Buying an HDTV - ideas and any sales on?

[Marc Vaughan]

Hi,

I'm planning on getting an HDTV in the January sales ... no preference for brand really and around 42-46'' in size.

Its primary usage will be as the family TV in the front room, it'll also be used by a Wii and a PS-3 (and hence one day BlueRay movies).

Any ideas from people who know more than myself (ie. everyone :D).

[stevew]

How much do you want to spend? Is your digital cable actually digital, or an analog digital hybrid. Are you moving back to england at some point?

[ISiddiqui]

I've heard good things about the Sony LCDs around that size. But they are pricey.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

If you're looking for a good HDTV at a great price, you can't go wrong with Vizio. I bought 3 of them through Target and they've performed just as well as my Sony HDTV and Westinghouse monitor. Don't let the lower price sour you..........they are very good TV's.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

FYI....if you're looking for sales on HDTV's, I'd head over to www.techbargains.com. They advertise the big sales and I've found a couple of cheap ones by going there daily. In addition, they have a low price search engine that can help you find a cheap purchase if you're set on a particular brand or size.

[stevew]

If you're looking for a good HDTV at a great price, you can't go wrong with Vizio. I bought 3 of them through Target and they've performed just as well as my Sony HDTV and Westinghouse monitor. Don't let the lower price sour you..........they are very good TV's.

sure thing ladanian

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

FYI......Fry's has a great deal on a 65" Toshiba DLP HDTV (1080p) today only. $999 is a stellar price for the visual gluttons in the house.

[stevew]

I will say that I have seen a few pretty good Vizio models, but their quality seems to vary quite a bit from model to model.

[Synovia]

I've got a Vizio GV42LF (42" 1080p LCD). Absolutely love it. Cost me like $950 at Sears.


Best Buy has a 46" Samsung 1080p LCD on sale for today only for like $1399

[Marc Vaughan]

How much do you want to spend? Is your digital cable actually digital, or an analog digital hybrid. Are you moving back to england at some point?

Spend - I'm a skinflint but have budgetted up to around $1.5k for this, I'm a great believer in paying as little as possible though (my wife wants to get a new 'unit' for it to stand upon so any saved on the TV will undoubtably go towards the stand and vice-versa).

Cable - No idea, we use DirectTV if that helps.

Moving back to England - I'm not expecting to, we've pretty much put down roots and my eldest is about to start highschool next year so I'd be loathe to move once she's started that part of her schooling.

[Marc Vaughan]

FYI......Fry's has a great deal on a 65" Toshiba DLP HDTV (1080p) today only. $999 is a stellar price for the visual gluttons in the house.

This might be a purely English reaction but the very size of that TV scares me ... I prefer to watch shows which aren't actually life size ;)

[Marc Vaughan]

I've got a Vizio GV42LF (42" 1080p LCD). Absolutely love it. Cost me like $950 at Sears.


Best Buy has a 46" Samsung 1080p LCD on sale for today only for like $1399

Both of these sounds very interesting thanks :D

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

This might be a purely English reaction but the very size of that TV scares me ... I prefer to watch shows which aren't actually life size ;)

Your 'flats' over in England are too small for a 65", but over here where we have a bit more room, size matters! :)

I have a 65" TV right now actually (though I paid more than $999). My wife thanks me every day for that purchase. It's so nice to not have to strain to see anything. With a PS3 like you have, it's absolutely wonderful. But it looks good on a 42" too. :)

[Flasch186]

Moving back to England - I'm not expecting to, we've pretty much put down roots and my eldest is about to start highschool next year so I'd be loathe to move once she's started that part of her partying.

fixed for accuracy.

x 5 if she carries an English accent.

[Passacaglia]

Spend - I'm a skinflint but have budgetted up to around $1.5k for this, I'm a great believer in paying as little as possible though (my wife wants to get a new 'unit' for it to stand upon so any saved on the TV will undoubtably go towards the stand and vice-versa).

Cable - No idea, we use DirectTV if that helps.

Moving back to England - I'm not expecting to, we've pretty much put down roots and my eldest is about to start highschool next year so I'd be loathe to move once she's started that part of her schooling.

Does this mean that you play WSM now, not FM? Be honest! ;)

[stevew]

I'd personally recommend a 42" panasonic plasma, around a grand for the 720p u75 model, around 1.5k for the 1080p model z77. Or if you want an LCD, the Samsung 61/65 series's both should be around 14-1500 in 40", sometimes the 46 also is close to that price.

[Marc Vaughan]

fixed for accuracy.

x 5 if she carries an English accent.

Heh - you'd have to meet Haley to understand why thats not presently a worry.

She is rather dedicated to her school work to a ludicrous degree (she's an honours student with something like a 92% average in her first year here - yeah I'm proud so sue me ;) ) and is the type of kid who we have to try and STOP working rather than the other way around.

She wants to work with animals when she's older (possibly as a vet) and is determined not to let poor grades prevent her from choosing her career.

