Looking for the best bang for the buck on a plasma or LCD, $1200-1300

karkyco

karkyco

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I'm looking into getting a new TV for my parents' house, willing to spend up to $1200 or so on the unit (less is fine, too though!), and I'm just a bit overwhelmed with the search thus far. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'm basically looking for high quality and value, reliability, with a max size of roughly 52 inches, 1080p 120, etc. Anything from the low 40's in the way of size on up would be fine, though, and I'd prefer it not to be a sketchy/no name or low name brand.

My main question though, once I find the one I want, is where to buy it from for the best price?

Should I go with Costco (and if so, online or in store), since I get the % cash back via the membership and the great return policy/extended warranty?

What about amazon.com or newegg? I also checked out amazon's warehousedeals.com this morning, but I'm a bit skeptical of buying what they claim is "an open box unit, unit is perfect, but comes in amazon box".

Should I really try my luck and go onto craigslist and try to buy the TV of some poor bastard who's down on his luck?

Or go to one of these TV superstores in LA like Ed's, Audio and Video Center, or Paul's, they have so many damn TVs advertised at seemingly good prices...or maybe try a Best Buy or Fry's sale, or try my luck at the Circuit City clearance?

Again, any advice, personal experiences etc. is greatly appreciated...
 
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I just finished going through a couple month long hunt for a TV myself. I could tell you a big long story of the two returns I went through before I found one I liked, but here's the Readers Digest version:

Costco's 90 day return policy is excellent, and their adding a year onto the manufacturer's warranty is nice. However, some major credit cards will do the same exact warranty extending on electronics purchases if you buy with their card, so look into that if you buy elsewhere. The downside with Costco is you're usually buying a slightly modified version of a name brand model. Manufacturers change a letter in the model number and may gimp a feature or two. Not terrible for most, but some may protest. Also, deals and selection are totally YMMV.

Warehouse Deals I have not bought from, but I was very close to it. I even called Samsung and they reassured me that if I bought from Warehouse Deals they would still honor the year warranty. Many people say their "open box" or "used" items come brand new with a ding in the box. Others get small scratches on bezels. 30 day return policy is nice, but they'll only pay return shipping if it was their error, not if you decide that the "cosmetic blemish" is too much for you to stomach after getting it. You're taking a risk with it, but there are some deals to be had if you're willing to take that risk.

Amazon - I ultimately ordered from here, and I'm very happy with it so far. Free white glove delivery was fast, and I put the money I saved by not paying tax towards the TV budget to get a better TV. Deals are decent, nothing groundbreaking, but they're still pretty decent. For example, I ended up with a Samsung 40" 1080p 60hz LCD (ln40a550) for $900, which was the "bargain" price advertised as a sale at Best Buy. If you keep an eye on Amazon prices, they'll fluxuate, so if you bite on a low day you'll save even more. I've seen the ln40a550 drop to $850 in the last week.

My last tip, go into a store and check out a 60hz TV vs a 120hz TV side by side. See what you think. I stood staring at Best Buy for about 20 minutes, and I could barely see a difference. Some people report that the processing of some 120hz TVs actually induce artifacts and TBE (triple ball effect - seeing three basketballs at the same time). You may be one of those who finds 60hz to be a blurry mess, but go into a store and see before you commit to spending the extra cash for the feature you may not even like.

End rant. Hope that helps some. Check out the Samsung 550 line if they match your desired specs. I
 
Thanks MuzykMann, that does help a hell of a lot. The 2 month search is exactly what I'm trying to avoid, and I really appreciate the input. I will definitely take a look at the Samsungs, and start by comparing the paper ads I have (Best Buy, Frys, Paul's, Audio and Video Center etc.) to amazon and newegg to see the pricing matchup. Probably in the end I will go with amazon since the credit card will match the costco warranty extension, but damn, some of those warehousedeals were very tempting already...
 
