HDTV. Looking for a good deal

[Invader3K]

Not only are plasma screens more reflective, but most actually have a chemical compound that is put on the screen to try and make it less reflective. Note to anyone who owns a plasma: never ever use cleaning supplies on a plasma screen like Windex or something of that sort. The chemicals are too harsh and will screw with the anti-glare compound. Also, make sure to use a microfiber cloth as even just a paper towel can be too abrasive for the sensitive material.

Good tip. Windex and similar cleaners are only meant for windows and household glass, mirrors, etc. The chemicals in those cleaners can eat away at the screen of most televisions and be damaging to other electronics products.

[Godspeed]

As far as 720p/1080i/1080p, I'm going to disagree with the majority here that say there is not much of a difference.

It really depends on where you're viewing the television from. If you're 1.5 times the diagonal measurement away from the screen when you're watching tv (so 37" ~> 4' away, 50" ~> 6' away etc.), the average person is probably not going to notice a difference.

 

http://reviews.cnet.com/720p-vs-1080p-hdtv/

[razzzorsharp]

I am looking at either a 46 inch Samsung550 or a 650 in the basement. I just have to figure out if the extra 60 Hz is worth 350 dollars.

[Tailgat0r76]

I am looking at either a 46 inch Samsung550 or a 650 in the basement. I just have to figure out if the extra 60 Hz is worth 350 dollars.

Honestly, I would probably say yes. Especially since you're going to be using it for sports, the extra 60 Hz makes a quite noticeable difference. And, as stupid as it sounds, the Red Touch of Color really does make the tv look just that much more slick. Than when you add in the better contrast ratio and extra HDMI port, personally, I believe it's worth the extra money if you've got it. Amazon has it for $1442 and you won't pay shipping or sales tax.

 

That said, you definitely will not be dissapointed with the 550.

[brewcrewreview]

A little over a year ago, I bought a 52" Sharp Aquos (the official TV of Major League baseball, although that's not why I bought it) from buydig.com. It was almost a grand cheaper than the exact same models at Best Buy, American, and Circuit City. Better yet shipping was free and there was no sales tax! The delivery was perfect and took less than a week. I have had absolutely no problems with the TV as well. Buydig.com has excellent customer service reviews from people at amazon.com and combined with the cheap prices, free shipping, and no sales tax, it made it a no brainer to buy from them. I couldn't be happier that I bought from them.

Oh yeah, another reason I picked the TV was because of the 120 HZ for viewing sports. A buddy did a lot of research on it and said it was the way to go. Having the TV for a little over a year and comparing it to some 60 HZ TV's, I can definitely notice a difference. With the MLB Network coming on strong, I would definitely get the 120 HZ if you can.

[razzzorsharp]

I got this TV a couple of minutes ago...

 

http://www.amazon.com/Sam...ics&qid=1235441005&sr=8-1

 

I went with the 120 HZ, we'll see how that compares. I also found it for 1399 so it was a little cheaper.

[GormanHarvey]

A little over a year ago, I bought a 52" Sharp Aquos (the official TV of Major League baseball, although that's not why I bought it) from buydig.com. It was almost a grand cheaper than the exact same models at Best Buy, American, and Circuit City. Better yet shipping was free and there was no sales tax!

Buydig.com is pretty much the only place I buy electronics. I have bought 2 tv's from them (both LCD's -32" and 50") and have nothing but good things to say about them and as far as I can tell, they consistently have the lowest prices on many tv's.

[GormanHarvey]

Here's a link to an interesting article for those of you trying to decide between plasma and lcd

 

http://newteevee.com/2009...-point-in-the-plasma-era/

[pitchleague]

can I suggest that we pushpin this thread or something? LOTS of good information that we seem to answer about once a month on the board with new topics created.

[nate82]

I went to Circuit City a few days ago, and I was extremely unimpressed. Most of the TVs they had seemed like they were actually more expensive than normal prices for the same model at other stores. I'm pretty sure they mark stuff up quite a bit in order to get those 30-50% numbers.

You are not buying at the Circuit City prices you are buying at the liquidators price. The liquidators actually mark up the prices and they are generally higher than what they would normally be if you bought the item before the liquidation sale started.

[Godspeed]

Here's a link to an interesting article for those of you trying to decide between plasma and lcd

 

http://newteevee.com/2009...-point-in-the-plasma-era/

So Pioneer is going to stop making plasmas and that's suppose to be the death-knell of that technology? That's like Ferrari deciding to stop making cars. People are still going to buy a high end sports car either way if they really want to.