[Marc Vaughan]

Does this mean that you play WSM now, not FM? Be honest! ;)

I play straight off our development tree so still play FM ...

[Marc Vaughan]

FYI....if you're looking for sales on HDTV's, I'd head over to www.techbargains.com. They advertise the big sales and I've found a couple of cheap ones by going there daily. In addition, they have a low price search engine that can help you find a cheap purchase if you're set on a particular brand or size.

Thanks that looks like a very useful site :D

[NoSkillz]

I'd personally recommend a 42" panasonic plasma, around a grand for the 720p u75 model, around 1.5k for the 1080p model z77. Or if you want an LCD, the Samsung 61/65 series's both should be around 14-1500 in 40", sometimes the 46 also is close to that price.

+1

I have a 50" Panasonic Vierra plasma that I purchased last year and it is fantastic.

We needed (ie: the wife needed) another smaller TV for our upstairs family room so I just got the 42" Panasonic today on special for $999.00 at Future Shop here in Canada. Just an awesome deal if you can find anything similar down south...

[mattlanta]

Hey, Marc. I'm not an HDTV specialist or know anything much about TVs, but I do know a site that lists daily sales and sometimes I see HDTVs on it that are on a very low price. The site is http://slickdeals.net/ and I think there is a good Blu-Ray sales forum in http://forum.blu-ray.com/index.php?

Good luck with finding the right HDTV for you.

[Wolfpack]

We needed (ie: the wife needed) another smaller TV for our upstairs family room so I just got the 42" Panasonic today on special for $999.00 at Future Shop here in Canada. Just an awesome deal if you can find anything similar down south...

42"? Small(er)? One of your other ones better be a movie theater screen.... :p :D

[cartman]

I just picked up the 46 inch Sony XBR5 from Crutchfield.com. They were offering 18 months no payments/no interest, and it was $800 off as well. Free shipping and no sales tax are added bonuses as well.

[NoSkillz]

42"? Small(er)? One of your other ones better be a movie theater screen.... :p :D

I know, it's ridiculous...sometimes I think the wife should be institutionalized ;)

We were going to get something around 30"-37" but the deal on the 42" was too good to pass up.

[damnMikeBrown]

Got a 46" Aquous 46d64u I love her. I really do. I think this could be the start of a long term meaningful relationship. She is great. She knows all the lines to my favorite movies..she'll stay up all night with me. She has such depth, and just a beautiful color to her...she is just amazing. Ok, she is a little flat, a little short, but I knew the first time I mounted her on the wall that my life would never be the same with her around.

[Marc Vaughan]

Finally fixed on a Sony Bravia 46'' HDTV which was reduced in the sales ... largest TV I've ever owned.

I'm not rigging it up until tomorrow, somewhat intruiged to see what all the hoo haw about HDTV is and whether I'll notice a difference or not ...

[ISiddiqui]

You did remember to get an High-Def package from your cable company/satellite, right? :D

[mattlanta]

Finally fixed on a Sony Bravia 46'' HDTV which was reduced in the sales ... largest TV I've ever owned.

I'm not rigging it up until tomorrow, somewhat intruiged to see what all the hoo haw about HDTV is and whether I'll notice a difference or not ...
Personally, I don't really care if it's HDTV. If it's HD or Blu-Ray, it just looks a lot more smooth, but I don't think it's worth all of the fuss yet... I think the most important thing on a TV is the size (so that you can read the letters and things aren't scrunched up) and the color quality. Congrats on your new HD.

[ISiddiqui]

Personally, I don't really care if it's HDTV. If it's HD or Blu-Ray, it just looks a lot more smooth, but I don't think it's worth all of the fuss yet... I think the most important thing on a TV is the size (so that you can read the letters and things aren't scrunched up) and the color quality. Congrats on your new HD.

Uh.. say wha? The difference btwn HD and SD is like the difference between color and black & white. It's actually difficult for me to go back to SD programming anymore.

[k0ruptr]

Hey, Marc. I'm not an HDTV specialist or know anything much about TVs, but I do know a site that lists daily sales and sometimes I see HDTVs on it that are on a very low price. The site is http://slickdeals.net/ and I think there is a good Blu-Ray sales forum in http://forum.blu-ray.com/index.php?

Good luck with finding the right HDTV for you.

SD is a good site, as is fatwallet.com same similarness, they are kinda rivals in a way, but both have deals as soon as they are out

[mattlanta]

Uh.. say wha? The difference btwn HD and SD is like the difference between color and black & white. It's actually difficult for me to go back to SD programming anymore.
To each his own opinion. Personally, I think you're just used to HDTV, so you can't go back to regular TV. I can watch TV whatever it is unless it's black and white or from the 60s. I can't see it getting much better than HD though. BluRay looks fictional in a way... maybe it's just me again.