Definately go with a samsung. My dad loves his and I can't live without mine. I bought from warehouse deals for 300 less than a "new" and I only had a few small barely noticable scratches on the bezel. Research is crucial though as I had been looking since before Christmas and I just pulled the trigger
 
Last year when there was the huge slickdeals Samsung thread, I bought a Samsung 46" and 52" a650 from warehouse deals. My sets were flawless. Delivery guy come in, set them up and haven't had a single problem. I also know quite a few other guys that have bought sets from them with no problems at all. I personally would have no reservations about buying a set from them. If the warranty thing is an issue, just buy an extended mack warranty and you are totally set.
 
Yeah, I'm really leaning towards buying it off of warehouse deals, of course I still have a bunch more research to do though.

My friend keeps trying to convince me to go on craigslist and find some desperate shmuck selling their TV, but I'm really not liking that idea...
 
So I went around comparing prices via model numbers, and indeed, amazon and newegg beat the pants off of everyone or at the very least tie the best sale prices (not counting taxes, if any). Amazon beats newegg as well, allbeit by a lesser degree as some of the brick and mortars.

Costco and costco.com are up there too, tying amazon on a bunch of them, but with tax and a delivery charge on a lot of them, amazon just kicks their ass. And warehousedeals, holy crap. Saw some units on there, open box and minor damage to original box only, for crazy good prices.

Now I need to go into a store and check out the models in action, so I can whittle it down to the 1 or 2 companies to choose from.

I thought Sony would definitely be on the list, but I read some awful reviews here and there. Same with Vizio.

I'll probably focus on Samsung, Sharp, Toshiba, and Panasonic unless Vizio and/or Sony manage to wow me...

Thanks again guys!
 
Be sure to check out the Toshibas and Sharps in natural/not super bright lighting if possible. Sharp 64-84u series is is more well known for the horrible banding than the set quality. Some Toshiba sets have a mild green push but most can eliminate this through some good calibration. You will be well served to check out the avsforums for huge owner threads on just about every model type to get a breakdown of the pros/cons of your future sets. Super knowledgeable guys over there.
 
I thought that I have seen a lot of positive reviews around here for Vizio TVs. Aren't they slowly making a name for themselves?
 
Yeah, I thought so too, just saw a couple of posts on some of the models at costco.com bashing them.

I will definitely check out the avsforums to see what people are thinking of the various models...what was the slickdeals Samsung thread? Totally missed the boat on that one. Hopefully I didn't miss out on the score of a lifetime...

If I end up ordering off of warehouse deals and the bezel/frame is a little dinged, oh well. As long as the screen and picture are perfect, it functions perfectly and will last I will be happy.
 
I just stumble upon this thead and I guess I'll share my story as well. AMAZON is the way to go!!!!! I got it a week before Superbowl, Samsung 46a630 (the difference between 630 and 650 is the contrast ratio, I beileve it's 40000:1 compared with 50000:1, but you get the "matte" screen, not the glossy one which has less a problem with reflections and $200 cheaper)

I also used the "gold box" trick (you can find it in fatwallet.com) and bring the total price down another 5% or so. In the end, I got the TV for $1,280, no shipping, no tax and white glove delivery (2 guys perosnally delivery your TV and set it up and make sure everything works) with $200 NFL gift card (easily worth $150+ on ebay).

Based on my research, I don't see how anyone can go for anything but Samsung LCD. Samsung delivers high quality products and can easily be one of the best "bang for buck" brand. And that's the reason why we are here at this site.

Cheers and good luck shopping.
 
The slickdeals Sammy thread was insanity. The 52" a650 was being had for around 1350 and the 46" for as little as 950 bucks. People were running auto alert scripts and once the tv's went up, they were gone in a matter of seconds. It was total luck to get one. If you do order from them, I think you will be pleasantly pleased.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-PN50A...2?ie=UTF8&s=audio-video&qid=1234978938&sr=1-2

I think it depends on the type of viewing and the room. if its a room with a wide range of seating id buy a plasma as the cutoffs in viewing angle can be pretty harsh for the models mentioned above.

really though, check AVS

I ordered a set through an amazon seller and their service was great, they also adjusted the price after purchase as it had dropped a few $
 
Well, after shopping around and checking out the models in store, I think I'm going with a Samsung from amazon or their warehouse deals if they have a nice one in stock for a bonus discount. Costco has great prices but it's still about a push even with bonus instant rebates from manufacturers, considering I'd have to pay for shipping or pick it up myself, plus there's the issue of sales tax. Anyone seen any insane deals on amazon/warehouse deals (or even elsewhere) that I just wouldn't be able to pass up?

