Is this a good time to buy a HDTV? Any tips on getting a deal?

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wouldyoukindly

CAGiversary!
I still play in (sub-)standard def and I've been thinking of getting a new HDTV but the prices still scare me. Do you guys have any tips or advice on getting a good TV at a good price? Should I just wait for a while longer?
 
[quote name='wouldyoukindly']I still play in (sub-)standard def and I've been thinking of getting a new HDTV but the prices still scare me. Do you guys have any tips or advice on getting a good TV at a good price? Should I just wait for a while longer?[/QUOTE]

Now is a pretty good time, usually stores will have deals on TVs right before the superbowl. Check the Sunday ads, there may be some good prices this week.
 
prices are pretty much at a low, they will get SLIGHTLY cheaper, but not by much. what will chance is the technology (the TV's will get better, but not too much cheaper)

I've gotten a few Tv's for myself and friends of mine, Froogle.com (aka google product search) is your best friend. find a TV you like (either through AVS forum.com, Cnet, or whatever ways of research you prefer) and then use froogle to find the TV at a good price.

I got a Vizio 37" LCD about 4 months ago for $508 shipped (after about 60 bucks in rebates) form macmall.com. their deals don't seem all that great right now. tigerdirect and newegg.com sometimes have good deals, so check them out.

if your the type of person who wants to by from a physical brick and mortar store your best bet might be this week (with all the superbowl sales going on) or possibly waiting a week or 2 and looking for open box deals at a bestbuy or circuit city (a lot of people buy a shiny new TV the week of the super bowl, and then return them a few days after)
 
whenever you do buy your TV, check prices for 30 days after (to pricematch), but then don't ever look again. Prices tend to continue to fall...and it's just too painful once you see it...

Keep sales tax and delivery in mind. And I'd personally stay away from the Big Box stores (BBuy, CC, etc.) because you'll get a better deal online 95% of the time.
 
Thats what i figure too...better prices after superbowl if they have tooo many in stock ya know. One thing i recommend though is checking out the retailers return policy on dead pixels if you are getting lcds. A friend of mine recommends Sams club...any probs you return it..but on the walmart side i think its harder to return. Last time i went they had a visio 42 or 47 for under 900bux
 
From what I was told when I was buying a TV, 1080p is only really a factor if you're getting a big screen (42" and up) If you're going for a 32" or 37" it probably doesn't matter as much.

If you're looking for a good gaming TV at a reasonable price, you may want to check out a Toshiba Regza. They're a good combination of price and performance (a step above the "bargain" brands, but not quite as good as the high end brands like Sony and Sharp) In June last year, I got a 37" for a grand (with $50 of gift cards on top of that) It's got 3 HDMI ports and 2 Component, has a really nice picture and accepts a 1080p signal via HDMI. There's also a 32 and 42 inch available in the Regza line.
 
[quote name='ZForce']From what I was told when I was buying a TV, 1080p is only really a factor if you're getting a big screen (42" and up) If you're going for a 32" or 37" it probably doesn't matter as much.

If you're looking for a good gaming TV at a reasonable price, you may want to check out a Toshiba Regza. They're a good combination of price and performance (a step above the "bargain" brands, but not quite as good as the high end brands like Sony and Sharp) In June last year, I got a 37" for a grand (with $50 of gift cards on top of that) It's got 3 HDMI ports and 2 Component, has a really nice picture and accepts a 1080p signal via HDMI. There's also a 32 and 42 inch available in the Regza line.[/QUOTE]


I agree, I have 3 HDTV's on 61" which of course has 1080p and looks awesome, and is used for the 360, PS3, dtvhv, hd-dvd etc... my 30" bedroom tv isnt even hooked up to hd, as we wanted to keep the tivo dvr in that room, and DTV made an exception last year in giving us 2 of the hd-dvrs when we upgraded. Now the tv in my personal room, no need for 1080p as it is 37" and the only hd devices hooked up to it are an upconverting dvd player which maxes out at 1080i and the DTV hd-dvr which maxes out at the same as well... they look great on the tv, and was glad to get it for only $550 at target on BF. Of course I have a freind who would rather pay 2400 for a sony (which yes looks better) but in my opinion wouldnt be worth so much extra money
 
Prices seem to be HIGHER right now - either that or the deals I found pre-turkey day were that good.