[bhlloy]

To each his own opinion. Personally, I think you're just used to HDTV, so you can't go back to regular TV. I can watch TV whatever it is unless it's black and white or from the 60s. I can't see it getting much better than HD though. BluRay looks fictional in a way... maybe it's just me again.

Ugh... I disagree also. Trying to watch Fox Soccer channel or non-HD hockey games on my 46" Sony is a crap-fest. I have to watch them on the smaller TV we have in the bedroom.

[Eaglesfan27]

Heh - you'd have to meet Haley to understand why thats not presently a worry.

She is rather dedicated to her school work to a ludicrous degree (she's an honours student with something like a 92% average in her first year here - yeah I'm proud so sue me ;) ) and is the type of kid who we have to try and STOP working rather than the other way around.

She wants to work with animals when she's older (possibly as a vet) and is determined not to let poor grades prevent her from choosing her career.

Veterinary School is harder to get into than medical school, so that work ethic will be important and should serve her well in college.

[Eaglesfan27]

Finally fixed on a Sony Bravia 46'' HDTV which was reduced in the sales ... largest TV I've ever owned.

I'm not rigging it up until tomorrow, somewhat intruiged to see what all the hoo haw about HDTV is and whether I'll notice a difference or not ...

Assuming you get some of the HD packages from DirecTV, you are going to notice a drastic difference. It's hard for me to watch standard def shows since we got our HDTV.

[mattlanta]

I still have an issue with both Blu-Ray. How much clearer can movies truly get? I mean, this is technology for awesome living room setups to truly experience what both companies brag about. The movies are always over $25. It just doesn't seem worth it just yet. Until you can show me something truly revolutionary with all that space you tout, I don't care to pay for something like this. Maybe you can, but not me.

[k0ruptr]

I still have an issue with both Blu-Ray. How much clearer can movies truly get? I mean, this is technology for awesome living room setups to truly experience what both companies brag about. The movies are always over $25. It just doesn't seem worth it just yet. Until you can show me something truly revolutionary with all that space you tout, I don't care to pay for something like this. Maybe you can, but not me.

you can buy a blu ray burner and then just download ure movies... not that i do that or anything.

[stevew]

Finally fixed on a Sony Bravia 46'' HDTV which was reduced in the sales ... largest TV I've ever owned.

I'm not rigging it up until tomorrow, somewhat intruiged to see what all the hoo haw about HDTV is and whether I'll notice a difference or not ...

Cool. The 46S3000 sony? If so, even with being the "entry level" sony model, it's still an amazingly good tv. I dunno where you bought, but many places will offer a 30 to 60 day price match guarantee. Meaning if you find your TV available cheaper somewhere else within that time period, you can get the difference refunded to you. Dunno if they do stuff like that in England.

[cuervo72]

We bought a 42" Philips LCD from BB (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8251358&type=product&id=1169512521206) just last Friday as something in our TV blew earlier that day (right before the holiday, great timing). Not sure what the deal was, but the price in the store was considerably cheaper than what's on the site, and we "saved" $100 by upgrading our Directv to HD (of course, we shelled out $299 for their HD DVR). DTV guy doesn't come until Jan 2, but so far we're pretty happy with the tv. We have a setup where the ideal wall for the TV is directly across from a bank of four windows, which give direct light in the morning/afternoon. Glare on this TV doesn't seem to be a problem at all. It has a handy input on the left side of the monitor, and then seemingly plenty in the back as well.

edit: but good luck with your Sony! :D Tough to go wrong there.

[cartman]

Congrats Marc! As I mentioned earlier, I picked up the Bravia 46 inch XBR5 recently. Just a note, be sure to read through the manual. There are about eleventy billion different settings that can be changed. Out of the box, I was disappointed with the picture compared to my existing 42 inch Sony LCD rear projection TV. But after trial and error, and some setting changes, I'm very happy with the picture. HD channels on DirecTV look awesome, and games on the XBox 360 are incredible.

[Bee]

Ugh... I disagree also. Trying to watch Fox Soccer channel or non-HD hockey games on my 46" Sony is a crap-fest. I have to watch them on the smaller TV we have in the bedroom.

With my projector I only watch HD and upscaled DVDs because SD at 100"+ really sucks. I generally avoid any SD, but if I do find myself having to watch it I'll go to the 20" tv in the guest room. That's about the only way I can stand it, but even then it's annoying.

[dawgfan]

Just to jump in to the "asking advice" part of this thread, I'll be in the market for an HDTV in the next 6 months. Here's the criticals:

- I doubt I'll need a TV bigger than 46";
- I'm inclined to go LCD or Plasma over DLP, but I could be swayed by persuasive arguments;
- My primary usage will be video gaming and DVD playback (not sure yet whether I'll break down and get cable or a dish);
- I'm worried about whether video-game lag is still an issue with the sets coming out now;
- I'm wondering how much of an issue burn-in still is with Plasmas;
- I'm bothered when I see standard TV signals on HDTV's - they look really bad to me;
- If I did get cable/a dish, I'd be watching a lot of sports, so issues of quick movement and how the various formats handle that could be important;
- Not sure yet whether the room would be light or dark, so I don't know how much of an issue glare will be;
- Wider viewing angle carries some weight with me - I'd like flexibility in how to lay out the TV room so multiple guests can see a good picture without having to sit directly in line with the screen

Thanks for any help...