I double checked the space available on the wall in question at the parents' house, and it's about 60 inches wide max (there's a bookshelf on either side) and plenty of space vertically (it will be positioned on top of the following TV entertainment unit from Ikea):

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20102516

...so what do you guys think I should go with size-wise? I was thinking 52" would be juuuuuust right. 40 or even 46 is just too small. Anything over 52 will probably just look too big in that space, especially since the entertainment unit is a little under 55" wide.

And again, thanks everyone for the suggestions...
 
well, i bought my samsung 40" lcd from amazon.com a little over a year ago, then that week walked into Fry's and saw my tv for only $20 more than amazon. it was easy on amazon though, great shipping.

have you looked in fry's yet? they usually have prices same as amazon or cheaper and you don't have to wait for shipping, and a great selection and quality HD programming on tv's to get an good idea of how well it performs next to other tv's.

if you go 52", make sure it's 1080p, anything less and 720p is just as good. size should depend on how far you'll sit from the tv, go on avs forums to get a ratio of screen size to number of feet you'll be viewing tv.

you going lcd or plasma? plasma=more screen for buck, image retention, deeper blacks than lcd, less brighter whites than lcd, no image blur, extra glossy screens. lcd= less screen for buck, potential for fast image blur, brighter whites than plasma, matte screens available for bright rooms (love my matte screen), no image retention.

if you go lcd, get samsung, no one can touch their picture quality, not even sony. and you'll pay alot less than a sony. if you go plasma, get a panasonic viera, only pioneer can beat their picture quality, but they're way expensive. costco doesn't carry either of these brands.

DON'T go the craigslist route, chances are you'll be the sucker if the tv fails on you or something.

If you get a samsung lcd, you want a new 6-series, the 7-series has a design flaw in the screen, worse sound and no swivel stand than it. these are the best looking lcd's on the market right now. A 46" is $1400 right now.
 
[quote name='von551']well, i bought my samsung 40" lcd from amazon.com a little over a year ago, then that week walked into Fry's and saw my tv for only $20 more than amazon. it was easy on amazon though, great shipping.

have you looked in fry's yet? they usually have prices same as amazon or cheaper and you don't have to wait for shipping, and a great selection and quality HD programming on tv's to get an good idea of how well it performs next to other tv's.

if you go 52", make sure it's 1080p, anything less and 720p is just as good. size should depend on how far you'll sit from the tv, go on avs forums to get a ratio of screen size to number of feet you'll be viewing tv.

you going lcd or plasma? plasma=more screen for buck, image retention, deeper blacks than lcd, less brighter whites than lcd, no image blur, extra glossy screens. lcd= less screen for buck, potential for fast image blur, brighter whites than plasma, matte screens available for bright rooms (love my matte screen), no image retention.

if you go lcd, get samsung, no one can touch their picture quality, not even sony. and you'll pay alot less than a sony. if you go plasma, get a panasonic viera, only pioneer can beat their picture quality, but they're way expensive. costco doesn't carry either of these brands.

DON'T go the craigslist route, chances are you'll be the sucker if the tv fails on you or something.

If you get a samsung lcd, you want a new 6-series, the 7-series has a design flaw in the screen, worse sound and no swivel stand than it. these are the best looking lcd's on the market right now. A 46" is $1400 right now.[/quote]

Thanks for the info.

Hmmm, I compared the advertised sale prices at Fry's with amazon's prices and amazon came out ahead by a bit. Though Fry's is usually advertising the newest models - the ones with the least discounts. I know their sales prices are generally solid, but I figure with free white glove delivery I can't go wrong - my parents can wait for the new TV.

I've seen Panasonic Vieras at Costco...perhaps they're not available on costco.com but I've definitely seen them in store. Not a lot of the sizes, but a couple.