Example: Panasonic 42" 1080p plasma (z77u). Sears had a sale + instant rebate. I ended up getting it for $1049. Sears is back up to $1709 - $100 rebate. It was down to $1349 three weeks ago. Onecall.com has it for $1449 right now. BestBuy $1499. A decent set at $1300. An amazing set at $1049.

Example: Panasonic 50" 1080p plasma (700u). Sears/Sams/Circuit City/etc. Price is at least $300 more now than it was. $2699 at BestBuy, around $2399 at Sams. This set might not be the best example, but I think the 77u is a decent example of prices being higher right now.

I would wait until after the Super Bowl.
 
[quote name='nogglefish']Prices seem to be HIGHER right now - either that or the deals I found pre-turkey day were that good.

Example: Panasonic 42" 1080p plasma (z77u). Sears had a sale + instant rebate. I ended up getting it for $1049. Sears is back up to $1709 - $100 rebate. It was down to $1349 three weeks ago. Onecall.com has it for $1449 right now. BestBuy $1499. A decent set at $1300. An amazing set at $1049.

Example: Panasonic 50" 1080p plasma (700u). Sears/Sams/Circuit City/etc. Price is at least $300 more now than it was. $2699 at BestBuy, around $2399 at Sams. This set might not be the best example, but I think the 77u is a decent example of prices being higher right now.

I would wait until after the Super Bowl.[/QUOTE]

That panny for 1049 was one of the sweetest deals ever. I sell at sears, and every time I sold one of those, it was like the easiest 5% commission i made in my life. Prices will be good for the next several months, but a lot of it will be closeout deals, as almost all of the current TV models will be replaced within 3-4 months.
 
I can't find the article, but the 50" plasmas are going to be a better bargain than the 42" plasmas because companies can actually make the 50" screens for close to the same price as a 42" plasma or smaller.

Now is considered one of the better times to get a "deal" on a TV. I have a 50" panasonic plasma. I was worried about getting the best deal, but trust me you'll forget a little about that once you get things hooked up. I would research your options you are considering over at AVSforum.com where they have huge threads on the best TV's. Then make sure to buy your cables/mount from monoprice.com. The time spent doing that will ensure you get the bang for your buck.

Just remember BM companies sometimes do not spend the time calibrating the cheaper TV's, but will put in the time to calibrate a more expensive TV. So just because something looks better in a show room doesn't mean it will always be the case. Good Luck and PM me with any questions. I'm pretty good at this kind of stuff.
 
I'd avoid DLP, to be honest. I don't want to start any word wars...but there is slight Lag with DLP. Plus, rear-projection? Really?

Go w/ a fast LCD (Samsung or Sharp) - you'll pay for it, but man is it pretty.

I use the VGA connection on mine for the 360 - it's nice. 1080p, too.
 
I've been shopping around for a 60"+ to fill my "man cave" in the basement and I still haven't even decided on what KIND of TV I want. DLP is probably where I'll go but the lag issues bum me out. I would go with a projector but they're supposed to be atrocious for gaming. I guess I could spend a small fortune on a plasma but I'd rather put that money filling out my bar or something. lol
 
im glad all you guys withuot DLP know so much about lag! my TV (Samsung HLS5687W) has ZERO lag...(i actually did the auto calibration crap on rock band and every started complaining about lag) as for it being rear projection the ONLY problem i will encounter every 3 or 4 years will be the replacement of a sub $100 bulb....LCD is still prone to ghosting, shitty contrast ratio, broken crystals/stuck pixels, sub par viewing angles and burn in.....i wont even talk about plasma cause that shit is just too expensive

the only REAL complaint you could have about DLP is the size of a the TV which, in my situation, is a non-issue (plus it isn't really big to begin with) due to my tv being on a tv stand with all the electronics underneath....its not like i need the space directly to the front or rear of the tv for anything

EDIT: it all depends on the tv in the end but i have dealt with 3 different dlps from3 different brands (toshiba, samsung & magnavox) and have had no problems with any of them
 
All the advice above is great, after super bowl, avoid big box, 1080p not needed.