[DeToxRox]

Just ordered the same TV as Marc. Didn't realize this thread until after. Good choice.

[Cork]

Personally, I don't really care if it's HDTV. If it's HD or Blu-Ray, it just looks a lot more smooth, but I don't think it's worth all of the fuss yet... I think the most important thing on a TV is the size (so that you can read the letters and things aren't scrunched up) and the color quality. Congrats on your new HD.

While HD might be nice, I think the general public has been sold a bill of goods by the TV industry. My current picture on my 27" RCA CRT via the Dish network looks better than anything I have seen from the current crop of HD TVs. To me, HD is like the law of diminishing goods. The picture is only marginally better than digital cable, but the price is substantial once you factor in the cost of the TV ad the HD package.

I will definately make the switch down the road when all channels are shown in HD. Until then the slight increase in picture quality simply isn't worth the outrageous price. It's too bad that TV manufacturers gave up on CRT technology as nothing today comes remotely close to its picture quality.

-Cork

[Rich1033]

W My current picture on my 27" RCA CRT via the Dish network looks better than anything I have seen from the current crop of HD TVs.

-Cork


You have to be kidding. Thats like saying a DVD of 300 sounds better on your old 2 speaker stereo than a nice new surround sound system.

[stevew]

Just to jump in to the "asking advice" part of this thread, I'll be in the market for an HDTV in the next 6 months. Here's the criticals:

- I doubt I'll need a TV bigger than 46";
- I'm inclined to go LCD or Plasma over DLP, but I could be swayed by persuasive arguments;
- My primary usage will be video gaming and DVD playback (not sure yet whether I'll break down and get cable or a dish);
- I'm worried about whether video-game lag is still an issue with the sets coming out now;
- I'm wondering how much of an issue burn-in still is with Plasmas;
- I'm bothered when I see standard TV signals on HDTV's - they look really bad to me;
- If I did get cable/a dish, I'd be watching a lot of sports, so issues of quick movement and how the various formats handle that could be important;
- Not sure yet whether the room would be light or dark, so I don't know how much of an issue glare will be;
- Wider viewing angle carries some weight with me - I'd like flexibility in how to lay out the TV room so multiple guests can see a good picture without having to sit directly in line with the screen

Thanks for any help...
All signs point to you being happy with a plasma. It'll somewhat mask poor quality SD stuff. Wide angle of viewing. Doesn't pixelate as much as LCD. Burn in is probably a pretty moot point at this time....basically you just baby the TV for the first 100 or so hours, and then it's good to go. I'd suggest something by panasonic or Pioneer, depending on how much you want to spend. I'd also suggest checking out a bunch of models in the store, and then probably just ordering online. Also look for an anti-glare coated one, but make sure to check it out in the store first.

[dawgfan]

All signs point to you being happy with a plasma. It'll somewhat mask poor quality SD stuff. Wide angle of viewing. Doesn't pixelate as much as LCD. Burn in is probably a pretty moot point at this time....basically you just baby the TV for the first 100 or so hours, and then it's good to go. I'd suggest something by panasonic or Pioneer, depending on how much you want to spend. I'd also suggest checking out a bunch of models in the store, and then probably just ordering online. Also look for an anti-glare coated one, but make sure to check it out in the store first.
Awesome, thanks. I'd been gravitating towards a Pioneer PDP series anyway, so this helps solidify that thinking.

I take it gaming lag is no longer an issue?

[Logan]

If you can swing the money, Pioneer makes the top-of-the-line plasma (and I agree with steve in that seems like the better choice for you). If you find that too pricey, take a very minor step down to a Panasonic.

I'm not 100% sure what "gaming lag" is but I have no issues with my 360 on my Panasonic 42" 75u plasma. Maybe it's similar to how some sports don't look that great on an LCD because of the fast motion?

[Cork]

You have to be kidding. Thats like saying a DVD of 300 sounds better on your old 2 speaker stereo than a nice new surround sound system.

I am dead serious. CRT technology is definately better than what you will see from an LCD or a plasma TV. Even the hardcore tecnogeeks on AVS generally acknowledge this. The problem is that for whatever reason, the TV industry has decided to abandon CRTs and push inferior technology on the consumer. Hopefully in another 5 years or so, all the issues with LCD's, and Plasmas will be solved. By then these technologies will be considered "mature" and should be worthy successors to the CRT.

When I purchase a new TV, I don't want to have to worry about motion blur, image tearing, poor dark colors, the inability to run games, image burn in, inability to see SD broadcasts decently, and the myriad of other issues that plague todays HD TVs.

