuro Elite. Granted, it's only 60 hz but still, it blows my mind away. I'd say if you can afford it, go with a nice 1080i TV.
 
Since you mentioned Sam's Club, you should take a stroll there and check out their little side-cap of open/display/returned TVs they keep on hand. At my location it was at the edge of electronics near the corner past the vision center.

I passed on a $900 55" Vizio LED, but then happily succumbed the next week to this $550 47" Vizio LED-backlit 1080p 240hz w/wi-fi (currently only cool for Amazon video streaming directly to my TV). It was a return, labeled as so, but still had the pull-off plastic film around the edges.

I recently started doing Blu-ray, and my 37" 720p 60hz Vizio just wasn't cutting it compared to what I've seen at the stores. Something was missing from the experience. I don't know if it was the bump from 720p to 1080p (1080i is a joke), or the 60 to 120hz (technically 240, but I think that's mostly tweaked hype at this stage) but now I can finally see a difference in quality for BD & upconverted DVD. The difference isn't as big with 360 games, but the slightly bigger size and slightly smoother motion is nice.

To sum: I'd say stay away from 720p 60hz refresh, something about that combo dulls the HD experience.
 
[quote name='strife18']Have been seriously looking at the Sharp Quattron 40". Looks nice and they are pretty decently priced right now for around $900. I will keep my eyes open for decent black friday deals though.[/QUOTE]

I've got the 60" Quattron. It's a great tv. Only has around 25-30ms of lag so it's excellent for gaming too. The only thing I don't like about it is the motion blur but it isn't noticeable most of the time.
 
[quote name='maxim2boobles']i have the same conundrum. Do not buy cheap brands like TCL , Vizio or other generic brands.

i'm still deciding if 120hz better that 60hz , plasma or LCD LED.[/QUOTE]

Vizio is not a low end brand. I worked in tv sales and know the which brands give customers trouble and if I were to suggest staying way from any brand it would be proscan. Vizios are quality televisions and I would even go as far as saying they should be considered second tier by now.
 
[quote name='strife18']I am sitting in the same position as the OP. Except I've been looking at LED-LCD's. I have heard some issues with side-lit lcds and inconsistent blacks so im not too sure.
Have been seriously looking at the Sharp Quattron 40". Looks nice and they are pretty decently priced right now for around $900. I will keep my eyes open for decent black friday deals though.

Also, any reason why I would get a plain LCD rather than an LED-LCD. I know the basics, LED thinner, more power efficient, but is there any advantages to staying with the regular LCD?[/QUOTE]
Well, some LED models have problems with response time as some high-end Samsung models have noticeable lag with some games.

However, some LCDs ARE better than LEDs. Especially the side-lit ones. The side lit ones suffer from a uniformity problem.
 
Well, I need something for my 360 right now. Playing Halo reach isn't too pleasant on my big ass CRT.

Anyways, I need something quickly. I mean, if I found an LED that was on sale, I'd go for it (as long as its really good). Right now I reluctantly want to go with plasma because of price @ picture quality.
 
[quote name='Kerig']Since you mentioned Sam's Club, you should take a stroll there and check out their little side-cap of open/display/returned TVs they keep on hand. At my location it was at the edge of electronics near the corner past the vision center.

I passed on a $900 55" Vizio LED, but then happily succumbed the next week to this $550 47" Vizio LED-backlit 1080p 240hz w/wi-fi (currently only cool for Amazon video streaming directly to my TV). It was a return, labeled as so, but still had the pull-off plastic film around the edges.

I recently started doing Blu-ray, and my 37" 720p 60hz Vizio just wasn't cutting it compared to what I've seen at the stores. Something was missing from the experience. I don't know if it was the bump from 720p to 1080p (1080i is a joke), or the 60 to 120hz (technically 240, but I think that's mostly tweaked hype at this stage) but now I can finally see a difference in quality for BD & upconverted DVD. The difference isn't as big with 360 games, but the slightly bigger size and slightly smoother motion is nice.

To sum: I'd say stay away from 720p 60hz refresh, something about that combo dulls the HD experience.[/QUOTE]
I've been kind of scared of Vizios. I know they are good, but if I'm spending a certain about, I don't just want good.
 
If I get a cheap TV now, then I do plan on upgrading. I know tech improves every month it seems (my Samsung Vibrant is already old). But I noticed that even if I get a good brand today, its quality still should sustain the next few years. I know those Sony Bravias with the glass bezels still wow me.
 
[quote name='Linkgx1']Well, I need something for my 360 right now. Playing Halo reach isn't too pleasant on my big ass CRT.

Anyways, I need something quickly. I mean, if I found an LED that was on sale, I'd go for it (as long as its really good). Right now I reluctantly want to go with plasma because of price @ picture quality.[/QUOTE]
Trust me when I say this, don't rush into ANY decision regarding electronics. Check reviews, check specs and take your time. You have a working tv to play your games on right now, so there's no need to rush into a decision you may regret later on.

After you've done all of that and you're making sure you're getting the best deal you possibly can, THEN you can buy the tv.
 
If you live near a frys, they have 40-47" 1080p tvs on sale for 550 or less every single week from every company possible. They had a 60" lg 1080p plasma for 1100 the other week. If you dont like it, you can return it as well.
 