[quote name='chrisnsally']. . .

I use the VGA connection on mine for the 360 - it's nice. 1080p, too.[/quote]

Since you brought it up, and I'm not trying to derail the thread, can you answer this question for me?

Question: I bought a VGA cable so I could upscale my dvd's. I don't know what setting to keep my tv at. I looked at this question below on the FAQ and I have no clue which one to use (I don't see a simple setting for 1080i on the xbox). Thanks!

The highest I can go is 1360x768, but it's set now at 1260x760.

My tv: http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_1...?keyword=vizio
Max Res. :1366x768 Native Res: 1080i

9. Should I just set my XBOX 360 to output the highest resolution to my HDTV?
A: No. If you have a 720p HDTV, set the XBOX 360 to output 720p. If you have a 1080i HDTV, set the XBOX 360 to output 1080i. If you have a 1080p HDTV, set the XBOX 360 to output 1080i or 1080p depending on whether your HDTV has Component or VGA input.
 
the xbox will upscale to whatever output you have it on ... so right now at 1260x760 you will upscale to 760p...i use vga with the hd dvd add on and have my xbox set to 1080p and all my dvds get upscaled to 1080p
 
[quote name='Malik112099']the xbox will upscale to whatever output you have it on ... so right now at 1260x760 you will upscale to 760p...i use vga with the hd dvd add on and have my xbox set to 1080p and all my dvds get upscaled to 1080p[/quote]

Beautiful. Thanks my man! :applause:
 
[quote name='Malik112099']im glad all you guys withuot DLP know so much about lag! my TV (Samsung HLS5687W) has ZERO lag...(i actually did the auto calibration crap on rock band and every started complaining about lag) as for it being rear projection the ONLY problem i will encounter every 3 or 4 years will be the replacement of a sub $100 bulb....LCD is still prone to ghosting, shitty contrast ratio, broken crystals/stuck pixels, sub par viewing angles and burn in.....i wont even talk about plasma cause that shit is just too expensive

the only REAL complaint you could have about DLP is the size of a the TV which, in my situation, is a non-issue (plus it isn't really big to begin with) due to my tv being on a tv stand with all the electronics underneath....its not like i need the space directly to the front or rear of the tv for anything

EDIT: it all depends on the tv in the end but i have dealt with 3 different dlps from3 different brands (toshiba, samsung & magnavox) and have had no problems with any of them[/QUOTE]

I have a RPTV 1080p tv as well, although mine uses the LCoS technology also seen in the sony RPTV's... and I also must address the space issue... it doesnt take up much space, the picture is astounding, and I have no lag issues as well... I have a 37 lcd on a stand in my personal room and the only advantage with the less space is I get to keep a few small items in the stand in front of it...
 
Since I game at my desk anyways, what are the negatives to using wide screen monitor for console games? If there are few negatives I might use it as a stop-gap alternative until a great deal shows up. Then I can retire the monitor to a computer. What would I do for sound? I have some old but good 5.1 computer speakers that I no longer use since I use a notebook for everything computer related. Would they work?
 
Wait until the day after the Super Bowl, or the Final Four and go around to see if anyone returned a TV after the game. Often times people will "rent" a big screen just for the event. Ask for the open box discount.
 
[quote name='chrisnsally']whenever you do buy your TV, check prices for 30 days after (to pricematch), but then don't ever look again. Prices tend to continue to fall...and it's just too painful once you see it...
[/QUOTE]

Take heed of this advice. Don't keep looking at prices once you buy. It'll only give you buyer's remorse.

I'd also like to mention that LCD HDTVs have finally come down to the price range that CRT SDTVs were at before they got phased out. About 5 years go a decent 32" CRT SDTV was about $500-$600. Now LCD HDTVs of the same size are in that same price range.

Make sure to get your HDMI cables from monoprice.com so you don't artifically add hundreds of dollars to the cost of your HDTV by buying Monster cables.

I personally stayed away from the remaining non-LCD technologies (DLP and plasma). My TV is on constantly, so I don't like the idea of mandatory bulb replacement on a DLP in a few years. The only plasma TVs in the lower price ranges are all 1024x768 resolution which to me is unacceptable.
 
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