I really wish that the TV industry would have continued to manufacture HD CRTs. Those would have been nice to try out.

-Cork

[Rich1033]

I am dead serious. CRT technology is definately better than what you will see from an LCD or a plasma TV. Even the hardcore tecnogeeks on AVS generally acknowledge this. The problem is that for whatever reason, the TV industry has decided to abandon CRTs and push inferior technology on the consumer. Hopefully in another 5 years or so, all the issues with LCD's, and Plasmas will be solved. By then these technologies will be considered "mature" and should be worthy successors to the CRT.

When I purchase a new TV, I don't want to have to worry about motion blur, image tearing, poor dark colors, the inability to run games, image burn in, inability to see SD broadcasts decently, and the myriad of other issues that plague todays HD TVs.

I really wish that the TV industry would have continued to manufacture HD CRTs. Those would have been nice to try out.

-Cork

Well, to each his own I guess. Obviously the CRTs arent produced like LCDs and plasmas because of the bulk and weight, but Im sure we all know that.

All I know is that Im sitting here watching the bowl game in HD on my 32" LCD and it would be very tough to go into the bedroom and watch it on my old 27" CRT.

[lighthousekeeper]

While HD might be nice, I think the general public has been sold a bill of goods by the TV industry. My current picture on my 27" RCA CRT via the Dish network looks better than anything I have seen from the current crop of HD TVs. To me, HD is like the law of diminishing goods. The picture is only marginally better than digital cable, but the price is substantial once you factor in the cost of the TV ad the HD package.

I will definately make the switch down the road when all channels are shown in HD. Until then the slight increase in picture quality simply isn't worth the outrageous price. It's too bad that TV manufacturers gave up on CRT technology as nothing today comes remotely close to its picture quality.

-Cork

Thank you! I feel exactly the same way. I keep wanting to purchase an hdtv, but whenever I see my friend's HDTVs or go to the store to purchase one, I feel like the picture quality isn't really any better than my current 27" CRT. A football game will be on at Circuit City, and the picture will be gorgeous, but then the camera will pan quickly on a passing play, and everything will be all blocky. That blockyness just doesn't exist on my CRT. And besides, I don't think that I really look too closely to the TV anyways, or if I do, I don't think that a more precise image will improve my viewing pleasure.

[ISiddiqui]

The problem is that for whatever reason, the TV industry has decided to abandon CRTs and push inferior technology on the consumer.

It's called, they weigh a fucking ton and really, really big (depth wise)!

I really wish that the TV industry would have continued to manufacture HD CRTs.

Well, they had them for a quite a loooong while. I have a CRT HDTV. A 30'' Sony. It also weighs 150 lbs and requirs to screen to be at least two feet away from the wall because of the depth of the TV.

[stevew]

I think a ton of the problem with the HDTV equation is the poor signal quality of analog cable for right now. Most consumers just want to buy a tv and plug it in. If you straight plug an LCD into a wall outlet, chances are that it will look like garbage. Even with digital cable, some systems are still very antiquated, and are some digital analog mix.....that can result in significant performance differences between SD, Digital and HD channels.

I switched to Dish Network a few months back, and I am amazed at the picture quality of the SD channels on my LCD. Whereas it looked like trash on all but a few cable channels. I think the signal quality will be figured out in the next couple years, and it will tone down on some of the bullshit looking LCD performance.

HD CRT's are amazing, it sucks that they can't make them anymore. I almost bought one last year, but really didn't have any way to get it to my house. Aka the TV was fucking huge.

[Cork]

Thank you! I feel exactly the same way. I keep wanting to purchase an hdtv, but whenever I see my friend's HDTVs or go to the store to purchase one, I feel like the picture quality isn't really any better than my current 27" CRT. A football game will be on at Circuit City, and the picture will be gorgeous, but then the camera will pan quickly on a passing play, and everything will be all blocky. That blockyness just doesn't exist on my CRT. And besides, I don't think that I really look too closely to the TV anyways, or if I do, I don't think that a more precise image will improve my viewing pleasure.

You my friend, see the forest for the trees. :) I really hope that the LCD technology improves to the point where it would make sense to purchase one as I really do like watching movies in wide screen format.

-Cork

[Marc Vaughan]

I think a ton of the problem with the HDTV equation is the poor signal quality of analog cable for right now. Most consumers just want to buy a tv and plug it in. If you straight plug an LCD into a wall outlet, chances are that it will look like garbage. Even with digital cable, some systems are still very antiquated, and are some digital analog mix.....that can result in significant performance differences between SD, Digital and HD channels.

I was quite scared with my new box when I plumbed it in today - turned it on and in 'HD' it looked great, but watching 'Nick' on the default settings looked awful ... some perseverance and playing with settings has made a vast improvement on that side of things though.