I'm most likely going with Samsung. Definitely want an LCD. Just checking out the picture quality in stores, I really liked the Samsungs and the Sharp Aquos. The Toshiba I saw wasn't bad. Sony, for the price, is ridiculous IMHO. The Panasonic Vieras were really nice too. Hell, Vizio wasn't bad, but I've heard mixed reviews (very positive or very negative...scary!).
 
vizio plasmas suck, though you said youre not interested in one.
be cautious of viewing angles of the set, ideally id try and compare the sets from the angles they may be viewed at. some sets might look better when viewed at dead center but may fall off vastly from even a slight variation from center.the mid-range sets usually perform best in that regard.
good luck with the shopping, its a real pain.
 
Shoot, warehouse deals has the Samsung 52" A650 for over $1792, and the 46" for $1290. Damn it. That's more than I'm looking to spend...

If the 52" was around $1300 I would hop on it. But they have a Sharp Aquos 46" (LC46D65U) for $970.

How are the Samsung 500 series? There's 46" A550 for $967 as well. And a Toshiba REGZA 46XV545U for $1063.

That Sharp price is pretty damn tempting.
 
Not to thread jack but anyone know anything about Insignia? I think it's like Best Buys store brand or something.

Also though thanks for all the info. I'm in the same type of boat. Everyone's been pointing me in the Samsung direction. Depending on what every says about Insignia, I think I'll end up with a Samsung soon.
 
[quote name='Frosty The Batman']Not to thread jack but anyone know anything about Insignia? I think it's like Best Buys store brand or something.

Also though thanks for all the info. I'm in the same type of boat. Everyone's been pointing me in the Samsung direction. Depending on what every says about Insignia, I think I'll end up with a Samsung soon.[/quote]

Insignias are crap...you're right they're the Best Buy "private label" brand. If you're going to be dropping a significant pile of money on a new TV, don't go super cheap because you'll get what you pay for.
 
After about 2 weeks of back and forth, and trying out two others for a few days, I finally settled.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8955302&st=630&type=product&id=1216424111160

It's actually $50 less if you buy it in-store.

I started with the Samsung A550, 40" and I liked it, but wanted something more, so I tried out the Sony Bravia 42" 4100 series. It was pretty nice, but the "cinemotion" was worthless without 120hz.

The one I have now was $1149.99, still on sale this week. I wasn't too keen on the Touch of Color red trim, but honestly, in my living room, even with light walls, it's not even noticable. I absolutely love this TV and is 100000x better than that POS Polaroid it replaced.
 
[quote name='karkyco']Shoot, warehouse deals has the Samsung 52" A650 for over $1792, and the 46" for $1290. Damn it. That's more than I'm looking to spend...

If the 52" was around $1300 I would hop on it. But they have a Sharp Aquos 46" (LC46D65U) for $970.

How are the Samsung 500 series? There's 46" A550 for $967 as well. And a Toshiba REGZA 46XV545U for $1063.

That Sharp price is pretty damn tempting.[/quote]


dude, stick with samsung. toshiba and sharp can't compare and you'll be glad you spent the extra few hundred bucks to get a top of the line tv. i almost got a regza as well, until i saw the samsung and knew nothing else would make me happy. and the 550's aren't bad at all, just lower contrast and slower response time as well as no 120hz/AMP with is kinda crucial on an LCD. you'd be much happier with a sammy xx550 than a sharp, regza or anything else...
 
[quote name='von551']dude, stick with samsung. toshiba and sharp can't compare and you'll be glad you spent the extra few hundred bucks to get a top of the line tv. i almost got a regza as well, until i saw the samsung and knew nothing else would make me happy. and the 550's aren't bad at all, just lower contrast and slower response time as well as no 120hz/AMP with is kinda crucial on an LCD. you'd be much happier with a sammy xx550 than a sharp, regza or anything else...[/quote]

Yeah, I think I'm going to go with the Sammy 550, probably the 52" 550. Bah, it's for my mom, she's not going to mind the difference. I doubt she'll be watching it all that much anyway, mainly for guests.
 