[quote name='Linkgx1']If I get a cheap TV now, then I do plan on upgrading. I know tech improves every month it seems (my Samsung Vibrant is already old). But I noticed that even if I get a good brand today, its quality still should sustain the next few years. I know those Sony Bravias with the glass bezels still wow me.[/QUOTE]

TVs made these days are disposable, so count on it crapping out on you shortly after the warranty expires in maybe 2-3 years. Just get the cheapest TV you can now then upgrade when it dies on you in a few years.
 
dell has a sharp aquaos 42" for $650 LED LCD

I bought an LG 37" lcd 4 years ago and its still working great..

I say get a brand name and a name u trust- read a ton of reviews on the top 3 you like; pick from there

consider a few things; 720/1080p differences; higher contrast ratio usually looks better (3m:1 vs 2m:1 is NOTICEABLY DIFFERENT!); and low response time- 2ms is the norm for gaming
 
[quote name='thurston']
consider a few things; 720/1080p differences; higher contrast ratio usually looks better (3m:1 vs 2m:1 is NOTICEABLY DIFFERENT!); and low response time- 2ms is the norm for gaming[/QUOTE]

People keep confusing input lag for input pixel response time. That's only a Grey-to-Grey rating and has nothing to do with the image processor built into the display. I've tested tv's that had a 2ms response time but 60ms+ of input lag.

A good LCD will have around 10-30ms of input lag (1 frame per second). Anything more than that, you'll probably notice it in most games.
 
[quote name='norkusa']I've got the 60" Quattron. It's a great tv. Only has around 25-30ms of lag so it's excellent for gaming too. The only thing I don't like about it is the motion blur but it isn't noticeable most of the time.[/QUOTE]

Hey, I have been looking at the 40" quattron but am worried at the glare on the bezel/screen. I have a fairly well lit room that it needs to go in so it would make a difference. Also how is the Vyper gaming mode they boast about. Is it all BS or does it make a difference.

I was at bestbuy today and after seeing it I am hesitant on the LED-LCD Quattron and was starting to look at either Sharps LCDs, or the Sony Ex400.
Thoughts?
 
[quote name='strife18']Hey, I have been looking at the 40" quattron but am worried at the glare on the bezel/screen. I have a fairly well lit room that it needs to go in so it would make a difference. Also how is the Vyper gaming mode they boast about. Is it all BS or does it make a difference.

I was at bestbuy today and after seeing it I am hesitant on the LED-LCD Quattron and was starting to look at either Sharps LCDs, or the Sony Ex400.
Thoughts?[/QUOTE]

My Quattron is in my basement and there isn't a lot of sunlight down there, so glare has never been much of an issue. Even during the afternoon though with the windows open and all the lights turned on, I've never noticed any glare. I've heard some people complain about it with the Quattrons, but they're watching it in an upstairs living room with lots of windows & lights, so of course you'll always have glare issues in that situation no matter what TV you're watching.

As for the Vyper gaming mode....most TV's the gaming mode is useless but on the Sharps it actually works. Works great in fact. The Game Mode turns off all the extra processing features, so you aren't able to tweak the settings as much as you would while it's not in Game Mode. Not a big deal since the picture is still great. The Sharp's input lag is terrible outside of game mode though. There's AT LEAST a 100ms delay which is insane, so I just keep it in Game 100% of the time.

I don't know much about Sony's but from what I've read, most have awful input lag. Which doesn't make sense since you'd think the people who make the PS3 would make a decent gaming TV. You might want to check out AVS for more info though. Here's a couple threads that might come in handy:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1131464&highlight=

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1246058&highlight=
 
Alright thanks for the info norkusa. I will check AVS and keep on my long journey towards a tv.
I would have thought the Sony's ability to work with a PS3 would be up there too. In fact at BestBuy he said if I wasn't going Plasma to either get the Sharp because of the Vyper mode, or the Sony. But to steer clear of Samsung and a few others due to the high lag.
 
I've been trying to look for a decent price on a new tv. I'm aiming for a 37inch - 42inch, 120 hertz, 1080p at around 500 but it seems impossible for me to find a brand that I like. The closest I've found is the LG tv's, 42LE5500 for $811. Maybe that TV might interest you. I'm trying to wait till Black Friday to see if maybe I can find an online deal that would cut the price on the LG tv's (either the 5400 or 5500) but I read somewhere that prices on TVs are most likely going to stay the same. I really wish there was a way to not get any of the APPs on a tv to reduce the price. I really don't see my self using any of the apps these tv's have to offer because I'm just going to end up using it as a PC monitor/gaming monitor. I would probably suggest a mid range TV with at least 1080p, 720p seems like an old standard and 1080p should last you awhile.
 
Ya, its likely that you will find some tvs on black friday but I can see alot of them being 60Hz. I've looked at the released flyers for black friday and nothing that I was interested in was on sale. There may be some surprise deals or something from Amazon but I doubt it for what I was looking for.
I ended up ordering the Sharp Quattron 40" from amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Sharp-LC-40LE...UCZU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1289835889&sr=8-2

Looks pretty sweet and the price was right for that type of tv, can't wait. It's supposed to be delivered by the end of the week :)
 
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