(incidentally I wanted a LCD simply because of the width size difference, I didn't want a TV which took up a huge amount of space, my old 30'' sony was probably a good 16 inches wide whereas the new one is very slim in comparison and the weight differenc between the two is incredible)

Can't wait to get 'HD DirectTV' installed though - anyone got any experiences with this? ... I'm presuming that its just some extra channels opened up and the other boxes in the house will be happy continuing to run bog-standard SD? (as we've 4 boxes in the house).

Also on a related note they do a DVDR setup - is it any good, in England we have Sky+ which has a built in hard-disk for recording/pausing shows and that rocks ... is the DVDR a similar solution and does it allow onscreen recording/operation in the way which Sky+ did (in Sky plus you view things as per normal for channel selection then hit 'record' to mark something to be recorded, similarly a library of all recorded stuff on the hard-disk is available to look over whenever you want to).

Oh and finally thanks to everyone for all the advice and help :D

[cartman]

I have "legacy" HD on DirecTV, and it is awesome. With their new satellite launch, they have a lot more channels, and are using the H.264 encoding on the signals, which is much better than the previous MPEG encoding they were using, but older equipment isn't compatible. I'm not sure if the existing SD boxes will work with the new 5 LNB dish that is needed for the new HD equipment.

Several people on here have the HD20 DVR, and they seem to be very happy with it. I'll be making the switch in January to the new box and dish.

[cuervo72]

I'm not sure if the existing SD boxes will work with the new 5 LNB dish that is needed for the new HD equipment.

Better be - two different guys at BB told me not to worry, that my old TiVos would still work for the tv's not hooked to the HDVR.

[Eaglesfan27]

My old SD receivers work just fine with the 5 LNB Sat. Count me among those who are a big fan of the HR20. While it lacks a small amount of the functionality of the Tivo box, the improved HD and interactivity make up for it. I've had zero issues with either of our HR20's.

[cartman]

Cool, glad to know that the 5 LNB dishes work fine with the legacy receivers. If they didn't I was just going to leave the old dish up and have two sitting on my house.

I should have made the call to upgrade back in October. Now it seems that the days of calling and getting free/almost free HR20s is over.

[Synovia]

When I purchase a new TV, I don't want to have to worry about motion blur, image tearing, poor dark colors, the inability to run games, image burn in, inability to see SD broadcasts decently, and the myriad of other issues that plague todays HD TVs.

None of those are issues with a good 120hz LCD.


SD TV looks like ass on HD tubes too.


The biggest problem right now is that content is crap, and the TVs have to blow it up.

[dawgfan]

I'm not 100% sure what "gaming lag" is but I have no issues with my 360 on my Panasonic 42" 75u plasma. Maybe it's similar to how some sports don't look that great on an LCD because of the fast motion?
No, it's a situation where there is enough delay between the signal being sent by the console and the picture being displayed that it affects gameplay. There are supposedly two main components to this issue - conversion of the game's resolution to match the TV's native resolution, and image-enhancement processing. IGN had a number of articles on this issue in 2006.

It may be that this issue became well-known enough that TV manufacturers have addressed the problems in current models.

[Peregrine]

CNET recently put up their best TV list for 2007, I know I'm looking hard at the Panasonic TH-42PZ700U, it's gotten a lot of good reviews. Probably will be a couple months before I pull the trigger though.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4370-6485_7-168-101.html?tag=lnav

[stevew]

CNET recently put up their best TV list for 2007, I know I'm looking hard at the Panasonic TH-42PZ700U, it's gotten a lot of good reviews. Probably will be a couple months before I pull the trigger though.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4370-6485_7-168-101.html?tag=lnav

Probably should be in line for a pretty major price drop soon, as well. IIRC, the old one came out right around fathers day, so the closer you get to the new model cycle, the more the price of the remaining stock of the existing models will drop.

The 42pz77u is pretty good as well, and is usually quite a bit cheaper than the 700u.....not exactly sure what you're missing between the 2 models that really matters either. One has a non-glare coating, one a non glare filter. I think the filter on the 700u makes it brighter than the z77u, but I'm not 100% certain. I don't really notice much of a difference. I think the 700u has slightly better rendering abilities to upscale content.

[Icy]

I'm thinking on buying one too for the christmas. I have seen a few models at around 1000€ including some Sony Bravias that i like, but all them are 1366 x 768 instead of Full HD 1920 x 1080 that are a 50% more expensive, so i wonder if it's a good time to buy one now or better to wait a bit until 1080 is the standard for all TFT TV's. Full HD is probably not that important for TV watching, but it will be soon for gamming as more and more console games are made in 1080 resolution.


Are you guys buying 768 or 1080 TV's? Are the 10880 ones worth the price increase?

[stevew]

I'm thinking on buying one too for the christmas. I have seen a few models at around 1000€ including some Sony Bravias that i like, but all them are 1366 x 768 instead of Full HD 1920 x 1080 that are a 50% more expensive, so i wonder if it's a good time to buy one now or better to wait a bit until 1080 is the standard for all TFT TV's. Full HD is probably not that important for TV watching, but it will be soon for gamming as more and more console games are made in 1080 resolution.