[quote name='von551']dude, stick with samsung. toshiba and sharp can't compare and you'll be glad you spent the extra few hundred bucks to get a top of the line tv. i almost got a regza as well, until i saw the samsung and knew nothing else would make me happy. and the 550's aren't bad at all, just lower contrast and slower response time as well as no 120hz/AMP with is kinda crucial on an LCD. you'd be much happier with a sammy xx550 than a sharp, regza or anything else...[/QUOTE]

amp is garbage. it literally makes me wanna throw up when its set to high.
 
Lots of love for Samsung in here.

I'm actually a big fan of the Panasonic plasmas. Waiting for their new releases next month before I throw down on a new set.
 
[quote name='Rig']Lots of love for Samsung in here.

I'm actually a big fan of the Panasonic plasmas. Waiting for their new releases next month before I throw down on a new set.[/QUOTE]

youre a smart man. im very interested to see how they stack up against the kuros. theyll certainly be very good sets.
 
I just ordered a Samsung LN32A450 from Amazon on Monday. It is (and has been) the bestseller in Amazon TVs for quite some time. I'll let you know how it is when I get it just for S&G. It's just a personal TV for my 360. Believe it or not my buddy got a 26' Dynex from Best Buy for Christmas (another personal Xbox 360 TV) and it looks gorgeous with an HDMI cable. It's only 800:1 contrast too. I can only imagine what mine will look like at a 10000:1 Contrast and an HDMI! OMG I can't wait.
 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889102208

This is my TV a Samsung LN40A650. This thing is beautiful and this is comming from someone who is so picky about his TV's that nothing looked good for all these years until I came across this one. Something about the screen just makes me say wow every time I see it.

I would highly recomend the Samsung Series 6. Can't go wrong with the 50,000:1 contrast ratio, 120, 1080p, etc etc. The 5 star reviews on the site just prove it further. The only thing I have to say is the remote is a bit klunky but you get use to it fast.

It's either one of these or you really just don't like TV.
 
Just wait till the Pioneer 5020 is at $1500 soon enough. Amazon is the best place to order HDTVs from as far as price, free white glove and lack of tax for the majority of states. If you want something cheaper go for a 50" Panasonic.
 
Yeah...I'm ready to pull the trigger, but the warehousedeals prices are killing me, especially after hearing about the crazy slickdeals insanity.

They have 1 LN52A550 that is just reboxed, for $1293, and another 5 that have various degrees of damage, for $1217. How can I be sure if I select the one that is listed as "just reboxed" that I won't get one of the screwed up ones?

The LN52A650s are just too expensive for a gift TV that in all reality, won't be appreciated like it would if it were in my house. I mean, $1564 with "slight cosmetic damage" or $1722 for a mint open box. Yikes.

I guess I'll have to settle for getting my mom a 46" one. They have a bunch of LN46A550's for $917 damaged, $967 "minty". And $1236 damaged/!1286 "minty" for the LN46A650.

But damn, I don't want to throw away extra money needlessly, when it's not going to be appreciated to its fullest. My mom isn't going to notice any sort of minute differences. While I want to get her one that's as good as possible, I don't want to go overboard on the price and I also want a TV that will last for years. What to do, what to do...

Wow, this is very helpful...all the differences in the different Samsung models:

http://www.john-michaeldelvalle.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/samsung-lcd-tv-2008-chart.jpg
 
I just recently purchased a new TV and was researching online as well as looking at the Televisions instore to see how the image quality was.

I was initially looking at the Samsung models because of the great reviews.

This Toshiba caught my eye and was the best price I could find on a 52" LCD.

I checked it out instore and bought it on the spot.

I currently have it hooked up to my HDTV box, XBOX 360, and Playstation 3.

Video games and high def programming look great and I cannot detect any motion blurring.

I was hesitant in getting an LCD because I have only had DLP and Plasma sets that do not have motion blur problems.

http://www.electronics-expo.com/make-a-store/item/TOS52RV535U/Toshiba/52RV535U/1.html

Good luck with finding your new television.
 