 

The author is trying to hype up this LCD vs. Plasma "war" as if they're two competing technologies competing for the exact same marketplace (*cough* Blu Ray vs HD-DVD *cough*). That's may be true on the macro level, but not really to the informed consumer who knows what they're looking for in a television. Both formats have their advantages (Plasma: higher contrast ratio, no lag, deeper colors, wider viewing angle. LCD: no gloss, no burn-in) and disadvantages (Plasma: potential for burn-in/image retention, higher power consumption. LCD: motion-blur, limited viewing angle, not able to create a true black, shorter half-life of brightness).

 

Neither one is going to kill off the other, that will be left to the next generation of technology.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Given my viewing needs, I think we're probably going to go with a plasma.

 

And I went into circuit city here on the west side of Madison when I left work friday night, and all I can is, "wow, no wonder these tools are going out of business".

[zurch1818]

Well if your looking to buy a 42" Panasonic Plasma, Sears has the 1080p and the 720p at about $900 (the 1080p is actually 10 cents cheaper). At the time I bought my TV, Sears had the exact same TV for $200 less than Best Buy - that made my decision easy. Also, if you want the 720p, Best Buy has it for $850.

 

In all honesty, I still would recommend 720p, you really won't notice any difference between the two. Hope this helps.

[GormanHarvey]

Looking for a short HDMI cable (around 3 or 4 ft) to connect my Dish Network HD box to my Samsung tv. Anyone have any recommendations on what brand or type to get and where? Thanks

[Schlitz001]

I've gotten good deals from http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp for HDMI cables.

[Invader3K]

FWIW, I bought a 50" Pioneer Kuro plasma (the non-Elite version) last Friday, and absolutely love it thus far. It's a bit more expensive than some other options out there right now, but it was a nice upgrade over our older Mitsubishi 48" projection set (which found a nice home with a local buyer). The picture on this plasma set is stunning.

[GormanHarvey]

I've gotten good deals from http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp for HDMI cables.

Thanks for the help. I ordered 3 HDMI cables from them. Prices were great and shipping wasnt bad either

[blatzlight]

I've gotten good deals from http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp for HDMI cables.

Thanks for the help. I ordered 3 HDMI cables from them. Prices were great and shipping wasnt bad either

they make a solid product. i couldn't believe i got a 10' HDMI for $26.00.

[RyDogg66]

I have this Samsung 37" LCD HDTV. If I buy a new Dell Vostro Laptop is there a way to hook up the PC to the TV to watch stuff? Most notably I am thinking about subscribing to MLB.tv and I would like to watch the games on the TV if possible, even if the definition were a little worse.

[Tailgat0r76]

Yes it appears you can. the LN37A550 has a VGA port on the back of it. So simply plug a VGA cable into it from the labptop for video, and a simple 3.5 mm sound cable from laptop to TV for audio, and voila; you've got mlb.tv greatness in 37".

[1992casey]

If Rydogg66 has an HDMI or DVI port on his computer, so much the better. If the computer has DVI, that can be converted to HTMI with the proper cable or adapter.

[Tailgat0r76]

Yep; that's what I do with my computer with This. You'll still need an audio cable that runs separate from this though. You'll plug the HDMI into "HDMI 2" port and then red and white audio cables into the "DVI IN" port.

[RyDogg66]

thx guys, I might look into this.

[joepepsi]

I have a 42" Phillips plasma I got from amazon in Deember 2007. $996, no sales tax, free shipping. I love it. Panasonic's plasmas are probably better but I couldn't get as good a deal at the time. Pioneer used to make the best plasma TV in the world. Alas, they are making them no more.

 

It is generally accepted that in tv's 42" or less you can't tell a difference between 1080p and 720p.

 

Good discussion on the difference between LCD and Plasma. My son has a 32" bravia at his apartment but he loves to play Halo on my plasma because the movement is much better.

 

For the most part I've found people who have LCD tv's love them. The picture often appears brighter and sharper than plasma. To me it's a "fakey" look, live action movies look like Pixar productions. And the "sharpness" is a function of the clearly defined pixels.

 

Cheap LCDs seem to have the most angle of view issues. There's a neighborhood bar near me that recently bought an Insignia and Westinghouse LCD. They are mounted rather high above the bar. If you are too far under them you can't see the picture at all. If you are off angle a bit the colors and brightness really worsens. Looking around at place like Best Buy, the more expensive LCD's seem to have minimized these problems.

 

So to me, with LCD's you really get what you pay for, whereas even modestly priced plasma look very good.

[Blancofan1]

I'm looking for an LCD set, probably either 32-37" and was hoping to get some opinions on a set. Sharp Aquos LC37SB24U. I have no reservations about buying a refurb and for $600 with shipping this seems to be a pretty good deal to me. My parents have had Sharp TV's and loved them, but they don't have anything HD yet. Thanks for the input.

Also wondering if the extended 3 year warranty for $90 would be worth it since it is a refurb.