Are you guys buying 768 or 1080 TV's? Are the 10880 ones worth the price increase?

Often times the 1080 tv's, at least LCD's(aka the Sony Bravia Flat Panel Line) will also have superior color contrast to their 720p counterparts, and in some cases a 120hz refresh rate. Those are a lot bigger upgrades than just the panel resolution.

[General Mike]

Bump.

Anybody have one of the Samsung DLPs that use LEDs instead of bulbs? Thoughts on it?

[MikeVic]

Let me know if I have this right...

LCD is good if you have sun shining in on the TV (because of the way it handles reflection), and doesn't have burn-in. However, unless you can afford the 120Hz versions, you'll notice blur for things like sporting events and some video games. Plasma is good if you have a darker room (or the sun behind the TV), handles up-converting of regular cable better, and doesn't suffer from blur. But it does have burn-in...

edit: I didn't read through the thread... this is just what I've been told.

[Kodos]

I think plasmas are better for sports/games/movies. Getting the Panasonic plasmas with the anti-reflective screen solves the glare issue. Like this one, for instance.

Panasonic TH-50PX77U Flat-panel TV reviews - CNET Reviews (http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/panasonic-th-50px77u/4505-6482_7-32317316.html?tag=prod.txt.1)

On any television, lights, bright objects in the room, and even pale fabric from a couch or the shirt of a viewer can reflect off the screen, which could become distracting, especially in dark scenes. Of course, the best way to control this issue is to eliminate as much ambient light as possible in the room, but the TH-50PX77U, along with its 77U-series stablemates, addresses the problem in another way. Its screen is coated with an antiglare compound that, unlike the coatings of some previous plasmas we've reviewed such as the Samsung HP-S5053, does a good job of attenuating reflections. We watched TV with the lights on full-blast, and compared to the other plasmas, the reflections on the Panasonic's screen were considerably dimmer, blurrier, and less noticeable. We couldn't discern any adverse effect of the coating on the TV's picture quality.

[MikeVic]

Hmm ok cool. If I read through this thread, will the question be answered for me whether I should get an LCD or a plasma?

How good is the burn-in protection on plasmas these days?

I'm looking at these two TVs:
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926HDS0010100491&catid=23249
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926HDS0010099644&catid=24558

Opinions?

[Big Fo]

FWIW I have not noticed any lag when gaming on my new Samsung LCD.

[Kodos]

The days of burn in being a problem on plasmas are pretty much over. Here's a good forum to read up on some of the common questions about HDTVs.


Flat Panel General & New FP Tech - AVS Forum (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=40)

[stevew]

Those are both good selections mike and 2 that I would have suggested. The panasonic seems expensive. Its usually about 1199 here. It would be my first choice though. Even the 42px80 at 720p is a good choice for less money. The 50px80 is going for like 1099 stateside.

Shoot me a pm if you have any other questions. Don't buy any cables at all in the store. They are a serious rip off

[stevew]

Burn in is pretty much a non issue these days btw. You'd have to be extremely careless. Also the panasonics have screen wipe built in if you do start to noice image retention

[MizzouRah]

I have a Sony Bravia 46 KDL-46V3000 1080p LCD HDTV and I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this TV.

Like most, I hate watching SDTV now. Xbox 360, Wii, HD-DVD's all look stunning on this TV. Finally caught a sale on dell.com and bought it.

Don't listen when people tell you there isn't much of a difference, you'll see once you see HD in full action... especially a soccer game. :)

[MizzouRah]

I watch the SD channels in normal mode with the black bars on the left and right.. picture looks much better that way.. but with all the HD channels with dish now, we don't watch them all that much anymore anyway.

[Raiders Army]

Picked up the 52" Sony XBR4 at Best Buy about a month ago for $3,000. Also got $80 in Best Buy bucks today for the purchase.

[stevew]

I watch the SD channels in normal mode with the black bars on the left and right.. picture looks much better that way.. but with all the HD channels with dish now, we don't watch them all that much anymore anyway.

Spike comedy and the nick channels are about it for us. We also have sd locals stiLl unfortunately.

[MizzouRah]

Spike comedy and the nick channels are about it for us. We also have sd locals stiLl unfortunately.

That's most of what we watch in HD.. the locals. Football is coming soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edit: you know you can buy an HD antenna that hooks into your TV that gets your local channels in HD right? They sell them at Walmart.

[stevew]

That's most of what we watch in HD.. the locals. Football is coming soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edit: you know you can buy an HD antenna that hooks into your TV that gets your local channels in HD right? They sell them at Walmart.

Yeah. I only have a 37 inch Monitor unfortunately. No tuner. Looks like direct gets youngstown sometime soon. Hopefully dish is soon thereafter.

I tried to hook an antenna into the dish box but it wasn't working. May have been the room it was in. Regardless I need to figure out how to get the CW before the new 90210 starts.