OP, I know you're not looking into any plasmas, but for anyone else who may be referring to this: +1 to Panny plasmas. My main entertainment center is running a 42" Viera, and I absolutely love it. There's something about plasma screens that just seem to hit my eye better. Always have. Most people seem to think plasmas are somehow inferior to LCDs, but I think that's just carryover from the original plasma sets that suffered from burn in and short lifespan. Lifespan is no longer a problem, and burn in is hardly a problem.

I know I was talking up the Sammy 550 series before, but that was bought as a bedroom tv/computer monitor. Even with all the improvements to plasmas, I still feel that a plasma screen and a windows taskbar are a bad idea.

Best name brands that still offer good value: Sammy for LCD, Panny for plasma. I
 
I just got back from Costco, where I was checking out some models. Now while I doubt they had the TVs set up and calibrated properly, I was jsut comparing the images, and I have to say, the Sony one they had, I believe it was the W or V Bravia, man that picture looked amazing.

The Sharp Aquos next to it looked just plain AWFUL in comparison, due to lots of details missing in a shadowed or darker area, but I'm thinking it may just have been the tuning and settings. The Toshiba REGZA next to them both was pretty nice too, but the Sony one was very eyecatching.

The Panasonic Plasma was beautiful too. Of course, the Panasonic and Sony were WAY higher than the others. Oh and the Vizios, ugh. They were embarassing. Same with the LGs. All of the TVs were playing off a Blu Ray feed, same feed same imput types etc., and one of the Vizios, the largest one they had, I think it was 50 some odd inches, was just a joke as far as the picture went. It seriously looked like it was playing in SD, but nope I checked the hookups.
 
[quote name='strikeratt']http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889102208

This is my TV a Samsung LN40A650. This thing is beautiful and this is comming from someone who is so picky about his TV's that nothing looked good for all these years until I came across this one. Something about the screen just makes me say wow every time I see it.

I would highly recomend the Samsung Series 6. Can't go wrong with the 50,000:1 contrast ratio, 120, 1080p, etc etc. The 5 star reviews on the site just prove it further. The only thing I have to say is the remote is a bit klunky but you get use to it fast.

It's either one of these or you really just don't like TV.[/quote]

That's the exact same TV I just bought on Sunday. I got it from Best Buy for 1149.99. Was supposed to come with free delivery/installation, but I passed on it. Was then offered a voucher for $100 Geek Squad credit, just in case I had a problem. I don't think they gave it to me. Oh well.
 
After much debate, I bought a Samsung PN50A550 a few months ago and couldn't be happier. I love this TV, and am very glad I didn't let the spectre of burnin scare me away from plasma. LCDs have more 'pop' in the store, but having got it home and set it up, I believe plasma to have a much more 'natural' picture with smooth motion that's easy on the eyes. The panasonic 800u is also beautiful, but a bit more expensive.
 
[quote name='sp00ge']That's the exact same TV I just bought on Sunday. I got it from Best Buy for 1149.99. Was supposed to come with free delivery/installation, but I passed on it. Was then offered a voucher for $100 Geek Squad credit, just in case I had a problem. I don't think they gave it to me. Oh well.[/quote]

Good choice my man very good choice :D
 
if ure gonna use this TV for movie watching, get a plasma.
the PQ and Blacks of a plasma will beat any lcd any time of the year.

unless its a bright room and u have like 17 windows, the glare will be non existent.

why not get a panny plasma?
u can get better PQ, Better blacks and a bigger screen for the same price of that sammy

http://6ave.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=PANTH50PZ80U
50" for $1366 shipped.

i have a 46pz80u myself and it is unbelieveably gorgeous.

i got my 46pz80u panny plasma for $1072 shipped, and my dad has a 47" phillips LCD to compare to and it blows it out of the water.
in stores plasmas look like crap because of light conditions and theyre on vivid mode.
i brought my panny home and its beautiful.

i saw the sony bravia the.. 52" uhhhhhh xbr showing transformers blu, and i think the panny plasma is a bit better.

also contrast ratio means absolutely NOTHING when comparing say.. SONY VS SAMMY VS PANNY because they measure their stuff differently. and the ratio u actually wanna look out for is the NATIVE, or Ansi Contrast.

the dynamic is just like how good white looks against an all black screen which will NEVER EVER happen in games or movies.
dynamic is just a marketing tool so tv manufacturers can put 1,000,000,000 dynamic contraast ratio :0 then next to it their native is only 3:000 to one or something.
 