[Vegas Vic]

After doing a lot of research, I bought the Toshiba Regza 42RV530U 42” HD LCD TV, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results so far.

Since I’m a novice to the HDTV world, I thought I would share this with others who might be in the same boat. Unfortunately, I'm stuck with Cox HD Cable for the next few months (Scientific Atlanta 8300 converter box), and it appears that I’m getting a better picture (especially on the non-HD channels) by letting the broadcast signal pass through the box in its native format (480i, 720p or 1080i) and letting the HDTV do the conversion, rather than having the cable box “upconvert” the signal to 1080i before it goes to the TV. Do any of you more experienced HDTV owners have any experience with this?

[stevew]

After doing a lot of research, I bought the Toshiba Regza 42RV530U 42” HD LCD TV, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results so far.

Since I’m a novice to the HDTV world, I thought I would share this with others who might be in the same boat. Unfortunately, I'm stuck with Cox HD Cable for the next few months (Scientific Atlanta 8300 converter box), and it appears that I’m getting a better picture (especially on the non-HD channels) by letting the broadcast signal pass through the box in its native format (480i, 720p or 1080i) and letting the HDTV do the conversion, rather than having the cable box “upconvert” the signal to 1080i before it goes to the TV. Do any of you more experienced HDTV owners have any experience with this?

That's what I did. Much better if you output the sd at 480i and then let the TV do the work. I think I turned off any of the stretch stuff as well

[Galaril]

We are looking at buying our first HDTV a LCD one and am wondering what is the basic difference between the 1080P AND 720P? The TV is going to be a 32inch if that matters.

[cartman]

We are looking at buying our first HDTV a LCD one and am wondering what is the basic difference between the 1080P AND 720P? The TV is going to be a 32inch if that matters.

It is the resolution of the screen. Think of it in computer terms. 1080P is 1920X1080 resolution, and 720P is generally 1280X720. The P is for progressive scan, meaning it draws each horizontal line every refresh period, and i is for interlace, where it draws every other horizontal line every refresh period.

[Raiders Army]

Dell has a good deal on a Sharp Aquos 42" 1080p LCD: Dell : SHARP Sharp 42" LC42SB45U 1080p LCD HDTV : Video Conferencing : Home & Home Office (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=A1977316&cs=19&c=us&l=en&dgc=CJ&cid=24471&lid=566643)

This is the same television that Dell is selling during their Black Friday sale for $779, which is only $20 less than the current price. The next cheapest price for this television is $862.50 + $80 shipping at Amazon.

As of today, aside from the Dell Black Friday price, this is the best price you will be able to get on a name brand 42" 1080p television.

Also on the site:
6th Avenue has their Pre-Black Friday Sale going on now!

Use the code PREFRIDAY during check-out to get the Pre-Black Friday Sale prices! All items listed below offer free shipping and no tax (unless you live in New York or New Jersey)!

The sale features the following items:

Panasonic Viera TH42PX80U 42" 720p Plasma HDTV - $659
TomTom ONE 125 3.5" Clamshell Portable Navigation System - $99.95
Samsung PN42A400 42" 720p Plasma TV - $699.00
Samsung LN40A500 40" 1080p LCD TV - $799.00
Panasonic TH-42PZ80U 42" 1080p Plasma HDTV - $848.96



The Panasonic Viera TH42PX80U 42" 720p Plasma HDTV for $659 was our pick of the best 42" television for the money in our Television Buying Guide.

The price on Black Friday: $699.99 at Sears. You can buy this television right now at 6th Ave for $40 cheaper, with no tax (assume 7% sales tax = $50 additional savings, tax is charged in NY and NJ) with free shipping, this is a really hot deal!

Thanks for Visiting and Tell Your Friends!

[cougarfreak]

Since you guys seem to know wthat the heck you are talking about, and someone brought up tube tv's, I've got a question. I've got an old 36" Sony Wega Flatscreen HDTV. According the manual, it supports 480p, 480i, and 1080p. Does that make sense to you? I didn't even realize it did 1080 until I read the manual online today. I got Direct HD about a month ago, and when I ran the test with the receiver, and got no picture 720, I didn't bother to run the test with 1080. It won't do 1080p, because it doesn't have an HDMI input. So what exactly the difference between 480p and 1080i?

[CU Tiger]

Since you guys seem to know wthat the heck you are talking about, and someone brought up tube tv's, I've got a question. I've got an old 36" Sony Wega Flatscreen HDTV. According the manual, it supports 480p, 480i, and 1080p. Does that make sense to you? I didn't even realize it did 1080 until I read the manual online today. I got Direct HD about a month ago, and when I ran the test with the receiver, and got no picture 720, I didn't bother to run the test with 1080. It won't do 1080i, because it doesn't have an HDMI input. So what exactly the difference between 480p and 1080i?


Look up two posts its covered pretty well.

[cougarfreak]

Look up two posts its covered pretty well.

But does it make sense? To have a TV have 1080i, and no 720 at all?