[quote name='karkyco']I just got back from Costco, where I was checking out some models. Now while I doubt they had the TVs set up and calibrated properly, I was jsut comparing the images, and I have to say, the Sony one they had, I believe it was the W or V Bravia, man that picture looked amazing.

The Sharp Aquos next to it looked just plain AWFUL in comparison, due to lots of details missing in a shadowed or darker area, but I'm thinking it may just have been the tuning and settings. The Toshiba REGZA next to them both was pretty nice too, but the Sony one was very eyecatching.

The Panasonic Plasma was beautiful too. Of course, the Panasonic and Sony were WAY higher than the others. Oh and the Vizios, ugh. They were embarassing. Same with the LGs. All of the TVs were playing off a Blu Ray feed, same feed same imput types etc., and one of the Vizios, the largest one they had, I think it was 50 some odd inches, was just a joke as far as the picture went. It seriously looked like it was playing in SD, but nope I checked the hookups.[/quote]If it's Costco, I think it should be the Sony Bravia W4100. Last time I was in there, I think it was the W4100 that was in there.

Vizio's are good sets for the price, though when you start getting up in the larger sizes, the price difference starts to dwindle.

Costco's warranty on TV's has dropped a bit, due to too many people doing the return-and-get-better-set-for-the-same-money scam. I think it's only 2 years coverage now, so don't think too hard on that one.

Re: plasma, LG and Vizio are both getting out of the market, and Pioneer is going by the wayside for plasma in a couple of years. I wouldn't think too hard on that one, IMO.

Size-wise, how far are your parents going to be sitting from where the TV is at? That'll give you some idea if 40", 46" or 52" will be the right size.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']If it's Costco, I think it should be the Sony Bravia W4100. Last time I was in there, I think it was the W4100 that was in there.

Vizio's are good sets for the price, though when you start getting up in the larger sizes, the price difference starts to dwindle.

Costco's warranty on TV's has dropped a bit, due to too many people doing the return-and-get-better-set-for-the-same-money scam. I think it's only 2 years coverage now, so don't think too hard on that one.

Re: plasma, LG and Vizio are both getting out of the market, and Pioneer is going by the wayside for plasma in a couple of years. I wouldn't think too hard on that one, IMO.

Size-wise, how far are your parents going to be sitting from where the TV is at? That'll give you some idea if 40", 46" or 52" will be the right size.[/quote]

Thanks for weighing in, Shrike. They'd be sitting about 10 feet away.
 
[quote name='karkyco']Thanks for weighing in, Shrike. They'd be sitting about 10 feet away.[/quote]40" would be too small for that distance, so I'd suggest 46" or 52".

I have a KDL-52XBR6, and tried to figure out which of the two sizes to go with between 46" and 52". I'm glad I did go 52", though I wasn't working in the same price point scenario you're working in.

Since you said they're likely to just be doing TV & movies, from the Samsung side of the house, A550 would be as good as the A650. For Sony, the W4100 would be a good choice as well.

Thing you have to remember is that there's lots of new models coming out in the next 3-6 months from all the big vendors, which means three things:
1) The new stuff will be MSRP out of the gate for a while.
2) The older stuff will get discounted as it's being slowly supplanted by the newer stuff.
3) The older stuff will start being harder to find as time goes on with the newer stuff showing up.

From what you've said you want to do with the TV for your parents, I think anything that's out in the midrange from Samsung or Sony would work out well. Toshiba has some nice options as well.

On where to buy the TV, I picked mine up at Amazon and was damn happy I did. Picked it up at a killer price during BF 2008, didn't pay for shipping or sales tax, plus managed to get a free Sony BDP-550 BR player that they had as a promotion after I bought my TV though within 30 days of when I bought it. So, I doubly lucked out. Managed to save $600-$800 over retail options on BF weekend, not counting the BR player.
 
In fact, here's a Toshiba that might work for your needs @ $1200 shipped:

http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-REGZA-52RV535U-52-Inch-1080p/dp/B001EWDFBE

AVSForum.com thread on the TV:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1113025

Information from Crutchfield.com about the TV:
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_05252RV535/Toshiba-52RV535U.html?tp=161&tab=detailed_info

Toshiba link for the TV:
http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/televisions/lcd/product.asp?model=52RV535U

Seems to be a pretty good set for the price.
 
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I'd go with a plasma mainly for gaming, but LCD is fine for movie purposes. Still, plasma, particularly Panasonic, gives you the best picture for the money without the obvious drawbacks of LCD (motion blur, off-axis color distortion, weak black levels), though they do run hotter and sap more energy. I'm getting one of the NeoPDP sets coming out soon (May? They come out with low-end models this March), myself. Not sure about the prices, but they have Panasonic models relatively cheap at Costco.
 
Thanks Shrike. I got your PM too. Do you think I should wait to see if the older models get even better price-wise? I know I missed out on some really nice deals from Black Friday through Super Bowl, but from what I've seen, as long as I'm not buying a brand new model, prices are pretty good.
 
[quote name='karkyco']Thanks Shrike. I got your PM too. Do you think I should wait to see if the older models get even better price-wise? I know I missed out on some really nice deals from Black Friday through Super Bowl, but from what I've seen, as long as I'm not buying a brand new model, prices are pretty good.[/quote]It depends on when you want to buy it. Since we're past the Superbowl, the TV deals won't be that huge again for maybe a month, until we get into March Madness, which also seems to drive TV prices downwards.

If you want to buy it now, you'll be looking at prices for the moment. For when some of the newer stuff comes out, it all depends on the manufacturers putting them into the sales channel. When they do it is up to them, though I know I've been hearing random reports on AVSForum.com of the current/"older" models starting to have availability concerns, because no one wants to be sitting on too much old inventory.

I think for what you're wanting to do, if you want to get something short-term, I think you should look over that Toshiba and see what you think. It's a 52" set for $1200, delivered (though I think you pay sales tax from Amazon.com being in CA, so it's still w/sales tax) and from what you said for its uses, I think it'll work good at that price point.

Do I have some regrets for buying a "current" model during BF 2008 with some of the stuff coming out this year? Maybe a little, though there's always going to be some of that since there's always something better around the corner.

Do I enjoy the set I have now? Hell yes, and as often as I can. :D

I checked the current price on my set, and it's almost $400 more than when I picked it up on BF. So, waiting on it from then until now would have cost me a few $$$.
 
Yeah, I like that one too. And with prices being what they are, I'm wondering if it's worth it to wait until at least the March Madness sales.

I can't believe that your TV is still $400 over what you paid for it on Black Friday; I'd think at this point retailers would be well into clearing out the previous models and inventory, especially in this economic environment. I guess I should have jumped right away a few weeks ago for the Super Bowl sales at the end of January.

Or maybe I should just jump on one at warehousedeals.com...the prices are still pretty damn good there on a few of the non-dinged up models.
 
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[quote name='karkyco']Yeah, I like that one too. And with prices being what they are, I'm wondering if it's worth it to wait until at least the March Madness sales.

I can't believe that you're TV is still $400 over what you paid for it on Black Friday; I'd think at this point retailers would be well into clearing out the previous models and inventory, especially in this economic environment. I guess I should have jumped right away a few weeks ago for the Super Bowl sales at the end of January.

Or maybe I should just jump on one at warehousedeals.com...the prices are still pretty damn good there on a few of the non-dinged up models.[/quote]I'd expect there to be some sales during March Madness, with the state of retail being what it is at the moment.

I'm not surprised that my TV is still up $400 over what I paid for it on BF, as it's a Sony, and they always carry a price premium over other brands.

I would prefer to go new than scratch-and-dent/refurb/reboxed, though from what some people have said about the stuff on warehousedeals.com, it can be practically new. I think the reboxed LN52A550 might be an option, as is the Toshiba I mentioned above.

For what you're looking for the TV to do, I think the current gen stuff would work more than OK.
 
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